Narnia Part I

I'm not sure exactly what I'm going to write. I just know it's not going to be a lot. This is just going to be a little reflective over view. (is any body else seriously struggling with motivation lately too?)

ok. Here is the news. I went to Washington DC! It was incredible. I loved every second of it.

Back up. Why did I go? I went because History is my minor in college and I spend a ton of money and time learning about this place, but all I did was read about it. It was no more real to me than Narnia. So. Life got a little rocky again and one morning I woke up with two very clear options for the day; I was either going to have a panic attack, or I was going to buy a plane ticket somewhere. So I called my aunt and did very little "talking into" and the next day we booked our flight!

It was incredible having her by my side on this trip. I think her expectations were different of me on the trip. She seemed to expect to be dragged around like a rag doll starting at 7 am every morning and just trying to see everything. She seemed to be grateful that I was more than happy to sleep in till 9 every day, and not wake her up for another hour. Although... I doubt she expected me to do so much soul searching on the trip. She was great. She handled everything like a champ and we both learned a lot on the trip.

Here are just a few...... very very very few highligths.

Dancing in front of the Capitol!

Carolyn Joined us one day (monday)!! It was so good to see her. She's just as lovely as I remembered.

Chair and I sitting on the steps of the Lincoln memorial gazing on the Amazing that is DC.

We had a lot of fun at all the different art museums. My favorite was when she'd turn to me and whisper "Hillary... I don't get it." That would usually happen in front of pieces that I actually really enjoyed.

I quoted Tom Hanks an absurd amount on the trip. For example, whenever ANYONE would talk about George Washington University I would turn to Chair and say "did you pledge?..............everyday." (it's from "Big") I also did a lot of Forest Gump lines, even calling her Jennay a few times.

I was disappointed with a few things I had high expectations of, and blown away by things I wasn't even expecting to see. I found this at the National Gallery of Art and I find it to be flawless. This is an absolutely incredible piece with so much symbolism and meaning behind it. Love it!

I know how to act like a lady. And I did most of the time. But let there be no mistake.... when it was appropriate... I was a total goof ball.

Like I said, it was a great trip with a lot of "looking within." I'm so glad I had my aunt with me and I adored the family we stayed with. Coming home was strangely excited for both of us, but we wouldn't have traded our time for anything.

Instrumental.

I'm not a normal person, and so this is all very fitting.

Music is one of the MOST important things in my life.

It's what I spend most of my "extra" money on, It's how I relate to most other humans,

It's the one thing I honestly feel I could NEVER live without.

This past week I was thinking about it,

about how much I love music,

how much power it has over me. While all types of music get to me-

There are a few instruments that seem to...

tug at my heart strings a little harder than others,

Instruments that as soon as I hear them in a song,

I almost instantly like the song...

to SOME degree.

Here they are... in order:

THE ACCORDION THE BANJO

THE ACOUSTIC GUITAR THE SOLO PIANO THE "OPENING "CHELLO

There are so many more that aren't being mentioned. Like the harmonica in a song that has a deep throated blues singer. Or the Marimba that puts a positive spin on anything. Or the Violin, which can accompany anyone, in any style of music, and create any kind of mood. Anyway(s), Those... are my top five favorite instraments. Hope you enjoy!

The Modern Day Slave Wrist Band

Ladies and Gentle Germs- I present you with my biggest problem

It's called a cell phone. I call it the modern day slave wrist band.

At ANY point durring the day people have access to know my exact where-abouts. They call me. They text me. They have complete power to find me. My slave band alerts me for text by singing a song about miss-understandings and longing for a better time (Yesterday by the Beatles). It also is kind enough to alert me when someone has decided to actually pick up the phone (a rare occasion) and call me. It alerts me of this event with an up-beat tune from the 90's about the achievement of a new understanding of something she is supposed to have no knowledge of (I Saw the Sign by Ace of Base).

Try as I may- ignoring such classic songs is harder than I'd like to admit. I'd like to tell you that while I'm on the verge of breaking my slave band in half and throwing it out the window,but when one of those songs plays and I need to look. I need to know- in that one moment, who was thinking about me?

Or worse... Why hasn't it gone off? Who isn't thinking about me? Does this mean he doesn't like me? Why is she mad at me?

This small contraption, not even a "smart phone," has so much more control over my life then I even realize at times. This over priced piece of hard plastic, that is always placed in my back pocket, or close to my bed (heaven forbid I miss a text due to sleeping), controls a major portion of every aspect of my life, except school. This M.D.S.W.B. (Modern Day Slave Wrist Band (that's right... I made it an acronym... even when I hate those too)) carries my ability to call in sick to work, verify church meeting times, capture moments that normally would have involved the statement "I wish I had my camera." It also is my link to friends in other countries, friends from other time periods, and potential boyfriends.

I talk about how I hate these phones, yet, what would I do without it?

I could possibly get homework done faster. How many fights would have been avoided if I didn't have my phone? Fights that seemed to come about due to my "tone" in a text... I must have forgotten to "lol?" Would dating be easier? The insecurities of him not texting/calling me would be non-existent right? Texting while driving, which I do, may just be the thing that kills me, and I know it.

By purchasing this device I promised T-Mobile at least 1,636 of my hard earned dollars. That is about 190 hours of work, purely to maintain this phone. And this isn't including the 200 dollars worth of minutes I went over due to forgetting, just because your mother passed away, doesn't make minutes free.

So what do I do with it? Keep it? Let it control so much of my life? Moan and groan when the "wrong boy" is calling me? Continue to dedicate 7 hours of work a month- purely to being able to afford something that I complain about, more then enjoy?

Or do I go against the grain and cancel my cell phone? Do I lose the ability to call people in times of need? Do I cut off the chance of receiving a flirtatious text message, or late night phone call just to say hi? Should I say goodbye to being able to send, receive, and share moments that can't seem to be shared any other way?

We all know... I'll probably keep it. And continue complaining. I am American after all.