Overcoming Obstacles

It's interesting to hear people talk about how problems keep them from moving forward with their lives, whether the cause of the problem was unexpected or mainly because the person may have simply become overwhelmed and no longer knows where the start. There are thousands of methods that are used every day by people looking to find a solution to their problem, some people cycling through two or three before either finding one they like or simply giving up and allow themselves to go with the flow.

The solution isn't in trying what other people do to solve your own problems, it is finding a solution that corresponds with your personality. We make a list of goals based on our personalities and we solve problems with that some thought process. It's not something that can be changed over-night, but must be solved in the foundations of our mentality. If we limit ourselves by trying to use someone else's product, we will end up achieving less than we would generally be able.

In my opinion, the correct method of goal setting and overcoming obstacles is to design a solution based upon your own personality. I recognize that many people are not able to control their thoughts in an organized manner or even consider any method to their madness. As we grow, we must adapt our methods to grow with us. I feel that this has been the major error of many people. They limit themselves on preconceived ideals and dillusions pushed on them by others. We know ourselves better than anyone else. Because of this we are able to reason through problems and find solutions.

The best use of methods introduced by others in to invent a method of our own. These should include:

Time-Management Techniques
Priority Assignments
Cost and Budgeting

Each of these are important aspects to consider which have some hold on our lives, directly or indirectly. Though we may think that we can do everything, we may be capable but not entirely able to include everything in a single day. Each person in the world is unique and therefore there are infinitely many different ways to carry out our techniques following these principles. Though there may be other significant parts to a method of invention, these are the ones I consider to be most important.

Education

The appreciation of the arts, the understanding of mechanics, the fluency of literature and languages, are but savory sweets in my mind. In the face of understanding, I rejoice in the challenges and adversity of my opponent unto the moment in which we have matched and in the gait of coherence, I seek patiently to keep pace.

Some people ask me, more often than I would expect, why I enjoy so much to study the obscure things of the world. In response, I have only to say that I study those obscure thing to better understand the apparent facts which I have only to see to know, to apply. to understand, and taste to learn and savor. It is in the moments of quiet contemplation which the obscure, mundane, fragmented and complex facts of the world are made clear and one may discover more in those moments about oneself than ever before.

How could we ever expect to make progress in our lives by merely giving ourselves to the common perceptions of the day; to live a life devoid of knowledge is to refuse the divinity which we have so readily been granted, for it is knowledge and intelligence which bring us closer to making a difference in the world around us; however, distraction are abundant in the world, causing light-minded individuals to scatter from place to place like a fallen leaf in the torrents of the winds, never resting, never growing, only in the morning to find ourselves in some shaded corner amidst the refuse and debris of the world. I agree with the statement of an unknown author that "attention is an act of will, of work against the inertia of our own minds."

To some, the idea of continual learning may be hampered by personal distress, but still I say to that, "We may formulate in our minds the aspects of the confusion, isolate the center, and dissolve the problem at the roots." To treat the symptoms of a disease will only ignore the crux of teh illness, prolonging the brudens which may have been easily fixed had we pondered deeper the source of the problem at hand. Yet, in our lives we are affected greater still by the immediacy of life, always sitting in preponderance of what next needs to be done. So often when faced with a difficult problem people will seek to find the easy solution, or rather, an adequate solution. In the moment when the correct solution is shown, they think to themselves, "I didn't think of that." The grandeur of knowledge, being able to think through problems and finding solutions, is the essence of study and of education.

As Carlyle addressed, "Conviction, were it never so excellent, is worthless till it convert itself into Conduct."

Moments of study are the foundations of character; integrity, knowledge and diligence. We must not allow ourselves to believe that knowledge will ever become worthless to us, for all knowledge will open our eyes to the glory of the heavens and expand our minds to better understand our relationship with deity. Ponder deeper all that you can, so that you may better understand yourself.

