"Mean People Suck!"

I have seen this bumper sticker before, and have thought to myself, "well, ya, but what makes the person sporting that bumper sticker want to warn the world with that type of advertisement?"
Well, recent experience has shown me, yet again, that it isn't JUST people who are habitually and/or continually mean that suck! It is people, who do or say "mean" (Michelle, can you see me making the quote signs???) things.
I realize that we all find humor in different things; people are different. But to me, anyone who makes fun of other religions, race, sexual orientation, or nationality (I draw the line at gender, because trying to be funny about the opposite sex will ALWAYS be viewed as mean by someone!!) just to be "funny" is MEAN!!
In today's society, where we have 2 extremes -- being so politically correct that we address everyone as "person" instead of m'am or sir; or caring NOTHING about the sanctity of humanity and just bashing and railing against all humankind -- suddenly is created a big area of "gray". Suddenly, because I don't find a racial slur, or off-color joke funny, then I am being judgemental of the person who chose to share said joke. I am the bad guy, because I ". . . have no sense of humor!" and I ". . . need to calm down; it's just a joke!!"
Okay, so if it were about my specific religion, race or nationalility, it's okay to be upset, but since I am not from the race that is being slurred, it's okay? I think not!
I am far from perfect -- I will be the first to tell you that, and my husband will back me up! (ha ha ha), but I think that small-mindedness leads to mean things. And that is what they are -- MEAN! You can't sugar coat it -- if what is being shared belittles ANY of God's children, in what ever way shape or form, it is MEAN!
I have often heard that prejudice is based on fear -- and I believe that! Fear of being different, fear of not understanding differences, fear of feeling inferior, whatever. Fear does NOT come from a good source, so therefore it stands to reason that prejudice and whatever mean form we have chosen to portray that are NOT from a good source either!
I'm done now -- I don't want it to be said that nobody knew how I feel about mean things and the people who carry them out!

What are people thinking?????

I don't usually watch the news -- I am of the mind that most of the stories that they choose to share are bad . . . somebody killed someone, beat someone, stole something, or embezzled something! I don't want to hear about it; I see enough in my own little piece of the world to know that bad stuff happens.
Then, last night, just because there wasn't anything else on, at my brother's house where I was babysitting and they don't have cable, I found myself watching the news.
And, I found myself thinking (and NOT for the first time ever) "Why are some people allowed to procreate????"
This woman, in the middle of Wal-Mart, in front of many shoppers, proceeded to beat her 10-year old son, about the head and face, and then dragged him "a few inches" by HIS feet. This is the same woman who, 2 years ago, was accused of child abuse, when her boyfriend killed her 3-month old baby by shaking him to death. Child Protective Services took this son away from her, then! Why was she permitted to have him back in her home?? What does she do to this child AT HOME, if she is publicly beating him so that he is bleeding from his mouth and nose??
I could go off, here, about government agencies and responsibility, etc. Heaven knows that my family's calls to the same agency have gone unreturned for months now -- apparently they have some work on their hands!
But instead, I will just ask anyone and everyone who reads this blog to pray . . . pray for the children of this world! There are so many good things about children, and they are our future! Many people don't understand how much their own actions affect their children, and the things that their children do later.
I really hope that a miracle can happen for this child, so that he doesn't keep the violence cycle going! I know that miracles can happen, if we all hope and pray for the same outcome.
Okay, I'm done! Here's hoping that I don't have to watch the news again, anytime soon!

An account of my wedding - from 01/15/2007

I sent this email to my friends, after I had changed my name, one weekend! As you will soon find out, none of it was planned in advance, so they got to hear about it this way! I wanted to save this story, on my blog, for posterity! Here you go --

So, a funny thing happened on the way to my cousin's wedding on Saturday . . .
She and her husband have been married for a year and a half, but just got clearance to go to the temple. So, that was my plan, for January 13th, since like December 4th!

Then, my ever so spontaneous fiancé called me last Thursday -- "What are you doing this weekend?"I tell him, "well, I work on Friday, I'm scrapbooking at Michelle's on Friday night, and then my cousin's wedding on Saturday, and not much else planned, really! Why do you ask?'

"Well, he responds, " I was thinking that you could come up here and we'll move my things to Arizona; we'll stop in Vegas to get married, and then I will stay for a few days until I have to go to St. George."

