There are only eight days left in the semester and the year has gone by so quickly. The first few weeks took about two months it seemed but as soon as i got settled in, October blew by and November is now complete. I can only imagine how fast the next semester will go and then a mission will be just around the corner. It is weird to think that every stage of my life has a time limit on it now. The clock is just ticking away until the next level.
My dad used to mess up the saying time flies when your having fun and would say "time's fun when your having flies". That is kinda random but i thought this title might get your attention more than the generic way. All i can say about life is that in order to feel like you are moving with the pace you have to set reachable goals that you can use to measure how well you are doing in life. I have seen this alot in college with those goals that i have acheived and those that i never even got close to finishing. Make goals that could raise the bar in your life and then use them to actually raise that bar.
Monday, November 30, 2009
15: Pick On Someone Your Own Size
"I'm not giving up on this one that would be humiliating"
"O come on you can't get out of this one" My 13 year old cousin had me in a head lock on the floor. He wrestled for his school but that was no excuse to lose to him i weighed 40 lbs more than him. It was a pretty good head lock though. The only option was to use my weight to push through it. As i shoved him underneath me i got closer and closer to getting out of it but it came at a price. He held harder and harder and the strain on my neck was painful. Finally i got my arms around him and from there it wasn't too much trouble to push him aside.
Once i got him off of me i proceeded to make sure that he knew who was boss and just laid on top of him for a couple of minutes until i got bored. Yep i had won but what did i win. My neck was hurting and i had only beaten him by a final push. There was no way to truly win that fight. Even if i dominated him it was my thirteen year old cousin. Anyways i realized that day that its best to pick on someone your own size and that i wasn't quite as young as i used to be haha. My neck killed for the next few days and i had a huge knot that reminded me of how dumb it was to try and get something out of competing against someone i was already supposed to beat.
"O come on you can't get out of this one" My 13 year old cousin had me in a head lock on the floor. He wrestled for his school but that was no excuse to lose to him i weighed 40 lbs more than him. It was a pretty good head lock though. The only option was to use my weight to push through it. As i shoved him underneath me i got closer and closer to getting out of it but it came at a price. He held harder and harder and the strain on my neck was painful. Finally i got my arms around him and from there it wasn't too much trouble to push him aside.
Once i got him off of me i proceeded to make sure that he knew who was boss and just laid on top of him for a couple of minutes until i got bored. Yep i had won but what did i win. My neck was hurting and i had only beaten him by a final push. There was no way to truly win that fight. Even if i dominated him it was my thirteen year old cousin. Anyways i realized that day that its best to pick on someone your own size and that i wasn't quite as young as i used to be haha. My neck killed for the next few days and i had a huge knot that reminded me of how dumb it was to try and get something out of competing against someone i was already supposed to beat.
14: Monday Mornings
"Ahh Watch Out"
"What! Where! I can't see it!"
"Its Monday morning!"
Ok so maybe Mondays aren't scary monsters or dangerous situations, but there is something intimidating about them. The college student's internal clock ticks backwards measuring in time left till that final class is over on Friday's and that time is never as far away as when the alarm clock goes off early Monday morning. The day is full of school and homework that somehow appeared overnight. Assignments that were put off over the crazy weekend start becoming a reality and the pressure sets in. There is no method to stopping it, at least none that any college student has felt worthwhile. Procrastination gets its payback on Monday mornings and procrastinators are left high and dry.
Here's the problem: When students get to that weekend they have been pushed to their limits throughout the week. They have two choices for the next 48 hours of freedom. One is that they can keep going and sacrifice that weekend to get ahead for the next week. The other is that they can put off the work until the time comes during the week when it is necessary that the assignment be done. The latter pushes life in a continuous cycle that can only be stopped with the former. There comes a shift in the work being done by the student as he looks to finish work that will be due and not work that is due. The inherent problem with this is that the mind has been programmed to give an excuse when work doesn't have to be done. When this is fixed so will the rest of the problem. Good luck.
"What! Where! I can't see it!"
"Its Monday morning!"
