Kindness

More often than not, we take acts of kindness for granted. I know I have many times. We realize it's a nice gesture, but that's where it ends. No other thoughts or feelings. But these little things sometimes help me remember there's still good people in this life. Last week my dad and I were going golfing. We stopped to get coffee on the way to the course and ran into a man who goes to our church. I couldn't remember his name or what he did, but the minute we walked in, he saw me and asked, "Are you golfing today?" I replied that yes, I was, thinking that would be the end of it, we would say our nice to see yous and goodbyes and go on with our day. He said, "Come on," and started walking with us to the counter. He opened his wallet, took out a gift card, and gave it to the cashier and told her to take care of our order. I think I was smiling the whole time we were in the coffee shop. I wasn't expecting anything to come of our encounter, yet he helped us without any hesitation.

Then, at the beginning of the week, I was at work and my sister Elizabeth called me. My sister Hannah had cut her hand and had to go to urgent care to get stitches (she ended up getting 12). I was telling some of my coworkers about it and one of them told me I could bring her a slice of pie that she had brought in for us. Hannah was so touched by her actions. Letting someone know you care, even if you don't know them; that's unheard of nowadays.

It doesn't matter how small it is. These things can impact people. I loved that cashier lady's reaction to the man from my church ( I really wish I could remember his name). At first, she was surprised. Then, the realization of what he had just done started to sink in. She smiled, looked at us, and cheerfully made our drinks. I bet she was like that for the rest of the day. Hannah happily ate her pie and it lifted her spirits. She was no longer down after that.

So, I guess the old cliche is true. You never know who is watching you. So the next you think about giving up your seat on the bus or helping someone carry groceries, why not take a chance and do it?

New Experiences

On Thursday and Friday, I had my orientation at Kent State. I scheduled my first semester classes, met some of my future classmates, and slept in a dorm that didn't have anything air conditioning! The whole thing was a bit of an information overload, but I had a good time. Here's how a typical orientation works:

1. Arrive on campus at 7:30 am

2. Sign in and put your stuff in the dorm you'll be staying in for the night

3. Go get your picture taken for your university I.D. card (which you will have for the next 4 years)

4. Sit in a big room and listen to people talk.

5. Get escorted to a smaller room with just your fellow students and listen to people talk.

6. Be reunited with your parents for lunch.

7. Go listen to some more people talk, this time in an auditorium

8. Come back to the first place you listened to people talk and listen some more!

9. Say goodbye to your parents because they go home after this.

10. Go take a math and a foreign language placement test that you didn't know about

11. Eat dinner

12. Have yet another seminar you have to sit through.

13. Hang out for about 2 hours and go to bed (in a dorm with no air conditioning)

Here's what happens the next morning!

1. Wake up at 7.

2. Pack up your stuff and check out of your room.

3. Eat breakfast.

4. Go to your advising appointment and schedule your classes

5. Meet up with your parents and listen to one more seminar

6. Walk around campus finding all of the buildings your classes are in (or in my case, look at a map and point to the general direction in which the building is)

7. Again, in my case, drive to downtown Kent, walk around, and find a nice place to have lunch.

8. Fall asleep on the car ride home.

This probably makes me sound a little cynical, but I just didn't feel like orientation gave me a good representation of what going to school at Kent is going to be like. They pack in a lot of stuff over a day and a half, and it's hard trying to process and remember it all. Trust me, I still want to go there, but I think I'll have more fun at Welcome Weekend when I move in (to a dorm room that has air conditioning, and it's own private shower!) I'm really excited to go, but at the moment, it's something that I don't always like thinking about. It's a big, kind of scary step in my life. I sometimes wonder if I'm going to be ready for it. But then I remember how far I've come so far. I've done things and gone places most kids my age will never get to do, and that's pretty awesome! I am very fortunate to be where I am. When I think of that, college doesn't seem scary anymore. Going to Ecuador was way more scary than anything Kent could throw my way! I came back from that country with wonderful memories and a new outlook on life. Kent State seems like cake in comparison to playing with street kids or going to a city dump.

Oh, and for those of you that don't know, I'm an English major with a double minor in Writing and Photo Illustration.

Can You Hear Me Now?

I've been noticing more and more how dependent people my age are on technology. I do realize that certain technology has become a necessity in our society- like the computer. I use one every day at work, and there was even a certain type of computer I was required to get for Kent State. Obviously, I wouldn't be able to write my blogs without out one either. However, in my opinion, the one piece of technology we use the most is a cell phone. My dad said once that people my age just don't know how to communicate. Well, dad, you are 100 percent right. Almost all of my communication with my friends now is done through texting, and quite frankly, I can't stand it. I would much rather have someone call me, or better yet, talk to them in person, face to face. Can you really express what you're feeling in 160 characters? No, no you can't. You can't tell what someone's reaction is through a screen. And the phone was originally invented so you could call people, not type "k c u l8r." I felt ridiculous just typing that out. When you're actually talking to someone, you have a connection. You see all of their movements and expressions. The slightest change in demeanor can mean so many different things. You see the sparkle, or dullness in their eyes. If they're sad, you'll know. Being able to observe these things is what keeps the connection between people going. You get to know them. You read them. Analyze. Sometimes it gets to the point where you know what they're feeling the minute you see them. There's something there that you can never get through texting. You can't have a meaningful conversation through a phone. It's a piece of plastic with wires and buttons. And mine likes turn off suddenly without explanation. In fact, it will sometimes turn off when I'm in the middle of typing a text. I think it's a sign.

Oh, and for all you guys out there, never, never, ever ask a girl out via a text. It doesn't work.

Songs and Symbols

I talk about music quite a few times on my blog, so I decided to tell you guys about some of my favorite songs and the artists that wrote them. I hope I can educate you a little bit on my tastes in music. So here they are, in no particular order.

1. The Rocket Summer- Hills and Valleys

As you can probably tell, I'm a big fan of The Rocket Summer. His music is very piano based, and his talent on the keys really shines on this track. He has a very unique voice that can hit notes in a very wide range. This is one of those songs that just makes you feel good. It's fun to sing along to, especially on the harmonies. If you're going on a road trip, you definitely should blast this through the speakers with the windows down.

2. Switchfoot- Faust, Midas, and Myself

If there was a song that was a message to my generation, this is it. Jon Foreman is a master at capturing you with his words. This song talks about how life isn't about material things and gaining wealth. We need to live our lives in a meaningful way. My favorite line from it is, "A heart that's made of gold can't really beat at all." That pretty much sums it up.

3. Jon Foreman- The House of God Forever

I like to listen to this song before I go to sleep. Jon Foreman basically took Pslams 23 and set it to music. I talked about this song in one of my earlier posts. It's just such a wonderful reminder of how much God loves us. I find it very comforting and calming.

4. NeedtoBreathe- The Heat

I'm not exactly sure how to describe NeedtoBreathe's sound. They're kind of blues/southern rock/ folk. Whatever it is, it's good. Really good. Bear Rineheart has a voice that is just filled with soul and passion. This song is just beautiful.

5. Bradley Hathaway- Look Up

Bradely Hathaway is a poet and a songwriter. He doesn't have the best voice in the world (think Bob Dylan) but his lyrics are amazing. He calls his songs poems that are meant to be sung instead of spoken. As a poet myself, you can see why I like his music. He even references Henry David Thoreau in this song. "He said we're all living lives of quiet desperation." Not all of you may know who that is, but a literary geek like me got excited when I heard that part.

So that is my two cents in the music world. I hope I have enlightened you with my musical ways!