Friends

Bittersweet moments of our lives come and go. Great friends that we knew once upon a time beginning their fairy tales and you are still waiting by the shore hoping to catch yours, wondering about what is going to happen next. You look through yearbooks thinking about where people are right now, feeling like it's been so long, but still when you go to the supermarket down the street, you see the places where you used to sit and talk, and at that moment, your friends come walking through the door. You enjoy a quick conversation and you're moving again. Buy the chips, the bread, eggs if you remembered to cook this week, and then you get in your car to make the voyage home. You check your facebook, another person is getting married, you send your congratulations and you remember that it isn't you. You turn on the music and laugh and smile at everything that is happening. Is a vacation really getting away anymore? It seems that everything is away anyway, at least, if we don't step a little more forward each day.
It's hard to get past the idea that it won't be like how you wish it were, that all your friends would get married, all move to the same street in the same city. All your kids playing games together, doing the same stupid things that you did as a kid. Growing old together and everyday making your friendship just a little bit stronger. Good news is, nowadays we have email, planes, and social media. Though it will never be the same as seeing each other as often as you used to, there is always time to make something new.
You always have those memories and hopefully you are making new ones everyday. There are always new things to do, just be yourself and see where it takes you. You're not a high school student anymore, maybe you're married, maybe you've just had a hard time moving on, maybe you're just waiting for another chance, whatever it is, there's always what you're looking for. Just remember to find your way home, that's where your friends will be.

Walking: By Henry David Thoreau

A very interesting book down to it's origin, Walking was published in 1862 by Henry David Thoreau. This is an article attributed to the Existentialist movement in the United States. There are times when we wonder where we are actually going and can't really decide at all where that is. Thoreau, however, conveys the importance of living a life in nature and learning to escape the complexity of the big cities and attract oneself to the simplicity of the rural life, or rather, a life in the wilderness.

We accustom our lives to some sort of false entitlement. We condition our minds to accept those things as normal which are genuinely the product of circumstance. We quickly find ourselves in a position of sloth and debauchery, overwhelmed by our own consumerism. In order to regain our sense of self, we need to find a certain balance in our lives.

To suppose at all that one could merely adjust nowadays to the life of little more contact than that of a few encounters here or there by travelers seems positively contrary to the modern perception on life. We've grown accustomed to the idea that interpersonal communication is the only way to expand one's mind or to enjoy life. The charismatic individuals who we aspire to be are those surrounded by people, the centers of attention, and how would it appear if we moved to the wilderness and left everything behind?

For a moment of contradiction, it hardly seems reasonable that we should aspire to be someone else, assuming that experience has shaped the individual into their character and ours to who we have become, it seems unlikely that we will ever be able to attain the same degree of regard, though if by some chance we should, we would lose our sense of originality, the one precious thing which separates us from the world.

It seems then that we should be wanting to expand our originality and our uniqueness and to not perform actions based on the ideals of others, but with respect to ourselves. Thoreau mentions, for example, the purpose of a front yard in the living spaces of the towns and cities with their purposelessness. He relates how tragic it is to be so wasteful of the space, but also the general splendor of nature and how it is meant to be adored. We spend so much time and effort into creating a perfect walkway that we section this area off from being walked on that it loses it's whole meaning.

How often do we do this in our own lives? I think more often than might be supposed because we don't wish to consider the fact that we are unoriginal, or perhaps one might say that they are original in the way that they are developing the character exemplified by someone else, which is just a fancy way of saying that they don't like who they are and want to change but couldn't come up with a creative idea on their own! We are too quick to assume that we are too static to change, that we are unable to continue growing and if we do it is only by example. Why not, then, do something completely out of the ordinary? Attempt something new that was never before considered. Take a course in a field unrelated to your occupation. Drastically change your environment to the point that your old life must then be left behind.

In these endeavors, when we truly reach the moment of reflection in the condition that we are standing, it will be impossible to maintain the composure of others and we must then stand for ourselves. We should walk away from the fruitless nature of our minds and expose ourselves to our natural form.

December 7, 2012

Sometimes the greatest aspects of life are those that we are not exactly planning. Many people talk about enjoying the small and simple things, but what does that really mean? I feel that people just say that because they know that it's true but they don't really know what it is themselves. We hear things such as:

"Stop and smell the roses."
"Savor the flavor."
"Take life one day at a time."
"Be yourself."

And though the general idea about these comments is clear enough, I know there is some poor guy who is going out and is literally smelling what he thinks are roses. There's just something more to each of these statements that just needs to be realized and that is to consciously decide to let yourself go. We feel that with our most intimate desires we can govern how each moment of every day will turn out and that we are the sole providers of our experiences, and though that may be rational to some extent, when other attributes are added, it is impossible to maintain that rationality.