Ok so maybe Mondays aren't scary monsters or dangerous situations, but there is something intimidating about them. The college student's internal clock ticks backwards measuring in time left till that final class is over on Friday's and that time is never as far away as when the alarm clock goes off early Monday morning. The day is full of school and homework that somehow appeared overnight. Assignments that were put off over the crazy weekend start becoming a reality and the pressure sets in. There is no method to stopping it, at least none that any college student has felt worthwhile. Procrastination gets its payback on Monday mornings and procrastinators are left high and dry.
Here's the problem: When students get to that weekend they have been pushed to their limits throughout the week. They have two choices for the next 48 hours of freedom. One is that they can keep going and sacrifice that weekend to get ahead for the next week. The other is that they can put off the work until the time comes during the week when it is necessary that the assignment be done. The latter pushes life in a continuous cycle that can only be stopped with the former. There comes a shift in the work being done by the student as he looks to finish work that will be due and not work that is due. The inherent problem with this is that the mind has been programmed to give an excuse when work doesn't have to be done. When this is fixed so will the rest of the problem. Good luck.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
13: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Note: If you this doesn't make sense read some of my previous blogs. There is a theme. Try and see the connections between college and surviving in the wild.
O wow. The moments just after Thanksgiving when the turkey seems to be settling in the stomachs of so many thankful people and the motivation for Christmas lights brews within. Out here in the woods its not so easy to see those lights, but the "most wonderful time of the year" is very apparent. The birds have changed there siren song to the sweet tunes of christmas music and the douglas furs have moved into their role as Christmas trees. The snow, however, is not residing in this part of the world, at least for now. This is good though. I hail from California and the snow is no where to be found there. Christmas to me is not a white one but a blue one. Not blue like the song, but blue like the skies above without a single cloud.
My previous survival location was full of snow. That week was a cold one. When i got off the plane to come here i fully expected the same thing, but it turns out no snow has come for the past few weeks. This will make it easier to make it through the week because walking on solid ground seems to take less time then drudging through the snow. This week has its ups and it has its downs, but this Christmas season as a whole could never be anything less than the "most wonderful time of the year".
O wow. The moments just after Thanksgiving when the turkey seems to be settling in the stomachs of so many thankful people and the motivation for Christmas lights brews within. Out here in the woods its not so easy to see those lights, but the "most wonderful time of the year" is very apparent. The birds have changed there siren song to the sweet tunes of christmas music and the douglas furs have moved into their role as Christmas trees. The snow, however, is not residing in this part of the world, at least for now. This is good though. I hail from California and the snow is no where to be found there. Christmas to me is not a white one but a blue one. Not blue like the song, but blue like the skies above without a single cloud.
My previous survival location was full of snow. That week was a cold one. When i got off the plane to come here i fully expected the same thing, but it turns out no snow has come for the past few weeks. This will make it easier to make it through the week because walking on solid ground seems to take less time then drudging through the snow. This week has its ups and it has its downs, but this Christmas season as a whole could never be anything less than the "most wonderful time of the year".
12: Survival Trip Number 2
Note: If you don't get what i am talking about you haven't been reading the previous few blog entries.
Today was horrible. I have no food, i am sick, and there is so much to do. I got home safely last week after the busiest week ever. There was so much put into surviving that environment that i feel i deserve an easy week in my next survival test. Of course when i asked for that i only got a harder one with different challenges and less and less will to go on. Today my food supply (the cannon center) only tided me over for a short period of time (3pm to 6pm) so i wasn't able to be completely nourished for the night. It was important that i get enough food too because i have plenty to do tonight.
One of the things that i have realized is a big problem here in the wild (BYU) is that there are constant things you have to be doing along with the extra stuff. Sometimes the extra is small and can be handled while there are times when the extra can be worse then the day to day survival. I once heard a quote that i am paraphrasing and it says make sure to plan time in your day for sacrifice. How true is this. As i plan my week i find that, although the plans fit on paper, they never seem to work out in real life. This is because of many things (including procrastination), but the main one is when we have unexpected trials that require sacrifice of time and energy. It is important to not only plan for those things, but also to try and look out for them in the future. See the walls in life before you have to jump over them and you will never have to slow your stride. Now things like sickness can't be planned for, but extra projects in school and lack of food temporarily can be avoided if done right. Anyways i am trying to apply that out here in the wild, but we'll see how i do. If i make it back to talk to you again you'll know its working.
