Good afternoon Reader, I hope you've had a nice Thursday so far. I've always liked Thursdays--I spent about two hours almost every Thursday for 8 years as a martial arts student and assistant instructor. I just think Thursdays are good in general.
I have worn the self-imposed mental label of malcontent for a very long time now. I am not so sure I was right when I gave myself the label, but so far, this summer has involved long stretches of discontented solitude punctuated by periods of absolutely lovely chaos. Ultmately, it will go down as the summer of travel and wanderlust. Wanderlust, by the way, is a strong, innate desire to rove or travel about. I've seen and understood the phenomenon in other people, but this is the first time I remember it being so tangible in myself.
I rarely travel. I've been lucky enough to travel all over Minnesota, but my extended family is so centralized here that we have little reason to travel out of state other than for traveling's sake alone--which we never do. (Oh, and I actually despise living out of a suitcase, but have discovered it's a non-issue if you're with the right people.) My recent adventures to Iowa for MBLGTACC '12 and all over the south for the National Youth Gathering coupled with the fact that I've been glued to the Olympics has sparked in me wanderlust like no other. Not to mention that the National Youth Gathering will be in Detroit in 2015--I hope to go if I am able, and MBLGTACC '13 is in Lansing, Michigan. I've been considering forming my second semester schedule in a way that makes it most convenient for me. :P
I leave in two days for another adventure, this time it's a week long semi-working vacation as I tag along to a camp in the northern part of North Dakota. I need to decide whether or not I want to work there next summer, and my parents have taken that as meaning I'd be moving out once and for all. A very rational conclusion, but intimidating all the same.
All this recent pounding of pavement has served to define my traveling likes and dislikes. I've decided I much prefer travel by road vs. air. Planes are fun, but it's far too Point A and Point B for me. It really negates that all-important line segment in the middle. It cuts down on the potential of the journey. Plus I like to drive. :P When I think about it, the superficial demarcation lines on a map serve as a mental barrier. To me, Louisiana felt worlds and worlds away, but as I was on the roads, I realized that while I was seeing landscapes and cultures shift, I was never seeing any sort of severing of a connection. There is no giant line in the sand separating us completely. The only real barrier I now feel between me and anywhere else, is time. I've heard it's a Midwestern thing to measure distance in time. I'm two and half hours from the Fargo-Moorhead area, The Twin Cities are about an hour away from where I live, etc. I feel like the means to go somewhere is rarely what holds us back--the real problem involves time. Give me enough time and I'll be able to get anywhere... And I guess from now on I'll be trying to listen to the part of me asking for that time.
Wanderlust or not, this influx of travel has been epic and I hope it continues.
Be well and be lovely,
Megan
Showing posts with label epic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label epic. Show all posts
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
When Life Gives You Lemons...
Woah Readers, woah. I know I haven't blogged since the last days of college, and I know it's been FOREVER, (literally it has been over a month) but I needed some time to relax and not blog and the time has also let the epicness accumulate so there's more excitement for you to come back to when I finally decided enough was enough. Here we are, June 12th, and My Epic Life is officially off hiatus.
You know the saying, "When life gives you lemons make lemonade" right? Who doesn't know that saying? Long story short, I take it to mean something like, "When life gives you an opportunity, take it and do something good with it." Well, about three weeks ago, life gave me lemons. Here's the story:
So I had been going to church with Nicole (the mastermind behind Dorm Room 718) almost every Sunday ever since the beginning of the school year. I think the first time I went was in October? Anyways, I got to know people there and soon I had a church family. I didn't really see that coming, but I figured I would just go with whatever happened.
Throughout the entire year I kept hearing about this July trip to New Orleans for the ELCA National Youth Gathering and thought, "Hey cool, I can't wait to hear about it in the fall when I see people again." Now here's where the lemons come in. On May 23rd, Nicole told me they had someone drop out and people wanted to know if I would consider filling the slot as an adult leader. *CUE FREAKOUT*
After losing WAY too much sleep over it, I said yes on June 5th and here I am, trying to mentally and physically prepare for an intense 11 day trip in July. It all feels a bit surreal, like I never imagined I would be doing something like this or taking such an opportunity despite the financial strain. At the expense of my dignity, I will use the acronym YOLO just this one time.
I'm feeling overwhelmed... this is like, SO MANY BUCKET LIST ITEMS BEING CROSSED OFF AT ONCE! Here are some of the things I'm excited for:
1. I get to lead amazing kids and hopefully be the most epic leader with the most epic discussions ever. If I remove my playful side for a second, it means I get to do my best to help them learn from each other, learn from themselves, and learn from me. As an added bonus, I get to learn from them as well.
