Things that Make Life Awesome: Vacuuming

Have you ever been vacuuming in your living room and come across a small piece of something (maybe a piece of paper) that the vacuum just wasn't picking up? So what do you do? You stand the vacuum upright, bend over, and pick up the annoying piece of paper. But rather than throw it away in a nearby garbage can, you throw it back on the floor and viciously move the vacuum back and forth over the stupid piece of paper. Usually this process is repeated until the little devil is finally sucked up. Just the image of this makes me laugh my head off. We all do it. Myself especially. Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!

What makes life awesome? Vacuuming.

Things that Make Life Awesome

My "Science and Practice of Positive Living" class is amazing. Really. It has impacted my life so much! It's becoming easier for me to notice the beauty in the world around me. I'm focusing on strengthening my relationships. I'm trying to have a more positive attitude. I carry around a little book with me in which I write down my positive experiences throughout the day. I want to share my discoveries of positive living with everyone around me.

So, in honor of my class, I'm going to (try) blog each day about something that makes life awesome. Stay tuned. :)

Happiness

We've been talking about happiness in my Positive Living class the past couple of days. As such, I've been doing quite a bit of reflecting on happiness and what it means to me. So many people in our culture view happiness hedonisticly- that is, the pursuit of pleasurable things and the absence of painful things. I feel like happiness is so much more than that. The scriptures say that there must be opposition in all things. It's okay to feel sad, or angry, or depressed; it's part of human nature and I would actually be worried if you never experienced those things. It's impossible to be completely happy all of the time. It just is.

But!

It is possible to always try to have a positive attitude. I feel like there's a big difference. Bad things are going to happen. I can promise you that with 100% assurance. It all depends on how you react to those bad things. That's what I'm trying to do- be positive. It's so hard at times. But I've found myself to be more "happy" as I try to have a positive outlook on life. And it has honestly made all of the difference. I'm less stressed, it's easier for me to love and forgive, I'm able to focus more on others, my trials don't seem nearly as impossible as they used to. It truly is incredible.

My instructor challenged us to write down three things, every day, that went well for us that day. I want to challenge you to do the same thing. You'll be amazed by how your attitude has changed.

Nerd Time!

I have a confession to make: I am probably the biggest nerd you will ever meet (big shocker, right?). Tonight I found myself sitting bored and alone in my apartment. So what do I do? I watch an hour long documentary on Pompeii and the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.... and I was glued to the screen the entire time. Afterward I spent over thirty minutes looking up volcano eruptions on Youtube. I was completely fascinated by it! And I always have been. When I was in elementary school and my classmates would be checking out Goosebumps books from the library, I would be checking out books about earthquakes, volcanoes, tornadoes, bigfoot, and the Titanic. In fact, a couple of weeks ago, National Geographic was doing a week-long series on the Titanic... I watched it every night.

My favorite movies growing up were Twister and Dante's Peak; I still love those two movies and would probably be watching them right now if I could. When I was bored in class I would doodle "tornado scenes," usually complete with a flying car and a tree that was broken in half. When I grew up I wanted to be a storm chaser, just like in the movies. I knew that I would be the one that could discover what cause tornadoes and to come up with a way to predict them. And after that I wanted to be the weatherman on the news... until I realized how boring of a job it could be.

In short, I am fascinated with the dark side of nature. Just the sheer power of it all sends shivers down my spine. Pompeii was obliterated; there was nothing left. I can only imagine what the inhabitants of America experienced as a result of Christ's death. The destruction is almost incomprehensible. It's very humbling to really think of the power that God has.

So there you go! Little known fact about Skyler- not only can I get a song stuck in my head from listening to two doors closing at the same time, but I am obsessed with natural disasters (and the Titanic). Yep, I am a nerd. And proud of it!

Ballroom Camp?

The first thing Maraina, my coworker, said to me when I walked in to work today was, "I hate ballroom camp." The first thing the Cannon Center cafeteria workers said to me when I walked in for breakfast was, "Skyler, we found a camp worse then EFY: Ballroom." Surprised? Not me.

When I was working late Saturday night, this older gentleman checked in to camp a couple of days early (which is perfectly fine). However, he asked fifty questions the answers to which my coworker and I thought to be pretty obvious. And we had to explain things to him fifty times! And then he kept coming back to ask more questions (even at 11:50 PM). I had to keep telling myself to be patient.