Today was horrible. I have no food, i am sick, and there is so much to do. I got home safely last week after the busiest week ever. There was so much put into surviving that environment that i feel i deserve an easy week in my next survival test. Of course when i asked for that i only got a harder one with different challenges and less and less will to go on. Today my food supply (the cannon center) only tided me over for a short period of time (3pm to 6pm) so i wasn't able to be completely nourished for the night. It was important that i get enough food too because i have plenty to do tonight.
One of the things that i have realized is a big problem here in the wild (BYU) is that there are constant things you have to be doing along with the extra stuff. Sometimes the extra is small and can be handled while there are times when the extra can be worse then the day to day survival. I once heard a quote that i am paraphrasing and it says make sure to plan time in your day for sacrifice. How true is this. As i plan my week i find that, although the plans fit on paper, they never seem to work out in real life. This is because of many things (including procrastination), but the main one is when we have unexpected trials that require sacrifice of time and energy. It is important to not only plan for those things, but also to try and look out for them in the future. See the walls in life before you have to jump over them and you will never have to slow your stride. Now things like sickness can't be planned for, but extra projects in school and lack of food temporarily can be avoided if done right. Anyways i am trying to apply that out here in the wild, but we'll see how i do. If i make it back to talk to you again you'll know its working.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
11: The Best Game Ever
Ok i am diverting from my survival story to talk about the BYU football game. That was the most amazing sporting event i have ever been to. My tickets were in the second row on the south endzone which was awesome. My family saw me on TV and i got to have one of the best seats in the house for the best game of the season. My voice is gone and my stomach hurts from yelling so much but it was all worth it. After the game i was one of the first people to run onto the field and i got to see all of the players. As Andrew George caught that last throw by Max Hall i couldn't even believe my eyes. I decided to just follow the crowd onto the field. All in all this game was one for the history books and i am so glad i came back from thanksgiving early for it.
Monday, November 23, 2009
10: Personal Narrative
“Jacob if you can make this putt then you set the course record”
“Shh Nathan I know that. Let me concentrate here. Ughh! How am I supposed to do this when the wind is blowing so hard in my face. The ball won’t even stay still. Why does the wind have to blow so hard?”
“What do you expect you’re on a boat”
“I’m on a boat? Wait a minute what’s happening. Oh that’s right this is a cruise ship not a golf course. Can you tell the captain to stop moving so I can beat this miniature golf hole real quick?”
“Even if that were possible why would I do it when we’ll be stopping in Mexico in five minutes?”
“Holy cow I am way too deep into this whole golfer mindset. We were supposed to show up at like one in the afternoon. It can’t be later than nine or ten right.” Sure enough my watch said 12:55. We were pulling in right on time. The smell of the breeze brought a familiar feeling to me. It put me back on the beaches of California with the sun drenching my skin just as the water did to my swimsuit. The sand in my toes sent a feeling of warmth up through my spine radiating to the rest of my body. That breeze, although so familiar to me, brought a sense of new adventure. I was crossing the boundaries of my world and taking a trip to the another land, something I had never done before. There was excitement in that air. One could play soccer or fly a kite or go parasailing… “Parasailing?”
“What” you could tell that the rest of my conversation wasn’t with Nathan by the look on his face. “What are you talking about?”
“Over there. That’s either a huge kite with something lifelike dangling from it, or a man parasailing”
“Huh lets give it a shot I think that’s where we’re going once we get off the ship. That looks like a ton of fun.”
“I don’t know man I made sure I would not get too tall because I am afraid of heights.” Ok maybe that’s an exaggeration but I really do have a problem with heights and anything that appears to be too risky.
“Come on Jake when you get back home from your cruise to Mexico what are you going to tell your friends that you did? Play miniature golf?”
As we got off the ship we decided to find the beach where we saw the parasailing and see how much it would cost. Along the way we were forced to find out how much everything else in Mexico could cost us as well. The natives had realized that there was a good profit in American tourism. The constant hustle and bustle looked more like a war zone than a shopping center. The enemy seller was in constant battle over the prices of the good. When it seemed like the seller had finally given into a price that was low enough for the buyer the battle ceased and the buyer had won. It seemed though that no matter how many battles the buyer won they were losing more and more in the war. No matter how much money each person saved on individual items they always ended up using all of their money and therefore allowed the seller to win.