2. I might get to see my old roommate who lives in Omaha, NE
3. Seeing Switchfoot in concert and all the events at the Superdome in NO.
4. Getting to see the cities of St. Louis, Memphis, New Orleans, and Kansas City, and see states new to me which include the following: Nebraska, Kansas (if we drive through it), Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Arkansas.
4. Just plain traveling and all the shenanigans that'll be happening. Oh, and did I mention I get to go to the Civil Rights Museum, French Quarter, Beale Steet, and go on a swamp tour? EPIC!!!
As you can see, my life has taken a turn for the even more epic. I'm sure more blog entries about NOLA are to follow. I'm so excited, and suuuper nervous at the same time. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go pinch myself repeatedly.
I send ALL the love! Be epic and be well.
-Megan
You know the saying, "When life gives you lemons make lemonade" right? Who doesn't know that saying? Long story short, I take it to mean something like, "When life gives you an opportunity, take it and do something good with it." Well, about three weeks ago, life gave me lemons. Here's the story:
So I had been going to church with Nicole (the mastermind behind Dorm Room 718) almost every Sunday ever since the beginning of the school year. I think the first time I went was in October? Anyways, I got to know people there and soon I had a church family. I didn't really see that coming, but I figured I would just go with whatever happened.
Throughout the entire year I kept hearing about this July trip to New Orleans for the ELCA National Youth Gathering and thought, "Hey cool, I can't wait to hear about it in the fall when I see people again." Now here's where the lemons come in. On May 23rd, Nicole told me they had someone drop out and people wanted to know if I would consider filling the slot as an adult leader. *CUE FREAKOUT*
After losing WAY too much sleep over it, I said yes on June 5th and here I am, trying to mentally and physically prepare for an intense 11 day trip in July. It all feels a bit surreal, like I never imagined I would be doing something like this or taking such an opportunity despite the financial strain. At the expense of my dignity, I will use the acronym YOLO just this one time.
I'm feeling overwhelmed... this is like, SO MANY BUCKET LIST ITEMS BEING CROSSED OFF AT ONCE! Here are some of the things I'm excited for:
1. I get to lead amazing kids and hopefully be the most epic leader with the most epic discussions ever. If I remove my playful side for a second, it means I get to do my best to help them learn from each other, learn from themselves, and learn from me. As an added bonus, I get to learn from them as well.
2. I might get to see my old roommate who lives in Omaha, NE
3. Seeing Switchfoot in concert and all the events at the Superdome in NO.
4. Getting to see the cities of St. Louis, Memphis, New Orleans, and Kansas City, and see states new to me which include the following: Nebraska, Kansas (if we drive through it), Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Arkansas.
4. Just plain traveling and all the shenanigans that'll be happening. Oh, and did I mention I get to go to the Civil Rights Museum, French Quarter, Beale Steet, and go on a swamp tour? EPIC!!!
As you can see, my life has taken a turn for the even more epic. I'm sure more blog entries about NOLA are to follow. I'm so excited, and suuuper nervous at the same time. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go pinch myself repeatedly.
I send ALL the love! Be epic and be well.
-Megan
Monday, April 30, 2012
A Good Kind of Pain
Reader, I'm procrastinating on a philosophy take-home final that I've discovered will take me forever. Not joking. 6 hardcore essay questions worth 50 points each. It counts for 25% of my class grade. I wish that was all I had to worry about, but unfortunately I have a Sociology exam and Cognitive Psych final to worry about before I make my journey home on Saturday.
I've been dealing with a bit of pain all day. I slept fine, and didn't get too bruised up from taking down my loft and putting the bunk back up--no this isn't anything like that. This is heartache, complete and utter heartache. With how busy we've been over the last three weeks, there's been no time to simply let the facts sink in. This is all coming to a sudden and abrupt end whether we feel ready for it or not, and believe me, I don't feel ready for it. At all. Crap... here come the teary eyes.
As much as this hurts, I'm so glad it does. I sometimes disagree with the old cliché "No pain, no gain" but this is a good pain, such a good pain. My heart is aching in the most wonderful way because it means I don't want to leave, that I have found a home here. It means that all of this, and I mean ALL of this feels right. I ache because of memories, because I won't laugh until I cry nearly as often. Usually, pain means something is wrong, and in this case it means that something right is coming to an end. It's perhaps, the absence of what is right.
There are horror stories out there where individuals experience maladaptive pain reception/response and their lives are a constant struggle of self-awareness to figure out if anything is wrong. Parents of these individuals often say they'd give anything for their child to feel pain. Like I said, this pain means something good is changing, and that's not to say summer will be bad, but here has become home and leaving home is always so bittersweet...