When Maraina walked in to work this morning at 6:00 AM, there was already a guy here, ready to yell at her for things that we're not even in charge of. People have been coming in all morning asking us (very rudely) where the shuttle is. Even after explaining to them that we have no idea what they're talking about and that they need to talk to Dance Camps about that, they still yell at us. Also, apparently there is an old man staying all the way up in May Hall who walks with a cane..... what the heck is he doing at ballroom camp if he can't even walk?!

These people expect five star hotel service while staying in the (dare I say it?) dorms. It's worse then Education Week and Women's Conference combined. They demand extra blankets, internet, front door shuttle service, complete silence at 10:00 PM. Heck, I'd even take EFY over this! At least their demands are realistic.

Oh ballroom dancers... why must you be so..... I can't even think of a word. Dramatic? Demanding? Persnickety? Flat out annoying? Yes to all of those words.

(Side note: I shouldn't say that all ballroom dancers are this way. There just seems to be more of them.)

Perception

This is so worth taking the two minutes to read.

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1mbQUh/www.jeffbridges.com/perception.html

Unhappiness

Remember all of the "woe is me" posts I've been writing lately? What was I thinking! I have so much to live for and so much to be grateful for! Look at what I found. Check it out.

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/8RX4si/www.marcandangel.com/2011/05/29/12-common-causes-and-proven-cures-for-unhappiness/

Best Friend?

I couldn't sleep tonight, so I decided to blog in an attempt to clear my thoughts.

There's only one thing that I've always wanted my entire life: a best guy friend. After all, so many other people seem to have one- my dad had Kelly, Jessica has Marie, Marcus has Cameron, Kara has Jana, Michael has Daniel, Annette has Elizabeth, Megan has Sidney, Tim had Lance, Andrew has Nichole (that one makes sense in some weird way). I've just always wanted a friend who's apartment I can walk in, open up the fridge, and grab a slice of pizza. Someone who sends me some random text about some girl he saw in Walmart. Someone who I can ask for advice on what to wear on a date, to vent about girls to, or to even ask for a blessing if I need it.

I know I have a lot of friends- making friends has never been difficult for me. Heck, I have a lot of really good, close friends. But there has never been just one guy who stands out as a best friend. It sounds pretty pathetic, I know; I should just be happy with the relationships I have. But I guess I've just always wanted to have someone to depend on me as much as I depend on them. To be one of the first people outside of the family to hear exciting or devastating news. Someone who just spontaneously drops by and drags me out on a double date. It's honestly what I've wanted my entire life and something that I've never had.

So now I am sitting in bed, thinking about how lonely I feel surrounded by so many close friends who seem to only be that: close friends. Good friends, to be sure. But friends who only view me as a good friend in return.

Camping!

Guess who went camping this last weekend. Skyler Crouch and Andrew Brown! We both came to the conclusion that we needed to escape the city for a bit and experience nature the way God intended. So we packed the essentials (including toilet paper) and headed up Spanish Fork canyon to rough it. These are the adventures we had.












This is where we camped. It was beautiful! There was a huge river running right past the camp. Everything was so green! And there were pine trees everywhere!































Dinner!! Hobo dinners, complete with meat, carrots, potatoes, and onions. Cooked perfectly, thanks to Andrew. Yum!!









After dinner, we decided to climb up the side of a mountain (literally), through the thickest brush ever, in order to get service by standing on top of a peak. We didn't get service, but the view was beautiful!


























This is Andrew starting the morning fire. Breakfast! Bacon and scrambled eggs cooked over charcoal. Not the best idea, but it was cheap and it worked (after an hour and a half).





Last but not least, this is the reservoir that we climbed up to. I, of course, decided to go swimming in my skivvies, which resulted in my entire body getting sunburned. But that's okay. Hopefully it will turn into a tan!

