pre·ven·tion
noun
the action of stopping something from happening or arising.
Prevention is an interesting concept. It can be used to stop both good and bad things from happening. It can be used to halt someone from creating a grave error, or halt something good from going forward.
It seems that life is full of “preventing” things. There are many organizations, for example, that promote alcohol prevention, suicide prevention, disease prevention, and much more. We find it to be a sort of moral duty to prevent something bad from happening, especially if we know that it will happen beforehand. Even in the old Superman movie, Superman keeps reversing the Earth’s rotation to try and save Lois Lane from dying. He feels it to be his moral duty to save her from this terrible fate. I think it is good for us to prevent negative or detrimental things like alcohol abuse, suicide, etc, and am comforted knowing that most people find it to be a top priority to take action to stop things like that.
On the other hand, many people feel restricted in life because of people, instances, etc. preventing them from reaching their goals and achieving their dreams. No one supports those types of people who prohibit someone from doing something good. But it is a real thing in this life: there will be instances that prevent you from doing what you want.
“Prevention” is just an interesting concept to think about.
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Monday, February 6, 2017
Language
Russian is hard. The majority of the time I spend doing my Russian homework I just want to give up and cry. Taking a five credit language class is definitely challenging. I don’t know what I have gotten myself into. Honestly, the big deciding factor that made me choose to do Russian was the fact Matisse would be able to help me. Besides that, and the fact that I would be able to get the expensive textbook for free from my teacher, I didn’t really know if I wanted to do Russian. But, here I am.
In some ways I am grateful that I have been able to take Russian. It has helped me to work harder than I would think to usually do. It has pushed me to do, and to be better. I just hope that I will be able to grow from this learning experience.
Tonight I took an online test for my Russian midterm, and after my first try, out of two, I just cried. I couldn’t stand the fact that I did so poorly on my first try. That’s my problem, really. In any class that I have a hard time in, I always blame myself. I always think I am the one coming up short. My family has to keep telling me that my effort counts and that there is more than just a superficial grade. I just really need to learn to get over the hump of thinking I’m not good enough.
We’ll just have to see what happens in the future…
In some ways I am grateful that I have been able to take Russian. It has helped me to work harder than I would think to usually do. It has pushed me to do, and to be better. I just hope that I will be able to grow from this learning experience.
Tonight I took an online test for my Russian midterm, and after my first try, out of two, I just cried. I couldn’t stand the fact that I did so poorly on my first try. That’s my problem, really. In any class that I have a hard time in, I always blame myself. I always think I am the one coming up short. My family has to keep telling me that my effort counts and that there is more than just a superficial grade. I just really need to learn to get over the hump of thinking I’m not good enough.
We’ll just have to see what happens in the future…
Sunday, February 5, 2017
Dasha
Matisse’s cat, Dasha, is a good sport. Tonight, Sam, Myrtle, Alexis, Olivia and I all went over to Matisse’s apartment so Lexi could touch up some of Sam and Myrtle’s engagement pics. Dasha is naturally a very small cat, so naturally she is irresistible. And she is also the softest cat I have ever held. Seriously. The irony, though, is that she despises being held. It really is a tragedy. Any time you pick her up and try to snuggle her, she gets so upset and literally slaps your face with her paw. However, today I picked her up and Matisse fed her her favorite treats, and I think we broke the record for the longest time Dasha has ever been held without squirming. It was a miracle!
Later in the evening, Matisse put this little “calming” sweater on Dasha. The reviews the sweater had on Amazon all said that this sweater had these amazing calming effects for any hyper cats. We tried it on Dasha, and it lived up to its reviews––she was completely still and chill. It was a sight to see her try to walk, though, with her army crawl and all. We gave her some more treats for being to patient and putting up with our crazy antics.
The funny thing we noticed after giving her lots of treats was that the recommended serving size was nine pieces a day…we probably gave her double that…whoops. I think she should be alright though…*sheepish chuckle*
Later in the evening, Matisse put this little “calming” sweater on Dasha. The reviews the sweater had on Amazon all said that this sweater had these amazing calming effects for any hyper cats. We tried it on Dasha, and it lived up to its reviews––she was completely still and chill. It was a sight to see her try to walk, though, with her army crawl and all. We gave her some more treats for being to patient and putting up with our crazy antics.