Once free from this madness we walked through the shacks full of delicious treats. To a pair of teenage boys this was the hardest part of the whole trek to the beach. The smell of fresh tortillas and steak filled the air and surrounded our nostrils until we could no longer stand it. Our option was to run past or buy something to satisfy the hunger that had spontaneously showed up. We realized though that our sandals couldn’t carry us fast enough to flee from that aroma.
Nathan started the flood gates: “Jake I have to get something”
“I’m glad you were thinking what I was thinking” As we proceeded to buy the food we realized that what we had been calling traditional Mexican food back in the states was not actually that. Nothing seemed to compare to the tacos we got at that little shack. “Ok Nate let’s get out of here before we get hungry for more.”
“Good point we need to have enough money to do the parasailing.”
O joy that’s right we need to get to parasailing. I was not excited for this at all. How was I going to pull off going in the air when I wasn’t even happy with being on a roof or a bridge for that matter?
Oh the beach was so nice to be on. The waves curled on top of each other wrestling to see which one could get to shore first. As one would get out enough the strength of a new wave would pull it back in. The fight was never won and the race went on and on and would keep going for eternity if it had to.
“Wow you wouldn’t believe it is the middle of November right now” Nathan observed “I’m sure in Idaho its getting close to snowing soon” Idaho, Nathan’s home state could not compare to this place even in its prime. As a matter of fact California couldn’t compare either. The only water in California that you can find that is warmer than the ocean here is in my shower. “Okay Jake let’s get over to the parasailing”
“How about we enjoy this water first” I figured that if I were to die up there I could at least spend my last moments in paradise first. Can’t a man have such a thing in life? “I’m not ready yet.”
“Oh so you’re scared Jake. That makes sense you never liked roller coasters either. You have to do it man this is part of manhood.”
“Hah boy don’t even try to lecture me on manhood. Don’t forget I am six months older than you. By the way I’m not scared I just don’t want to go yet. We just got to the beach so I’m going to enjoy it for a bit.” At this point my mom was walking over to the guy running the parasailing boat and asked how much it cost. Soon enough my mom was strapping up to go flying up in the air. My fate is sealed. If I were to chicken out at this point I would never hear the end of it. One time we had a skunk in our garage and she took the initiative for getting it out because I was scared of it and I am still hearing about that one. “Ok Nate let’s go” Nathan, being the kind cousin that he is, felt that I should go right after my mom.
The man put the straps on to get me set to go. He went on about the rules and told me what I needed to know to get back down safely afterwards. Although I should have been listening to him I couldn’t tell you one thing he said. All I could think about was how the ground beneath me would soon be replaced by the sky above me.
“Good luck Jake” The look on Nathan’s face showed just how happy he was to see me sweating this one out. The wind was extra powerful ready to take over when I went into his territory. As the boat went off I braced for the explosion of power that would thrust me up into the atmosphere. The boat started pulling and I ran a bit and let the parachute take its turn.
The next twenty seconds consisted of liftoff which was the best adrenaline rush of the whole thing. Once I got to the peak of the flight I was content to just sit and watch the world below me. As I looked down the biggest shock was that my feet were dangling from so high up. The fear of heights just drained from my frame as I took in the beauty of the landscape. The mountains near the coast showed signs of life as the trees moved and swayed in the wind. The ocean below was a clear blue and each rock and fish could be seen. The wind that started all of this was settling and I could just sit in peace. The cares of the world and the fears that I had were left on the ground as I ascended into the sky.
“Shh Nathan I know that. Let me concentrate here. Ughh! How am I supposed to do this when the wind is blowing so hard in my face. The ball won’t even stay still. Why does the wind have to blow so hard?”
“What do you expect you’re on a boat”
“I’m on a boat? Wait a minute what’s happening. Oh that’s right this is a cruise ship not a golf course. Can you tell the captain to stop moving so I can beat this miniature golf hole real quick?”
“Even if that were possible why would I do it when we’ll be stopping in Mexico in five minutes?”
