Lack of Lazy

My college semester ends this week, and it's the first one I've attended since my serving my two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.Everything is wrapping up the way it always does; friends are leaving for home, apartments are being cleaned and the last few episodes of TV series are being crammed in. Finals are all but over - I have one at two o'clock this afternoon and then I'm finished - and there's an air of calm on campus. The rush of finals week has ended. Sighs are a little bit deeper and smiles are a little bit broader.

 I've noticed something about myself, however. Something that I caught a glimmer of over Thanksgiving break. I realized that I'm not the kind of person who gets excited for the end of things. I love beginnings. Not to say I'm the type of person who starts things and never finishes, because I'm not. But, to me, there's something about starting new that's really cathartic. Grades are reset to zero, and it can only get better. New friendships are forged with classmates. There are things to do, places to go and people to see.

 Over Thanksgiving, I was bored. Maybe bored isn't the right word, because the family I stayed with in Meridian was a blast. I think a better word would be antsy. Why was I so anxious? My teachers had all slammed us with homework prior to the break so that we wouldn't have to do any while we were gone. I thought I would really appreciate this. But then, there I was, day one of Thanksgiving break, checking i-Learn, eyes frantically scanning for an assignment to complete. I feel like I've forgotten the art of being lazy.

 Maybe it has something to do with my laid-back nature. I don't run races, I run just to run. I don't play games to win as much as I play to have fun (rhyme unintended). That doesn't mean I don't have a competitive Mike living inside me, I definitely do. But it really only comes out on my academic and career side. As for the rest of life, I'm not too concerned about being first or the best or the fastest. Point is this: I'm excited for break, but really I'm only excited to see my family and friends and get presents - at least I'm honest. But secretly, I'm really excited to start next semester and have classes and work and deadlines, because I'm pretty much useless if I don't have something to do.

 You know what though?

 That's a flaw I'm ok with.


 - Mike


 Maintain Consciousness - Relient K

I Believe in Paying for the Girl

I Believe in Paying for the Girl

As a guy, there’s something inherently built into my brain that I should pay for the woman when we go out somewhere. Some people may say that chivalry is dead and women have equal rights and should be independent and other things to discourage this from happening. To that I say, with a resounding resolve, “Phooey!” (Ladies, please note my “phooey” is directed towards the discouragement of my paying, not your equal rights. Please, no hate mail.)

I grew up in a family with a sister and all girl cousins. Just a dad, a handful of uncles and a pair of grandpas; no brothers, no boy cousins. I was taught to treat women like queens. My father made it very clear how important mom was to him and didn’t tolerate disrespect towards her. I noticed this from an early age and took note. Women are special. They’re important and they deserve the best we men have to offer because, let’s face it fellas, the best we have to offer is still barely on par with their mediocre.

So, because of this predominantly estrogenic upbringing, when I start dating a girl, there a certain privileges I believe that she should be entitled to expect. Things like me holding the door, telling her how cute she looks, embarrassing her in public without realizing it, pretending I’ve never heard of that band before, etc. One of those expectations, I feel, is that she should know that I want to pay for her. There was a key word in that last phrase: want. I want to do this, folks.

Yes, I’ve worked hard for this money. Yes, that salmon costs about $3 too much. Yes, I could buy the box set of Saving Private Ryan with what I just spent on dessert. But you know what? That’s not the point. The point is, she belongs to me now. Not in some chauvinistic ownership sense where she is now mine to control and she has to submit to me. Far from it. She belongs to me in the way that she can feel secure in knowing that I’ll do the best I can to take care of her. Call me a romantic if you want; it’s probably accurate.

It’s odd though, because I’m the kind of guy that most would call a “stiff.” I hate paying for things. I’m hopeless. If there’s extra pennies to be saved, I pinch them.

What? A medium fry costs ten cents more now? I’ll pass.

Really? One ply toilet paper is a dollar cheaper? Grab three.

However, there’s some sort of synapse in my brain the starts firing when there’s a girl involved. All of a sudden, I might as well just be throwing fistfuls of bills at them – respectfully, of course. I have a hard time spending more than $5 on a meal for myself. I practically live off cold cereal, PB&J and frozen dinners. But the minute my girl is craving fondue, I’m essentially spearing twenty dollar bills and dunking them in hot cheese.

I want to make one thing clear here. I’m not doing this to impress anyone. I’m not doing it because I expect her to pay me back later, physically or otherwise. I do it because I know it’s the right thing to do. I was taught by practically everyone in my family except my cats to treat a girl like she’s a million dollars, even if you end up paying that much to do so. That’s because I feel it is a God-given responsibility for us men to let women know how much we think they’re worth. And let me tell you something, it’s not enough just to take them somewhere. An evening at Buffalo Wild Wings where you pay more attention to the Packer’s defense than what the lady you’re with has to say does not count. It would mean more to her to have meaningful conversation over a bowl of Lucky Charms at your apartment. Don’t believe me? Try it.

