Stiletto soldier

Lessons for Life

2010-01-31T20:43:00.000-08:00

This happens a lot in my life: I put something down in one place, a 'safe' place I think of, and eventually forget where that 'safe' place was. Well, I rediscovered one of my safe places this weekend when I stumbled across an old e-mail I had printed out. The email is titles "Lessons for Life" and it has some good rules to apply to your life. Therefore, to start off another crazy week I thought I'd rehash these lessons to you all as a little for for though or perhaps just something to think of instead of the busy-ness of our everyday lives.

Enjoy :)

Lessons for Life

Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

Memorize your favorite poem.

Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or loaf all you want.

Be engages at least 6 months before you get married.

Believe in love at first sight.

NEVER laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.

Love deeply and passionately. You may get hurt, but it's the only way to live life completely.

Don't judge people by their relatives or by the life they were born into.

Teach yourself to speak slowly but think quickly.

When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask,"Why do you want to know?"

Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

Call your mother.

When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

Spend more time alone.

Open your arms to change but don't let go of your values.

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

Trust in God but lock your car.

A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life. Do all you can to create a tranquil, harmonious home.

In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.

Don't just listen to what someone is saying. Listen to why they are saying it.

Share your knowledge.

Pray or meditate. There's immeasurable power in it.

Never interrupt when you are being flattered.

Mind your own business.

Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.

Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for one another exceeds your need for each other.

Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

We're destined for disapointment but it's not downhill from there.

2010-01-30T19:16:00.000-08:00

"I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when their right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together."
— Marilyn Monroe

Disappointment is something that nobody looks forward to in life. We go to school, work hard, take all the necessary steps and opportunities in order to get ahead of the pack so good things will happen in our lives. Yet, despite all of our work, disappointment is inevitable. Although we try to avoid it, it always catches us. Usually off guard.

There are many types of disappointment and some are harder to take in then others. There's the usual bad grade, negative work evaluation, a horrible day overall, bad news, a harsh word and the list goes on. We all can agree that these things really, really suck but even worse than these are the human disappointments; the times when your family, closest friends, average friends or even someone you may not know that well can fool you, let you down or simply hurt you. Any disappointment in life hurts, but there's something about the disappointment you feel from friends and family that can hit a chord within you that you didn't even know existed.

I know what you're thinking, "Why such a sad post, kimfox?" For those of you who are reading this, and know me pretty well, I rarely have a serious moment. I can usually be seen (actually heard) laughing or talking....even yelling. I rarely have a somber moment...well, except for in the mornings. I hate mornings. A lot. But for now, this post is a little more emotional (EMO) than the usual me.

Now, as I'm home this weekend in home sweet Fort Wayne, I'm sitting in my room looking at the old frames on my nightstand. They are filled with high school memories that depict earlier, less complicated times. These frames were once filled with good memories but now the pictures inside them are simply artifacts. After looking at them all I can think of is this: despite how much we try to fight it, our lives continue to change.

This my lovely readers, is where the whole sad (cue violin music and sniffles) "disappointment" thing comes in. Sometimes things or even people in life change, abruptly, and you are left to yourself picking up the pieces. After looking at my high school pictures I've noticed that my old group of friends has changed. Although there are still some people from high school that I occasionally hang out with many of us that were once "best friends" have lost all communication with each other. There was a time when we couldn't even get through a whole 45 minute class period without talking to each other about the latest gossip and now - well, now it's probably been close to 4 years since we've seen each other, let alone talked to each other.

I'm sure everyone can relate to this though. Whether it's a past significant other, best friend, close friend, acquaintance what have you - you just don't know what happened. Was it something you did? Was it something you said? Or was it just you? That curious thought wondering where they are now. Asking yourself what went wrong or why you don't talk anymore. Or just the realization that someone you once counted on, and needed, so much in your life is not there anymore. At all.

Yet, whenever I have these sad moments (which I'm sure all of you are doing now since I am writing such an emo blog post - SORRY!) I try to remember the quote (from above) that I love by Marilyn Monroe. Now here's where the sunshine and smiles come in and if you take anything away from this horribly depressing blog post (which I'm sure only 2% of you who started reading this post are continuing to read now) remember these two things: 1) Things happen for a reason and 2) SOMETIMES GOOD THINGS FALL APART SO BETTER THINGS CAN FALL TOGETHER!