Letting go is another one of those straight-forward sounding comments and my goal is to extinguish the ambiguity that may exist in what my interpretation may be and set my singularity. As human beings we want to know what is going to happen. There is an innate fear present within us that cannot handle the unknown or copes with it by attaching ourselves to some hope that things will get better, and that hope is good. It allows us to relax. But what do we do when everything is crumbling beneath our feet, when we have too much going on, or when we absolutely have lost control of our lives? Simply let go. Stop trying to handle everything and just begin doing things as they come. It doesn't mean that you should stop applying effort to parts of your life, but rather you should try to stop planning how things are going to work out.

I could have never thought that I would be where I am right now even a month ago, that things would be so drastically different as my expectations for the future. There came a moment when I made a conscious decision to take a chance, let fate work a little for me and show me a possibility for a change that I never anticipated. As it happens things worked out for the best and I've never been happier. Good things happen to each of us as long as we are willing to look past our own expectations and see the wonderful underworkings of each moment.

Someone once complained to me, "It's funny how things never work out." And I quickly rebutted, "No, it's funny how they always do."

OH FUDGE!!!

Little moments in our life make it all worth it, even if we don't really know what it is. Today was the last day of my legitimate classes and after a long day at work and taking an exam, I went to Marissa's house to pick her up. Discussing her cookbook for a little while we went down to Broulim's to pick up some ingredients, which we in the end didn't buy, but that's because of a miracle that happened on main street. In between the bread and the vegetables, walking to the cashier holding a basket of bread, juice and milk, a voice from an angel rained down upon us. As we turned, we found that we were standing next to the fudge kiosk. The woman on the other side of the glass ask us if we would like a free sample, suggesting on the side a couple of her preferences, when I quickly alluded to the desire for a free sample of each of the different flavors. In the turn of a moment, this woman had begun dishing up into a bag a sample of each of the flavors, of which there were about fifteen! My eyes shimmered with Christmas spirit, Marissa's eyes rolled, and suddenly the worries of finals, the gym, and fear of heaven and hell withered with the wind.

As my teeth sunk in to the soft delicacies in my grasp, the flavor lasted just long enough to whirl my senses and awaken my tastes giving me that desire for more. Luckily, having a baker for a mom, I learned in my youth how to savor small deserts. As we picked through the fudge slowly, examining the flavors, each one seemed to be a new experience. It has been such a long time since I have had the pleasure of sweets, especially like this. What I think the amount of fudge we received would amount to roughly $10.00 at the store itself.

Fudge is one of those things that reminds us of our youth, when we used to come home to motherly delights cooking in the oven, when you could smell the aroma flowing through the air, finding that feeling that you are finally home. It's a place that we are all searching for, that place of happiness and joy, where everything comes together. It's our story that leads us home, and during this Christmas story, I actually did say Fudge.

Short Writings

Oh rain, you coat the walls
You find the roof and planted roots
Before the day is called
What, dear rain, made you this day fall?
That as a man should
-
Am I in a dream
How often I've tried to change
To harness all of my fears
Yet through many years,
I've found the ivory mirror
A man in the frame
At once recognized it was me
-
I've found a wall, made of brick
And feeling sems five feet thick
To the left and to the right I see no end
Day and night I pace again
The heights stretch above the heavens
Sure on their foundation in hell
Behind me is a never lasting past
And at last, I've found a wall
-
I saw once a man, set on the corner of a street
Adorned with tattered rages which consumed his feet
His hair was gray, his skin wrinkled with age
His eyes did not open, nor did they gage
And felt the wind and scratching air
Though this man did not despair
He asked nothing, no alms of man
Yet certain was his only demand
For he loved as a father his son
Each day which he had won

December 6, 2012

There are many people in life who don't believe in luck at all, that everything is simply coincidence, but I'll take whatever luck I can get any day of the week. At the beginning of this semester, I've been less than attentive to my classes, but it gave me the chance to make a move on Marissa and that worked out great. We'll get back to that story later.

Anyway, at the beginning of this semester, I had 25 credits and eight classes. Differential Equations with Linear Algebra, Numerical Analysis, Abstract Algebra, Real Analysis, Intermediate Microeconomics, Intro to Applied Mathematics, Bayesian Statistics and Topology. In Bayesian statistics our teacher decided that he was going to have us help him with a research paper that he was writing. Since there isn't a research program here this was a great opportunity to expand a professional resume and I promptly withdrew from topology, a class which I was taking for fun, as contrary as that may sound.

