Go Pack

There is nothing better than watching Clay Matthews clobber someone. Nothing.

Well, maybe watching Aaron Rodgers rack up those touchdowns.

Live Music

Heck yeah! I just bought my Imagine Dragons tickets for their concert in March.
Am I pumped?

Is the Pope Catholic?
Is Barack Obama President?
Am I a poor college student?
Does everyone know my political views?
Do I seem more physical with my guy friends than my own girlfriend?
Do I ever question why I'm here?
Am I getting really deep with these questions?

Yes, I am pumped, to say the least.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajjj4pLnjz8

LISTEN AND FEAST ON AWESOME MUSIC.
The only thing that would make this better was if Mat Kearney was going too...:(

WOOT WOOT!!!

I've been told by my girlfriend I need to update more

To my suprise, my girlfriend approached me the other day and said, "Jacob, you haven't updated your blog in a while...". I was shocked. See, originally, I thought that, when it concerned my blog,



But alas, someone DOES read it! Exciting. So this update is partially for you, girlfriend, and partially because I'm stuck here at work, angry about missing church (again), and wanting finals to be over with so I can finally go home.

1st semester flew by, and that's not much of an exageration. It went pretty darn fast, cuz winter break is almost here. Overall, I'm very happy I went to college where I did. I moaned and groaned about it for weeks, but after settling in, I have this strange peace about where I'm at; it's all going to be okay in the future, I know. Sometimes you have to put up with some crappiness before you get the good stuff, no? Winter break is going to be fun. :D I'm going to see all of my friends, work some, and hopefully just relax in general, something I haven't been able to do for a while. (Actually, I have, my college version of relaxing differs from my home version, however.)
Odds are I'll be pretty happy coming back to college come late-January. I love my family, but family is your family! Especially at this point in my life, being alone is fun, albeit hard at many points! But so goes growing up.
It's actually fun for me, now, compared to stressful as before, watching my friends' lives on Facebook. It's kinda like a guessing game, as in "who's fufilling my role in their new life?" kinda game. I dunno, I'm pretty hard to replace. Guess there simply aren't a lot of skinny awkward white guys around. :P
I don't really know what more to say, because I could write a whole other blog post on some topics. Yeah, I think I'll do that.

Bye!
Jacob

Merrrp

Why do I feel like blogging at the randomest times? Like now, at 12:13ish at night.
Anyway, college is definately starting to wear on me. Cumulative of a set of bad decisions, a lot of homework, and a weird work schedule that only wants me to get about five hours of sleep a night is making me appreciate this break so much more. The depressing part is that I still have homework to do over it, so I can't escape it for long.
I guess otherwise, life is going on for everyone. It's kinda hit me recently; a lot of my friends have new significant others and are really involved in their new social circles. I am too, though, so it's not like I can complain. It's kinda nice, though! (winter break will be strange)
It's so odd to think that we can never go back to any day in history; as mentioned in prior blogs, this is our life now, and it's only going to change more from here.

Let's do this. I'm ready. Take it on. Lord only knows what it offers me.

Jacob

College fun

Wait, does that exist?
I really question it right now.
Crap, can't spend time here blogging, MUST. DO. HOMEWORK.
Someone, entertain me...\

Jacob

People and Cold

I get upset when I see someone on campus wearing a T-shirt when it's below freezing outside. When I ask them if they're cold, they tell me,
"No, it's actually not that bad outside."

I want to hit them. If it's "not that bad" outside, why are all the other people bundled up like eskimos and staying inside?
ADMIT IT. YOU'RE COLD.

Jacob

College wonders

Sometimes, I secretly wonder how our whole dorm hall hasn't broken out into war. There's a lot of testosterone concentrated in one area.

Also, I openly wonder why the murder rate at college isn't higher among girls who live in all-girls dorms. Do I really need to explain that one?

Jacob

Raaaaagggeeeee!

