Good Thing I Don't Do Things Like That

If I would time travel to ancient times and then get stuck there, that would be bad because eventually my contacts would either wear out or fall out and then I would be as good as blind.

"...and when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?"

So... a few months back I was in Sioux Falls.  I was trying to leave Wal-Mart and was waiting for the stop light to turn green.  I looked out the passenger side window and saw a man with a coat and a hat and he was holding a piece of cardboard that he had written something along the lines of...

 "Going to (fill in the blank), but anything helps."

I remember thinking that the only place I was headed was Alvord, which would be getting the guy to almost literally nowhere.

As the light turned green, I drove off.  As I was turning onto the street, I saw a car pull over and roll down its window.  The driver handed the man what I am guessing is money.  The man half ran to the window and took the money with an expression of deep joy and gratitude.

What I noticed more than his expression was his hands.  They were pale and looked painfully cold.  It was, after all, the middle of winter, and he had nothing to keep his hands warm.  This image bothered me as I drove halfway across the city of Sioux Falls.

I don't understand why, but it wasn't until I had driven almost the entire length of the city that I finally looked down and saw the gloves I wasn't using.  I even thought about how I have more gloves at home apart from the ones I had with me in the car.

Furthermore, I don't understand why I didn't turn around, drive back to the man without gloves, and hand them to him.

I wanted to.
But I didn't do it.

It still bothers me a lot.

"Anything helps..."

And I gave nothing

My Dad Always Said...

http://www.photographyserved.com/gallery/Novartis-Reflections-Campaign/329834

I stole this link from a friend's post on facebook.

The pictures remind me of something I learned last semester in Life-span Development.  At one point in your life, you're going to look into the mirror expecting to see an image of the young adult version of yourself staring back, but will be completely surprised to see a middle adult or older version of yourself with wrinkles and gray (or no) hair.  We tend to imagine ourselves to look like the way we did when we were in our prime for many years after we have developed beyond it.  This is not meant to be depressing or disheartening in any way.  In fact, when I begin to think negatively about growing old, I think about something my dad always says...

"Maybe being old sucks... I don't know... But getting old isn't so bad..."

and

"If you don't want to get old, you have to die young... and who wants to do that?"


Anyway, I liked those pictures.  I thought they were neat.

I Want to be in a Band

Listening to good music is great... One of my favorite things to do.

Singing along to good music and doing it well, whether if I'm singing along with the itunes in my car or in a choir or voice lessons, is quite satisfying, and again, one of my favorite things to do.

I dink (apparently spellcheck does not approve of this word usage) around on the piano quite often and have made up a very small number of catchy... pieces or... songs? I enjoy doing this quite a bit, and when it (rarely) becomes something I deem as kinda good (for me to write anyway) I put this under the category of one of my favorite things to do as well.

Even guitar hero... a game in which I have not touched for months and months...  when I play guitar hero I sometimes get great satisfaction just because it FEELS like I'm actually producing some cool tunes (yeah, I play on expert :P ) 

I wish, though, that I could be musically talented enough to be a creative force in a band.  I would LOVE to play the bass guitar I've got collecting dust at home with a couple of guitarists, a drummer, and a singer or two, and maybe a keyboardist and who knows what else.  

Some will say all I need to is haul the ol' bass guitar out and start slappin de bass-uh... but that would mean I devote a large portion of free time that is really, really hard to come by while college is in.  Not only that, but in order for me to be in a band, I would have to find a handful of people who would also need to devote said hard-to-get-by free time.  

Even if I could find the time and the others to join... I'm not sure if I have enough room in my talent cap to become a useful member of a band anyway.  Sure I am decent at music... I've got a scholarship in singing here at Dordt, but I have also found that the music that Dordt is expecting me to be able to perform in voice lessons is impossibly hard, and while they say they are only trying to stretch me... I feel there is a point where I have been stretched a bit too thin (and I feel this also applies to the insane busyness that we get caught up in college).

Meanwhile, I will just continue to stretch myself thin during voice lessons and to push my creative abilities on the piano with the pieces of melodies and harmonies that have been started, but have ultimately remained unfinished, all the while wishing that I could do more.  

Maybe this is a bad attitude.  Perhaps I should be happy with the talent I do have.  

Or maybe this is a good attitude.  Perhaps I should not be happy with my present ability, but work hard to push my limits.  

Bottom line:  I enjoy music, and whatever I do with it, I will be sure to continue to enjoy it.  If I begin to not enjoy music, I am doing something wrong.  

If you made it through this entire post, I am impressed by your commitment and determination.
Now give yourself a hug and cookie... cuz you rule.