My Top 10 Favorite Movies

If you know me at all you know I love movies.  One of my favorite pastimes growing up was going to the movie theater with my family and seeing the highly anticipated releases of the summer.  I love to use movie lines in every day conversation.  I know the composers who wrote the scores for each movie and I listen to movie soundtracks to decompress.  I am not at all an aficionado of the movie industry but I have seen a fair number of films in my time (except the ones that are rated R).  These are my Top 10:  

Gettysburg

I've decided that I have basically been a history nerd since birth.  I first saw the movie Gettysburg when I was five years old.  Maybe that seems a little early to watch a movie about war but I loved it from the get-go.  Colonel Chamberlain's speech and his stand against the Confederate army on Little Round Top are so inspiring.  The portrayal of the bloodiest battle ever fought on American soil made me proud of those who fought for the survival of the United States and instilled in me a desire to fight for the things I believe in.  (Besides all of that it has an excellent soundtrack which you should sample here.)

You've Got Mail

Some consider this movie to be outdated and boring.  Sure, it was made in the 90s when AOL was still a thing and internet chat rooms were just getting started.  But the use of "old-fashioned" modes of communication in courtship hasn't stopped stories like Jane Austen's Persuasion from becoming classics.  This movie has great lines and actors who can make sentences dripping with eloquence and sophistication sound like normal flowing conversation.  It follows the relationship of two competing business professionals who both happen to be falling in love with people they are talking to anonymously on the internet.  And as luck would have it, they are actually talking to each other.  Will their negative business relationship destroy any hope of these two eventually finding romance?  I guess you'll just have to watch and see :).  ("Don't you just love New York in the Fall?  It makes me want to buy school supplies.  I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.")

While You Were Sleeping

This is, hands down, one of the best chick flicks of all time, mainly because it's one both men and women can get behind.  It's not cheesy at all.  There aren't any overly sappy lines that make you want to shake your head in disgust. If you don't laugh during the family dinner scene then you, quite frankly, have no sense of humor at all.  It's a story of someone going through life thinking she wants one thing and then realizing that life has something even better in store.  It's a great reminder that life doesn't always turn out the way you plan but, most of the time, that's a good thing.

Win a Date With Tad Hamilton!

This movie, in all of its cheesy glory, is one of my favorite films of all time.  Why, you may ask?  Two words.  Topher Grace.  His character is fantastic in this movie.  He says things like, "I can't remember a time before you started telling that story." and "Guard your carnal treasure." He's cynical and sarcastic.  He's realistic and practical.  But he also loves with all of his heart and fights for what he wants even when he's faced with overwhelming odds.  Plus, who doesn't love a story of a childhood crush lasting into adulthood?

Rudy

I have a soft spot for inspirational sports movies in general but Rudy holds a special place in my heart.  Rudy's lifelong dream was to play football at Notre Dame.  But he was small.  His grades were never very good.  Everyone told him he should give up on his dream, getting annoyed with him whenever he brought it up.  Even when all hope seemed to be lost, he didn't give up.  Rudy's story shows that chasing your dream takes hard work and can be miserable at times, but that courageously going through the struggle will pay off in the end.

Miracle

Most of the players on the United States' 1980 Olympic hockey team were fresh out of college.  They still identified with their old college teams and even retained their old college rivalries.  Coach Brooks' goal was to bring these young men of such different backgrounds to play together as one unit.  Each day he would ask them to state their name, where they were from, and who they played for.  All of them responded saying they played for such and such college or university until, one day, what the coach was really asking clicked in their minds.  There is a scene in the movie where the coach is drilling them really hard and yelling at them to work harder. Just when all of the players are about to fall over from exhaustion, one of the players finally shouts, "Mike Eruzione.  Winthrop, Massachusetts."  Coach Brooks looks at him curiously and says, "Who do you play for?"  And Eruzione says, "I play for the United States of America!"  It became clear to the team that they were playing not just for themselves or their school but for their country.  This inspirational movie demonstrates that when we put aside our differences and work together toward a common goal, miracles can happen.