They say the three things you should never bring up in public are politics, religion and money.

Well, during these past few months we as a collective public managed to hit every single one of them nearly every single day. It's a presidential election, of course!
Usually, I'm super-opinionated and political. To my suprise, I didn't pay a lot of attention to this year's elections mainly for the fact that I'm in college and have other things to focus my times and energy on, things that I can actually change and resolve, compared to the never-ending stress and frustration that comes with political debates. So, it really wasn't until the last few days before the election that I really cared.
Then I cared. Then I got frusterated. Then I almost punched my roommate for being an asshole. Then I went to bed and got over it.

People, life goes on. Coming from me, who was/is possibly one of the most political people out there, this means a lot. The future of our country is a big deal, yes, but it's also such a big thing to manage that no one person is going to affect it that much. We have 400 million people with a collective worth of over 16 trillion dollars to the world; one man with four years to kill can't do crap to drastically alter that any decade soon.
If we watch history, we've had worse conditions regarding the economy, unemployment, and racial, religious, and other tension in the nation. To someone in the nation, the person elected couldn't be worse and they probably thought the world was going to end. Guess what; it didn't, and we're here. Obama won, and there's nothing we can do about that now but pray for the best. Maybe his policies will workout; I don't want anyone to fail! I'm doubtful, but hey, I've been wrong plenty.
God also tell us to respect our government and pray for them, which I can do. While Obama may be controversial, I don't even come close to subscribing to the theories that he's a terrorist muslim who wants to eliminate Christianity in America. He hasn't been hostile to it at all, actually. Over-zealous Christian leaders have just adapted a "you're either all with me or against me" approach to many of his policies. There are crazies on both sides, conservative and liberal, and it's all about moderation.

Conservatives: you gotta realize that, although I wish it wasn't true either, there are more people in the world than Christians, and they all have different viewpoints than each other and you. We're so blessed to live in a nation that allows us to practice openly and protects us, with many laws fashioned off of our faith. But many of us have grown stale in our faith and back laws that have faith basis that we ourselves don't even follow. Also, many of Obama's policies are a result of the church failing in it's job to provide for the poor, sick, and lonely. Luke 12:33 "Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys." We should be giving more voluntarily to the social programs many liberals want to enact. They're just picking up our slack.
POINT: If you aren't going to life by it yourself, don't force it onto others. You're just a hypocrite.

Liberals: You guys' are by no means innocent either. Too often have I been told that I must be tolerant of other peoples beliefs, lifestyles, and opinions while you yourselves have shown none towards mine. While I do tend to side with you guys' more on some social issues now, many of the issues you press are not not worthy of the hype they are given. You also must stop insisting America do a 180 degree turn and realize the foundations and beliefs of this country and how deeply they are imbedded. You aren't going to change that any year soon, odds are ever, and the more you realize this, the nastier you become. Resorting to insults is always a favorite I've seen, but conservatives aren't exactly innocent of this either.
POINT: The world can stand to go on as it has for the past years, decades, centuries, and people are going to be okay. Take a chill pill and relax, very few people intentionally want others to have harm befall them.

Romans 13:1    

    Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

So congratulations, Mr. Obama. Good luck for the next four years. I will do all I am willing to and can during these next four years to help you out, but seeing as I'm a white college student in Wisconsin, that might not be much. :P

Jacob
(note: I am NOT a Democrat, just a realist young conservative who is a Christian first.)

Another Post at Work...

