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| Swimmer care about two meets. State and WDA. All the others we don’t really care if we win or lose. That said, the Minot swim team has won every single meet this year. Today is the day the meets started to matter. I’d have to say State is a MUCH bigger deal to me than WDA (today is WDA if you didn’t pick up on that).
Meets don’t get canceled often. That said, I didn’t think much of the icy roads this morning. I was just thinking to myself. Haha what if it get cancelled. It’d own. I’d be able to do stuff today instead of sitting on a bus for 6 hours and swim for 4.
When I walked for the car into the Magic City Campus where the swimmers meet and get on the bus, I realized: woah... this road is really REALLY slippery. I still didn’t think much of it. The coaches and bus driver did though. They made the announcement; we weren’t going to rick going to Jamestown.
I was shocked. For a second I perked up. “Yes I can do stuff today!” then I looked around and everyone seemed very somber. I quickly pulled my head out of my ass and realized a lot of things.
This meet was important to a lot of swimmers.
It was Minot’s first loss all year.
It was Minot’s at WDA in many years.
But most importantly... WDA was about 10 swimmer’s last meet. Those swimmers had gone through extra practices working their butt off in hopes that it would pay off at WDA which would have been the biggest meet of their life. All was for nothing but a quick anticlimactic finish that yielded only disappointment. Their weeks/months/years of hard work was ending in disappointment. I especially feel bad for the seniors that aren’t going to state. The last meet of their LIVES was WDA all of the work they’ve EVER put into swimming was for this meet and they don’t even get to swim.
I’m sorry for those of you who read my monthly blog for some philosophical idea on how to make your life better. There’s no real message. Just, you know, pull your head out of your ass every once in a while. I’m just relaying the WDA tragedy to the public eye. Hopefully the last tragedy of the year. Minot still looks poised to overcome adversity and win state, but I’ll before I promise our 9th straight state victory. I’ll wait until I know the weather is nice.
New Anberlin CD out. Buy it. You won't be sorry.
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| Well hello friend. Nice to have you here. I've been debating the amount of serious that should be put into this January's blog. I figure I'll play it by ear.
As you may or may not know, I am a part of the Zion Lutheran church (even though I'm Presbyterian). Today was Chris and my day to teach Sunday school (it's called that even though it's on Wednesday). We had third graders and we were to teach them about David and Goliath then make monster cookies (because Goliath was a monstrausoris giant (sadly the cookies (except for one) were pretty small)).
Everything seemed to be going well. The cookies were in the oven and chris and I seemed to be teaching the kids at least a little about the story. I slowly began to notice that one kid seemed pretty unhappy. I ignored his anger and attributed it to me and Chris sucking as teachers (however, we would make it past Central Campus's low standards). Though, I couldn't ignore it when he punched the kid next to him in the face and started pulling his hair.
I hurried across the room and pulled him away from the other kid. Even when he was restrained, he kept trying to get that kid. He pushed, fought, and kicked me (and I thought he was going to bite me). He made no progress in escaping my grasp, but he wouldn't give up. I could literally feel the rage radiating from his body and the anger on his hard quick breath as if the Devil himself had control over him. To my slight dismay, my slow calming voice did nothing (or very) little to calm him. Slowly fatigue set in, and our LYO instructor came in (Chris got him) and took him into the hall for a talk.
I knew of course the whole time that he was pushed over the edge; he didn't jump. It was the work of two bullies who were calling him names and kicking him. As I restrained him the bullies just stared wide eyed and denied any responsibility for what the kid in my arms had done. Digging into my past I can easily recall memories of bullies in my own life. I would rarely throw a fist as this kid did. I was more of a run away and cry type of kid. I had thrown a few punches in my childhood though. I remember these bullies all too well. Dumb, big, and selfish. I don't expect high IQ's from either of them. They're just big enough to boss other around with force. They were willing to lie, steel, and cheat just for another tiny piece of cookie.
Oh how there are so many pros and cons of being in third grade. Cookies made everything better. Bullies screwed everything up.
After he was taken into the halls by Garret, Chris explained how fighting is bad and we continued with our lesson. Not much else we could have done. He came back a couple minutes later calmed down for the most part. When the cookies came there was a little fight to get ahead in line, but I didn't let it get past a shove (super Lee to save the day). They ate their cookies and then class ended.
After class, Chris and I both ate 1 (or perhaps many more than 1) too many leftover cookies. That left us both with a very interesting memory for the day AND an upset stomach. Even though the fight was serious and probably chris's and my fault for not slipping those kids up sooner, it's really hard not to laugh a little at a 3 foot nothing portly bully getting socked in the face by a skinny 3 foot nothing Devil entranced kid. Sorry if laughing makes me a horrible person.
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| So one more Christmas is in the books. I hope yours was as good (maybe better?) than mine. I'd have to admit, 3 days with nothing but family and the occasional football game can run a little dull, but I managed to enjoy myself. I spent most of the time with my 5 year old cousin. I'd you've talked to me at all this week, I'm sure you've heard all about her. She's the cutest thing ever, she LOVES me (i still...don't... really know why), and after 3 days of constant playing she can get a little annoying. This was a memorable year for Lilli and I. She learned how to give attitude. "No it's not, you don't know what you're talking about." then she'd put her head a little forward and purse her lips. I couldn't help but to laugh out loud. Then she tried to give me a dirtier look and it just made me laugh more.
