Swing me, Baby
Wow, that was a blast! I can't believe I actually did that! There is a church downtown that is currently doing a "swing dance outreach" that meets every Tuesday night. My little sis and her friends went last week and had a blast and I really wanted to go and try it out because I love watching dancing, whether it’s on TV or in person. I wasn't sure what expect from the evening as a whole and from the dancing itself. I invited a couple friends to come along with me and my sister and her friends. We get downtown and gather in two big circles, "girls on inside and guys on the outside," the male instructor was yelling. There were two instructors, a guy and a girl. Both were pretty young, not any older than their twenties. We had a group of what had to be about 50 couples which made hearing instructions a bit difficult. Once we were matched up with our partners they just went at it. I suppose I had expected some type of "beginner" lesson where they would teach you the same thing over and over again until you had it down pat. I don't tend to think of myself as "slow," but after tonight I must learn to face up to that very fact. Me and learning don't flow smoothly together, I need to take my time. I am thankful I had a partner who knew a little already and had some patience. "Okay everybody, this step is called the 'pretzel step.' You start out in this position, doing the basic step and quickly lead into swinging your partner like this." As I watched the girl being flung all over the floor I could here my cocky partner behind me saying, "Oh that's so easy, and how about I teach you a harder step." All I'm thinking is, "I have no idea what I am doing here! Let me at least watch what they are doing and see if I can get even the basic steps down." We would be taught a step by observing, then have a chance to practice it ourselves. Before you knew it, they were onto the next step. After a while my partner just walked away, which was okay, I think he was becoming bored with me not knowing what I was doing. I was totally okay with that because it allowed me to dance with a friend I already knew so I felt more comfortable learning. Once there was kind of a lull in the teaching we would just "free dance" trying to remember the steps we were taught. It was nice because it gave my partner and me a chance to perfect at least one main step which we did so many times I hope I will always have that one memorized!
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Monday, May 15, 2006
Writing about writing
So we are susposed to write this "remembered event" story for english class. Tomorrow the rough draft is due and I have no idea what to write. I guess I decided to start here because it is more of a casual writing atmosphere than Ms Word. I guess the topic I finally decided to write on was when I visited Masada. I'm writing about it because for some reason it stuck out as a highlight of my trip. The only problem is that I still can't figure out why I enjoyed it so much. Maybe a better word is "Intrigued." I was intrigued by the place. I mean common'...a prosperous city is coming under attack and rather than being taken hostage by some pagan army they choose to murder their own families and then themselves? So alright, I'll give myself some credit for my interest. Another problem I can see is that in order to explain this story clear enough it is going to require alot of history. How do I keep this paper on target to being a "remmebered event" essay and not a history book? And another thing, how to I explain to a secular classroom filled with who knows what kinds of people that these people were not mad? Or were they mad? I would prefer not to create the image of all believers being madmen. Maybe I should do a little mroe studying up on what a zelot is, or was.
As we stood there on the bluff, overlooking the Dead Sea valley, I could see Masada. The sight was magnificent. Masada, being the Hebrew word for "fortress" definitly stood as a fortress in the desert. It seemed untouchable. Despite the magesty it held, and my awe at the mere sight, nothing could intrigue or amaze me the same as what happened on that very summit more than two thousand years previous. I tried to picture the scene unfolding, as I stood there, ready to acend with my group to the top of the fortress.
The Roman army was pressing their way up. They had built a "seige ramp" in order to reach the summit, and that is exactly what I was standing on, ready to climb. They used it to push up the seige engine they had also made in order to break down the walls of the city. I could just imagine what the Jewish settlers of Masada were thinking as they inevitably watched on and knew there would be no escape. Rome, being the most powerful nation at the time, became aware that this was a city filled with rebels who would not submit to the Roman authority and this was the reason for the attack.