“Holy cow I am way too deep into this whole golfer mindset. We were supposed to show up at like one in the afternoon. It can’t be later than nine or ten right.” Sure enough my watch said 12:55. We were pulling in right on time. The smell of the breeze brought a familiar feeling to me. It put me back on the beaches of California with the sun drenching my skin just as the water did to my swimsuit. The sand in my toes sent a feeling of warmth up through my spine radiating to the rest of my body. That breeze, although so familiar to me, brought a sense of new adventure. I was crossing the boundaries of my world and taking a trip to the another land, something I had never done before. There was excitement in that air. One could play soccer or fly a kite or go parasailing… “Parasailing?”
“What” you could tell that the rest of my conversation wasn’t with Nathan by the look on his face. “What are you talking about?”
“Over there. That’s either a huge kite with something lifelike dangling from it, or a man parasailing”
“Huh lets give it a shot I think that’s where we’re going once we get off the ship. That looks like a ton of fun.”
“I don’t know man I made sure I would not get too tall because I am afraid of heights.” Ok maybe that’s an exaggeration but I really do have a problem with heights and anything that appears to be too risky.
“Come on Jake when you get back home from your cruise to Mexico what are you going to tell your friends that you did? Play miniature golf?”
As we got off the ship we decided to find the beach where we saw the parasailing and see how much it would cost. Along the way we were forced to find out how much everything else in Mexico could cost us as well. The natives had realized that there was a good profit in American tourism. The constant hustle and bustle looked more like a war zone than a shopping center. The enemy seller was in constant battle over the prices of the good. When it seemed like the seller had finally given into a price that was low enough for the buyer the battle ceased and the buyer had won. It seemed though that no matter how many battles the buyer won they were losing more and more in the war. No matter how much money each person saved on individual items they always ended up using all of their money and therefore allowed the seller to win.
Once free from this madness we walked through the shacks full of delicious treats. To a pair of teenage boys this was the hardest part of the whole trek to the beach. The smell of fresh tortillas and steak filled the air and surrounded our nostrils until we could no longer stand it. Our option was to run past or buy something to satisfy the hunger that had spontaneously showed up. We realized though that our sandals couldn’t carry us fast enough to flee from that aroma.
Nathan started the flood gates: “Jake I have to get something”
“I’m glad you were thinking what I was thinking” As we proceeded to buy the food we realized that what we had been calling traditional Mexican food back in the states was not actually that. Nothing seemed to compare to the tacos we got at that little shack. “Ok Nate let’s get out of here before we get hungry for more.”
“Good point we need to have enough money to do the parasailing.”
O joy that’s right we need to get to parasailing. I was not excited for this at all. How was I going to pull off going in the air when I wasn’t even happy with being on a roof or a bridge for that matter?
Oh the beach was so nice to be on. The waves curled on top of each other wrestling to see which one could get to shore first. As one would get out enough the strength of a new wave would pull it back in. The fight was never won and the race went on and on and would keep going for eternity if it had to.
“Wow you wouldn’t believe it is the middle of November right now” Nathan observed “I’m sure in Idaho its getting close to snowing soon” Idaho, Nathan’s home state could not compare to this place even in its prime. As a matter of fact California couldn’t compare either. The only water in California that you can find that is warmer than the ocean here is in my shower. “Okay Jake let’s get over to the parasailing”
“How about we enjoy this water first” I figured that if I were to die up there I could at least spend my last moments in paradise first. Can’t a man have such a thing in life? “I’m not ready yet.”
“Oh so you’re scared Jake. That makes sense you never liked roller coasters either. You have to do it man this is part of manhood.”
“Hah boy don’t even try to lecture me on manhood. Don’t forget I am six months older than you. By the way I’m not scared I just don’t want to go yet. We just got to the beach so I’m going to enjoy it for a bit.” At this point my mom was walking over to the guy running the parasailing boat and asked how much it cost. Soon enough my mom was strapping up to go flying up in the air. My fate is sealed. If I were to chicken out at this point I would never hear the end of it. One time we had a skunk in our garage and she took the initiative for getting it out because I was scared of it and I am still hearing about that one. “Ok Nate let’s go” Nathan, being the kind cousin that he is, felt that I should go right after my mom.
The man put the straps on to get me set to go. He went on about the rules and told me what I needed to know to get back down safely afterwards. Although I should have been listening to him I couldn’t tell you one thing he said. All I could think about was how the ground beneath me would soon be replaced by the sky above me.