Now, I hope I’ve been clear. I believe in paying for the girl. I DON’T believe in buying your way into a relationship, nor do I condone trying to impress your lady friends with how much money you have. That’s irrelevant. Trust me, as of right now, I hardly pull in four figures a year. What I believe in is keeping chivalry alive. As a man, I feel it’s my job to make the girl I’m with feel like she is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me. And there’s truth in that, isn’t there, guys? Women do something for us that we can’t really get any other way. Something about their fingers finding yours when you’re just sitting there watching TV or the way they run their hand through your hair when you’re having a frustrating day. They are the essence of art and beauty and everything worth living for in this world.

If anything, we should be eager for the chance to spend a few bucks on them.

We owe them.

- Mike

You Can Do Better Than Me - Death Cab For Cutie

http://thisibelieve.org/

Being Happy

I'd highly recommend it.

- Mike

Happy - Never Shout Never

Hap Ha Birt Da

Halfy Birthday to me!




Six months ago, I turned 21 and in six months I will be 22. (Yes, I know, my math skills are impeccable) Half birthdays are always interesting because they're like half the birthday with 0% of the fun. Really, it's more for me to have something to tell people about all day. Also good for having a reason to post on the blog in mid-November.

Here are some of the things I've done with the 6 months I've had of being 21:

- Become an uncle! (See earlier posts)
- Finished my mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Started back to college
- Bought a ukulele
- Got my appendix removed
- Grew a beard
- Read the whole New Testament
- Got a smartphone
- Saw Death Cab for Cutie
- Wrote a new song
- Rode a train
- Threw a snowball
- Been at the beach for approx. a tenth of the time
- Opened a bank account
- Subscribed to Inc. and Spin magazines
- Grew out my hair
- Joined another band
- Bummed around Charlotte for a few days
- Got all A's in college (so far...)
- Bought three new pairs of shoes
- Made new friends
- Threw up
- Played in a chess tournament
- Completed my first online class
- Grew a handlebar mustache

I'm sure there are some things I missed, but you get the point. I actually didn't realize how many things I'd done in the past sixth months. Making this list was kind of cool. I'd highly encourage you to do the same if you ever feel like life is boring. It's not as lame as you'd think.


- Mike


Zebra - Beach House

Love is spelled G-C-E-A

So things have been good lately, albeit busy.

I was able to go see my entire family this past weekend in Orem. It's funny how much my family means to me. We may only be four strong (as far as my immediate relations) but we're always there to support each other.

Last week, my sister had a baby (See past posts) and this weekend was awesome because Dad and I got to see the baby for the very first time! He is too adorable; I can hardly stand it. It's amazing to me how much of a tiny little person he is. Sometimes, I think of babies as aliens, as if they aren't quite human. They're like tiny little creatures that poop crazy colors.

But man, do I love babies. Especially my new nephew, Charlie.

While in Utah, I ran by The Great Salt Lake Guitar Co. and bought a new ukulele! It's fantastic; a solid mahogany body with cutaway, as well as being electric/acoustic with a 3-band EQ. It's a concert ukulele, so it's a bit bigger than a soprano (the tiny ukuleles) but has the same tuning.

I heart it. I already have a few requests for songs to learn. If you have any to add to the list, let me know. I love learning new tunes for the ukulele! Maybe if I'm feeling really brave, I'll upload a video of a few on here. Who knows?


- Mike


My Body's A Zombie For You - Dead Man's Bones

The Word Gorgeous is Anything But

No one is in control of your happiness but you; therefore, you have the power to change anything about yourself or your life that you want to change.

- Barbara de Angelis

I've come to the conclusion that I'm in a sort of self-sabotaging relationship with myself. It seems like I know (or at least think I know) what will make me happy, but I don't allow myself to do it on the off chance that it might actually make me unhappy and I'll end up regretting it.

Hopefully that made sense.

Still doesn't make sense why I do it.

(The irony of the sadness of this quote and my mood today is that it's the 82nd anniversary of the beginning of the Great Depression)

But, this blog is not meant to be depressing!

Watch this video at least twice. It gets funnier every time.

- Mike

Switchfoot - Daisy

Charlie Shipp!

Charles (Charlie) Trevor Shipp
Born Oct. 25th, 2011
5:48 p.m.
7 lbs 9 oz
20 inches

Uncle of a Rock Star

No name yet; I'll let you know when I do.

New Music - Recommends From Friends

Resolution

So, I've decided that I don't have time to do nice, well thought out blog posts this semester. If you could see the "Edit Posts" section of this thing, you'd have a great laugh at how many half-begun posts there are.

