"There is no such thing as a worthless conversation, provided you know what to listen for. And questions are the breath of life for a conversation." -James Nathan Miller
Hi hi, it's Megan. I hope you had a pleasant and relaxing Thanksgiving.
When I go home, I usually drive my mom's Buick wherever I need to go. My dad sometimes drives the car and so the radio perpetually finds itself tuned to MPR. Over summer, I would usually tune it back to some variety fm station, but I decided to just sit and listen this time. The older I get, the more I appreciate MPR, and this past weekend was no exception. The programming seems to coincide perfectly in some way or other with what's going on with me either internally or externally. I drove home late at night after getting together with friends at a coffee shop to a beautifully told story. On my way shopping with my mom, we listened to a conversation about the value of allowing kids to do wild and crazy things, despite our desire to keep them safe from disappointment. It definitely provided a much needed external perspective for my mother and I.
On Friday, I spent most of the day with my dad. We realized we hadn't talked at all since the election and so we had a great conversation about global politics, the Israeli/Palistinian conflict, and about successful economic policies in countries other than the United States. This included a rather excited conversation about Social Security. :P I missed my dad quite a bit and was rather sad I missed my family's Thanksgiving celebration and the annual all day board game playing session that goes along with it. My dad and I tend to be partners no matter what game we decide on. Since we've lost many family members on that side, holidays are always intensely bittersweet and I lament missing any of them.
It might sound crazy, but board games always remind me of my family members. I always feel closer to them during a lively round of TriBond or even CatchPhrase. In the same way, I also feel closer to my dad when listening to the familiar voices on MPR.
Peace, love, and warm thoughts as the weather grows colder.
-Megan
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Monday, November 26, 2012
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Peace Be With You
I have been feeling stressed lately, more than I have felt in a while. The stressors I'm experiencing aren't ones that quickly pass through - they build and require some stamina. My body has been showing signs of it - some weight loss, breaking out, sore throat, sore legs, and emotional exhaustion. I can't help but wish to disengage and hope everything will pass (which of course, will not be helpful). I have been trying to figure out what I need to get through it all. Support, rest, and most of all, peace.
When I started this blog, I ended my first post with "Peace!" because I had no idea how to end a post. But as time has passed, I'm glad I finished that first post with such a word. It has come to represent so much in my life. Peace is what I have discovered is most helpful in stressful situations. In my class on Buddhism, it was one of the main focuses - to center myself and find peace within me. I have discovered peace is best when found in myself. It is true and honest to me and I know it stems from something I believe in, although I may never find what that is. I guess one could call it my "true self" but to me, I am always changing. The one thing that stays constant is peace found within myself.
Life has been loud lately. The political ads, the campaign calls, and the debates between everyone. Being on a campus where politics is pretty central, it gets extremely loud. I loved participating in the politics and developing my own voice, but right now, I'm glad to have some silence and most of all, peace. Maybe that is what will connect us all in the end - peace. The idea of peace everyone agrees about. Conflict may be necessary, but what is the point of conflict if there is no goal of peace?
Today, I am going to find peace in me. I am going to see peace in others and find some common ground. I believe we all have it - we just need to see it once again.
Peace.
-Nicole
Monday, November 5, 2012
Love Thy Neighbor
"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace." -Jimi Hendrix
Megan here.
I cannot get this election off my mind. I just want it to be over, but my stomach is in knots over the possible outcomes. I will probably cry at some point tomorrow, either tears of joy or immense pain and sorrow.
I wish everyone would always think about how their actions affect those around them, including those already marginalized by society. Voting has real life consequences, and I wish members of my own family realized how important these issues are to me, because it will change our relationship. There's no way it can't be affected, and while we'll always be family, that alone does not compel or require me to compromise my values and beliefs in their presence.
"Love thy neighbor." It seems simple to me. Love is something that builds someone up. It eases pain, gives comfort, provides a light in the darkness, and makes someone feel safe. Love doesn't shame, invoke fear, or cause pain. Love thy neighbor means showing respect, providing for needs, ending stigmatization and discrimination, and overall just being a decent person.