Yours, Mine, and Ours (1968)

They made a remake of this movie recently that was not half as good as the original.  I love movies that involve developing good familial relationships and this one is no exception.  It tells the story of how a widow finds love again with a widower and they decide to get married.  The only problem is that they have eighteen children to take care of between them.  The two families come together and try to become one family unit, leading to some hilariously tense and crowded situations.  But problems led to compromise and compromise eventually led to affection.  This hilarious yet heartwarming movie delves into what love really is and what it means to be a family.

October Sky

Like Rudy, October Sky tells the story of a boy who dared to chase a dream even when everyone else thought he was crazy for doing so.  Back during the days of the Cold War, the Russians used a rocket to launch Sputnik, the first artificial satellite, into Earth's orbit.  When Homer Hickam, a boy from a small coal-mining town in West Virginia, saw the satellite's light streak across the sky, he knew that going into space was what he wanted to do.  In a town where you either played football or worked in the coal mines, his ambition was unheard of.  Despite the scorn and negativity from his father and the rest of the town, Homer pressed forward, eventually showing them all what a young man with a dream and a will to succeed can accomplish.

Sense and Sensibility

Sense and Sensibility is not my favorite Jane Austen book (though it's fantastic, don't get me wrong) but this is my favorite movie adaptation of one of her works.  It captures the struggle of women in 19th century England to make a life for themselves without the attraction of wealth or goodly relatives.  It demonstrates the heartache and the despair of lost love but also the frivolity of the English nobility.  There are very few movies that can tackle both a deep subject matter and a touch of humor but Emma Thompson's screenplay is masterful in that regard.  I took one of those stupid quizzes once on Facebook that determines which Austen heroine I am most like.  I, apparently, am the most like Elinor Dashwood so, needless to say, her story holds a special place in my heart. ;)

Cinderella Man

The other movies I have listed are in no particular order but Cinderella Man is my all-time favorite movie.  It's historical, it's inspirational, it's romantic, it's got some action...what could be better?  I love stories about second chances, of people still fighting to get back up again after getting knocked down so many times.  (Did you like the boxing metaphor I just used?)  It's a movie that gives the viewer hope for the future, that even though times are tough, we can rise above them.  With enough guts, will-power, and a cause, we can make a comeback. 

Honorable Mentions:  Pride and Prejudice (Colin Firth version), Anne of Green Gables, The Bourne Ultimatum, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Tangled, Sleeping Beauty, North and South, Wives and Daughters, Sweet Home Alabama, Jane Eyre, 10 Things I Hate About You, State Fair, The Magic of Ordinary Days, The Mask of Zorro, My Best Friend's Wedding...the list goes on...

A Good Man

Mom and Dad with my oldest sister Lisa.

I was asked to give a talk in church today. It's Father's Day and, obviously, I thought a lot about my own father as inspiration for my talk.  I began to think about the qualities he possesses that make him a good dad.  I came up with the following list:

Willingness to Sacrifice

Dallin H. Oaks said, "Perhaps the most familiar and most important examples of unselfish service and sacrifice are performed in our families. Mothers devote themselves to the bearing and nurturing of their children.  Husbands give themselves to supporting their wives and children."

My senior year in college, I bit off a little more than I could chew.  I was taking three 300-level history courses, two church history classes, and Women's Chorus.  I was working at my part-time custodial position on campus.  I was exhausted and overworked all semester long.  There was one particular week that was just absolutely awful.  I had two research papers due, a test to study for, and a Women's Chorus concert all within the space of three days.  Growing up, my dad had always been the one to proofread my papers and that tradition continued into college.  The night before the first paper was due, I called my dad and told him I needed some serious help.  So we worked out a deal where I would write a little bit and then email it to him, write a little bit and then email it to him; then he would make comments and send it back, make comments and send it back...We did this until 7:00 the next morning when I finally finished the paper an hour before my first class of the day was to start.  Then we did the same thing the next night so I could finish my second research paper.  I had pulled two all-nighters in a row but my Dad pulled them right along with me.  He sacrificed his own precious sleep and well-being so that I could be successful.

