Antelope Island
I went to Antelope Island for the first time a few days ago for Memorial Day. I thought my readers might enjoy some of the photographs I took while I was there. Antelope Island is an island covered with grass and sagebrush and a wide variety of wild life. It is interestingly placed inside a lake that almost represents the epitome of lifelessness: The Great Salt Lake. Yet the island contains a surprising amount of birds, range animals, and insects. The Great Salt Lake, by the way, is not completely lifeless; it contains almost microscopic brine shrimp.
On Birthdays and Parties
Today my friends and I were able to pull off the unthinkable for another friend--we actually surprised her with a surprise birthday party. The reason that we surprised her was that she thought she hadn't told anyone about her birthday. Yet I found out about her birthday through one of her former roommates and organized a small gathering with some well placed balloons and streamers. She looked very pleased at our efforts and her mother looked even happier because of our appreciation for her daughter. The whole process has got me thinking about birthdays.
Why do some people love birthdays and others feel indifferent toward them? I, myself, do not like to tell anyone about my birthday, but secretly I want someone to remember it. Yet I very much like to celebrate others' birthdays. I was much maligned because I took thank you notes to all the people that threw me a surprise birthday party for my last birthday, but I was really grateful for the opportunity to see so many good friends come together to celebrate our friendships. When we celebrate a birthday, we celebrate that person's meaningfulness to humanity. I think that is why it is important to honor others on their birthdays, and to let them make a fuss over us on ours.
A Cosmopolitan Family
I have always wondered if the world really is getting smaller as the exchange of information becomes easier and economies become more connected. Today I've started to consider my own family as a prime example of how much easier it is to connect with other parts of the world. I grew up mostly in Idaho and I have spent the majority of my life in an area I affectionately call the Jello belt (named for the Mormon population that lives there and this population's strange affinity for Jello). Until I was almost twenty I had never ever been west of the Mississippi, and neither had anyone in my family except for my father and mother. Yet in the time since then, I have spent two years in Peru and I shortly am leaving for school in Illinois. My brother spent a couple of years in Taiwan, and my little sister has spent two separate semesters in China teaching English. If a small-town family like ours can send people to such far-off places, I think that the world is becoming smaller and more approachable for all of us.
Right and Wrong
"But the most remarkable thing is this. Whenever you find a man who says he does not believe in a real Right and Wrong, you will find the same man going back on this a moment later. . .It seems, then, we are forced to believe in a real Right and Wrong. People may be sometimes mistaken about them, just as people sometimes get their sums wrong; but they are not a matter of mere taste and opinion any more than the multiplication table."
(C.S. Lewis,
Mere Christianity, 6-7)
In an Information Glutted World
"Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?"
(T.S. Eliot, "The Rock")
Trying to Trick You
The past few days I have been writing a multiple choice exam. I think it's funny that test-makers try to develop questions that purposefully trick and fool bad students. If the manipulatives of a question are not viable options, than the question is not a viable question because anyone could guess the answer. I have found it very interesting that testing learning requires trying to fool those who haven't learned. Writing a test is much more work than I thought.
Not By Chance
I have been pondering over the past few months of my life, and I am thankful for the amazing opportunities and blessings that have come to me. In March, the University of Illinois offered me an amazing fellowship when it looked at first like they might offer me a less ideal funding package. They also paid for me to visit their campus. In March, I also went through a difficult breakup with my girlfriend in the midst of desperately trying to finish my Masters Thesis. Yet I learned a lot from my former girlfriend and our breakup, and I am grateful for the time we spent together. In April, I started dating an amazing girl with whom I am incredibly happy and who always makes me smile. I also made the decision to attend the University of Illinois. I also gave a well prepared guest lecture in another class and won a contest and cash from my graduate school. In May, I found a place to live for the summer in Logan and another place in Champaign for the fall. I completed and defended my thesis to fairly laudatory reviews. I also obtained an amazing job where I will be able to use my historical skills. So here I am at the end of May looking forward to a wonderful summer and fall, and thinking back on an incredibly instructive winter and spring. I don't know exactly what the future holds, but somehow I just can't believe that all of this could have happened by chance.
Really High Priced Gas
Check out this great photograph of a gas station that has a sense of humor. The photograph was taken by Mike Mullen of the associated Press.
The Study of History
"Treat the past, including our own national past, as different or as possibly even strange. . . . By preserving some sense of possible alienness, we leave ourselves open to being surprised, and even to learning something.”
(Gordon Wood)
Find a Happy Person
Once, a member of my Bishopric gave me some dating advice that seems very relevant, but to which I did not pay much attention at the time it was given. He told me that when I was dating, I should find someone that was happy because if you're with a happy person everything in life seems brighter. I am dating an incredibly happy person right now, and I really think that this sage individual was right!
