Walk In The Rain With Me: complaining

Bored?!?!

Monday, July 01, 2013

"There are no uninteresting things. Only uninterested people." -G. K. Chesterton

"I'm bored!"

How often do you hear that nowadays? If you're anything like me, probably quite a bit. And I won't lie to you and tell you that I don't say (or at least think) that once in a while myself. I do! Sometimes, I get bored.

But why?!?! Why do we get bored? In a world so amazing as the one we live in, how could we possibly get bored??? And think about it. We have so much to do in this day and age, it's not even funny. iDevices, laptops, Smartphones, the Wii, tablets! All this stuff to give us things to do. And yet we're bored?!?!

How many times have you done this (or something along these lines)? You're bored. So first, you pull up Facebook. You flip through looking at friend's posts, and after about ten minutes, you're bored again. You decide to play Angry Birds. That's pretty fun, right? You play a round or so, and you're bored of that, too. You start to watch a show. No one could be bored watching Doctor Who! But after about ten minutes of that, you're wandering around looking for something different.

So it would seem that all this stuff isn't really making you very happy. Hmm... Maybe happiness... doesn't come from a phone! What a thought! Maybe we should stop relying so much on technology to make us happy. Maybe we should take a break from all of that, and try something new.

Next time you're bored, instead of whining about it or going from one piece of technology to the next, get lost in a good book. Go outside and ride your bike. Take a walk. Play a board game with your family. Write in your journal. Rock out to your favorite song. Count your blessings. Clean some space in your house that needs cleaning. Start learning an instrument. Mow the lawn. Volunteer for an organization you admire. Dream. Go to the park. Pull some weeds. Learn a new craft. Read your Bible. Go to the library. Get up out of your boredom and do something. Fight back. Take your sanity into your own hands! Don't just be bored! Life is too short to waste even a moment on something as stupid as boredom.

So next time you feels yourself floating from one piece of technology to the next in a vicious cycle of boredom, remember this- no one can make you feel bored without your consent... ;)

(Here's a good song to listen to when you're bored!)

complaining

Why I Love Monday

Sunday, June 16, 2013

"The worst part about Monday is hearing you complain about Monday." -Unknown

You know what? I think Mondays are underrated.

Oh sure, I understand what people have against Monday. It's the first day back to work/school, and you still have a whole week ahead of you. It's saying good-bye to the weekend, and hello to the workweek.

But you know what? I refuse to be a party to the "I Hate Monday" movement. Monday is an amazing day of the week, despite its bad rap. It has so much... potential. So many good things going for it. You want to know what I think those things are??? Well I'll tell you...

For one thing, it's the end of the weekend. While that is, in some respect, a sad thing, it also means that you've had a whole weekend to recharge. You're (hopefully) fresh and ready to go. Prepared to face the week- head on!

And for another thing, it's the end of the weekend. Now you might be thinking- "What?!?! But why--" Well, just be quiet, hold your horses, and let me explain. While it's all well and good to say you should be "recharged and ready to go" after the weekend, let's face it- sometimes, weekends just aren't recharging. Sometimes they are downright hectic. (I'm having one of those weekends, although I can't say that the rest of my week looks any better.) Sometimes they are stressful, busy, and just plain crazed. And sometimes, you're ready for the weekend to be over. Ready to get back to your normal schedule.

And those are just two reasons we should all thank God for Monday!

Something else about Monday is that they are the day after Sunday, which also means (for me) that it's the day after church. I usually feel so fresh and clean after church. So... at peace. It's amazing to be able to start out the week with that kind of mindset. To get back to work or school with that still playing through my head.

When it's Monday, you can look at the whole week ahead of you and realize that there are no mistakes or mess-ups in it yet. You have the chance to make your week whatever you wish to make of it, despite your circumstances. You have a chance to start over. To not redo the mistakes of last week.

Also, Monday is the day for... * drum roll* ... "Messy Mondays!" How can anyone hate the day on which one of the highlights of the week is released?!?! It just doesn't seem like it should be possible.

So you see?!?! There are plenty of reasons for Monday to be a good day. Now it's your job to pick at least one of those and be happy. Start your workweek smiling!

And you know, now that I think about it, maybe if we didn't complain so much about Mondays, they wouldn't seem so... awful. If we all just stopped saying "I can't believe it's Monday!" or "SO ready for this day to be over!" and actually went to the effort to make Monday a good day, maybe it would be.