Well, it looks like you all can expect bi-monthly update from me, since I appear to have a lot of time to do an update every other Saturday while on dispatch.
So, the topic of this week?
My, how things change
Actually, that's a pretty lame title, cuz I seem to write nearly all of my posts about my ever-changing life. Last week, you got a general gist of how it's changed over the past four years, this week, I'm going to go a little into how it's going right now.
Well, to be honest, I'm going to side with one of my close buddies right now who said it recently and say that it's stressful and I miss the old days. Not a lot; I can live here perfectly fine, but a lot of stress would be gone if it were four months ago. But alas, that can't happen.
Actually, you know, my life isn't that bad. I have an amazing girlfriend (but doesn't everyone?), a decent college, and good(ish) grades and a job. It's going - hard, albeit - smoothly.
So as The Black Keys play in the background and I glance over at the security cameras around campus on the monitor to the left of the one this blog is on, the thing most on my mind is my girlfriend. I didn't really think it was feasible for me to be in a relationship, and and to be honest, for the first month I was pretty shy and reserved about it. But only recently have I realized how awesome having one can be. Sure, being single was and still is lots of fun, but having someone there for you - especially when you live six hours from home.
Alright, sappy moment over. I don't love her, nor should I at this point. But I do care about her a lot. The relationship could blossom into something serious, or it could just fizzle down and we could end up friends. Either is fine by me. But this whole relationship aspect has really put a twist on my college experience. Better, arguably, more challenging, yes! But as the weeks tick down to break, we have to keep our heads on straight and keep heading for the ultimate destination together (well, for a college student), home.

More to come.

Time Flies

Oh my, how fast two months can go by. I mean, think of it. Two months ago, I wasn't in college; I was still in the limbo period between High school and College, not sure of what to be in college but sure of what I didn't want to be due to experiences in High School. Fast foward two months and see how things have changed.

I've settled in. I've made new friends. I have a girlfriend. I've done dumb things and I've done smart things. I've learned. I've studied and gotten good grades, and I've failed to study and thus reaped the consequences. I have a job (which I'm at as I write this blog) which is a good prep towards my (hopefully) eventual job. This has become the new normal for me.
My, how things change, no?
Yet, I sometimes I still long for the past, for my old friends, my old life. Yes, they were nice; life was much less-stressful and we had a lot less on our plate. Yet, life has to move on, and it's best not to get left behind, like some people I've seen have done. The new friends I have are great! I truly believe God put all of them into my life for a reason! But my old friends are truly invaluable, too. As I look back, I realize how friggin' awesome we were together, and how many good times we had. Whether it be Zombie 5k's, Spring Break trips, or simply sleeping over at each others' houses and spending time with each other, I honestly don't regret anything that's been done. Everything that's happened has been for a reason.
As I look at all of my friends move on with their lives, it's super-comforting to know that we'll always be friends and can come back and pick up where we left off. Sure, I get sad sometimes when I see their Facebook status' and pictures with people I don't know, but when I think about it, I'm doing the exact same thing. My social circle is so different now than it was months ago, but that's not a bad thing! Having TWO awesome friend groups is better than just one awesome friend group.
Yet oddly enough, I've categorized my past few years into categories:

The pre-drama years - freshmen + sophomore years of high school

In these years, I was just getting the swing of High School life. Coming from a small private school, it was a big change. I had my first girlfriend, first break-up, and first many things. These years seem so foreign, but when you think of it, they really weren't that far back. I had a few close friends during this period and was so wrapped up with high school life that anything else seemed pretty irrelevant and foreign. Time seemed to creep by. Life wasn't bad.

The exposure year(s) - late sophomore - junior years of high school

In these years, I left the nest officially. I went to Spain for a month, which is arguably one of the most compelling events in my life so far, and I went to California for a band trip. I was out and about a lot and developed a lot too. Another critical aspect of this era was the development of the relationship with my current best friends, Allison, Amelia, and Matt. The former two started dating, but that didn't really affect me until the next years...

The dark year - senior year

These years, they, well, they were rough, I'm not going to lie. College was now in view, and we were not interested in the usual shennanigans of High School life anymore. My friend Matt's girlfiend left to Thailand, and that was stressful. Here's where I really developed a deep relationship with him, one that continues to this day. I also cemented my friendship with the core circle of my high school friends. I had different friend circles in different groups, and here they really started to all come together. Yes, it was a little weird for me having my friends know each other, hang out with each other, and interact without me being the medium, but I got over it!

