Mikey's Musings

2010-05-21T23:16:00.005-06:00

Knowledge Is Power.

I went through my blog today for the first time in a very long time. It's been a while!

I've had some things on my mind of late and thought I'd post them. First, let me give you some context to my thoughts, broken up in pieces; then I'll put the pieces together.

Theory of Constraints:

In my cost management class we began studying the theory of constraints (TOC) this week. In a nutshell, it's a theory explaining the process of identifying the constraint ("bottlenecks") in an organization, exploiting that constraint, subordinating all other processes to that constraint, then elevating and eliminating the constraint.

The Right Questions:

Thursday of this week Clayton Christensen came to the BYU-I campus and spoke about the importance of asking the right questions to get the right answers. It was a very insightful forum. During the Q&A session afterward, he talked a bit about how our current education system is and how is needs reform. Professor Christensen pointed out that God never inspired man to make literature and history two separate and individual subjects; man did. God never inspired man to make calculus and mechanical engineering two different subjects either; man did. Because of separating such subjects in the schools, we have developed the habit of compartmentalizing things, where it becomes hard for us to take those topics and mix them with other topics in our minds. What education needs to start doing is breaking down those compartmentalizing walls and merge topics together. For example, teaching literature using history, or history using literature; teaching calculus in the form of mechanical engineering. So two major insights were gained (for me, anyway) from this forum: we must learn to ask the right questions and we need to learn to converge the different subjects in our head.

Improving Collaboration:

I'm currently the president of the BYU-I Accounting Society. This semester we have restructured the leadership model in the society to allow more collaboration, communication, and leadership among the officers and members. I introduced the idea and the officers really liked it. However, since it's new for everyone, there have been bumps in the road and it's been a struggle implementing the ideas that the model suggests. In fact, yesterday I ran into one of the secretaries of the society and he expressed his concern that he felt that he wasn't doing enough and wanted to do more. We talked about the new leadership model and how it was designed to give the officers more "substance" in their roles and responsibilities. I told him there was more for them to do, I was struggling to organize it all. I asked him if I could sit down with him and the other secretary this weekend and go over some specifics and design the secretary position better. He was definitely for it (and so was the other secretary, whom I later called). We're to meet tomorrow (Saturday).

Then, today I met with the presidents of the cultural associations on campus to discuss implementations of having a World Cup on campus among the associations. It turned out to be a good meeting, but I felt that the meeting wasn't as effective as it could have been; that the time wasn't well utilized.

After the meeting, the Korean Association president called me apologizing that he couldn't be there. We set up a time later today when I could sit down with him and go over what we talked about at the meeting. We met and I explained the meeting's minutes with him. He brought up some concerns, and then for the next 15 minutes or so we figured out solutions to those concerns. It was a very productive and constructive 15 minutes where a lot of wrinkles of the meeting's discussion were ironed out. After the president left, I realized that we accomplished much more in our 20-minute meeting together than I did with the presidents together in our 40-minute meeting. I was amazed!

Summing it all up:

Then came the phone call from home. My mom called earlier this evening and we talked for a good while. I was telling her of my accomplishments recently, as well as Clayton Christensen coming and the process of improvement requiring change. It was during this conversation when things began connecting and clicking in my brain. All of these things from the different areas of my life were all connecting and I realized that they were all related to each other, even if on different levels. After the phone call with my mom, I thought some more about it on the way home.

The first thought that came was the individual meeting I had with the Korean association president. Because we met individually, we were able to focus on specifics and resolve specific concerns. There was no distractions from others; it was direct communication between just the two of us and things got done much quicker. As I thought about my random meeting with my secretary, it was individual and we were able to get (at least) closer to the root problem of our society. I assume (we'll see tomorrow anyway) that our meeting tomorrow will be similar in productivity as my meeting with the association president.

The second realization also came in connection with this one-on-one meeting I had with the Korean president. He pointed out problems with the campus World Cup that didn't even cross my mind, simply because I had not asked the right questions. He apparently had and, therefore, could point out root problems. I never considered these problems during the meeting--and apparently neither did anyone else in the meeting with the other presidents; all because we were asking the wrong questions.

The third insight also connects with the one-on-one meeting. I realize that the reason for the rocky implementation of the new model in the Accounting Society is because there are constraints in our current processes. It seems that currently the biggest constraint is understanding, and right now, I'm the bottleneck. I have explained the general theory behind our current model to everyone in a group meeting, but I haven't sat down with everyone individually and hacked out the specifics with them. I have only done that with two of my officers, and coincidentally, those are the only two that are moving forward with things. The others, however, have not. Now, with my individual meeting with the secretaries, I expect that they will begin moving forward.

From this experience, I realized that I have either been working backwards, or I have been missing a large part of the puzzle. I have focused so much on group collaboration that I completely missed out on the individual collaboration. It seems that individual empowerment is critical to achieve empowerment at a group or an organizational level. This also ties into the theory of constraints, which says that one should not simply look at the whole process, but focus on the individual parts of the process. Ha! Eureeka! I think this is the underlying principle behind the current issue at hand!

So, now the problem has been identified. The exploiting part now is to talk with the individual officers and get them going. I don't quite yet know where the "subordinating" part of this process comes into play, or how. Actually, I think that part plays in when we go to the group level, after I have met individually with all of the officers. In addition, perhaps also getting the officers to apply these same principles within their respective committees.

This has been a very insightful session for me. I believe the Holy Ghost put the initial insights in my mind and prodded me in the right direction.

I think it's also cool how the different "compartments" in my life converged together to create this synergistic environment of discovery and insight. Knowledge is power!

What are your thoughts about all of this?

Any suggestions or ideas about my "subordinating" stage? Do you think I'm right? Close? Off base? What do you think the next step should be?

2009-06-02T15:26:00.003-06:00

A Sigh of Relief

Here's a quick little story of what happened to me recently. Last night I finally started on my financial accounting homework at about 10:30ish, which was due at 10:45 this morning. I was a bit stressed because I also had tax accounting homework due at 8 am, and I hadn't started on that either. I finished the first problem of my financial homework (which was a bit lengthy) and started working on the second problem, when, throughout this whole process, my roommates in the front room were laughing every 5 seconds, distracting me from my work. Finally, I gave in and joined my roommates to watch Conan O'Brien host his first night of the Tonight Show, laughing as hard as they had been.

After the show I went back to my room, it being a little after 11:30pm. I started working on my homework but exhaustion swept over me. Because classes started at 8am the next day, I made an executive decision to forego my homework and get some sleep so I could function the next day; I justified this decision with the fact that a few of my lowest scores will be dropped in my tax accounting class and I could still get up to 80% credit on my financial accounting homework, so it wouldn't be a total loss. As I went to bed, however, I realized one stipulation: my financial professor will randomly call students to work a problem from the homework on the board in front of the class. Knowing my luck I had an ominous feeling that I would be called on.

After enduring my tax class unprepared this morning, I sat down in my financial accounting class. I asked the guy next to me how the homework went for him; he said he only did 3 of the problems. I told him I only did the first one, therefore making me a viable candidate by Murphy's Law to be called on to work a problem on the board. He laughed and said he hoped that wasn't the case for him.

About 40 minutes into class, the professor announced the time to do the homework problems, looked at his roll, then at me and said, "Corley, you're up to do the first problem." What?! You've got to be kidding me! Of all the problems, he calls on me to do the only one I did! I was shocked; I looked at the guy next to me who, in turn, looked at me in disbelief. "I don't believe it!" he exclaimed. I smiled wide and happily began working the problem on the board with a feeling of immense relief sweeping over me. A few problems later, the professor called on the other guy to do a problem, but unfortunately it wasn't one of the problems he did and had to get a zero for participation that day. When I wrote out my answers to the problem on the board, I discussed my answers to the class and was relieved again when the professor confirmed my answers. I welcomed the clapping of the class and let out a joyful sigh of relief!

2009-03-19T17:32:00.013-06:00

Politics to Puke

I'm normally not one to get emotionally involved in politics, but the political events that have transpired in the recent months have moved to me to shear nausea! Okay, so maybe not that extreme, but I have found a lot of things upsetting regarding the new "change" being displayed on the political stage of this Nation. Because of such, I thought I'd share some of my own opinions of the larger issues portrayed by our government and media:

Government Bailouts: so in earlier blogs I've expressed my thoughts and views of bailouts. I opposed Bush in lending his $700 billion bailout package last year and I oppose the bailout efforts of the new Obama administration. Although no one really knows if over $1.8 trillion (this number deriving from last year's package and the recent package) will stimulate the economy as many people hope, that's not the arguement in my mind. The issue is that government bailouts in no way punishes bad behavior, nor does it stimulate good behavior. If anything, I would say it will reward mediocrity; it sends the message that's it's okay to be sloppy and to do just on okay job. Motivation for the best results possible is thrown out the window. Why? Because Uncle Sam will pay for our mistakes! Where is the Capitalism, upon which this country and economy were founded?! We have skewed our very own perception of the realities that face us in the near future, because we are forgetting too quickly the economic principles that gave us the comforts we have had up to this point.
AIG: This is more of a side note to the government bailouts. My question is: why doesn't the government first ask the companies they're "bailing out" for a specific budget of what these companies need and review it. Then, when the government forks out OUR tax dollars, they closely monitor that the money is being spent in the appropriate places. I'm against this whole practice to begin with and wish the whole thing wasn't happening; but if someone's going to use my tax money in a way I'm against, then at least show me the respect of taking note of how it's being used! Plus, I think it's kinda funny how people in Congress who voted for a bill which actually allowed the bonuses to take place, turned around and then said they were shocked to see the money being used for such uses.¹
Geithner & the Treasury: You guys said the issue about the AIG bonuses was put in because it might not otherwise be "strong enough to survive legal challenge."² Dude. I may not know a lot of legal goings on with all that's going on with AIG, but seriously. All I see are empty words from you guys, so you can avoid any kind of accountability. That's how it seemed with Chris Dodd regarding adding the bonus amendment.³ What kind of transparent government is that? Frustrating.
Another attack on marriage in CA⁴: The people have already spoken. Twice now (to my knowledge) California has voted marriage to be between a man and a woman. Okay, so I actually kind of already saw this happening (who didn't?). I don't think this issue will go away quietly. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it gets more attention than the first time. But here's my fear: when the marriage amendment is repealed (and I think it eventually will be; it's just a matter of time), I really think there won't be a major effort and movement to get it back on the ballot. I think either conservatives won't take an offensive stance, or the proposal will get shut down by the state (because I honestly believe the state supports gay marriage). I don't mean to be negative and I don't, by any means, intend to give the idea that it's a lost cause. I still think the battle should be fought, because it's probably one of the most noble battles to be fought right now. I just feel that more people need to be prepared and willing to take an offensive rather than a defensive stance when the time comes.