Okay, for like 5 minutes I was in shock!! And, he asked me to keep it a secret from my family, as he wanted to be there, to surprise them with the announcement! I couldn't believe it, you guys!! I have been waiting and waiting for this man to say "Let's do this!" and more than once wondered if it would ever happen! So, I did ask him, more than once, "Okay, we're really doing this, right???" Right before I bought my plane ticket, "Okay, honey, I'm buying the ticket . . . we're doing this, right??" He responded with a rather impatient, "yes, do it!'

So the funny part is . . . how was I going to go to Utah, get married in Vegas, and move his stuff to Arizona, all before a 10 am temple wedding on Saturday, and then have my friend's truck back to him by Sunday night? Then, to just make things interesting, they have changed the laws in Vegas, (I guess to cut down on one night marriages, I don't know!) and now the courthouse, that was once open 24 hours a day, 6 days a week, is now only open until midnight every night. And, the Justice of the Peace has changed too, to only being open until 10 pm.
So, the flight to Utah on Friday afternoon, early, was changed to a little bit later. Then, after discussing it some more, I was going to go to the wedding, on Saturday, and then fly out. (So, that's 2 flight changes.) Then, another phone call, and I was back to flying out on Friday. I did call my cousin, and I said, "look, you know I love you and I would love to be at your sealing, but . . . what if my reason for missing it were a really good one?" Her response, after a few more details "GO!!"

So, I was outta here on Friday night! I flew in, and was going to stay at my aunt' s house in Tooele for the night. We went to my friends house, to get the truck, and had a conversation about NOT bringing the truck back until next weekend, (thank you, Rob, for your generosity!) and then we were set to pack the truck, etc. on Saturday.

After getting all of his things packed, there wasn't much room for my stuff -- the original plan was to move the rest of my things, too, since we were going to be there with a truck. But only a few of my boxes were able to accompany us, this time!
Got on the road around 4, our time, and knew that we had a VERY tight time schedule, to get to Vegas and get married, all before midnight! Thankfully, the weather, while VERY cold, was very cooperative, as well, and we pulled up to the courthouse around 9:10 pm.
I had checked in to a few of the wedding chapels in Vegas, a while ago, and none of them were within our budget! So, that is why we were rushing to go to the justice of the peace . . . and, frankly, I was a little panicked about missing the deadline!
As we pulled up to the courthouse, to get our license, a guy approached our vehicle, and asked, "you guys getting married tonight?" And when we said, "yes", he proceeded to tell us that they have a chapel, and a package, blah blah blah, that is cheaper than the justice of the peace, AND they are open until 12:00 am. SCORE!!!
So, we got our license, (took some photos in the courthouse), and got a limo ride, from the courthouse to the chapel, and had filled out our paperwork, when I realized that Jorge's ring was in my bag, in the truck that was parked AT THE COURTHOUSE!! So, we had to get a limo ride back to the courthouse, to get it, and then we drove the truck to the chapel.
While the words were very nice, and the ceremony was binding, I know that this is just a step to getting what I really want! So, in a year, we will go to the temple.
For right now, though, I have Jorge here with me (He will be going to St George, to work for a month, this week, but after that he will be here full time! woo hoo!!) and we are adjusting to all of our stuff in our little apartment.
We didn't get to Mesa until 9 am Sunday morning, and then couldn't get to sleep that afternoon, maybe because we were both just too tired, I don't know! So, I guess we will be trying to catch up on sleep for a few days.
That's the news, I just wanted to tell my story and let you know that my last name HAS officially been changed!

Famous last words . . . .

A few weeks ago, I made an entry about loving to laugh! Sometimes I think that I'm given too many opportunities to laugh at myself!

Last Thursday, I was in the back parking lot, at work, waiting for one of the managers to pull a truck out of its parking space, so I could take said truck to run some work-related errands.

I was standing there, and I happened to look down at the asphalt -- there was a little, I don't even know what to call it, ditch, for lack of a better word! Anyway, I said to myself, in my head, "ooh, I gotta watch out for that!" Then, a few minutes later, forgetting all about that little ditch, I stepped backwards, right into it! It was totally like a slow-motion thing; I felt my foot step into it, and my ankle twisted, and then I fell forward.

I guess it is a good thing that I put both my hands out to brace my fall -- a face plant would have been a lot more painful, probably! But, OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't remember what I said, as I hit the dirt, but the manager heard me, looked around, and didn't see me. He said, later, "I was thinking, 'I know she was just here!'" Then, when he turned toward me, again, he saw me picking gravel out of the palms of my hands. He asked me, "Are you okay?" and my oh-so-dignified response?? "No!" as I was sobbing!!