Christmas isn't suppose to be about gifts. It's supposed to be about Jesus. But even I fall into the sea of greed on Christmas Day. I don't think that's so bad though. I think Jesus wants us to eat, drink, and be merry on his special day. Maybe see some relatives and talk about good times and bad. In my opinion I don't think it's as horrible as some people say it's gotten. Some people say "It's all about Jesus's day and his birth and all the miracles." I agree to a point. That's all very important, but Jesus would want his teachings to transcend into modern times. His teachings are alive in the spirit of giving during Christmas. I don't think Jesus is too selfish. I think he likes to see other people have fun, but it doesn't hurt to go to church on Christmas. After all, it IS his birthday.
Maybe that's my opinion, because that's exactly what I did on Christmas. I sometimes get in a mindset where everything I do has to be right, which isn't nearly as true as I'd like to believe. I'm sure more than once that mindset has made me come off very cocky or not so fun to talk to. Though in the same mindset, I do make some pretty good points and it doesn't do me any good to think every thing I do is wrong. I wouldn't doubt that it puts some people who make similar decisions to me at ease, hearing me say that what I do is ok. So, for now, I think I'll probably stay in my constant state of self-satisfaction. Please feel free to remind me if I'm being unreasonably stubborn, though if I am, I probably won't admit it.
Kinda got off track a little bit, that tends to happen. Hope that's alright. I got a cell phone for Christmas. I'm pretty happy about that 340-2782. Call me when ever. K? yeah, I figured you'd say no. Nobody who reads this would normally call me.
~Lee
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| Love is the light that brightens your day.
It fills your heart full of joyous glee.
It's what changes hard work to child's play.
Looking into the eyes of love, all sorrow will flee.
When your heart has grown dark
and you feel the fun fade,
your life's car shifts into park
and no progress can be made.
There's an easy was to shift.
Let in the light.
Take love in as a gift
Why put up a fight?
Just a little light
will overpower
the entire night
of your darkest hour.
Turn
to happy.
Burn
the crappy.
~Lee
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| Wow, I haven’t updated in Fo-evah. Well It’s gonna be a big one. I
didn’t have time to proofread it, so if something doesn’t make sense,
just try to piece it together.
I’ve noticed that humans are always working toward something. Always.
We are always looking ahead to get ready for what’s next. In a sense we
live ahead of our lives. Think about it. (I may have said this in a
different blog)
In pre-school our teachers always told us we were getting ready for
elementary school. In elementary school we looked forward to middle
school. In middle school we got ready for highschool. In highschool
we’re getting ready for college. In college we’ll work to get good
jobs. In our jobs, first we’ll work for raises, then we’ll work for
retirement. When we retire we’ll look ahead to the last step: death.
I see it more and more each day. Have your baby listen to classical
music and it’ll be smarter. Don’t let your baby sleep on his stomach,
he might choke on his pillow. In movies and video games, If there’s any
violence at all it’ll be rated PG-13 or Teen. A few swear words or some
blood-R or Mature. You’re supposed to turn sinks off with your elbow so
you don’t pick up the germs you dropped there turning it on to wash
your hands.
Recent health codes say, a serving size of Pringels is like 8 chips
(don’t quote me). I don’t know about you guys, but if I start eating
them, chances are I’ll eat about 20. Pringels are in the top part of
the Pyramid (I like the refer to it as the “Naughty Triangle”) where
you should eat no more than 2 servings a day. That means every time I
eat Pringels, I get over 2 servings and therefore I should be fat. I’m
not. Now include all the other crap I eat on a daily basis (I eat a ton
of healthy stuff too, though). I should be huge. I’m not. I live an
active lifestyle. So do my parents. That’s way more important than
eating right. Banning nacho cheese from the cafeteria isn’t gonna make
any difference.
Anybody else notice all the fences being put around elementary schools
so the kids can’t run into the street? I thought Edison Elementary was
a prison when I went there even before the fences. I got in trouble
more than once for throwing a snow ball at a friend.
The world is becoming more and more child friendly. Why? Well, for one,
people can get sued if any minor detail goes wrong, so they go to great
lengths to make sure everything is safe.
Two, crazy moms (or dads. They can be just as crazy). There’s no such
thing as too much love. There is, however, a thing called smothering.
The moms that have perfect kids. They’re kids have to be the best. They
can’t miss a sports practice, ever. They have to get 4.0. They have to
join every club offered by the school. They don’t realize that by
holding their kids to tightly, their kids can’t free. They become
dependant. They get over worked. No first person shooters, they
increase the chance you’ll bring a gun to school and kill everyone. No
cursing, that is a bad habit that will get you no where in life. They
don’t have time for friends. They’re unhappy. Moms like this never seem
to realize any of this. They continue to hold their kids too tightly
and cut off their circulation.
And the last reason for all the babying of our youth is that everyone
in the world needs to be the best. Second best is always looked on as
being a loser. The world has become hell-bent on winning. Anyway to get
an edge up on the competition has to be utilized. So if listening to
classical music will make you smarter, you better do it.
I say we should live in the here an now. Live in the present. You
should look to the future, but not so much that you forget that to get
there you have to get through the present. Going to a movie is more
important than studying sometimes. Laughing is sometimes better than
being serious. A little indulgence isn’t gonna kill you. Placing second
isn’t too bad. Go ahead, have a cookie, mom won’t find out, and you
won’t get any fatter from one cookie. Play Halo while listening to rock
music; I doubt you’re ever gonna kill anyone.
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