An unlikely gentleman

Chivalry is not dead. When I got on the tram this morning, it was standing room only. People continued to pile in, so everyone kept squeezing closer and closer together. As I took off my backpack to put it on the floor, a young guy (about 21 years old) looked up and offered me his seat. My first instinct was to decline, but I realized I should be supporting that kind of behavior. Plus, I really didn't want to hold onto that germ-infested bar anymore. That simple act really impressed me. It’s not often that a young guy (especially outside of our Church) does something like that. It really made my day. So thank you to the sweet college boy who gave up his seat for me. And thank you to all of you gentlemen who make it a habit to respect and honor women with those simple acts of kindness, such as holding doors open and giving up your seat on a crowded bus. I appreciate you!

Missed calls

I sort of have a rule that when someone calls me and doesn't leave a message, I won't call them back. My voicemail recording even states that fact. The only exceptions to this rule are when the missed call is from a family member or very close friend. Even then, I sometimes feel justified in ignoring it (I really don't like talking on the phone). But sometimes I receive a call that piques my interest, and it takes every bit of self-control not to call that person back. I got one of those calls today. No good can come from calling this person, so I'm sticking to my guns and ignoring it. My curiosity is killing me though.

Living in a dream

Two weeks in school (almost), and I'm still alive. Here are some things I've recently discovered:

1.) I absolutely LOVE tennis. I'm a terrible player, but I guess that's to be expected since I've only picked up a racket twice now. But seriously, what a fun game! Why didn't anyone share this joy with me sooner? A girl has to find out on her own after living 29 years without it. What a shame! I'm hooked.

2.) The Texas State Tram is the coolest thing since FM radio. It picks you up right in front of your apartment and brings you to the center of campus. It's constantly in service, so you usually only have to wait 5-7 minutes if you miss it. Plus, it's all FREE! I may never drive again. LOL.

3.) Small wards/branches are INCREDIBLE. I was nervous about moving here, but I am already a part of the branch family. My life hasn't felt this "right" in a long time. I'm just so happy. Even my roommate feels like she belongs; she's come to FHE twice and to Institute once (today, in fact). I've never met a friendlier bunch of people. (PS: I'm not dissing on SA - it's just harder to fit in so quickly in such a large ward.)

4.) I actually enjoy many of the subjects I thought I hated. History is fascinating, speech makes me laugh, and bio (the lab portion) is actually very interesting. I must admit the lecture portion of biology is a TOTAL bore, but that probably has something to do with the fact that it's at 8 am.

5.) After only two weeks here, I already feel a deep sense of pride being a Bobcat. I already own four TX State T-shirts, a sweatshirt, and a blanket. And I fully plan on buying more as time goes by. I wish I could wear TX State gear every day of the week. Maybe that's weird, but I don't care. I love my school!

Life is good.

Let me paint you a picture...

Allow me to paint you a picture of my first weekend “away” at school. Wild parties? Boys? No, even better (LOL). I got into town on Saturday around 7 PM. One of my roommates was planning to spend the evening with friends in Austin and another was heading off to make apple crisp with a neighbor. I decided to use the evening to unpack and clean my room (yes, I like to live on the wild side). I finished unpacking my boxes and stepped out of the apartment to throw them in the dumpster. As I headed out the door, I thought “Maybe I should take my keys just in case my roommate leaves while I’m outside.” I quickly pushed that thought aside, assuming the chances of her leaving during that two minutes were pretty slim. (Do you see where I’m going with this?) As I was walking back to the apartment, I saw a girl across the parking lot rushing to her car. I thought, “Uh oh, what if that’s my roommate?!” Instead of calling out her name, like a normal person might do, I rushed to the front door to see if it was locked. What luck! It was. I rushed back out to the parking lot just as the red Mustang was pulling away and started yelling her name, flapping my arms in the air like a crazy person. Unfortunately she didn’t see me and peeled off into the night. So here I am at 9:30 on a Saturday night, wearing a pair of baggy sweats, a ratty old T-shirt that is LITERALLY three sizes too big, and my granny slippers (very warm and comfy, not so stylish). I had no idea what to do and I was mortified to be seen in those clothes, so I sat on the steps and waited. After about 30 minutes, I decided to look for my other roommate. I knew she was at a neighbor’s house, but I didn’t know which apartment she lived in. So… I started knocking on random doors, hoping to find her (or at least someone that knew her). First door: Hot guy wearing nothing but a skimpy towel. It was mortifying. I gave up after several doors proved unfruitful and decided to go sit. My roommate promised to bring home some apple crisp, so I knew she’d be back before it got too late. She finally showed up at about 10:30, at which point the story became funny (experiences like this are never very funny when you’re in the middle of them). Good times!