So this Monday, instead of griping and complaining, go out of your way to make Monday a good day. Give someone an extra hug, or tell them "I love you" one more time than normal. Eat lunch with someone, or send them a special email. You never know- maybe they really needed it...

______

On a side note, I have decided to do a little project. I've been trying to find something different to try, and I think this might be it. What I need you to do is take a scrap of any color of paper (fairly small, but big enough to be easily written on/read from) and any color of pen. On that piece of paper, I want you to fill in this sentence- "Monday is... ___." Tell me what Monday means to you. Give that peice of paper to me the next time you see me. (Or, if you won't be seeing me soon, email/message it to me or leave it in the comments and I'll write it down.) After I collect a fairly good number of papers, I'm going to arrange them into a collage.

The only rules are that it has to be in your handwriting- no matter how sloppy you think it is. (Obviously this doesn't apply to those emailing the messages to me.) And, it needs to be something positive. (No 'Monday is awful" or anything like that.) Be as creative as you can! I would prefer not to end up with 50 little slips of paper that say "Monday is... fun." I don't mind one or two being duplicates, but I would really like to have a large variety of phrases for the collage. I haven't decided on a deadline yet, but try to get them in quickly so that I can get started on that sometime after the next few weeks. (They promise to keep me busy.)

complaining

Something(s) I DISLIKE About Facebook

Monday, April 29, 2013

“Facebook has been spreading across the continents faster than a highly contagious Asian bird flu!”-Gemini Adams

Sometimes, I just strongly dislike Facebook.

Don't get me wrong! Most of the time, Facebook is a wonderful invention. It gives you a way to keep in touch with people you don't get to talk to very often. It allows me to share my blog posts more easily. Not to mention an excuse to avoid physical contact! (As if I need an excuse.)

However, there are times when I really dislike Facebook. So, I've compiled a list of two things I dislike about Facebook. (I was going to say hate, but hate is a pretty strong word for me.) Pretty impressive, huh? Well, here you go!

Two Things I Dislike About Facebook

1. Selfies. (To use a Blimey Cow term. [Google it]) I do not understand the extreme fascination some people (namely teenage girls) have in taking pictures of themselves making duck-lips. I wonder if, when those girls are no longer teenagers, they will look back at all those pictures they took and realize that duck-lips are really not as attractive as girls think they are.

And while we're still talking about selfies, what's up with the bizarre posture that seems to be all the rage now? You know what I'm talking about, right? Hand on hip, chest pooched out as far as possible...?

2. When that party you weren't invited to is plastered all over your "friend's" pages. Yeah... You've probably experienced, at some point, the hurt that comes from being the only one not invited to a party. And all your friends are talking about it the next day. Maybe you've even been the one reprimanded for handing out invitations somewhere that not everyone present receives an invite.

Well, nowadays, it's almost impossible to get around this unfortunate situation. Because of social networking like Twitter, Facebook, etc., you will most likely see all sorts of pictures and posts about that party you weren't invited to. And it usually feels like they're rubbing it in your face, whether they are or not. My advice for avoiding a situation like this?

Never post anything- ever.

Just kidding.

I guess this is where I should make some witty remark about the situation that makes you laugh, and (hopefully), think a little more about your life.

However, I really don't have anything to say here. I can't think of much that I could say that would fit the criteria for an ending paragraph. (Witty, funny, thought provoking, etc.)

Instead, I'll leave it at this- it hurts. It hurts a lot. Maybe you know, deep down, that it shouldn't bother you, but it does. Or, at least, it does me.

Perhaps it is only me, but when something like that happens, I get really frustrated. I wonder if maybe there's something I should be doing differently. If maybe I should become more outgoing, loud, extroverted, or something. In short, I wonder if maybe I should become something I'm not. Cause who I am doesn't seem to be enough.

But you know what? I'm wrong. I am so wrong. I am who I am. I'm not more outgoing, loud, or extroverted. I'm just... me. And you know what? Apparently, God thought that who I am is enough. He made me, after all.

So next time you feel like you're not enough, just remember this- God thought you were enough. And He's the only one who really matters...

complaining

Mayhaps It's NOT (Entirely) The Government...

Friday, April 19, 2013

"Obviously this person's a hazard. Stupid people are dangerous." -Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games

In light of recent events, I decided to sort of shift gears for a moment. My past two posts have been really playful and just plain silly, but this one's going to be a bit more serious.

