Backpacks are sexy

A guy asked for my number this morning because he liked my..."book bag." I have to give him credit for that, because I really like it too. It's one of the Dakine backpacks given out for BYU's Study Abroad programs. I actually won this morning's backpack in a lottery so I now have two backpacks from doing one study abroad.

The backpack that got attention this morning is especially cool looking because it's black with rastafari coloring. This morning's guy was not the first guy to comment on it. He was also not the first black guy to comment on it.

I give mad props to guys who are bold enough to hit on a girl whom they've barely met. That kind of self confidence is so sexy to me--and not at all creepy. So I gave him my number. He was just too smooth to turn down.

beck

Hey, I still love, "Hey, It's Christmas!"

I am especially loving this song, as it transitions from the holidays into the New Year. I've been listening to all my Christmas music before New Year's Eve. Luckily I've been pretty much home alone, so I haven't had to annoy roommates by still playing Christmas music. :)

http://heyitschristmas.bandcamp.com/track/all-year-long

beck

Empathy over Sympathy

Okay, let's not rule out sympathy just yet as beneficial to mankind. But this video does make a pretty good argument for why empathy reigns supreme. (the full TED talk is pretty good too.) And apparently you'll be a better person for watching. Good luck!

http://failblog.cheezburger.com/share/56915969

beck

Word of the Day/Week/Month/Year/Always

sin·cere
 

1. honest and open: honest and unaffected in a way that shows what is said is really meant
2. not feigned: based on what is truly and deeply felt

Synonyms: honest, open, frank, natural, straight, unaffected, candid

This is how I feel right now--and really all too often. For I find I am so earnest that my sincerity is nearing a point of desperation. I seem unable to entertain frivolities. This is my word. This is me.

beck

Ghosts in Social Media and Beyond

I've been thinking about and wondering what happens to my deceased friends' social media accounts. There's nothing quite so haunting as seeing some of my deceased friends tagged in posts on facebook. They're long since gone, but they still get tagged in posts and photos in memoriam. Sometimes, I'm sad to say, I get a little excited only to remember the sad truth of their loss. And every time I log in to Skype I see my friend's name who passed away this year. I know that I can remove it, but I can't bring myself to do it. I guess I like the reminder that they once were there. I probably like it for the same reason I like wearing my grandmother's ring and necklace: I don't want to forget. And the more I remind myself, the more recent the memories feel to me.

Coincidentally, someone else was thinking about this topic with me yesterday. Spooky. And they wrote this post on the subject. It's kind of morbid to think about writing down usernames and email addresses in case you die. But now I think I might do it. That's what journals are for, right?


beck

Running

I made my way back to The Oatmeal yesterday and came across this awesome comic about running.

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/running

It's perfect timing as I'm just beginning to train for my first half marathon. I'm doing the Nike Women's Half Marathon in April!!!

beck

Go where you wanna go, do what you wanna wanna do

What do you do when you have an opportunity to do something you really want, but the details don't really add up? E.g., the timing is off, the finances don't add up, it's not actually the job you wanted, or it conflicts with other really cool opportunities.

I'll share with you what I do. Don't get too excited though, because it's not a perfect formula.

I mull.it.over. in my mind. I try to work out all the details and make all the pieces fit. That logical approach doesn't always work--that would be too easy.

So then I talk to my family. Then I talk to my friends about it, with varying degrees of detail.
After I feel like I've done all my own "research," then I pray, fast, or do whatever is needed to give me spiritual confirmation.

But in the end, I usually do what I had wanted to do from the start. However, in the meantime I hesitate and wait until I'm absolutely certain that I'm making the right decision.

The thing that bothers me about my decision-making process is that I've rarely ever received a big YES from Heavenly Father, and even more rarely have I received a big NO. Perhaps that says something about the decisions I'm making. Perhaps in choosing between two goods most of the time (which I hope is the case) that it's really just up to me to choose what I want. I know Heavenly Father knows me and loves me. I know he wants me to be happy. I feel that I've been given abundant freedom to live a happy and free life. Sometimes I just want a big arrow every step of the way.

So this post was brought on by a big decision I had to make a few weeks ago. An opportunity came up for me to work out of our NY office for the next few months...and I turned it down! The timing wasn't right and there were some better opportunities for me here in DC that I wasn't ready to give up yet. AND my sister Rach is going to fly out and spend time with me here (if she can get a job) while she's on her break from school.

Though I still wonder about whether I made the right choice, I'm determined to make my choice the right one. I hope that someday I will be able to recognize all the fruits of my decision.


beck