Independence....not?

Independence.  The mere thought of it fuels my excitement and makes me feel unstoppable.  You get to choose what you do, where you go, and who you surround yourself with.  You become the author of your life’s book.  Anything seems possible.  That is, when you are actually out living on your own.

It’s funny how we thirst for independence when we are in high school.  The absolute last thing we want is for our parents telling us that we can’t stay out with our friends past 10:30 on a Thursday night.  I’d always hated it; said that my parents weren’t allowing me to express or practice my independence. 

This past holiday was a blast into the past for me.  Going home, I didn’t necessarily lose my independence in its entirety, but I definitely felt like pieces of it were taken from me.  Looking back, though, it was not taken from me in a negative way.  It was, more or less, awakening.  I’d forgotten how good it feels to be worried about.  To have someone that loves me enough and cares enough about my health to tell me to go to bed at a decent hour, or to drink all my milk at the dinner table.  I feel blessed that I have such a wonderful family that will not abandon me and are genuinely concerned about my future.  Not everyone is blessed with this fortune.

I challenge you to look back at the times when your parents or caregivers disciplined you or restricted you from doing certain things.  As hard as that might be, know that they were doing it with your best interests in mind and that they raised you to the best of their ability.  

Weird Things That People Do

Sometimes I don’t understand what goes through another’s mind.  Here are a couple of weird things that bug me….

Situation: Someone sitting quietly at their computer suddenly giggles or bursts out in laughter.  They sit there, peering out of the corner of their eye, waiting for you to ask them what is so funny.  For the next minute, “hee hee’s”, “Mhmm’s”, and a slow back and forth shaking of the head occur.

Response:  I am NOT going to ask you what’s so funny.  If you think it’s that funny and worthy of other people hearing about it, then just tell me straight up!  If you think it’s hilarious, great!  Stop searching for an approval that establishes what you saw was in fact funny. 

Situation:  A new acquaintance talking in a higher-pitched, yet softer voice….completely opposite of their “normal” tone.

 Response:  Why are you talking like a baby?  It makes you sound unintelligent and needy.  Speak with confidence.  It will take you far.

Situation:  Waiting for class to start, you chat with your neighbor to your right.  You ask, “How was your weekend?” They respond with, “It was great.  I went to the cities and ate at this fantastic restaurant! I got the…” Then, out of nowhere, the person on your left blurts, “I had this amazing steak at the new restaurant in town.  It was the best I’ve ever had!” 

Response:  1) I don’t care what you ate and 2) I WASN’T ASKING YOU!  I wasn’t even LOOKING at you!  Don’t jump into a conversation that you are not a part of.  Practice humility and respond only when asked.  People notice and want to spend more time with those that are not so self-centered and with those that are genuinely interested in people other than themselves. 

Situation:  People reporting on their facebook status that they are about to take a nap, eat dinner, or go to bed.

Response:  It’s great that you are doing all of these things, but nobody cares.  They do the same things in their daily lives, too.  Facebook statuses should be for more significant events, like “It’s a girl!”  or “Shit, I broke my leg today.”    

Compliments

I really, really love my job.  While there have been times that I have complained about it, I wouldn’t trade working in food service for any other on-campus job.  Yes, it can be a bit messy at times, but you have the opportunity to meet so many different people.  And it’s the people that make up for all the crazy shenanigans. 

Like today, for instance.  I was going about my usual business, preparing and serving coffee and other unhealthy prepackaged foods, when this man comes up to the counter for a cup of coffee.  We do the typical chit chat and get into a great conversation about coffee prices. Not a conversation I would have ever deemed exciting, but it turned out to be quite interesting.  As he turns to leave he says, “You know, you have a friendly personality and provide great customer service.  Thanks”.  Well, YOU ARE WELCOME, KIND SIR!  I honestly didn’t think that phrase would have such a great impact on me.  But it did!  It made me feel appreciated, and that my services were actually valued by someone.  My mood was completely altered, and I was extremely happy for the rest of the day. 

It made me think about the compliments that I neglect to give people. A little phrase or statement can really go a long way.  I always used to be the shy girl, and telling strangers that their shoes/jacket/earrings were fantastic would have been the last thing you’d hear coming from my mouth.  But think about how you’d feel if someone randomly complimented you.  I’d hope that you would feel better about yourself, or that your efforts were actually noticed by another individual. 

I think that if you are able to make another person’s day then you should take that opportunity, even if you think that such a small compliment will have no effect on them.  Believe me, it does.  They may not express it, but it will hit home.  So go ahead, tell the person with the beautiful necklace that the colors are fantastic and that it matches their outfit.  Or that you love their new shirt because it looks great on them.

Then sit back and wait.  Wait for the smile to appear on their face, and on yours.   

Pizza a Vegetable?

Yes, I was shocked at the title when I read it myself.  But it’s true.  I’ve been reading article upon article about this news.  According to the USDA, a slice of pizza is considered to be one vegetable serving if it has at least 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce on it. 

Come on!  Really!?  Of all organizations, I would have thought that the USDA would have more sense than this.  Just because schools are having a hard time sneaking in vegetables doesn’t mean that the Department of Agriculture can go and change the requirements to make it easier for all parties involved.  Believe me, I know how hard it is for schools, especially school dietitians, to create meals that 1) include all food groups 2) contain 5 food choices that meet the caloric requirements for each age group 3) meet the budget and 4) kids will actually eat.  But I refuse to believe and accept that a little smear of processed sauce will meet the nutrient needs of GROWING KIDS.   Tell me what is more important here.  The amount of money that is being saved on cheaper, filler ingredients or the living, breathing children that will need to be in their healthiest state in order to run our ever corrupt and distressed country?     