I suppose I'm just the type of writer who can only compose when inspiration hits. As much as I hate to say it, inspiration rarely works around my school schedule.

What a drag.

However, I do want to get in the habit of posting in here regularly, so I figure that a bunch of small posts is better than a big one every few months.

I will try to put some kind of quote every time in addition to what song is helping me make it through the day, which I always put at the end of the post. That way I look like I'm trying!

So here's today's quote!

Asking is the beginning of receiving. Make sure you don't go to the ocean with a teaspoon. At least take a bucket so the kids won't laugh at you.
- Jim Rohn

So, in current Mike events, I purchased The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupèry. It's one of those books, much like The Phantom Tollbooth (which, if you haven't read, please do. It'll change your life, guaranteed.) in that it's written for children, but is just as clever for an adult. Like a Disney movie with less publicity and more words. The author makes an argument for children, admitting that even though he, himself, is an adult, he still enjoys childish tendencies. It's written in an interesting way, with a lot of Ferris Bueller-esque narrations. I'll give you a little slice of it:

"Whenever I encountered a grown-up who seemed to me at all enlightened, I would experiment on him with my drawing Number One, which I have always kept. I wanted to see if he really understood anything. But he would always answer, ‘That’s a hat.’ Then I wouldn’t talk about boa constrictors or jungles or stars. I would put myself on his level and talk about bridge and golf and politics and neckties. And my grown-up was glad to know such a reasonable person."

His drawing, by the way, is of a boa constrictor that has eaten an elephant whole. I've put the drawing to the right.

It's a nice little read.


- Mike


At Least I'm Not As Sad As I Used To Be - fun.

Patriot Day

Ten years ago, the United States of America changed forever. Many people think of 9/11 as a tragedy and, in scope of human loss of life and invoked fear, a tragedy it was. But the optimist inside me begs to pay closer attention at this special anniversary to the good that came from an overwhelmingly negative event.

As I’ve watched some of the specials that have been aired today, I’ve noticed something different. The first and most poignant is that when I watch the images of the towers falling, of wives telling the story of lost firefighter husbands or of people leaping from the towers to end their life, it really gets to me. Ever since serving my mission and really getting to know and learning to love people, it’s really emotional to see anyone suffer. I’d be lying to say I haven’t shed tears while watching.

The other thing I noticed was that the story of 9/11 has another side I never was cognitive of before. It's the tale of the selflessness shown that day. There have been countless accounts of people caring more for others' lives than their own. I recently saw, in an interview, a man who said something to the effect of "I knew that if I got out, I wouldn't want to think back and know I didn't try to help someone else." That's bravery.

It’s a story of strangers helping strangers. It's a story of the enduring human spirit. It's a story of ordinary Americans showing extraordinary courage.

So, as we mourn the loss of the 2,977 victims of this tragedy, let us not forget the unconquerable spirit that we, as Americans have shown for nearly 250 years. Let us not forget that in the midst of pain, there was consolation from unknown voices; people thrown into utter vulnerability who had never previously met and who must now rely on those around them for comfort. Let us not forget that in times of crisis, we find out what people are really made of. America earned the red of it's Banner's stripes that day, but also proved the uniting persevering blue.

Ten years ago, two towers fell so that we could stand.

Together.

- Mike

Dine and Dash, Fast Food and Express Eating - The Alliterary American Fallacy

There is a plague in this country and I'd like to say it's growing, but I'm almost certain it's already matured. People no longer have meals so socialize, but instead go out and eat as a precursor to whatever event it is they plan to end up going to. Gone are the days when friends or family would go out for an evening meal AS an activity. We see it everywhere. Drive-thrus. Fast food. Carry-out. You may ask: "Mike, why are you so worked up about all this?" Well, I'll tell you.

You see, meals are much more than just food. They are the means by which we really have an opportunity to communicate openly and in a friendly environment. Now, I am not opposing restaurants in general. In fact, I am a huge proponent of going out to eat. The problem arises when one's idea of "going out" entails going to McDonald's and hitting the drive-thru. There's nothing wrong with the novelty of the drive-thru, but when it becomes the rule, something's gone awry. As First Lady Michelle Obama stated, "The problem is when [fast food] becomes the habit. And I think that's what happened in our culture. Fast food has become the everyday meal."

Oftentimes, restaurants rush us right out the door as soon as it looks like we're finished, which really gets on my nerves. If you go to a foreign country - say, France, for example - you practically have to hunt the waiter down when you want your check, they don't shove it down your throat along with the last bite of your meal.

