Events of The Year 2013

I try to pay attention to things that are going on in the world, and I just thought I would share some of the things that I remember from 2013 and my thoughts about them.

In the world:

A huge meteor crashes in Russia and was caught on hundreds of dash cams

*In my US Gov class, we talked about why so many people had the dash cams that captured the meteor and how law enforcement is so corrupt in some places that many people have dash cams to have proof of crime*

Catholic Pope Francis was elected after Pope Benedict XVI resigned

*Completely opposite of the leadership structure of the church I belong to, I found this entire process extremely interesting. First, the fact that a pope resigned--the first one in 600 years to do so--was shocking in and of itself, but then to vote the first pope from somewhere other than Europe added to the drama of the case. Following how this situation developed through the year was very interesting.*

Bombs go off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon

*I was in Kansas City for a volleyball tournament when we turned on the TV and saw the news coverage. As sad and horrible as this was, stories like this always seem to restore my faith in mankind. It seems that every time tragedy strikes, there are those ready to answer the call and step into the role of hero whether they wanted to or not. Boston as a city and Americans in general came together in an incredible way. *

Fertilizer plant in Texas explodes just a few days after the Boston bombings

*I remember hearing about this and thinking what a tragedy it was, but even more, I knew it would be overshadowed by the few-days-prior, extremely public tragedy in Boston.*

A clothing factory collapses in Bangladesh killing more than 1,000 people

*Not everything that comes from disaster is bad. As horrible and tragic as this was, it shed light on the bad working conditions that still exist in the world today. It sparked worldwide discussions about the fact that this clothing factory is not unique in it's dangerous and low-paying working conditions.*

A tornado destroyed hundreds of homes and families in Oklahoma

*I have always wondered what compelled people in the first place to settle down somewhere where there is a "tornado season." I feel so bad and cannot possibly imagine what it would be like to live in fear that a massive wind tunnel could tear apart your home and everything in it. Once again, it was amazing to see the outpouring of support and help sent to the victims of mother nature's awe-inspiring destruction.

The Egyptian military ousted President Morsi after just a year in office. 

*This story just reminds me about how lucky I truly am to be born and living in the United States of America. There are a lot of problems here, and issues that will take a long time to resolve, but I believe we are truly a blessed nation. I believe the early leaders of our country were led by God when they wrote the Declaration of Independence and eventually the Constitution. The government that was established in those early days of our nation was the first and only one of it's kind to ever be successful for so long, and I'm grateful for it.*

Prince George was born to Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William

*I am absolutely NOT one to obsess over "famous people." I honestly feel like they are just human beings like the rest of us and there's no reason to idolize them. I am, however, very slightly obsessed with Kate Middleton and Prince William (waking up at 3:30 AM to watch the royal wedding isn't that weird, right?) I was excited about their newest addition and wish them the best with their royal life.*

The Government shut down for sixteen days in October

*I'll remember this for awhile because Air Force was supposed to come and play us but because the government shut down, they couldn't leave the campus. We ended up rescheduling, but that was a pretty interesting situation.*

Typhoon hit the Philippines

*When I see stories like this, I really just want to take food and able people and just feed and rebuild lives, clear away all the rubble and build new places and just give hugs. It makes me so sad to see so much destruction caused by natural disasters.*

Nelson Mandela died on December 5th

*As much as he was celebrated, and from everything he stood for, I have a hard time saying anything against him, but I think that maybe his legacy is maybe a little misunderstood. I believe that Nelson Mandela was the best kind of man with ideals and the motivation to see those ideals become a reality. However, there is still an incredible amount of corruption in South African leadership, and I think that is legacy is a little bit misrepresented. It is too bad that there aren't more people like him, though.*

xoxo CPTVPT

A Non-Instagram Life

I've been noticing something happening a lot lately. Phone in hand, Instagram on screen, I hear people say, 

"Why can't I look like that."

"Oh my, she's literally perfect."

"She has the perfect family."

And such. I even say it sometimes too, when I see a picture of a particularly beautiful girl or cute outfit, or, or, or, or...

I wonder why my life doesn't look as happy as the photo on Instagram/Pinterest/Facebook. I wonder what people do to make their lives so perfect. I see their pictures and I wonder what I'm doing wrong: why don't I feel that happy/beautiful/confident all the time like they do?

Then I take a second to think and I ask myself: 

What in the world am I doing comparing my LIFE to a PICTURE?