The funny thing we noticed after giving her lots of treats was that the recommended serving size was nine pieces a day…we probably gave her double that…whoops. I think she should be alright though…*sheepish chuckle*
Saturday, February 4, 2017
Life
Life has been a little bit suck-y lately.
Today I took my Physical Science test and didn’t get the grade I wanted. I studied all morning, but still didn’t do that great. Now I still need to take my online Russian test and study for my Book of Mormon test that is on Monday at 8am. I am really not looking forward to that test. All it is is sitting in a group of 4 with our teacher discussing the readings for an hour. It sounds appealing, but this teacher is hard to talk with. And he basically grades you on how long you talk on a given subject. Blah. Honestly, now that I think about it, the classes I thought I would enjoy have turned out to be the harder classes that I have not enjoyed so far. Boo.
Also, the phone I got might not work. Today I got a new SIM card for the phone, since my last one was not compatible, and I found that the new phone is most likely not paid off from the previous carrier. So, I might not be able to keep the phone after all.
Whenever I am faced with stinky circumstances like these, I usually keep my sights set on the day when the rough patch will end. At least if there is a clear end. So, I am currently looking forward to Tuesday…just need to make it to Tuesday…
Today I took my Physical Science test and didn’t get the grade I wanted. I studied all morning, but still didn’t do that great. Now I still need to take my online Russian test and study for my Book of Mormon test that is on Monday at 8am. I am really not looking forward to that test. All it is is sitting in a group of 4 with our teacher discussing the readings for an hour. It sounds appealing, but this teacher is hard to talk with. And he basically grades you on how long you talk on a given subject. Blah. Honestly, now that I think about it, the classes I thought I would enjoy have turned out to be the harder classes that I have not enjoyed so far. Boo.
Also, the phone I got might not work. Today I got a new SIM card for the phone, since my last one was not compatible, and I found that the new phone is most likely not paid off from the previous carrier. So, I might not be able to keep the phone after all.
Whenever I am faced with stinky circumstances like these, I usually keep my sights set on the day when the rough patch will end. At least if there is a clear end. So, I am currently looking forward to Tuesday…just need to make it to Tuesday…
Friday, February 3, 2017
Ramblings
I don’t really have anything to say right now. I am quite stressed about my midterms, though. I still have to take an online test tonight and study for a test I need to take tomorrow and another test on Monday.
Right now the family is eating dinner with my Aunt Wanda and Uncle Codi (Mom’s twin brother and his wife). They came over today to put in Mom’s new toilet. Her master bathroom renovation has come along quite nicely. A few months ago Matisse and I helped Mom to hang her flower wallpaper. I really like the wallpaper, but it was a pain to hang. It was actually my first time ever hanging wallpaper. I think Matisse and I did a good first job.
Hmmm…today I wore my rain jacket and rain boots to school because I was expecting it to rain. However, it never did rain. It wasn’t very nice to have to wear a noisy jacket and boots all day. Wearing my rain boots also slows me down because I have to walk in a way that keeps the boots on my feet without having them rub oddly or fall off. It wasn’t too bad, though.
Well, I need to go finish studying.
Right now the family is eating dinner with my Aunt Wanda and Uncle Codi (Mom’s twin brother and his wife). They came over today to put in Mom’s new toilet. Her master bathroom renovation has come along quite nicely. A few months ago Matisse and I helped Mom to hang her flower wallpaper. I really like the wallpaper, but it was a pain to hang. It was actually my first time ever hanging wallpaper. I think Matisse and I did a good first job.
Hmmm…today I wore my rain jacket and rain boots to school because I was expecting it to rain. However, it never did rain. It wasn’t very nice to have to wear a noisy jacket and boots all day. Wearing my rain boots also slows me down because I have to walk in a way that keeps the boots on my feet without having them rub oddly or fall off. It wasn’t too bad, though.
Well, I need to go finish studying.
Thursday, February 2, 2017
Eyes
If your eyes are the windows to your soul, then why should you let so many people see your soul? What is the purpose of showing your soul to every stranger you come in contact with? Isn’t it like putting your heart on your sleeve?