Please, please, please, please go vote. From the bottom of my heart, I urge you to step into that voting booth and think about how those marks will affect your neighbors. Show some respect and show some love. I think if we need more of anything these days, it's precisely that. Love.
With all of my LOVE,
Megan
Megan here.
I cannot get this election off my mind. I just want it to be over, but my stomach is in knots over the possible outcomes. I will probably cry at some point tomorrow, either tears of joy or immense pain and sorrow.
I wish everyone would always think about how their actions affect those around them, including those already marginalized by society. Voting has real life consequences, and I wish members of my own family realized how important these issues are to me, because it will change our relationship. There's no way it can't be affected, and while we'll always be family, that alone does not compel or require me to compromise my values and beliefs in their presence.
"Love thy neighbor." It seems simple to me. Love is something that builds someone up. It eases pain, gives comfort, provides a light in the darkness, and makes someone feel safe. Love doesn't shame, invoke fear, or cause pain. Love thy neighbor means showing respect, providing for needs, ending stigmatization and discrimination, and overall just being a decent person.
Please, please, please, please go vote. From the bottom of my heart, I urge you to step into that voting booth and think about how those marks will affect your neighbors. Show some respect and show some love. I think if we need more of anything these days, it's precisely that. Love.
With all of my LOVE,
Megan
Monday, October 1, 2012
Getting Political
"I have come to the conclusion that politics are too serious a matter to be left to the politicians." -Charles De Gaulle
First, happy Monday. Second, I'm so sorry for getting this out so late. It's National Coming Out Week which means we're super incredibly busy. It's SAGA's biggest week of the year and we've got events going on every day. When you couple that with work and tons and tons of homework--it gets busy.
One of the things I hear most often from my friends these days is that they can't wait until the election is over. I know many many people who have worked with the campaigns either interning or doing other types of organizing or volunteer work, and from what I gather they're just so exhausted. Here's the thing though...as much as we wish it wasn't so, politics are important.
I'm always incredibly bothered when people in my generation (or anyone really) dismisses politics or elections. I know I'm so biased as far as all of this goes, but dang it, these decisions are going to affect our future! People are always complaining about the state of our government, yet those same people don't go out and exercise their right to vote. I think most of you know that I'm a MN resident, and so the Vote No campaigns for both amendments are hugely important to me. In fact, I'm lending my face to a video on Thursday through SAGA and Campus Democrats.
I get sick of politics too. Believe me, I do--but at the same time I get even sicker when I think about what will happen in our future if people refuse to become educated and consider these issues before election day. Many college students feel underrepresented by their government, something they have every right to feel, but if we made our voices heard through democratic processes, maybe our elected officials would acknowledge our demographic. Why should they think of the college age population if the college age population doesn't bother to vote?
For me, as for many of my friends, this election season rests on some very tender nerves. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night if I wasn't doing something to try to help out some of these campaigns. Some of them won't even affect me personally but I know SO MANY people who would be affected. I'm not going to stand back and do nothing. It's just not my style.
If you need to register to vote, you can go to https://www.gottaregister.com/ and if you're a first time voter in MN, we are lucky enough to have same day registration, so lucky you! If you need to vote absentee in MN, you can go to http://www.sos.state.mn.us/index.aspx?page=211 Also, if you need to vote absentee in any state, you can just google "Vote absentee (insert state name here)"
With that, I hope all you folks age 18 and older will hit the polls on November 6th!
With love and hugs,
Megan
First, happy Monday. Second, I'm so sorry for getting this out so late. It's National Coming Out Week which means we're super incredibly busy. It's SAGA's biggest week of the year and we've got events going on every day. When you couple that with work and tons and tons of homework--it gets busy.
One of the things I hear most often from my friends these days is that they can't wait until the election is over. I know many many people who have worked with the campaigns either interning or doing other types of organizing or volunteer work, and from what I gather they're just so exhausted. Here's the thing though...as much as we wish it wasn't so, politics are important.