So what are your thoughts? Hopefully, I didn't show how ignorant I am of life, and I'm really not that cynical about things. I just get frustrated sometimes that people in our government often forget the simplicity of common sense in many issues. It's just that some of the things I read in the news makes me want to vomit! ;-)

Footnotes:

1. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/19/lawrence-odonnell-reduces_n_176886.html
2. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/19/geithner-treasury-pushed_n_177016.html
3. http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=dodd%20admits%20bonus&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wv#
4. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/20/another-marriage-petition_n_177599.html

2009-02-22T16:42:00.006-07:00

Insights from a Sick Man

So, the past few days, I've been sick. I never thought this day would happen. I mean, the last time I was really sick like this was 5 years ago; it happened in Germany, December 03. It only lasted a day, but that was only because I had received a blessing from my missionary companion, Elder Crucy, and our Ward Mission Leader, Bruder Köhler. After the blessing I was still a little under the weather for the remainder of the day, but I had the strength to continue proselyting. By the next day, I was pretty much restored to health. Before, the blessing, however, I felt utterly miserable and was, for the most part, bed-ridden.

These past few days I have felt pretty darn crappy, yesterday being the worst. However, despite how sick I've been, I've gained a few insights that I wish to share:

It happens.
Playing Warcraft 3 six hours straight is probably not the best thing to do when wanting to avoid massive headaches.
Life sucks when you can't be productive.
I have a loving family.
Speaking of family, I kept thinking how nice it'll be if I'm ever sick and I'm married. I could just cuddle with my wife, and everything would be so much better. Then, when she gets sick (because of me), she could cuddle with me!
On a deeper note, I've gained a greater understanding that this life is meant to have purpose. Happiness comes from striving for the desires of our heart. The greatest happiness comes from bringing our desires in line with the will of our Heavenly Father and striving to live those desires. That is--I believe--our greatest purpose in life; not just because it encompasses all of the virtues of moral character and the divine qualities that humanity seeks after, but it also entails God's ultimate work: "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39)

As insightful as this sickness has been, I very much look forward to being healthy again. And if I do get sick again, hopefully it won't be for at least another 5 years!

2009-01-30T21:17:00.003-07:00

News At Its Finest

Thank you, Stephen Colbert, once again. Earlier today I was watching a recent episode of The Colbert Report on the beloved hulu.com, where Colbert brings up an article titled "Massive Buffalo wing sauce spill shuts down Fairfield Street" from newstimes.com. I have but two questions:

Does the guy who wrote this article get made fun of for writing articles like this? I can just imagine his co-workers making little quips about buffalo wing sauce, or how they prefer A1, or maybe expressing their condolensces that the spill didn't happen in front of Hooters.
How do Stephen Colbert and his interns find this stuff???! I mean seriously, articles like this are SO ambiguous, it's amazing that they can find actual up-to-date articles that happen to go along with current topics and inside jokes on the show. It makes one wonder if there's some kind of conspiracy going on.

Anyway, here are a couple of quotes from the article that are my personal favorites:

"The street was closed several hours after the 1:30 p.m. spill as the state Haz-mat team was dispatched to the scene."

"Meanwhile, four patrons of San Tropez restaurant, next to Archie Moore's, couldn't get to their car, which was engulfed by sauce."

2009-01-29T22:03:00.003-07:00

Mmm, Biking!

I've been home since 20. December, and it's been pretty relaxing...a little too relaxing, but the one thing I love about the extra time on my hands is the opportunity to bike at Erwin Park in McKinney. Here's a pic of part of the trail:

Now that's beautiful! The trail is about an 8-mile loop that starts off fairly smooth, then gradually becomes pretty technical (sharp bends, biking over logs, going through really narrow passes between trees), then has a fun section of dips, and then a few sections of fields in between the wooded sections. This month I've been able to go at least once a week (and it's really nice being only literally 5 minutes from the park). I've taken my mom out there a few times and also had a date biking the trail. I went once by myself (and will probably do so tomorrow or Saturday) and loved it!

It feels good to be on a mountain bike and feel the cool air gently blow across your face and feel the rush of adrenaline as you pick up speed downhill and the exertion of climbing up hill. I love the feel of the camel pack rest on my back as I lean forward on my bike, focused on the trail ahead; the strain on my hands and arms as I maneuver my bike around the curves and roots of the trees on the path; the sound of the rustling leaves as they dance and sway in the wind; the rays of the sun that cut through the branches of the trees; the silence and peace that only come by leaving the busyness of the city; the simple insights on life that nature shares; the way that nature and the outdoors help me collect and organize my thoughts and shows me the proper perspectives in life...I could keep adding to the list, but I think you catch my drift.

2008-12-17T15:26:00.004-07:00

Stressed, Anyone?

So I'm on the 2nd floor of the HBLL, at the northern-most part where the big windows are facing the ASB at 3:29pm. I just now realized that it's a bad idea to be sitting at the northern-most part of the 2nd floor in the HBLL at 3:29pm during this time of year. The sun is at a perfect spot in the sky to reflect off of the metal and glass of the ASB and shine right into my face. I go around to the other side of the table so my back is to the windows only to have the sun just as bright on the screen of my laptop, so all I see is my silhouette and the reflection of the ASB and the sun! I would blame the guy who designed the ASB or HBLL and call him stupid or idiot, but honestly, who's the stupid one: the architect or the guy still sitting in this part of the library?

Well, finals week is almost at a close (as well as my life in Provo), with only 2 exams to go. I am due to start driving home this Friday, but in the meantime I still have MUCH to do. Pack, tune my car, get a radio adapter for my iPhone (so I don't go insane on the ride home), pack, Christmas shop, say last-minute goodbyes, finish my home teaching, pack, send a package to a friend on a mission, pay the last of this month's bills, and pack are on my to-do list. Quite honestly, I don't know how I'm gonna do it all. It can cause one to stress out.

But I won't stress for too long, because I recently purchased The Stress Reduction Kit™! It's guaranteed to reduce your stress. Sometimes it even takes away ALL the stress! The Stress Reduction Kit™ is simple to use and the results are astounding! Order your Stress Reduction Kit™ today by calling toll-free 1-800-Y-STRESS!

2008-12-12T00:02:00.004-07:00

A Bailout for Santa?

Why not? It seems to the be the year of bailouts. We've begun the jolly trend of nationalizing everything, why not nationalize Christmas as well? Then next year, we can bail out 4th of July, Easter, and other holidays!

In fact, it might just happen. The Wall Street Journal just did an article today (the 11th...I'm blogging this in the middle of the night, so it was technically yesterday) titled "U.S. Says It Will Bail Out Christmas". It explains how Santa and his gift-making operations are struggling due to recent "Christmas list swaps" that didn't quite go as planned. However, he is struggling to get aid from the government unless he "goes green." In all honesty, I'm not too worried. It looks like GM is getting their bailout. It's only a matter of days before Santa gets his.

Anyway, check out the article.

2008-12-10T12:21:00.003-07:00

Marriage Now!!!

2008-11-24T09:22:00.004-07:00

Terrorist Dream

I had this crazy dream last night and thought I'd share it:

I was walking out of a grocery store to my car, when I almost got ran over by this guy who was on a cell phone. A bit flustered, I kept walking toward my car when I felt strongly that I needed to go a different direction in the parking lot, so I went left instead of right. As I walked, I heard the sound of a crash not too far in front of me. I quickly passed a set of parked cars and just on the other side the same car that almost hit me had ran into a police car, going really fast. People had already started gathering around the accident. The cop in the police car was unconscious and the guy in the other car had rolled out onto the ground, also unconscious. I went over to the man on the ground and immediately checked him out to see if he was okay (he was). I then asked the people standing around if anyone had called 911. No one had, but a lady began making the phone call. I then proceeded to gently position the man on his side and treated him for shock.

After taking care of the man on the ground I went over to the cop in the police car. He was still unconscious. I began patting him kinda hard on the shoulder, yelling, "Are you okay?!" I did that a few times, when the cop finally came to. Unfortunately I had startled him and he, not knowing what was going on, grabbed the gun from his hip and pointed it at me. I backed up and told him to calm down, that he had been in an accident, and that I was helping him. He slowly began to lower his gun and since he was pretty weak, I quickly took the gun from him and laid it on the ground away from him. As I was caring for the police officer, I heard commotion from the people by the man on the ground. I looked over to see the man conscious and sitting up slightly. He had a grenade in his hand and pulled the ring from it, holding the grenade tightly in his hand. Everyone scattered and I immediately began struggling to pull the cop from his car. Fortunately, the cop was a small guy, so I was able to pull him from the car and was able to quickly get several feet away and hide behind a car for protection. One lady was still by the man with the grenade, and despite the crowd, who had ran away for safety, calling for her to run, she stayed put (for a reason I don't know). Shortly after I got behind the car, the grenade--still in the hands of the man--exploded, with the lady still by the man at the time.

That's all I remember from the dream. I remember feeling pretty horrified after the explosion and for a moment in my dream, I thought it had actually happened, that it was not a dream. It was pretty realistic. CRAZY!

2008-11-19T20:57:00.005-07:00

Arrested Development Movie???
That was a freebie.

So I just found out from a friend's Facebook profile (who happens to be an Aussie) that there is a possible Arrested Development movie in the works. How cool is that?! You can check it out from the words of Ron Howard yourself here.

For those of you who are not familiar with or never heard of Arrested Development, it's a tv series that was on the air for only 3 seasons. From what I understand, it wasn't popular at the time (hence the short life-span of the show), but became such only after it went off the air. It's about the Bluth family and it's family members as they try to run the Bluth Company, a real estate business owned by the father, who went to jail for messing with the accounting books...among other things. It's pretty random and has some slap-stick humor, but honestly, that's what makes the show. "Marry me!"

