Forgive and Forget

     I am impressed by the feelings we as humans sometimes have of hate or bitterness. Sometimes we feel we have been taken advantage of or cheated and have been mercilessly misunderstood in our innocence. Perhaps this is the case. I once had a dear friend, that I still consider a dear friend, say to me, "you probably hate me." I was taken back. I didn't know what to say. I  don't hate this person and I never did. My feelings might have been hurt a little but I don't wish to debase that persons value with callused feelings of animosity.
     Each of us have had at least someone do us wrong to one degree or another. Many of our lives have been permanently effected by the wrongs others have done to us or to those close to us. Many of those wounds run deep. I am not trying to be a counselor or give advice on how I am some perfect example of forgiveness because I am not but if your losing sleep at night thinking someone is always going to be angry at you because you ate a piece of their toast without asking, move on with your life because they probably did. Even if they didn't we can't hinder or delay the growth of our relationships with feelings of doubt or what ifs. We need to move boldly in a direction we interpret to be good even if we don't completely understand each step along the way. Is that not faith? Isn't forgiveness a fruit of faith?
     Hate is such a strong and hurtful word. It is overused. It does not help anyone. It only destroys. When I was about 19 years old I was getting ready to leave to Bolivia for two years to serve a mission for the LDS church, of which I am a member, and my father shared an idea with me that has impacted my life greatly. He said, "people and relationships are always more important than money or things." What could be more important? What could hold more everlasting value? I hope that someday people will say of me, "Jake always put people first." I have a ways to go. A very long way to go. Please help me and help yourself by forgiving someone today. Put away with hate and animosity and anger. Love others. Is this not why we were born? "And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you." (1 Thessalonians 3:12)

Sans Teeth, Sans Eyes, Sans Taste, Sans Everything.

     Life is so good to me. I come from a family of 11. I have four brothers and four sisters. I love the new unexpected challenges that come every single day. Life is always changing. I'm always planning and preparing for the next big part in my life. Life seems so occupied with thoughts of tomorrow. I am an undergraduate at Brigham Young University graduating this year in Exercise Science. 
     I have a grandma with dementia and she has the personality of a little three year old girl. It seems like she's returned to her childhood in an old body. It reminds me of words spoken in Shakespeare's  As You Like It, where Jaques gives the well known "All the Worlds a Stage" speech.
  

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.
And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side,
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.


     I see my sweet grandmother in this second childishness. Although I have my teeth, and eyes, and taste I often forget how good I truly have it. Last semester I had a teacher, Dr. Reese, who has been one of the most influential educators in my life because of his passion for life and learning. One day he stopped his lecture but did not stop his teaching. He said, "If you are not happy right now in your life you will never ever be happy." That really impressed me. He was in the sixth stage... a world too wide for his shrunken shank, and he had lived a very "strange and eventful history. " 
     Steven Coallier once made a comment, fit for his profession as an offensive tackle for the Packers,"Attack life it's going to kill you anyway." Well said Steve. Life is too good for us to not give it our all. We might not be the smartest, most attractive, most talented person among our friends but why not  stop occupying our thoughts with self pity, and selfishness and fill them with compassion and service. Act. Do. Work. Play. Change. Give someone a hug. Forgive someone. Make a new friend. Compliment a stranger. Hold the door for them. Buy that chocolate candy bar from the girl knocking on your door so she can go on her orchestra trip. Smile because, "A man in his time plays many parts."

Ruts and Weeds

     This afternoon I thought who in the world writes blogs? I guess I could write blog things. I've seen a total of about 7 blogs in my day so I'm kind of on top of it. Yesterday, me and my roommate decided to watch a movie on netflix. Pretty easy. Just point n shoot.
     Remember VHS? The ol' video rewinder sets that you slapped it into? The best part about those rewinders is when they didn't know when to open so the VHS would make this waaaaaaaa noise like the tape was about to snap. Thats how you knew it was time to open the lid.
     We chose this netflix movie with our wireless wii remote from the couch. Remember Nintendo? What did you do when the game didn't work? We all know cuz we did the same thing!

Step 1: Pull out the cartridge and blow on it as hard as you can, right where it says, "DO NOT BLOW ON CARTRIDGE!" (It only worked if you had the perfect blend of saliva from all your friends.)
What if that didn't work?

 Step 2: Blow into game console as hard as you can.
What if that doesn't work?

Step 3: pull out game cartridge and slap it a couple times.
If for SOME reason these steps don't work...repeat...again...and again.
  
When it comes to technology, I'm a cave man. All my friends'll tell ya. I guess it runs in the family. I think it took my dad at least 4 years to figure out how to text. I'm sure I'm not the only one.
     I just read what I wrote and don't expect it to make sense to anyone. That's fine.