Hmmm....

So I dropped off the face of the planet for a little bit. No seriously I dropped off and am now just barely coming back for air. I have many thoughts which have been going through my mind and well I am not sure what all is best to talk about.

For now I will content myself with a story that I found while reading some old letters of my mothers. (With total permission to do so I might add.) You most likely have heard this one before but it was my first time hearing it and I want to remember this story forever.

The following took place in a ward in Salt Lake City in 1974. It occurred during Sacrament meeting.


A young man, just before leaving on his mission stood in Sacrament meeting and bore, in essence, the following testimony.


Brothers and Sisters, as you know during the past few weeks I have been awaiting my mission call. During the time I was waiting I had a dream. I know it was not an ordinary dream. I dreamed I was in the pre-existence and was awaiting my call to come to earth. 
I saw that I was filled with the same excitement and anticipation that I had before I received my mission call. In my dream, I was talking to a friend. He was a dear friend, and I felt a special closeness to him, even though I've never met him in this life.
As we talked, a messenger came and gave me a letter. I knew it was my call to go to earth. In great excitement, my friend and I opened the letter. I gave it to him and asked him to read it out loud. the letter said:
   "You have been called to earth in a special time and to a special land. You will be born into the true church, and you will have the priesthood of God in your home. You will be raised with many blessings and many advantages. You will be born in the land of plenty, a land of freedom. You will go to earth in the United States of America."
My friend and I rejoiced as we read my call, and as we rejoiced the messenger returned. This time he had a letter for my friend. We knew it was his call to earth. My friend gave me the letter to read out loud. the letter said:
   "You have been called to go to earth in circumstances of poverty and strife. You will not be raised in the true church. Many hardships will attend your life. Your land will be fraught with political and social difficulties which will hinder the work of the Lord. You will be born in Costa Rica."
We wept, my friend and I as we read his call. and my friend looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, "When we are down on earth, you in your chosen land and me in Costa Rica, my friend, please come and find me."
Then this young missionary, with tears in his own eyes, said, "Brothers and Sisters, I have received my call. I am going to Costa Rica." 


There is a sequel to this story. About a year after this Sacrament meeting, the Bishop of this ward received a letter from the missionary in Costa Rica. the letter had one shit of paper in it, and on that one sheet of paper, written in one-inch-high letters were the words...

I FOUND MY FRIEND

(From the journal of Floyd Hill)

"I hope they call me on a mission, when I have grown a year or two, by then I think I will be ready, to teach and preach and work as missionaries do."

I can't wait for my call to come. 

A Bill Of Rights

As I was not wanting to do homework yet, and browsing the web I found a very interesting thing. Did you know readers have a bill of rights? It's true. A man named Daniel Pennec came up with  ten unalienable rights which no one can refute.
They are:
The Right to NOT Read.
     As an avid Reader there are times when I just need a break and spend two weeks  so just goofing off and watching tv shows that I need to catch up on and simply not picking up a book. And that's fine. You are allowed to take time off from your favorite hobby.
The Right to Skip Pages.
     I try not to do this but there are just times when an author just doesn't know when to stop describing or when something just seems to be taking too long as a Reader you have a right to skip ahead until you get back to the story.
The Right to Not Finish.
     There are books you just have to put down early. With so much material out there you need the right to stop reading a mediocre novel when you want to move on to a great one.
The Right to Reread.
     This might be the most important one for me. I have books that I go back to at least once a year, sometimes even more. The story is just something which I need to get back to. I don't need to feel guilty about it because it is a good book.
The Right to Read Anything.
     No one should judge you for the genre you are reading. I read sci-fi and I am proud of it. I read christian romance and I don't hide it. (well maybe that one a little bit) But it is my right to read whatever I want.
The Right to Escapism.
     Everyone has those days..or weeks..or months...or semesters...when they need to get away for a little bit, escape into a thrilling story of adventure, or a novel of people with problems bigger than yours. It is your right as a Reader! Exercise it.
The Right to Read Anywhere.
     Now granted some places are better than others, (sorry for reading in class professor...it was just a REALLY good part) but generally I haven't found a place yet where you are in no way allowed to sit down and read. I would also like to add this means that you can read anywhere WITHOUT DISTURBANCE. That's the hardest part of reading in public, people will always come up and ask what you are reading.
The Right to Browse.
     Browsing just might be my favorite thing to do in a library. This is why my trips there take so long. I go in for just one book but then other titles and covers just talk to me and before I know it I am leaving with 10 or more books in my arms. Take the time to browse, you will meet friends that belong in your life. 
The Right to Read Out Loud.
     This may just been me but I have come across a few books that are just meant to be read out loud. They have to be, there is just something about the language which is begging to be heard. Feel free to read it. Others will understand and other Readers will look at you and smile.
The Right Not to Defend Your Tastes.
     Reading is a very personal matter. And just because my tastes clash with yours doesn't mean that you have to defend what you want to read to me. Read what you want and don't apologize about it. It is what makes you happy and no one should attack that in the first place.


