Once more I apologize for my slacking. I can't tell whether its laziness or just a lack of ideas. Or both. But even today its taken awhile for something come to mind. Usually in the middle of the week or in the middle of church I'll have this "Eureka!" moment, but it hasn't happened much lately.
On the bright side, my story is going along much better now that I've decided to review and fix it. I'm even more in love with it than I was before (which could be dangerous) and realizing more and more that the Lord didn't give Nephi the tools to build his ship; He only told him where to find the ores to make those tools. He knew Nephi had a brain and some talent and could come up with it himself. I think its been the same for me on this silly fairytale retelling. He knew I could figure it out. I may not be this man of great stature trying to get my family across the ocean, but I'm a silly, seventeen-year-old with a dream to hopefully add a new, bright little corner to the world with my stories and I think He respects both.
However, since I feel like I've just about exhausted that topic on here, I've finally decided to speak on stake dances.
Why? Because last night one of my dance partners asked the most unique question I have yet heard in all my years of attending:
"Do you bite your fingernails?"
Now I know my stake dances are numbered now. I know I'm becoming the oldest and yet shortest girl to ever show up at them, and have reached the everyone's-taxi status. I even known the Macarena backwards. But its things like this, ladies and gents, that keep me coming.
Seriously! I could go on and on from dance a partner that enthusiastically told me about his plans to join a deep-sea-diving class to one who plopped down on one knee and joined Taylor Swift in singing, "Baby, just say yes!"
I could tell you about suddenly forgetting which way's left in every line dance and jumping into random circles of people I don't know. (Which actually won me a swing dance partner once :). The corny decorations that I've come to love, the bowls of mint gum they always have (for safety purposes, I'm assuming), and pretending I totally remember a complete stranger who obviously remembers me from somewhere.
And still, after I get back into the car with my friends, almost always someone says, "That dance was lame." I'll be honest, they aren't as exciting now as they were when I first turned fourteen and sometimes I'm not a fan of the music, but there's always been something. A guy giving another one a piggy-back runs into me or I completely wipe out on a wild version of the Hokey-Pokey. Something.
However, I've begun to notice that if you sit in a chair or lean up against the wall the whole time than yeah. Of course it's lame.
And, as silly as it sounds, I think there's a lesson there that can apply to almost anything. I love dancing. I dance while I clean my room, fold the laundry, and put dishes away. I even have to schedule in ten extra minutes on my makeup because once "Walkin' On Sunshine" or something hits my ipod, I almost always mess up my mascara. So, needless to say, shakin' my groove out there doesn't come very hard for me. However, there are other things that I tend to classify as 'lame' that don't have to be.
Precalculus class, for example. I think if my brain built up like a muscle did, the right side of my head would be a whole lot bigger than my left. But ever since I've put more effort into really learning things and even, on occasion, asking extra questions just to make sure I get it, that class has become a little more enjoyable. A whole list of math problems to do still hasn't hit my top-ten list, but at least I'm not dragging my feet.
And there are others. Getting up in the morning. English assighnments. The length of some scholarships. Even, depending on my varying teenage confidence of the day, being casted as the 'dumb show girl' in our upcoming play. All of these I've thought of as lame. But if I'm only leaning up against the wall with my arms folded than they will remain that way. What good is a song if you're not going to enjoy it?
So, as usual, that's what I'm working on: polishing the more dull sides to my life. As one of my favorite quotes go (which I hoped I haven't used already) "If its not fun, you're not doing it right."
That means remembering how badly I want college english credit and college, for that matter. Making those blonde script lines outshine my already blonde hair. And chewing more gum instead so as to avoid awkward dance conversations in the future. :)
On the bright side, my story is going along much better now that I've decided to review and fix it. I'm even more in love with it than I was before (which could be dangerous) and realizing more and more that the Lord didn't give Nephi the tools to build his ship; He only told him where to find the ores to make those tools. He knew Nephi had a brain and some talent and could come up with it himself. I think its been the same for me on this silly fairytale retelling. He knew I could figure it out. I may not be this man of great stature trying to get my family across the ocean, but I'm a silly, seventeen-year-old with a dream to hopefully add a new, bright little corner to the world with my stories and I think He respects both.
However, since I feel like I've just about exhausted that topic on here, I've finally decided to speak on stake dances.
Why? Because last night one of my dance partners asked the most unique question I have yet heard in all my years of attending:
"Do you bite your fingernails?"
Now I know my stake dances are numbered now. I know I'm becoming the oldest and yet shortest girl to ever show up at them, and have reached the everyone's-taxi status. I even known the Macarena backwards. But its things like this, ladies and gents, that keep me coming.
Seriously! I could go on and on from dance a partner that enthusiastically told me about his plans to join a deep-sea-diving class to one who plopped down on one knee and joined Taylor Swift in singing, "Baby, just say yes!"
I could tell you about suddenly forgetting which way's left in every line dance and jumping into random circles of people I don't know. (Which actually won me a swing dance partner once :). The corny decorations that I've come to love, the bowls of mint gum they always have (for safety purposes, I'm assuming), and pretending I totally remember a complete stranger who obviously remembers me from somewhere.
And still, after I get back into the car with my friends, almost always someone says, "That dance was lame." I'll be honest, they aren't as exciting now as they were when I first turned fourteen and sometimes I'm not a fan of the music, but there's always been something. A guy giving another one a piggy-back runs into me or I completely wipe out on a wild version of the Hokey-Pokey. Something.
However, I've begun to notice that if you sit in a chair or lean up against the wall the whole time than yeah. Of course it's lame.
And, as silly as it sounds, I think there's a lesson there that can apply to almost anything. I love dancing. I dance while I clean my room, fold the laundry, and put dishes away. I even have to schedule in ten extra minutes on my makeup because once "Walkin' On Sunshine" or something hits my ipod, I almost always mess up my mascara. So, needless to say, shakin' my groove out there doesn't come very hard for me. However, there are other things that I tend to classify as 'lame' that don't have to be.
Precalculus class, for example. I think if my brain built up like a muscle did, the right side of my head would be a whole lot bigger than my left. But ever since I've put more effort into really learning things and even, on occasion, asking extra questions just to make sure I get it, that class has become a little more enjoyable. A whole list of math problems to do still hasn't hit my top-ten list, but at least I'm not dragging my feet.
And there are others. Getting up in the morning. English assighnments. The length of some scholarships. Even, depending on my varying teenage confidence of the day, being casted as the 'dumb show girl' in our upcoming play. All of these I've thought of as lame. But if I'm only leaning up against the wall with my arms folded than they will remain that way. What good is a song if you're not going to enjoy it?
So, as usual, that's what I'm working on: polishing the more dull sides to my life. As one of my favorite quotes go (which I hoped I haven't used already) "If its not fun, you're not doing it right."
That means remembering how badly I want college english credit and college, for that matter. Making those blonde script lines outshine my already blonde hair. And chewing more gum instead so as to avoid awkward dance conversations in the future. :)
1 comment:
I so look forward to your blog! I totally understand that a Senor, who works and is in as many activities as you, would have a few weeks where the blog is on the back burner.
You are in for a huge treat . . . BYU is like a big Stake, with dances ALL the time! Have fun!
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