And She's True

Jeff did this tag, and it looked like something fun to change things up. So here you go:

JUST FOR FUN….
Feel free to do this yourself.

Directions:
1. Put your iPod, iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the “next” button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY OR NON-SENSICAL IT SOUNDS

1. IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY?
More Than Words - Extreme

2. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
For the Longest Time - Billy Joel

3. WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A GUY/GIRL?
Jaws Theme - John Williams

4. HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Dream Catch Me - Newton Faulkner

5. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE PURPOSE?
I Dreamed a Dream - Debbie Byrne - Les Miserables Soundtrack

6. WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Ticket to Ride - The Carpenters

7. WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Shine - Collective Soul

8. WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Enjoy the View - Kim Richardson

9. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
You Were Mine - Dixie Chicks

10. WHAT IS 2 + 2?
Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

11. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Circles - Soul Coughing

12. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Annie's Song - John Denver

13. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Theme from Shaft

14. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Beetlejuice Theme - Danny Elfman

15. WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
When I'm Sixty Four - The Beatles

16. WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
One Night in Bangkok - Chess Soundtrack

17. WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Good People - Jack Johnson

18. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
Harmony - Colors

19. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Satellite - Dave Matthews Band

20. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Any Dream Will Do - Andrew Lloyd Webber

21. SONG THEY WILL PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Every Little Thing She Does is Magic - Sting and the Police

22. WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
And She's True - Peter Breinholt

Missionsick

This time of the year five years ago (ugh) I was serving as a full-time missionary in the Arizona Tempe Mission. More specifically, I was serving in a small-ish mountain town called Pinetop-Lakeside, Arizona. Not many people picture themselves in a forest of pine trees when they think of Arizona, but believe me, it was like a little patch of Oregon had gotten lost and wandered too far south.

And I loved it. Well, other than the subtle but constant feeling of claustrophobia caused by the trees blocking my view of the horizon.

The small community was fairly tight-knit, and there was only one person to fill each role like in a storybook town. The postman, the grocer, the high school principal, the mortician, the restaurant manager... the whole time I served there the song "Who are the people in your neighborhood?" was in my head pretty constantly. And, well, we were your friendly neighborhood Mormon missionaries. Everyone knew who we were, and most people (LDS or no, crazy or sane, murder suspect and assault convict alike) liked us. We'd go out to eat to find out our meal had been already paid for. We'd get to the end of a grocery line to find that someone had already swiped their card to pay for our groceries. And, though it was my first Christmas away from my family, I never really got homesick due to the outpouring of love I received during the holiday season.

Instead, every holiday season since, my heart aches for Pinetop-Lakeside more than my heart ever ached for home while I was away.

So though I doubt any of these people know this blog exist, I'd like to give a few shout-outs:

To the Whatcott family, the kindest and most humble people I've ever known. Especially to Sister Whatcott, who has since passed away. She was too incredible for this earth, it seems.

To Cindy Brown and her husband, for the GIGANTIC basket of Christmas gifts and all the times they let us come in and interrupt their watching of the hunting channel to try and convince them to come to church. It never worked, but we were loved just the same.

To Erik Rudneck and his 8 year old daughter, for letting us play Risk with them instead of him drinking with his friends. It was only one night, but in his words, "hey, sober fun can be fun."

To Valerie's husband who restrung an old guitar he found at the D.I. and gave it to me for Christmas. He introduced me to the genre of cowboy poetry while my companion would sneakily teach the discussions to his wife while he was distracted.

To Little Dove, the crazy woman in town who seemed to be there to teach charity to everyone she encountered.

To Dave Shepherd, the manager of the Love Kitchen, for teaching me invaluable lessons about unconditional love and allowing us to serve the needy alongside him.

To Kerri Liddel and her kids for the large Christmas meal she made specifically for us, and for forgiving us for never showing up.

Those are just a few of the people who touched my life that Christmas. And, who knew I had to go to AZ to have my first white Christmas in years?

Thanks

... for the usual: my faith, freedoms, friends, family, health, food, shelter, and job.

But also...

... for my talents, my strengths, my weaknesses, those who aren't afraid to tell me I'm wrong, the opportunities I'm given to learn, the education I've received thus far, the opportunities I'm given to serve, those who inspire me to be a better person, those who are always there on the rare occasions that I'm humbled enough to ask for help.

And... strawberry rhubarb pie.

Happy Thanksgiving, all.

What is this feeling?

For the first time ever, I do not have the slightest bit of dread on Monday mornings.

When my workday is supposed to be done, I don't leave as soon as I possibly can.

I will work for 6 or so hours until my growling stomach reminds me I've forgotten to eat that day.

Translation: my new position at work has been a very good change. It's a lot more fun to fight hunger on the front lines than on the back ones.

Two posts in the same week?!

... Hope I don't pull a muscle or anything.

I don't know how else to say this, but... I love people.

There is not a day that goes by when I'm not touched by someone and they have absolutely no idea that they're, um, touching me. (Careful.)

For example...

Yesterday I was in my car running errands for work. I drove past a pretty forgotten little street right next to the freeway, and in one glance I took in a parked garbage truck, a smaller car parked behind it, and a man, a woman, and a small child being held by the man standing near the two parked vehicles. And from that one glance I knew it was a man who drove a garbage truck for a living who had stopped for his lunch break, and his little family had driven out to meet him wherever he was, just to spend that one hour (or however long) with him.

I wanted to pull over and give them all a big hug. (I didn't. Believe it or not, I have SOME sense of social propriety.)

Another example: When I get the time I will spend my lunch at a park right near my work. I'll go park my car under the trees full of falling yellow and gold leaves, and I'll whip out a book and read during my break. Well, recently I've noticed that the same car always shows up around the same time I do; a middle-aged woman who will park some distance away from me, and then also just sit in her car and sometimes will whip out a book. Without having spoken to her I feel a bit of camaraderie with this woman. I don't know what she does for a living, I don't know if it's her dream job or a stressful one, but I do know that she appreciates a moment alone once a day to be near nature, to sort through her own thoughts and/or escape them by reading someone else's.

I flashed her a smile as I drove away from the park today. I'm pretty sure she's aware of my regular appearance during her lunchtime too.

Anyway, I don't really know what this post was about. I guess it's my little way of thanking the many strangers who inspire me each day, since thanking them individually would most likely creep them out.

Jagged little pills

Lessons I've recently learned in the continuing evolution of myself:

- I really am a very independent person.
- Independence is a sneaky form of pride; like many virtues, too much of it becomes a vice.
- Independence is a very hard habit to kick when in vice-form.
- Dependence is even harder for me to forgive in others.
- I don't like being defaulted to for decision-making purposes, just because I'm not afraid make decisions.
- I sometimes hold people to impossibly high expectations.
- I shouldn't.
- I also shouldn't blog when I'm tired.

Apologies to anyone harmed in the making of this person.

If you don't know me by now...

I DARE any one of you to say you didn't just start singing an 80's song upon reading this title.

Anyway, check this out. It pretty much epitomizes one of my defining characteristics. Thanks to Nate for finding it.

I hope to blog more soon. But I hope for many things. We'll see if it happens.