It's like, do you ever feel like the pieces are starting to fall into place, even if you can't quite tell what the end result will be? That's how I feel. I'm practically giddy with the feeling that we're hurling towards something good. I just don't know what it'll be yet. All I know is that I get that feeling here. I've never laughed so hard for so long, nor have I felt such a sense of solidarity and belonging like I do in certain situations being here has allowed me to experience.
As I type this, there's a rabbit sitting 3 feet outside my window... it's munching on the most tender dandelions, but it's chewing well over a mile a minute and often freezes. I just want it to relax. I want it to slow down and take a look around and appreciate this moment, to know that it's all going to be okay. The trees on campus are in full bloom and the scent is breathtaking, literal in more ways than one, but the allergies are totally worth the beauty.
Even though it is finals week and I'm procrastinating on the philosophy final, life is good. This pain is good. Ripping apart the web that has formed here is good, because like muscles, these connections only grow stronger by being shredded and allowed to repair. Time will ease the pain to be sure, but I can't wait for next year.
Good things come to an end. Luckily for us this isn't the end, just a long, long rest.
This song feels like an accurate summary of my life in this very moment, both the joy of returning home to see my one family, both blood related and otherwise, as well as the pain of leaving my family here. I'll miss them, and you can bet I'll be playing this song in the weeks before school starts up again. It's also the first song on Concordia's Beat, a CD that features student performers. Personally the version on the CD is better. :P
Love life, be brave, understand that pain is not forever, nor is it always a bad thing.
-Megan
I've been dealing with a bit of pain all day. I slept fine, and didn't get too bruised up from taking down my loft and putting the bunk back up--no this isn't anything like that. This is heartache, complete and utter heartache. With how busy we've been over the last three weeks, there's been no time to simply let the facts sink in. This is all coming to a sudden and abrupt end whether we feel ready for it or not, and believe me, I don't feel ready for it. At all. Crap... here come the teary eyes.
As much as this hurts, I'm so glad it does. I sometimes disagree with the old cliché "No pain, no gain" but this is a good pain, such a good pain. My heart is aching in the most wonderful way because it means I don't want to leave, that I have found a home here. It means that all of this, and I mean ALL of this feels right. I ache because of memories, because I won't laugh until I cry nearly as often. Usually, pain means something is wrong, and in this case it means that something right is coming to an end. It's perhaps, the absence of what is right.
There are horror stories out there where individuals experience maladaptive pain reception/response and their lives are a constant struggle of self-awareness to figure out if anything is wrong. Parents of these individuals often say they'd give anything for their child to feel pain. Like I said, this pain means something good is changing, and that's not to say summer will be bad, but here has become home and leaving home is always so bittersweet...
It's like, do you ever feel like the pieces are starting to fall into place, even if you can't quite tell what the end result will be? That's how I feel. I'm practically giddy with the feeling that we're hurling towards something good. I just don't know what it'll be yet. All I know is that I get that feeling here. I've never laughed so hard for so long, nor have I felt such a sense of solidarity and belonging like I do in certain situations being here has allowed me to experience.
As I type this, there's a rabbit sitting 3 feet outside my window... it's munching on the most tender dandelions, but it's chewing well over a mile a minute and often freezes. I just want it to relax. I want it to slow down and take a look around and appreciate this moment, to know that it's all going to be okay. The trees on campus are in full bloom and the scent is breathtaking, literal in more ways than one, but the allergies are totally worth the beauty.
Even though it is finals week and I'm procrastinating on the philosophy final, life is good. This pain is good. Ripping apart the web that has formed here is good, because like muscles, these connections only grow stronger by being shredded and allowed to repair. Time will ease the pain to be sure, but I can't wait for next year.
Good things come to an end. Luckily for us this isn't the end, just a long, long rest.
This song feels like an accurate summary of my life in this very moment, both the joy of returning home to see my one family, both blood related and otherwise, as well as the pain of leaving my family here. I'll miss them, and you can bet I'll be playing this song in the weeks before school starts up again. It's also the first song on Concordia's Beat, a CD that features student performers. Personally the version on the CD is better. :P
Love life, be brave, understand that pain is not forever, nor is it always a bad thing.
-Megan
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Mini Heart Attack
Hiya Reader,
I hope you're well, I'm crashing a college lounge before my sociology class. Love the professor but not a huge fan of some of the subject matter as of late.
So when someone mentions an epic life, what comes to mind is typically a lot of really big, really intense events, like skydiving or going on a safari, or having a celebrity friend or something. I would challenge that an epic life is really just a bunch of nice little occurrences that build up over time or remain somewhat constant. They're just those little life moments that make you realize you can catch a break once in a while.