I'm always incredibly bothered when people in my generation (or anyone really) dismisses politics or elections. I know I'm so biased as far as all of this goes, but dang it, these decisions are going to affect our future! People are always complaining about the state of our government, yet those same people don't go out and exercise their right to vote. I think most of you know that I'm a MN resident, and so the Vote No campaigns for both amendments are hugely important to me. In fact, I'm lending my face to a video on Thursday through SAGA and Campus Democrats.
I get sick of politics too. Believe me, I do--but at the same time I get even sicker when I think about what will happen in our future if people refuse to become educated and consider these issues before election day. Many college students feel underrepresented by their government, something they have every right to feel, but if we made our voices heard through democratic processes, maybe our elected officials would acknowledge our demographic. Why should they think of the college age population if the college age population doesn't bother to vote?
For me, as for many of my friends, this election season rests on some very tender nerves. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night if I wasn't doing something to try to help out some of these campaigns. Some of them won't even affect me personally but I know SO MANY people who would be affected. I'm not going to stand back and do nothing. It's just not my style.
If you need to register to vote, you can go to https://www.gottaregister.com/ and if you're a first time voter in MN, we are lucky enough to have same day registration, so lucky you! If you need to vote absentee in MN, you can go to http://www.sos.state.mn.us/index.aspx?page=211 Also, if you need to vote absentee in any state, you can just google "Vote absentee (insert state name here)"
With that, I hope all you folks age 18 and older will hit the polls on November 6th!
With love and hugs,
Megan
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Keep Your Heart Open
1. Conversations with strangers are not always scary or awkward.
2. Sometimes you need to be extra gentle with yourself.
3. Real, deep conversations can change a person's way of thinking.
Hello! It's Malyn again. This week was...incredible, and incredibly busy.
Being a political science major who's passionate about a lot of things, especially during an election year, is a blessing and a curse. There is ALWAYS volunteering and voter registering and phone calling to be done (By the way, if you aren't yet registered to vote & you either live or attend school in MN here's a helpful website: the MN Secretary of State's page) ....yeah. Even in writing a blog post I can't truly escape it :)
And actually, I find myself enjoying it. This Saturday morning, instead of sleeping in, I went and did phone calling, working to prevent the "one man-one woman" marriage amendment from passing. I've done my fair share of calling for campaigns, recruiting volunteers and figuring out who people are likely to vote for, but this was completely different: We were sharing our stories and information about the impact of the amendment, and actually trying to change minds with the power of honesty and reflection, and questioning the views you've always held.
It wasn't bad. It wasn't even nerve-wracking. In fact, I truly enjoyed being able to share my story. It felt REALLY good to have an impact.
As I dealt with my learning curve and taking in new information, I thought a lot about letting myself make mistakes, forgiving and learning from them. I've struggled with depression over the past few years, and so the tendency to get angry with myself is still something I'm learning to quell. "Let it go" has become a new mantra for me.
Then, in the midst of being busy and making some mistakes, I caught the cold that's been going around campus. While musing that Voldemort's actually really lucky to not have a nose that gets stuffed, I took things slowly and gently, allowing for the fact that I didn't feel great. I even bought myself a slice of chocolate cheesecake, because the most comforting thing when I'm sick is good food.
Peace and have a fabulous week! :)
-Malyn
2. Sometimes you need to be extra gentle with yourself.
3. Real, deep conversations can change a person's way of thinking.
Hello! It's Malyn again. This week was...incredible, and incredibly busy.
Being a political science major who's passionate about a lot of things, especially during an election year, is a blessing and a curse. There is ALWAYS volunteering and voter registering and phone calling to be done (By the way, if you aren't yet registered to vote & you either live or attend school in MN here's a helpful website: the MN Secretary of State's page) ....yeah. Even in writing a blog post I can't truly escape it :)
And actually, I find myself enjoying it. This Saturday morning, instead of sleeping in, I went and did phone calling, working to prevent the "one man-one woman" marriage amendment from passing. I've done my fair share of calling for campaigns, recruiting volunteers and figuring out who people are likely to vote for, but this was completely different: We were sharing our stories and information about the impact of the amendment, and actually trying to change minds with the power of honesty and reflection, and questioning the views you've always held.
