Advice Column

There has been something on my mind lately and I would like to express my feelings about it. If I could I would write this and send it to an advice column.



Freshman Year-

College is a great experience. It's exciting, new, scary, and extremely tough all at the same time. There are a ton of fun times to be had and people to meet. The thing that makes me sad is the fact that there are freshman who are not having a positive first year experience. I had a blast my freshman year. I did a ton of stupid things, stayed up very late, slept in, didn't study and was a true and complete FRESHMAN. I know a handful of freshman who are very lonely, don't have a good friend to talk to, and don't really do fun things with other people. It breaks my heart because they should be having a great time not spending all their time alone in the library or lonely in their apartments.

There is a way to help this that I learned about my first year at college. First, moving away from home and living on your own with complete strangers is scary. I know that young adults don't want to admit it, but it's hard. I was homesick for the first two weeks of school. I cried the first couple of times I called home because I felt so lonely. The remedy to this is to get involved. Being involved in a ward, club, or social group gives you something to focus on besides yourself. It fills your life and you don't have time to be lonely. And you usually have fun doing things. Second, people are selfish and stupid. They usually won't come to you to make friends. So sometimes in order to make friends you need to suck up your pride and courage and make the first move. There aren't many people who won't be willing to talk to you and make friends. It can be hard to do. In the beginning I didn't know people so I would go to things by myself like sports games and concerts. It would have been more fun if I had invited people to go with me. I had a hard time learning how to befriend people, but usually they are waiting for an invitation so why not be the inviter? I made a few friends freshman year just by inviting them to come to dinner with me in the cafeteria. Then you look for more people who need someone to eat with and pretty soon you have a huge party going on. There was one boy freshman year who spent the whole year avoiding the dinner rush so he could eat by himself and not look wierd. Then my friends and I started making him eat with us when we saw him. We got to know him and he felt more comfortable. Hopefully he enjoyed his experience and felt like he could have friends. The best way to get more friends is to be outgoing and friendly yourself. This also helps to cut away the loneliness when you have good friends to surround yourself with. Pretty soon you will find that time has passed quicker than you thought and you want more time. It is best to live it up and not miss out on anything. Sometimes this means involving yourself, (again people are stupid and don't always remember everyone), but you will eventually have a great time.

I know that there won't be anyone who will really benefit from reading this but I just want to say that it is hard learning to live on your own, make new friends and start a college education. But I did it and many others did too. I used to walk around campus watching friends greet each other and wonder how they even knew each other in the masses of people when I couldn't recognize a face. Now I have the same thing happen to me. It just takes time and perseverance. Some of my best memories are from my times in Helaman Halls. Late night chats with friends, discovering facebook, photoshoots, getting stranded in SLC, going to Denny's at 2 am, wasting time at the cannon center, visiting hours, home teachers, functioning in a ward, the dollar theater, having the doorms be your whole world, watching the Amazing Race in the basement, ward talent show, being on campus late at night, late night antics in general, and yes even breaking my leg had some good experiences like having my own personal goodbye party, my girlfriends sleeping on the hard floor of my room for my last night, getting a priesthood blessing from newly ordained Melchezidik (?) priesthood holders, and the poster everyone signed. I have a lot of great memories that could not have been had anywhere else. I am grateful for the time I spent as a freshman in the doorms because it was the right amount I needed to handle in order to grow at that time. I just wish that everyone could have had as positive experience as I did. I know there are some tough things to deal with like roommates you don't get along with but you still can have a positive experience. I wish with all my heart that others will have a positive first year also.

I Decide 2008?

So there are two things that bug the heck out of me for this upcoming election. The first is the way presidential primaries are run in my home state of Washington. Apparently when you vote for your candidate you have to sign the ballot and declare your allegiance to the political party you chose. For example, if I voted for Barak Obama I would have to declare allegiance to the Democratic party of Washington. If not, the other stuff on the ballot I voted for wouldn't count like the school funding thing to keep paying our school district enough money to run the schools. What the heck? Why to I have to declare allegiance to the party? It is way wacked out. The only person I could vote for in the Republican party is John McCain and I really don't like him. So I was going to vote for Obama because I like him better than Hillary. But I don't want to sign my life away to the Dems. Things need to change in Washington state.