Puts Family First

President Uchtdorf said, "Perhaps the most universal regret dying patients expressed was that they wished they had spent more time with the people they love.  Men in particular sang this universal lament: they 'deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the [daily] treadmill of...work."  Many had lost out on choice memories that come from spending time with family and friends.  They missed developing a deep connection with those who meant the most to them.  Isn't it true that we often get so busy? And, sad to say, we even wear our busyness as a badge of honor, as though being busy, by itself, was an accomplishment or sign of a superior life.  Is it?  I think of our Lord and Exemplar, Jesus Christ, and His short life among the people of Galilee and Jerusalem.  I have tried to imagine Him bustling between meetings or multitasking to get a list of urgent things accomplished.  I can't see it.  Instead I see the compassionate and caring Son of God purposefully living each day.  When he interacted with those around Him, they felt important and loved.  He knew the infinite value of the people He met.  He blessed them, ministered to them.  He lifted them up, healed them.  He gave them the precious gift of His time."

Since Dad had to work a lot during my childhood years, each of us kids had our own night of the week when we got to hang out with Dad one on one.  When it was my day, Dad and I usually chose to take walks around the neighborhood or walk down to Party Time to get some cute stickers.  But I remember one nightly stroll particularly well.  We were walking down the street next to ours when we spotted a large insect among the leaves of our neighbor's rose bush.  I had a slight fascination with bugs at the time (a fascination that did not continue for long) so Dad proceeded to tell me all he knew about this cool-looking insect (which turned out to be a praying mantis).  I think we spent a good ten minutes peering at that bug until my curiosity was satisfied.  It was a small thing but for some reason that's a memory I've always kept with me.  No matter how busy or tired he was, he always took the time to be My Dad.  Nothing was too small or beneath his notice.  If something was important to me, it was important to him.

Acts as a Teacher

L. Tom Perry said, "We have the example in Exodus of Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, observing how he was governing the children of Israel: 'And when Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people?  Why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even? And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God.  And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.  Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.'  Then Jethro taught Moses how to delegate this responsibility by calling able men who would fear God and letting them judge as rulers in Israel."

I can't pinpoint one specific time when my father acted as my teacher because he was always teaching me.  He taught me how to ride a bike, about the stars and the constellations, about the scriptures and the gospel.  He teaches by example.

Loves His Wife/Mother of His Children

Elaine S. Dalton said, "By the way you love her mother, you will teach your daughter about tenderness, loyalty, respect, compassion, and devotion.  She will learn from your example what to expect from young men and what qualities to seek in a future spouse.  You can show your daughter by the way you love and honor your wife that she should never settle for less.  Your example will teach your daughter to value womanhood.  You are showing her that she is a daughter of our Heavenly Father, who loves her."

I grew up in the Clayton Valley 1st Ward.  My mom played the organ for years in that ward and I remember on one particular occasion while she was playing prelude before Sacrament Meeting started that this older woman in the ward came up to my Dad and began talking about how talented Mom was and how grateful she was that Mom set the tone for the meeting with her music every Sunday.  I remember Dad looking up at Mom with a smile and saying, "Yep, she's a beautiful woman."  It made me happy to know that Dad recognized Mom's accomplishments and was proud of her for them.

Honors the Priestood

Bishop Burton said, "The priesthood isn't something we take off during the week and put on for Sunday.  It is a 24-7 privilege and blessing - that is, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week...We can honor and respect the priesthood on a seven-day-a-week, 24-hour-a-day basis.  We can banish unwholesome or unclean activities from our lives.  We can provide our families with the priesthood leadership and spiritual direction they require.  We can do all this and much more if we will draw near to the Savior, honor the sacred priesthood we hold, and be faithful to the covenants we have made."