Well there you have it. The 10 basic rights of a Reader. I capitalize "Reader" because there are readers - those who read occasionally, and then there are Readers. Readers are those who are always on the search for the next thing, who know their local library or bookstore like the back of their hand and most likely have their library card number memorized. They have a feeling for the words which others miss out on. So which are you? 

Um...Time...I Used to Have That...Once

So for some reason this year I am being crazy and deciding to be incredibly busy - this may have something to do with my lack of funds for a Netflix account but that's beside the point. Anyway because 21 credits wasn't apparently cutting it, I added a part-time job (it gives me free meals and free food is a most marvelous thing is it not?).

Well actually I think I added 3 part time jobs. I work at the school cafe, on the real paper news paper and on the electronic school newspaper.

Then I am babysitting the most adorable little girl 2-3 nights a week, I claim this as service because thus far the parents haven't paid me.

So between work and babysitting I have one free night a week. Or at least I did. Because I decided that Wednesdays would simply be too quiet without something to do I have run for the school's Senate. Now it may sound arrogant that I have already claimed the position before the votes are in but because only two students are "running" and as we need two senators from our district I'm in anyway. I didn't even have to do the little debate thingys. I just told the guy in charge that I want to be involved and he said sure and now I am on the ballot. Yay me!

And with all that I am still finding time to let you know what's going on over here on the East Coast.  You know what that means though right? It means that I have homework which I don't want to work on. Though I really should so I will talk to all of you later.

Hey There, I'm Back!

So I am realizing that this little blog has been seriously neglected. Readers should see that as a good thing because it means poor Beka has a life!

This week I...
Started up classes, more on that to follow
GOT A JOB!!!! yay! I can eat now!
Tried out for Fading Point (results will follow as soon as I have them)
Babysat the cutest girl alive


Wow, that's a short list, especially for a weeks worth of stuff. Maybe I am just getting lazy...we shall continue this debate another time because I must go off to my first shift so I will cut this short. More details to follow I promise!

Summer Break...

It seems to mean more things than one.

It's a break from the friends who are now scattered all over the country.
It's a break from researching and making sure that you are citing things correctly.
It's a break from shopping for food and worrying about how to get to the store without a car.
It's a break from quiet alone time.
It's a break from bugs, humidity and heat.
It's a break from all of the habits you got into during the school year.

That's why I haven't been writing I suppose. That and I just barely unpacked my laptop and got a new battery for it. Never fear I shall be better now...at least if I have anything of use to report.

Summer time

This year will be officially over tomorrow night when my family comes to pick me up. I am of course excited to see them and to have a break from tests and papers and such. (Still a final and a paper to go though)

But I am going to miss this place. Even though I will only be gone for 8 weeks or so...and there won't be bugs, or humidity and I don't have to buy my food anymore, and I'll have a car, and can sleep in, and can read what I want, and will have access to a real library and gym and pool...

Why do I want to stay here again? Utah here I come!!!

A Year Has Passed

So, it has been a year since I have graduated. I am trying to figure out what I have learned...
1. Don't write a journal that you have supposed to have kept all semester in one night, you can do it, but it's just miserable and it takes days to catch back up on the sleep.