“Good luck Jake” The look on Nathan’s face showed just how happy he was to see me sweating this one out. The wind was extra powerful ready to take over when I went into his territory. As the boat went off I braced for the explosion of power that would thrust me up into the atmosphere. The boat started pulling and I ran a bit and let the parachute take its turn.
The next twenty seconds consisted of liftoff which was the best adrenaline rush of the whole thing. Once I got to the peak of the flight I was content to just sit and watch the world below me. As I looked down the biggest shock was that my feet were dangling from so high up. The fear of heights just drained from my frame as I took in the beauty of the landscape. The mountains near the coast showed signs of life as the trees moved and swayed in the wind. The ocean below was a clear blue and each rock and fish could be seen. The wind that started all of this was settling and I could just sit in peace. The cares of the world and the fears that I had were left on the ground as I ascended into the sky.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
9: Day Two in The Wild
Ok so for those of you who haven't read my last email i talked about how i am relating this year and especially this week before Thanksgiving to an episode of Man vs. Wild. Let me take a second to get back into character.
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Ok welcome back last night was crazy. Its hard to sleep out here in the wilderness when you know that at any second you could remember another homework assignment due the next day or realize that there is no way to finish the three papers in the next three days (man i'm digressing ok back into survival mode) before the rescue team comes to get me and take me back to the sunny beaches of California. Ok i can't talk about that because it only makes me sad. Anyways i got a couple hours of sleep last night so i am ready to take on another day of survival. My goal for the week is to survive basically, but to extend that a bit more i want to show you how to get up to the top of the nearest mountain and look for a way out. Now the mountain takes time to get up so its a risk to try and do it because if you fail then you have lost precious daylight. The best thing to do is to get a good sight of that temple, i mean mountain, and take the climb when survival is under control. Imagine yourself at the top looking down at the world above all of the commotion and in the best place for peace.
A warning for this though is that you need to manage your time wisely. If you climb the mountain when you aren't ready or haven't finished preparing for the rest of the week then you could put yourself in more trouble than you would save. A great survivalist (hint: general authority) once said that it is possible to go to that mountain at the wrong time. If you are slacking on your school work, i mean survival (sorry i'm still getting into character) than you could lose sight of the long term plan for this life. Make sure you go when you are ready, but don't use that as an excuse to not try. Make your best effort to be ready to get up the mountain and then do it. Now i have to go work on something but i'll be back to help you out some more. Keep surviving. Until next time good bye.
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Ok welcome back last night was crazy. Its hard to sleep out here in the wilderness when you know that at any second you could remember another homework assignment due the next day or realize that there is no way to finish the three papers in the next three days (man i'm digressing ok back into survival mode) before the rescue team comes to get me and take me back to the sunny beaches of California. Ok i can't talk about that because it only makes me sad. Anyways i got a couple hours of sleep last night so i am ready to take on another day of survival. My goal for the week is to survive basically, but to extend that a bit more i want to show you how to get up to the top of the nearest mountain and look for a way out. Now the mountain takes time to get up so its a risk to try and do it because if you fail then you have lost precious daylight. The best thing to do is to get a good sight of that temple, i mean mountain, and take the climb when survival is under control. Imagine yourself at the top looking down at the world above all of the commotion and in the best place for peace.
A warning for this though is that you need to manage your time wisely. If you climb the mountain when you aren't ready or haven't finished preparing for the rest of the week then you could put yourself in more trouble than you would save. A great survivalist (hint: general authority) once said that it is possible to go to that mountain at the wrong time. If you are slacking on your school work, i mean survival (sorry i'm still getting into character) than you could lose sight of the long term plan for this life. Make sure you go when you are ready, but don't use that as an excuse to not try. Make your best effort to be ready to get up the mountain and then do it. Now i have to go work on something but i'll be back to help you out some more. Keep surviving. Until next time good bye.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
8: College Student vs. Wild
"Ok so its day two of our journey and my food is running low along with the temperatures. The natives are becoming hostile and i need to find a way to communicate with them."