The end resolve of the Jews, however, was that they would not be swayed from their intentions. They were a noble people, some may call them stubborn, but they held to what they believed. That evening, as the Roman battering ram broke through the city's outer wall the people of Masada gathered. The Roman army returned to their camp for the night keeping close watch around the city to see that noone escaped. They would return for an easy attack in the morning. Eleazar, a leader among those at Masada is recorded to have said to his bravest men, "Long ago we decided to serve neither Roman nor anyone else except God, and now the time has come to verify that resolution by action. We, who were the first to revolt and are the last in arms against the Romans, must not disgrace ourselves by letting our wives die dishonored and our children enslaved. We still have the free choice of a noble death with those we hold dear. when they are gone, let us render a generous service to each other. But first we must destroy our property and fortress by fire, sparing only our provisions, so that the romans will know it was not hunger that subdued us, but that we preferred death to slavery." He went on to say, "Let us die as free men with our wives and children and deny the romans their joy of victory! Let us rather strike them with amazement with our brave death!" And that's what happened. When the Romans came bursting through the city walls the next morning they were prepared for triumph but instead were filled with shock, awe and even respect at what they saw.
What drives men to do such things as kill their own families? Belief, decisions and commitments are strong things. That day, as I walked in the same path as the Roman soldiers, as I stood is the very spot those men murdered their families and then themselves, I didn't know what to think. I just knew that the story I had just been told about those Jewish zelots was one bravery and commitment. Commitment to eachother, themselves and mostly to their God.
Okay, total rough draft but I like writing things, so I'll go over it and I'm sure the next product (assuming I will give myself more time to work on it and earlier than midnight) will be MUCH better:) Let's only hope, eh?
As we stood there on the bluff, overlooking the Dead Sea valley, I could see Masada. The sight was magnificent. Masada, being the Hebrew word for "fortress" definitly stood as a fortress in the desert. It seemed untouchable. Despite the magesty it held, and my awe at the mere sight, nothing could intrigue or amaze me the same as what happened on that very summit more than two thousand years previous. I tried to picture the scene unfolding, as I stood there, ready to acend with my group to the top of the fortress.
The Roman army was pressing their way up. They had built a "seige ramp" in order to reach the summit, and that is exactly what I was standing on, ready to climb. They used it to push up the seige engine they had also made in order to break down the walls of the city. I could just imagine what the Jewish settlers of Masada were thinking as they inevitably watched on and knew there would be no escape. Rome, being the most powerful nation at the time, became aware that this was a city filled with rebels who would not submit to the Roman authority and this was the reason for the attack.
The end resolve of the Jews, however, was that they would not be swayed from their intentions. They were a noble people, some may call them stubborn, but they held to what they believed. That evening, as the Roman battering ram broke through the city's outer wall the people of Masada gathered. The Roman army returned to their camp for the night keeping close watch around the city to see that noone escaped. They would return for an easy attack in the morning. Eleazar, a leader among those at Masada is recorded to have said to his bravest men, "Long ago we decided to serve neither Roman nor anyone else except God, and now the time has come to verify that resolution by action. We, who were the first to revolt and are the last in arms against the Romans, must not disgrace ourselves by letting our wives die dishonored and our children enslaved. We still have the free choice of a noble death with those we hold dear. when they are gone, let us render a generous service to each other. But first we must destroy our property and fortress by fire, sparing only our provisions, so that the romans will know it was not hunger that subdued us, but that we preferred death to slavery." He went on to say, "Let us die as free men with our wives and children and deny the romans their joy of victory! Let us rather strike them with amazement with our brave death!" And that's what happened. When the Romans came bursting through the city walls the next morning they were prepared for triumph but instead were filled with shock, awe and even respect at what they saw.
What drives men to do such things as kill their own families? Belief, decisions and commitments are strong things. That day, as I walked in the same path as the Roman soldiers, as I stood is the very spot those men murdered their families and then themselves, I didn't know what to think. I just knew that the story I had just been told about those Jewish zelots was one bravery and commitment. Commitment to eachother, themselves and mostly to their God.
Okay, total rough draft but I like writing things, so I'll go over it and I'm sure the next product (assuming I will give myself more time to work on it and earlier than midnight) will be MUCH better:) Let's only hope, eh?
