Major Work

There is something that really bothers me that happens from time to time. I am not exactly sure what made me think of it just now but I thought I would share it anyway. Recently I was talking to a fellow college student about homework. That person was sharing what classes they had homework in and, not being from that specific major, it sounded very difficult to me. After I shared what my homework was, writing a Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol Lesson Plan (SIOP). It is basically taking a typical lesson plan and adapting it to fit with ELL kids (students who don't speak English either at all or proficiently). While that sounds pretty easy to most, it's challenging to create a lesson plan and then create a whole new one for students who can't understand your first one. Sometimes you have to do it for multiple languages. I have a concentration in ESL so that is part of my weekly homework. It may not be Economics, but it takes some time and creativity.

Now, after sharing my homework list with the student I mentioned earlier, they basically told me that I shouldn't ever complain about homework because the could probably do mine in half the time that it takes them for theirs. Now, I'm not an accounting, engineering, pre-med, or pharmacy major so yes, if it happened to be in a subject that I am not familiar with, it would take me a long time. But this is much harder and more time consuming than most people realize. For some one to just put down my major like that really frustrated me. It's the same thing teachers get when people mention having summers off. Yes, I get two months free of students but if you are a good teacher you will not have nearly that amount of time away from school. My parents usually spend time each week in the summer at school. And guess what, that time off makes up for working from 7-5 at school and then 5-9 at home. Yeah, that would probably equal more hours that most people work in a week. And we're working with your bratty kids all day trying to make them engaged children. You're welcome.

So the next time you talk to an education major maybe you should try taking a Linguistics class or taking a Practicum test because I will tell you this: You probably won't do as well as you think you could. I don't judge people taking art or music because I know that I would fail those majors in a heartbeat so please don't judge mine. Thanks.

Ah Ha Moments

So Sunday night was a big night for me. It wasn't something extraordinary in a measurable way. It was a night that I saw what I really should be searching for. Saturday night was a rough night for me. I had been seeking things that I didn't need, that relationship that wasn't right. I wanted it badly. It was based on the past and not the present. I was in a rough spot through the night and most of Sunday as well. I just couldn't understand some things. But in the middle of playing our set that night I just had this reaffirmation of everything I have been working on this semester. I realized what I should be searching for in another person. I realized just how great God is. If Saturday night was a night to test my way of thinking, I failed. However, when Sunday night rolled around just a little moment was all it took to make me go, "Ah Ha!" All of the conversations I have had this semester with Brock and others all came rolling back and my faith was just reaffirmed. That's all it took. One little look at the crowd to realize what I wanted in a significant other. It was a great moment. It's moments like those that I appreciate more than anything. Those little teachable moments in life that you will carry with you for awhile.

Also, I really need to thank my good friend Brett. Ever since we first played Rock Band, and probably long before, he has always wanted to play drums. I have told him that when he owns a house that I will buy him drums. He wants nothing more. So on Monday, when our drummer backed out on us, we decided to do a smaller set and maybe have someone play a kick drum and snare drum. Just the basics. Well, when Friday rolled around we still hadn't found a willing participant so I had the random idea to ask Brett. Why not, right? Well, I sent him the songs and after many, "Shit I don't know man" texts I got him to just go for it. And he was awesome. After basically two practices we had him playing up there with us. He may not have been perfect but I loved it. It was quite possibly my favorite show we have played just because I got to have Brett up there with me, fulfilling a dream of his. Thanks Brett. It was a blast.

Reboot.

I just need to reboot.

What does Love mean to me?

I use the word love a lot, probably because it is my favorite word. But what does it really mean? I think you can separate the things you love into two categories: Things that love you back, and things that don't. I don't love actually things that don't love me back, even though I will say that I love the mountains, I love music, I love driving alone with the stars out. I enjoy those things, I need those things, but I don't LOVE them. I love my family, I love my friends, I love God. I love each of those things on a different level of course, but I still love them. I would do anything for my family or friends, but I love my family more than most of my friends. I'm learning to love God more and more each day that he gives me.

I think that the power of love can overcome any obstacle. I believe that you always have someone who is willing to love you, whether that is a family member, a friend or God. You should, even at your darkest moments, feel that there is a love worth living for. At some point soon I am going to get the word love tattooed on my wrist because it holds such great meaning in my life. I have been in a dark place, where there wasn't much light to look forward to and yet I always felt that someone loved me. Having it permanently where I can see it every day is something that will remind me that I need to love, and love the right things.

Significance

What does the word love mean to you? What do you love? Is love enough? Why isn't love always pretty and happy? All of these questions have been posed to me or by me in the last couple of days. Love is thrown around so much that I think it has lost its meaning. Most of the time the "things" we love can't love us back. Why do we waste time loving things that are not meaningful? Love, to me, is a word that has lost its significance in our world. I think that's interesting because the title of my blog translates to LOVE. But what I find good about Greek is that they have at least four different words for love. I think our society needs that. The love I share with Brett is different than the love I share with my Mom. It's different than than the love I have for Emily. It's different than my love for music or God. So what do you love? What significance does it hold?

Hopefully I will have a few more entries on this word because it is the most important word to me. Emily has me attempting to write an entry for 30 days so we shall see if that happens. I hope you follow my 30 day journey!

What's The Point?

What is the point of a blog? There are many reasons to blog. What's the point of my blog? I had that question posed to be tonight and I guess I never really thought about it too much. Most people blog because they want to share their views, they offer something to people. Coach Hays, for example, shares workouts for people. Some people blog because their creative juices far exceed anything my brain could think of. Me though, I guess my blog has no real big, far-reaching void to fill. It is mainly just to share my frustrations, share music that inspires me, share whatever whims may spin through my brain. I guess it is pretty much here to share my thoughts at those times when people are asleep or busy. I go through things in my life that most people go though. I have the same thoughts and emotions that everyone in college does. This is just an outlet for all those thoughts, inspirations and emotions. Just my own safe haven.

Words

I want words to come out but nothing is. Hmm. This is a weird feeling. Do you ever struggle with words? It happens to us all. I guess lyrics will have to do again. As John Mark said in the video on How He Loves, I process feelings through music. There's a song for every emotion that is written by someone who is better with words than I. What song should I choose to sing tonight? I had better find the right words.