It wasn't bad. It wasn't even nerve-wracking. In fact, I truly enjoyed being able to share my story. It felt REALLY good to have an impact.
As I dealt with my learning curve and taking in new information, I thought a lot about letting myself make mistakes, forgiving and learning from them. I've struggled with depression over the past few years, and so the tendency to get angry with myself is still something I'm learning to quell. "Let it go" has become a new mantra for me.
Then, in the midst of being busy and making some mistakes, I caught the cold that's been going around campus. While musing that Voldemort's actually really lucky to not have a nose that gets stuffed, I took things slowly and gently, allowing for the fact that I didn't feel great. I even bought myself a slice of chocolate cheesecake, because the most comforting thing when I'm sick is good food.
Peace and have a fabulous week! :)
-Malyn
Monday, September 3, 2012
What Would *insert name* Do?
"God enters by a private door into every individual." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
Hey, it's Megan. I hope you have a wonderful week ahead of you. This post will be a little bit longer because frankly, I need it to be, and I feel these issues are important to our global society as well as my home state of MN--now more than ever.
The subject of interfaith interaction and dialogue has been the topic of the week, starting with the above quotation I stumbled across a few days before moving. It didn't hurt that I love Emerson. Here's a recap of my interfaith activities in the past week. I was blessed to hear Dr. Eboo Patel, founder of the Interfaith Youth Core and author of Acts of Faith, speak on campus on Thursday during both our convocation as well as a book talk, then on Friday I had my first religion class which felt as glorious as History Channel programming in the early 2000s, and later that night I had a two hour conversation with Malyn (fellow blog writer!) on the intersection of religion and politics.
After reading Acts of Faith, finding that quotation, and hearing Dr. Patel speak, I couldn't help but think about getting more involved with interfaith activities on campus, after all interfaith has always been important to me, especially growing up in a very culturally diverse city where I regularly heard five languages being spoken in the hallways of my high school. I put my thoughts aside on Saturday as I went to dinner with some of my freshman friends. Our conversation turned to the finer differences between Christian denominations. In short, two people in the conversation grew up with the ELCA, though one in a church that was more traditional than the other, one person grew up in an Evangelical Free church, and then there was me with a background in Catholicism. After the conversation I realized that those kinds of interactions are precisely what interfaith is all about. I might not be able to fit another club into my schedule, but at least I know I can participate in interfaith dialogue every time I open up a respectful discussion. Oh, and I went to worship services on Sunday morning and Sunday night.
My heart is heavy though as of late. A student from Concordia has hit the web running, expressing their view that the ELCA and as a result, Concordia, are too flexible in their acceptance of same-sex relationships and LGBT lifestyles. SAGA, Concordia's Straight And Gay Alliance, of which I am an active member, sells t-shirts that simply say "love is love." on the front as our annual fundraiser. The shirts are quite popular on campus and in opposition, this student is creating and intending to distribute shirts that say "sin is sin." on the front, along with several bible verses that appear to condemn homosexuality on the back.
I don't know how to feel or react, all I know is I'm sad that we have to navigate this issue. The responses of SAGA and other students have ranged anything from saying "Guess we'll just have to be EXTRA loving :)" to suggesting we make new t-shirts with bible verses about love, to calls to volunteer for Minnesotans United for All Families to creating a "Concordia Votes No" facebook event. My question is where does interfaith fit into this situation? How do we create a productive dialogue when we know each side probably won't be swayed and it honestly feels like we're speaking completely different languages. One side says they are showing love by accepting people for who they are and another side says they are showing love by trying to prevent someone from living in a sinful way. It is honestly difficult for me to extend a hand of peace when these sorts of attitudes are, as my friend puts it, a stepping stone towards violence and other extreme reactions towards LGBT individuals. Nothing worth doing is ever easy though I suppose. So, campus is now dealing with this in addition to the MN marriage amendment with clearly religious undertones. We're busy.
