I Worry for Our Future

"The only difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits."

                                                  --Unknown

  

     People do stupid things. I am guilty of it as well--but there are times when people simply amaze me; (and not in a good way). Ignorance is a major part of society unfortunately. The reason for my rant began with a simple phone call:

    Me: "Hello, how may I help you?"

    Woman calling: "Yeah...(awkward pause) can I talk to one of the guys there about...?"

 (Insert easy-fix problem, what it was is unimportant to the conversation.)

    Me: "I actually can help you with that."

    Her: (With obvious tone of surprise) "Really?"

No, obviously I just say that out of sheer enjoyment of wasting both my time and yours. Eventually this woman let me help her (which I was perfectly capable of doing), but I was quite annoyed by the fact that she felt I was unable to help her due to the fact that I'm female. I'm female, not incompetent! Grr.

    This won't be a very long entry, but I had another incident a few months ago that shocked me. I was at my job, when I overheard a customer exclaim to her friend: "Look, I have a new quarter! It has Washington on it!"

Seriously??????????

    I just recently watched that Youtube video about the lady who tries to figure out how long it will take a person traveling 80 miles per hour to travel 80 miles. It is rather disconcerting to think that that is the direction our country is going in.

     I'm sure I've heard of thousands of other moments of stupidity, but I can't think of any more to write. This rant is quite long enough anyways.

So whatever road you take, don't take the stupid one. Just please don't. -Lola

May the Odds be Ever in Your Favor

   “Deep in the meadow, hidden far away
A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray
Forget your woes and let your troubles lay
And when it's morning again, they'll wash away
Here it's safe, here it's warm
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you.”
― Suzanne Collins

     From a conversation with my younger brother:

               Me: "Yeah, Peeta is a likable character. You end up rooting for him. But Katniss, she's a lot harder to like. She's rather prickly."

               Him: "Yeah she's just like you."

    A rather humorous anecdote from my daily life, but I really couldn't argue with him. Pehaps the fact that I can relate made Hunger Games memorable for me. I enjoyed the books, (though I am far from obsessed with them) and I was satisfied with the translation of the novel into the movie. A few parts really stood out to me, though I confess that I'm not certain I really have a point that I'm making with this blogpost.

     There are several tragic parts in the novel, but the hardest for me was the Reaping. It brought tears to my eyes. See, Primrose was a skinny, little blonde--and so is my sister. I would have stepped up to take her place just as Katniss did. The cinematography was fantastic for that part. Rue's death was sad as well, but it was the Reaping that tugged at my heart.

     Speaking of Rue's death; there has been much controversy over the violence in the film. However, that is the way the book is written, and it is not violent for the sake of being violent. There is an underlying condemnation of evil, and a hidden warning within the pages of the book (and the movie). Even the Tributes of 1 & 2, though skilled the arts of killing, were only surviving in the best way they knew how. If the threat of death hung over you constantly, you would train to survive as well.

      Maybe it's the fact that I'm a history major, and read too much into such things, but there have been instances of such horrors in the history of the world--and though I don't believe that anything like the Games will ever occur, we must be careful as a society that we never become as desensitized to violence as the people of the Capital were. That is just one of many political warnings the book has to offer.

     The book/film seem to be much more politically-oriented than actual romance media, yet I read a report the other day that said that the Hunger Games was the new Twilight. Seriously? Yeah, it is the newest cult phenomenon, and I'm sure that the actors are going to garner a large pre-teen following that will declare their affections for either Gale or Peeta, but there are several key differences between Peeta and Edward.

    I could Twilight-bash all day long, but I will try my best to refrain to just a few insults. Peeta is not manipulative, controlling, depressing, obsessive, suicidal, and does not boss his girlfriend around (as Edward does). Not to mention the fact that Peeta doesn't sparkle. But anyways, back to my point. Younger girls (though some other women as well) have developed an "Edward-mentality." This basically means that they want their men to be tall, dark and perfect. That is a highly unrealistic thought that sets any relationship up for failure. Peeta (I won't talk much about Gale (as I think Peeta is the better man for Katniss) is a much more "real" character.

    I honestly feel bad for Peeta. He's a guy stuck in a hard spot. I will admit, when I first read the books I was unhappy that Katniss ended up with Peeta; but after reading them a second time, and after watching the movie: my opinion shifted. Peeta realizes he's fighting a losing battle. He knows that Katniss is keeping him alive and pretending to like him because that leaves them with the best chance of survival. Yet, even if they do survive, he won't get the girl. Despite that, he loves her and fights to protect her. If the time comes, and she chooses Gale, he knows he will walk away. But he refuses to do that without a fight, and he won't let her die. Still, he doesn't boss Katniss around, and though she knows she CAN live without him, she comes to realize that she doesn't WANT to. I think that's the mark of a healthy relationship. Katniss was brash, ornery, oft-depressed and undecided, but Peeta balanced her, and ultimately healed her. He loved her despite her damage, and that I think, is a more realistic romance than any other. But one should still never try to model their real life upon reel life.