Anyway, if this does become a movie, then I look forward to watching it (provided it isn't rated R, though I can't see that happening). I've provided a link to the pilot episode for your viewing, thanks to hulu.com. Enjoy!

http://www.hulu.com/watch/589/arrested-development-pilot

2008-11-19T15:37:00.007-07:00

America, the Spoiled

With the continuance of the downward spiral of the U.S. economy (Congrats Wall Street! The Dow has officially dropped below 8,000!),we have seen several companies prostrate themselves before Capitol Hill in hopes to receive bailouts to survive this unstable economy. One of the latest topics in regards to this subject is that of the auto industry crisis. In a nutshell, the Detroit-based auto makers are losing money fast, and without immediate government aid, GM could face bankruptcy.

Although the auto industry has been pleading to Washington for a $25 billion aid package, warning that "the societal costs would be catastrophic"¹ if no aid is received, there is a current head-butt going on between President Bush and many Democrats in Congress, causing a "deadlock"² to prevent any aid coming to the auto industry any time soon.

Despite the dark and ominous clouds that are rapidly moving in and covering any optimism for the auto makers to receive any kind of aid and, thus, bypassing an otherwise highly-probable bankruptcy, former governor and Bain & Company (and Bain Capital) CEO Mitt Romney suggests that there is still hope for the crippled industry. In yesterday's New York Times he writes an article outlining a strategy that could get the American auto makers back on their feet and become more competitive with foreign auto makers, who are now leaving GM et al in the dust. Basically, he tells the auto industry not to take a bailout, to tough it up, and swallow its pride to ensure future success.

As tough as Romney appears on the auto industry, the solutions he offers are very practical and focuses on the reality that a bailout would only delay the problem instead of proactively solving it and moving on. The following are some "prescriptions" he gives to Detroit's auto makers:

There are costs that can be alleviated, such as new labor agreements and cutting back retiree benefits (which, according to Mitt, is a large reason why the costs per domestic auto is much more than those of foreign autos).
The current management needs to leave. There needs to be a fresh view on how things are run, and they need to cut back on some (if not many) of the luxurious costs of being an executive.
Stop looking for quick profits and focus on investing in the future.
Don't get rid of the sales people that can grow sales.

I couldn't agree more with Mitt Romney about not giving the auto industry a bailout. In fact, I'm really not an advocate of giving out bailouts anyway (at least, not freely like Washington has been doing). As is the case in human nature, once one company or industry gets a bailout from a liberal Uncle Sam, it's inevitable that other companies and industries will throw a fit like a spoiled child, crying for their necessity of a bailout as well. What good is that for our economy? More reliance and dependence on big government? Why has the American economy thrived for so many years, and even been able to pick itself up after sudden economic downturns? It's because of America's belief and focus on capitalism, on a free-market society. Now, with our spoiled-more-than-ever behavior, if things don't go our way, we turn to the government for aid. Why must our society shame ourselves and defame Capitalism by demanding governmental aid, instead of overcoming our own challenges? What happened to self-reliance? What happened to independence? Have we forgotten the American Dream? Have we forgotten the foundation upon which today's richly blessed America is built?

It seems that the call of a bailout is too much of a quick fix and is based off of selfishness and greed, two things that will NOT help this economy get out of its slump. In fact, it's because of selfishness and greed as underlying factors that put the U.S. in the mess we are in today with our financial/credit crisis. I say SUCK IT UP America; it's time for us to grow up and rebuild ourselves as a "city upon a hill"³, just as we were foreordained to be!

I'll get off of my soap box now. I have a lot more to say about the topic, but I think you get my drift. What are your thoughts???

^{Footnotes:
The MarketWatch website.
Bloomberg website.
John Winthrop's "A Model of Christian Charity" in 1630. This speech was given aboard the Arbella, traveling to the American continent from Europe.}

2008-11-05T21:49:00.006-07:00

"Traditional Marriage" Preserved!!!

So after much controversy, stress, sign-stealing, grass roots campaigning, and several millions of dollars donated and spent, the political turmoil regarding California's Proposition 8 is over...with Prop 8 WINNING!!! In fact, CNN's website shows us the results, with 99% of the precincts reported:

So there it is! BOOM BABY!!! I was actually more anxious about finding out the results of Prop 8 than I was about the Presidential Election, but that was mostly due to the fact that I could see Obama winning it a mile away (I mean, other countries were holding Election parties in anticipation of the Election, hoping "Barack Hussein Obama" would win). So, to make it clear, Proposition 8 will be amended into the California State Constitution that marriage will be between only one man and one woman.

And what the heck???

There was one very unfortunate event that transpired on Tuesday, of which I wish to briefly make mention: the slandering commercial against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, of which I am a member. It shows two LDS missionaries barging in a lesbian couple's home, saying, "We are here to take away your rights." They proceed to take their wedding rings, then search the house for their wedding certificate, which they promptly shred. As the two missionaries leave, they jeeringly laugh, "What should we ban next?"

Okay, so it's one thing to put an add on the air to get people to support your campaign over another. It's something completely different--and wrong--to slander an organization and put it under false report, in order to sway more voters to their side. This seems to me to be a last-ditch attempt of a desperate society vainly seeking more support for their dying cause. A Catholic Bishop commented about the commercial by saying that the ad was "a blatant display of religious bigotry and intolerance."

If you want my opinion (which you obviously do if you're reading this) the commercial is basically that of no class and poor taste. Seriously, the video was super cheesy and really uneducated and had the word "IGNORANT" written all over it. The so-called "Mormon missionaries" displayed in the commercial:

wore no black tags on their shirt,
their hair cuts were anything less than missionary appropriate,
and they totally walked in a house without having a third priesthood holder with them, when only women were there (which would be breaking the mission rules found in the "White Bible").

So obviously, the two missionaries shown could not have been from the LDS Church...maybe a fundamentalist break-off. I don't know.

It is true, however, that the LDS Church is the religion (if not overall contributor) that put the most money into the Yes on 8 Campaign. That is a fact I'm pretty proud to admit; it shows that the LDS Church is very proactive in preserving the doctrines it stands for! Which it should be, if we profess to hold the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ! You can check out the LDS Church's Proclamation on the Family here.

2008-10-17T15:27:00.014-06:00

Yes on Proposition 8!

Ever hear the adage about calling "evil good and good evil"¹? Well, that's how I feel about the situation that's erupted in California regarding Proposition 8. This is an issue that is very important to me, so it's kind of a no-brainer that I'm blogging about it.

For those who are not familiar with Proposition 8, it's time that you become familiar with it! A vote "yes" on Prop 8 will add the following 14 words to the California state constitution:

"Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."

A vote "no" on Prop 8 will give no definition of "marriage", leaving the word open for interpretation.

Of course there are many debates about the constitutionality of this proposition, the biggest being in regards to "equal rights". However, I believe that the core of it all has nothing to do with "equal rights" per se. In fact, "domestic partnerships" have the same rights as "married" couples, as found in the California Family Code (Section 297.5 a). Instead, the debate has to do with the consequences of the Proposition failing. According to whatisprop8.com, there are 6 consequences if Prop 8 is not passed, namely the following:

Children in public schools will be required to be taught that same-sex marriage is just as good as the traditional marriage between a man and a woman.
There is a good possibility that churches may be sued over their tax-exempt status.
Religious adoption agencies will be challenged.
Religions that sponsor school with married student-housing may be required to provide housing for same-sex couples.
Ministers that preach against same-sex marriage may be sued for hate speech and receive government fines.
It will cost you money from ensuing lawsuits that would come from Prop 8 being voted against.

Anyway, so why is this such a big deal for us non-Californians? Because even though we are not directly affected by it currently, if Prop 8 is voted against, we will become directly affected by it down the road. Let me give you a couple of insights. For those of you who are LDS, this first paragraph is for you, although other religious communities are being affected similarly. First of all, the Church has become a very active supporter of Prop 8, donating to the cause and encouraging members who can to donate as well. On top of that, the Church is getting hit pretty hard by "no" voters. A friend showed me a blog that shares an experience about protesters in front of the Oakland Temple not too long ago. You can click here to read the story from someone who experienced it herself. Also, another friend of mine living in CA reported the following to me:

"Well, I haven't heard about the protesters in front of the temple, but there has been a TON of vandalism to the church building in SF and to the 'vote YES on 8' signs everywhere. Ours was stolen out of our front yard in the middle of the day. It's too bad people see it more as anti-gay and don't realize that if Prop 8 does NOT pass, everyone will lose the right to know what their children are taught in school regarding homosexuality. Whose responsibility is it to teach your children about homosexuality? Definitely NOT the schools! Homosexual couples don't lose ANY rights if Prop 8 passes...they just can't call it marriage.'"

And the LDS community is not the only religious community being hit by this. In Massachusetts where a similar amendment has already been rejected, the Catholic Church had to shut down its adoption services because it was against sending children into same-sex marriage households. What's the potential future of other religious institutions (including the LDS Church) who hold to their beliefs that marriage is a sacred institution, strictly between a man and a woman?

Another big issue is the possibility that children will be taught that same-sex marriage is okay and normal. Again, in public schools in Massachusetts, children under the age of 8 are being read books that focus on same-sex relationships. In California, a group of 1st graders went on a field trip to their teacher's lesbian wedding (and it happened on my birthday of all days...sad day)! Even though schools are required to keep parents informed of curriculum, some parents are having a hard time getting schools to inform them of when such "education" will be given to their children, making it hard to pull their kids out of the class rooms on those days.

Those are just a couple of points to show how we are also affected by this huge issue. In my opinion, I believe that Prop 8 should be legalized. Many argue "equal right" issues in regards to Prop 8. If one digs enough, one finds that it's the opponents of Prop 8 that are against "equal rights", whether it's intentional or not. Already found in the CA constitution is an amendment giving same-sex couples the same rights as married couples (Family Code, Section 297.5 a).

The way I see it, Prop 8 gives those specific institutions the right to keep their values of keeping marriage between a man and a woman; it also gives same-sex couples the rights to have domestic partnerships and maintain married rights. I think that allows for much better "equal rights", as opposed to rejecting Prop 8 and forcing people and organizations who believe in the "traditional" marriage to silence their voices.