Video

Please watch this. :)

http://lds.org/general-conference/2009/10/safety-for-the-soul?lang=eng&media=video

The Worst Blogger

Sorry guys. I've started three different posts this morning but haven't had the motivation to finish them. I feel like I should blog, but I don't really have much to blog about. Unless you want to hear about my crappy weekend from hell. Or listen to me complain about how my siblings don't seem to appreciate the sacrifices I have made for them. Or listen to me describe the Father's and Son's Basketball Camp we had this past weekend and how men are nasty and let their kids run rampant destroying things (and finally pack up and leave their rooms two hours after they were supposed to check out, leaving the room a complete disaster and their linens and nast towels in the room for me to clean up). Or how competitive my cousins are at card games and how much I hate playing with them because they always take things too far (such as picking on my younger 11 year-old brother) until it gets to the point that I throw my cards down and leave because I can't take it anymore. To sum it all up, people are so insensitive to others' feelings and I'm tired of it. I'm tired of people who only think of themselves. I'm tired of being the one amongst certain friends who has to sacrifice and hide my true feelings in order to support them, because "that's what friends do." I'm tired of putting on a smile for snobby EFY coordinators who always look like they're sucking on a sour lemon when they talk to me. In fact, I'm tired of putting on a smile for everyone and listening to everyone's problems; just once I want someone to make me cookies and sit down on my couch to listen to my problems. But that has never once happened in my life and I guess I should just keep on expecting it not to happen.

So this is my blog post. And that was my weekend. And now I am going to put on a smile and greet the EFY counselors who forgot their meal card. Because I'm good at faking it and that's what I have to do.

My New Responsibility.

Yesterday, Jessica Callahan gave me a small patch of dirt behind her apartment building to plant a garden. It isn't a big garden, just a couple of tomato plants, a row of carrots and radishes, some green pepper and lettuce plants, and a cucumber plant. But it is my garden and those are my plants. If they die, it is my fault. Whatever they produce is mine. It felt extremely rewarding to work hard to clear that patch of dirt of weeds and rocks, to kneel on the ground and feel the earth beneath my fingers as I dug holes to plant my vegetables. The feel of a shovel in my hand, the sun shining down, birds chirping in the air, the smell of the earth, the company of a good friend.... it all led to a very happy day. It felt so good to look at my neat rows of plants and say, "I did that." Later on this summer, I will be able to cook a meal and proudly proclaim, "I grew that." I provided it. This is the fruit of my labor.

Last night, as I was drifting off to sleep, I worried about those plants. The hose that we were hoping to use to water them wasn't working, so we ended up leaving them with the hopes that it would rain last night. It didn't. But as I was walking out of church today, it started sprinkling. It didn't rain very hard or for very long, but just enough to give the soil a good drink. And I was very grateful for that moisture.

Additionally, yesterday my apartment welcomed a new houseplant, given to me by Marcus. I was very excited because I've always loved plants and growing things (I blame my mom for that one). I bought a new pot for it and replanted it, making sure that it had plenty of good soil. I sang to it on the drive home and gave it a tour of my apartment (I am a big believer that plants can sense positive energy). But when I came home from work late last night, some of the flowers petals were wilting. It had plenty of water, it had received plenty of sunlight, heck, I even sang to it! But still it was having a difficult time.

It kind of made me think of our Father in Heaven (in a weird way). How many times does He provide us with good soil, plenty of sunlight, and an unfathomable amount of love, and still we struggle? Everything is there for us to reach our full potential. We have what we need. But it's up to us to make use of our resources, of our sunlight, water, and heavenly love. It's up to us to look our trials and struggles dead in the eye and persevere.

I've been thinking a lot today about friends and family members who have everything they need to bloom, but wavered under the pressure of trials and gave in to the temptations of Satan. It's really sad. It makes me want to do a better job at overcoming my own trials so that some day I can turn around and help them climb up the steep steps of life. I have a long ways to go. I have so much left to overcome. For now I will just do my best to be worthy of the Spirit so that I can listen to His promptings.

Putting My Best Foot Forward

I've been meaning to blog about this for a while now, but it was a blog post by my friend, LaDawnia, that truly inspired me to write this.

I love looking my best. Rare is the day when you will see me outside my apartment in basketball shorts (unless I'm going swimming or exercising). My hair is usually done; if it's not, then I at least have a hat on. You will never see me unshowered. When I work the front desk, I usually wear a collared shirt with a tie. If I wear a suit or a vest, then I will have a pocket square or a handkerchief folded in my pocket. My shoes are polished and clean, my teeth are brushed often, and my clothes are pressed and fresh.
My apartment is the same way. I vacuum and dust often. I make my bed first thing in the morning (or soon thereafter). I keep dirty clothes in the hamper and make sure that my laundry is sorted and tucked away neatly. My desk is organized and papers are filed for easy access. I keep my room neat and tidy, but not freakishly clean.