Ok maybe not but i was just thinking about the theme for this blog and how i could show you guys inside the college life. Then i remembered how i feel like i am on an island here at BYU and one thing led to another until i realized how much i can compare it to survivorman or man vs wild (which ever you prefer). For those of you hwo don't know about this show its where the host goes and gets "lost" for a week and has to survive showing the audience the techniques to get through his troubles. There are a lot of techniques that could come in handy if we were lost in the wilderness and i feel this is similar to our lives right now. There are many techniques that could be useful to make it through college and its not too hard to get "lost" here.
Back to my story i am actually not running low on food, but i have seen those who are taking unusual methods to get there food. The upper classmen that consist of my cousin and his friends take to waiting outside of the cannon center trying to mooch off of people's meal plans. They pay them for the amount it costs but it is cheaper for those with a meal plan. They look for the girls because most girls don't eat all of their meals at the cannon center and therefore have more than enough money acruing on their cards. Yesterday they got caught doing it but still managed to get inside somehow. Desperation breeds weird charateristics.
The temperature on the other hand is affecting me a bit. I looked at the weather the other day and the low in California was still higher than the high here in Provo. That was sort of depressing, but it helps to know that this survival trip will only last a week longer just like on the shows. This is because Thanksgiving is just around the corner and i am so pumped. I guess that's all for now i have to go to English class right now and keep surviving this wilderness. So long until next time.
Ok maybe not but i was just thinking about the theme for this blog and how i could show you guys inside the college life. Then i remembered how i feel like i am on an island here at BYU and one thing led to another until i realized how much i can compare it to survivorman or man vs wild (which ever you prefer). For those of you hwo don't know about this show its where the host goes and gets "lost" for a week and has to survive showing the audience the techniques to get through his troubles. There are a lot of techniques that could come in handy if we were lost in the wilderness and i feel this is similar to our lives right now. There are many techniques that could be useful to make it through college and its not too hard to get "lost" here.
Back to my story i am actually not running low on food, but i have seen those who are taking unusual methods to get there food. The upper classmen that consist of my cousin and his friends take to waiting outside of the cannon center trying to mooch off of people's meal plans. They pay them for the amount it costs but it is cheaper for those with a meal plan. They look for the girls because most girls don't eat all of their meals at the cannon center and therefore have more than enough money acruing on their cards. Yesterday they got caught doing it but still managed to get inside somehow. Desperation breeds weird charateristics.
The temperature on the other hand is affecting me a bit. I looked at the weather the other day and the low in California was still higher than the high here in Provo. That was sort of depressing, but it helps to know that this survival trip will only last a week longer just like on the shows. This is because Thanksgiving is just around the corner and i am so pumped. I guess that's all for now i have to go to English class right now and keep surviving this wilderness. So long until next time.
Monday, November 16, 2009
7: Two a Days
Ok so my plan to do one blog a day hasn't been going so well. Therefore until i can get caught up again i plan on doing two a days. It just so happens that i am doing this during the busiest week of the entire school year. From the three papers to the two big tests to the normal reading and homework in all of my classes this week rivals even finals week for me. My solution: just keep on blogging. I have so much wasted down time because i can never seem to get started on anything. I am constantly trying to figure out what assignment should be done first and i never seem to pick one. Blogging is my new first assignment each day after school. As i finish this i will be pumped up to finish the rest of my homework for the week. Maybe i am on to something and then again maybe you won't hear from me for a few more days.
6: Losing The Game
Down by one with the ball at my feet. Can't turn left, can't turn right, the only way past is to confront the defender between me and my teammate. The reason for this situation is that there are cinder block walls on both sides of me and the goal was the door at the end of my dorm room hall. Its not too hard to stop someone as a defender when you only have to guard 3 feet of space so my only hope is to kick it over his head and try to get past him. Upon leaving my foot the ball soars over his head just grazing the ceiling before it lands at my teammates feet. Now's our chance to catch up as i run past the opponent the ball is passed to me and cut off by the other team. Now they have a clear shot at the goal with both me and my teammate behind them.