Oadat, the Consultant
Today I began working in a summer job that quite possibly is the greatest summer job ever. Sometimes I wonder how I fall into such sweet opportunities. The teacher for whom I was a teaching assistant in the last two years is the advising historian for a project that connects college professors and public school teachers in an effort to improve the teaching of history. The government has appropriated a really substantial amount of money to improve history teaching and I find myself in the shady world of grant implementation. Technically, I will be working for a consulting company and helping them to assess the success of the project. I am the low man on the totem pole, and I am making more money than I ever have per hour in my entire life. I think that I will make more money over the month that I am involved in this project than I would have made the entire summer working a retail job.
I always thought that historians were supposed to work for the love of learning, but we're turning out to be a pretty mercenary crowd. I guess I'll just jump on the bandwagon and try not to sell my soul or my integrity.
Meeting the Parents
Having my girlfriend meet my parents has truly been a pleasure over the last two days. My parents like her and for some reason she likes my parents. I guess there are just some stereotypes that are just that: stereotypes.
Thesis Defense
I passed!!!!!!!!! And I got a job offer!!!!!!!!
Defending Your Time at USU
I defend my thesis tomorrow. It really is the moment where I justify to the world that my two years earning a Masters degree really meant something. I'm hoping the professors on my committee agree with me.
Meeting the Parents
My girlfriend is going home with me to meet my parents tomorrow. I hope she doesn't realize how crazy I really am when she meets my folks. She sure has been a beacon and a blessing in my life ever since I met her.
A Talent Reborn
With encouragement from my girlfriend and motivation drawn from a performance I saw last night, I have picked up my French horn anew. Although I played the horn for five years of college, I left it behind in the last year as I struggled desperately to complete my Masters degree. But when I saw the joy on the performers' faces last night, I knew that I missed playing and having the opportunity to utilize my talent. So today I picked up my French horn and practiced for the first time in about eight months. I didn't play wonderfully, but I didn't play terribly either. As I finished, I felt encouraged that my talent could be reborn.
When Two Phases Meet
I feel like I have befriended many people in a variety of settings and ways. Many of the people I know, I know in mutually exclusive settings. For example at Brigham Young University-Idaho I had my roommates and the people I met from the ward. I had former roommates and people I had met in former wards. I had the friends that I knew from the music department. And I also had friends from the History Department and my Special Collections co-workers. Truth be told, very few of those friends from different settings knew any of my other friends from other settings. Thus, my life felt very compartmentalized.
When I came here to Utah State I made more friends. I don't think that I have as many exclusive friendships--my life is much more focused here at USU. The only exclusivity came as old friends moved on and new friends began school. I also have a few friendships I made through significant others that don't know the rest of my friends. But overall I think my life is much less compartmentalized here except that none of my USU friends know any of my BYU-I friends.
Tonight the compartmentalized parts of my life converged as I took my present, wonderful girlfriend to see a concert on temple square involving many of my musician friends from my former life at BYU-Idaho. It was interesting and kind of weird to se these two phases of my life converging as fate threw them together. It was interesting to see my friends smile at the happiness my new girlfriend brought me. My girlfriend enjoyed seeing me smile as I remembered my love of music and these wonderful people that play it. For one small moment, my compartmentalized life became a little more complete and cooperative. It was weird, but it was also nice for people that I love from different places and activities to come together through this beautiful night of music.
A Life Lesson
"Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake."
(Victor Hugo)
Allergy Season
Allergy season once again is upon us. I can't say that I am looking forward to the running nose, itchy eyes and throat, and sneezing. Yet I am truly thankful for modern medicine. Without my allergy medication, my allergies would quickly change from a minor annoyance to a crippling infirmity. I don't know how people coped before the invention of allergy medicine. So as I complain about the allergens in the air, I also pay tribute to the doctors that have made my summers happy and fulfilling.
Happy Birthday to ALS
I just wanted to wish my beautiful girlfriend a happy 23rd birthday today. She really is the light of my life and I only wish I could do more to make her happy. To protect her privacy, I won't put her picture on my blog, but this is an avatar that resembles her. She is even more beautiful in person. It brought me so much joy to celebrate her birthday that I think I had more fun than she did. I bought her flowers, we went miniature golfing, we went out to dinner, and then we went for a walk. The title of this blog is vicissitudes and victories. If you haven't noticed, I have experienced many more victories than vicissitudes since she came into my life. It really is a joy to know her and to have the opportunity to call her my girlfriend!
