Golden Days

Ya wanna know the hardest part about college? It's not finals week. It's not late nights finishing essays.  It's not the social life. It's the lack of adorable furry friends. All my apartment can lay claim to is a beta fish named Cucumber. Although he seems to perk up endearingly when the fish food shaker approaches, his attentions do not suffice.

This is not Cucumber the beta fish.

Nothing compares to the love, loyalty, and adoration of a dog. I miss not having to sweep (because you have a living vacuum cleaner on-duty 24 hours). I miss hearing the jingle of dog tags coming down the hall. I miss being woken up in the morning because someone is so excited to lick your face. Despite being able to see my dog, Brinkley, when we visit my family occasionally, my fiance and I decided we need a dog of our own. WE ARE THE DEFINITION OF DOG HUNGRY (meaning we really want to love and own one, not that we're from Korea and barbarically consume the most wonderful creature on Earth). 

The dog of choice for our first pup? 

THIS GUY.

Well, probably not this exact guy but one of his kin. Golden retrievers are incredibly adorable, both in looks and personality, and we just know that Stockton (yes, we already have a name) will be loved and love in return. We'll take him hiking, feed him pretzels, and teach him tricks--all the important things.

 So until these golden (retriever) days, we'll just keep dreaming.

The Middle Ground

Food is central to human existence. It sustains us. We gather around it. Our economy is ran by it. However, research suggests that the Western diet is killing us all--cancer, obesity, heart disease, even mental illnesses can all be linked to the high-in-saturated-fat, low-in-vital-nutrients lifestyle most Americans live.

As a dietetics major, I find myself immersed in study after study about what this nutrient does to your brain or how this food increases your risk of cancer. To be honest, I've found myself becoming slightly paranoid. Does that chocolate shake I had last night really increase my risk of developing Alzheimer's disease? Will the grilled cheese sandwich I had for lunch make artherosclerosis imminent?

I'll remind myself by telling you: there is a middle ground! It's called moderation.

mod·er·a·tion

ˌmädəˈrāSH(ə)n/

noun

1. 1.

   the avoidance of excess or extremes, especially in one's behavior or political opinions.

   "he urged the police to show moderation"

   synonyms:

   self-restraint, restraint, self-control, self-command, self-discipline

Maybe it elicits an eye roll or a multitude of negative opinions, but what are of our lives couldn't do with a little moderation? With a synonym like "self-discipline," it can't be that bad of a thing. Merely a difficult one. 

Eating the very best we can about 70% of the time is going to be the most healthy, realistic, and rewarding. 

Two Basic Motivating Forces

"There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life." --John Lennon

Please don't ever tell me that fear is a more powerful motivating force than love. Just don't. Fear does nothing but destroy. Destroy relationships, dreams, the "what-might-have-been's." There is no power there.

Recently, I've found that I've let fear creep into my life. The unknown can loom larger at times than others, and it's easy to take this as a cue to back away or stand paralyzed. Today I realized: what would I lose if I let this fear grow to control me?

I choose love. I choose the most powerful motivator and creator. And what a relief this determination is! It brightens the unknown future, beautifies the present, and dismisses dark days past. You may submit that John Lennon was a druggie, a hippie, or simply a musician, but he was right when he said the fate of this world rests with those who love with all their being.

This Magic Moment

Music has always been an important part of my life, and during the past seven years, I've been privileged to participate in ten different choirs. It afforded me many opportunities I wouldn't have had otherwise--from meaningful friendships to character-building work to the satisfaction of seeing tears run down an audience member's face. There is nothing quite as exhilarating as standing in front of hundreds of choir students, hoisting a first place trophy above your head while your winning choir applauds and whoops triumphantly.

Despite all of this incredible stuff, let's get down the nitty-gritty here: Why do we care about music? Because music is a language of its own, made up of pitch and rhythm and lyrics. These elements come together in ways that transport us to other times and places, make us feel and think in different ways. It's magic. Have you ever seen someone dance without music? The human experience without music would be much the same: a strange, unnatural waltz without destination.

The Logan Institute Singers performing in the Logan Tabernacle

Why is Utah broken?

It's snowing... again.... lame. I don't think anyone's told Mother Nature it's April 14. Looking on the bright side, at least it gives everyone something to talk about! Almost every stranger I interacted with today mentioned the dreary cold and wetness lying outside the warmth of the TSC. Why is it a typical thing to make small talk about the weather? Even though small talk is known for not being sincere, the weather is a common human experience that one can't really escape. Unless they live in a locked room with no windows... a.k.a. prison. But something tells me that prisoners aren't the kind of people to make small talk anyway.

I'll just be sitting here in the fluorescent lighting, dreaming about brighter, warmer days. 

“If fate doesn't make you laugh, you just don't get the joke.” -Gregory David Roberts

I can't help but find myself laughing at the moments, especially as of late, where life has come up to me and yelled, "PLOT TWIST!" My life has taken new directions that I didn't think were plausible or possible. Although it can be frustrating at time, it is somewhat exciting to peek around each corner and not know what's coming. Life can't be compiled in a list of good and bad because honestly they don't always cancel each other out or cannot be equated; however, here's a few things from the past year.

NO BUENO

• All of Hope's friends decide to attend Brigham Young University. She does the contrary and goes to Utah State University, seeking her own path.
• Hope is somewhat nervous about starting college and pursuing her major.
• During student elections at USU, Hope decides to be bold and run for Service Vice President, despite being a freshman and not having the network needed for such a zealous endeavor. After one of the most difficult weeks ever, a loss by 50 votes is devastating.

BUENO

• On October 9, Hope started dating the love of her life, Joshua Deron Tinsley. They are getting married on May 20, and he is the best friend she's ever had.
• Hope loves college and has done quite well. Dietetics is her passion and will allow her to help others.
• Other opportunities have come along, such as serving as Executive Vice Chair on the CAAS Council and the treasurer in the Dietetics Student Association. 

Through the good and the bad, it's important to laugh... and that's what I find myself doing. Because in the end, fate's joke is pretty dang funny.

Let's Procrastinate.... Later

Today I saw a guy with a mustache and a sign that read: "Let's procrastinate.... Later." Although it was very funny, I had the sudden epiphany that I haven't posted a single blog post for English 2010, and the semester is swiftly drawing to a close. Why have I done such a crazy thing?! Oh well. In fact, I am sitting in the middle (Well, I'm not in the middle. I'm on an aisle.) of a Chemistry 1220 S.I., jumping between solving electrochemical reactions and writing this desperate first blog post. 

Which brings me to a question: why are humans so good at procrastination? Yes, some are better than others, but we have all done it at one time or another. This rather philosophical musing of mine could elicit several responses. Nevertheless, my answer is this: it is difficult to take the first step. Or leap. Or bound. It all depends on the difficulty of the task you are undertaking, whether it's leaping off the high dive or bounding (in a frantic manner) into writing 14 blog posts before the semester end. I'm all about making short and long term goals, so my new aim is to become better at taking first steps/leaps/bounds. Hopefully procrastination will no longer be a presence in my life.