The second is that people who have the right to vote don't have a clue what is going on. This is a very important election and it will have a major effect on our lives as we graduate college and go into the "real world". In my public health class the other day they went around the room asking what issues were most important to people in the upcoming election. I am sad to say the following was the response for about 40% of the class: "Umm I haven't really been following everything...But let's see....I guess healthcare would be important??" I was having issues with these people. Don't they know that who they elect could have a huge impact on their lives? I wanted to give them an election tutorial. What is going to happen when they pick their candidate to vote for? They will probably choose the best looking one or some other silly reason. These people will decide who is my president for the next 4-8 years. I hope they choose wisely. It's called "You Decide 2008" for a reason.

New Year, new goals, and new habits...hopefully

First off, Happy New Year! It is 2008 and it's great to be alive! Isn't that fun to say? It's great to be alive! The year is going fine so far, but let's see what happens when school starts off again. As I start a new year I get contemplative and think about all the things that I should be doing, or not doing. New beginnings always inspire me to think about goals or resolutions that I should make. I usually don't follow through. But I desperately need to change a few things in my life. Here is my list, not comprehensive, not related, but maybe if I write it down more of it will happen. I'm not much a list person, for example I get no pleasure of crossing things off a list like Jenn. This is for me to keep track of myself. 1. Floss daily-I have to admit I don't do this. The hygenist yelled at me yesterday, and I want to keep my teeth healthy. I just need to remember when I had braces and couldn't floss my teeth. 2. Do well in my calling at church-I am already set apart as a first counselor in the Relief Society Presidency. Being a secretary last semester I already know a lot of the things that I will need to do. I am scared because I know that there is so much that I could do to help people, and I want to be able to. But I don't want to let myself become a slacker and let other people do the things I can. I want to be a good leader, care about the people I have stewardship of, and hopefully make a difference. Part of this is working on my calling during the week, not just on Sundays. Get goin', Meagan! 3. School-where am I headed? what is my end goal, what am I doing now to get there? This is not a new problem. Also Part B-do well this semester: get good grades from the beginning, and DON'T FALL ASLEEP IN CLASS!! (trust me this is big). 4. Religious aspects-read the whole BOM, am I going on a mission? Marissa is a good example for me :) 5. Have a good time this semester-I have to admit last semester was lacking. I did fun things but on the whole it was not memorable. I could be better friends with some people if I made more effort. And I could have done more things and made more memories if I had shown more initiative. I want to have fun! 6. Health-exercise, eat healthy food, and go to the gym with marissie. Goal is to do the Rex Lee Run in March. Get good sleep too.

As I said this list is not comprehensive. I do have good intentions. But I need to help myself keep those goals.

Something to think about: Being gone for a year from Richland has given me some new perspective. I went to church the Sunday before Christmas and there were a lot of families there. I also got all the latest gossip and scoop on what was going on. One family had their daughter visit from England with the two granddaughters. Her husband was not with her because he has stopped going to church. One of the girls, Sammy, is in a wheelchair. She has the cutest spirit. After church she greeted her grandfather with a "Hello, Grandpa!" with arms outstretched, telling him all about primary. This little girl has to live with an inactive dad. There was also a girl who is a year older than me who was home visiting. She had a baby with a man she slept with and she was in the ward to have her dad bless the little girl because the man is not LDS. They are married but I don't expect the marriage to last long. There is also the family that lives next door to me. They have 9 kids and all of them have left the church as they have grown older and moved out. One of them close to my age is on a mission right now in the Dominican Republic. He is the first of 5 out of 7 boys to serve. My heart breaks because while he is out serving the Lord his family is falling apart. One older brother dresses like a goth but he shows promise because he is going to college in Seattle. Another older brother lives with his girlfriend in Arizona. His younger brother who is gratuated lives a block away in an apartment with his girlfriend. Another younger brother has grown his hair very long and wears kilts to school every day. The bishop has refused to let this brother come to church wearing a kilt. His younger sister still goes to church and hopefully has good supportive friends. His dad goes to church also, but I just learned that his mom has stopped attending church. She had been going pretty regularly before this. All through this he is supposed to serve and email his family what he has been learning and teaching others. I get the same emails he sends his family and I hope they listen to the words he tells them every time. I pray that something will change their hearts. They are a good family and they need to support their son on a mission. The reason he is on a mission right now is because he had the support of many good friends who wouldn't let him fall away.

