A clean pair of eyes

I have a type A personality (big shocker there), which fashions this efficiently organized, time-conscious monster who is a list-maker and rule-breaker by nature, all conveniently and masterfully crammed into a 5 foot frame. It would go against every thread in my being to not be one of those people who plans to make plans; therefore, it should go without saying that I am a planner (but not a plotter).



Yet, I’ve come upon a realization recently that has rapt my systematic little life: those who don’t plan live an arbitrary existence; improvisational living may be the way to go. Randomness, typically in a profusion flowing from my chops and not resonating through my actions, isn’t my normalcy (I’ve accepted I’m not as cool as everyone else in this aspect. Whatever.). I have a bed time and I’m 22 (on the verge of 23). I live by order rather than chaos. I have a dog, a job, responsibilities, deadlines, bills and let’s not forget neighbors. It’s imperative I make to-do lists and pencil in scheduled visits with my boyfriend.

But (and it’s a big one), this year I’ve let go of this neurotic freaky-deeky mentality, and handed over the reins for others to fret about the details (especially for any type of outing). What a brilliant beyond brilliant concept! Not feeling the need to be the one in charge? Not having to divvy out who does what, when, and where? To just sit back and let life slow down around me, to really soak up my surroundings is sheer ingenuity.

I’ve had some very memorable, fun trips, but none compare to the ones I’ve had so far in 2011.

I’ll give you some examples:

1. The Hangout Festival- such a surreal experience. I literally drove there, got in the right state of mind, and listened to high-quality, crunchy tunes on the beach. I have to share some of my experience.
*This is Bassnectar doing what he does best…(making us all lose our
minds). Holy smokes… It was enthralling.



2. Camping in the Mountains with Matt—couldn’t have had a better time, just the two of us. He did all the work (he’s a planner, too. I’m not sure how two Type A’s can mesh, but we do, and brilliantly I must say). We fished, grilled a great dinner, went exploring and made up our own dart game (thanks to our neighbors!!) All-in-all, it was an exceptionally wonderful weekend with the beau.


3. Amy’s Lake House—that trip was awesome. I love meeting new people and coincidently met the love of my life on this trip. God is in everything that we do, and it was oh so apparent that weekend!



4. David Gray Concert—I accompanied John Newton, and we had a ball. The day of the concert wasn’t going too smoothly for either of us, but we got there, grabbed a drink (or 4) and let our inhibitions surrender to the sweet sounds of D.G. His voice is smoother than a Robin’s breast.





It’s almost July, the year’s only half-way through, and the trips, concerts and fun times have no end in sight (wait, am I writing for The West Georgian again?) I have a feeling that if I continue down this road of going along for the ride, I’ll find that carsickness will be a thing of the past….ironically enough, I have to sit in the front seat to not get carsick, which counteracts my metaphor, entirely…whatever. I'll leave you with another one of Julian's stitching's....

This is either a sea creature or his interpretation of Matt when he's in trouble...

So Says I...

The phrase "never say never" has never been more evidently true than in the here and now of my young adult life. Scratch that, adult life. I'm not referencing the Beib either..[(Asian face: -____-) <---for Trish.] Let me give a few examples:



Once a vegetarian, I vowed to never eat at or associate with McDonald's, and now ironically enough, I work as the Public Relation's Administrator for a McDonald's franchise. Those golden arches that I once detested are now keeping me clothed, warm and fed, rather than the manifestation of a bubbly gut of disgust.



At age 14, I swore up and down I'd never be anything like my mother when I grew up. Low and behold, I find myself frequently channeling Betsey's actions, thoughts and words, only to reiterate the phrase "I have become my mother." If only I always appreciated her as much as I do now... (If only the "if only's" could be vindicated).



In the aftermath of what I considered to be a life-sucking, heart-obliterating hopelessly unwarranted break-up , I wrote off relationships and told myself I'd never be in love again. Yet, through the powers that be (Amen, Hallelujah, Praise Jesus!), right here and right now, I'm in the most healthy, stable and loving relationship to date...and with my best friend.



So says I, such cliches stand at the forefront of how most of us decide to handle our problems. Thus, we react with resourceful, inspired yet unoriginal solutions, (taking from such examples as: you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.. or you can view the glass half full or half empty..or don't cut off your nose to spite your face..or there's two ways to skin a cat....etc.) I guess what I mean by that is, we utilize these figures of speech consciously and subconsciously in our behaviors and thoughts, until one day it clicks; the phrase becomes a motto in which we stand firmly behind.

So says I, I think it's time for me to grab a spork, warm up my words and dive in. I'll be the first to admit when I'm wrong (now-a-days), so here it is...I will never say never again.. especially since I'm usually the one with a mouthful.