                  “You don’t forget the face of the person who was your last hope.”  
                                                                                          ― Suzanne Collins

     It was a book probably written for an audience slightly younger than myself, but I think that there are valuable lessons to be learned from Hunger Games. You might disagree with some things I have stated, but I'm really just being honest. If you hadn't read the books then I reccomend them, though I will admit I was disapointed with the ending of Mockingjay.

   Well, I think I have said all that was on my mind. I apologize if this seems a bit rambling, as I'm having difficultly articulating exactly what I want to say. If you read all the way through, then thank you.

  

    Whatever road you end up traveling, "may the odds be ever in your favor." -Lola

              
     

The Sum of our Mistakes

"We are more than the sum of our past mistakes,
We are more than the problems we create,
We are more than the choices that we've made."
                                               -Tenth Avenue North

I like poems and quotes. I'll probably start most entries with some. Anyways, to my point for today.

    I've done a alot of stupid things in my life. Yet, for all that I have done, I'm not sure I would undo any of it. Life is one big learning experience, and you can't spend each day refecting upon the past and and wondering "what might have been." If that happens, one can never move on.
    I had someone ask for my forgiveness the other day. This someone had wronged me long ago--and I had long since given up hope that there would be any sort of apology made. Hurtful things had been done on both sides, and life had helped us drift away from one another. It seemed to be done and buried in the past. It still hurt to look back and relect upon, but there was nothing to be done. There is no "restart" or "continue" button on life. You simply move on.
   Yet, suddenly, this person wanted my forgiveness. All those feelings of bitterness came flooding back. I then realized that it had been holding me back. It had affected my feelings about myself, and my trust in other people.
    I could go on and on, but really I came to the realization that I needed to forgive myself. I granted this person my forgiveness. They didn't deserve my grudge when they clearly only wanted to move on. I could not hold them back. This should be true with everyone. Life cannot go back, only forward. A person learns and builds upon that foundation. We all make mistakes, and should not be defined by them.
   Truthfully, the only time a mistake decides who were are is when we let it. People will wrong you. That is a sad fact of life. Your best friend may say something stupid; your coworker might be unintentionally condescending--or your little brother will mock those things you are most self-conscious about. It is human to err. We cannot expect more of other people than we do of ourselves.
   Moral of the story: forgive others, and forgive yourself. If you let the one mistake you made define you, then it becomes a whole lifetime of a mistake, instead of just a moment.
   I will leave you there. I had intended to have some wry posts, rather than just sentimental ones, but I really appreciated this person asking for my forgiveness, probably more than they know. It has allowed me to move on. We all should give forgiveness, and apologize often. Pride should not come in the way of doing what's right.
   That's the road less traveled by for tonight. Forgive. Even yourself. -Lola

Simple Acts of Kindness

     I wasn't going to do this.
Honestly, unless they're quite humorous, most people will not take the time to read an entire blogpost. But I figure I could use the writing practice, and since I'm pretty shy, most people never hear my opinions. So I'm speaking up. I'll try to be humorous and interesting most of the time, but really the only thing I can promise is that I will be honest.

I'm not quite sure where to begin. Perhaps with a lesson I learned today.

"Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle." -Unknown

     Since it's the Sabbath, I'm going to strive to make this a heartfelt message, rather than cynical. I am, unfortunately,  a rather cynical person--which will probably become evident in posts to come.But I won't be today.
      I was at church, 'k, just going through the motions, probably moping about how Spring Break had to end--when something happened.
    Some people barely see past the tip of their own nose, I being one of them. But I met someone today who altered my perceptions of life. How stringent our definitions of beauty are; how much we avoid those things we aren't comfortable with; how fragile life is, yet we disregard it. We cast aside that which is most short and precious. This person had faced death, and now sat facing me. They (I'll use a plural tense to avoid assigning a gender since that's unimportant) smiled and asked how I was. THEY ASKED HOW I WAS! After everything that had occured to them, they were concerned with my well-being.

     Yeah. I realized in that moment how caught up I am in myself. I'm a jerk.

     This I feel, is a fitting way to begin my blogging. I'm still unsure which direction I want to take it, but I will be honest. This person I met today was incredible, and was mostly certainly facing battles much greater than my own. But we, as a whole people, must be kinder. Life is hard in different ways on all factions of life.
     I realize one post cannot change the world, but if one person takes my advice to heart than perhaps I can make someone's day better. My bishop pointed out the kindest thing we can do: Smile. Smile at that person you might otherwise avoid, because that might be the kindest thing anyone has done for them today. Smile at that person you hate, because only love can bridge the chasms of life. Smile when you're sad, because someone surely has it worse.

     Take that Road Less Traveled By, even if you're the only one who does.

Remember to smile. -Lola