My Dad was called as the Bishop of our ward when I was 12.  I also started Girl's Camp that year and it is a tradition in the Walnut Creek Stake for the Bishops to come up to our camp on the Friday night of Girl's Camp week and teach a lesson to the girls of his ward.  So Dad came up to our camp at Treasure Mountain my First Year of Girl's Camp.  Before the meeting was going to start, I was sitting with my Dad and my sisters at a table.  My Dad needed something (I can't remember what it was) that a Girl's Camp leader was using.  He was waiting a long time.  Being twelve years of age, I didn't fully understand the priesthood.  I said something stupid like, "You should go tell that woman that you're a Bishop and that you need the [forgotten item] from her now."  My Dad looked at me rather sternly and said, "Celia, that's not what the priesthood is about."  I learned a valuable lesson that day that the priesthood is not for the benefit of the priesthood holder but for the benefit of those around him.  The blessings come from using the priesthood worthily to bless the lives of others.

Say what you will about the quality of the movie "Oz: The Great and Powerful," but I actually really liked the moral of the story, that it is better to be a good man than a great and powerful one.  That's probably the main thing that I have learned from my father.  My Dad is not at all perfect and he has weaknesses just like the rest of humanity.  In terms of worldly riches and earthly treasures, life has not gone exactly as planned for my Dad.  It has never been easy.  But through the struggle and the adversity, Dad has remained a good man.  He has stayed true to the gospel and has always been a willing disciple of Jesus Christ.  All of the qualities I have talked about today are qualities that the Savior possesses.  Whether we come from a gospel-centered background or not, we can choose now to center our lives around Christ's teachings, follow his example, and develop these qualities in our own lives.  I know that we have a Father in Heaven who loves us even more than our earthly fathers, who wants the best for us and wants us to succeed and return to live with Him again one day.

Happy Father's Day!

Childhood Reminiscing Session #5: Chicken Pox

When I was little I participated in Joy School and the Clayton Valley High School Preschool.  As everyone knows when you get large groups of children together in small confined spaces, their underdeveloped immune systems tend to be overwhelmed by all the germs, and sickness abounds.  When chicken pox broke out amongst my peers, my poor, little, previously unexposed, four-year-old body didn't stand a chance.

Joy School was scheduled to be at the Lambertson's house that week.  (For those of you who aren't familiar with Joy School, it's basically a group of moms who take turns babysitting all the preschool age kids and planning educational activities for them to participate in each week.)  My mom dropped me off at the Lambertson's home where all of us Joy Schoolers were told that we would be playing outside that day since my friend Sherry was ill with the chicken pox.  As we were playing in the backyard, I looked through the window to see Sherry alone inside, working on a puzzle.  Being the considerate soul that I was, I thought, Sherry shouldn't just be sitting alone in the house while the rest of us kids have fun outside.  This thought would prove to be both kind and dangerous.  I quietly made my way to the house, sneaking behind large plants and trees, and skillfully opened the sliding glass door without making a sound.  I joined Sherry in the family room and we worked on the puzzle together.  I didn't mind the red bumps on her face or that she would itch her skin before handing me a puzzle piece.  This was just a normal day of Joy School for me.  After we finished the puzzle, I got up and went back outside to play with the other kids.

A couple of days later I started to notice angry red marks on my skin that itched and swelled.  My mom said that I had the chicken pox and that I would have to stay home from CVHS Preschool until the spots went away.  While all my siblings went down the street to play with our neighbors I stayed inside, wishing I could go out and play with everyone else.  After what seemed like an eternity (or a week in adult terms), my mom finally ruled my scabbed body fit for outside exposure.  When I got to Preschool that morning, my teachers were waiting there with a hug and a yellow piece of paper which I still have to this day.

It was the first award I remember receiving and, for whatever reason, I felt distinguished amongst my peers, like I had overcome a rite of passage that they had yet to experience.  The feeling was worth the week of misery I went through and I silently thanked Sherry for sharing her illness with me.

BYU Women's Chorus

When I was a freshman in college, someone told me I should try out for the BYU Women's Chorus.  The only things I had tried out for that involved singing up to that point were school plays when I was involved in an elementary school chorus, a far cry from an elite university choir.  I had been singing my whole life but I had very little training and I was scared to put my voice on display for a learned professor to critique.

