Valentine's Day!

So . . . It's February 1st, which means Valentine's Day is just around the corner. I found myself in Target yesterday after school (and really, I do just "find" myself in Target sometimes; it's so easy to walk around and kill a couple of hours in there . . .), and I was bombarded with red and pink everything. I loved it! I love Valentine's Day!

It's one of "those" holidays, though. You know the ones I'm talking about: New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day. The two holidays where single people are supposed to have so much fun! Where they're supposed to look incredible and have a fantastic party to attend or hot date planned. And somehow, it's seen as lame if you don't have those things. (I, for one, have only ever had a valentine once, and the day wasn't all it was cracked up to be. It was actually fairly lame because every couple in Atlanta seemed to be waiting on a table that night. And my date didn't even buy me a box of chocolates!*)

And yet, despite the odd phenomenon that is "those" holidays, I still really love them. I especially love Valentine's Day with it's bright colors and hearts and chocolate. I love love! And I love celebrating it!

I'm curious to see what other people think about Valentine's Day . . . Do you love it or hate it, readers? Why or why not?


*I have actually never gotten a box of chocolates from a date. I bet guys think it's a generic (and therefore unwelcome) gift for V-Day, but I have always, always wanted my very own large heart-shaped box of chocolates. I mean, really -- is there anything more glorious than a box of chocolates? I should say not.


Thing I'm thankful for: chats with friends I don't see very often

You Want Photos of Me Now???

I woke up late this morning and didn't have time to take a shower. You know what that means . . . A boring, slicked-back ponytail with zero volume. AND a tired look on my face. AND nasal congestion. AND just a general lack of confidence.

Of course this is the day that I was asked to be photographed. :/

I was sitting on a colorful and winding bench in the biology building, working on my laptop, when a woman with an old-school (non-digital) SLR camera asked if she could take some pictures of me. She said I could just continue working, but that I would be the subject of her photos. I said it was fine, but really, I was cringing inside because I hadn't yet taken a shower.

It wasn't a big deal, but it did end up giving me a laugh. "Ohhh, Universe," I thought, "how could you be so tricky?"


Thing I'm thankful for: Christmas lights. They're still hanging up in my apartment, and I have no intention of taking them down.

A Day's Worth of Music

Aldous Huxley is credited with saying, "After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music."

It's true, is it not? Today, I went through a range of emotions -- exhaustion, happiness, guilt, frustration, anxiety, joy, more frustration, sadness, regret, and worry. (Many of those feelings were associated with organizing a church activity . . .) You name it, I probably felt it. Well, I wasn't ever angry. So that's good. :)

I didn't quite know what to do with myself most of the time, so I did what I often do when that happens: I listened to music. It really has a way of helping me cope with life. These are the songs that got me through the day:

• I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You, Colin Hay
• Exit Music (For a Film), Radiohead*
• Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, Bach**

I mean, you can tell my emotions were all over the map today just by looking at that selection. Oy. :/


*Radiohead is coming to Austin this Spring. Tickets are sooo expensive, but I'm considering purchasing one, anyway, because Radiohead speaks to my soul. :)

**Bach is probably my favorite composer. I almost hate to say it because I love so many others, but c'mon -- you have to admit that he was pretty rockin' back in the 18th century. Check out Toccata and Fugue in D Minor.


Thing I'm thankful for: my roommate Desi. She helps me out a lot in high-stress situations. :)

Open Letter to UT Students

Dear fellow Longhorns,

You know the revolving door at the entrance to the library? Yeah, it's pretty great because it's really big; each section is big enough for two people, probably! It feels a bit luxurious, doesn't it?

If you don't mind, though, I'd like to enter those luxurious quadrants on my own. Unless I know you, I don't want to share them, and even then, you better be fairly certain that we're emotionally close enough to be so physically close. One quadrant -- however large -- is, under most circumstances, only big enough for one occupant. Besides, I need more room when I have my backpack on, which is all the time. You probably have a backpack on, too, and two people and two backpacks is a lot of of stuff!