Case in point, those little mini heart attacks that turn out to be false alarms. You all know what I'm talking about, that instant rush of adrenaline when you're heart speeds out of control after you miss a step, after someone says "Can I ask you something?" and perhaps the most devastating of all the mini heart attacks, the misreading of the alarm clock.
See, I rarely sleep through the night, so when I wake up I always check the clock to see how much time I have left. I wake up anytime between 2 and 7 usually and have my alarm set for 7:30, though rarely do I roll out of bed until 7:45 if not later. Last night I woke up at precisely 5:59, and I'm not quite sure what I was seeing, but I saw 9:59, and my first class starts at 10:30. Cue mini heart attack. Eventually I got my sight back and breathed a sigh of relief before going back to bed for another two hours. You would have thought the fact that my room was still fairly pitch black would have been a good clue...
My point is that sometimes you catch breaks, and that mini heart attack was really just an overreaction or misinterpretation. Heck, sometimes you even get two more hours to lay back and relax.
Be well, be epic, and have a wonderful week.
-Megan
I hope you're well, I'm crashing a college lounge before my sociology class. Love the professor but not a huge fan of some of the subject matter as of late.
So when someone mentions an epic life, what comes to mind is typically a lot of really big, really intense events, like skydiving or going on a safari, or having a celebrity friend or something. I would challenge that an epic life is really just a bunch of nice little occurrences that build up over time or remain somewhat constant. They're just those little life moments that make you realize you can catch a break once in a while.
Case in point, those little mini heart attacks that turn out to be false alarms. You all know what I'm talking about, that instant rush of adrenaline when you're heart speeds out of control after you miss a step, after someone says "Can I ask you something?" and perhaps the most devastating of all the mini heart attacks, the misreading of the alarm clock.
See, I rarely sleep through the night, so when I wake up I always check the clock to see how much time I have left. I wake up anytime between 2 and 7 usually and have my alarm set for 7:30, though rarely do I roll out of bed until 7:45 if not later. Last night I woke up at precisely 5:59, and I'm not quite sure what I was seeing, but I saw 9:59, and my first class starts at 10:30. Cue mini heart attack. Eventually I got my sight back and breathed a sigh of relief before going back to bed for another two hours. You would have thought the fact that my room was still fairly pitch black would have been a good clue...
My point is that sometimes you catch breaks, and that mini heart attack was really just an overreaction or misinterpretation. Heck, sometimes you even get two more hours to lay back and relax.
Be well, be epic, and have a wonderful week.
-Megan
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Control Freak
Hey Reader, how's it going?
Okay, I'm going to say this straight up. From the mind of a control freak... Don't be a control freak! There, I said it. Don't be a control freak.
I know so many people and am one of those people who will try to control whatever I can, however I can, and for as long as I can, but I'm learning to knock that off and just sit back and let life happen. We like to convince ourselves that we control our lives. We don't. Sometimes we convince ourselves that our lives control us. It doesn't. The relationship between you and life just isn't that simple.
It's easy and comforting to lay down hard and fast rules for life. See, I think people have this idea that somehow they know what's best for them and that anything that deviates from that will result in ultimate unhappiness. Not true! Don't judge situations, people, anything by its cover. You have no idea whether or not they could enrich your life in some way, shape, or form. That guy with the mohawk and lip ring? Yeah he could be your political and musical soulmate, plus he's great with kids. Have standards by all means! Do not lower your standards, but don't make them impossibly high either. Just allow for exceptions to your own life rules. Life is unpredictable and will never follow a set of rules, that's what makes it epic! Anything could happen! Don't set your life in stone, but rather something a little more malleable so when life proves you wrong and slams the book down, you're not going to shatter and fall apart, but bend a little bit.
Here are some examples of rules I've not regretted bending or breaking:
1. I will never let anyone coerce me into going on a roller coaster.
2. I will never wear a strapless dress.
3. I will never consider dating anyone who _________. (insert a number of adjectives or verbs)
4. I will never WANT to speak in public.
5. I will never doubt my career choice.
6. I will not stay in bed until 6:30 pm.
7. I will not let someone coerce me into dyeing my hair.
8. I will not let someone influence when I get a tattoo.
9. I will not write a 12 page paper in one day.
10. I will not act like an idiot in front of George Watsky.
11. I will NEVER take a dance class. (We're doing the Electric Slide today. Gotta cover those Elementary school dance basics!)
So there. Bend your own rules. You never know where life will take you, but at some point you have to let it take you there.