So why do I take the extra minutes to do this? Why do I make sure I get enough sleep, eat healthy, and get plenty of exercise? Why do I wake up with enough time to make sure I'm showered before breakfast? Because I want to look my best and present myself with my best foot forward. One of my favorite professors once told me to dress so that I don't have to worry about my appearance, and I've noticed that that simple thing has made all the difference. You never know who you will run into throughout your day. It could be your boss, the president of your university, or a prophet of God. When I walk out my door in the morning, I make sure that I am ready to meet everyone and anyone, with a smile on my face. My apartment is the same. I keep it clean, as if someone was going to drop by that afternoon. It's nice to know that if I bring friends over to watch a movie or something, I don't have to worry about the state of my apartment. Also, do you think that Joseph Smith's room was a mess when Moroni dropped in for a visit? I think not.

Additionally, despite what the world tells you, how you dress on the outside greatly reflects how you feel on the outside. Don't believe me? How confident do you feel when you roll out of bed after only four hours of sleep, throw on some sweats and a T-shirt, and head to class unshowered and without any breakfast? Probably not very confident, especially if you happen to run into your bishop or your boss. Think about what your professor thinks of you as you stumble into class. I doubt that he'll be very lenient about the homework assignment you forgot to turn in last night.Now contrast that scenario with this one:
You wake up at 7:00 AM after getting eight hours of sleep the night before (there's a reason why the scriptures say "Early to bed, early to rise") and hop in the shower. If you're a guy, you make sure you shave your face; if you're a girl, you make sure that you apply the usual amount of make-up. You put on a pair of clean jeans and a nicer looking shirt before doing your hair. Then you head to breakfast, where you have a bowl of cereal, a piece of fruit, and a glass of orange juice. After breakfast, you find that you have an extra ten minutes before you need to head to class, so you read a chapter out of the scriptures. You arrive to class a few minutes early to make sure that you are prepared for class to start on time. How confident do you feel now? How much more responsible and willing to learn does your professor think you are? I can promise you that you will learn better, work harder, and be more willing to go out of your way to help others. People will treat you with more respect and will be more willing to meet you half way, if not more.

You are also able to focus more on living and interacting with others if you're not worried about whether or not you look presentable. It's nice to not worry about a wrinkled T-shirt, a hole in your jeans, or a bad hair day. It allows you to really live (the way you were intended) and to focus on other things. That's one of the reasons why missionaries and members of the Church are encouraged to look clean cut. People aren't drawn to a stain on the shirt or ripped jeans; they're attention instead is drawn to the person. They see someone who appears to be educated, hard working, and trustworthy. They are able to focus on what is being said and to listen intently.

So that, my dear friends, is part of the reason why I do what I do. Unfortunately, the culture here in Provo dictates otherwise. So many times, when I wear a pocket square or a vest, or even a colored shirt, people think that I am dressed to the nines. You'd think I'd left the apartment in a tux! I love it when people tell me I look handsome or nice. But when people say "You look nice" (almost accusingly) or "Why do you look so fancy?" (and I'm only wearing a colored shirt with the top button undone) I can't help but feel slightly annoyed. Please, by all means, tell me I look nice. But please don't accuse me of it.

If you take anything from this, please let me be this: dress to impress. It really does make all the difference.

P.S. If you have any questions about what you should wear for what event, I have plenty of advice. Or I have websites to which I could refer you.

Life

I've recently stumbled upon the website "stumbleupon.com". (Thank you Jessica Callahan). It's a great way to spend boring shifts at the desk... and it's educational! I've learned about so many random things tonight. I came across the following short and simple insight and wanted to share it.

Ten Rules for Being Human

by Cherie Carter-Scott

1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it's yours to keep for the entire period.

2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called, "life."

3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial, error, and experimentation. The "failed" experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiments that ultimately "work."

4. Lessons are repeated until they are learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can go on to the next lesson.

5. Learning lessons does not end. There's no part of life that doesn't contain its lessons. If you're alive, that means there are still lessons to be learned.

6. "There" is no better a place than "here." When your "there" has become a "here", you will simply obtain another "there" that will again look better than "here."

7. Other people are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself.

8. What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.

9. Your answers lie within you. The answers to life's questions lie within you [and in the scriptures]. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.

10. You will forget all this.

So true, right?