The Gym

Exercise is amazing.  I actually love that post I’m-so-exhausted-I-just-want-to-go-home-and-sit kind of feeling, and the rush I get from pushing myself cannot be described with words. Sure, it took me awhile to get to the “I love exercising” stage, but I’d never give it up and I’d never think of discontinuing my gym membership.  However, today I almost wanted to switch over to another gym.

“WHOoooOooAaUUHH.  huuUUUOOUAAAHHHHH” is something that I don’t want to hear coming from anyone’s mouth.  I’m sorry, I know that benching 280 lbs is in your workout plan today, but let’s cut with the annoying whoouaah’s please. Also, let’s steer clear from these as well….

Ssssssssah

HUUOoo

PShhh

Uuuwah

Tts..Tts

MmmU

You sound like you’re trying to take an incredibly painful shit, and the people around you don’t want to hear it (or see your reddening face for that matter).  Actually, now that I think of it, the sound that I heard today could be paralleled to that of a male giving birth.  Either way you look at it, I think all the grunts and intense noises could be taken down on the heavy lifting scale.  Say from a 10 down to a 6.  I’m not saying that you can’t exhale or make obnoxious sounds, because it is true that some deep sounding exhales can help with lifting.  I just think your gym-going experience would be much more enjoyable for you and those around you if you toned it down a bit.  Just think.  You won’t get the crazy-psycho-stares and others will refrain from the vision of you giving birth.  It’s a Win-Win.

Maturity Mountain

Take a gander at this illustration... 






So, which one were you?  Come on, I know you thought about it.  You started reading the descriptions next to each goat saying to yourself, "Oh no, that's not me.  Not that one either. But this one, well maybe a little.  I'm more like this one, though.  I'm both of these actually.  Can I be more than one?"

They say that the grass is always greener on the other side of the mountain. I don't think that to be entirely factual, but I can definitely see some truth to it.  I came across this illustration randomly on stumbleupon and thought it was a decent illustration of this overused statement (aside from the fact that the picture shows the greener pasture on the SAME side of the mountain). It's a neat parallel to the personalities that many people possess.  Hard to admit, but I'm pretty sure I've been each of these goats at least once in my life. I usually consider myself to be a mature person, but there are times when I find myself sticking up my nose declaring that "I am right and they are wrong". 

Nobody is perfect, and there have been days where everyone has acted like the "I see no flaws" pinkish looking goat, even if they don't care to admit it.  I'd like to think that I, and everyone, strive to act like the green, ill-looking good goats on most days, or at least the goats climbing the mountain attempting to make it to that wonderful acre of mountainous terrain. Unfortunately, I know far too many people who take pleasure lounging around in La-Z-Boy chairs claiming that they are entitled and that wisdom inevidably comes with age. Those, along with the individuals whose only hobbies revolve around social status, clothes, and looks, would be enough to make a person want to throw themselves off of the mountain altogether.  But what's the point of being those unfriendly, Pepto Bismol goats?  Some people might be drawn to their unpleasantness at first because it is slightly amusing.  Eventually, though, they will realize how miserable they feel when they are around them.
I don't like comparing myself, nor would I ever tell you to compare yourself, to that of a goat. But let's amuse ourselves. If I had to choose just 1 goat that I'd aim to be like one day, I'd choose any of the goats that have made it over to the greener grass.  They all look much happier to me.  

Which one would you pick?

Cell Phones

In my opinion, telephones were probably the best invention ever.  Ok, well maybe next to the MRI and prosthetic heart valves.  But really, think about it.  There are 7 billion (yes, the stats just changed on Nov. 1) people in the world and you are looking to chat with just one specific person out of those 7 billion.  All you have to do is dial a series of 10 numbers and the next 25 minutes are history.  How is it, through these little devices that we call cell phones, are we able to hear that special someone’s voice with just the touch of a few buttons?  It’s rather unbelievable when you take the time to think about it, and the concept is taken for granted more often than not.

This notion may sound strange coming from someone who used to despise any type of technology (Hard to believe, but it’s true).  Hear me out, though.  I really do feel that cell phones and modern technology are beneficial.   It irks me, however, when they are being used inappropriately.  For example, I do not think it is crucial for a 16 year old, more or less a 35 year old, to be checking their text messages every 8 seconds.  And I find it hard to believe that sending someone a grammatically incorrect sentence is more engaging than talking with them face to face. 

I’m not going to lie, I do my fair share of texting.  But please be aware of the marvelous concept of conversation.  Whether it be face to face or over the phone, do not forget the importance of talking with people. 

If you do find yourself texting, at least amuse your old English professor and abide by these simple rules. 

1)      You’re= you are

Your = your

Ur= not a word

2)      sentence structure is important if u cut out grammar altogether u risk sounding like a 5 yr old that rambles on about dinosaurs and legos and has tantrums in the grocery store because they cannot verbalize what they want or how they feel who wants to be viewed as a child yeah not me

Let me rephrase.  Commas and periods are a must if you want your reader to understand what you are talking about.  Use them.

3)      Capitalize proper nouns and the first letter of each sentence.  We’re talking about basic English here. 

I’m sure many of you are feeling quite offended and are beyond mad at me by this point.  I apologize for all of my sarcasm.  But I strongly believe that if we carry out our proper English writing even if it has to be through text, we won’t lose this vital skill that provides us with the opportunity to advance and progress personally, in our careers, and in society.

L8r  ;)