Anyways, with all of these stories it made me think about how the decisions you make effect those around you. I hadn't thought about this much before now but I can see whole generations affected by the decisions people have made, whether they are good or bad. I feel bad because it's not fair to those who had no say in your decision. The baby girl born to the non-LDS dad is going to go through life without her dad being a priesthood holder, or understanding what she is doing in the church. She didn't to anything to deserve that kind of life but has to live with the consequences her parents made. It made me realize that the decisions I am making in my life right now will have big effects. It's not just me but my family, friends, and maybe someday future family. They deserve to have the best me I can give them. I don't want them to have to worry about my problems.

Side note: I was at a New Year's party and my brother asked me if a kid there was Marcus Gilson (a guy I was friends with growing up who is returing from his mission in like three weeks). I looked and I was a little startled. I thought it was Marcus for a second. I don't know why I was scared. I was friends with Marcus in high school and I am excited for him to come home. I think I was startled for a few reasons. 1. I want to look good when I see him, (don't you always want to look good when you see someone when you haven't seen them in awhile) 2. I wasn't prepared with what to say to him. RM's are wierd, you haven't seen or talked to them in two years and you are supposed to be friends with them again?, and how do you catch up on two years, it makes for awkward conversation. 3. I'm scared of what he will think when he sees me. Will he remember that I only wrote him twice in two years? Will he be excited to see me? Or will he be too cool and spiritual? What do I have to show for two years gone by? A rod in my leg, a few more credits, a little smarter...not much else. It's not a competition but ghez, there should be more to show.

And there I leave you in this late hour. I have been very honest, my truest feelings, so don't judge me. And maybe it's time I start writing in a journal instead.

Oh my gosh I want one!

That's what you will say when you see these. http://www.charmcitycakes.com/index2.html
I watched the show on food network and all I can think about is how I want one. I looked it up. They need 2-4 months in advance notice and are all booked during valentines day, summer wedding season, Thanksgiving and Christmas for the next two years. Through 2009. Each cake costs at least $500!! I will probably never have one, but they are amazing. Your life will be changed.

Joshua Winslow Groban and William Martin Joel

Yesh. Concert series 2007. This year I have been blessed to see two great performers. One an up an coming superstar, another who has lasted for several decades. Both make me proud to say that one day I will be able to tell my kids that I saw them in concert.

August 28th, 2007-Energy Solutions Arena, SLC, UT

I got to see Josh Groban live and it was THE highlight of my summer. My mom, Stephen, and Jillian came with me and we had a blast. It was fun going with Jillian because she can get energetic and hyper like me. After a fantastic day of shopping and a great dinner at Olive Garden, we made our way over to the concert. Josh had a lady from South Africa open for him, Angelique Something, she was pretty cool. Then the music of "You Are Loved" began and the whole arena went wild. There was a curtain up so we couldn't see where Josh was. Then it opened and he came out. Bub and I were jumping up and down screaming "He's right there. Oh my gosh we're in the same room as JOSH GROBAN!!" This went on the entire night. Yes Josh sounds as good or better as his CDs. It was amazing to be able to see him perform live, at the peak of his prime, singing songs that I truly enjoy. After two notes of a song Jillian and I knew what it was and we would always say to each other "I love this one!" Josh sang all the songs from his Awake album except for "Veritas" and "Solo Por Ti". He also sang "Not While I'm Around" from Sweeny Todd, and some of his old hits like "Canto Alla Vita" and "Remember When It Rained". At one point during the concert Josh came in through a side door singing "In Her Eyes." He came right underneath us so I leaned over the balcony and took a picture. It was the closest I ever got to Josh. It was a good thing he had security guards because he would've been mobbed. He's a pretty entertaining guy and the coolest part was when his piano came out from underneath the stage on a platform. You got to make a lot of money to have one of those. I almost lost my voice. But Carrs don't lose their voices. The best part of the concert was that they filmed it for the DVD/CD edition. OUR Concert, the one I was at. Yep. Maybe I'll be on the movie. And after the concert Bub and I spent the wad. I got a t-shirt keychain and poster. Bub got a t-shirt and a program. Next time I am spending more money to sit closer. Then maybe I can touch Josh!!