As far as schools go, they should leave the whole aspect of same-sex and traditional marriage out and leave that subject to the parents. If sex education is such an important aspect of public education, keep it within the following bounds: maintaining abstinence until married, STDs, and the anatomy of the body. That should keep things on neutral ground, while allowing "equal rights" to remain much more equal than saying "no" to Prop 8 and forcing unwanted values on many people and families.

So with that said, I'm all about voting "YES" on Prop 8!!!

2008-10-03T01:19:00.002-06:00

Why My Life Is So Good!

Yeah, so even though it looks like my college career is being extended by another year (it's a long story), life is still pretty good. Let's look at a few of the reasons why my life is so good right now:

I just bought a car! It's a white '94 Honda Accord LX. She's a beaute! My Benz killed over during the summer...I'm glad I'm done driving it; I don't think you're supposed to always have a knot in your stomach every time you drive your car. That's bad.
I'm living in a new complex! 3 years in the same complex as a single person is just too long. Change feels good. Plus this ward seems to yield a greater amount of girls older than 20-21. Although I personally believe no ward will ever top or replace the BYU 106th ward, it feels good to be in a different environment.
I'm taking my advanced SCUBA class! Plus, I have an awesome diving partner (too bad she has a boyfriend...I really hope she doesn't get around to reading this - that'd be kinda awkward...I guess I know how Jim Halpert felt for awhile, right?).
A new season of The Office has begun! I cheered when Jim proposed to Pam in the rain. Out loud.
My dating life isn't so bleak so far! My first date in almost 6 months happened this past Tuesday. It was a blind date. This weekend I have another blind date. Next weekend I have yet another blind date. If I ever make it down to St George, I'll have another blind date waiting for me. As it got nearer to heading back to Provo, it seemed as though all of my friends suddenly became concerned about the eternal welfare of my soul and wanted to give me a jump start on the wife-search...and I'm okay with that. I say, "Bring it on."
My sister flies out for Thanksgiving! She gets in the Thursday before the week of Thanksgiving, will hang out with me in Provo that whole weekend and through Monday, then we are off to Idaho, where my bro and his wife and kids are. We'll be there for the week. This will be the first time the kids do their own Thanksgiving away from home. A new tradition has just begun. I'm stoked!
General Conference is this weekend! I'm heading up to SLC for the Saturday sessions and probably priesthood as well. It looks like it'll be just me for the trip, but I'm okay with that...I'll probably enjoy the alone time immensely, and the chances of getting a conference ticket for one are probably greater anyway. Sunday I'll be at a friend's family's house watching conference there (and eating strawberry waffles - yum).
A family I baptized in Germany isn't inactive after all! Last I had heard (a while back) this mother and son had gone inactive. I recently found out from my last comp, Elder Jones, that they are active, they just go to the Heidelberg ward instead of the Mannheim ward. That makes me happy. I hope she's working toward going to the temple now.
I keep my job! Last winter semester I interviewed LDS Germans in Utah for a research project. I get to do the exact same thing this semester!
I'm serving in the community! Every Wednesday morning I volunteer at Provo High for an hour and a half and help students improve their reading. It's pretty rewarding and I enjoy it immensely.
I have amazing friends! I've been pretty blessed to be around awesome people. I have great friends, and I've been starting some really good friendships this semester as well (yes, that means you too).

Anyway, those are just a few things. Most of them are just on the surface. I think it's just from living life and trying to be the best I can be that the joy comes.

2008-07-03T21:33:00.003-06:00

Ex Loser

Earlier this week I went back on a sale of mine to see how the install went. She wasn't home but her boyfriend was in the garage. He owns a clothing business that he has started in the garage of this home. It's called Ex Loser. It's a pretty cool concept and he was pretty passionate telling me about it. It was based off the idea of a loser getting tired of losing and doing something about it. He explained to me how it's applicable in any situation in life, be it sports, family, career, etc.

So I'm not doing a great job conveying his thoughts and ideas as well as he did; but it was enough to cause me to think about my pursuits and goals of late. I thought about this job and how glad I am to come back this summer. Last summer I didn't do as great as I'd hoped. I think the ultimate reason I came back was to prove to myself that I can and will succeed at this job. I thought about my studies at college, and how I'm doing everything it takes to get my accounting degree, even if I have to retake my classes or go another route. I thought about a few other aspects of my life where I've been beaten once or more, and grateful that I have the motivation (pride?) to improve so that I come out on top, even if it takes longer than it normally does.

I was glad I ran into Sevrille that day. He re-ignited in me the motivation I've been looking for. I hit a slump at work these past couple of weeks and that helped pull me out. He reminded of why I was out here.

Today in our training meeting we had a motivational part of the meeting, where we watched the video of the father who did the triathlon with his handicapped son. Afterward, we wrote down what our 5 motivators were for being out here. My top one was to prove to myself that I could succeed; to prove to myself that I can sell, and that I can come out on top. That helped me out throughout the day, because after a few hours of walking around, there was a lot of negative self-talk in my head about the area I was in (everyone was pretty rude). Finally, it came to a point where I told myself to suck it up and get to work. I pushed past the jerks and sold 3 after 7pm! It was a good feeling, and I realize that I would not have gotten those 3 sales had I not changed my mindset.

There's a song I often used to sing to myself on the doors to remind me of why I was working out here in Philly. It's "Can't Fight This Feeling" by REO Speedwagon. I would just repeat the chorus over and over again. One line kept me motivated: "I've forgotten what I started fighting for!" Perhaps I should start singing that song to myself again.

If there's anything I'm super passionate about, it's that we can accomplish anything we want to. If we are not achieving our goals and/or dreams, it's only because we hide behind empty excuses and lack the character to do so. I have gained a very strong conviction that choice is behind 99.9% of our current situations in life, and 100% of our level of happiness.

Like Sevrille's motto for his business is: "Exlosers are simply Winners who got mad;" the Winners finally got tired of losing and made the decision to change and win.

2008-06-29T12:26:00.007-06:00

Redemption Songs

For the past two weeks I think I've heard Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" about 20 times - on the radio, on the streets, in a house, and on a tv commercial. It's almost as if it's a song of hope for people in the ghetto, a hope to get out and live a better life. Or maybe it's their theme song for Barack Obama in bringing his promised "change."

This song has actually been an appropriate song to reflect on since I've recently been knocking in some lower middle-class homes. I look at these people and feel sorry for many of them. The ghetto life is the only life these people know. It seems that a blanket of apathy has covered the minds of many individuals out here. For many, drugs have been a main influence. For others, they simply don't know any other way. The other day we passed by a large area of Section 8 housing - the "Projects." Many people just sat on their porches, in their own poverty. But it wasn't the poverty that struck me. It was the lack of motivation; the lack of growth and progress among these people.

I wondered what would cause such apathy in an individual. Is it past failures that finally broke them down? Is it the feeling that they are so far down in the hole that it seems futile to climb out of the rut? Or is it simply perpetual from previous generations; that they've grown up in such an environment, they don't know any other life; they were born into this, and it's normal to them and they are fine with it, why would they need to go anywhere else and do anything different? Or do they simply have no opportunity?

Fortunately, in several homes I've been in, their children are graduating high school and going off to college for a higher education. I make sure to tell them my high opinion of going to college and getting a degree. Perhaps the parents feel that it's too late for them; however, much hope lies in the future of their children. Opportunity is out there.

In Bob Marley's song, there is a line that goes "Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery; none but ourselves can free our mind." Too many people do not realize that much (if not all) of their current situations is due to their agency - their ability to choose for themselves. When all is said and done, it all comes down to choice. Too often, we wait around for someone else to come around and make the change for us, when in reality no one else will do that. It's up to us.

Perhaps that is the "mental slavery" Bob Marley speaks of: not realizing that we have a choice; that the power is within us to make the change. And until that occurs, we cannot sing those redemption songs.

2008-05-15T21:23:00.008-06:00

More Fun in the Hood

So, because we're still waiting for our licensing to process so we can start knocking in Suburbia, we've continued knocking the the Hood. Life out here is crazy! Today, I was in a house talking to a home owner about home security, when he informs me that three months ago a lady was shot and killed right in front of his home! And do you remember the police man that was shot earlier this month (refer to previous post)? Well, two of the three thugs were caught when that happened, and the third guy was missing for a few days until they found him in a vacant home with his girlfriend. That vacant home was just three blocks from my area. The home owner then told me of another killing that happened last year just two blocks away, which was on the corner of my area. There are a lot of people out here in Phila. who need some serious therapy and anger management.

Today was a fun day for me and my office. This morning we went and took some pretty insane pictures in front of the Rocky statue and the Museum of Art (the location of Rocky's famous scene of running up the steps with his theme song blaring in the soundtrack). Afterward, a few of us went over to Pat's, apparently a super famous place for Philly cheese steak. One of my roommates got kinda sick, thought, after eating one. I just thought it was cool that they used Cheese Wiz on the sandwich!

2008-05-05T22:22:00.007-06:00

West Philadelphia

So I've been in Philadelphia for about a week now and I've gotta' say that I'm loving it so far! I haven't really had time yet to check out any sites, but work has been pretty interesting. Our entire first week of work has consisted solely of knocking in West Philadelphia. I don't think it was this bad in Chicago, when we knocked down town. Here the people seem more rude, and there's definitely more work cut out for the police here than in Chicago. For example, I heard today that two Sundays ago there were 13 killings in Philly. Last Saturday in a home I watched a live news report that a police officer had been shot and killed just twenty minutes prior; his funeral will actually be today (Tuesday). Also on Saturday, there was another shooting on the exact same block that one of my friends made a sale on. My friend had to go back to correct some paper work and saw the police tape blocking that portion of the street. He went inside the home of the lady he sold and the techs were still installing the system. They said they were inside the home when they heard the shots outside. Today, there were two helicopters about a mile or two from my area, looking for a missing person and the kidnapper. It's only been a week, but I still have more stories that I haven't even shared.

Other than that though, I'm enjoying Philly. Although I'm right in the middle of the hood when I knock, I haven't had any problems. I did see drug dealers hanging around on a street corner, transacting business - that was kind of funny - but people have been pretty cordial with me. I've noticed that they give me the same kind of respect I give them.

This is a pic of a street I knocked on this past Saturday, compliments of Google map. These are some of the houses I knocked on. About 99.9% of the houses look like what you see in this picture.