I hemmed and hawed over the decision for a long time.  My roommate Sandee was a good singer as well and said she would try out if I did.  The morning of the try outs arrived and I finally made my decision.  I picked out a song from the hymnbook to sing ("I Believe in Christ") and headed off to class with every intention of biting the bullet and putting my name on the audition list.  I had prayed long and hard that morning that I would have the chance to try out.  But, as it turns out, I had waited far too long to decide.  After my morning classes, I ran over to Sister Applonie's office to sign up.  All of the time slots were full.  I asked her if she could add another time slot but she said she couldn't make any exceptions or she would have to make one for everyone.  Feeling dejected, I walked home to my dorm room at Heritage Halls and tried to focus on doing my homework.

As I sat there trying to convince myself that it just wasn't meant to be, my roommate Sandee ran into our room.  "Celia!  I was sitting out in front of Sister Applonie's office to see if I could try out when a girl walked up and crossed her name off the audition list.  I put your name in her time slot!  You better get over there soon!  Your audition is in 15 minutes!"  Needless to say, there was a fair bit of scrambling and running that took place after that.  Luckily, Heritage Halls is right across the street from the HFAC or I would have been completely out of breath and sweaty for my audition.  I barely had the chance to glance over the words of "I Believe in Christ" before the door opened and I was pulled into Sister Applonie's office.

Sister Applonie is a very small, petite woman but she can be as intimidating as a Grizzly Bear in an audition setting.  She sat down on the piano bench and said, "Because this is a mid-year audition process we only have seven spots open in Women's Chorus.  I just wanted to let you know that the chances of getting in are low...but let's hear what you have to offer!"  She started into warm-ups so she could determine my range.  She then handed me a sheet of paper with several different rhythms listed.  She told me to sight read them and tap out the notes on my leg.  I had participated in school orchestras since middle school so I had done my share of sight reading but this time was definitely the most terrifying.  She asked me if I had a piece prepared to sing for her.  Clearing my throat, I opened my hymnbook and sang "I Believe in Christ."  Without looking up from her notes she said, "You have a good ear."  And that was it.  She hadn't smiled once during the audition except when she had opened the door to welcome me in.  I had gotten my prayed-for chance to audition but I had no idea what the results would be.

I went home for Christmas break and returned to BYU the day before classes started.  No one had called me or emailed me to tell me I had made it in to Women's Chorus so I accepted the apparent fact that I was an okay singer but not good enough for BYU's music program.  I got through my first day of classes and then went grocery shopping at the Creamery that night with my roommates, leaving my cell phone behind.  When we got home from the Creamery, the red light was blinking on my phone indicating that I had a text or a voicemail.  I flipped open the phone and saw that it was a voice message from a number I didn't recognize.  I called my voicemail box kind of offhandedly, thinking that it was probably just someone from the ward trying to get a hold of me.  But then the message started:  "Hi Celia.  This is Cherie, Sister Applonie's assistant.  We wanted to call you and let you know that, congratulations, you got into Women's Chorus.  Rehearsals are everyday at 3:00 PM in the Madsen Recital Hall.  We hope to see you in class tomorrow!"  I ran out of my room and shouted to my roommates, "I got in!"  They shrieked and yelled right along with me.  My roommate's boyfriend made us celebratory smoothies.  I was so excited to be a part of BYU's music program!

I participated in BYU Women's Chorus from January of 2008 to April of 2011.  I was an Alto II for the first three years and I had so much fun hitting the low notes and playing the role of the prince with the other Alto IIs in our Disney-themed concert.  My senior year, Sister Applonie switched me to Alto I (swinger to Soprano II on certain songs) and I became a section leader.  I loved every minute of it!  Sure, it was a lot of work for one credit and concerts always seemed to be scheduled at the most inconvenient times.  But I had the opportunity to sing at General Conference.  We got to sing at BYU devotionals for prophets and church leaders.  I got to sing songs in four different languages (English, Latin, French, and Italian).  Some were lighthearted.  Some were spiritual.  My testimony grew as I sang songs about the Savior with women who believed the same things I did.  I became more confident in my abilities and in myself in general.

