April 17, 2007:
An army of sheep led by a lion would defeat an army of lions led by a sheep.
~Arab proverb
Funny how 5 days goes by so easily.
Life is busy but good. Since the last time I wrote, I attended the Grant Writing class I wrote about. It was interesting! I'm glad I'm only taking one class this quarter so I can focus on this class. Basically the final project is applying for a grant that is of interest to you. I'm torn between applying for something for myself or doing "good" and applying for a grant for a non-profit org. I have a couple weeks to make up my mind. It really depends on how much extra work the non-profit would be.
Friday the 13th (play eerie music) was pretty fine. I honestly don't remember what happened - isn't that sad?? I think Joel came over late, after the Sharks game and we went to the grocery store. I don't know if I've ever shared this with you but I like grocery shopping. I wish I had a huge pantry so I could just shop and fill it. Then cook like crazy and start all over again!
Saturday morning was my first hockey class at Logitech and it was AWESOME. Man, I forgot how much fun it was to skate. I'm definitely going to try to get out on the ice more often. Public skates, drop in classes, etc. I want to get better and really be able to play!! Yesterday I picked up a skill book that might help me learn some things. Who knows? The real key is getting ice time. The more skating you do, the better you'll get. Basic rule of anything.
This weekend was mellow. Joel was gone by the time I got home from hockey and I basically didn't see him again until last night. It's weird - when he's with me, I'm totally happy. But when he's gone, it's not like I'm happy he's gone - I'm just happy to be able to do my own thing. Oddest thing in the world.
He wants to start a business. And I will completely support him in it but it's not really MY dream, ya know? Joel is my dream - a good guy with a great heart. Maybe a little rough around the edges but aren't we all? But all in all, if it's his thing - then it's my thing by default because you take interest in what your loved ones like. Or at least that's what I believe!
So I have some inventory of extra cards, so I entered them onto this card site. He settled on a name and I registered the domain for him. I guess I didn't have to but I just did. It kinda bothered me that he was more concerned about the price of the registration than the act of me doing it. Stupid boy.
Yesterday he came over and we watched the Sharks pull themselves together to win Game 3 of Round 1. I made this nut loaf and it was pretty damned good! Could have used more mushrooms and onions but it could have actually been filled with zucchini and other veges as well. I think I'll play around with the recipe.
Tonight is the women's hockey league game. It's the first time I've played with them, so hopefully it'll be better than last year. Last year got a little competitive and people stopped remembering it's just a game. Women were yelling at one another and it was just soooo lame. We're a beginning league - cut everyone a little slack ya know? Not everyone knows what offsides is and it takes some time to learn it!
Heard from my global jet-setting friend who's currently in Europe. Was kind of a surprise especially since I was just thinking about him this past weekend. What a life that must be! I'm pretty envious of it ... but I don't think I'd be able to do it for long. I would miss my cat - my home. But I love hearing about other's travels. Suppose I'm living vicariously through him and other....
So how about this Virginia Tech thing. First and foremost - wow. What a horrible horrible tragedy. But secondly - WTF kind of people are we raising? I'm sorry but even in my darkest days I never thought about killing people. Beating the shit out of them - maybe. But kill?
I heard a radio DJ talk about the pussification of the average person today. No spanking, don't say NO to your kids, all fluff and love. Yes. I agree your kids should be loved and cared for in the best way possible but if they are being a shit - punishment IS a good thing!! What are you preparing them for when you don't say no to them? As an adult, I get a SHITLOAD of no's. And heartbreaks. And pain. And suffering. So when did we start coddling everyone so they have no spine?
You want to be like them?Our society is seriously fucked. Like seriously. The gaps between socialization, understanding one another and basic acceptence seems to be failing a large majority of people. Young kids buying into the Nazi way of thinking. Um .. hello. The Nazis tried to exterminate a portion of society they didn't like. And you want to think like them? Wow. Where are we failing?
Personally, I think people have become too submersed in their own little cocoon of a world and have lost touch with the big picture. I have a couple suggestions how to change their perspectives - even if it's tiny.
First suggestion - every (yes every) student from between their Freshman and Senior year in high school should be required to live in another country for a full year. All expenses are paid by the education system and/or government and is mandatory. You want to graduate? You go experience another culture, another world. Everyone should do it. For those who don't graduate? I need to ponder that one.
Second suggestion - everyone should be required to do community service. Not just the people who have hearts of gold - but everyone. Your life is not all there is. We all need to look outside the box and see that many other people have it much much worse than ourselves. Just maybe will that open everyone's eyes to how much we rely on one another. How much we need each other. And only through the helping hand of one another can we fix this fucked up and broken society.
Can you imagine millions and millions of people helping one another? Can you imaging the good we could do? Stamp out homelessness? Or the simple things like our own poverty stricken people? Seriously - I believe if we can pull our heads out of own little worlds and look up, we could see that SO much needs to be done. And when you get dumped by your girlfriend or some chick doesn't return your affection - you won't go off killing innocent people. No healthy person would do that.
Life can suck at times and I totally get that. Believe me. I get that. And yes, he was basically emotionally instable one way or another. If he wasn't on meds, he should have been and just maybe he would be ok. We'll never know though. But people who are loners walk alone because they don't feel like they are part of something. I think if we reach out a little to one another and this applies to EVERYONE - we just might be able to reach down into the masses and pull these lost souls up so they can see that no one intentionally left them behind. We just forget from time to time to make sure we're all in this fucked up world together.