My camera, which is a pretty nice DSLR, can capture a snapshot in approximately five hundredths of a second, and I think that is someone's life? I see a snapshot of perfect curls, a beautiful smile, impeccable make-up and somehow convince myself that that is the life they are living.

Well, note to self:

"Their life does not look like it does on Instagram/Pinterest/Facebook. And neither does yours."

At any given time, you most likely will NOT find me in a newly-sewn dress with my hair curled, or a newly-sewn skirt, holding an umbrella, looking contemplatively out toward a romantically stormy sky.

Wanna know why? Because we document the times that are happy for us. The good things we do or that happen to us. We live in a very individualistic and independent society where asking for help or appearing dependent on someone or something else is frowned upon. Unless we need the attention, why would we post our struggles or our doubts or our moments of weakness?

 I don't do a self-portrait of myself right after I've cried, with my mascara streaming, red eyes, and hair in a frizzy mess. I take pictures of myself and document moments in my life when I'm happy or feel pretty.

Believe me when I say it: I DON'T ALWAYS LOOK LIKE THIS.

In fact, I hardly EVER do.

But there are lots of times that I wear my blue silky pajama pants and force a smile

or when I don't even force a smile

or when I get scared

or when I just slick my hair back with a head band because I just don't care

or when I tie a purple bandanna with the knot on top instead of a headband

or when I'm happy, but I still just don't look so good.

 Lots of days, I don't do my hair. I wear sweatshirts a lot. I don't cook delicious and healthy meals. I don't do really exciting stuff. I don't wake up looking all nice and pretty. I sometimes feel sad and lonely. 

But some days, I do my hair, or cook a nice meal, or do something exciting. And those are the days when I take pictures. And that's okay! Just as long as I remind myself that the situation is similar for most of the people in the world.

Basically, my point is that people aren't perfect. This especially includes me. I'm going to try to remember that the next time I see what looks like a picture of a "perfectly" happy person with "perfect" hair and a "perfect" body and a "perfect" smile and a "perfect" life.

So here's to the Non-Intagram Life, because with one exception, NO ONE IS PERFECT, even if their Instagram makes them look like it:

Perfection is a myth, and that's okay.

xoxo CPTVPT

A Metaphor of Repentance

Sledding is interesting. You hop on a piece of plastic and slide down a snow-covered hill for about ten seconds of thrill, and then you make the trek back up. The ride down is exhilarating and exciting, but eventually it comes to an end and you have to make a choice.

Do you sit at the bottom of the hill forever and ever? Or do you get up, sling the sled over your shoulder and make the trek up the hill? They say that what goes up, must come down, but what about things that go down? Must they come back up?

What about in life, i n sin or when mistakes are made. You know you probably shouldn't but it just seems so fun--exhilarating, exciting--but eventually, you hit the bottom. What I've noticed about those who are able to rise above their past and those who can't, is whether they choose to sit at the bottom, or make the climb back up.

It's not easy. It's always easier to slip and let go and not care, but what does it bring you? A memory of a ride downhill and a reminder that you're still at the bottom.

If you choose the hard way, taking it one step at a time, you will find yourself at the top of the hill looking out over the lower ground, seeing your sledding track down the hillside, others at the bottom who also took the ride, and every footstep you took to make it back.

Standing there at the top, you see a snowflake gently fall from the sky. Then another, and another. The sky is full of snowflakes drifting down and you turn your face to meet them. A moment of serenity and peace among the falling flakes and complete quiet. You look down and the hillside is covered in a blanket of fresh, white snow. But wait, where are the sledding tracks? No trace. They've been covered, wiped out, no longer noticeable.

There are, however, still footsteps, but how can that be? Because others are continuously making the journey up the hill and you are there to lend a hand and pull them up the last few feet. There, you stand together looking out over the valley, a perspective from higher ground, a commonness in your struggle,  a companionship in the faith that the journey up the hill was--and always will be--worth it, and a knowledge that snow, pure white snow, will always cover the tracks of those who make the choice to climb the hill.

Hello...Again

This is one of many various attempts to start a blog. I used to be an excellent journaller (that isn't a word by the way)...as in, I wrote consistently. When I go back and read my journal, however, I realize I was not an excellent writer. It was a basic outline of my day, and that was all. My goal with this blog is not to write consistently: it is to write meaningfully. Hopefully my new attempt with a fresh mindset will reflect in my posts as I write about whatever I happen to have going on in my mind.