My heart is heavy. Mostly because I've spent a decent chunk of the last few years fighting for equality and acceptance on behalf of my friends and family. It can be sometimes hard to see the progress or avoid discouragement when the setbacks hit so close to home.
I'll end with this. During Dr. Patel's book talk, he told us we are only as loud as the noise we make. It is our job to be loud when it comes to interfaith cooperation and in this case, love and acceptance of our fellow humans. Those who feel God condemns homosexuality and LGBT individuals as sinful have spoken loudly, I hope those of us who oppose those sentiments can raise our own voices with tones of peace and love to a level of equal or greater volume. I have faith we will rise to the challenge.
I wish you a peaceful week.
-Megan
Hey, it's Megan. I hope you have a wonderful week ahead of you. This post will be a little bit longer because frankly, I need it to be, and I feel these issues are important to our global society as well as my home state of MN--now more than ever.
The subject of interfaith interaction and dialogue has been the topic of the week, starting with the above quotation I stumbled across a few days before moving. It didn't hurt that I love Emerson. Here's a recap of my interfaith activities in the past week. I was blessed to hear Dr. Eboo Patel, founder of the Interfaith Youth Core and author of Acts of Faith, speak on campus on Thursday during both our convocation as well as a book talk, then on Friday I had my first religion class which felt as glorious as History Channel programming in the early 2000s, and later that night I had a two hour conversation with Malyn (fellow blog writer!) on the intersection of religion and politics.
After reading Acts of Faith, finding that quotation, and hearing Dr. Patel speak, I couldn't help but think about getting more involved with interfaith activities on campus, after all interfaith has always been important to me, especially growing up in a very culturally diverse city where I regularly heard five languages being spoken in the hallways of my high school. I put my thoughts aside on Saturday as I went to dinner with some of my freshman friends. Our conversation turned to the finer differences between Christian denominations. In short, two people in the conversation grew up with the ELCA, though one in a church that was more traditional than the other, one person grew up in an Evangelical Free church, and then there was me with a background in Catholicism. After the conversation I realized that those kinds of interactions are precisely what interfaith is all about. I might not be able to fit another club into my schedule, but at least I know I can participate in interfaith dialogue every time I open up a respectful discussion. Oh, and I went to worship services on Sunday morning and Sunday night.
My heart is heavy though as of late. A student from Concordia has hit the web running, expressing their view that the ELCA and as a result, Concordia, are too flexible in their acceptance of same-sex relationships and LGBT lifestyles. SAGA, Concordia's Straight And Gay Alliance, of which I am an active member, sells t-shirts that simply say "love is love." on the front as our annual fundraiser. The shirts are quite popular on campus and in opposition, this student is creating and intending to distribute shirts that say "sin is sin." on the front, along with several bible verses that appear to condemn homosexuality on the back.
I don't know how to feel or react, all I know is I'm sad that we have to navigate this issue. The responses of SAGA and other students have ranged anything from saying "Guess we'll just have to be EXTRA loving :)" to suggesting we make new t-shirts with bible verses about love, to calls to volunteer for Minnesotans United for All Families to creating a "Concordia Votes No" facebook event. My question is where does interfaith fit into this situation? How do we create a productive dialogue when we know each side probably won't be swayed and it honestly feels like we're speaking completely different languages. One side says they are showing love by accepting people for who they are and another side says they are showing love by trying to prevent someone from living in a sinful way. It is honestly difficult for me to extend a hand of peace when these sorts of attitudes are, as my friend puts it, a stepping stone towards violence and other extreme reactions towards LGBT individuals. Nothing worth doing is ever easy though I suppose. So, campus is now dealing with this in addition to the MN marriage amendment with clearly religious undertones. We're busy.
My heart is heavy. Mostly because I've spent a decent chunk of the last few years fighting for equality and acceptance on behalf of my friends and family. It can be sometimes hard to see the progress or avoid discouragement when the setbacks hit so close to home.