But don't be persuaded by the title. Just because there were some dark periods - and I do mean dark in all aspects, weather, decisions (I didn't go out for swimming that year), girl problems for all, friend drama - doesn't mean that there weren't awesome times too. Some of my best memories originate from this period of my life, memories that I will always hold on to. We went on our first Spring Break trip without adults to my grandparents house in Baraboo, near the Wisconsin Dells. We ran from Zombies and I (unfortunately not Matt) survived! We had countless nights together where we just talked about life, about the future (much of which we're now living), God, and other things. Gender, sex, and other things didn't really matter anymore, I was so close with most of them I could stay up late nights with my friend Allison and just chill, having it be no big deal. In many ways, I yearn to return to these days.

The current years - college and beyond

Yet, life goes on. Here I am, at Carroll University in Waukesha WI, living life on my own (for the most part) as a college student. Yeah, it's hard. Yeah, it can get tough. But it IS fun and worth it. All of the new experiences I've had are unforgettable. It got off to a rocky start, but it's only taken off from there. The Cross guys I've met have been probably one of the highlights; they made me realize how much I enjoy being apart of a team. The season was fun!

Yet I have more friends, too! The various circles I have, just like high school, support me in different ways, and I appreciate that a lot. At the same time, I've struggled with a lot of things, mainly tempations and beliefs. It's true: in college you're hit with alot of decisions, and not all of the outcomes are good. I trust God that he'll see me through to the end in one piece, but I can't guarantee I'll come out unscathed. But that's life, honestly. We make mistakes. We learn from them. We carry on. As long as I know Jesus as my Savior and do the most I can to honor him, my life will always have some redeeming quality.

Being in college also made me miss my high school friends that much more, yet it also made me realize how good we had it. Never again can we return to those last months of high school-land, living with most of the freedoms of college, yet non of the responsibilites. Yes, it was nice, but it had to end. Here we are in real life now, living and making our own paths.

The decisions we make affect everyone around us, so choose carefully. Yet remember there is always hope and forgiveness in at least one person, Jesus Christ. I don't mean to get all preachy but he truly is the one unbreakable bond you can have. And while I definately don't honor him in all I do here in college, I won't deny that bond ever.

Well, I'm going to stop now because honestly, I would keep going for paragraphs about this stuff, had I the time and energy. Time for rest,

Adios, Blogosphere!

Jacob



Long time no post, eh?

Woa, yes, blogger world, I am still alive, albeit much busier and occupied.
College has been a lot different than I thought. It's lots of fun, don't get me wrong, and I can only imagine what these next four+ years will bring, but at the same time, we spent the past two years hyping college into something that it, quite frajkhlkjhnkly, isn't.
Now, maybe it's because I choose a smaller college in suburbia, but there are a few things about college that I've discovered:

1) Friday nights are fun, but not all they've been hyped up to.
Yes, the first two Friday's were quite entertaining on campus here at Carroll. We definately didn't run out of anything to do, be it party-searching or simply babysitting the party-goers, but when put in perspective, Friday nights are quite tame (here, at least). The streets were quite active, but when you think of it, there are far more people indoors studying/sleeping than out partying. This is probably a good thing considering the fact wdfase've already had like eight ambulances at Carroll for alcohol abuse, and that number is surely to only go up.

2) Sex is all around
We had this competition in our residence hall called "Strapped-Up Magnum" where we had to put a condom on a cucumber, run around some obstacles, and answer some sex/alcohol-related questions. First off, let me first say that they handed out condoms like candy the first week here and it's definately not hard to get a hold of them cheap/free, just go to the nurses office! But what was probably more eye-opening was how frequently stuff was happening around me. A lot of my friends and neighbors have been less-than-pure in their first few weeks, and it's a little creepy to think that on some nights a wall, perhaps a  foot thick at most, is all that seperates me from the dirty deed.
This also really showed me how naive and "innocent" I am here. Like, seriously, I've never interacted with a condom before this and it was evident. I'm not embaressed or upset; that's just how High School played out for me and I don't really care. That's also likely not to change for quite some time, if ever.

