I Believe

I just got home from going out to lunch with my friend, Colton. We went to Pizza Hut and had a very enjoyable meal fill with stimulating conversation and stuffing ourselves with gross amounts of pizza, pasta, bread sticks, and salad.

While we were eating, we heard a little girl on the other side of the nearly empty restaurant ask her mother, "Mom, did God make Santa?" I was amazed at the sweetness and innocence of this little girl. I laughed and thought about the days when I had the same open mind and accepting personality of this little girl and wondered to myself why those days must be bygone. What I would not give to be a child again.

Old People Say the Darndest Things

Yesterday after church, I went with my friends Shane and Melanie to visit our friend Katie working at a nursing home. She was working a twelve hour shift, so we thought she would appreciate some company. When we walked in, the faces of the elderly people lit up. They were so happy to have someone to visit them. It made me sad that the highlight of their day was a visit from strangers. Nevertheless, we visited and laughed for a while. I found the visit much more enjoyable than I had expected. This was, in part, due to one of the residents. He sat in a lounge chair for the larger part of our visit without saying a word. That is until someone mentioned poker and he excitedly inquired, "strip poker?"

Later at dinner, this same man told a compelling story. He told us about how for his fiftieth wedding anniversary, his children paid for he and his wife to go to Hawaii. While there, they were at a luau and got pulled up on stage because it was their anniversary. The announcer found out where and when John was stationed during the war. Then he asked John to stay after the show. He explained to John that he never known his father and his mother was stationed as a nurse at the same place as John. When he went back to his dinner table, John complained that the pork was making him sick and that they needed to leave. He ended the story by telling us that the funny part was that he had had an affair with an Army nurse at that time.

It was definitely a teaching experience that made me much more grateful for the older and wiser people in my life.

Who I'd Be

Quite a few months ago, I started making a list of people I would choose to be if I wasn’t myself. I found it while I was cleaning my bedroom over Christmas break and decided to finish if. I’ve been told that if I could see the struggles or challenges that others face, I’d choose my life over theirs in a heartbeat, and I believe that’s true. However, this was a fun activity and it really got me thinking about the many blessings I have in my life that far outweigh the hardships. So, without further ado, here is my list:

1. Michael Schofield – Character from one of my very favorite shows, “Prison Break”. He is incredibly smart and knows almost everything about everything, especially when it comes to chemistry and engineering. He is very driven and motivated and would do ANYTHING for his loved ones, including going to prison and running from the federal government for four years to clear his brothers’ name.

2. Prince Rainier - Married Princess/Hollywood starlet, Grace Kelly and ruled one of the wealthiest and most beautiful costal kingdoms there has ever been.

3. Frank Martin – Character from “The Transporter” series. Makes gross amounts of money driving luxury cars and has an amazing ability to do crazy driving stunts without causing accidents—a skill that would serve me well!

Seal – Married to supermodel Heidi Klum. Need I say more? He is also an incredible vocalist who is adored by scores of people.

5. Walt Disney – Imagineer who put his amazing dreams into reality through hard work and dedication. He loved his job and was admired by close friends and strangers.

6. Matt Lauer – Has the best job in the world and a beautiful family. He travels to many exciting and exotic places including the Olympics. He has celebrity status but is left alone by the tabloids.

7. Heath Ledger – Admired in life and loved in death. He had the chance to play many powerful and diverse roles such as The Joker in “The Dark Knight” and Gabriel in “The Patriot”.

8. Travis Pastrana – Gets to do what he loves for a (substantial) living and has the courage/stupidity to attempt dangerous and jaw-dropping stunts.

9. Johnny Depp – Recently named “Actor of the Decade” by The People’s Choice Awards. He has entertained audiences as Jack Sparrow in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series as well as many other award-winning roles.

10. Ryan Seacrest – Host of one of my favorite TV shows, ”American Idol”, and host of his own talk radio program. He is also an anchor for E! News and is wee-connected in Hollywood.

