In A Rut

I always imagined the phrase "in a rut" as going along the same tracks, the wagon wheels going along the old ruts without change, not getting out of the same routine, same old same old, hum drum, I am ready for a change, nothing ever happens, I can't get past where I am at kind of phrase. I can't deny that I have felt this way more than once. Sometimes it is depressing, discouraging or just plain old boring.

One day I was in Sunday school when the teacher used the phrase "in a rut" and described the giant walls and inability to get out. Then it occurred to me that being in a rut might be a bigger problem than I once imagined.

I picture myself in miniature (wouldn't that be nice) inside some tracks left by a wagon wheel or something. (Maybe it would be easier to picture an ant in a track, it is slightly more realistic to think about). I look up at the sides and think how do I get out of this. Suddenly being in a rut seems like a big challenge.

So when it comes down to it would I rather be scaling walls or jumping the track to get myself going in a different direction? I suppose it would be easier to get out of a rut if it were a matter of jumping the track but the view would probably be the same once I did. On the other hand if I had to climb out of that rut to where I were on new ground then I would imagine that the view might be drastically different.

The truth is that each scenario makes us stronger for our current needs. When I began this post over a month ago I was simply pondering the saying "in a rut". Now I have come to a reminder of the nature of life's challenges. In my studies this morning I read an Ensign article called "Putting My Hand in the Lord's". The author quoted Elder B. H. Roberts of the Seventy "those who have to contend with difficulties, brave dangers, endure disappointments, struggle with sorrows, eat the bread of adversity and drink the water of affliction, develop a moral and spiritual strength, together with a purity of life and character, unknown to the heirs of ease, and wealth and pleasure."

In the end it doesn't matter how the saying was meant. The truth of the matter is there are all sorts of challenges. Some of them require minor changes such as overcoming a speed bump and or changing directions and some of them require exercise and strengthening so that we can have the power to get out and move forward. Either way I take comfort in knowing that I will be given the right challenges at the right times according to my needs if I allow the Lord to direct me as He knows best. And I am thankful for it.

You’re a Winner!

So I open my e-mail several times a week and as I opened it today it appears that once again I have won because I am the 999,999th visitor.

So each time I see this flashing sign I can’t help but ask myself how many times can one person be the 999,999th visitor?

I thought when I opened my e-mail today that it probably makes 99 times that I have visited (only 999,900 short of 999,999th) and I realize that I am not the only visitor.

At this point I ask myself what or where am I the visitor of? You would think I would remember going somewhere with so many other visitors.

What places host so many people I wonder? Times Square on New Years Eve? The worlds fair? The Olympics?

Wow, all the visits…all the people… all the memories… Cool...

I guess I am a winner!

Do I Hear a 34?

So as a high school teacher I get a lot of students with a lot of opinions about how old I am or how old they think I am. I think in the end it is best that I accept that at that age I had no idea how to tell age and they more than likely don’t know either.

Here is what one student told me yesterday. “You are 35 but look like a 27 year old, but have the maturity of a 40 year old.”

Well anyway, if I fish I can find one complement in the mix…I think...

What is the maturity of a 40 year old?

Hey, Watch Where You are Going

A number of months ago my good friend Christina and I were driving to meet some friends when we found ourselves entering the highway. Suddenly I discovered something terrible, our merge lane was blocked by very large construction cones (or are they called barrels?). Despite the hour the traffic was very busy and merging quickly was not an option. It seemed as though the car behind me either didn’t see the apparent danger or did not care. I soon realized that I was being approached from behind at a quicker rate than I was comfortable with and merging immediately would cause me to run into a semi truck. So I did the only thing I could do, I pulled into the lane that was blocked by cones.

Now I know what you are all thinking, like myself everyone has always wanted to drive in the blocked off lane; there it is just inviting you to be the only driver with no obstacles. It was about as fun as you would expect it to be except I am sure there was a reason it was blocked off so I figured that I should probably get out of it as soon as I could.

Watching carefully for a spot to merge while judging my speed as well the distance of the cones I swerved at just the right time to avoid both traffic and cones. I was totally comfortable with it, never doubting whether or not I would hit something. Christina on the other hand, was not so confidant in my ability. Upon later discussion she expressed her intense fear that I was certain to hit one of those large orange barrels.

Sometime later I was talking to my brother, when he mentioned the number of police officers that are struck by passing cars during routine pull-overs. He pointed out that we drive to where we are looking that is the problem. While people don’t want to hit the police they have their eye on them so intently that it is certain that they will hit them in the end.