November 29th, 2007-Energy Solutions Arena, SLC, UT

Mr. William Joel LIVE. Once in a lifetime experience. Jenn and I traveled up to SLC for the occasion. Me, Jenn, and a couple thousand of our new 50-year old friends. I had better seats for this concert but I was the one shelling out the money. The wierd thing was that there were totally a lot of seats left for Billy Joel's concert. Bill didn't have an opening performer. So all the old people had plenty of time to get their beer. Billy also had a piano that came out of the ground, and it could swivel around on the stage. If you didn't know, Billy is a somewhat short man and he has little hair left. But the man can still play. There was a camera in his piano that showed his fingers playing. Jenn really enjoyed that. The annoying part was when they would show these young blond things who all wore their boobie shirts to the concert. The most heartwarming thing was the look of joy on Jenn's face. She knew the words to most of the songs and sang along. The concert started out slow, he sang mostly unknown songs. But then he gave a choice of three songs and he sang Vienna. That's where I started having a lot of fun. Billy's voice isn't what it used to be so his singing was a lot lower than what is should've been. He sang a lot of classics. New York State of Mind, Keep a Tender Moment Alone, Rootbeer Rag, She's Got A Way, Allentown (me and jenn were going to make a poster to tell him Jenn is from there but we didn't), The Entertainer, I Go to Extremes, Movin' Out, The River of Dreams, We Didn't Start the Fire (I sang along to the whole thing!), Only the Good Die Young, My Life, It's Still Rock and Roll to Me, She's Always A Woman to Me, Don't Ask Me Why, Scenes From an Italian Restaurant, and for the encore Piano Man. That was worth it right there. Billy Joel singing his classic song playing the piano and the harmonica at the same time. AMAZING. We had a great time. It was a really long concert. Sweet. Jenn bought a Billy Joel T-shirt and I got a keychain. We also took pictures outside with all the lights. It was a magical night.

If you are going to a concert, do it well and live it up. The chance may never happen again. Josh was beautiful and Billy was an american icon. Viva Josh and Billy!!

Two more things

#1 It really bugs me when people don't know how to use the words "yea" "yeah" and "yay" properly when they are writing things. Most of the time it is the improper use of "yeah."

"Yeah"-is used to agree with something, like the word "yes". "Yeah, that was a great movie."

"Yay"-is an exclamation of happiness or excitement. "Yay! We won the game!"

"Yea"-is used in the Bible and Book of Mormon. "Yea verrily..."

it's not that hard.

#2
Movies I need to see: The Martian Boy, August Rush, Dan in Real Life, Ratatoullie(?), Bourne Ultimatum, Nanny Diaries, American Gangster (when it's edited), Be Kind Please Rewind, Mr. Magorium's Magical Emporium, Enchanted, Grace is Gone, that's it for right now but there's probably going to be more. I just need to get the list down so I remember.

To Eat or Not To Eat?

It's all Marissa's fault. Well sort of. Earlier on in the semester we were feeling like we were having too many sweets. We challenged ourselves to be really good about it for a week and not eat and desserts or sugar. It was really hard to be good and refuse food that was offered me. Eventually I had to think of punishments I would get if I broke the goal. Last week the punishment was I had to run with Marissa in the morning if I ate dessert. Fear of punishment was the only thing that worked. It is seriously crazy how much free food is all over. There are usually treats after ward prayer with cookies and brownies. FHE has a required treat phase. BYUSA has free food for random things all the time. Free hot dogs, hot chocolate, pie, candy, etc. It is hard to be good because it is really tempting. But then again it makes me realize what would happen if I did eat all the food that was available to me. Whoa baby! I just need to be good and say to myself that just because it's free doesn't mean I have to eat it. It's just a starving student's mindset I guess.