Hubris
In ancient Greece, Aristotle coined the term hubris to represent a certain type of pride he found rampant in humanity. He felt that certain men became a law unto themselves and this state was a state of hubris. A great example of hubris is found in
Crime and Punishment where the main character,
Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, believes that his superior intellect justifies him to commit a heinous murder. He convinces himself that his greater understanding of humanity gives him the power to rule the destiny of others. Rodya eventually realizes that his hubristic decision to murder makes him less than other human beings. The end of the novel sees him accepting the punishment of prison that his crime merited
I have come to realize that all humans, to some extent, have this need to feel superior. As a historian, I sometimes discount the opinion of others because they haven't gone through the same training that I received. Yet in reality no amount of education makes us any better than anyone else. I don't think that historians, politicians, mechanics, engineers, scientists, lawyers, doctors, or any other professionals are better than anyone else. They might have more knowledge than many other people, but if they don't use that knowledge correctly and morally they are no better than the beggar or the street cleaner and they might be a great deal worse. I think that in a world of increasing specialization, everyone needs to reach out to everyone else or everyone will be increasingly marginalized in society. Wisdom comes through understanding, and a baker can obtain understanding equally as well as a doctor. I believe the great plague of our time is the hubris Aristotle bemoaned in ancient Greece. Just remember that if we set ourselves up as a light for others, we must remember that something else powers that light an that someday it will burn out.
My Mother
Tonight I just wanted to pay tribute to my mother. She put up with a lot raising her children. I know that she probably suffered much disappointment and heartache when any of us made incorrect decisions in our lives. But she always wanted the best for us. She always showed intense gratitude for anything nice we did for her. We, as children, gave back very little to her, but we received so much from her love and guidance. I know that I, as well as all of my siblings, come to appreciate her more and more as we grow toward adulthood.
I learned an amazing lesson this afternoon. I decided to surprise my mother by driving the three hours from Logan, Utah to Rexburg, Idaho to attend a Mothers' Day dinner being held by my family in her honor and in honor of my two angelic grandmothers. If I had any doubts about the trip, they were dispelled as I saw the surprised delight on her face at seeing me. She may have even shed a tear. I wish I could do more to honor and strengthen this great woman who has carried me so many times in my 26 years.
A President's Test
One of my old mission presidents told the missionaries that we should look for girls that we can sit with all night and just talk. I think I have found such a girl. Today I went hiking with ALS and we had a wonderful time. We talked for the whole four hour hike. Later we went to some fireworks and had a great time watching the high school antics and posturing occurring around us. We laughed and conversed while enjoying the wonder of gazing into each other's eyes. I really feel blessed to have her in my life at this time!
An Impression of Myself
This is my avatar for Yahoo mail. An avatar is a caricature of yourself. I am a little more plump than this picture might suggest, but it was as close as I could get.
Roger
I just wanted to express my appreciation to a young man in Trujillo, Peru tonight. Almost five years ago when I was working as a missionary down in Peru, I found myself without a companion. I would havehad to move to a different area if I couldn't find someone to accompany me. Roger stepped up without compunction. He gave up his girlfriend, job, and family for a month to work with me and serve the people in that area of Peru. He gave these things up while living in close proximity with these people he had left behind.
Roger's sacrifice, in my mind, represented the most selfless decision I think I have ever experienced. In those moments with me, Roger came to know himself and came to better understand his relationship with his Heavenly Father. He remains to this day one of my heroes. So I dedicate this blog tonight to the memory of a good friend who continues his life in the dusty roads of Peru: Roger, mi amigo fiel.
A Fond Goodbye
I bid a fond adieu to my former roommate and now married friend as he and his new wife travel to Virginia. I hope everyone will join me in bidding him safe travels and a happy journey as he embarks on the greatest adventure anyone can comprehend: the journey of life.
Boundaries
Tonight I am thinking about boundaries and the power that boundaries can wield in our lives. There is something extremely powerful that occurs when two parties come together and create a boundary, a limit on or mutual understanding about some aspect of life. Boundaries empower us to raise our sights and strive to be something more than we are. Boundaries help us to gain self control and rein in the darkness of uncertainty. More than that, boundaries help us to form mutual identities. When two people have created a boundary, they can look at that boundary as one thing that defines them as a couple, it helps them work together and to start to see themselves as one unit because together they made a decisions that was right for both of them.
Living Alone
After watching my roommate's wedding today and spending some time with my angelic girlfriend, I have come home tonight realizing that there is no one else here. For the very first time in my life I am living alone, and I'm not sure exactly how I feel about that. Sometimes I just wonder what makes human beings crave human companionship so much. I'm sure that some would provide a very scientific answer based on hormones and mating instincts and a bunch of other scientific mumbo-jumbo, but I believe that all human beings crave friendship, romance, and most of all, love, because we need other people to be able to learn and grow. I think that the creation of family--whether in dating, courtship, or marriage--presents the ultimate laboratory for human understanding. As we come to know others, we come to know ourselves and to understand our place in humanity. If you don't believe me, just honestly give it a try.