What would any rational soccer player do in this situation? I grabbed the opponents arm and proceeded to thwart his efforts to get the ball to the door down the hall. There is no way to win this battle as the other players are gaining on us and will soon be there to aid the opponent's cause. My choices are to hold on and hope my teammate gets there before his or risk it all and let go of him while i try to out run him to the ball just feet away from us. I risk it all and lose----badly. As i try to get past him he starts falling towards me and i begin to veer off towards to doors lining the side of the hall when i come to a sudden stop. The cause: my foot kicking the concrete frame of one of the doors set back about two inches from the wall. A straight shot to the fourth toe on my right foot, OUCH! To make the rest of a long and embarrassing story short i broke the toe and all my chances to play intramural soccer for the next four weeks. What is the moral of this story? I don't know, but the other team scored while i was laying on the ground and therefore risking it all might not be the best choice from now on.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
5: Organizing Life's Tiny Miracles
Alright five down and fifteen to go. If i do one blog a day i'll be done in time to finish the assignment. Ok that's a bad attitude. I have realized as i do these blogs that i am learning how to look back on my life though. Its kind of like the journal i write in. In my opinion the purpose of a journal is to put together all of the tiny miracles for the day or week or month and see what you are supposed to learn from them. For example last week i was torubled alot about the rest fo my life. I want to make a difference somewhere in the world, but i also want to enjoy my career. As i took this question into the week i realized that every talk, prayer,scripture, and thought i had that stuck with me were about what i could do to be more confident about where i was going. One thing i thought to do was write down all of my goals for my life and then explore different careers that would fit into that description. I am still in the process of doing so but at least i am in the process and not at a stand still.
Another thing that happened was the devotional by the author of "Three Cups of Tea". It was amazing to see the impact that one life can have on the lives of so many others. King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon (this is another thing that i read during the week by the way) said that we are given excess or wealth in life so that we can be his hand in blessing his other children. This is exactly what i want to do. I want to be successful and live a good life financially then once i am settled in, start giving what i've got in the most effective way to those who have nothing. This is what i enjoy and therefore i just need to pick a career that will help me do this. Sounds easy enough right. We'll see how it goes.
Another thing that happened was the devotional by the author of "Three Cups of Tea". It was amazing to see the impact that one life can have on the lives of so many others. King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon (this is another thing that i read during the week by the way) said that we are given excess or wealth in life so that we can be his hand in blessing his other children. This is exactly what i want to do. I want to be successful and live a good life financially then once i am settled in, start giving what i've got in the most effective way to those who have nothing. This is what i enjoy and therefore i just need to pick a career that will help me do this. Sounds easy enough right. We'll see how it goes.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
4: Working Through Life on a Team
This week was so hectic. From the English paper that i had to turn in to the American Heritage test that i had to study for to the everyday craziness of college i was booked solid. But i did manage to get in an intramural soccer game in which my team was awesome. It was the best we had ever played and we won 2-1. I realized how much of an effect the team can have on how much i enjoy the game. As a team we played beautiful soccer and it was so much fun. There are other days whhen we are horrible and the game is not fun at all.
I want to correlate this to life and how important it is to have friends who are doing good. As a friend it is important to look out for those you hang out with and show them a good example. As you do good in life they will succeed as well and everyone will enjoy it together. The sunday school lesson i gave today was on being self-reliant and helping others be self-reliant. I found it odd that the way to be self-reliant or independent is to first be dependent. One thing that i like in the scriptures is how if we share all of our talents with each other and gain other talents from those we hang out with than we will blessed so much more. I truly believe in this because it makes sense and is an effective way of perfecting yourself. One last thought i want to leave you with is that when God gives you success and wealth its only to help someone else in need of his power. We are all beggars to God as the scripture says meaning we are eternally in his debt and if we don't give to his other children then why should we have his help?
I want to correlate this to life and how important it is to have friends who are doing good. As a friend it is important to look out for those you hang out with and show them a good example. As you do good in life they will succeed as well and everyone will enjoy it together. The sunday school lesson i gave today was on being self-reliant and helping others be self-reliant. I found it odd that the way to be self-reliant or independent is to first be dependent. One thing that i like in the scriptures is how if we share all of our talents with each other and gain other talents from those we hang out with than we will blessed so much more. I truly believe in this because it makes sense and is an effective way of perfecting yourself. One last thought i want to leave you with is that when God gives you success and wealth its only to help someone else in need of his power. We are all beggars to God as the scripture says meaning we are eternally in his debt and if we don't give to his other children then why should we have his help?
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