May your life be all things epic and wonderful,
-Megan
Okay, I'm going to say this straight up. From the mind of a control freak... Don't be a control freak! There, I said it. Don't be a control freak.
I know so many people and am one of those people who will try to control whatever I can, however I can, and for as long as I can, but I'm learning to knock that off and just sit back and let life happen. We like to convince ourselves that we control our lives. We don't. Sometimes we convince ourselves that our lives control us. It doesn't. The relationship between you and life just isn't that simple.
It's easy and comforting to lay down hard and fast rules for life. See, I think people have this idea that somehow they know what's best for them and that anything that deviates from that will result in ultimate unhappiness. Not true! Don't judge situations, people, anything by its cover. You have no idea whether or not they could enrich your life in some way, shape, or form. That guy with the mohawk and lip ring? Yeah he could be your political and musical soulmate, plus he's great with kids. Have standards by all means! Do not lower your standards, but don't make them impossibly high either. Just allow for exceptions to your own life rules. Life is unpredictable and will never follow a set of rules, that's what makes it epic! Anything could happen! Don't set your life in stone, but rather something a little more malleable so when life proves you wrong and slams the book down, you're not going to shatter and fall apart, but bend a little bit.
Here are some examples of rules I've not regretted bending or breaking:
1. I will never let anyone coerce me into going on a roller coaster.
2. I will never wear a strapless dress.
3. I will never consider dating anyone who _________. (insert a number of adjectives or verbs)
4. I will never WANT to speak in public.
5. I will never doubt my career choice.
6. I will not stay in bed until 6:30 pm.
7. I will not let someone coerce me into dyeing my hair.
8. I will not let someone influence when I get a tattoo.
9. I will not write a 12 page paper in one day.
10. I will not act like an idiot in front of George Watsky.
11. I will NEVER take a dance class. (We're doing the Electric Slide today. Gotta cover those Elementary school dance basics!)
So there. Bend your own rules. You never know where life will take you, but at some point you have to let it take you there.
May your life be all things epic and wonderful,
-Megan
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Waves
Hey Reader,
How's it going? I am once again procrastinating slightly, but I swear I will be productive tonight, then I get to hang out with little kids tomorrow morning. I'm excited. So, it is 6:02 and I'm kinda just waiting for people before dinner and then there's an event going on tonight. It's work time after that, I swear.
Life is filled with all sorts of little epic coincidences. Lately I've noticed that life seems to be composed of two separate waves, like sound waves kinda--there's the internal wave which consists of things like emotions, thoughts, personal goals etc. It's pretty much everything internalized, and given the name, is subject to very frequent ups and downs, even within the span of a day. Then there's the second wave consisting of everything external like events, weather, luck, etc. It's everything external to ourselves and can get a little out of hand sometimes, though we can control it in little ways, such as putting ourselves in specific situations or controlling how we react. As with the internal wave, this wave also has ups and downs. Duh, it's a wave.
Now, what I find interesting is how the waves interact with each other. I mean think of it. If an external wave crest matches up with an internal wave trough, they cancel out, and vice versa. This can be way cool if you're having a bad day and then something amazing happens--like seeing an incredible performance. *cough* *cough* Preston Pugmire. (Look him up, he's great to watch.) I mean, even if you're having a bad day and something good coincides, yet the waves don't exactly match up, the roughness is eased and life just becomes better.
Sure, these waves can cancel each other out and essentially, mellow you out, but they can also build each other up or rip each other down further. Take the sun for example, say you are feeling great and then you walk outside and it's a beautiful day--you see an incredible sun reflecting off all the surfaces and BAM, your good mood is now amplified by the great weather. Unfortunately this can also work in reverse. Say you're feeling rotten and then you find out you bombed a test or something like that. The bad mood is now amplified as well.
For the sake of optimism, let's focus on when internal positivity and general happiness coincides with external positivity and possibly good luck. We cannot isolate the two waves to examine them separately, but I highly doubt our lives would be as intense--yes it can sometimes be intensely painful, but it can also be intensely wonderful, and those times when the wave crests coincide is when epicness occurs.
So, live for the epic times when the crests coincide, they'll get you through the times when the troughs do. However, also be aware that the frequency is by no means static. Don't think that life has a set pattern for you, chances are it doesn't. Just enjoy the spontaneity of it all.
Be well, be excellent, be bloody brilliant!
-Megan
How's it going? I am once again procrastinating slightly, but I swear I will be productive tonight, then I get to hang out with little kids tomorrow morning. I'm excited. So, it is 6:02 and I'm kinda just waiting for people before dinner and then there's an event going on tonight. It's work time after that, I swear.