So if you see me walk into that contraption and there's still time for you to jump in, don't. Resist the urge. It's sort of awkward and uncomfortable, and the nicer thing to do would be to wait for the next available space and help me push the door forward. Then there'll be plenty of space, and both of us will be benefit from the combined effort.


Thanks so much,
Sara

Q&A with Yours Truly

I don't usually answer direct questions about myself on my blog, but I'll do it for my friend Kynslie, who asked so nicely.

1. What's your dream job?
   I have too many. So I will list them all: User experience designer, bakery owner, surgeon, cognitive psychologist, and dialect coach.
   
   
2. Where's your favorite place in the world?
   Home
   
   
3. What do you think the definition of love really is?
   
   • Love means never having to say you're sorry. HA! Just kidding. :)
   • Love . . . Love is a many splendored thing . . . All you need is love. HA, again!
   • No, but really, though. Love is a feeling deep in your soul; one day you're half, then you're whole . . . Hahaha. :)
   
   Love makes me quote movies and songs. I don't have a definition for it, though.
   
   
4. If you could only listen to one album for the rest of your life, what would it be?
   Ooh. This is a tough one . . . Ummm . . . A compilation CD I make? What? That's cheating? Okay. I'll go with a Motown CD I own. It's a compilation, but it was produced by a record label, so I think it counts.
   
   
5. What do you wish you were better at?
   Going to bed at a reasonable hour
   
   
6. What's your favorite mode of transportation?
   Flying. For two reasons: 1) I love the feeling in the pit of my stomach during takeoff, and 2) I feel like it's the only place where doing nothing is totally acceptable.
   
   
7. Finish this sentence: I hate when people . . .
   . . . embarrass other people in public.
   
   
8. What's your bedtime? What time do you actually go to bed?
   I don't have a bedtime, but I shoot for midnight. It usually ends up being more like 2:00, except lately, because (minus tonight), I've actually been getting more sleep.
   
   
9. What's your favorite way to get exercise?
   Walking and talking with a friend
   
   
10. What book(s) are you reading/intending to read right now?
    I'm not going to count schoolbooks. So here's my current list:
    
    • The Three Musketeers
    • Of Mice and Men
    • Unbroken
      
      
11. What's your favorite "As seen on TV" product/commercial?
    This was my favorite question on the whole list! I'm a sucker for infomercials. They are so mesmerizing! I've spent many a late night watching them, so I have a few favorites, but the Paint Mate Plus Roller is the best of all. It's a paint roller with paint in the handle, so you don't have to reload as often! The infomercial is mighty fun to watch, too; there's something so satisfying in watching a wall being painted from start to finish. It sort of reminds me of those old how-it's-made videos on "Reading Rainbow" or "Sesame Street." Like the one with the orange crayons.

Thing I'm thankful for: clean clothes

Holding Hands

I realize what I'm about to write will give some people the wrong idea about me. They'll laugh and say I should probably keep things like this to myself, just in case I drive potential suitors far, far away. But this here blog is about me and my life and my thoughts. And for some reason, I like to share them. So here goes . . .

As I was finishing up my grocery shopping tonight, I saw a very blonde toddler slowly walking in the middle of the aisle just a little too far away from anybody who looked like a parent. I'd put him at about a year and a half. He was holding two bags of candy in his left hand. (I remember at least one of them was gummy worms.) I looked around for any indication of a parent or guardian, but no one seemed to be taking an interest in him. I caught his attention and said, "Do you know where your mommy is?" He just looked at me blankly. I pointed to a couple nearby and said, "Is that your mommy and daddy?" He didn't seem to understand, so I crouched down beside him and noticed that he had a runny, dirty nose. He hadn't been crying, but it was clear he had a cold. I told him I'd take him to the front of the store, so we could find his mom, and he basically stayed close to me. He seemed to be struggling with the candy a bit, so I held the bags for him and grabbed his hand. Ohhh, that little hand. It was dirty and chubby, but small.