I'll end with this. During Dr. Patel's book talk, he told us we are only as loud as the noise we make. It is our job to be loud when it comes to interfaith cooperation and in this case, love and acceptance of our fellow humans. Those who feel God condemns homosexuality and LGBT individuals as sinful have spoken loudly, I hope those of us who oppose those sentiments can raise our own voices with tones of peace and love to a level of equal or greater volume. I have faith we will rise to the challenge.
I wish you a peaceful week.
-Megan
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Habits and Patterns
The GOP race is heating up. If you haven't seen Nicole's commentary on politics, go here: http://dormroom718.blogspot.com/2011/12/whats-going-on.html
1. I am a creature of habit and pattern.
2. You don't have to drive down memory lane alone.
3. Find a new perspective.
4. Things are hot when you microwave them too.
Megan here, Happy New Year! and happy Wednesday!
Nicole left this morning and arrived safely home after a very laid back, but very fun five days here in St. Cloud. It was a blast in general, and I hope I gave her a decent taste of my world.
If there's one thing I've learned over the last few days it's that I am definitely a creature ruled by habits and patterns. It's just a lot of little things, like what roads I take, how I eat a Kit Kat bar, and apparently how I make popovers and chop potatoes... Like I said, it's a bunch of little things. However, maybe it's also a bunch of big things, like how I appraise situations, how I perceive threats, and how I respond to people.
Sometimes we stick to what we know: what's familiar and comfortable. The problem with this is that it can be easy to lapse into auto-pilot and become desensitized to everything we encounter on a regular basis. We forget to put ourselves in new situations and see things in a new light which is how we learn and well, how we live a fuller, more engaged life. So, in an effort to change this, I did what anyone would do. I did something differently. I made myself a cup of black coffee and put on some classical music--something I don't normally do. After that, I figured I had changed things up enough and made myself my usual cup of tea and turned on a Skillet playlist :P I'm taking baby steps! For the record, sometimes it's nice to drink something strong and bitter.
I think it's easy to let ourselves fall into ruts with various aspects of life, whether that's creatively, with relationships, with jobs... I mean, what is a rut? It's a path that has been traveled so much and so often that it forms a groove that can be kind of hard to get out of. In other words, when you find yourself in a rut, it's time to do something differently because the usual method won't work. Go find a new perspective, try something new, challenge yourself!
I'm not a fan of New Years' Resolutions, but I am a fan of trying out new things. And I suppose it's a good time to start since we're only four days into 2012. It's a fresh start whether or not we A. like it and B. choose to see it that way. Little things make a difference, and consciously throwing a little variety into each day might help ease that rutty feeling. It's quite easy to just sit around in such a rut, especially during winter when going into hibernation mode is quite appealing. (I have spent way too much time in bed lately.) I'm hoping I can apply this to my creativity... hope it works! Anyways, switch things up sometimes. It might lead to positive outcomes.
I leave you with this link to a song by Skillet... 'cause I like it, and I hope it motivates you to seize the moment. May your new year have more hugs than last year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kQ6prkSRFs
-Megan
1. I am a creature of habit and pattern.
2. You don't have to drive down memory lane alone.
3. Find a new perspective.
4. Things are hot when you microwave them too.
Megan here, Happy New Year! and happy Wednesday!
Nicole left this morning and arrived safely home after a very laid back, but very fun five days here in St. Cloud. It was a blast in general, and I hope I gave her a decent taste of my world.
If there's one thing I've learned over the last few days it's that I am definitely a creature ruled by habits and patterns. It's just a lot of little things, like what roads I take, how I eat a Kit Kat bar, and apparently how I make popovers and chop potatoes... Like I said, it's a bunch of little things. However, maybe it's also a bunch of big things, like how I appraise situations, how I perceive threats, and how I respond to people.