America's, no, MY Favorite Passtime

Little known fact about me: I love baseball! There's just something about the feel of a glove on your hand, the smell of freshly cut grass, the sound of birds chirping and of baseballs hitting bats, the taste of a hotdog with plenty of relish, and the sight of fans donned in baseball caps. I'd definitely much rather be out in the field or at home plate with a bat in my hand. It's exhilarating to have a baseball flying 70 mph at you. And when your bat makes contact with that ball and you watch it zoom over the fence while the audience rises to their feet and your teammates run out onto the field... incredible. That has happened to me three times in my life.
I really wish that more people played baseball... or would at least be willing to pick up a bat and try it out. People don't like trying new things though. "What if I look stupid?" "What if I get hurt?" Think of all of the new experiences we miss out on because of those questions.
Someday I'll play a real game of baseball again. But for the time being, I'll be content with going to games and playing a couple of innings with my three siblings- that's good enough for now.

Women's Conference: Round Two

I have survived yet another round of Women's Conference as a conference assistant. Luckily (and almost disappointingly) this year it was fairly uneventful. However, I still had a few experiences that keep me laughing.

Wednesday night, I did check ins for Women's Conference from 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM. I got stuck with the A-G line, so I was pretty busy the whole time. When it was finally time for my shift to be over, one of my coworkers asked me if I would let a woman, who had been locked out of her room, into her bedroom at Merrill Hall (the hall of my residence for the summer). I opened the door for the lady, but as I was exiting the floor I was approached by another lady who asked me if I worked there. I replied that I did (leaving out the fact that I was off duty) and she asked if I could fix her bed for her. Upon examining her bed, I noticed that the books that are used to adjust the bed height were bent. So I went to my room and got my hammer and one of my screwdrivers (good thing I'm a man and have enough tools to fix anything!). I pounded on that bed for a good twenty minutes before I could finally slide all of the hooks in place. I broke my screwdriver and did all of this while wearing a suit and tie. I personally think that the women just wanted to see a hot man.

I was working the late night desk shift at Helaman Halls Thursday night and it was a pretty slow night aside from the handful of women that would come in to complain about parking. Around 11:30 PM, I got a phone call from one of the camp participants. She said that her friend (we'll call her Susan) had just checked in, but Susan's roommate (we'll call her Sally) had taken Susan's mattress, barricaded the window with it, and refused to take the mattress down because her room was too cold and it was too late. (Side not: Sally had been complaining ALL day that her heater wasn't working, despite the fact that we had maintenance go through three times that day to fix it. We even called emergency maintenance via BYU police dispatch to fix it. If she was still cold than that was her problem). So Susan's friends wanted to know if I could just find and extra mattress for Susan and she could just stay in one of their rooms. Unfortunately the vast majority of mattresses were being used at the moment, but luckily all of our RA rooms were empty. I contacted one of the rovers and had her drag a mattress into the room.

Another time I was working the desk, some women came up to ask for parking. We somehow got on the topic of music and I mentioned that I played the piano. The women then went into detail about a concert that they had just been to for Women's Conference. They told me that next year they would make sure to put a good word in for me so that I could go. I thanked them while thinking, "I probably won't be around next year and even if I was, why would I go?" But it was a very thoughtful gesture.

And last but not least, I was kicked out of my room because my building was full of women (and it would be inappropriate for me to stay there) and I was temporarily moved to Building 9. The only problem is, Building 9 had no linen sets. So the first night I just slept there, on the mattress, because I was too tired to try to track down some linens. It was a rough night.

Other than that, it was just another Women's Conference of flirty women. Luckily we were unable to give out extra blankets and pillows this year, which was nice because we weren't running around 24/7. All in all, I love my job. I love having my own bedroom suite. I love my coworkers and supervisors. I love this weather. I knew this Church is true. I love my mom and dad and my brothers and my sisters. I know that President Monson is a true prophet...

He Lives!

I'm sure all of you were expecting an Easter post today and I didn't want to disappoint, so here it is!