As finals come near I have about two or three for each class. It's complicated and annoying to try to find when each one is required to be taken at the testing center, which in itself is a God-forsaken place. It's as if one were trying to concentrate when the only thought that is going through my head is the fact that there are about twenty cameras staring at you, and the random proctors who sneak up behind you during the test aren't enough you have twenty pages of statistics to figure out before the testing center closes because of devotional. Though I didn't have that problem too much today, I had an interesting time calming my nerves during a Real Analysis exam. Luckily, and this is why I'm writing about being lucky, my teacher accidently gave us the exam instead of the study guide earlier this week. He later found out and tried to update the course information, but many of us already had it and had memorized it. The exam, which was four pages long and full of questions, took me thirty minutes, a personal best excluding Economics exams. I was lucky today. Let's hope tomorrow is just as good. 

Finding Feeling

It is often hard in our lives to find that right feeling which perfectly characterizes a situation. You never know what to expect until the moment is already past, and the only thing that you can do is hope to understand enough before it even happens that you will be able to reach in the perfect way, but that doesn't always happen. Often we spend our time sabotaging ourselves, looking for answers that aren't really there and finding out too late that what we wanted really wasn't ever there to begin with. But there is hope, and it is that hope that pushes us forward. Hope that possibly we are learning something that will help us later in our lives, something that will change everything that we are for the better, and something that ultimately was especially meaningful to you.

It is not everyday that people see miracles, but I do. People don't interpret things the same ways as we do, but that doesn't mean that we have to stop living, it means that we should have the privilege of embarking of hundreds of different journeys in our lifetimes. When one opportunity closes, another one opens. It may be that it is hard to move on, but it's something that we all need to do sometimes, and sometimes, for your own happiness, you have to be willing to search further. You can't spend your whole life pleasing everybody, but you can do your best, and if your best isn't enough, keeping working at it, someday, for someone, it will be.

Late Nights 2

So who is up late at night? A young friend hoping that he will get that date for the weekend within the next couple of minutes, the college student desperately working on a paper, and the random guy who late at night is still listening to Frank Sinatra, pondering what she thinks of him, as he sips his Dr.Pepper like Jack Daniel's on a lonely evening. So disconnected from everything, understanding why dogs howl at night as they all cry out for lost hopes, tied to poles that they can't escape. What's to keep these people from drifting off to sleep? Is it the attempts to hold on to the magical day which they just had or the anticipation for the next. Perhaps it is fear of the dreams which may come or another anxious night. I've seen many days come and go, what's the difference today? Nothing, it's absolutely nothing. There are times when one simply stays awake for the same reason that he doesn't go to work one morning, or decides that it's time to change his life.When life is filled with mystery, the best thing to do is search out those dreams, reach out for them, and join the ranks of those many souls who are working each and every night at becoming just a little bit better, who are searching just a little bit deeper, who are trying just a little bit harder. Those are your heroes, those are the future, because at the end of the day, they are still awake, and they chose to be. It doesn't matter if you're worried or excited, whether you're tired or motivated, you're awake, and when the lights go out at night, you can count the stars.

I've stayed up just to watch sunrises, wondering as the morning struck my face if that day would bring a miracle. But as the summer days would pass by, I would often miss the casual breeze and drift away. It's early in the morning when we realize our dreams are actually in the places that we are living and we see those things which we really want. You should live everyday like you live your dreams. No regrets, but full of adventure. If you never try, then you will never know. And though I'm not a fan of rejection, I'm even worse with never knowing. So, when it comes down to taking chances, why don't you look at your life and take a moment to look at your dreams, and if you can't find a moment, stay up just a little bit longer and join us. The lovestruck youth, the college student, and the somebody, who could be anybody, who lives in everybody.

Book: Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela

Finishing a book should resemble a change in self, understanding a new perspective and growing in some degree to the imagination or evidence suggested by the author. When I first decided to read Long Walk to Freedom, I had some previous experiences with reading things related to the life of Nelson Mandela, but mostly of his presidency and besides the short-stories which we're told as short anecdotes, the growth of Nelson Mandela in his youth was very unknown to me.