So there's a little bit of my experience in Philly so far. Here are a few things, though, that I would like to check out this summer:

Pat's Restaurant. Apparently, Pat is known as the Philly Steak King. His restaurant is downtown.
New York City / Manhattan. The train ride is only 1.5 hours from Phila.
DC. The train ride is about 2 hours from Phila.
Liberty Bell
Valley Forge
4th of July at the Museum of Art in Phila. I hear that's the place to go.

If you know of any other places I should check out while I'm out here, please let me know.

2008-04-20T23:29:00.010-06:00

Inevitable Change

Well, today was my last Sunday in the infamous BYU 106th ward. Ever since my first semester in college three years ago I have called this ward and AA apartments my home. I have so many memories (both good and bad, but mostly good) from living both in this complex and in the ward. People have come and gone (there's high turnover out here) and I have made many friends that have greatly influenced me in one way or another. But alas, my time here has been well spent and I feel that it's time for me to move on and to change my environments. Therefore, my last official night in AA 9 (aka "Funkytowne") will be this Thursday. Then I'm off to Idaho to visit my bro and his family, then off to Philadelphia. When I get back to the Provo scene, I'll be in a different complex and ward.

I've been thinking a lot about change lately. In most aspects, change is very good for us. For one, change helps us progress. It stirs up the ant pile, so to speak, and causes us to get out of comfort zone. We're forced to start over again and work hard at things that have become routine. Because of change, we can discover areas of ourselves that we didn't notice before, both strengths and weaknesses. Change can help us strengthen those weakness and mold those parts of our lives that need molding. Change helps us look at things in different perspectives, so our view isn't one-sided.

I remember when I was 16, someone once told me that change will help me see the potentials that I have. Since then I have noticed the truthfulness of that statement in several occasions. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why I am excited to head out to Philadelphia this summer. I'm excited to see other potentials of my life I haven't yet discovered or realized.

2008-03-29T00:46:00.003-06:00

Seminary

I'm in a Seminary Teaching class here at BYU and part of the class involves teaching a seminary class for two weeks. I just started my teaching this past Tuesday in Spanish Fork (about 15 minutes south of Provo), and I am LOVING it!

I teach a freshman class every day. There are about 18 of them. They are pretty energetic but do a great job in the learning process. I love teaching and I love the youth, so this has been a very rewarding experience for me. It's pretty humbling at the same time, though. I've been treating this experience a lot like the mission. These kids are in the forefront of my prayers and thoughts throughout the day. It's a wonderful feeling to have this type of care and concern toward people.

I really think teaching the youth in this generation is a very sacred calling. These kids are going through and will be going through more trying times and temptations than we did, and their children will definitely be going through must worse situations. That is why it is so vital that they become solid in the testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ at such a young age, that they set for themselves high standards and maintain them, and that they develop strong, righteous habits. It will take a very firm foundation of solid parents to be those examples and anchors those children will need upon which to build their lives. Those future parents are the youth of today. And in order for them to be able to lay that foundation for their children, they need to know how to do that through the examples of their parents, their leaders, and their teachers. So you see, it's a pretty humbling knowledge of what is hanging on your testimony, example, and influence on others.

There's my two cents on seminary and the importance of teaching. There's more on the subject of teaching - it's a very passionate subject to me - but I think I'll save that for another time, perhaps if you ask me about it. In the mean time, I just wanted to share my excitement about seminary teaching. It rocks!

2008-03-11T22:45:00.002-06:00

Summer Plans 2008

So I have this dilemma. I'm trying to figure out what to do this summer. Right now, I'm set up to head out to Philadelphia to sell security systems; however, the more I think about it, the more I want to stay here in Provo. So I've been trying to separate what I want to do from what I need to do; that's been hard for me.

So last night before I headed off to bed (it was pretty late) I saw my Book of Mormon and realized I hadn't read my scriptures at all that day. So I picked it up to read a few verses before going to sleep. I flipped it open to a random spot and started reading in Alma 36. It was the part where Alma shared his conversion story with his son, Helaman. I had two verses marked from long ago, which caught my eye. They were verses 24 and 25. They read, "Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. Yea, and now behold, O my son, the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors."

When I read those verses, the thought came to me to consider which summer option would offer greater opportunities to serve others and bring people closer to Christ; up to that point I had neglected to include those things in my decision-making process. I compared and contrasted the past two summers. While selling in Chicago I had some fun missionary opportunities, where I was able to share the restored gospel in a few homes. I really enjoyed and still cherish those moments. Yet, those were but a few moments over the course of the entire summer. My calling was in the music council, in which I participated Sundays only. I didn't get my home teaching assignments until mid-way through the summer. So Church service was minimal. On top of that, there really wasn't any time to serve in the community either.

Looking at the summer before, I served almost on a daily basis with my Church calling. If I stayed here, I know I would be much more involved with the community, as well as a couple of groups on campus. I have also gotten some ideas of other things I could do while here in Provo that could potentially benefit others, and I would have time to do those things.

Of course, I can't just do things for free. I still need finances to live and save up for school. I think that's where selling would have an advantage. This summer I have the potential of making $20,000+! I could technically become a manager the following summer, making $100,000+! Here, the only thing I can think of that could give me $15,000+ (if I really kick it in gear and hire people to help me out) would be mowing lawns on top of working at another job.

So, if I were able to have around $15,000 sitting in my account at the end of the summer, I would probably be quite content with my finances, to be quite honest. That being the case, staying here during the summer is actually my number one choice. I think the only things keeping me from making a decision now are three-fold: 1) loyalty to my friend from last summer, 2) if I stay in Provo, will I suck it up and mow those lawns, and 3) I haven't yet received any confirmations or assurances from Heavenly Father (that I've been looking for, anyway) of which choice I should make.

So, wish me luck!

2008-02-18T17:57:00.004-07:00

Family: Isn't It About Time?

Today I went over to the bookstore on campus to return something. As I parked and got out of the car, I was thinking about one of my business classes and my homework in it. To be honest, I love my business classes and thinking about what I'm learning. It excites me for my major and future career, so I think about it a lot. As strange as it may sound, thinking about business strategies, how to analyze financial statements, extracting pertinent information from excel pivot tables and charts, and such are all things I love getting into and doing.

These were the kind of things I was thinking about as I got out of my car. However, as I walked toward the Wilkinson Center, where the bookstore is located, I looked in front of me and saw a dad with his son, who looked to be about a year old, on his shoulders. He was running and skipping on the sidewalk; he had another son and a daughter, each about four and six years old, follow him. They ran behind their dad to keep up with him, laughing as they went.

Instantly, my mind dropped all thoughts of my classes and I silently observed the family (the mom was behind the older kids, walking); I couldn't help but smile to myself at the sight. Another guy walked passed them and I noticed him smile to himself as well. It was good to see that.

I love college life and the BYU campus. I enjoy the friendships my roommates and I have. I love learning the things I'm learning in my classes and like the challenge of keeping my grades up. The one thing I don't like about it all, however, is that it's easy for priorities to get switched around and forget what the overall aim really is. Family is what it's all about! Spending my life with my best friend. Being a dad. Spoiling my wife. Having water-gun fights with my kids in the front yard. Family vacations. Laughing. Crying. Serving. Loving. Bringing life into the world. Showing my kids how to love their mom. Heartaches. Disappointments. Learning. My family making me proud. Happy surprises. Anniversaries. Helping my kids pick flowers for their mom. Showing my wife how much I love her. Dancing with my daughters. Playing football with my sons. Hearing my wife tell me she's proud of me. Watching my children grow and progress in the gospel and in other areas of their lives. And so many other fond future memories!

Watching this dad have fun with his kids put things back into perspective. Suddenly, my college classes didn't seem as important as I had made them out to be. Seeing this family go by caused a familiar yearning from deep within to resurface. It was a great reminder of why I'm really here, in college, and in this life. That's a stage of my life I definitely look forward to!

2008-02-15T23:24:00.003-07:00

Die Heiligen der letzten Tage

I currently work as a research assistant for a professor where I have the opportunity to interview German Latter-day Saints who survived WWII. It's quite the fulfilling job! I'm always amazed at the courage these people had to be able to go through the circumstances they went through in Germany during the war. I listen to their stories, and at the end of the interview I always ask, "How did you maintain your testimony of the gospel during everything you went through?" Their response is almost without fail, "We had to in those times. It's what got us through." Their answer reminds me of a talk Elder Jeffrey R. Holland once said in a Mission Conference in Frankfurt, 2004. He said something to the effect that, because we are here experiencing this earthly life, we have already made the decision (in the pre-mortal realm) that we would live the commandments of our Heavenly Father; he said that there is no reason why we should be making those decisions again in this life. The German Latter-day Saints reflect this frame of mind in the way they respond to my question.

Today I met with a German who was a missionary in east Germany. Because of privacy reasons, I won't share anything she told me; however, listening to the things she went through put all of my problems in their proper perspective (which was that they are super insignificant and shouldn't really be classified as problems). I was amazed that, despite the incredible sorrow and sacrifice she faced and endured, she was not bitter about the events and losses she experienced. She impressed me greatly with how she still smiled and laughed, as though she had an assurance that most people in those similar situations didn't have.

I'm grateful there's an assurance of peace when we live our lives as best we know how; and that that assurance can grow brighter and brighter when we seek to know the Lord's will and follow it. Joseph Smith once called the Germans "an exalted people,"¹ and the Germans who came out of that war as better people prove the validity of that statement.

^{"Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith: Compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith", Deseret Book Company, 1976, p 364}

2008-02-08T00:07:00.000-07:00

Study Smarter, Not Harder

It's been a few weeks since I've written a post here. My last couple of posts were written on different computers, since my laptop was in the shop for about six weeks. Fortunately I got it back this past Monday, and it is a wonderful feeling. It feels as though a void inside of me has been filled ;^) !

Well, in case you're wondering what the title is all about, it is because I took my first Accounting 210 midterm this semester and got an 80 on it! The average, I've been told, is a 60-something. I'm taking the pre-reqs to get into the Accounting program at BYU - the number Two Accounting program in the Universe, as my professor says (second only to the University of Texas). Therefore, it's not an easy task to get in the program. So I was pretty happy getting a score above average - I just hope this class is curved.