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Movin' out...and in
Yuck! Thinking about trying to get even a little sleep in this room tonight is quite depressing. I do laugh sometimes though, about all those times in life when I look at things that need to be done or fixed but don't think to do anything about them. This is my example for the day. I walked (more like leaped and hope to land on solid ground) through this room at least a dozen times today before I realized all I had to do was pop a few drawers into my dresser and that's like a whole 10% of the room that's picked up and it took like 10 sec!:) True, if I was worried about where I'd sleep I probably should have started cleaning off what's on the bed but what's so bad about the floor? Besides it be infinitly less comfortable than my mattress... I can't think of a single reason why I can't camp out on the floor! Britt helped me move back into my parents today. Thankfully the whole situation hasn't been as depressing as i expected. I loved living out of the house for a while again but it just came at such an inconvienient time! It was hard and at sometimes very stressful living out of 4 houses in a given day, every day of the week! Yeah, wouldn't recommend it.
Britt and I went out to lunch, we talked about boys. For as often as we talk about that issue I'm not sure why it hasn't improved any. Someday the boys at WC will learn how to talk to girls they are interested in and not make that awkward, until that day our handsome prince charmings will need to step back from their now almost perfect lives and discover their beautiful princesses (one a piece of course!), their other half - watching, waiting, praying, singing..."some day my prince will come..."
My 'fixer-uper' house is coming along SO great we decided to put the thing for for sale this week! The first and easiest step was done this morning. My dad stuck a little ad for it in the amway newsletter at work. By noon today someone had called on it! Now I really don't know what that means, how it will turn out, but I am still so excited! Wouldn't that be totally awesome if it sold this fast?? Ever since we decided to sell I've been praying that everything would run smoothly and it would sell quickly. It's been amazing to watch the progress! We'll see what the Lord has in mind but it's lookin' good!!
I sure wish beautiful little McKenna's parents would impliment some form of discipline on her (let's say...spanking?) Have I mentioned that before?
You will all be jumping for joy when you hear how I have so wisly been using all this time off work. I recently discovered this thing called Myspace. From the moment I received my first friend I knew I was hooked. But that's not all. A couple days ago I found Facebook. It was love at first site (ah ha, get it? site?). Anyways, there is just something incredibly addicting about reading about other people you know or used to know, or even thought you knew. There must be this super sweet feature on it that alerts you when someone you used to go to school with signs up because I got a few invitations to be friends from people I used to go to school with. It's fun "learning" about them again. Scrolling through pictures, seeing who's hooked up with who, who's where, who's been where and probably along with a few things you never wanted to know about people, but it's fun.
I keep looking to the bottom of my screen where I have an Internet Explorer window open to the homepage but I can't remember what I had opened it for! AH!
I have my spanish exam tomorrow, I sure hope I pass this class. Which reminds me exactly why I had the window open! You see? I'm starting to learn how my mind works, it didn't come with a manual so it's taken me 22 years to figure it out but all I have to do is just keep talking and all with come back to me! (sometimes) I need to sign up for summer english class. I used to think the idea of summer classes was totally ridiculous and nerdy (or for those who weren't good at school, but I don't have a name for). But now, it's like why not? There really is no such thing as "summer break" when you are working, so why not just stick a few classes in there to save time and money? Makes sence to me, especially since my schedule with work is quite a bit more flexible for another couple months yet. Did I mention that McKenna's brother was born?? April 7th, Ford Munroe came into this world. He is just the cutest little thing!
Alright, time for me to yank out that sleeping bag. I'll pretend I'm back at JHBC sleeping on a tarp, under the stars in one of our many many outdoor locations. Let's say....tonight i'll pretend it's at Joshua Tree park, that was was cool. So good night all, the crickets (I think that's what those are) are already starting to put me to sleep.
Monday, March 06, 2006
"I know who I want to be...."
