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It's New Year's Eve day, the very last day of 2009. It's strange to think in many ways and funny how quickly time can go. There have been innumerable changes in my life this year, which I'm sure could be said of everyone and every year. I've learned and grown a lot, I've also done a lot of stupid and or fruitless things. I don't do new year's resolutions, if I every really did, instead I try to continually have new goals that I'm working on and old ones as well. I never really had any life changing new year's resolutions, and probably never really followed through on any that I might have made and so I've tried this instead and it seems to be working fairly well. I wish you good luck with your resolutions if you make them and a happy and safe new year.
Merry Christmas to all, I hope that everyone has had a lovely day and that for those who celebrate Christmas, that the holiday hasn't been all commercialized, that Jesus Christ has entered into your thoughts amidst the presents and the food, etc.
My real purpose for writing may seem like a strange one given the day but regardless of how strange it may or may not seem, I have been thinking about composition today and I thought I'd put some of those thoughts down here. I don't know what the word 'composition' conjures up for you, maybe one of those black and white spotted notebooks or something else but for me composition is first and foremost the way a piece of art is designed or composed. In my various art classes over the years I was taught about composition and that by doing certian things, by planning a drawing or painting out before hand, I could actually make it better. I believe at first I probably was skeptical and probably didn't care to be bothered with something so silly... indeed there are those that have foregone that step entirely. Over the years though and through the classes I have come to better understand composition and to recognize it in works that I admire, even come to realize that the composition is part of why I admire one piece over another. It has been interesting to see how upon scrutinize a certian work or view, etc. could look vastly better if it were flipped around, if this part were over here instead of over there. I have come to see composition as almost the defining characteristic between a nice picture and a work of art. This feels a tad rant-like and I'm sure it is but it's nice to express things that you've been giving thought too.
So as I mentioned I got sucked into a Star Wars book a few weeks ago and today I finished said book, Heir To The Empire by Timothy Zahn. I must say that when I got to the end of the book I felt like saying, "Are you kidding me?" The ending to the book felt increadibly abrupt, very cliff hanger. The book is part of a trilogy and I realize that as such it will be a cliff hanger of sorts but I was expecting a little more resolvement, maybe I'm just out of touch, I haven't read many serise(s?) of late, anyway... So I am going to read the next two books and finish up the trilogy. I do not wish to read any more because quite frankly I'm a bit embaressed about reading Star Wars books and there's also about a million Star Wars books and I don't have the time to be reading them all. So I guess what I'm saying is to not read Star Wars books...unless these things sound appealing to you. I do like Star Wars but I found that I enjoy watching a movie over reading a book, there's a lot of tension in Star Wars plots and when reading a book that tension is just prolonged.
In other news it's been snowing for most of the day and it's very beautiful. It's even more beautiful because it will be cleaning out the nasty smog that's been lurking over the city for days now!
Merry Christmas!
I got to see some of my friends yesterday and it was soooo nice! It's been months since I'd seen any of them and I've missed them. I used to see all of these girls on a regular, if not a daily basis. At home I'm still sort of breaking the ice and warming up to people and it was such a wonderful contrast to be back with people that I'm very comfortable with and who I can laugh (you know the kind, where things are getting funnier all the time) and reminisce with.
I miss living with them or in the same complex. I miss the way that my life used to be...and I don't. I don't miss having finals at all, I don't miss homework or tests. Life is all about change I suppose and I tend to resit that, I like to stay where I'm comfortable but that can't always happen. Change has to come.
Irony by its very nature is funny, sometimes (and quite often if it happens to someone else) it's hillariously funny, other times all you can do is laugh bitterly. There's dramatic irony as well but I believe that doesn't genearlly occour unless you have someone writing or narrating your life... which I suppose is possible and just unknown, a third person narrator or third person omnicient. Irony is often seen out with satire or sarcasm.