Life is filled with all sorts of little epic coincidences. Lately I've noticed that life seems to be composed of two separate waves, like sound waves kinda--there's the internal wave which consists of things like emotions, thoughts, personal goals etc. It's pretty much everything internalized, and given the name, is subject to very frequent ups and downs, even within the span of a day. Then there's the second wave consisting of everything external like events, weather, luck, etc. It's everything external to ourselves and can get a little out of hand sometimes, though we can control it in little ways, such as putting ourselves in specific situations or controlling how we react. As with the internal wave, this wave also has ups and downs. Duh, it's a wave.
Now, what I find interesting is how the waves interact with each other. I mean think of it. If an external wave crest matches up with an internal wave trough, they cancel out, and vice versa. This can be way cool if you're having a bad day and then something amazing happens--like seeing an incredible performance. *cough* *cough* Preston Pugmire. (Look him up, he's great to watch.) I mean, even if you're having a bad day and something good coincides, yet the waves don't exactly match up, the roughness is eased and life just becomes better.
Sure, these waves can cancel each other out and essentially, mellow you out, but they can also build each other up or rip each other down further. Take the sun for example, say you are feeling great and then you walk outside and it's a beautiful day--you see an incredible sun reflecting off all the surfaces and BAM, your good mood is now amplified by the great weather. Unfortunately this can also work in reverse. Say you're feeling rotten and then you find out you bombed a test or something like that. The bad mood is now amplified as well.
For the sake of optimism, let's focus on when internal positivity and general happiness coincides with external positivity and possibly good luck. We cannot isolate the two waves to examine them separately, but I highly doubt our lives would be as intense--yes it can sometimes be intensely painful, but it can also be intensely wonderful, and those times when the wave crests coincide is when epicness occurs.
So, live for the epic times when the crests coincide, they'll get you through the times when the troughs do. However, also be aware that the frequency is by no means static. Don't think that life has a set pattern for you, chances are it doesn't. Just enjoy the spontaneity of it all.
Be well, be excellent, be bloody brilliant!
-Megan
Monday, January 16, 2012
Talents, Awe, and Art.
Heyo Reader,
How you doin'? I'm sitting around, procrastinating on a few papers due Wednesday. No worries though, I have all my work done for tomorrow. I'm actually just sitting on my bed, listening to Yellowcard. Life is good right? Or... at least it will be until those papers kick in. The good news is I have my philosophy class tomorrow, which I adore. Tomorrow's looking to be a good day--busy, but good.
Okay, so you know what's really great? Having friends who are willing to share their talents with you. I guess I'm thinking of artistic things, be they musical, literary, or visual. It's any kind of talent really, but the arts just seem to be on my mind lately. I cannot even begin to describe how blessed I am to know all sorts of incredible people with talents I only wish I myself possessed. I know painters, artists, writers, dancers, guitarists, drummers, pianists, poets, orators, philosophers, actors, potters, photographers, singers, and a number of other incredible things that escape my immediate consciousness.
Everyone you know has talents that you might not know about or might not have been allowed to see, and that's incredible when you stop to think about it. One of my friends is an incredible sketch artist and I remember her just sitting down for a couple minutes, getting into a weird zone, and cranking out incredible drawings. I don't even think I could draw a decent straight line in the time she would work. The art of your peers will enrich your life, just as it should.
The beautiful art and general talents of your peers are the kinds of things that make life bearable when it seems unbearable. They are capable of bringing to light the beautiful, and sometimes painful realities of life, and they are also capable of letting you casually slip into the softest, most comforting daydreams.
Appreciate your friends and talents, and encourage them to pursue whatever those may be. Sometimes we take the skills of others for granted, barely glancing at a friend's painting or missing someone's dance recital. I'm no artist by any means but it feels excellent to hear genuine compliments and praise from friends for anything artistic I do, and I can only assume they feel the same. It just feels good to be noticed.
Art makes life epic. It's a fact... 'cause I said so.
Be well Reader, and be excellent.
-Megan
How you doin'? I'm sitting around, procrastinating on a few papers due Wednesday. No worries though, I have all my work done for tomorrow. I'm actually just sitting on my bed, listening to Yellowcard. Life is good right? Or... at least it will be until those papers kick in. The good news is I have my philosophy class tomorrow, which I adore. Tomorrow's looking to be a good day--busy, but good.
Okay, so you know what's really great? Having friends who are willing to share their talents with you. I guess I'm thinking of artistic things, be they musical, literary, or visual. It's any kind of talent really, but the arts just seem to be on my mind lately. I cannot even begin to describe how blessed I am to know all sorts of incredible people with talents I only wish I myself possessed. I know painters, artists, writers, dancers, guitarists, drummers, pianists, poets, orators, philosophers, actors, potters, photographers, singers, and a number of other incredible things that escape my immediate consciousness.