Eye contact is hard. And oftentimes uncomfortable. I’ve never been one to look into the eyes of every person I walk past. I just can’t do it. I feel them look in my direction, but I can’t stand to look them in their eyes. So many people find that to be odd, unusual, or anti-social. I guess you could say that. But is it so bad to say that I don’t like to have everyone stare into my soul? To actually see me? Why do I need to give people that insight into who I am? I suppose that is the only way to actually get to meet people: to look them in the eyes and simply say “hello.” It’s just hard.
It’s the same thing with talking, but it’s not as personal, I suppose. We were meant to talk to each other––that is what humans do. That is how we communicate. Speech is the most efficient form of communication. That is how we ultimately progress: through conversing with each other. But then it makes you wonder why there are those who can’t talk. Why do they have to have that difficulty? Same with those who are blind––they can’t see anyone so they can’t help but let everyone look into their soul. Why were they given that difficulty?
It’s hard to think why things are this way, but there is ultimately some good reason, I'm sure. While I don’t know the answer to any of these questions, I’ll try and move forward with my life. Even though it is hard to speak or look into the eyes of any stranger, I should try. Human connections are only natural. I mean, I’m not living on this Earth by myself, so that must mean something.
Eye contact is hard. And oftentimes uncomfortable. I’ve never been one to look into the eyes of every person I walk past. I just can’t do it. I feel them look in my direction, but I can’t stand to look them in their eyes. So many people find that to be odd, unusual, or anti-social. I guess you could say that. But is it so bad to say that I don’t like to have everyone stare into my soul? To actually see me? Why do I need to give people that insight into who I am? I suppose that is the only way to actually get to meet people: to look them in the eyes and simply say “hello.” It’s just hard.
It’s the same thing with talking, but it’s not as personal, I suppose. We were meant to talk to each other––that is what humans do. That is how we communicate. Speech is the most efficient form of communication. That is how we ultimately progress: through conversing with each other. But then it makes you wonder why there are those who can’t talk. Why do they have to have that difficulty? Same with those who are blind––they can’t see anyone so they can’t help but let everyone look into their soul. Why were they given that difficulty?
It’s hard to think why things are this way, but there is ultimately some good reason, I'm sure. While I don’t know the answer to any of these questions, I’ll try and move forward with my life. Even though it is hard to speak or look into the eyes of any stranger, I should try. Human connections are only natural. I mean, I’m not living on this Earth by myself, so that must mean something.
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
New Phone
Christmas of 2014 was when I got my first phone––the green iPhone 5c. I was 15 years old. This phone has been wonderful to me––all 16 GB of it. Today, however, was the day I decided to move on to something a bit newer, a bit larger, and a bit nicer.
After dinner, I sat at the dining table and thought to myself: I really need a new phone. My phone has had a broken screen for almost a whole year (and has been broken two times previously; I just didn’t think it was worth it to replace the screen, again). So, naturally, I went to the KSL Classifieds and started my search. After searching for about 5 minutes, I refreshed the page and there was a brand new listing for an iPhone 6s, 128 GB for a VERY good price. It had only been up for 3 minutes, so I actually had a chance of getting it. I instantly texted the man and set up a time to meet up and buy it tonight.
The guy was really nice. He was a BYU student and was just selling his wife’s work phone because she got upgraded to a new iPhone 7. I couldn’t believe it––I was getting an iPhone 6s, 128GB, with an original $80 leather, apple phone case, plus a charging cord all for an amazing price. I guess I’ve been doing something right. :)
After dinner, I sat at the dining table and thought to myself: I really need a new phone. My phone has had a broken screen for almost a whole year (and has been broken two times previously; I just didn’t think it was worth it to replace the screen, again). So, naturally, I went to the KSL Classifieds and started my search. After searching for about 5 minutes, I refreshed the page and there was a brand new listing for an iPhone 6s, 128 GB for a VERY good price. It had only been up for 3 minutes, so I actually had a chance of getting it. I instantly texted the man and set up a time to meet up and buy it tonight.
The guy was really nice. He was a BYU student and was just selling his wife’s work phone because she got upgraded to a new iPhone 7. I couldn’t believe it––I was getting an iPhone 6s, 128GB, with an original $80 leather, apple phone case, plus a charging cord all for an amazing price. I guess I’ve been doing something right. :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)