3) Most douchebags don't make it to college
Finally, a good point. Mostly everyone I've met here is nice and just wants to get along. Sure, there are those weird kids who everyone acknowledges and then tries to avoid, but for the most part, the old high school asshole seems to be stuck working at McDonalds.


I probably could continue on for paragraphs, but I have some homework to attend to - another part of college that sucks - so, until later, bye!

Jacob

Me in College

So, I'm a few weeks into college now. Reflections?
Heck yeah, let's do this!
But really, college has had it's ups and downs, it's highs and lows, its lefts and rights (you get the picture).

As I sit here on Main Lawn typing, I can't help but feel a great sense of euphoria. This is what I've been waiting for for so long; people I don't know rushing by me, surrounded by buildings I'm not familiar with, everyone on their own schedule. I am meeting up with people tonight for dinner; yes, this is indeed what we've been waiting for. Now, I can't say things won't change, because they certainly will, but for the time being, let's enjoy the place we're in, regardless of where it is.

College, week one

So, I'm finally here. I have to admit, a lot of times I didn't think I would. I'm at college. The almighty destination for so many high school students, revered for it's parties, social life, and freedom from the brutal oppression of parents.
I feel nearly the same as before, just more sore and poorer. :P
Honestly, this last week has been so physically exhausting that I haven't had time to really think of those at home. My schedule has basically gone along these lines.
6:30 - Get waken up obnoxiously by the garbage truck outside Swarthout parking lot
7:00 - Breakfast in the commons with the team
9:00 - CC practice, usually around five or six miles
11:30 - practice is finished; back to my dorm to shower, freshen up, and head to lunch with the guys
12:30 - finish lunch, go hang around at Frontier Hall with the guys playing Halo and such
3:00 - CC practice, usually another good four or five miles
5:00 - done with practice; back to shower again and head out to dinner with the guys
7:00ish - figure out something to do with the guys, usually more Halo or N64
10:00 - back to the dorm room for night time.

repeat 6x

Yeah, and we fit camping in the middle of the week too, which was super fun, but man am I POOPED.
Only one more week of double practice until school starts and we go to once a week and normality ensures. My cross country experience here is enough for an entirely different blog post, which will come at a later time.
I can't say I don't mind, though. The guys in CC are some of the coolest people I've met. They're quirky, fun, and chill, willing to do pretty much anything. Sure, they can kick my butt with their "easy" 7:00 pace on nearly all of our runs, but I'll grow into it. The girls are too, and I'm not even saying that in a sexual way. They're all legitimately nice.
Ultimately, it's pretty clear who's all freshmen, cuz we're all scared, quiet, and nervous. But we'll grow out of that, too.
In time, people. Everything comes in time. Enjoy where you're at now, because you will look back and miss is.

Gotta go, my laundry's done. I have to pay for this, now. -_-

Do that Wooorkk

So, I have two days at home left before I leave for college. Reflections; any regrets of the summer?
Well, I dunno. Sometimes I wish I had worked more. I mean, I could always use more money, especially when I actually enjoy my job.
But even though my mom nagged me a lot, I did work a substantial amount. Not as much as I'd like, maybe, but I put in an average of 20 hours a week throughout most of summer, and even around 30-35 in August.
So, next summer I need to do more, but in the meantime, let me focus on my campus job and enjoy college.

Cheers.

Popular

I always feel like I have an obligation to update my blog post regularly, but I fail to realize that I have like two people who even remotely look at it on a regular basis. Still, to all of those random people out there who stumble onto my blog, this is for you.