This brings me back to my own traffic experience, Christina had her eye on the cones, she was certain that I was going to hit them. I, however, had my eye on the speed and space, never thinking about potentially hitting anything. Am I saying I am glad it was me driving and not her, no, I am saying that we have to keep our eye on our goal. Whether it is in driving or in life we need to watch where we are going. If we are sidetracked or even looking at something that we are avoiding, then we are more likely to miss our intended target.

The fact of the matter is we need to watch where we are going.

High School Tag: Hey, Why Not

I decided to take the tag from Chantal so here goes.

Your High School's Name: Parkway West

High School Colors: light blue and red (although many people didn’t know the shade of blue so it usually ended up being a darker blue making school spirit day looking very patriotic)

High School Mascot: the longhorn

Did you date anyone from your school? No, nor did I date anyone not from my school.

What kind of car did you drive? My parents Chevy Lumina, I was the first of my friends to get my license so I drove all the time.

It's Friday night where are you? Football game, I attended every single home game all four years of high school but never learned a thing about the sport.

Were you a party animal? Nope

Were you considered a flirt? Are you kidding? I am barely a flirt now; it is something I have been working on for the past few years.

Were you in band, orchestra, choir, or any other group? Band geek…hence attendance to all football games.

Were you in any clubs? Nope, band consumed all activity in our school, if you were a band geek that was all you did and we loved it that way.

Did you ever get suspended or expelled? When I started teaching and found out about things like in school suspension I was surprised to learn that our high school had one, I had no idea…does that answer the question?

Can you still sing the fight song? I am in the minority of people knew that the fight song was the Magnificent Seven and not Stand Up and Cheer like most people believed. I could sing some words to the latter, but hum them both. I am not sure the Magnificent Seven even has words (maybe that is why we had the alternate).

Who were your favorite teachers? I liked Mrs. Newyear even though that bothered my brother because according to him she was a self-proclaimed which.

Where did you sit during lunch? I spent a lot of my lunch time walking the halls with a certain friend of mine who had a different lunch; I don’t really remember where I sat otherwise.

Who did you go to Homecoming with? Ricky Ross

Who did you go to Prom with? Did not go.

If you could go back and re-do high school would you? Nope

What do you remember about Graduation? I don’t know why but I always remember when it was over they played Chicago’s “Hard to Say I’m Sorry.”

Do you plan on going to your 10 year reunion, or if you already went what was it like? Did not go, I really wasn’t friends with too many people from my class and I wasn’t popular by any means so what would I go for.

The Name Game

After reading one of the comments on this post I realized that I was not giving proper credit to the original name game where you take someones name and change the beginning to start with a B, F or M. Not sure what I mean?
Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAXzLNcpiVU

I first saw this on one of my favorite college year videos "Tiny Toons Music Videos".

As for the original post, here is a name game that I stole from a friend’s blog, but I am sure she stole it from someone else so its all good.

1. Your real Name: Laura

2. Your Gangsta Name (first 3 letters of real name plus izzle.): Lauizzle

3. Your Detective Name (fav color and fav animal): Purple Giraffe

4. Your Soap Opera Name (middle name, and name of street you grew up on): Jane Country Ridge (I think I should take Country out, it sounds better Jane Ridge).

5. Your Star Wars Name (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name, first 3 letters of mom's maiden name): Hoklahar

6. Your Super Hero Name (2nd favorite color, favorite drink) : Green Water

7. Your Witness Protection Name (Mother's middle name and father's middle name): Hart Miller

8. Your Goth Name (black, and the name of one your pets): Black

Eclipse: Sand On Shuting Sun Out

While I no longer teach Sand and Sun I still see them occasionally entering class in the room across from me. The other day for example I saw Sun walk by sporting a cute pink scarf. On that occasion Sand grabbed her by the scarf and pulled her into the classroom.

Yesterday that was not the case, Sand was standing in the doorway when Sun arrived; being a top student, punctual and detail oriented she was simply trying to get to class on time. Sand would not have it however. He was determined he would stand in her way so that she would not be in the room when the bell rang. She tried pushing him and going around him but to no avail. The bell rang and he laughed at her because she was late.

I remember back in the day when they were my students. Once Sand wasn’t in the class when the bell rang; to this Sun commented:

“Sand is late, ha he is tardy”.

At that moment Sand entered the room and upon hearing Sun mentioning his name he said:

“Please quit talking about me, thinking about me, dreaming of me…”