Star Wars. I'm a fan, that's not really the confession though. So I know quite a bit about Star Wars, I didn't like them when I was little because my little brothers liked Star Wars, so there fore how could it possibly be good? I've had to eat my words on more than one thing like that. I don't remember when I started to warm up to Star Wars, or when I first watched the movies, it probably wasn't until the first of the newer movies came out, I can't remember what it's called now save, Eppisode I, maybe the Phantom Menace? Anyway I got fairly knowledgeable about Star Wars before I ever watched a movie, one of my brothers had a "picture scrapbook" or something like that of the original trilogy and on Sunday's before or after church, to pass the time I would quite often read our comic books or flip through this book about the trilogy. Consequently I know a fair amount about Star Wars.
I have now seen all the Star Wars movies, excluding the cartoons and the Christmas Special. I didn't love the newer movie except for the light saber duals, because of the advances in technology since the original trilogy, the duals are way cooler. I prefer the original movies, I think I've only seen A New Hope once or twice, I find Luke Skywalker incredibly whiny and as A New Hope is primarily focused on him, I skip it. The Empire Strikes Back is my favorite Star Wars movie, witty lines, plenty of action, Yoda... A close second is The Return of the Jedi because there are ewoks in that movie and I don't see how you could not like ewoks.
I'm rambling and further exposing my Star Wars nerdiness. I baby-sat a little boy the other night who's obscessed with Star Wars and it was kind of funny and a little embaressing because I knew a lot more about Star Wars than him.
Getting to the point of this post, I realized as said little boy and I were watching Empire Strikes Back, that Star Wars has a lot of paralels both to liturature and to religion, Christianity specificly. Though Star Wars takes place in a setting that to many seems much cooler than our existance on earth, in essentials our own lives are like unto Star Wars; we all have gifts, we have chances to do good, we can be a jedi of sorts in our own lives. In our lives there's forces both for good and for evil, and like Luke or Anakin etc. we can choose the good or the evil. Yoda's words are very pognient and good advice.
I'm feeling a bit nerdy about my application of Star Wars to life, however I found something that made me feel somewhat better; while baby-sitting the other night I picked up a Star Wars book to read after the little boy went to bed, I figured it would just be a way to pass time Until his parents got home. When his parents got back I was on the last page of the sixth chapter and wanting to find out what happenes. I forgot the name of the book because I didn't really think I'd want to read the whole thing and so in trying to find out the book's title I found this page. I was bewildered at the list of choices but I did eventually find the right book.
I read The Proclimation on the Family today for the lesson we will be having later today and I wanted to share it because I believe in what it says and fully believe that it is true and can really help families.
It's snowing outside and it's so beautiful, I absolutely love watching snow fall, it's such a beautiful sight, especially when there are big fat flakes descending or better still ones that look like small feathers. I am less thrilled to drive in said snow and to be cold, but I don't think I will ever stop loving snow. It is one of the most beautiful things in this world. It's so beautiful and exciting to wake up and see that snow has fallen over night and to see the glorious white beautiful blanketing on the ground. And now it's time for me to head off to church and I'm excited to go. I'm excited at the thought that the tree might be up when I get back and that tonight we will once again light the candles on the advent wreath and read another Christmas book together.
Have a lovely Sunday.
I seem to have fallen off of my theme for the month. It's been a rather busy week, and on top of that I've been working on making my time more productive. I'm not trying to whine, I know I'm far less busy than many people, especially this time of year. I love a lot of things about this time of year however I think it's also very easy to become too busy, and to get overwhelmed. It's important to take a deep breath to calm down and refocus ones'self and perhaps find new perspective about things. Moments of quite and contemplation are important for, to remeber the root of our seasonal holidays, whichever that may be, to think of others or to give thanks for how blessed we are.
I believe tonight's the first night of Hanukkah, so a Happy Hanukkah to any out there who may be celebrating it. I like to celebrate Hanukkah by having latkes, they're quite delicious.
I'm really grateful that I can go to the temple again today, I love the peace and the spirit that I can feel there. I find that going to the temple puts life in perspective for me, things seem more possible after going, some things seem far less important, it's wonderful.