Everyone you know has talents that you might not know about or might not have been allowed to see, and that's incredible when you stop to think about it. One of my friends is an incredible sketch artist and I remember her just sitting down for a couple minutes, getting into a weird zone, and cranking out incredible drawings. I don't even think I could draw a decent straight line in the time she would work. The art of your peers will enrich your life, just as it should.
The beautiful art and general talents of your peers are the kinds of things that make life bearable when it seems unbearable. They are capable of bringing to light the beautiful, and sometimes painful realities of life, and they are also capable of letting you casually slip into the softest, most comforting daydreams.
Appreciate your friends and talents, and encourage them to pursue whatever those may be. Sometimes we take the skills of others for granted, barely glancing at a friend's painting or missing someone's dance recital. I'm no artist by any means but it feels excellent to hear genuine compliments and praise from friends for anything artistic I do, and I can only assume they feel the same. It just feels good to be noticed.
Art makes life epic. It's a fact... 'cause I said so.
Be well Reader, and be excellent.
-Megan
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Rain, Thought, and Country Music
Reader, I am sitting in my room now at 8:33 am, getting ready to head off to breakfast, and eventually, my sociology class at 10:30. I am surprised I was able to wake up so easily this morning--the excitement of the first day of class perhaps. My goodness is it nice to have routine again!
I don't like country music. I just don't. I don't know if it's the overwhelming twanginess or the fact that it's too idealistic, but it's not my thing. However, for all the flaws I attribute to country music, I gotta say I appreciate its general optimism and acceptance of emotion. You rarely hear a country song in which the singer tries to manipulate their own emotion into something else. The impression I've gotten is that emotions are generally accepted as being what they are and that's it.
Ever notice how thought wrecks everything? Overthinking keeps us awake at night, turns molehills into mountains, and freaks us out in general. Never underestimate the power of the mind. Fortunately, thinking can also bring us out of the chaos it leads us into. What a double-edged sword thought is.
So, you know what's epic? When something you don't generally like goes and does something wonderful. Like thought, tons of things are double-edged swords, but with certain things, it seems as though the sharper side is always prominent. Take rain for example, I'm not a huge fan of rain, but I absolutely LOVE it when it's beautiful, like night time in a city when everything turns into a mirror and every light source is amplified a thousand times over, and the world feels glassy... stunning. It's not just rain, but water (It's snowing right now for your information) but have you ever gone outside right after an ice storm? It's beauty mixed with pain mixed with peace. Poetic in a way.
Sure ice sucks to drive on, but we're the ones who put ourselves in positions to drive. It's not ice's fault it's slippery. My point was, sometimes things you don't like end up surprising you with wonderful little epic moments. I can practically hear the Overture of 1812 being played above the sounds of traffic.
Be well, be excellent, and be epic!
-Megan
I don't like country music. I just don't. I don't know if it's the overwhelming twanginess or the fact that it's too idealistic, but it's not my thing. However, for all the flaws I attribute to country music, I gotta say I appreciate its general optimism and acceptance of emotion. You rarely hear a country song in which the singer tries to manipulate their own emotion into something else. The impression I've gotten is that emotions are generally accepted as being what they are and that's it.
Ever notice how thought wrecks everything? Overthinking keeps us awake at night, turns molehills into mountains, and freaks us out in general. Never underestimate the power of the mind. Fortunately, thinking can also bring us out of the chaos it leads us into. What a double-edged sword thought is.
So, you know what's epic? When something you don't generally like goes and does something wonderful. Like thought, tons of things are double-edged swords, but with certain things, it seems as though the sharper side is always prominent. Take rain for example, I'm not a huge fan of rain, but I absolutely LOVE it when it's beautiful, like night time in a city when everything turns into a mirror and every light source is amplified a thousand times over, and the world feels glassy... stunning. It's not just rain, but water (It's snowing right now for your information) but have you ever gone outside right after an ice storm? It's beauty mixed with pain mixed with peace. Poetic in a way.
Sure ice sucks to drive on, but we're the ones who put ourselves in positions to drive. It's not ice's fault it's slippery. My point was, sometimes things you don't like end up surprising you with wonderful little epic moments. I can practically hear the Overture of 1812 being played above the sounds of traffic.
Be well, be excellent, and be epic!