No matter how I tried NOT to cry, it hurt VERY badly, and I couldn't help it. So, I climbed into the truck, to drive to the front office, and changed the course of my day.

I had to go to the clinic that we use for Workman's Comp, and have a drug screen test done, as well as spend the next 3 and a half hours . . . . waiting!

I guess it was a good lesson in empathy, for me, because I got to see exactly what people go through, when I send them there, with injuries.

Anyway, my ankle is not sprained, as we originally thought, but the top of my foot really hurts still. My shoulders and arms both hurt, but I think that a really good massage could cure that!!
My ego was a little bruised, too, but since I like to laugh so much, Ha Ha, here's one more thing to laugh at!

The Long and Short of It

. . . and by "it" I mean my weekend! Working on Saturdays sure takes a big bite out of my weekend. And, although I know that it is necessary for right now, I can't wait to have the financial health to quit that second job.
Then, on the other hand, my Sunday was veeeeeeeeery long -- I believe that it had something to do with not feeling well, in the morning, and then spending most of the evening worrying about my niece, who decided to take a sabbatical from the family for 24+ hours.
I think that I may have mentioned this before, but I WOULD NOT go back to being a teenager!! Especially in today's world, where things seem to be in much more of a gray area than they were 15 - 20 years ago.
I was teaching a lesson, in Primary, last week, and we were talking about being dishonest. I actually had to explain, a few times, that not telling the whole truth, (the example was going to a rated "R" movie, when permission was given to go and see a rated "PG" movie.) is as much a lie as not telling any truth. "Well, I asked if I could go to the movie!" and "I got permission!" were the responses to my statement.
I can't help but think that kids these days, while they have lots more choices and opportunities for activities, also have a lot more exposure to "gray area" rationalization, and go with what isn't said, either by them, to their parents, or to them, from their parents.
Anyway, so Mariah, (the niece on sabbatical) apparently found no harm in not reporting in for 24+ hours, and was bothered that we made posters saying that she is missing. I don't get it!
(Although, that girl has a history that two weeks' worth of blog memory wouldn't be enough to tell the whole story, and I think that she is trying to find the real her.)
Another reason I wouldn't want to go back to teenager hell -- although I feel I am still discovering a LITTLE bit about who I am, the potential that I have, and what I really want to be when I grow up, I am not completely without direction, or trying to rely on my mom to guide me to who I should be.
I guess all that we can really do is PRAY and pray some more, in hopes that they will learn from their experiences, to be the best people that they can.
HEAVEN HELP US!!

JK Rowling is my HERO!

Okay -- warning!!!! If you have NOT finished reading Book 7, DO NOT PROCEED with reading this blog entry!!!

I just finished reading "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" -- LOVED IT!! I hated to see it end, but it was a great way for it to end, and I love the very end, where the author gives us a peek at 19 years later. I cried . . . and I am not afraid to admit it!

I love the verbal tapestry of the good vs. evil saga that is the Harry Potter series. So many times, while reading these books, I felt what Harry was feeling, or remembered having the same feelings, as far as teenage anger, rebellion and questioning of authority. On the other hand, I sometimes felt frustration that parents must feel, with pubescent actions and more importantly, reactions.

JK Rowling has been criticised by some for her mimicking Tolkein, (can't you see how Harry Potter is EXACTLY like "The Lord of the Rings"?) and also Star Wars -- okay, whatever!! But, I think that her clever wizardly inventions and names for spells and tools, etc tells us how very imaginative, creative and original she is. And, excuse me, but the conflict between good and evil has been around since the world began, (See The Holy Bible, First Book, Cain vs. Able) so how can people claim that Lucas or Tolkein have a claim on that "original" idea???

I don't know about all of you, but I as SHOCKED that Snape turned out to be a good guy!!! In retrospect, I can see, and almost feel the things that he must've felt, considering who Harry was. I was pleasently shocked, though! It's interesting how the author reiterates the lesson that people are what we perceive them to be; not only in the words that Dumbledore uses to say that to Snape, but also that she demonstrates it, all through the books, to us as readers.

I'm sad, that the series is over! But, the beauty of books is that we can read and re-read them over and over! And, hopefully, remember more details as we revisit the first volumes.

I am very grateful for my mother's great example of reading. She always read to me, as a child, and she was always reading something, as I was growing up. Now, when she can be seen reading something, it is usually a health magazine or Reader's Digest (well, she IS 65 years young!), but she still loves to read, and has passed that love on to me. Thanks, Mom!