Unprecedented

I've recently finished a book entitled "The Fault In Our Stars" by John Green.  While there were many quotes that I took from it (yes, I'm a quotes person), there was one that I wanted to meditate upon longer than the others:

"You are so busy being that you have no idea how utterly unprecedented you are."


Wow.
What a life motto to have (even if Mr. Green didn't mean it in this manner).

To formulate your existence around the idea of enjoying existence and creating yourself solely from your experiences and not focusing on what others think of you for your persona or your experiences.

I don't think I'm alone in saying that I've spent more time than I care to admit being concerned with what others thing, specifically about me or my actions.  While some of it is mostly to ensure that I'm living up to the high standards I imagine others hold for myself (ie: parents), I feel like I miss out on a large amount of life because of this introspectivity. (Not a word then, is a word now: introspectivity)

If we each focused on our own humanity and our own desire to live our individual lives as we desired, would we be even more unique than we are now?  Is that even a possible thing....if we are truly unique? Simultaneously, that one in a million comment doesn't necessarily work out....there are 6,840,507,003 people on this Earth.  I'm no mathematician, so I let you figure out how many "yous" there are in existence currently.  Not to mention the past and present.  All concepts of uniqueness beg one to believe that their individuality is truly honed by their experiences.


Which goes back into being "being".  Being experiences.


Nobody else on this planet has spent 10 days crammed in a car with Nathan, Brittany and Sean trying to make it to the west coast and back.  Plenty of other people have spent 10 days crammed in a car with 3 other individuals.  When my being coincided with other peoples' beings, that is where uniqueness came from.....not from the broader experience, but from encountering other beings at a very specific time.   


Margaret, as I know you're going to probably be reading this...I'm dying to hear your thoughts (I value them highly).  Your's too Lauren!

I think I'm going to leave it at this for the time being, mostly because I'm not quite sure where I want to go with this yet.  I just felt as though I should do a blog post, even if it is incomplete, inconsistent and incoherent.....

Best,

Needs vs. Wants

I have the good fortune of working at a locally owned coffee shop in my hometown.  I've been employed by them for the past 3 years and have enjoyed it and continue to enjoy it immensely.

I know that I've noticed the following situation before, but never really had an outlet (outside of my private journal) to talk about it.  Here we go:

A customer walks into the coffee shop (I know, sounds like a bad joke already, doesn't it) and sidles up to the register.

Me or another staff member: "Hey, how's it going?"
Customer: "Good"
(occasionally the conversation will go on a little bit longer where we may mention what has happened in our day)
Me or another staff member: "Awesome.  What can I get for you?"
Customer: "Well....I NEED a(n) (insert drink name here)."

This is where I lie in discontent.  Does any customer really need a 16 oz-extra shot-sugar free-skim-vanilla latte?  Are they in such a state as that they will cease to exist without said latte?  From my observations, they do not need this substance, but they in fact want it.  The difference between needs and wants.

Now don't get me wrong, I've done it too.  After a long day at work or school or whatever I'm prone to saying "Ugh, I need a good beer."  I am fully aware of the fact that I do not need a good beer, merely that I desire it.

I'm calling myself out, too.

However, it's easy enough for me to say to myself:

"No, miss lady, you do not need a beer, but merely want it because you find the process of drinking a beer, which is often accompanied by great conversation, exceptionally relaxing.  People who actually need things are the starving children of the world, which sounds completely cliche, but it happens to be an unfortunate truth.  There are starving children, and they do need food."

I don't know how many of you frequent coffee shops, but at the one I work at, we tend to have a clientele that would not take kindly to being corrected.  And, I just so happen to enjoy my job enough that I don't want to lose it because I was trying to redirect the misguided use of the English Language.  After all, if the word need comes to symbolize merely a "want".  What word are we going to use to fulfill the meaning of the word "need"?

But perhaps it is upon my shoulders (and now yours, for reading this and realizing it) to correct these individuals.

Anyway, rather than ranting and being redundant, I will leave the conversation at that.

Best,

Things I've read that you should read: "The Fault In Our Stars" - John Green

Things that I've heard that you should hear: Hundred Waters (it's a group)

Things I've eaten that you should eat: Spinach and Cheese Quinoa

Things I've drank that you should drink: Delirium Nocturnum

Kurt Vonnegut on the Arts

I love this video of Kurt Vonnegut. Scoot yourself ahead to about 6 minutes.

Anyone who participates in any sort of art...should completely watch this.  It's only about 2 minutes long (well, the discussion of art from minutes 6-8)...the entire video is about one hour.

Best,

What A Night

Last evening I had the distinct pleasure of going down to my trombone professor's house and surprising him with a gift and a visit from two other section members.