It is remarkable that one could be born into a condition and be unaware of the truth of one's surroundings. He was subjected to a false understanding of his potential but yet he overcame. It was mentioned in his book that he, himself, had to overcome the perception which he had adopted that blacks had different abilities than that of whites. The racial segregation in South Africa had grown to an extreme that even the people themselves thought that they were disadvantaged. Nelson Mandela was a surprising example of endurance and integrity throughout his life.

Many of the things which I expected to read about in this book weren't included however. The experiences of Robben Island were short and though covered by a number of pages, the pages were full of adjectives and expressions of feelings about life in prison that seemed very general. He wrote of the extensive learning and self-educating which happened there, but little was mentioned of his efforts to mentally endure his environment in my opinion. My opinions on the given entries were quite satisfactory as one could connect and feel his experiences there. It is only in knowing that there were more that occurred there than was mentioned which raises my attention to detail. One who read this merely speculatively would be more than satisfied at the brevity of these remarks, but would yet be desirous for a longer, more rigorous relation.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to gain a greater understanding of their life and roles which they may play in developing and changing the world around them. This book is very inspiring and a good novel for light reading for those who are interesting in world history as well.

Speculative Notes

Many people say that interesting people are all around, but the bigger question remains as to where they all are! Being at school, I've had roommates whose sole ambition is to have a good time at school while leaving their studies disregarded. Ones who have fought against school policy, taken easy classes which don't count towards their degree, spent hours on video games, and quit their jobs because they were "too tired" or "too busy" to handle it. My first thought was to not be too judgmental about it, but the minute they left the room the judgments begin to rise.

People who are trying to make a difference in the world don't find themselves disillusioned with ideas about life which are unrealistic. There is a characteristic determination which allows one to see past the superficiality of a moment and perceive the problems inherent in the nature of society. In our childhood we're not born with the desire to put away our lives into some alternate life, but rather we want to pursue our greatest desires and follow our dreams; however, it doesn't seem like people are dreaming anymore, as though people are complacent with their lives and who they've become as though they are a finished product. People are often telling me that they have reached their potential, but I cannot agree with that. We grow every day and it is never too late to start a new project or to set a new goal.

People need to get out of their entrapped mindset and explore the depths of their potential.

December 5, 2012

Sitting through class, two people sleeping on the far side of the room, the guy across from me appearing to be paying attention yet looking closely you can see the blank expression across his face: sleeping. The group of girls in the front making jokes which you try to chuckle a laugh at but you just can't make it sincere in the least, and myself, struggling to pay attention as the monotone voice reminds me of that old movie: Ferris Beuller's Day Off. Just the thought of it places a smile across my face. How much fun it would be to just take a day off and go on some kind of adventure.

They say that while you're in college the amount of sleep that you get decreases with each semester, especially before finals. In my hands, I have three finals, two more on Friday, and five more due next week. The hopes of getting good grades are outweighed by the anticipation of being done with classes. This semester has been one of the most strenuous as it has been the first semester where I've taken mostly 400-level classes and still have 22 credit hours per week, with a part-time job on top of that. Some days I contemplate whether I could afford to take less credits or work less during the week, but those thoughts quickly disappear as I bask in the light of graduation. Two semesters to go and I've finished. It's hard to think that I've been in school for nearly a year and a half, but then I see the grey hairs reflecting against the mirror. It's been a long time since Europe and life seems to be stagnant right now except for the refreshing presence of Marissa. I imagine that I would have gone mad quite a while ago without her here with me.

Being an applied math major is just as fun as I thought that it would be. Solving equations every day and learning new methods that makes what you just solved obsolete. It's refreshing that in the middle of it all I have an Economics class, but I'm enduring. I recognized the importance of having a strong foundation in math  a few months ago and changed my major. Though the mentality of the students is noticeably different and the teachers are less personable to me, it was a good choice as I see many job openings becoming available to me, even before graduation. In my spare time I've been trying to learn programming and understanding many different computer programs in general, but I don't have much spare time when it really boils down to it. Keeping a positive attitude is important. I'm working on that with my spare time as well.

There's a week left until the drive down to Salt Lake and traveling to Maryland. Hopefully the weather stays nice enough to keep the drive easy, but my doubts are firm. This will be the first break that I've had from Rexburg which has lasted longer than a week in over a year and it is well-needed. There have hardly been any novels or stories which compare to the agony of living in Rexburg, so far from my own habitat. The desire for green fields and trees grows with each passing moment.