11. Christian Bale – Actor who is loved by many who has had the chance to portray Batman as well as star in “Newsies” and “The Prestige” and recipient of many notable awards.

12. Bob Barker – (in his “The Price is Right” days) Great golfer and host of a great show which was watched be me and 80-year-old women across the country.

13. Simon Cowell – Judge for “American Idol” and producer. He has a keen ability for recognizing talent and isn’t afraid to share what’s on his mind—a quality many would say I already possess.

14. Jack Shepherd – Character for ABC’s “LOST” who everyone turns to as a leader in times of crisis. He always has an answer and knows what is best for the group.

15. Elmo – I’m not kidding. He is loved by the masses and is very smart. He gets to be a little kid for eternity. Plus, his entire body is red and furry.

16. Chris Daughtry – “American Idol” contestant who has gone on to record catchy and powerful music.

17. Professor Dumbledore – Loved far and wide by the wizarding world. Died a hero and was always a beacon of light for the students of Hogwarts.

18. Sherlock Holmes – Private investigator and borderline genius who lived in London. Hilarious personality who can impale a human being in a matter of seconds using nothing but his hands.

19. Jack Bower – Main character of “24”. Relied upon by mankind to save the world every 24 hours. “If you woke up today, it’s because Jack Bower spared your life.”

20. Bruce Wayne – Owner of a multi-national, multi-billion dollar corporation by day and vigilante justice-seeker by night as BATMAN!

The Miley Cyrus Virus

This is one of the funniest things I think I've ever seen. Apparently it was put together by some guys from Prove. Check it out!

From the Mouths of Children

The Golden Years

Last night, I went to visit my grandparents to drop off their Christmas presents and visit for a few minutes. It was a surprisingly nice visit. We talked about my school which led them to the discussion of how they met at college and my grandma being caught trying to shave her legs when the lights went out at 10:30. It is insane to think about how much has changed since those days. The campus only had two stone buildings which have since been demolished and replaced with multiple, modernized buildings.

It was nostalgic for me to hear these stories and think about the things I would one day discuss with my grandchildren. It's weird to think of me being old someday. Will I be one of those cute, little, old men who holds his cute, little, old wife's hand everywhere we go, never spending more than a night apart? Will I be a grumpy recluse who will only leave my house if it's burning down? Or will I be one of the creeps who hangs out at the mall, all day, every day?

I don't really know what type of old man I'll make. I do know, however, that as I age, I hope to have someone with me to hold my hand and make breakfast for and basically everything Cory and Topanga had.

Too. Cute.

Think Before You Speak

Prior to Thanksgiving break, I was in my history class learning about the disappearance of the middle class in ancient Rome and how the same patterns are presenting themselves today. My teacher asked, “…so, what do you find in a banana republic?”

Feeling overjoyed that I finally knew the answer to one of his questions, I raised my hand and without being called on shouted, “Underwear on hangers.” In retort, he said, “Yes, and toilet paper flying out the windows.”

Quietly I turned to the girl behind me and asked, “He’s talking about the store Banana Republic, right?” Immediately the class erupted in laughter. Luckily, I managed to make it look like a joke that I was in control of, that I knew what I banana republic was, and that I didn’t feel 3 feet tall.

I discovered after investigating what exactly my professor was referring to when he said, “banana republic”. For those of you who don’t know, if there be any, it is a small country with an unstable government and its economy is dependent on the export of a single product and/or outside financial help. They are countries with a vast gap between the very rich and the very poor.

I suppose it is experiences like these that help us to grow and learn. I know that I will never walk into a Banana Republic again without an instant recall of what a banana republic is, which leads to a whole other discussion. Why is it called Banana Republic? Does the clothing company manufacture their clothes in a country filled with sweat shops and old women sewing their fingers to the bone? If so, this seems like poor advertising on their part. Maybe they should have considered a name more like “Prosperous Fatherland” or “Plentiful States”. This way, naïve college students like me wouldn’t have to think twice before grabbing the underwear off the hanger.