2. Do the dishes right after you've eaten. It makes life easier all around.

3. Same goes for clothes, just put them away right after laundry.

4. I know who exactly Hector and Achilles and Aeneas are and why the it took so long for Odysseus to get home.

5. Different types of narrative voice and all the complexity behind that nonsense.

6. Catch the ball, or hit the ball before it hits your knee. The bruise is extremely cool and almost worth the pain but you can't really show it off.

7. French...no matter how hard you try you will never be good enough for their standards.

8. I can tell you which British authors wrote what when and why they wrote what they did. I can also tell you how most of the big ones died.

9. Lizzie, Jim, Chuck, Chuck, Jim with a little bit of Ollie in the mix. AP Euro students should be glad to know that. It's always been impossible to remember which James goes where and was Charles the one killed?

10. I can now research with the best of them and generally get academic articles on almost every subject known to man.

These are the top ten things I have been able to think of today. At least some of them have life long applications. Other I just remember because I worked hard to learn them. I wonder what next year's top ten will be don't you?

Film Studies...It was a good idea at the time.

I am NEVER ever watching a depressing, though provoking, kids-in-danger movie again. Who would have thought that so many critical films of the age would be dark and depressing. Laughter and happiness aren't good enough for critical acclaim.

Ok, we did get to watch some Buster Keaton features and they were enjoyable, and the documentaries on sound and how they did a lot of the effects on LOTR was really cool too. But Touch of Evil? Sunset Boulevard? Dr. Strangelove? and the Bicycle Thieves! I am tired of depressing ending after depressing ending.

 (Sorry if you like any of those, I didn't complain about High Noon because I have an uncle who I am fairly sure loves westerns)

I'm actually fairly certain that I just won't really be watching any movies for a long time after this class gets finished. I have watched 21 feature films in the past 30 days not to mention my philosophy films (and they were just as depressing). No, when I come home it will be books, the pool and just about anything besides watching movies for me.

Almost There!

One more week and then all I have is my Jane Austen class!! I am so excited for all of my finals and such to be done. I only have two this week though I have my first 300 level college paper due and well as sad as this sounds I haven't written a 10 page paper in a really really long time (probably ever) and am not sure how I am supposed to do that on a 2.5 minute scene from a movie.

Thankfully we have Monday off for Memorial Day. All of the students I know are taking it as an academic day rather than a holiday. I think we could call it the summer equivalent of a Reading Day. Oh well, soon enough I will have Tuesdays and Thursdays to myself with only one class that starts at 3 in the afternoon. I can't wait for June to get here!!!

Classes are going smoothly for the most part though. Philosophy is confusing me as it is supposed to, Film Studies is making me hypersensitive to things like lighting and sound -it's getting annoying actually, but our professor said that it will wear off in time- and I absolutely LOVE my Austen class. Getting to come in and talk about Jane Austen and how brilliant of a writer she is for two hours is my idea of a perfect class. There is more to her than chick-flick plots gentlemen! She has a mastery over narrative style that I haven't seen in practically any other writer and is one of the wittiest people who ever lived.

I hope all is going well with you and that you have a happy Memorial Day weekend with your family and friends!!

Apology

Sorry for all the complaints. Life really is good, though I am more apt to complain than not, and well you know that adage that no news is good news? Well I think that's simply because good news is boring. What can I say?

Well I shall try:
First off, I kind of have a front yard now. It's a shared quad with the rest of the apartment but it has a nice place with lawn chairs and a bbq pit. I love it. It is the perfect place to go out (in the few brief intervals between thundershowers) and read while eating popsicles. Because of this spot I am now ivory white rather than egg-shell white and may even have a hint of a tan by the end of the semester.

Secondly, well that's a lot harder to come up with...oh! we had a school activity last night were we all sat on the hill in front of Main Hall and watched MegaMind. It may have been because I was tired but I was laughing the whole time. I found it rather clever.