In retrospect, the best meals I've ever enjoyed shared the company of others, whether close friends or new acquaintances. In addition, the vast majority of them lasted at the very least 45 minutes, but usually an hour. The conclusion I've come to on why these meals end up becoming a memorable social experience is that you are all in one place and no one leaves until everyone is finished eating. (Of course, one COULD leave, but let's face it, that's pretty rude.) This necessitates conversation and after a certain length of time, all the petty, surface-scratching questions have been asked and answered and pre-meditated anecdotes have been recited. This forces everyone to start actually thinking about those around them and trying to find common ground to stand on and discuss for the duration of the meal. This is when meals change from food to and absolute social outpouring.

Let me issue a challenge; an experiment, if you will. Next time you go to eat a meal with someone, try these three tricks to extend the duration of the meal and see if the conversation doesn't end up being more robust by the time you leave the table.


1. When you know what you want to order, tell the waiter you still need a few minutes. This is a great time to get a lot of the shallow talk out of the way.
2. Eat slowly. I don't care if you're a fast eater; consciously make an effort to eat slowly. I promise no one will complain. What you'll find is that, with practice, you'll replace eating time with conversation time and you will naturally eat slower.
3. When the meal is over and the waiter brings the receipts back from your bill, ask for a refill on your drink. When it arrives, drink it slowly until it's gone. This is where most of my best conversations have happened.


Understand, I'm not a zealot. When you don't have time for a long meal, you don't. I get that. What I am suggesting is that we stop avoiding what could be the most enriching conversations of our lives by copping out and going to the drive-thru for dinner when we have a feasible opportunity to sit down and share a meal. If you must have that Happy Meal or Whopper, eat in.

You'll get more soda for your money, anyway.


Mike


Stay Young, Go Dancing - Death Cab For Cutie

Aretha Would Agree

Being around friends is such a wonderful thing. The past week especially has been really great because I've been able to spend some good quality time with some good quality people.

I think the reason it's so great to be around people who are close friends is that you don't feel like you'll be judged for what you do or say (even if you say something stupid.) In a conversation with one of these friends, she and I discussed what makes a person eligible for a good relationship, whether a friendship or more. We determined that it comes down to two main things: trust and respect. These two characteristics combined more or less equal love. Think about it; when you love someone and they do something that seems to be bad, because you trust and respect them, you'll defend them - even to other people.

The part where relationships collapse is when one of the people does something bad enough to exceed the level of trust or respect that the other person had for them. The relationship also can be strained when one person doesn't show or have the same amount of trust and respect the other has for them.

In the ideal situations, one would make a concious effort to keep the trust and respect of the other person in the relationship. Things start falling apart when one person stops caring, puts less into the relationship and knowingly violates the trust and respect of their friend or significant other.

The point is this: love is caring more about someone else than yourself. Of course this doesn't mean denying yourself of the necessities of life in order to make someone else happy, but it does mean that mutual trust and respect causes each person to seek and be concerned for the others' well-being.

We all have friends who care about us and whom we care much about. Those are the people who I've been lucky enough to spend time with this past week.

I think we just need to start thinking about and serving others more; therein lies happiness. The scriptures tell us that "when [we] are in the service of our fellow beings, [we] are only in the service of [our] God." Let's love our God by loving our neighbor.

Who knows, maybe you'll even make a few friends along the way.

- Mike

Basic Tiny Fragments - Action Action

Neptunalia

The beach.

Something about those two words stirs in us something different. Something that's both excited and relaxed; it's unlike any other place, really. It means something different for each person, and yet is a common denominator in the way it makes us feel younger, happier and at peace. All of this, of course, depends largely upon where you choose to visit the shoreline.

Some choose to make a day visit to crowded, tourist-ridden areas where children play in the shallows and adults fraternize in the surf. Towels spot the sand like a near-completed abstract puzzle, containing colors, patterns and occasionally, a picture of Elvis. The noise of hundreds of cheerful voices fill the air, along with the cacophony of reggae, ska and, at times, country music.

Then, there are those who decide to attend the coast with a select few of their closest friends, renting a beach house for a modest fare. These can be found lounging around the porch, on that same consistent spot on the beach or dining at a local gem of a dive many have yet to experience. Typically, they strive to choose the less-crowded areas of the beach, though the company of others is a welcome sight as they travel from the house to the sand.

There are others, still, who prefer the shore for it's highest calling: an isolated strip that serves as the antidote to the pangs that accompany the everyday ailments of life. A place of calm and of comfort. Of familiarity, even if it's the first time. The shore begs for, almost requires, introspection and deep thought. Standing in the sands that have been beaten around in the ocean for millenia and finally found a resting place, one can stare out into the vast plains of water and wonder who might be doing the same on an opposing shore. In truth, although language, currencies and cultures may be different, every soul yearns for the ocean. They just may not know it yet.

And so we stare, and wonder.


- Mike


Temazcal - Monsters of Folk