today's tuesday

I only have a few things to say.

1. I think Tinder is morally repugnant.
2. There is such thing as a free lunch. Had one today. From Kneaders. What.
3. Invest in cool pants.

4. Get a Spotify account.
Then you can listen to cool songs like me.

5. Send an encouraging text to someone right now. No, like, RIGHT NOW.
8018646331
6. Who has a twitter account? Because it's seriously not very fun if you don't have friends on it.
6a. Get a twitter account so that twitter will be fun.
7. You can look forward to a better post next time. As soon as I remember my memory card.
So...who knows how long that will be.
But it's about my family and golf, so you know it's gonna be good.

#sneakpeak. Because yes, I just became one of those bloggers. no i don't know what those kind of bloggers are. i just said it because...i wanted to.

peace and paisley pants
rrw






ps. bethany, you totally win for the "white legs" analogy. and not because you were the only one to comment. but because i literally laughed out loud when i read it. so...icecream?

love it or leave it

so i have this thing.

i guess you could call it "state pride."

or "love for utah."

or "my state is better than your state."

i'm sorry...but only kind of

or "defend the honor of the beehive state!"

or "why would i live anywhere else?"

whatever you wanna call it, i have it.

i love utah.

allow me to list a few of the many things everyone should love about this state.

*the mountains: the rockies are in many states, yes, but the rockies in THIS state...

umm...yes,

*the seasons: what do you want? we have it.

*the redrock: just go to southern utah and you will understand.

*the heritage: whether you share their faith or not, you must admit that this state was founded by incredible, strong, faithful people.

*the great salt lake: a remnant of the great and mysterious lake bonneville. i mean, it's like our own little ocean out there for those who prefer spending their time in bad-tasting water to clear, high mountain peaks. but i mean, it's whatever.

i know that comparison to the ocean was a stretch, but like i said, i have this state pride thing BAD.

*the family ties: it seems like almost everyone i know has some sort of relative in utah.

*the olympics: the fact that the ENTIRE world couldn't take their eyes off of this place in 2002 says something about it, wouldn't ya say?

*the snow: our license plates say it best.

and in order for such wonderful precipitation to occur, an extremely necessary ingredient is needed.

what is it? ah yes. allow me to explain.

you see, it's this.

COLD.

now, on a different tangent, but one that will tie in with the above thoughts, i'd like to explain a phenomenon that occurs in utah.

it's call inversion.

when high pressure builds up around the wasatch mountains, it pushes the cold air down into the valley.

while there, this cold air mixes with all our yummy and irresponsible pollution.

now the air is super heavy. 

follow?

this super-heavy cold air has no chance of escaping the valley, what with the with the laws of physics and thermodynamics reminding us that while hot air rises, cold air does not.

so the cold air is left in the valley.

and with snow on the ground, reflecting the small amounts of sunlight that make it through the layer of newly developed "smog," there's no hope of warming the ground.

so it stays cold.

and gets colder.

which is why all our phones say its -1 degree out there.

there are many things to love about utah, one of which is the cold.

it's part of this state.

the thing is, with so much to love, more people keep coming here.

i can't blame them.

but if you're going to come here and drive your car and fly your planes and run your furnace and put all your pollution into the air, then i'm going to have to ask you to stop complaining about the cold.

because just maybe, your pollutants are making it worse.

perhaps this is coming off a little "green" and sounding like a bunch of "hippy talk"

maybe i'll get hired to do a prius commercial

i don't really care if it does. 

i'd be fine with that.

but my main concern is this.

how would you feel if i came into your home, tramping mud and dirt,

breaking things,

using all your toilet paper,

putting silverware in your microwave,

and eating all your oreos,

and then proceeded to criticize you for the fact that your microwave doesn't work.

no?

i don't like it either.

oh, and you're welcome for the crash course in meteorology. 

rrw

to the boys

today i got yelled at by a man.

he used foul language and offensive hand gestures.

he stopped his silver pickup truck right in front of me so i couldn't leave, rolled down his window, and let the insults and degradation flow.

it hurt.

i've never experienced this before.

and i realized how grateful i am that i hadn't.

i'm grateful for the men in my life.

they are respectful, kind, funny, caring, gentle, and strong.

they are my dad, my grandpas, my brother, my brother-in-law, my uncles, my cousins, my friends, my home teachers, my bishops, my classmates, my coworkers, my neighbors.

these are men.

not that person in the pickup truck.

boys, please don't let yourself ever become that.