Sometimes we stick to what we know: what's familiar and comfortable. The problem with this is that it can be easy to lapse into auto-pilot and become desensitized to everything we encounter on a regular basis. We forget to put ourselves in new situations and see things in a new light which is how we learn and well, how we live a fuller, more engaged life. So, in an effort to change this, I did what anyone would do. I did something differently. I made myself a cup of black coffee and put on some classical music--something I don't normally do. After that, I figured I had changed things up enough and made myself my usual cup of tea and turned on a Skillet playlist :P I'm taking baby steps! For the record, sometimes it's nice to drink something strong and bitter.
I think it's easy to let ourselves fall into ruts with various aspects of life, whether that's creatively, with relationships, with jobs... I mean, what is a rut? It's a path that has been traveled so much and so often that it forms a groove that can be kind of hard to get out of. In other words, when you find yourself in a rut, it's time to do something differently because the usual method won't work. Go find a new perspective, try something new, challenge yourself!
I'm not a fan of New Years' Resolutions, but I am a fan of trying out new things. And I suppose it's a good time to start since we're only four days into 2012. It's a fresh start whether or not we A. like it and B. choose to see it that way. Little things make a difference, and consciously throwing a little variety into each day might help ease that rutty feeling. It's quite easy to just sit around in such a rut, especially during winter when going into hibernation mode is quite appealing. (I have spent way too much time in bed lately.) I'm hoping I can apply this to my creativity... hope it works! Anyways, switch things up sometimes. It might lead to positive outcomes.
I leave you with this link to a song by Skillet... 'cause I like it, and I hope it motivates you to seize the moment. May your new year have more hugs than last year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kQ6prkSRFs
-Megan
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Coming out of my cage and I've been doing just fine.
First person to comment and tell me the name of the song I got the title from gets a mental high five from me. My friend and I used to go through this song, sending each other the lyrics line by line. Oy, nostalgia.
First things first, if you're reading this, you need to look at the post before this and share it on your facebook, tumblr, twitter, whatever social networks you're involved in. Nicole has entered a scholarship competition for bloggers and needs as many 'shares' as possible. Please do this. Besides, it has some good political insight.
1. Walks help with back problems.
2. This too shall pass.
3. Get out of the house and get out of your head.
4. Have faith in friendships.
Hey, Megan here. I hope everyone is having an excellent holiday season filled with family, friends, and baked goods.
I've been home for 11 days now, and while it is nice to feel carpet beneath my feet, have a nice shower, and be able to walk to the fridge for a snack, I still miss college immensely. The truth is I have cooped myself up in my room for far too many days and am a little bit stuck in my head. Last night I went out with friends to our popular summer haunt and it made me realize not only the importance of getting out of the house, but also the importance of simply having faith in your friends. You have to trust that each other will still be the same person you know and love. Everyone changes to come extent, but, as I learned in my most recent psych class, personality is fairly constant over time, so have faith in it.
It's important to get out of your room, get out of your head, get out of your house, go spend some time in a dimly lit coffee shop, and have a good discussion in a van. Don't get stuck in your head. It's not an accurate portrayal of reality; it's just a skewed mess of constructs that can certainly and very convincingly masquerade as reality, but it really isn't. See, the trick is you actually have to go and live in the real world with real people in order to construct a more accurate reality instead of just letting your imagination take what you know and run off in all sorts of directions with it. It's so simple, yet we forget it sometimes.
So tonight I'm spending some quality time with a couple of friends who I've known since 7th grade. It's definitely time for a reunion, and I know we'll be able to pick up on our friendship right where we left off despite the fact that we've all changed quite a bit. I'm excited to spend time with them because I get to be the part of me I missed.
We all play different roles in different groups of friends or acquaintances, and I get to be wild and bubbly and silly with this particular group, whereas I sometimes like to fade into the background in other groups. Sometimes I step a little out of line and play a role I'm not meant to when I'm with certain people. Believe me, it is an uncomfortable feeling to sit there and think to yourself, "I shouldn't have said that, definitely shouldn't have done that, should have thought before I said THAT." It's okay to play different roles I think, it just depends on who other people need you to be, and what you're comfortable with. Taking on a different role doesn't mean you change your personality either, it just dictates what strengths and weaknesses you employ and when. I think it's just important to change it up a bit, and not force yourself into being typecasted as it were. Is typecasted a word?