Late Nights

It seems like I can't remember what a late night is anymore. Working early mornings this past year waking up every day at 3:30 a.m to clean the buildings on campus has done nothing to help my sleeping pattern. Each night I seem to grow more tired, especially as finals are nearing. I've already been given three and I have at least five more to go. It's only nine o' clock and I am having trouble staying awake. I suppose I'll write just a few more lines.

Most days though I find that I am quite lucky. Whether it is finding out that the homework is easier than I thought or finding money on the side of the street, I'm always surprised at things when they happen. These coming days are going to be stressful, filled with pressure of doing well on exam s and passing my classes. Many of the people that I see around campus are filled with worry about what is going to happen, but tonight, I just spent the evening enjoying the company of my girlfriend as she was watching one of her shows and I was resting beside her. However my exams go, whichever way, I'll consider myself lucky that in the midst of it all, I was able to have a night like this.

And so today ends. Good night!

December 4, 2012

It has been unusual for Rexburg as the weather has shown little signs of change with the few flakes of snow drifting through the breeze and you consider yourself lucky as it caresses your cheek. The horizon is covered by mountains where I've never been, plains I've never crossed, and roads unexplored and yet, here I am, sitting today on my couch which is finally broken-in from it's rugged appearance. Perhaps it was the beating I gave it when it first arrived as I attempted to temper the cushions to be barely comfortable for a nap in between classes. Then, one must consider the added luxury that the windows in my apartment don't shut entirely and I often become distracted as the blinds oscillate behind the Christmas tree still up from Christmas last year, decorated in St. Patrick's day decorations with a hat atop where the angel would stand. This place is uncomfortable.

Nowadays I wonder how I've come to be where I am. Events and chance having brought me to a place I never imagined or which I had hoped. I've been here now for a year and a half constantly wondering if this has all been worth it, arguing with myself to realize some change. There are blessings though. The school nearby in which all but one of my classes are fortunately located, avoiding the struggle of traversing my campus as colleagues of mine dash out the door. I'll be graduating in July, one more semester than I thought as the faculty again spoils my plans. No matter my place, they are my constant opposition. The sadists who detract from creativity and ambition. For me, they are my Brutis. 

Lights flicker and my feet are cold, not from the temperature but from the feeling of having to endure the trails which await. It's not often that you truly believe in pure enemies as from the novels of the past, a ruthless antagonist who attempts to bring you to your knees each day, but we find opposition in our lives from those who believe that we are weak or those that are prejudice against change and I am not unique in this. I get the feeling that I am an expanding spirit trapped in a cage of resentment that rages against the faulty foundation. The supposed regimen of education is a nuisance, a cloud which attempts to encourage focus by blinding your eyes to possibility. The creative masters sought for enlightenment, to transcend the boundaries of man, and bring to Earth those gifts from the heavens, the masterpieces of life. 

James Allen, a masterful commentator on the passions and virtues of life and the free, thinking man rightfully states how we develop in this world. We constantly overcome our naive nature and elevate ourselves with thought and action and we bring ourselves to the houses in which we live. For those who are struggling in their lives, perhaps it is time to challenge ourselves in our work, to progress past our expectations and to fundamentally change our modes of thought. If we can ever change ourselves, it is only by changing the way we think, the way we feel and the way we believe. As I've previously written:

Life is full of change. Every moment of everyday there are a multitude of events that are happening around and within us. We feel their influence, we feel the wear, and we feel the slow effects that occur in our eyes. These changes in how we see the world are sometimes clouded by our own pessimism, the overwhelming feeling that we cannot keep up with our obligations, the tasks at hand, or the unforeseeable future. The plagues of doubt hinder our ability to enjoy the blessing that we are given daily, but if we're lucky, and if we trust enough in the things which we already know, we might just catch a glimpse of the things which are truly remarkable. Though it might not be obvious at the time and we may have to squint our eyes just a bit, if we look at the world with eyes of imagination, wonder, and awe, we will begin to see that wonders of the universe. We will begin to find our way to where we need to be. We age everyday and before we know it those juvenile pleasures change into mature decision, contemplation, and sometimes even worry. Yet, in the midst of our business, our work, or our moments of pure fatigue, we are able to look at the world and rejoice;colors will begin to take their shape, the day becomes a lasting memory, and we move on.

Unusual for Rexburg, unusual for myself. Perhaps, on occasion, uncomfortable is a good thing.