Nature

There are some things in life you would love to do more often but can never seem to find the time. My blog would be one of those things for me.

I'm a sucker for pretty nature scenes. There is nothing that puts you in your place and gives you greater perspective in life than when you look at the beauty and majesty of the earth and the sky above us. I am blessed to be at BYU where I am surrounded by beauty. I look out my window and see luscious fall colors on the trees with striking green contrast in the grass below. Behind all of this is the backdrop of beautiful snow-capped mountains.

I've hiked those mountains a few times this semester and have had the opportunity of looking out over Utah Valley and up above at the stars. I love looking out over huge expanses, especially when in a plane. It's really refreshing for me to gain eternal perspective like that when I feel like my days are clouded with narrow and short-term perspective.

Night skies overwhelm me. Just thinking of what's out there and how eternal the sky is blows my mind. I also love the symbolism of the sky. Example: Some of the stars we see now may not even exist anymore because they are so many light-years away. Wouldn't it be nice if we could live our lives like that? So well that our light and legacy left a bright spot in a dark world, even long after we were gone.

Nature also reminds me that there is a God. Such grand and profound beauty doesn't just happen. It's nice being outside and enjoying nature because it makes me feel closer to God.

I could geek out for hours about the wonderful nature scenes I've seen in my life, but I think I'll just go outside again and let nature speak for itself. You should too and see what you can gain from it. You'll never be let down by mother nature.

Battles

A lot can hide behind a smile. Depression, loneliness, divorce, all the above.

I've come to find out that a lot more people that I ever imagined are struggling with some major problems or difficulties, yet I always see everyone with a smile. How come people feel the urge to put on a face, a face that says "everything is okay" when really it's not? I've heard it said that people put up walls just to see who will break them down. If that's the case, wait right here. I'm going to get a hammer.

Mr. Faraone, the best English teacher I've ever had, had a quote on his wall from Plato that said, "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." Truer words have never been spoken. It makes me question why anyone would ever feel the need to be mean. Even when joking or being sarcastic, putdowns hurt. I don't care who you are. It's like someone punching you but then saying it was a joke. That bruise on your arm says it wasn't. People already go through more than we realize, there's no need to complicate their lives any further.

Quite the opposite actually. Just look around. If you are a little more observant, look beyond yourself just a little bit more, you'll find those people who are struggling. And then it's time to start swinging the hammer. Think of how different this world would be if instead of putting people down, we built each other up. One can only imagine the effects.

If you're struggling with something, don't be afraid to open up to a trusted friend. You'll feel so much better. Also, look for opportunities to reach out to others. You can often minimize your burden by lifting another's. Funny how that works. Finally, try not to say anything mean, even in joking. It's completely unnecessary and more detrimental than funny. Your laughter should NEVER come at someone else's expense.

Language of the Soul

"Music is the literature of the heart; it commences where speech ends" -Alphonse de Lamartine

There are many quotes similar to this that express the same sentiment: music is the language of our souls. It speaks when words can't convey the message. I couldn't agree more. Music has a strange power to evoke and help us cope with emotion. Music can pump us up, calm us down, make us happy, make us sad.

Instrumental music can tell a story saturated with events and emotion. One of my favorite examples of this is "August's Rhapsody" from the movie August Rush. That song is phenomenal and musically tells the story of the whole movie. It speaks the sentiment of August's soul and his story in a way words can't.

While instrumental music is powerful, I love hearing lyrics people come up with to help convey their message. How eloquently some artists can express themselves and their emotions blows my mind. There are countless examples of this. I, like many others, use music to cope with emotions I feel. I could probably find a song with lyrics describing every emotion I've ever felt. I love doing this because music helps me express myself when words (as they often do) fail me.

I have tried writing my own music and have written a few songs. Unfortunately, I am never completely satisfied with the result because I have not yet found how to convey the emotions I have stored deep down. If music is the language of the soul, my music is currently learning how to speak. But I guess everyone has to start out with "goo goo ga ga".

I have always loved being part of music and band was a very big part of that experience. I played euphonium. I was second chair, our first chair was Chris, and our third chair was Scott. Not to toot my own horn, but we had quite an amazing euphonium section. One of my most memorable experiences from that class was when we three euphoniums had to hold out a whole note in a very exposed part of the song. We strived so hard to be perfectly in tune with each other and the majority of the time we were successful. As a result of being in tune with ourselves, we were also in tune with the tubas, saxophones, and other instruments in the band. Sounds cheesy, but that was a special experience for me. First to be creating such beautiful music and have it be so in tune was nice. But there's a lesson to be learned here. Everyone can make their own sound, and everyone is built to make their own sound. But if we strive to be on the same page and be unified and in tune, we will create beautiful harmonies that will make our human interaction so much more beautiful and worthwhile.

This has been quite a long post, but I just wanted to convey how beautiful music is and how much I love and appreciate it.

In Limbo

Well, I have officially been a graduate for almost a month now. It's a strange feeling. I couldn't wait to get out, and now I'm hesitant to move on (although I am ready/needing to move on). Gone are the familiar friends, strangers, and teachers. Gone are the familiar hallways and classrooms. Gone are the Friday night lights, walking through crisp air into the electric stadium as the cheers ramped up and the marching band played stand tunes in preparation for our next football victory. In all honesty, gone is my biggest love-hate relationship. Stone Bridge was my second home and I was blessed to attend such an amazing school, although sometimes I couldn't stand it. The variety of emotions I felt there and the variety of experiences I had there are hardly describable and the only testament of what Stone Bridge did for me is the person I am today.

So now I wait to embark on my next adventure, Brigham Young University. Many question why I chose BYU over the Air Force Academy, letting go of a dream in the process. All I can say is that I did what felt right in my heart, no matter how hard it was. I'm excited to get out to BYU to see what adventures I'll have there, who I'll meet, and who I'll become. I'm just about a month away, so I'll try to enjoy this month as my last month before officially becoming an adult.

Limbo is a really fun game, until it becomes your life. I can't wait to get on with my life and stop bending over backwards in limbo trying to figure out how to handle this transition and this whole growing process. I guess I could work harder on trying to enjoy it as part of the ride, but as with most everything in life, that's easier said than done.

And So It Begins...

I've recently been reading the blogs of many of my friends, namely Drew Stilson, Tommy Pancho Kim, and Egey Levy. They've all inspired me to start a blog. I think it will also help me put my thoughts in order and give people insight into what I'm thinking about. And so it begins, my blog is now underway.