Tonight, after wondering where all my old friends went and why I was being a lame loner, I was planning on getting some homework done. In the midst of reading a long, boring journal article about TV's usage in daycare programs (don't even ask) I got a phone call. A long lost, past room mate and close friend of mine who I hadn't talked to in at least a month called me! Ironically, I had been thinking of calling her lately too! It was like we had read each others minds, despite being 13 hours apart. Anyways, we talked for a good hour and a half about anything and everything: our lives, school, work, apartments, Africa, you know the usual stuff.

After having such a downer moment by myself this phone call was just the thing I needed. It was so nice just chit chatting with my friend like we have for the past 4 years we've known each other. It was a conversation that not only made my day but it also made me realize something...

Despite the fact that people may change, walk out of my life, not want me in their life, not like me, not care for me or simply disappoint me it really doesn't matter. If I still had those sucky people in my life I wouldn't have had opportunities or experiences to find the amazing and wonderful people I have in my life right now. I wouldn't realize how encouraging friends can be that they'll buy you a fountain pop or card to help you get through a long night of stressful homework, or how much a sister can care about you that she'll provide you with 93 frozen meals despite the fact that she just bought a house and should be keeping the meals for herself because she has to live on a budget (did I mention DELICIOUS meals?) or how much a mom can love you that she'll drive an hour and a half just to have lunch with you for 45 minutes.

If it weren't for the disappointments of others in my life these small things simply wouldn't mean as much as they do now.

Therefore, friends & family, although people in our lives can fail us that doesn't make us failures. Some may not fully understand how amazing we are, the great things we are capable of or maybe they are simply too intimidated by our awesomeness that they would rather not know us than know us and feel ashamed of the lack of awesomeness in their lives - either way, when these sucky people leave it only creates more room for the better things in life to fall in place.

And when the better things do finally fall in place, it will be worth the wait....and we'll be sooo glad those sucky people left and are living their sucky lives, with a lack of awesomeness :)

A look back on the last month in America.

2009-05-28T16:41:00.001-07:00

There's me in a telephone booth!

Ahhh...Blackfriar's Bridge over the River Tames.

Tower Bridge how I miss you.

Exactly one month ago I left the best city in the world, London of course, and came home. Although I was quite homesick at times and also missed my friends and family I loved London and all the city had to offer. So, now that I am back in America and in the classiest city of the country, Muncie, Indiana, I thought I'd share some of my thoughts.

Things I miss about London...

1. British accents & British 'slang'. A lot of times when I was over seas many Europeans said Americans talk funny (one French waiter even depicted our accents as the speaker on Charlie Brown..wah, wah,wah). Now that I am home I think we do really have a NOT cute accent...but don't take it personally!

2. Fish'n'chips. So yummy!! I can always make some at home or order it in a restaurant here but it's not the same as actually being in London.

3. The 'tube' (subway). Being in such a compact city public transportation was a huge thing to many commuters. The tube went everywhere in and around central London. After 3 weeks of using the tube, that is giving myself an extra hour to get somewhere in case I got on the wrong train, I finally got the hang of it. By the end of my time in London I was dragging my mom and dad around the tube like it was my job! Now that I'm home I miss NOT having to drive everywhere!

4. Theatre shows. I got to see Romeo & Juliet, Les Miserables, Jersey Boys (twice), Wicked, Mouse Trap, Chicago, Billy Elliot & Mamma Mia while in London. I never considered myself a theatre person but now I love musicals! Mamma Mia was by far my favorite!!

5. Shopping on Oxford St!!! Especially at H&M (the European ones have MUCH cuter clothes than the American ones).

6. Being able to travel anywhere in Europe. Ireland was only an hour flight & the flight to Germany, Italy & Greece were all around 2 & a half hours...that's less than flying to California!

7. Covent Gardens. One of my favorite places in London, it featured street performers, markets and retail stores. It was such a cute place!

8. River Tames. It was so nice walking by the river on a sunny day. There was always something to see or do.

9. Free Museums!! Almost all the museums in London are free, unfortunately I didn't get to go to all the ones I wanted to but I think it is much more encouraging to go a museum when you don't HAVE to pay to see something cultural. Why doesn't America adopt this?!?!

Things I am glad to come home to...