It was a literal answer to prayer and I'm grateful to my roommate Sandee who put my name in that time slot when she could have just as easily put in her own.

Me with my sisters and niece at my first Spring Concert - 2008

Our concert at the Provo Tabernacle.  There were four of us from the BYU 43rd ward in the choir that year. - 2010

What Was the World Like When You Were Born?

It's always been interesting to me to learn about the childhood experiences of some of the older members among us.  I asked my grandmother what it was like to grow up during WWII and I was fascinated by the fact that she was alive while the Nazis committed such horrible atrocities and when the atomic bomb was developed.  I get so caught up in other people's history that I haven't stopped to really think about what I have lived through.  The earth has experienced many harrowing experiences and lots of change since my birth in 1989.  Since I didn't really become aware of what was going on in the world around me until I was in fifth or sixth grade, I decided to do a little study of what the world was like the year that I was born.  Here are the results:

Top 10 Singles of 1989: (see the top 100 here)

• Look Away - Chicago
• My Prerogative - Bobby Brown
• Every Rose Has Its Thorn - Poison
• Straight Up - Paula Abdul
• Miss You Much - Janet Jackson
• Cold Hearted - Paula Abdul
• Wind Beneath My Wings - Bette Midler
• Girl You Know Its True - Milli Vanilli
• Baby, I Love Your Way/Freebird Medley - Will to Power
• Giving You the Best That I Got - Anita Baker

Top 10 Highest Grossing Movies of 1989

• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
• Batman
• Back to the Future Part II
• Look Who's Talking
• Dead Poets Society
• Lethal Weapon 2
• Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
• Ghostbusters II
• The Little Mermaid
• Born on the Fourth of July 
• Other Notable Movie Releases of 1989 (the ones that I've seen or heard of): The Abyss, All Dogs Go to Heaven, Glory, Lean On Me, Milo and Otis, Say Anything, Steel Magnolias, When Harry Met Sally
  

Popular Toys and Games Introduced in 1989

• Tetris
• Sega Genesis
• Polly Pockets
• Nintendo Game Boy
• Trolls

Most Popular TV Shows of 1989:

• The Cosby Show
• Roseanne
• Cheers
• A Different World
• America's Funniest Home Videos
• The Golden Girls
• 60 Minutes
• The Wonder Years
• Empty Nest
• Monday Night Football 

Historical Background of the Year 1989:

• George H.W. Bush succeeded Ronald Reagan as the 41st president of the United States of America.
• The TV show Thomas & Friends aired for the first time in the United States.
• The Soviet Union ended their 9-year long occupation of Afghanistan.
• Motorola introduced MicroTAC Personal Cellular Phone, which was the world's smallest cell phone at the time.
  
• The Tiananmen Square Protests in China, also known as the '89 Democracy Movement, led to clashes between government officials and Chinese student protesters calling for government accountability and freedom of speech.
• The first McDonald's in the USSR is constructed in Moscow.
• The Government of Argentina declared a nationwide state of siege due to looting and food riots caused by inflation.
• The success of Central and Eastern Europe's anti-Communist revolutions began in Poland.
• Israel experienced its first Palestinian suicide attack.
• Nintendo released the Game Boy portable video game system in North America.  The Sega Genesis was also released.
• The people of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania called for freedom and independence from Soviet rule.
• Hungary opened its borders to refugees from the German Democratic Republic.
• Vietnam removed the last of its troops from Cambodia, ending an 11-year occupation.
• The world's first same-sex unions became legal in Denmark.
• The Loma Prieta earthquake, measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale, struck the San Francisco Bay Area.  It killed 67 people, delayed the World Series for 10 days, and caused part of the Bay Bridge to collapse.
• The first commercial internet dial-up connection in North America was made.
• The first Wal-Mart store (a Sam's Club) was opened in New Jersey.
• East German refugees were allowed into Czechoslovakia.
• The Berlin Wall fell.
  