I feel so close to you right now

So, I was going to link to the music video for Calvin Harris' "So Close", but the school district's filters unfortunately don't want anything fun getting through, so I can't get on Youtube, VEVO, or basically any other site. Reason #64,883 of why I'm glad to be done with high school.
Well then, continuing on.
There are nine days - NINE friggin' days - till I leave for college. Seriously, it's down to single digits now. Quite frankly, I don't know how I feel. I think the most accurate description of my current feelings is pure excitement filled with pure terror. In nine days, my life is going to change forever. I'm going to meet new people, do new things, all without the constant guidance and correction of my parents. 0.o Hopefully they raised me right so I can do it almost entirely correctly.
I've come to grips with the fact that I won't be seeing a lot of my good friends for months on end, and I'm okay with that. I know that when we do see each other, we'll rock it hard, so time to enjoy the time in the middle and meet new friends.
What I'm probably more nervous about is the fact that I just committed to running Cross Country at my school this year. I seriously don't know why I'm so nervous; I've done organized sports ever since Freshmen year of high school and while granted, college is different, a little bit of time commitment shouldn't'
scare me. It's a maximum two hour practice each day - which will keep me in sexy shape for all those ladies ;D - and like five meets over two and a half months. Seriously, it's probably going to fly by and I'll be wishing it was still here.
But alas, I'm still petrified. But it has to happen. In the end it's better for me. I'll have a stable group of friends, fun experiences - we're going to the dells and camping before school even starts! - and get in great shape. It's a win-win, and I believe time is the only factor that's keeping me afraid.

Well, here goes nothing. Let's enjoy these last few days of normality before we're thrust into life.
Oh wait, I'm working. :P

As We Move on...

So, I have a bunch of great friends - I really do - and I wouldn't ask for any others. But now we have reached the point in life where we are beginning to go our separate ways. Now, don't get me wrong, I know we'll always be friends (I hope) and that we will find time in the future to see each other, even when we live far away from each other. But recently, I realized that, for a few select friendships, it's time for me to bow out of the picture and let them do their thing.
Being honorary third wheel has it's benefits as well as it's difficulties. Sure, I enjoy making things awkward for my couple friends, sitting between them during a movie, making them feel uncomfortable, and overall being a friendly nuisance to them, but there is a time and place. I've done my job (if it can be called that) and now it's time to move on. One friend set in particular, they're some of my closest friends as well as their family, but I recently realized that the picture frame of participants in the relationship is narrowing, and it'd be best for me to step out. And what a better time, no? I'm heading off to Milwaulkee in less than a month and them the Twin Cities. They get to still further their relationship, I get to branch off into this new adventure in life.
Wow. Growing up is not like they told us it would be.
Now, I'm not being a pessimist; we'll still enjoy plenty of good times together, but it's just that now it will be less than it is now. But that's how it has to be, we're "adults" now. :P
So, future friends, let's kick it off and see what roles we fill.

One Month

Wow. Just, wow.
One month from now, everything will be different. One month from now, I move into college.
(one month from July 31st, if you're reading this)
How exactly do I feel?

Yup. It's really happening.

That pretty much sums it up. But it's not a bad thing! Change isn't always bad; it can be a change for the better. This change is inevitable; we're all leaving and moving on with our lives, and it's best that I don't get left behind, like some people I know.
But what can I expect Jacob to do, come August 31st? What will he do? How will he act on front of this new crowd of people who don't know him? Will he be able to support himself without his parents and close friends nearby?
Well, quite frankly, I don't know. And I'm not worrying about that until it happens. I've conquered bigger things, I think, and I'm excited for this! You just gotta remember that everyone else is experiencing the exact same fears and unknown that you are. Use that to your advantage and MEET PEOPLE, DO THINGS YOU HAVEN'T DONE, AND HAVE FUN (study too, it counts this time)!