Marriage
I went to see one of my best friends get married today, and I must say that once you've seen a marriage done in the right way, at the right time, in the right place, with the right person you can never dream of anything else for yourself.
New Beginnings
Tonight I heard a speaker that spoke about new beginnings. It is interesting that life presents us with so many opportunities to start over in some way or another. My roommate is getting married this week. He is beginning his life anew as he joins himself to an amazing young lady. Another friend just bought a new house, and is beginning life as a home owner. He is beginning his life anew. I have recent embarked on a new relationship, and in some ways I am beginning my life anew as well. For all those that might be starting over in some way, shape, or form, I think that all of these examples prove that there is a way to start over, and the time to begin is now.
Taking Things for Granted
Recently I have come to take things like good health for granted. I have felt really good healthwise for almost the past year, but my back has been hurting pretty substantially for the last few days, and I've learned the meaning of dealing with incredible pain. It's great to have the opportunity to learn and grow.
I'm Back
A lot has happened in the last few days. I am trying to finish my thesis, I attended a wedding with my wonderful girlfriends, and one of my roommate is getting married on Tuesday. This means I have been pulling long nights and even longer writing sessions in the last few days. I also have tests to grade by Monday night so I can attend my roommate's wedding this Tuesday. I also found out some discouraging health news about someone I love, and many people I know have lost loved ones in the past few days. To top it all off, I awoke this morning with raging back pain. When I arose I could barely move or walk. I have spent the entire day feeling very imperfect and weak. Yet my roommates parents were wonderfully helpful, and my sweet girlfriend watched over me like an angel. So all in all, I feel humbled, taught, thankful, overwhelmed, and blessed. I have a wonderful life. I have wonderful friends. I have a wonderful family. And I have a wonderful girlfriend. Who could ask for anything more?
My New Girlfriend
I had the most wonderful time with my girlfriend ALS tonight. I love being with her. I love talking with her. I think she is wonderfully beautiful both inside and out. We talk so easily and so freely and we trust each other implicitly. More than anything, we can't spend enough time with each other, and I am happy around her.
As a Thinker, I'm Useless
Recently I have met some very useful people. By calling them useful, I mean people that can do things with their hands. I have always been so jealous of people that can fix things and that can just figure manual things out. I am good at a lot of things like music and history, but I'll always make a living using my mind. At some level I just admire those who can fix something major in a car, or frame a house. I think the art of fixing things is rapidly being lost in our overly technical world.
Happiness
But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads?
(Lord Byron,
Sardanapalus, act I, scene 2)
Sincerity
One of the hardest things about life is that only you and the Lord can really know 100% if you are being sincere, but there is nothing that I strive for more than sincerity.
My New Toy
I was shopping today and I became enthralled with a new consumer gadget. It is supposed to polish shoes, and it works pretty well--go figure.
Further Thoughts on Immigration
A couple of weeks ago I wrote
a piece on immigration and how we are all immigrants. I also talked about the fact that immigrants, illegal and legal, are human beings that have feelings and families--hopes and desires. Today more immigrants rose up to protest their treatment and reaffirm their status and importance to the United States. Today I want to argue that illegal immigrants have become scapegoats for the poverty of the nation. People argue that immigrants lower wages, which lowers the standard of living for the working class.
I believe that cheap prices for goods at discount stores drive down wages. Stores like Walmart and Kmart can sell goods at greatly discounted prices because they force companies to give them special deals if they want these big chains to sell their products. They also buy many of the products that they sell from third world countries that employ workers for next to nothing. Much of the reason that United States companies hire illegal aliens is because these workers will work for wages that are competitive with wages in the third world. So the real problem isn't just the immigrants, it is the United States' hunger for cheap consumer goods. If we would be willing to live with less things, wages would be higher and companies wouldn't feel obligated to hire so many illegal workers. Of course I'm oversimplifying much of the problem, and there are other motives for illegal immigrants as well, but we all need to remember that we are part of the problem.
An Interesting Coincidence
Talk about interesting coincidences. I was at Walmart today buying some groceries. I had text messaged my girlfriend because I knew that it was her lunch break and she rapidly returned the favor with her own message. I answered with another flirtatious message and as I was standing in line to buy my groceries I looked back and who did I see standing in the same line with her head looking down at her phone? You're right, it was her. What a pleasant surprise. She was happy to see me as well. So we walked out of the store together and I walked her to her car. She went back to work, but I came home a little awed by the coincidence of meeting her at the store--or was it really coincidence?