"Fathers, single adults, leaders, home teachers—be worthy models and help the rising generation of boys become men. Teach them social and other skills: how to participate in a conversation, how to get acquainted and interact with others, how to relate to women and girls, how to serve, how to be active and enjoy recreation, how to pursue hobbies without becoming addicted, how to correct mistakes and make better choices"

-Elder D. Todd Christofferson

late night thoughts

i'm the kind of person that doesn't think people fake bake.

i'm the kind of person that thinks lance armstrong won all his races without steroids.

i believe that everyone knows right from wrong.

even if it's buried deep.

i count on people to be where they say they'll be, when they say they'll be there. 

no matter how many times they're late or they bail.

when someone tells me he was a national level jump-roper, i believe him.

i'd rather listen to music with no words.

kisses still mean something to me, not just a number to throw around.

sometimes i catch myself believing that politicians really do want what's best for our country.

i always think the mail will be there today. ok...today. ok....today!

i always think i'll wake up earlier than i do.

i still don't know anything about drugs.

it still really surprises me when i find out people actually do them.

every time i watch a tv show i think it will resolve itself quickly.

not take 6 seasons to do so

i think cheering at games makes the players play better.

and i think God wants the best for us.

i know He does, actually.

sometimes i get called innocent, naive, gullible.

and maybe i am.

but i'd rather be that than hopeless.

here's to hope.

peace and patience. 

rrw

Secret

I have always craved my own secret spot. A place where I can be alone and think. An area that is mine, where I can get to know myself again. When I was younger it was the curtains pulled shut around my bed, the back of  the cubby in my room. Then it was in the branches of the tree in my backyard where I would climb and sit and swing for hours, letting my imagination run wild as I envisioned myself as an Indian running through the forest or climbing a cliff or taming the wild horses.

I had a secret spot in the forest surrounding the cabin in Montana. I would walk through the bushes and grass, balancing on fallen trees while I pretended I was the fourth friend in the Harry Potter trio. Sometimes all it took was a blanket draped across a table with a bean bag underneath to have my own lair where I could plot how to overthrow the evil wizard or figure out the code on the "Lights Out" game in order to free my fellow spy from an eternal imprisonment.

Then I grew up.

Suddenly being alone was a sign of social incompetence. If I wasn't physically with my friends I needed to be connected to them through technology. I couldn't be alone because if I was alone that meant I had failed. It meant I was undesirable and...alone.

My secret spots disappeared. I was never alone. My imagination was crumpled as I swamped it with movie after movie, drama after drama, and selfishness after selfishness. I didn't think about adventures anymore. I thought about how this person had wronged me, how I could get this boy to like me, how I could get invited to this party or who I could spend my weekend with. My imagination was exhausted with trivial things and malnourished to the extent that it might have died.

This scares me.

Yesterday I went out by myself. I didn't go because I wanted to. I went because I couldn't stand to be alone in my apartment anymore. My addiction to company was manifesting itself in my forlorn and despairing attitude. So I left. I took my hiking backpack and my bike. I just started riding away. Through a series of intersections, hills, and dodging of water guns, I found myself 30 minutes away from my apartment at the base of a canyon. I stashed my bike in the bushes and started hiking, taking deer trails and scratching my legs on the still bare branches of the hibernating vegetation.

I found a new secret spot.
I met myself again.
I am ok with who I am.
I plan on being alone more often.

Ode to Something Better.

I know that my life is good.
I live in a great neighborhood.
I go to work and go to school,
And on occasion do something cool.

I like my life, I think it's great,
And never could I say I hate,
This place called Provo, where I abide
(please, don't think that it's implied)

But recently, my only thought
Is "get me out of this distraught"
And take me to a place that's nice,
With fewer people to be precise.

I'm sick of clouds and sick of snow
I mean really guys, can't you just GO?
Who cares about finals? Do they have a purpose?
Personally I think that they are rather humorous.

So I'm heading South, forever and ever.
To always be known as "the mysterious hiker"
I'll live off the land and have all my own space
Good luck finding me, I won't leave a trace.

Where I go the sun will always shine
I'll live outside and be totally fine.
So say your goodbyes, and pretend that you'll miss me.
Cause here I go, about to make history...

Aloe Vera for the Soul

Yesterday was a great day. After stake conference (which I was unexpectedly called upon to speak in) a big group of my friends all went out on the grass hill near our buildings. We sat there, chatting, snacking, and playing games for a good 5 hours. It was grand.

As the day went on, however, we realized that something was happening. Our once pasty white skin was rapidly turning pink, red, and in some cases, purple. As the night progressed I was overcome with chills, headaches, and the sensation of my flesh being on fire. (Dramatic yes, but I assure you it was uncomfortable) That's when the Aloe Vera was busted out.

As I applied this soothing balm to my battered skin, the feeling of relief was instantaneous and thorough. I sat there, considering my history with sunburns and marveling at how dumb I am. Every year I think that I somehow am stronger than the sun. Every year I burn. Every year I apply gallons of Aloe Vera. Every year it soothes my pain.

The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the same way, except it is not a once a year thing. It is constant. As I consistently fall, make wrong choices, and struggle through challenges- as I consistently think that I am stronger than I really am and consistently allow myself to be burned by the fiery darts of the adversary, Christ is consistently there to sooth my injuries. His Atonement allows Him to understand completely the pain of my physical sunburn and, more importantly, my spiritual burns. And, like Aloe Vera, He applies the balm of love, compassion, support and strength in order to sooth my injuries.

I am so grateful.

To read more on the healing power of the Atonement go here:
The Healer's Art