1. My family!!! As much as they drive me crazy, he he he, I love them and missed them TONS. I'm so glad some of them got to visit me, those times spent with them in London were definitely the highlights of my trip. Seeing Tyler hold his rose for me and run to me when I came home was also a wonderful treat!

2. Free refills. I had to ration one glass of water or soda for my whole meal. Almost impossible.

3. Friends. Although I made some friends from my group while I was in London I missed my friends from home that truly knew me. Sometimes I didn't see eye-to-eye with all the people on the group ;-)

4. My own bed - NO WAIT, my own room!!! Let's just say that along with point 3 I was glad to have my OWN room back...with privacy =]

5. My two TV shows: The Office & The Bachelor or Bachelorette. Unfortunately, I missed the whole Bachelor fiasco while in London. I was a little devastated that I couldn't watch it online (the shows weren't available anymore) so I had to settle for reading about it in People magazine. On that note, Jason is a huge jerk.

6. Wal-mart!!! Yes, I know that sounds very, very hick-ish BUT being in college Wal-Mart is my life line. They have EVERYTHING under ONE roof!!! At "roll-back" prices! I mean how much more American can you get than that?!

As nice as it is being home I miss London. Yet, when I was in London I missed home. Is there any solution to this?! I guess the only thing to do is:

1. Go back to London, get internship and/or job.

2. Find cute British boy who happens to be very, very rich.

3. Quit job so I can fly home often.

Perfect...I'll get right on that plan! That sounds MUCH better than getting a real job, right? =]

Am I 21...or 97?!?

2009-05-27T19:12:00.000-07:00

I have always been a night owl. Growing up I H-A-T-E-D waking up early to go to school (it is my luck that my mom would be a teacher and have to arrive early every day). I remember back in middle & high school when I would wake up, groggily, to an alarm. Go to the bathroom, start the shower and then lay on the floor for, oh...about 10 minutes until I had a little cat nap. Now laying on the floor might not be the most hygienic place to nap but I was desperate to get a couple more minutes of sleep.

Finally, college came and guess what time my classes usually start. Yes, you got it 10 a.m. or later!! I took one class Freshmen year at 8 a.m. and promised myself I would never do that again. All throughout college I've rarely gone to bed before 12 a.m. I can't help it, it's how my body is programmed!

Well now that summer school is here and I'm taking 3 classes (plus about 5 hours of homework to go with those classes) I rarely even STAY UP till 12 a.m.! I mean, yesterday was the first time I stayed up till 1 a.m. only because I had 2 quizzes I had to study for. Talk about LAME...it's 10:30 p.m. now and I feel sleepy. WHO AM I?!?!?!? I have gotten really lame, really REALLY fast. How did this happen? How did I let my life get to this? WHY DO I HAVE THE NIGHT TIME TOLERANCE OF A 97 YEAR OLD?!?!?!?

I don't know what's made me become so, ew, responsible. I guess I need to get sleep so I can retain all the knowledge I am learning in class, or I'm being healthy, or I'm just bored so I might as well sleep because I don't want to study anymore! Who knows? Although the plus side of sleeping for at least 8 hours a night is that 1. I'm not as groggy in the morning 2. I don't have baggies under my eyes 3. I feel better 4. I think clearer 5. I pay attention in class better (although that might be over rated)....

Okay, okay so I guess going to bed early and getting sleep DOES have it's benefits BUT no matter what any of you may think, say or comment...I still feel lame! So if you'll excuse me now, I have some warm milk to drink before I get to bed!

Good night!

And so it begins...again.

2009-05-24T20:26:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

Okay, okay don't even say. Don't even think it. "She had one blog already when she was in LONDON. She's never going to keep up with this blog about her lame life in Indiana." Yes, you would be right because 1) I gave up on my London blog due to the massive amounts of traveling and photos I was taking throughout Europe and 2) Since coming back to America my life has gotten lame...real lame. I have turned into somewhat of a neat freak, either do one of three things go to class-study-or sleep and I also go to bed around 11:30 every night. LAME! ! ! But here's the thing: since my life has gone downhill into loser-ville I have nothing else fun to do with my time BUT write a blog...about myself. So, with that being said...ENJOY MY NEW BLOG! ABOUT ME!!!

Oh and P.S. I thought of the title "I don't wanna grow up" because I'm scared-to-death (think brink of panic attack, forming an ulcer in my stomach scared) of growing up and having a real job with, eek, bills. Blah. That's super lame.