Oh dear I can't think of a "Thirdly" and if I am bothering with "First off's" and "Secondly's" I really ought to have one. Throws off the whole thing if I don't. I mean what's the point of making a list with only two things on it.

(Can you tell I have been reading a book...a well written one. I generally can - my writing style seems to change with what I read. Thankfully for you it wasn't anything like Chaucer or Milton for if that were the case either my spelling would be atrocious our I would be attempting heroic verse and no one really wants to read that.)

Ok this shall work for something. (And have a shameless plug)
THIRDLY, I got to spend a day of doing nothing but reading one of my favorite books. Oh that is going to come back to haunt me in as quickly as 15 minutes but I did so enjoy it. If you haven't read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society you really, very, really, ever-so-much-so should. If you want my professional review go to my reviewing blog talesfromabookaddict.blogspot.com Here I can just let things flow however.  I love it so much. The writing is witty and dear and there are some characters who I really wish I were real and that I was related to them.

I could go on for pages about that but sadly I haven't the time. I have about 200 pages of real homework that are waiting for me and I am hoping to go to bed within the next 4 hours.

Thanks for reading. I was a bit more rambling today than I normally am.

oh P.S. I want letters so family and friends please write me!

Isn't this Supposed to be Summer?

So...you know that big yellow thing that we are supposed to see in the sky during the day? I think it's called the sun. Well APPARENTLY Virginia did something to offend it because we haven't seen any of it since summer term started. It has been gloomy, rainy, with lightning with the thunder afterward. I am getting tired of it.

At least its just the same back home.

And with this weather it isn't too painful to stay in class for 9 hours a day. Or to study for innumerable hours at night. That's another point. I though summer was supposed to be lazy. I am doing way more work now than I did throughout the regular school year. Lots of reading, papers that are now the standard college length of 8-12 pages all to be done in a month...

Why did I do this to myself? It's like I'm an adult or something.

Take Two...

So if you are reading this you already know who I am, where I am and have at least a basic idea on what I am doing. You also most likely know that I have already had a personal blog before and around November began to fail miserably at keeping it up to date.

That ends here!...maybe...hopefully...probably...

Despite the fact that I am feeling swamped with all of the work which has been assailing me on the school front I am a supreme procrastinator (who has finally gotten bored with Facebook) and will most likely be adding this to my arsenal of delay tactics. 

Thanks for reading my ramblings.

My Eyes are Calling for Surrender.

This summer is going to involve a lot more reading than even I anticipated. Taking 9 college credits in a month really isn't a good idea unless you are reading ready. In less than a week I have read one and a half Austen books, a lot of Plato and Descartes with Kant, Hume and St. Augustine to follow. That doesn't include my text book for my film studies class or all of the texts for my institute classes.

As I only have a month to learn what is usually taught in four I have class every day for 2 hours with at least 1-2 hours of reading out of class for each class. This leaves very little room (or brain power) for free reading. This saddens me greatly because summer is when I usually get caught up, at least somewhat, on my list of things that absolutely have to get read.

I shouldn't be complaining however. I get to read and study Jane Austen this summer. She is, by the criteria set forth by Samuel Johnson (he is THE critic to impress when it comes to the 18th century and as he wrote the dictionary I will trust him) quite possibly the best novelist who ever put their pen to paper.

Now to male readers, she is much much more than a romantic writer. She is a comedian, and can come up with insults to rival Dickens and Shakespeare, all delivered with grace and elegance.  As the course continues I will be adding things I am learning hopefully in an entertaining manner. For now though I need to get back to Descartes.

MayMester

So for some crazy reason I decided that I would forgo a summer of reading a book of day for fun in order to read a book every day for school. Yes, I have chosen to stick around at school for another 2 months in order to study Jane Austen; deal with the growing humidity for How to Watch a Film; and do battle with ginormous bugs for Philosophy.

Don't ask me why - I really don't know myself.

Despite the growing heat and worse humidity I have a house now, kitchen included. With that kitchen will come weekly batches of cookies for passersby. (The baseball team are probably going to become regulars if today was any indication.) I also hope to be more regular in my updates. My two best friends have left for home and so if this past weekend was any indication I will be pretty bored so with nothing else to do I could quite possibly become one of those blogging addicts. Perhaps I could even get to the reason behind my starting the blog in the first place...that is to do book reviews.