It didn't feel much like Easter today, aside from the Music and the Spoken Word broadcast this morning and dying Easter eggs with Jessica and Megan this afternoon. For the most part I was concerned with getting settled into my new place, which I normally wouldn't do on a Sunday but I don't think I'll have many opportunities to unpack this week. However, I did take a few moments to reflect on our Savior today.
When I was driving in my car today, I decided to listen to some music. I turned to the "Sunday" playlist on my iPod and turned on one of my favorite Sunday blasting songs: the "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's The Messiah. I drove around Provo with that glorious piece of music blasting, singing at the top of my lungs. I probably got some funny looks, but I didn't care; there are few things more spiritually stimulating than singing "Hallelujah!" at the top of your lungs. If you haven't ever done it, I really recommend it. "Hallelujah! For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. And He shall reign for ever and ever, King of Kings, Lord of Lords." What a simple, but true, statement.
I went with Jessica to a Messiah sing-along last December. To be surrounded by hundreds of people belting praises to their God was a humbling and moving experience. I'll never forget the feeling I had in joining with those many voices in singing "Hallelujah." It almost felt like angels joined in with us. Kind of cheesy, I know; but it was truly powerful.

With that said, I'll end with my testimony of our Lord, Jesus Christ. I know that He lives. I know it without a shadow of a doubt. I am so grateful for all that He did for us; for His life, His example, His atonement, His resurrection, and for His unbiased love. I am doing my best to follow His teachings and I am so grateful for His patience... I mess up many times.

I love you all and I hope you had a great Easter.

Talking with Grams

Today I stopped by my Grandma Crouch's home in Perry to visit with her. I used to stop by everyday on my way home from high school and I know that it meant a lot to her (and me as well). It started out as just another normal visit. She asked me about the girls in my life and offered me cookies, a sandwich, jellybeans, and candy bars until I couldn't fit anymore food in my stomach. But then she said that she had something to show me. She went back in her bedroom and brought out a book, which was nothing out of the ordinary. But it turned out to be a book on the first pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley, one of which was one of my grandmother's ancestors. That got us talking about genealogy.

Grandma went back into her bedroom and brought out a folder containing some family history. She showed me a picture of her grandparents and told me stories about them. We were talking about the family and I told her how cool it would be if she could write some of her memories down. She said that my mom had been trying to get her to do that for years (which I was fully aware of). What happened next was totally unexpected though. She started talking about her early childhood- about how she had appendicitis when she was 5 and had to go to school a year late, about growing up in Taylor, Utah, about going on fishing trips with her grandpa. She told me about how she was a pitcher in junior high and how her team one the championship. I sat and listened with perfect attention. It wasn't often that my grandma opened up like this.

I've always felt a special bond with my grandma, more so than the other grandchildren, I guess. What happened this afternoon was a very special moment for me. Despite the fact that she's still gardening and going out to lunch with her lady friends, I know she doesn't have much time left and every moment I have with her means a lot to me. She's done so much for me and I always know that I can count on her for a cookie or a big hug.

Growing up she would always take me on trips with her lady friends. We would go to concerts in Salt Lake, out to the movies, to lunch in Ogden, shopping at the mall. As a little kid I would find it kind of boring hanging out with these "old" people. But looking back now I really cherish those memories. In fact, I went out to lunch with her and some of her friends last week and I was amazed by how comfortable I felt around them all. I have known these people for as long as I could remember and for the first time in my life I was having a conversation with them as an adult. I guess it was one of those "coming of age" experiences.

My Grams is one of the dearest people in my life and I am so grateful for the wonderful memories I have with her (there are many). She always makes sure that I have plenty of food and is always asking me if I need anything. She has sacrificed so much for the family and I am amazed by her charity. I hope that I can grow up to be just as selfless some day.

Poor But Not Homeless

How poor am I right now? Extremely. I have been living off of spare change for the past week (thank heavens for careless EFYers). I'm sick of eating salt water taffy from the Resource Center. The cashiers at the Creamery know me as the bagel boy because I go in everyday to get a bagel for lunch (they're only 75 cents). I've discovered that you can make a type of pancake out of Bisquick and water (which I usually eat... if I have the time to make it).
Meals usually include: the Bisquick pancakes for breakfast (if at all), a bagel and taffy for lunch, and whatever I can scrounge up for dinner. I'm sick of potatoes. I can't remember the last time I had a slice of bread. And all I want is a good, hearty salad. Or steak.
However, I have so much to be grateful for. I definitely have a deeper appreciation of being able to go grocery shopping. I have my own bedroom and a warm bed. I have been blessed with incredible friends and a supportive family. So while I am sitting here starving and losing 5 pounds a day, I've realized how blessed I really am. I now understand why Jesus had such luck in teaching the poor... they're a lot more humble and have so much more to be grateful for.