It was magical. Something magical happens to me when I am with kids. I feel like my best self when I am with them. They love me, and I love them. What I wanted to do in that moment was pick the little guy up, but I wasn't sure he'd be okay with that. Perhaps I was too much of a stranger. But as we walked, I knew he wouldn't have minded. Still, I settled for hand-holding and led him to a security officer, who made his announcement on the PA system. I hoped it would take the mom several minutes to get to the front of the store because I wanted to keep holding the boy's hand. She appeared in less than a minute, though, carrying a baby in her arm.

And that was that. Nothing too grandiose. But I wanted to remember it.

I am not baby crazy. I want to find a husband and be married for a bit before I have kids. When I have kids, though, I will be one of the best moms you've ever seen. I'm not confident about many things, but I know that.


Thing I'm thankful for: my mom's phone calls.

Happy One Year to Me!

Well, I've been in Austin for a year. I am happy to report that I'm glad I'm here. It took me a while to like this crazy place, but I do, in fact, like it now.

I was reading through my posts from January and February of last year, and boy, were they bleak. Just look at this one: In the Wee, Small Hours of the Morning, or Free Associations about Texas. In hindsight, I can see I wasn't happy, but I was trying to be -- at least, I was trying to sound positive. It's difficult to remember the pain now, but when I read those old posts, it's obvious I was sad. Sad and quiet and lonely.

In some ways, I would say this has been a long and difficult year, but then I ask myself, "Would I do it again?" The simple answer is yes. Yes, I would do it again, except I would've moved here a semester early. Why didn't I? Because I was scared of change, anxious to leave people behind, and worried I was making a wrong choice.

There really was only one wrong choice, though, and God let me know pretty clearly what that wrong choice was (going to the University of North Carolina, if you're wondering). Apart from that, He allowed me to do what I wanted. So here I am, in Texas, where the weather is too warm for this time of year, and I don't get to take advantage of my beloved winter clothes.

But as I said earlier, I like it here. I like it here for several little reasons and a few big ones. For now, I will keep the big reasons to myself, but you can read about the little ones in a similarly-themed post, Thing I'm Thankful for: Austin. :)


Thing I'm thankful for: Cuties. They really are delicious; they are a staple food item to me now.

Thoughts on MLK Day

Until the 5th grade, I grew up in Oklahoma. My family lived in a university town, so there were probably more ethnic minorities than one might expect in the middle of nowhere, USA. I had lots of Southeast Asian friends, several Middle-Eastern friends, and a few black friends. We all talked and laughed and played together. I was aware that those friends and I were outwardly different, but it wasn't a big deal.

When my family moved to Georgia, racial segregation was immediately apparent. Even as a 10-year-old, I could tell the Southeast was essentially formed from only two ethnic groups: whites and blacks. And those groups did not mix. There were more blacks than I had ever seen in one place. I remember going to a large mall that first week and later learning it was a "black mall." During lunch at school, there was a distinct separation of white kids and black kids. I learned that -- like so many other "different" people in the South-- blacks were inherently not as good as other people.

When rap and hip-hop became mainstream, things changed a bit. White teens became friends with black teens in school, but they probably wouldn't have done anything together outside of school. There might have been one or two blacks who were welcomed into a white social group, but for whites, those one or two black friends were exceptions and for blacks, those one or two black friends were traitors. It was the same the other way around, too. The handful of white girls who hung out with blacks were seen by other whites as trashy.

In the 15 years since then, I things have changed a lot. I think there is less racism and segregation in the Southeast, but then again, I lived the last 7 or 8 years of that time in Atlanta. In rural areas of Georgia, I would still expect to see a fair amount of segregation. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream that people wouldn't judge each other by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. It was a good dream, but I don't think America is there quite yet. Still, I'm amazed that one man had such influence. That the changes that are still happening started in large part because of him. It makes me wonder about my life. What am I changing in the world? How am I making it a better place?

I don't typically have such thoughts on MLK Day. For me, it's a relief from school and work and responsibility. But for some reason, I found myself listening to King's speeches on the radio today, and I was . . . Well, I was humbled. What a time for him to be alive! What a time to incite change in a nation! I would love to sit down and have a chat with him, and I wonder what he is busy doing in heaven . . .


Thing I am thankful for: time