Sometimes, when I get nervous, I think to all of my current close friends and how they'll do at college. They'll meet people. They'll get new best friends. They'll even learn new things and perhaps change their lives significantly for the better. But in the end, we'll always be friends. I know for one of my best friends in particular, who is joining the service, life won't be the same ever. Never again will we be given the freedom of just-graduated high school-er's, yet almost none of the responsibility. For my friend and I, our future is very uncertain, but I trust that our deep roots of friendship can survive long periods of time without seeing each other.
The truth is, in about a month and a half, I'm going to have so many different friends and social circles, the Jacob typing this blog will be a thing of the past. Who know's what I'll be like and what I'll do; that's part of the excitement! But regardless, I know my close friends and family will always be here at home.

Stay close, friends; life's about to begin.

Jacob

Star Wars and other things among the stars

Nerdy admission: I love reading the Star Wars extended universe novels. I've probably read more than two dozen of them already, and there are literally a few hundred out there, so I have much more to go. Currently, I am reading a series titled X-Wing Rouge Squadron, which take the focus off the main movie characters and puts it on some movie-secondary characters and introduces new ones. I like that. I've always thought that there was so much more to the universe than just the movie plot, and there is! There is probably more than six times the content in the books than there is in the movies, and that's a conservative estimate. But hey, reading isn't for everyone. You really have to use your imagination, especially with these sci-fi books, to make them interesting and fun to read.
Try what I do: before you start, get a list of all of the friends, family, and people you know and keep it on you. Some books have a dramatis personale, meaning a character list, meaning you can see all the characters beforehand, but it's easier (for me) to just assign them as I go. As you read and characters are introduced, assign your friends as those characters. You can do it based off of traits/looks described in the book or totally random. You can even assign them to characters you know will die because secretly, you want to imagine that person dying or being saved. Sometimes you lose the universe effects - meaning the atmosphere, clothing, etc. - of the book, but it's a heckuva lot more fun to read and can get quite interesting when characters decide to interact in different ways. (rest assured, I glaze over the sex scenes; I don't want to imagine anyone doing that...)
I'm currently on book 7, with two more to go! After this, I don't really know what's next, but hey, like I said, there are hundreds of more books to read, Star Wars and non, and I can already tell college will be having me read my share of literature books (Can anyone say Spanish novel time?).


The extended universe is a lot like real life. There are main characters, secondary characters, antagonists, and support personale. Everyone plays a role, regardless if they know it or not, and multiple roles are being played daily. Our perspective is the movie - we only see a small portion of what really goes on. Sure, some of us see more than others, but ultimately there is so much more that goes on behind the scenes, that we are all minor/insignificant characters at some point from someone's "movie". Because so much goes on outside of the movie, we can't possibly understand everything that occurs and why; it's simply impossible. Only when our minor characters come into focus as major do we understand that situation and it's motives, beliefs, and course, but in doing that, we have to demote some other characters to minor; we can't have everyone playing a major role at once!
With this, I've realized that soon, some of my current major characters are going to take a break and sit back as minors. In the novels I'm reading, Luke Skywalker doesn't come to the rescue, swinging his lightsaber and saving the day; no, Luke is a distant figure that few know apart from general gossip, and life goes on without the daily heroics. We all have our own Luke Skywalker (man, I'm getting into this...), and just as he has to rest, so do ours. We can't obsess over one person - usually our significant other - forever; sooner or later we have to take a break and bring into focus other characters - friends, family, work buddies. The same goes for them; they're going to drop you out of main character focus at times, and guess what? You're both going to survive. In the novels, they shift focus from one squadron to the other, and that upset me because I had spend the last four books focused on one. But three books in with the other squadron I've realized that those characters live on despite me not "reading" over their shoulder (pardon the pun). In fact, it makes it that much more rewarding when the former main characters intertwine with the new ones periodically, as they are now. It's kinda like a reassuring pat on the back that they're big boys and can handle themselves without you. The same goes for life - your significant other can live without you for a while, and you without them. Let them go and conquer new heights without you - with new main characters such as their best friend, boss, or parent. Because ultimately, the universe is going to play on with or without you, and your choices determine your role to many. And trust me, you don't want to be the red shirt of the story...