I've learned that it's not necessarily important that you study hard; rather, one should study smart. I remember my second semester at college. I quite ignorantly decided to take Econ 110, Acc 200, Stats 221, German 330, and work 20 hours a week all at the same time. I had no clue what I was getting myself into, and did not realize how much my study skills/habits/whatever-you-want-to-call-it were lacking. Quickly, but too late, reality hit and I was nose deep in homework, classes, stress, all of the above. I didn't know how to study properly, manage my time effectively, or indoctrinate myself well enough the things I needed to learn in my classes. Because of it I suffered immensely. I can show you the grades to prove it.

Since then I've learned a thing or two. The biggest things I learned were that I needed to 1) manage my time better and 2) fix my study habits. That semester I "studied" hard. I remember being up late until two in the morning about two or three nights a week, getting papers and such done. It killed. Not to mention I still didn't do so hot. Now, I'm usually in bed by midnight (unless I choose to stay up doing things like putting posts on my blog), but have all or 98% of my homework for the next day done by six or seven. Plus, I'm doing much better in my classes.

So why the difference? I personally think it has to do with four specific things. Time management is definitely a factor. Concerning time management, I highly recommend two sources: "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen R. Covey, and "Good, Better, Best" by Elder Dallin H. Oaks. In regards to managing my time, I have been learning to both prioritize my time better and knowing when to say no. Also, it helps to know one's limits.

Learning to study better is the second factor. In the definition of "study" I include taking advantage of all the resources given for each class. For my accounting class, I'm in the TA lab about three to four times a week, spending about two to three hours there each time I go. It's great because when I don't understand a principle or part of the lesson, I ask a TA nearby and he'll explain it to me until I understand. We go over examples so I can apply it, which helps me to retain things better.

Thirdly, I believe desire plays a large role and is the underlying structure beneath the first two factors. If there's not much desire, not much is going to get done. I'm not gonna' lie, I don't have much of a desire to go to my MCOMM class (business writing). Although I like the end result of knowing how to write well, I don't care for the process that much. So that's a struggle for me. Yet, I try to keep in mind that I have to do well to make it in my major, and that helps motivate me more. Along with the desire comes self-motivation. I think what also helps me in my classes is doing extra things on my own. For example, for my accounting class, I like to look at financial statements of real companies (Microsoft is my favorite one to look at) and apply what I learn in analyzing financial statements. It's not required, but I get a real-world taste of how to use what I'm learning. I'm still trying to find ways to apply what I'm learning in my ISYS 201 class with Excel formulas.

Last of all - and I think this is most important - is that I try to involve the Lord. I'm not the best at it. Too often I catch myself wanting to take credit and to do things on my own. However, I do notice a significant difference. When I include the Lord in what I'm doing and try to keep Him a priority, I do significantly better in the things I do. Productivity increases! I contribute all that I've learned to Him. I honestly believe that the Lord helps me retain what I'm learning and is helping me be successful in my classes. For example, when I took my exam today, I said a prayer in my heart. I asked to remember what I learned and that the Spirit would bring things to my remembrance. There were problems on that test that stumped me; then, specific things were brought to my attention and specific formulas came into my mind that I had forgotten (but had studied thoroughly) and I was able to complete those problems (something else that is interesting to note about this principle - there were a couple of problems where I was totally lost and didn't receive any help. Consequently, those problems went over things I neglected to study thoroughly. I believe there is a direct correlation in personal preparation and how much the Lord helps us in our lives....but that's another topic in and of itself).

So there you have it - my two cents on how to study smarter. It's now about one o'clock and I have work tomorrow. Have a good night!

2008-01-15T23:08:00.000-07:00

New Song in the Making!

Yes, it's true! I've finally written another song (the last song I wrote was finished almost a year ago). I'm pretty pleased with the lyrics, the music, and most of the melody; however, I'm still trying to fix the melody in the chorus (I have a melody, but I'm not 100% satisfied). Anyway, the lyrics are below. Let me know what you think.

Paint A Picture

Something inside of me
Tells me I want to be
There for you.
But you keep pushing me away
Far from you everyday.
What did I do?

These fragments and pieces
Of your puzzled story
Won't show me the picture
Of your memory.
This faded-out Kodak
Of your colored life
Won't show me the picture
Of your pain and strife.
So I go away.
So I fade away.

Where's the fairy-tale ending
You hoped for and dreamed of
So long ago?
Is this broken-heart mending?
Let me know.

I can hear you;
Your cries don't go unheard.
Let me wipe away those tears.
Put an end to all your fears.
Paint a picture of your own
Of a hope that you can hold
In your heart.

Don't waste your life sulking
Behind sheltered doors.
There's a beautiful world
And it all can be yours.
So forget your past problems;
Your life starts today.
There's a beautiful sunrise
And it's comin' your way.
So let's go away.
So let's fade away.

Here's the fairy-tale ending
You hoped for and dreamed of
So long ago.
Your broken heart's mending.
Did you know?

I can hear you;
Your cries don't go unheard.
Let me wipe away those tears.
Put and end to all of your fears.
Paint a picture of your own
Of a hope that you can hold
In your heart.

Tus amigos te sostienen,
Y te saludarán
De nuevo con corazones
Fervientes
Y manos amistosas.

*Note: The last verse is actually a scripture in Spanish: D&C 121:9, which reads, "Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands."

2008-01-01T00:51:00.000-07:00

Soul Searching

I'm searching for something,
Though I don't know what I'm looking for.
This melancholy lingers
And these musical tides bring me to a shore
Where mellow feelings lay gently in the sun.

Deep inside grows a yearning,
A longing for a life not yet lived.
How far can dreams sail on
Before the ship and its captain drift
Into the horizon of a setting sun?

I continue searching, yearning
For the place where dreams come true.
This melancholy continues to linger
And these musical tides of the deep blue
Guide me to the safety of a crescent moon.

2007-12-05T00:48:00.000-07:00

Things About Me

Hmm...an introspective look on my life. Well, here are some things about me, in case you didn't know.

I love music. I did the band thing from 7th grade up through high school graduation. I played the trumpet. On top of that I play the guitar as well. Listening to music cannot be left out. It's a passion of mine. I hope to one day be a high school band director, after doing my business ventures.
I like to observe people. Not just watching people in any kind of setting, but I love trying to figure out why people do what they do. I like to put myself in their shoes and look at the world in their eyes. I find that trying to see things the way others do, and looking at things in different perspectives, makes the world that much more interesting.
Pet peeves: tail-gaiting; people who scrape their silverware against their teeth when they eat; meetings & talks that go over-time; a dirty kitchen; slow drivers in the left lane on the highway (and you have to pass them on the right....aargh!); being the blunt end of a joke; condescending humor.
I recently found out that my personality is analytical/amiable. On the analytical side, I'm very task oriented and focus more on facts and details, and am more reserved with emotions. On the amiable side, I'm more people-oriented, a peacemaker, and am soft-spoken
Typically, I open up intellectually/emotionally about the same amount someone else does (at least, according to my perception), as long as I feel trust with that person. Otherwise, "I'm a vault baby; locked down." In other words, I usually wait for someone else to open up at a deeper level before I do. If I don't, it's probably because there's no trust there from my side, for whatever reason.
Things I like to do: biking; driving at night by myself on the highway with mellow music playing, alone with my thoughts; just about anything outdoors; daydream; study business concepts; football; reading books that teach concepts (preferred over novels/story books); looking at the stars; pondering life; teach; take pictures; being introspective; make videos; snowboarding (I've done it only once, with plans of doing it more); I normally don't admit it, but I like to dance; writing.
Goals in life: graduate with a business degree; get an MBA (international business?); stay fit my whole life; make a cd with my own music; write a book; be financially independent at 50; be an entrepreneur; buy a house before 30; work for one of the top 3 consulting companies (Bain & Co, BCG, or McKinsey); be a high school band director; live in China and/or Germany; learn how to play the piano; have a good-sized family (I'd like to have at least 5 kids; we'll see what my wife says); be the best husband and father EVER!!!; travel after retirement; serve missions with my wife for the LDS church; improve education in America; fight evil; develop an organization that helps under-privileged workers gain higher-level skills in society, economy, and business; share the gospel my whole life.
Quirks: I sing in the shower; according to my roommate, I smack my lips when I'm asleep; I open and close the fridge door several times before realizing food will not magically appear; I still use German words in certain situations during English conversations, the most common words being: "doch", "jawohl", "wunderbar", and "wunderschön"; I quote a lot of movies.

So now you have a synopsis of me. That's quite a list. There's more I wanted to share, but it's getting late as I type this....maybe some other time.

2007-11-25T21:10:00.000-07:00

Untitled

So here's a song I wrote a while back on the piano. I just came back from a friend's playing it and was thinking about it, so I thought I'd share it. Let me know what you think the song is about. Also, any ideas for a title would be helpful as well.

Look at this heart. Say what you see.
Say how you feel. Tell it to me. Tell it to me.
Say what you see,
And take me as I am
Through the clouds and above the sun
Take me home. Take me home.

Memories flash in and out of my mind,
Of faults long lost in the passage of time.
Revitalize me with the breath of release
And take away these wounds and set me at ease.

Oh Lord please help me.
I've got to be free;
And I know it will take time
But I've gotta get home.
I gotta get home.

How long will it take for you to save me?
How long will it take for me to fly into the sky?
Come lift me up and let me see your point of view.
Come take me home with you.

White as snow. You will let me know
Crystal clear, where to go from here.
Winter's gone and spring has just begun,
Yeah, bringing light to take away the night.

Lord, I will praise thee forever.
My soul shall rejoice in thee.
My voice shall ascend forever to thee!

Just as a side-note, the last stanza comes from 2 Nephi 4:30,35.

2007-11-01T17:19:00.000-06:00

A Roommate with Talent

I have a roommate - we'll call him Mr. T for the sake of anonymity - who has amazing artistic talents. He is well known in this apartment for certain pencil sketches that look like black and white photographs. Well, once again he has outdone himself.