-Megan
Monday, January 9, 2012
The Art of Communication
Dear Reader,
I am sitting here in my dorm room, sipping a cup of English Breakfast tea that I have now reheated for the third time. I woke up at approximately 5:30, unable to sleep any longer, took a delightful shower, and am now feeling human enough to challenge the day, and what a good one it will be. You see, I just got back to school yesterday and am settling back in, possibly to live a life solitary. I miss my roommate, but alas, life has called her elsewhere.
Let's be honest, we're all communications majors. If not majoring in it, we're minoring in it. I don't care if your transcript says you're pre-med, or Biology, or Engineering, or Psychology, or even Enigmatology, the study of puzzles. (I was recently told that Will Shortz, creator of the New York Times crossword puzzle, majored in this. According to Wikipedia, it's true.) No matter what your declared major, communication is and will be an important part of your life.
Now, let's be honest. As humans, we sometimes suck at communication. Things get misinterpreted or lost in translation, or sometimes we just refuse to put effort into it or ignore the fact that a problem stems from our poor, lacking communication skills. BUT, we still have this incredible ability to transpose feeling into thought and spin thought into written and verbal language. We can write volumes in a photograph, and speak not only sentences, but recite entire epics using only our eyes. We communicate through words, body language, touch, sound, we do all of this communicating, and why? Well, 1. It allows us to survive and 2. We crave it.
When you get down to the nuts, bolts, statistics, and logistics of living in society, it is based on the ability to communicate, to be able to proclaim our existence to others and have them recognize and interpret the implications of that existence.
Now, let's jump back to the present. Us as communication majors. We're all studying and learning the art of communication, be it at age 9 or 90. We learn, we laugh, we love, and we somehow figure out what is okay to say and do around certain people. I have learned to not make lawyer jokes to my cousin who will soon graduate law school. YAY learning! As we go through life learning to better present thoughts, opinions, and facts, we are also learning how to better interpret those same items. In this information age, we are becoming able to more quickly comprehend information as well as with more accuracy. Good thing too, because these days we're dealing with loads of information on a daily basis.
So, what are you waiting for? Go communicate! By itself, communication is not good nor bad, it is only the vehicle with which information is transferred. But, if you can better transfer that information, I can almost guarantee you'll see some positive results, even if that's just time saved from not having to dance around a subject. I'm just thankful we're able to connect with each other on so many levels.
Go be epic and excellent!
-Megan
I am sitting here in my dorm room, sipping a cup of English Breakfast tea that I have now reheated for the third time. I woke up at approximately 5:30, unable to sleep any longer, took a delightful shower, and am now feeling human enough to challenge the day, and what a good one it will be. You see, I just got back to school yesterday and am settling back in, possibly to live a life solitary. I miss my roommate, but alas, life has called her elsewhere.
Let's be honest, we're all communications majors. If not majoring in it, we're minoring in it. I don't care if your transcript says you're pre-med, or Biology, or Engineering, or Psychology, or even Enigmatology, the study of puzzles. (I was recently told that Will Shortz, creator of the New York Times crossword puzzle, majored in this. According to Wikipedia, it's true.) No matter what your declared major, communication is and will be an important part of your life.
Now, let's be honest. As humans, we sometimes suck at communication. Things get misinterpreted or lost in translation, or sometimes we just refuse to put effort into it or ignore the fact that a problem stems from our poor, lacking communication skills. BUT, we still have this incredible ability to transpose feeling into thought and spin thought into written and verbal language. We can write volumes in a photograph, and speak not only sentences, but recite entire epics using only our eyes. We communicate through words, body language, touch, sound, we do all of this communicating, and why? Well, 1. It allows us to survive and 2. We crave it.
When you get down to the nuts, bolts, statistics, and logistics of living in society, it is based on the ability to communicate, to be able to proclaim our existence to others and have them recognize and interpret the implications of that existence.
Now, let's jump back to the present. Us as communication majors. We're all studying and learning the art of communication, be it at age 9 or 90. We learn, we laugh, we love, and we somehow figure out what is okay to say and do around certain people. I have learned to not make lawyer jokes to my cousin who will soon graduate law school. YAY learning! As we go through life learning to better present thoughts, opinions, and facts, we are also learning how to better interpret those same items. In this information age, we are becoming able to more quickly comprehend information as well as with more accuracy. Good thing too, because these days we're dealing with loads of information on a daily basis.
So, what are you waiting for? Go communicate! By itself, communication is not good nor bad, it is only the vehicle with which information is transferred. But, if you can better transfer that information, I can almost guarantee you'll see some positive results, even if that's just time saved from not having to dance around a subject. I'm just thankful we're able to connect with each other on so many levels.
Go be epic and excellent!
-Megan
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