Because ultimately, "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players..."

A big hole in the ground

Last month, we partook on a trip down to the Grand Canyon for two weeks in a big RV. I learned many things, not limited to:
1) RV's get horrible gas mileage regardless of the weather conditions.
2) Uncle Dave is funny regardless of the situation.
3) I question why people live in many parts of the southwestern United States.
4) Auntie Lisa has now been designated Auntie Svedka.
5) The Grand Canyon is a big, big hole in the ground; it's epic-ness can't even be described in pictures.

Seriously, it's a mile deep...

Yeah, sometimes you just have to experience things for yourself...

Reflections: Family, Summer, and College

So I finally gave up on trying to get the hyper-inefficient University of Minnesota to change my blogger email, so I just created a new one. I'll post a link on my old one redirecting to this, but starting from scratch takes some time, so bear with me.

Reflections: Yes, I'm having quite a lot of them lately. It's mid-July, meaning college orientation for me. I had that today. I found my dorm room, did some adjustments so my schedule is right, and got my books for a surprisingly-cheap $650-ish. I also got a taste for what campus like will be like and the kind of people I will be spending the next few years with.
Reflections after that: dear Lord; I can't wait.
More reflections: We had a family reunion this weekend, meaning I had two days (well, technically just an evening and an afternoon) full of family, some of whom I didn't even know. My grandpa bought me my first beer - that was quite an honor sharing it with him and my family - since it's legal in Wisconsin to drink with your parents in public. Me and my two other college-bound cousins plotted and schemed how we're going to work each other's social lives in the coming months. One of my cousins is at Whitewater, about twenty minutes away, so we'll be keeping in touch quite a lot now. The fact he goes to Whitewater means the atmosphere will be a tad, uh, well, how can I say this - more intense (because honestly, what else are you suppose to do in Whitewater?). My other cousin is going to the University of Minnesota, which is close to my hometown. It's nice to know I have another place to go back in good 'ol Minnesota, especially one so unique in the state (Dinkytown's boss; just sayin'). And of course, what cousinly bond would be complete without the older cousin who's a bartender?! :P
But the real fun stuff came after that. One of the nights, when we had gathered in my cousin's house, we commenced one of our typical relative talk - super random, inappropriate, and possibly the funniest stuff I've ever heard. Now, we've heard for years now the "Uncle Dave stories", since he has so many of them (seriously, he and some of his buddies sold "insurance" to an old lady living above them once - naked. It's hard to top him.). Now that we're older, we get to hear more of the critical details that were left out when we were younger, such as the minor fact that some alcohol may have been involved at many points. Of course, the hilarity they give out cannot even be transferred to this blog, but I can assure you I leave crying every time, crying from laughter, that is.
Reflections: dear Lord, I really, really can't wait for college. Send me now, Lord!

Well, I think that pretty much sums it up. Ultimately, I friggin' love my family. As I grow and become closer to many friends, I learn that their family situations are quite sad, with grudges, distance, and death preventing any love and closeness between many members. We lack nearly all of that in my extended family. We live the farthest away out of all of my immediate extended family, and we still see them 4-5 times a year (soon to be much, much more). Where there are conflicts, we agree to disagree and move on, usually over some alcoholic beverages and dirty jokes. Where there is distance, we get closer. Yes, the downside is that when some of them leave this earth, it will be harder to cope, but I'd rather have all of these fun memories with them than not have had any at all! It also make me very encouraged for the future, for when my cousins and I are older and have kids, I seek to replicate what we currently have. Lord knows I can only imagine what type of mischief we'll be getting into in the meantime, but I expect plenty of stories to be told around the table come a few decades.
Basically,
college+family+fun=even more fun

Yes, this will be the time of our lives...