(First of all, the reader must realize something about the writer's apartment: they are full of inside jokes usually made up at late hours of the night. One inside joke deals with David Bowie from this video...don't ask, it's complicated to explain)

At our Home Evening group we carved pumpkins. The idea for our apartment's pumpkin was to make a David Bowie pumpkin. However, we had nothing to use to do so, so we waited until we went home. My roommate, Mr. T, went online and found a head shot of David Bowie, edited it on photo shop so the contrast was black and white, printed it out, and used it for his pumpkin project. About 3 hours later (somewhere between 12:30 and 1 am) this beautiful creation was made:

(The lighter-colored areas of the face come from the glow of the candle inside the pumpkin)

Amazing, huh? All with one pumpkin carver! Sure, it's a pumpkin; however, I find it incredible that someone can be so precise in regards to sketching, painting, drawing, sculpting, and even carving. Anyway, because of Mr. T, we were able to enjoy a wonderful Halloween with David Bowie. (Brace yourself for the following corny line...) I pity the fool who tries to compete against my roommate in a pumpkin-carving contest.

2007-10-28T14:28:00.000-06:00

Grace Kelly

So, I got introduced to a music artist named Mika last night at a BYU event. I really like his style of music. It's different from the main stream, and that's what I like. Anyway, I wanted to share my recent discovery with you (I heard that this song isn't the newest, but it was for me last night). I was told that Mika actually went to music school and studied to sing opera so he could sing the songs he sings now. Interesting.

2007-10-14T17:23:00.001-06:00

Another Tally for YouTube!

This weekend I went home to Texas to see my brother and his wife, Adam and Rachelle, get sealed in the LDS temple in Dallas (for a little bit of info on the temple, click here). It was a wonderful event, by the way.

Anyway, I was there from Thursday to Sunday morning and noticed that when I'm home I seem to lose all self-discipline. Productivity is usually at an all-time low and not much is usually accomplished. I think the only time I was ever able to break that barrier was this past May. I was home for a week and actually got a lot of personal things done. However, that is the record thus far. This weekend my weakness was YouTube. I wasted practically a whole night looking at music videos made by BYU students that had been posted on YouTube. My argument was that I wanted to look at the videos to get ideas for myself, but knew that I would not want to use up any of my time while at school. So I spent my Saturday night in front of the glow of my computer screen, knowing I had two flights and a lay-over to catch up on lost sleep.

At any rate, here are a couple of pics from the wedding - maybe I should post my videos from this weekend on YouTube:

2007-10-09T23:36:00.000-06:00

A Happy Birthday to Yours Truly

Yes, it's true. I've reached another epic moment in my life where I can say that I'm one year older and still single (yes, the writer is also aware that there seems to be recurring comments on singlehood...he will do his best to work on that).

So tomorrow, it being 10.10.2007, is my birthday, (not officially until 8:21 pm). Apparently, my mom went through 40 hours of labor just to get me out into the world. I'm a stubborn guy, I guess (hmm, I wonder where I get that from???). Anyway, this evening a friend of mine (if you talk to her she'll deny it) sent me on a treasure hunt of sorts through campus and parts of Provo. I must admit, it was a surprise, but a surprise I thoroughly enjoyed. It started off with me driving her car up 200 E, and as I stopped at the intersection of 2nd E and 8th N, this guy jumps out in front of me causing me to almost hit him. He comes up to my side of the car and motions me to roll down the window. Mind you, I've never seen this guy before, so I thought he wanted to yell at me for almost running him over. I roll the window down and he says, "Go to the botany pond. Feed the ducks, then go to the bleachers where you'll find a message. Of course, I immediately knew what was going on, yet excited for the adventure that lay ahead. I went from message that led to another message; and with each message there were little notes from friends and family. It was a great adventure!

There is one part of the night I wish to comment on specifically. A message led us into the library on campus (it read: "Go to the 5th floor and on the NW side of the building you will find a book at an unattended table. Put it in it's proper place and you will find the next message in a neighboring book." So we go up to the 5th floor and go to the north end of the building and start walking west. As we are doing so I spy a book on a chair of an unattended desk. I think, "Easy find." I go to pick it up and lo and behold, to my surprise the book is titled "Nude Photography Notebook"! Don't believe me? I have proof (I'm shaking my finger):

My friend insisted that this wasn't the right book, so we put the book back and went further west on the floor until we found a book in pink bound that read, "No Nice Girl Swears". Here's another pic for your gazing pleasure:

We read a few portions of it. It was...interesting.

At any rate, we put the book in its proper place, then found the next message that led me to another place. However, the note attached was my roommate's, which earned its right to be blogged on this site. Here is how it went, word for word:

"I am glad that Michael sallied forth from the womb because he is a great proficient with the ladies. It could be said that his finding pool is well stocked and has been left in pieces for far too long. He is a frequent guest on the popular radio program such as Dating 911, as well as Marriage before Maternity. I personally believe Michael is an angel of music sent to us from an otherwise terrestrial locale, the Texas, which got a lone star rating in the Three Degrees of Glory Geological Survey. His work has been featured on the Billboard charts in Orem for the past four days consecutively, unfortunately causing gridlock. Richard Dutcher, director of Gods Army 2: States of Disgrace was seen filming the chaos for a piece in his new film titled Brother Brigham's Blunder: Perpendicular Paralysis. Michael's breakout hit single "I'm Trying to Feel the Spirit, Here" was only surpassed in number of downloads on DITunes by his juicy rendition of Sloppy Joe, which has become an inspiration to lunch professionals in two and a half US territories. This song is reportedly said to have been the catalyst for the creation of five thousand new jobs in Puerto Rican meat packing plants. Additionally, Michael is a grandiose bastion of hope to the obese community at large. His hugely successful protein diet APECS (All Puerto-rican Environmentally-friendly Cow Steak) has transformed hordes of the metabolically disabled into skinny winners. When asked about his diet's wide acclaim and his clients' ballooning success rates, Michael commented, "No Big deal, none of them are Big deals now. APECS is a lifestyle, not...a deli meat." In her recent stint with NBC's Cooking in the Big House, convicted felon Martha Stewart suggested adding a bun and some cheese to APECS in order to broaden one's options. Michael countered by saying of the cheese and bun, "Most people's 'options' are already too broad! That's the problem, you selfish girl! Are the vein of Philly to be thus polluted?!" Martha then promptly sold her 300,000 shares of APECS stock to Richard Dutcher, whose film was a runaway success in the south. Dutcher's success has been lauded by such notable politicians as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and Sen. Hillary Clinton who each agreed that the film was "the most thought provoking they'd seen since Liar Liar." Sen. Clinton was also accompanied to the screening by her husband, former President Bill, who, in attempt to comment on the film, was hushed by the Senator from New York, who said, "That's alright, that's alright! You are far from where you started." He was later seen muttering to the popcorn vendor about "the one that got away." Don't fret. I'm sure the odds are very low that that one fell into Michael's finding pool..."
-Ty

Though I wasn't too fond about his Texas comment, I laughed pretty hard when I read it. Sure, pretty much everything in it were inside jokes (that's how this apartment operates...purely inside jokes), but I'm sure it made you smile.

So there you have it! My pre-birthday celebration. Plus, my friend got me the book "The Scarlet Pimpernel", a favorite movie of mine that came from the novel! Odds fish!

2007-10-01T21:32:00.000-06:00

Dating 101: Lesson 2

So I overheard part of a conversation between a guy and a girl as I walked through campus today. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the whole context of it, however the girl talking said, “I’m not going to date until the Spirit pushes me to do so.” Mind you, I have no evidence of whether she was talking about herself or about someone else; whether she meant guys in general or a specific one; or even if it was a hypothetical statement – as already mentioned, the context is unknown. However, whatever the case may be, the case in point is a meaning I wish to extract from it: don’t date anyone until prompted by the Spirit. The point I want to make is that having this frame of mind is far-fetched, immature, and potentially dangerous on a gospel level.

Okay, so this lesson on dating has much involvement with the gospel. So consider this your Sunday School Dating class for the week.

First off, if you don’t date anyone, you will never know what you really want in a spouse, therefore, who you want your spouse to be. In conversations I’ve had as well as personal experience, I’ve noticed that before we step foot in the real world of wooing we have certain Expectations of the opposite gender we want met, which Expectations often demand near perfection. Hence, the girl gets shut down because “There’s someone better out there,” and the guy gets burned because he’s not going to be a doctor or a businessman. I presume there comes afterward (sooner or later, depending on the level of naivety one may have) a state of realization where a person finally figures out that who they marry will not be perfect. Then Mercy comes into the list of Expectations, giving potential significant others a chance they didn’t have when Justice completely dominated. And I’m sure life gets peachy after that.

But I’m derailing the conversation. If you don’t date anyone you will never know who you will want to have as a spouse. And if you decide to only date someone the Spirit prompts you to date, you might be waiting a long time (unless He finally does so out of sheer pity for you, which might be more condescending than we really want). Someone with that frame of mind is immature because it is not congruent with principles of the gospel. “For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; for the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.” (D&C 58:26-28) “Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me. But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.” The following is an excerpt from the talk “Revelation” by Dallin H. Oaks at Brigham Young University on 29 September 1981: “I once heard a young woman in testimony meeting praise the spirituality of her husband, indicating that he submitted every question to the Lord. She told how he accompanied her shopping and would not even choose between different brands of canned vegetables without making his selection a matter of prayer. That strikes me as improper. I believe the Lord expects us to use the intelligence and experience he has given us to make these kinds of choices.” I can give numerous other examples, but I think you get the drift of what I’m trying to get at.

The purpose of this life is not to constantly be told what to do and when. If that happened, we’d all be spoiled brats whining and moaning (and “weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth”) until we were pointed in the right direction. We’d be those people who are thirty and still living at home. We wouldn’t grow up. There would be no point to this life, for how could we progress save we were given to “act for [ourselves].” (2 Nephi 2:16) The Lord expects us to gain knowledge and wisdom and learn how to use it properly. As Joseph Smith so candidly put it, “You have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p 346, 1976 Deseret Book Company)

So after all of my ramblings and standing on my soap-box, the lesson to be learned is this: don’t sit around and wait for the Spirit to tell you to do something (in this case, don’t sit around and wait for Love to come knocking on your door). Do all things in your power and when direction is needed, direction will be given.

2006-10-15T00:18:00.000-06:00

Nice Guys Finish Last

Back in the early days of high school, I loved watching "The Mask", starring Jim Carrey. In it, he mentions a book or newspaper article (I can't remember which now, and frankly, it's not relevant anyway) he wrote entitled "Nice Guys Finish Last". How true that title rings in my ears and in my life!