(Disclaimer: I'm not starving that much. I do have Cream of Chicken soup that I can eat if I really have to).

The End of my World? Goodbye RHA.

One of the biggest fears I had before my first semester at BYU was that I would be just another student lost in a sea of people. I was very involved in high school and I was fairly well known (a polite way to say "popular"). I had made a pretty big name for myself- I was very involved on the seminary council, I was the choir president, I was one of the principal accompanists in the area, and I had good friends in just about every clique imaginable (to name just a few). Life was good. But now I was giving all of that up to go to Utah's largest university in the state's second largest city. It was almost more than this Willardite could handle.

However, two weeks before I was to move to Provo, I got a recruitment email in "My Housing Account" from the Residence Halls Association. I knew nothing about RHA, but I saw this as a way to get involved and quickly sent off my application as soon as I could. A few days after moving down to school, I got a call from Janice/Jennifer (come to find out her real name was Jana) calling to set up an interview for the Residence Halls Association. I was so excited! I showed up to the interview in my suit (come to find out I was the only one that did so) and everything went well.

That next week was a week filled with intense anticipation. I can remember being extremely stressed about whether or not I would make it on the counsel (I needed to take 15 credits for my scholarship and I ended up having to drop my German class, which put me at 12.5 credits; adding the RHA class would bring me back up to where I needed to be). I can remember standing at the bus stop on campus and worrying about it. I said a quick prayer and I received the strongest reassurance in return. I just knew that I would make it on counsel. There wasn't a shadow of a doubt and I'll never forget that feeling. I felt much more calm after that.

I'll never forgot the day I got the phone call saying I was on the council. I was back home in Brigham City for Peach Days and was hanging out with Kourtney and Mandi on Main Street. My phone rang and I answered it.
"Hi, this is Jana with RHA."
"Hi Jana."
"I was wondering if you would like to be our Vice President."
"Sure!"
I was ecstatic! I literally jumped up and down in the middle of the street. My prayers had been answered. This was the beginning of a life- changing experience.

It was because of RHA that I met some of my closest college friends, Mary Vanderholm, Jessica Borup, Brian Stoll, and Jordan Miera. It would take me hours to write down all of the memories I've made with them: cabin trips, dying my hair, scary movies, getting Naked at Macey's, Celine Dion... the list goes on and on. They became such a stable part of my life and I'll never be able to thank them for all that they have done for me.

It was also because of RHA that I made good friends in schools all over the nation. Katie Boraz, Jaime Ingrisano, Trey Quiller... not to mention all of my wonderful friends at USU- they've all had such an impact on my life. There are so many incredible, amazing people that I never would have met if I hadn't responded to that recruitment email. Through RHA, I traveled to nine different conferences in five different states. I'm a pro at flying.

RHA provided me with jobs: RHA President my sophomore year and NRHH President my junior year, as well as a Conference Assistant last sumer. I have so many amazing coworkers who have become such dear friends. Kara Lohberg, Brittany Ralph, Jana Purcell, Annette Harris.... there are so many others. Not to mention the incredible advisors I have been able to work with: Ben Hess, Dan Chandler, Kevin Borkman, Jay Brown... even the Director of BYU Housing, Julie Franklin. All of them have helped to mentor me and guide me in the right direction. I am so blessed to know them.

But probably most importantly, RHA has also helped me change my perception of the world. When I was in high school, I was a little bit... narrow minded. And maybe slightly self-righteous. My beliefs were right and anybody who thought differently was wrong. My parents took my siblings and me to Disneyland when I was about 15 and I was shell shocked. My mom still makes fun of me because I made such a big deal of all of the "scary people" I saw.
However, working with RHA, I have discovered that we're all human beings who are just trying to do what we all think is best. Gays, Catholics, Jews, people with tattoos and piercings... they're all children of God and He loves them all equally. I have become so much more accepting of others and I've learned to love meeting new people. I've learned to love getting out of my comfort zone and to look at things with a different perspective. I've learned to love others and to not judge. After all, how do I feel when people judge me?