• President George H.W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev released statements indicating that the Cold War was coming to an end.
• Chile held its first free election in 16 years.
• The first full-length episode of The Simpsons is shown on Fox.
• The first Al-Qaeda related cell began operation in New York City.
• The Energizer Bunny was introduced.
• The Oakland Athletics won the World Series and the San Francisco 49ers won the Superbowl.

What kinds of crazy things have you lived through?

Childhood Reminiscing Session #4: I Can See Again!!!

When I was little, I gave myself the impossible goal of having perfect eye sight for the rest of my life.  All of my siblings had gotten contacts and glasses by the time they reached middle school, and I was determined to be the one child in the family to maintain 20/20 vision.  I wouldn't have to worry about where I sat in the classroom.  I could avoid the pain of getting something caught in a contact lens.  I would be the only kid in my family who could trim their bathroom use down each morning and evening by 30 seconds because I didn't have to put/take contacts in or out of my eyes.

But fate has a way of delivering blows and, unfortunately, I am not immune.  At the beginning of my sophomore year of high school, my siblings and I went to our annual appointments with the optometrist.  My sisters told me to read the sign across the street from the doctor's office.  I realized that I could only make out the letter L in a long line of letters and words.  I brushed it off, though, concluding that the sign was too far away for people even with 20/20 vision to see.  When my turn came up to see the doctor, I was still in complete denial.  I walked into his office ready to blow him away with how well I could read the letters on the sign in front of me.  But as I sat down in the chair and I looked through that strange contraption they usually put in front of your face at eye appointments, even I understood that my eye sight had gotten worse.  The bottom two lines looked fuzzy and I had difficulty reading off the letters when he asked me to.  After going through a series of tests, the optometrist pronounced those fateful words:  "You need glasses."  Dumbfounded, I walked out of his office to try out a pair of contacts, avoiding the smug looks on my siblings' faces.  After trying and failing several times to get them to stick, the doctor's assistant had to help me put the contacts in.  Glasses were ordered, contacts were shipped, and I joined the throng of people who have to live out the remainder of their lives with eye problems. 

Feeling blue, I hopped into the Suburban to head back home with the rest of my family.  As I stared out the window and looked at the trees and buildings flashing past, I found that I could see things that I didn't even realize I hadn't been able to see before.  I saw the outline of leaves on trees.  I could read road signs that were far away.  When I arrived at my first class that Monday, I realized that I didn't have to squint to see the board.  Though I didn't achieve my goal of perfect vision, I witnessed the miracle that is eye sight correction.  My eye sight has steadily worsened over the years and every time I get a new prescription, I get to witness the miracle all over again.  "It's a miracle!  I can see again!"

(This post may contain hints of sarcasm.)

That Just Happened

So 2014...yeah, it hasn't been that great so far.  I crashed a rental car in Utah.  I got really sick after my Utah trip and still haven't fully recovered.  I didn't get a job I wanted.  My desktop computer monitor and my laptop charger both decided to stop working at the same time so I had to break the bank a little more and get new ones.  I found out a guy I really liked doesn't like me back.  As I was driving to work a couple of weeks ago, a woman rear-ended me in my beautiful blue, brand spankin' new 2014 Honda Accord that I leased in December.  I've gotten to know the people at AAA a little too well for my taste.  I feel like I need a change but I'm not sure where to go.  My student loan payments are now in full swing...

Needless to say, all the things that have happened so far this year have heightened my stress-level just a tad.  Sleep evades me.  I can't shut off my brain to block out all the worry.

And then I saw this today.

I need to stop worrying about all the things I can't change and start doing things about what I have control over.  Yeah, some (for lack of a better word) crappy things have happened to me this year.  But I need to roll with the punches instead of letting them overpower me.  Yeah.  That happened.  Now, move on!