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December 31, 2014

Unqualified Advice from a Twenty-Something


A lot of advice articles have been going viral. Most of them are written by barely twenty-something's, or have titles that are controversial but the article says exactly what the reader believes. As a twenty-something, I feel like my advice is pretty much comparable to a twelve year-old's with better grammar. That being said, here is a dose of unqualified advice from a twenty-something:

Aaron and I have been dieting since school started in August. We aren't to our goal weights yet (thanks, Christmas) but so far, between the two of us, we have lost four pant sizes and seventy-seven pounds.  

 Here is a seventy-seven pound Dachshund for a frame of reference.

I'm not telling you this to brag (although it is nice to slip that piece of good news somewhere in here) but to say I struggle with this point I am eventually going to get to. 

There has been a trend where everyone claims everyone is beautiful. And however nice that sounds, repeating it over and over again doesn't make it true. Although society's definition of beauty changes based on what era we are in, not everyone is going to fit in the cookie cutter definition of beauty.

It is instinctual to judge people based on looks and the sound of their voice. In fact, it takes a millisecond to decide if someone is trustworthy or not. That isn't necessarily something to be ashamed of, it is just biology. I  understand we need to be aware of how we present ourselves. 

But why do we value ourselves on how we fit in a size two or how well we can contour our face rather than other character traits, such as intelligence, kindness, or integrity? I'm not saying you need to pick one trait or another. Don't run out after not showering for weeks and yell at people to accept you because you have a masters degree. 

Please bathe. 

I would be offended if all a person could say about me is that I am fashionable or know how to apply makeup. I would much rather someone praise how I stick to my beliefs, or that I am clever, or kind. 

How about for your New Years resolution, in addition to losing the equivalent of an obese Dachsund puppy off your waist, focus on a character trait to improve. Let's make 2015 a year where we focus less on the packaging of the gift and more on the content. 



December 26, 2014

Christmas Post

There is something special about sunrises. I am saying this as a person who doesn't appreciate mornings, otherwise. A sunrise is like a page is being turned and new words are waiting to be written for the day. Aaron and I found ourselves witnessing one yesterday and if sunrises are special, a Christmas sunrise is that much more so. I tend to witness Christmas morning sunrises and I was glad yesterday was no exception. 

We were driving to Lubbock's airport to make our journey to Round Rock. I was reminiscing about past Christmases, and missing the Christmas magic that came standard with being a child. Christmas will never feel like it did when we were children but hopefully we wil be able to see it through our own kids someday.

Our plane ride was pretty exciting. I was certain we sat next to Tom Selleck, but Aaron said it was a 5'8" man with a hispanic accent. In the middle of the flight, we heard a sudden yell from a man two rows behind us and an announcement asking if there was a doctor in the house. Fortunately, there was a doctor and a nurse and through careful eavesdropping, I discovered that the man experienced his first siezure. It didn't last very long and the doctor talked to him throughout the duration of the flight. He seemed to be okay and fortunately it isn't a very long flight. 

It was so nice seeing my family, eating too much, and giggling half of those calories off playing white elephant afterwards. 

My mom is on the board of directors for a professional theatre company in Austin and we saw one of their plays today. I always get so nostalgic for the theatre whenever we see plays. In a perfect world, I would love to start a community theatre in Seagraves. Maybe someday. You know, when I suddenly find myself with free time. (I should probably delete this paragraph so no one can hold me accountable for this statement).