Sorry if that title doesn't make any sense. It's just a quote from a movie that I like, ( not so much the movie as much as I just like the quote;)
ARG! I made myself so angry this morning and I didn't feel like just calling anyone up to complain about what a dork I am so I am just going to type and try and release all the aggression through my fingertips onto the screen
So I started out a little upset on the drive into work for a few different reasons and everything just seemed to be going wrong (which shouldn't be happening on a Monday morning, that's like a rule or something isn't it? Somewhere....) Anyways, the weather isn't the greatest, it snowed a little and there is some ice out. I'm driving along listening to a surprising number of accidents being reported on every station I flip to on the radio, and I slow down because I see a guy stop his car on the side of the road and running to the other side. I quick glance across and see this car smashed head on into this enormous tree in someone's yard. I notice that I recognize the guy who stopped as a friend from chruch so I decide that I should probably stop because noone else has. Of course I'm a dork and can't decide (I SOOO wish I had half the heart of compasion this guy has for people) what to do so I drive a bit and finally turn around and go past it and turn around again and go past again. Why didn't I stop? I...DON'T...KNOW!! It wasn't a huge deal I dont think that I didn't stop right away because everyone was okay and stuff, it's much more the fact that I told myself I should have stopped to help and had the feeling like I should have but didn't anyways. Do you know that feeling? So I pass again, feeling like a total looser and the meanest person on the planet and there is another accident RIGHT in front of me that had just happened. This one covered the entire road so everyone was stopped and I was like, "Okay girl, you can't pass through to get to the gas station or to work right now so get yer rear end right back there and DO SOMETHING about what this whole conscience situation!" I stopped behind Tim's van as he's ready to run back across the road, I talk to him a little to see how everyone is and we both head out. AH! Why didn't I feel any better?? It's one of those times where you can picture yourself acting a certain way in a situation but in real life you just say you can't do it that way and then feel extremely regretful afterward. Ug, that pretty much describes my life. Lovely. There were kids, why didn't I stop to see how they were doing? I don't know. Why didn't I stop to see if they needed a car for later in the day to pick the kids up from school? I don't know. Haha well I'm starting to realize that this isn't helping. I guess the only thing I can hope for is that this regret will drive me to help people every other time!
ARG! I made myself so angry this morning and I didn't feel like just calling anyone up to complain about what a dork I am so I am just going to type and try and release all the aggression through my fingertips onto the screen
So I started out a little upset on the drive into work for a few different reasons and everything just seemed to be going wrong (which shouldn't be happening on a Monday morning, that's like a rule or something isn't it? Somewhere....) Anyways, the weather isn't the greatest, it snowed a little and there is some ice out. I'm driving along listening to a surprising number of accidents being reported on every station I flip to on the radio, and I slow down because I see a guy stop his car on the side of the road and running to the other side. I quick glance across and see this car smashed head on into this enormous tree in someone's yard. I notice that I recognize the guy who stopped as a friend from chruch so I decide that I should probably stop because noone else has. Of course I'm a dork and can't decide (I SOOO wish I had half the heart of compasion this guy has for people) what to do so I drive a bit and finally turn around and go past it and turn around again and go past again. Why didn't I stop? I...DON'T...KNOW!! It wasn't a huge deal I dont think that I didn't stop right away because everyone was okay and stuff, it's much more the fact that I told myself I should have stopped to help and had the feeling like I should have but didn't anyways. Do you know that feeling? So I pass again, feeling like a total looser and the meanest person on the planet and there is another accident RIGHT in front of me that had just happened. This one covered the entire road so everyone was stopped and I was like, "Okay girl, you can't pass through to get to the gas station or to work right now so get yer rear end right back there and DO SOMETHING about what this whole conscience situation!" I stopped behind Tim's van as he's ready to run back across the road, I talk to him a little to see how everyone is and we both head out. AH! Why didn't I feel any better?? It's one of those times where you can picture yourself acting a certain way in a situation but in real life you just say you can't do it that way and then feel extremely regretful afterward. Ug, that pretty much describes my life. Lovely. There were kids, why didn't I stop to see how they were doing? I don't know. Why didn't I stop to see if they needed a car for later in the day to pick the kids up from school? I don't know. Haha well I'm starting to realize that this isn't helping. I guess the only thing I can hope for is that this regret will drive me to help people every other time!
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