In conclusion, get out and live a little, have faith that you'll be able to pick up where your friendships left off, and just let yourself adapt to situations. When you leave home such as I have, it's rough to go back... but, it's important to. (Let the record show that I have now expressed this sentiment in writing whenever I complain.) When you hit the road and leave, it's almost as if you have also taken upon yourself the responsibility of returning, almost like a price you have to pay for the extra freedom. It's just the way it is sometimes. Making yourself remember where you've come from isn't a bad thing by any means, and in some ways it keeps you grounded, and gives you extra motivation to get where you want to be.
So, I hope you have a most excellent week. Take care. Love and hugs.
-Megan
First things first, if you're reading this, you need to look at the post before this and share it on your facebook, tumblr, twitter, whatever social networks you're involved in. Nicole has entered a scholarship competition for bloggers and needs as many 'shares' as possible. Please do this. Besides, it has some good political insight.
1. Walks help with back problems.
2. This too shall pass.
3. Get out of the house and get out of your head.
4. Have faith in friendships.
Hey, Megan here. I hope everyone is having an excellent holiday season filled with family, friends, and baked goods.
I've been home for 11 days now, and while it is nice to feel carpet beneath my feet, have a nice shower, and be able to walk to the fridge for a snack, I still miss college immensely. The truth is I have cooped myself up in my room for far too many days and am a little bit stuck in my head. Last night I went out with friends to our popular summer haunt and it made me realize not only the importance of getting out of the house, but also the importance of simply having faith in your friends. You have to trust that each other will still be the same person you know and love. Everyone changes to come extent, but, as I learned in my most recent psych class, personality is fairly constant over time, so have faith in it.
It's important to get out of your room, get out of your head, get out of your house, go spend some time in a dimly lit coffee shop, and have a good discussion in a van. Don't get stuck in your head. It's not an accurate portrayal of reality; it's just a skewed mess of constructs that can certainly and very convincingly masquerade as reality, but it really isn't. See, the trick is you actually have to go and live in the real world with real people in order to construct a more accurate reality instead of just letting your imagination take what you know and run off in all sorts of directions with it. It's so simple, yet we forget it sometimes.
So tonight I'm spending some quality time with a couple of friends who I've known since 7th grade. It's definitely time for a reunion, and I know we'll be able to pick up on our friendship right where we left off despite the fact that we've all changed quite a bit. I'm excited to spend time with them because I get to be the part of me I missed.
We all play different roles in different groups of friends or acquaintances, and I get to be wild and bubbly and silly with this particular group, whereas I sometimes like to fade into the background in other groups. Sometimes I step a little out of line and play a role I'm not meant to when I'm with certain people. Believe me, it is an uncomfortable feeling to sit there and think to yourself, "I shouldn't have said that, definitely shouldn't have done that, should have thought before I said THAT." It's okay to play different roles I think, it just depends on who other people need you to be, and what you're comfortable with. Taking on a different role doesn't mean you change your personality either, it just dictates what strengths and weaknesses you employ and when. I think it's just important to change it up a bit, and not force yourself into being typecasted as it were. Is typecasted a word?
In conclusion, get out and live a little, have faith that you'll be able to pick up where your friendships left off, and just let yourself adapt to situations. When you leave home such as I have, it's rough to go back... but, it's important to. (Let the record show that I have now expressed this sentiment in writing whenever I complain.) When you hit the road and leave, it's almost as if you have also taken upon yourself the responsibility of returning, almost like a price you have to pay for the extra freedom. It's just the way it is sometimes. Making yourself remember where you've come from isn't a bad thing by any means, and in some ways it keeps you grounded, and gives you extra motivation to get where you want to be.
So, I hope you have a most excellent week. Take care. Love and hugs.
-Megan
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)