I will leave that for later however, there is a most beautiful thunderstorm starting up and I really want to watch it. May your May be as enjoyable, if not more, so than mine.

SLOW DOWN!!!

Academics have hit hard this past few days...weeks...months. Well I guess it is always going by pretty quickly. When you add softball on top of that, and trying to figure out what to do for a service project when all of them are taken by the school it's amazing how quickly life goes by without a chance to do the little things you said you were going to do.

The papers are done but the projects aren't, tendinitis in the elbow, three tests to be done this week, and 3 or so weeks left until finals...yeah, I need a vacation. I will tell you about one I took last week at a later date, for now I am late to class.

It's Like Thanksgiving...Only Pink!

So, it's Valentines Day and rather than rant on and on about the woes of being a single college girl I believe I would have more fun talking about the people I love.

My Family: I got a most wonderful (and amazingly timed) package today. It had a beautiful journal, a perfect CD for studying to and a marvelous quote to put on my wall. This of course makes me feel bad that I didn't get them anything. Don't worry I am coming for your birthdays and Christmas and such.

Mel: Could anyone find a better roommate? I really don't think it is at all possible. I come home from french and what is on my desk but this beautiful set of candles held in this set of mirrors with another beautiful quote on it! (I absolutely love inspiring quotes if you couldn't tell) This girl is always there and really don't know how I lived my life without her before college started.

Cass-Cass: She is my go-to for pretty much everything, we are usually taking the words out of each others mouths, we talk to each other about everything and on nights when we really don't want to do anything we just watch a movie and eat popcorn. I really don't tell her how grateful I am for her enough. I don't think I could because she is just so amazing to have as a friend that I don't know how I lived without her either.

My Softball Team: I believe that when it comes to me they are the epitome of patience. I am trying to get better and have yet to see much improvement but they are still cheering for me and lifting me up both on and off the field, also they put up with me when we have to do team runs. That is a side of me that no one ever EVER wants, or needs, to see.

I could keep going on..and on...and on, but sadly I have homework that is calling and it is getting a little late. But good night to everyone. I hope that a good V-Day was had by all!

Pondering

I am beginning to wonder why I started to blog in the first place. The more time passes the more  I realize that what I write doesn't really hold much value. It doesn't edify readers, nor does it pose questions which leave people thinking. Also the fact that my schedule has become so hectic that I generally don't have time to post much anymore makes me wonder if I should simply sign off. Leave this wonderful experement behind and go back to regular journaling.

Maybe a little longer. Thanks for being patient and checking back even when more often than not there is nothing to report.

Why Must We Title, I Feel Pressure To Come Up With Something Brilliant

'We read to know that we are not alone."

While watching Shadowlands with my family that line stood out to me, it's almost one of the only things I really remember about the movie. Reading, of course, is a very large facet of my life. I require it and the comfort it provides to function on a day-to-day basis. Yet does that mean that I feel alone - that I am frantically searching for another person who understands me? Another person who I can trust without reserve because their character is set in stone?

A character in a book can do no more nor less than what has been written for them. They are at their creators mercy and have no way in which to rebel. This very fact is what I believe makes our fantasy characters so alluring. We know that Elizabeth Bennet will always end up with Darcy, Harry Potter will defeat Lord Voldemort, and Romeo and Juliet must always die.  Theirs is a world with is limited and therefore we find in it a protection from the uncertainties of life. Their rules are quite literally spelled out and their path is paved. Theirs is a secure world. Oh it may not be the most comfortable and at times be quite dangerous but they know how the story will end, they have traveled their path many times before.

As humans I believe we crave that security for ourselves more than almost anything else, that is why we attempt to lose ourselves in stories that are not our own. We read in the hope of discovering that we are not alone and with that discovery, if it ever occurs, we breath a sigh of relief and gain the strength needed to carry on through our uncertain lives.