I'm certain you've all heard about the explosions in Boston. It was an incredibly sad experience, and I wish it had never happened. I'm so grateful that I wasn't there, and I'm praying for all of those who were.

However, it seems to me that far too many people are blaming it on the government. OK, maybe blaming isn't the right word, but I have seen that people suggested the president should do more about it. That he should, I don't know, come up with the perfect solution to stop stuff like that from happening. One person said, "Enough is enough. How many more people have to die? How many more people have to get hurt for somebody (aka our very own president) to take action?"

I'm not sure I really agree with that. Maybe it's not a lack of laws, government intervention, or 'heightened' security that's the problem. Maybe people are just stupid. And if people really are just stupid, (which I think we can all agree they are) then how much can the president really do about it? How much do you want him to do about it?

And think about this for a second- do you really want to live in a country where the police drive tanks around your neighborhood? Where they patrol the streets carrying machine guns? Where every single thing you do is controlled and limited by rules designed to keep certain stupid people from doing stupid stuff? (If it makes you feel better, I guess we should ban all the trashcans to keep people from doing stuff like hiding bombs in them.)

Honestly, I don't think any amount of new laws is going to fix the problem- it's too deeply rooted for that. Our country is messed up, and I certainly don't place much stock in presidents or governments to fix it. They aren't perfect either, and they don't have they certainly don't have the perfect solutions.

Maybe I'm wrong. I am, after all, just a silly 14 year-old, and I don't have much experience with running a country. (Or with fixing one.) I just think that instead of blaming our president, we should blame the stupidity and depravity of man. And instead of placing stock in our president or government and hoping they'll fix everything, we should watch and pray for the second coming of Christ.

I have way more faith in God than I do in man for the rebuilding of a world. Especially one as messed up as ours...

complaining

Sore Throats And Exploding Children: Just A Typical Thursday

Thursday, April 18, 2013

"Nothing you do for children is ever wasted." - Garrison Keillor

(WARNING!!! This post may contain whining, fussing, and/or a pity party.)

Ugh.

When I woke up this morning, my throat was killing me. I could hardly breathe out my nose, and I'd woken up about an hour before I actually needed to get up. I was grumpy, groggy, and more than a little annoyed.

Wow. What a way to start your day, huh!?!?!

And to add to all that, I had to go babysit a rambunctious three year-old and a rowdy six year old... Both boys... For nearly eight hours... I have officially heard enough shooting, exploding, yelling, and long-winded conversations about Minecraft to last me a life-time.

Or at least until next Thursday.

Not to mention the constant narration of every single action of every single game for eight hours straight. Maybe I did the exact same thing when I was six, but I do not understand why with some little kids, every game sounds like this-- "And then, the eagle dropped a grenade on the house, and it blew up! [Insert sound of large explosion here!] And then, he flew away- but he was too high for anyone to see. And then, the eagle landed in the large oak tree. And then..."

Oh, oh! And, they tell you exactly what your character should do just so you get it right. But don't even think about arguing! Remember the saying, "Hell hath no fury like a small child contradicted"? You best better believe it, buddy! (Yes, I speak from experience.) "And then you look over at the explosion, but you can't see the eagle... you look over at the explosion... Aaannnnaaa! Make your person see the explosion!!!"

And we can't forget the fact that every single game somehow ends up with all the cards stacked in their favor. (Not that my siblings would ever do that to me...) And they just-so-happen to be entirely against you. "And then, my guy comes over, and he uses his diamond sword! But you don't have any armor on."

So to sum it all up, here are my tips for surviving a game with a small child-

1. Unless they're really wrong, they're always right.
2. Prepare to be beaten soundly, and be a good sport about it.
3. Smile and wave, boys!

And there you have it- my never fail tips for playing with children! Just follow this advice, and you're guaranteed** to live long enough to play another game.

(**All cases are unique. Do not expect the same results.)

But seriously, cherish every moment you get with little kids, whether they're your siblings, your cousins, or just really good friends. Love 'em, hug 'em, and get messy together. Cause I promise, you blink and that three year-old is suddenly approaching his twelfth birthday.
(That one's for you, Bryan Carpenter.)

What's Your Dance?

Bored?!?!

Why I Love Monday

Something(s) I DISLIKE About Facebook

Mayhaps It's NOT (Entirely) The Government...

Sore Throats And Exploding Children: Just A Typical Thursday

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