Last night was the First Presidency Christmas Devotional and if you happened to miss it last night I suggest you watch it, it was wonderful. I have really been enjoying a less comercialized Christmas thus far this year.
The other thing is that we had quite a good lesson yesterday on citizenship. We discussed religion and politics and how the two perhaps should or should not go together. This section in the Doctrine and Covenants lays out the Churches stand point on politics and government. We talked a lot about the fact that in many other countries there is not the same religious freedom that is available in America and also how religious freedom is becoming threatened in America. It's strange and a little sad to realize that with so many freedoms, there is sort of a one way street of the freedom and it's a very important and perplexing matter. Due to the time of year it also came up that people get so offended by being wished a "Merry Christmas" yet in our experience people who didn't celebrate Christmas by being wished Merry Christmas any more than we ourselves would feel wronged in being wished a Happy Hanukkah, etc.
Besides these strange occurrences of our world, we also talked about the fact that most of us were far more familiar with the officers of the Church than we were with the leaders of our government. I think that one of the growing problems we face in America is that so many of us do not take enough interest in our government, do not take enough action in our government. I remember my poly-sci teacher talking about the same sort of thing. The founding fathers designed our government to work on checks and balances but they don't work so well if we the people don't take charge to make those checks and balances. I have been so enamored at the Suffragette movement and how hard those women worked and how much they suffered in order to get that vote, but despite that, I'm ashamed to say that the first election I participated in, and the only one to this point, was the presidential election of 2008. I honored these women yet I didn't use the right that they fought so hard to win.
I think that laziness factors in a lot to why so many of us do not use our rights to make our say heard and to protect the freedoms that we love. It takes a fair amount of doing to stay informed with politics, I find that there is also a lot of unpleasantness to wade through in order to become informed. Voting is also something that you have to go a little bit out of your way to do, there are certian places you have to go to vote and they might be a little out of your way. I am going to resolve, once again, to be a better citizen and be involved with my community and my country. I think a good place to start might be to see about getting registered to vote where I currently live.
I didn't realize that this would be such a long post.
Today's service opportunity is caroling, get a group together and go sing Christmas songs to people you know, or Hanukkah carols ,etc. I had the opportunity to go caroling last night and it was a lot of fun. I didn't know the people we were singing to but it didn't really matter. You can bring people a treat when you carol but it's not required, it's a fun seasonal thing, maybe sing to some people who can't get out much, I bet they'd love it.
To go with today's service idea, some research on the origins of Christmas carols: This site tells about them, so does this one.
Another relativly easy and painless way to serve is to donate food to a food drive or food bank. You would need to do a little research to find the food drives in your area, but one that should be everywhere (at least in America) is the Letter Carriers food drive. So if you can spare a can or box (or more) of non perishable food items, especially those high in protine then you should do so. This is the time of year when food drives are prevelent so find one near you!
As for today's Christmas thing, it's Candy Canes. I think I've heard that they're derived from shepherds crooks but I don't really know if that's true. According to wikipedia, it is. Here is another opinion on the subject.
I've recently started doing something called 'indexing' as a way to serve. For any who may not have heard of indexing, it's a way of making records available in a digital format so that people can use them for genealogy/family history work. This particular site is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, however people do not have to be members of the church to access the records that they have. When you index you are given a batch of images of records like censuses etc. there will be instructions of what you need to do for each specific batch but you will be reading the records and typing the information you see so that it can made more easily accessible. You have to register to do this and there are various procedures to learn but it's a relatively easy way to serve, there's tutorial for the things you need to do. You can do it at home or where ever you can use a computer, it usually takes about a half an hour, it's a pretty easy way to serve.
As for Christmas traditions, I thought I'd find out more about why we have Christmas trees. I found this site, I don't know how accurate it is but the information is very interesting and is likely at least close to the truth. The general consensus seems to be that the evergreens were a symbol of hope or that life would come again after winters. This site and this one offer some more recent history of Christmas trees.