Church today was pretty cool. The branch here is much smaller than I expected, but the members are fantastic. Since it’s so tiny, it’s easy to notice the new people, and I was greeted by practically everyone. They made me feel right at home, and I have no doubt I will thrive here. What’s even more amazing is that during the opening hymn, a girl came into the chapel looking for a place to sit. I gestured for her to sit next to me, and she gratefully smiled down at me. Her face looked familiar, and it took me a minute to realize she looked just like my Madrid MTC companion. I didn’t believe it could actually be her, so I craned my neck to see her scriptures. Sure enough, it was. She just moved here for grad school. How amazing is that?! I haven’t seen her since we left Madrid 5½ years ago, and here she was sitting by my side. What a tender mercy! I can tell this is going to be a great semester. I’m so happy to be here.

Things you ought'a know

The other day when Yangster and I were talking, I casually mentioned something about my dad passing away. She was taken aback because apparently we had never had this conversation before. I felt silly because that's obviously a big part of who I am today. I've been pondering this ever since. Why do I find it so difficult to share personal things with the people I care the most about? At what point in a friendship do I truly let my full self be known? Have I ever let my full self be known? To anyone?

So...in light of this, I've decided to compile a random list of things you ought to know about me. These aren't deep, dark secrets or anything (it'll take a while for me to be that comfortable), but maybe it'll give you a little insight into who I am.

Things you ought'a know about me:

• I love, love, LOVE this song... like, more than any other song on the planet. It's been my absolute favorite since I first saw Karate Kid II as a little girl. Whenever I hear it, my heart swells, and I'm taken away to another place. I just love it.
• I hate the smell of men's cologne (less is more!), bacon & eggs, and rose-scented perfume/lotion/soap.
• I love the smell of lilacs, freshly mowed grass, rain, dryer vent air, and freshly bathed babies (gotta love that baby lotion).
• I believe people are generally good.
• I hate eating on a first date (or second, or third...).
• My "language" for showing love is through service. So...please let me take care of your fish while you're out of town...or pick you up from the airport even though your flight arrives at 1 AM on a weeknight...or wash the dishes/clean the bathroom/cook dinner for you...or even just sit with you when you're too sad to talk.
• I never sing in the shower.
• I LOVE "reality" TV shows.
• I love hugs (not the candy...white chocolate = gross)!

Well...I'm out of time, so that's all you get for now.

I could never be a teacher

These past two weeks have been a bit hectic. I’ve been writing papers, studying for finals, trying to find a place to live, and training my replacement at work. I turned in the paper last week, and I’ll take my last final tonight (hooray!). I also found a fantastic place to live and got it for a fraction of the price most of the tenants are paying. Life is good. The only thing I haven’t quite enjoyed is training this new person. She’s a sweetheart, but…well…let’s just say it’s been a patience-building exercise for me. It takes every ounce of self-control I have to not reach over and yank the keyboard from her hands and do it myself. I’m sick of repeating the same thing over and over again, only to be asked about it five minutes later. I just can’t comprehend why it’s so difficult to grasp; my job is really not that complicated, especially for someone that supposedly has the required experience. I guess one month of training really wasn’t that far-fetched after all. I’m now beginning to think it won’t be enough time. She keeps saying “I should get your cell number in case I need help.” In my head I’m thinking, “Honey, if a month of training doesn’t cut it, there’s really no hope for you.” And “H no, I’m not giving you my number!” She started last Monday, so I still have another 3-1/2 weeks of this. My only consolation is that two of the weeks are broken up by holidays; I’ve never been happier for Christmas! Oh, and to make matters worse, she’s been sick this whole time and has been coughing all over the place. Yuck! Right now she’s only working afternoons, so every morning when I come into work, I take out my handy dandy Lysol sanitizing wipes and give my desk a complete scrub down. I just now used my last one to wipe down all my pens and pencils. Guess I better run to Wal-Mart before I come in tomorrow. The countdown is on!

I saw God today

I love music. It clears my mind of clutter and provides an escape whenever I need it. I rarely pay attention to song lyrics; the music is simply there to overpower my racing thoughts. However, I recently discovered two songs that I absolutely LOVE: (1) You're Gonna Miss This by Trace Adkins and (2) I Saw God Today by George Strait. If you haven’t heard these yet, take a minute to go listen.

These songs remind me to take a step back and recognize the blessings I’ve been given in life. It’s so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day routine and forget to give thanks for everything around us. How often do you hear people say things like, “I’ll be so much happier once I…” or “I can’t wait until…” The chorus to Trace Adkins’ song responds to this mentality:

You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this

It’s so true! I’m often guilty of thinking, “tomorrow will be so much better,” and I forget to just pause and enjoy today. Do we ever really appreciate life while we live it? Or are we constantly wishing for more, ignoring the small miracles that occur every day? In George Strait’s song, he talks about how God’s fingerprints are everywhere; we just need to slow down and look for them. He sings about seeing a flower growing in the middle of the sidewalk, seemingly planted there just for him to see. The noises of the world around him are suddenly silenced by this small miracle, and he realizes he has seen the hand of God. I love the simplicity of this song and the writer’s recognition of God’s hand in all things. Those four words are so profound to me: I saw God today.

We have so many reasons to rejoice each day. I hope we’ll all learn to slow down and appreciate life in the moment. Look for “God’s fingerprints” in your daily life; I know you will find them.

In what ways did you see God today?