And so now I am sitting here in the same apartment I've lived in for the past two years, thinking about what my life would be like if I hadn't responded to that email, or if Jana Purcell hadn't selected me as her vice president. I would probably be a completely different person. I probably wouldn't know Jessica Callahan or Blake Fisher, I wouldn't have as many certificates and awards, and I would have missed out on an incredible opportunity to learn and grow. I will always feel grateful to RHA and will do everything in my power to help it succeed.
So goodbye late night freshmen dances. Goodbye purchase requisitions and council rooms. Goodbye lederhosen, sneaking food away from dances, and laughing so hard with coworkers about throwing salsa in someone's eye. Goodbye BYU taffy. Goodbye random trips in HS10. Good riddance bids. Goodbye leadership retreats and Tucano's. Goodbye NRHH, NACURH, and IACURH. Goodbye afternoons spent building floats with Jay Brown. Goodbye RHA. And thanks to everyone who has made my RHA and college experience what it has been thus far. I look forward to a new chapter of my life off campus.

Something Seriously Wrong

I have no idea what is going on. But it's got me worried.

To start off with, for dinner tonight I fried up a bell pepper and onion and ate it with brown rice in a whole wheat tortilla shell... pretty normal dinner for me, right? Except I used way more oil than I usually do and I put some salt in with the onion!
Then I practiced the organ for an hour... another normal activity for me. Except for people committed all of my pet peeves in a major way and I didn't care! I just kept right on practicing.
Now I am sitting here eating white bread smothered in butter and drinking hot chocolate that was mixed with milk instead of water. Jessica Callahan told me (when I called her in a fit of panic) that I am just living life to the fullest and I should enjoy it while it lasts. Am I normally an unhappy person who finally broke down and is now experience life for the first time in over a year? Ugh, maybe I should sleep on it...

Little brothers

I know I haven't blogged in forever. I definitely need to catch up. But I just wanted to share the following email that I received from my younger, 10 year old brother:

Hi Sky I went to a dentist apointment yesterday and guess what no CAVITYS!!!!!!! Also a person you graduated with was a helper. Want to know what would be nice for my birthday? A BYU jacket Nod Nod Wink Wink. Well I love you.

Bros forever Zach

Totally made my day. :)

Naked Juice and Happy Trees

I can't decide what to blog about, but there's nothing to do at work. So I'll talk about the tree outside of my work that brings joy to my life and somehow tie it into some eternal truth. Good practice to become a seminary teacher, right?

For the past two and a half years, I have walked past a special tree at Heritage Halls hundreds upon hundreds of times. I call it my happy tree, for lack of a more sophisticated word (I was a freshman when I named it). It's always the first tree in the spring to get its leaves and the first tree in the fall to turn a beautiful golden yellow. It really makes me smile and feel good.

But it's a tree though, right? How can a tree make someone's day countless times? The answer is simple: it does nothing more than be its happy little self.

You may be asking now why "Naked Juice" is in the title of this post. That's because it reminds me of two people in my life who make me happy by simply being themselves, with no attempts to cover up who they really are. So much so, in fact, that we've gotten Naked at Macey's many times.

These two friends, Jessica Borup and Mary Vanderholm by name, are the kind of people who sincerely brighten when they see you. I know without a doubt when I run into one of them on campus that they truly are glad to see me. They give me all of their attention when they talk to me and show genuine concern or happiness when appropriate.

My goal for this new year is to become a happy tree to as many people as I can. I think we're all tired of people who are fake and ungenuine, people who pretend to be your friend on the outside but deep down all they can think about is the next task they have to accomplish before dinner. I want to be the kind of person who when I talk to you, you know that you have my full attention.

What kind of friend are you?

New Year's Resolutions

2011 really snuck up on me! When I finally realized that Christmas was over with, BAM! I got smacked in the face by the new year.
As such, it took me a while to figure out what my resolutions were going to be. A couple of them are kind of personal and I won't share, but a couple of them I would like to write about, if only briefly.

I have decided to keep a grateful list, writing down one thing I'm grateful for every night until December 31, 2011. I am extremely blessed and I hope that this list will help me appreciate the blessings that I do have.

I have also decided to write a thank you note once a week to someone who has made a difference in my life. I made this resolution when I was sitting in my home ward testimony meeting. I have so many people in my life who have impacted me for the better and helped to mold me into the man that I am today.

Last but not least, I have decided to stop by and visit at least one friend a week. I realized in December how much I have been blessed with wonderful people in my life. I've drifted away from many of them, which is something that I greatly regret. But I hope that by stopping by to visit them I can at least show them how much they mean to me.

So those are my resolutions. There's nothing in there about weight loss (that's a given) or to become a better pianist. These resolutions actually mean something to me and I hope that they will help me become a better person.