Let me tell you a simple story: There once was a man who had a piece of coal. One day a good friend of his came by to visit. He told the man how he was in search of a precious diamond of great worth. The man told his friend, "I have here a piece of coal I have been holding for a while now. It has the capacity of becoming a diamond. I know not the means of turning it into a diamond. However, you are my friend. Therefore, I will give you this piece of coal." At first, the friend objected; yet, the man insisted. So the friend took the coal, thanked him and went on his way.

After many days the friend came back and showed the man the diamond. The man was happy for his friend, yet deep down inside he regreted the chance of having something of great worth, which could have been his.

2006-10-06T00:20:00.000-06:00

Eine Erinnerung an Deutschland

I've always loved the fall. The cool, heavy, damp air. The barren trees. The bland colors. The reds, oranges, and yellows of leaves on the streets and lawns, as they silently fall from branches above. The pumpkins on porches. The autumn breeze that twirls in gusts. The clothing and jackets. The gray, low-lying clouds. I love everything about fall! Now, ever since I've been back from Germany, fall seems to have much more meaning to me, at least here in Provo, Utah. The weather and feelings of fall remind me of fall in Germany.

I don't know what it is about Germany, but when I lived there, I always felt claustrophobic. It always seemed like the sky was falling on you and everything was trying to squeeze in on you. Coming from Texas, I'm used to the openness of everything. The sky seems far up there. The land is flat and broad. Houses and buildings are spread out. Everything is open. In Germany, it's the exact opposite. And I feel that way in the fall.

It's interesting how certain situations will give you those nostalgic feelings that bring back memories. For example, whenever I listen to Green Day's Nimrod CD, I think of my junior year in high school, in the basement of our house, working out on the bench; because everytime I worked out I listened to Green Day's CD, since it was about 45 minutes. During the summer, when days would turn especially hot and humid, I think of my summer a year ago, when I was outside, selling pest control; because it was always hot and humid. Those are just a couple of examples. The same holds true with the feelings of autumn. They conjure up a nostalgia that transports me back in Germany. On top of that, I'm taking a business German class this semester, where we are constantly speaking in the German tongue. Have you ever been somewhere or had an experience in the past that seemed "once in a life-time" and you loved it so much, that you wish you could relive it? That's how I've felt since I came back from Germany; however, with fall being here AND taking this German class, those feelings are stronger than ever. Memories flash in the front of mind of walking down the Fußgängerzone, passing small shops and clothing stores, crossing cobble-stone streets. I think of the Weihnachtsmarkt in Mannheim, drinking Kinderpunch. I picture myself in the Bahnhof, eating a Nutella-banana crepe, as I wait for the train to Kaiserslautern or Heidelberg. I miss the Döner Kebab! I often imagine being in an ICE again, traveling from Duisburg to Frankfurt. Frankfurt! I loved the crazies out in the Marktplatz at Hauptwache und Konstablerwache. I miss the clothing and the pointy "elf" shoes the German city women would wear in the winter time. I remember the people I met, served, befriended, and came to love. I miss the culture, the food, the houses. I miss how it all felt medieval and modern at the same time. I miss the way people would look at me funny on the street, when I would ask them how they were doing. I miss their brutal honesty. Overall, I miss the experience of Germany.

It's like a dream that became real, but then you wake up and find yourself back home. You try to go back to sleep and have that same dream again, starting where you left off, hoping that those feelings and that the reality of it will come back. But it doesn't. These images inside my head seem to be the imaginations of a distant fantasy world. Then, one plane flight obscures the intense feelings of how tangible that experience was and turns it all into surreal thoughts and mental pictures, transparent and off-focus. You get off the plane back home and it's like leaving the magical world of Narnia and finding yourself back in the wardrobe of an old man's house.

And so each falling leaf in autumn represents a memory of the Vaterland. Each passing gust of wind is an emotion that swells inside my soul - a yearning to go back and relive a dream of once was. And in each sigh and thought is the ever-growing determination to fulfill that dream to return to a people and culture I grew to love - a place, in which I lost my heart. Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit für das deutsche Vaterland!

2006-09-21T00:14:00.000-06:00

Fundamental Economics & Dating 101

Are you familiar with the phrase "opportunity cost"? It's one of those economic terms. According to one definition, it is "the value of the next best alternative that must be given up when a choice is made." For example, the opportunity cost of writing this entry is the sleep I could be getting right now (which I'm sure I'll regret in the morning when I wake up for classes).

Tonight, the thought occurred to me that dating is full of opportunity costs. It's been said that guys have a problem when dating; that it's often hard for us to get in a steady relationship with someone because we wonder if there's someone out there who might be a better match for us. While that may be true in certain instances (by the way, I think it holds true for many girls as well), I personally think it's mostly a devil's tool to keep us from making those progressive steps toward an eternal destination. But that's beside the point I'm attempting to make. The point I'm trying to make is, that as we make those desicions of who we want to date, we are making opportunity costs. In the competitive game we call "dating" many of us have our eyes on usually more than one person. We keep our lines out in the water, waiting for a snag. When we finally get one, and if it's the fish we desire, we reel in and put away the fishing poles. However, many times we analyze and wonder to ourselves, "Hmm, but I wonder if a better fish might come to one of the other poles." But how long until that fish finally breaks loose from the hook and leaves us still with nothing?

It's interesting how decisions affect outcomes of events and even relationships with other people. The decisions you make in one instant presents opportunity costs as well. For example, if you buy a meal at a fast food, you give up that much that could have gone toward a date or some other social event. Consequently, every decision you make brings a sacrifice and a loss of something, somehow. Dating holds to the same principle. I don't think there is one specific person out there you are supposed to marry. That is fate, or destiny, and that takes away our agency. The only fate or destiny I believe in is the kind that we create for ourselves through our choices.

Choices do create consequences and so it is with dating. As mentioned previously, there is not one specific person out there. There are many, I feel. This is where opportunity cost also comes in. With any of those "potential spouses" comes a kaleidoscope of experiences. If you were to marry one person, you would have different experiences than if you were to marry someone else. Not that a specific set of experiences would be better than another. It would be because the circumstances are different. You are still set out toward your eternal destination (hopefully for us all, that is to be with our Heavenly Father, since we should have righteous goals in sight). And so, when we choose to be with someone, the opportunity cost(s) is the choice of being with someone else that could have also been a great match. That choice, in turn, affects the outcome of our relationships with the other "potentials" around us, as well as the experiences we will have with them.

No pressure, right? I love economics and enjoy studying and analyzing relationships people have with others. I enjoy taking those kind of things and seeing how gospel principles intertwine in our everyday events and lives. Opportunity cost really is a gospel principle when you think about it. Choices and consequences are other gospel principles as well. But it's getting late and way past my bedtime, so those discussions will hold for another day. If this entry makes absolutely no sense, then you can count them for nothing but the ramblings of a sleep-deprived college student who is trying to make sense of the senseless world around him.

And thus I close this mini-dissertation: if there are those, whose life I've made a bit more troubling and stressful with "making the right decision", I offer these gentle words of comfort: you only have to be at the right place at the right time, making the right decisions. There. Now doesn't that put a load off?!

2006-08-23T18:32:00.000-06:00

A Thought or Two On Church Callings

During my mission (for those who don't know, I served a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where I shared our beliefs about the gospel of Jesus Christ), I always wondered how I would be able maintain the Spirit when I got home. I always figured it was possible; otherwise it would have to contradict the whole plan of salvation, and God would then “cease to be God” (and He never will, so don’t worry); I just imagined it being really hard.

When you are on this side of the mission and take a step back, away from the grand picture, you see more clearly (or at least I do) how the mission (in all simplicity) was a calling that required magnifying. Please don’t misunderstand or misinterpret that previous sentence. I do not mean or intend to undervalue the mission. I do feel that the mission is a unique calling; and it was the best experience I had had up to that point. I gained more from those two years than I might have during this lifetime if I hadn’t gone. I love my mission experience. In fact, not a day goes by (and I’ve been back for a year-and-a-half now) that I don’t wish I were back in Germany sharing the gospel with those people, with whom I fell in love. I feel sorry for those who come back from their mission with a bad taste in their mouth. They missed the whole purpose and point. I wasn’t perfect, but I was the best I could be at that time.

So please don’t misunderstand what I’m trying to say. I only mean that the mission was a calling in the Church and we were to magnify our calling. Then we are released and it’s time to move on and magnify our callings that are given to us thereafter (and it does help to apply what you learned from the mission – in fact, I don’t see how one can magnify a calling after the mission without applying the knowledge and wisdom gained from that experience). Yes, it is one of the few callings that is actually a 24/7 responsibility (while other callings are balanced with work, school, family, etc). It’s the simple principle of magnifying a calling I’m trying to emphasize and focus on. It’s like one of those eternal laws we read about in the D&C. If we magnify our callings, the Spirit is with us, guiding and teaching us, and we feel a greater peace in our lives. Our “confidence [waxes] strong in the presence of God” (D&C 121:45). I would even go out on a limb and suggest the possibility that the returned missionaries who don’t realize this basic law and think the mission is everything are missing a key principle that exists within the Church. If you magnify your calling, you will be blessed! I really feel that is one lesson missionaries learn effectively, which becomes a great asset in future Church leadership.

2006-08-23T00:26:00.000-06:00

Another Giant Leap for Mankind

As another example of my “underdeveloped sense-of-shame” ;-) I have subjected myself to the internet-based society, in which we live, through what you now read – this blog. Welcome. I am determined to utilize these ones and zeros we call “free web space” in portraying thought and reflection. I will admit, however, that this is all new to me. It’s been a while since I’ve really written anything (journal included until recently – sad day, you know) and I’ve never blogged before (if it wasn’t a verb before, it is now; I’m from Texas and therefore am permitted to make up words as I go along).

As a first blog to be blogged by yours truly, I would like to dedicate this site to certain people: first of all to my senior AP English teacher, who put up with me and my friend, as well as the rest of the class who, at the time, where less than fans of Michael Deagan; to those who know what the number one rule in life is and live it; to those who actually find interest in what I have (and choose) to say; and lastly, but certainly not least (this is actually where the real dedication goes to) to my summer roommate, who inspired me to create my own blog. Handsome guy, by the way. Ladies, as soon as he’s available (if the day ever comes) I’ll let you know.