I thought it would only be a one hour thing and that Vance would have a lesson at 7pm after my supposed lesson.  But it wasn't and he didn't.

I think Jason and I left around 11pm?

So what do you do, in small town Midwest, until 11pm?  You sit and hear awesome stories.  You get a tour of Vance's farm and hear about its history.  You eat pizza with friends.  You, in essence, have a really good time.

Throughout college, I had an "okay" time.  I didn't hate it, but it wasn't like "oh-my-gosh-these-are-the-best-years-of-my-life-let's-do-college-foreverrrrrrrrrrrr".  And, to be honest, I'm completely okay with that.    There were a few things that I particularly enjoyed.

One:
These girls:

Two:
These folks:

Three:
Which were part of this ensemble:

And yes, of course there were other things that I really liked about college (I really enjoyed being in all of the ensembles), but there were a lot of things that I thought were problems that should be fixed.  A lot of politics.  And, mannnnnn, politics just aren't cool.  Especially when they influence your education and the quality of your education.

I mean, hey, it's my thousands of dollars and my time spent doing homework. I want the best damn education I can get..especially since I'm paying for it.

But I digress.

Last night was a lot of fun. I hope to do something similar to it again sometime this summer.

Best,

Welcomed

Today was a good day.

And not like an "Ice Cube" kind of good day,
but just a good day.

Work went well.  I baked a ton of things* which is always an absolute joy.  I talked with some co-workers  I haven't been able to talk with in a while.  (It's a sad truth, how one can sometimes make their best contacts shortly before they have to leave).

From work, I went home and walked puppybutt/Koda.
From there we went to see Grandma and her pups.

I always enjoy seeing my Grandma, it's such a pleasant and relaxing experience.

Then I went to Nathan's parents' house to pick up the key (I'm letting the dog out on Saturday and Sunday).  I also always enjoy talking with Nathan's Mom.

She's undeniably one of the most genuinely kind ladies I've had the fortune of meeting.

Dropped Koda back off at the apartment and went home for dinner (and application printing!).

More than anything, I enjoy sitting with my parents.  We don't even necessarily have to be engaged in a conversation.  It's one of those situations where just sitting somewhere and knowing that you're wanted there and loved, that means a lot.  The apartment can get a little lonely at times, but knowing that I have a family that will take me at any point, that means a lot.

Even if Twerp** wasn't there to harass me.

It was a day of acceptance and I am so thankful for everyone.

My apologies for the super corny post.  Sometimes it's just nice to write about the things that you're thankful for, rather than the things you're feeling critical of.

Oh, and Koda-update.

He's much better.

Koda plopped himself in this chair, the one Nathan used to sit in before he left, a mere 12 hours after Nathan took off.  It's now Koda's "go to" spot.

Oh, and Nathan and Andrea picture....for the sake of being cheesy:

And finally, a good post should end with a hint of Buddha.

Peace out!


*Blueberry Crumble Bars, Lemon-Almond Biscotti dipped in chocolate, hazelnut syrup, and homemade peanut butter cups/tortes.
** AKA Little Brother

Large Spaces

It's funny how you can take one thing out of a room, and instantly it feels larger...more empty...and more lonely.

Photos of a Graduation

Well, commencement has come and gone.  I don't have a whole lot to say yet, as not much has happened outside of the ceremonies.  So, I'll let my photos speak for themselves:

These two are perhaps the best folks a person could meet up with if one was having a bad day.  While we jokingly call each other "not so kind" names......these two girls are awesome.

We are the senior trombones.  I was blessed when I get to play next to these three.  They're all excellent musicians and individuals in their own ways.  We have easily spent into the hundreds of hours together at rehearsals and traveling.  It's hard not to enjoy someone after that much time together.

This is the CIVITAS class of 2012.  Civitas is the honors program.  We're the second class to graduate from it. 

Ah, mah friends.  These two girls were the first ones to befriend me at Augustana and we've kept in touch ever since.  On the left you can see how we were 3 years ago compared to the girls we are now on the right.  Okay, to be honest, we're still giant goof-balls, the gowns and mortarboards just make us look exceptionally intelligent.

Oh Augustana, it's been fun (sometimes).  I will always have both fond and fearsome memories of you.  But the greatest things are the opportunities that are presented to me now, as a graduate.  So of course I'll remember the past and everything I learned....but I look so forward to the future.

Until then...

-A

(I apologize for the not very interesting entry....I'll make it up by having some awesome links at the bottom from now on)

Good Food: Three Cheese Beet Ravioli by Eat, Live, Run.com

Good Drink: Melon Agua Fresca (for a hot day) by SmittenKitchen.com