Homes

I was hanging out a few weeks ago with some people I didn't know very well, you know, new people, (I always have to put a disclaimer on these things, lest you think I am writing about you, dear reader) and while we were talking two of them got into an "I walked on the moon" sort of contest (If you don't catch that reference, I implore you to go watch Brian Regan). Among other things. it seemed like the point of the conversation was either to one-up each other, or to be the most critical one in the group.

Now, obviously I am becoming a part of the ridiculous sect who criticizes by writing this post (not to mention my last post) but I would just like to say how awful it is to realize, as you are in a new group of people, that with the way this conversation is going you, the quiet one, are in for at least 5-8 minutes of uninterrupted criticism of any movie/person/entity/corporation/policy/structure/industry. Everyone is SO busy sharing how THEY could fix the problem. How THEIR opinions/ideas are superior and so much more well thought-out than whomever is running apple/breyers ice cream/academic policies. It was practically unbearable. Ridiculous. DON'T WE HAVE BETTER THINGS TO DO THAN TALK ABOUT HOW WE COULD CHANGE THE WORLD IF ONLY SOMEONE WOULD LISTEN TO US. Go, do something about your opinions! Too much artificial flavoring in ice cream, fine. Go write a letter. Boycott. Throw the offending food articles into the bonfire in protest (but let me mourn the loss of some perfectly good ice cream before you do) but don't sit there and PONTIFICATE about all the things that are wrong with whatever situation ticks you off right then, and how that small situation is really just ONE MORE indication of how AMERICA is going down the tubes. Leave it alone. We're fine. I don't care if you don't like the new iTunesX. I don't care if you disagree with the universities dress code. I DON'T CARE if you see the apparent lack of concern about the obesity epidemic by the food industry as how we are all "slaves to the man." That's fine. Hold your opinion. Just don't make me listen to it on the grounds of being polite.

So, that got a little long, but I was thinking that we all know people like this. For whom this kind of conversation is the usual savior faire. People whose conversational skills never reach beyond the open lambasting of topics which afford no opportunity for rebuttal. They only serve to demonstrate how if "WE" (the people speaking) were running said entity, "things would be better."

And it makes me question, who teaches these people that this is acceptable? The answer: their parents, right? It has to be. That's who you learn to make conversation with. That's who you observe making competent conversation with other old people. That's who you learn to speak from, by copying their lead.

It also made me wonder: What can the people who speak to me tell about my parents, or my house, from my behavior?

This is not to say that everyone is a carbon-copy of their upbringing. Occasionally people exist who are just socially impaired through no fault of the home they are raised in. Maybe more than occasionally. I don't worry about it. Or there are those who learn from sources better than their homes how to behave, and don't reflect their home situation.

I just wanted to think about that last question, not really have a soapbox about upbringings. What things do I do that reflect my home, and what don't? Why is it that way? How did I decide what stuff (social skills/acceptable life patterns) to bring with me in my own separate life, and what to leave behind? Was it a conscious decision? What do people think about my upbringing when they meet me? What is the impression that they get?

Unappreciated Sarcasm

There are some times that my brand of sarcasm just does not fly on BYU campus.

Yesterday, in literature class, we were discussing Margaret Fuller, and comparing her views to the views espoused by Julie B. Beck General Relief Society president. Sister Beck gave a talk about how women need to embrace their roles as caregivers and mothers in order to feel fulfilled and reach their true potential. As another student was giving her opinion on how the two women really did concur in their views, my professor said, "Yes, it's not like she [Sister Beck] was telling you to stop reading by encouraging women to do these things." and I interjected (deadpan), "That's what I thought she [Sister Beck] was saying. I walked out." Absolute silence. After a heartbeat I said "Okay, I was kidding. That was sarcasm. Please, move on." and gestured to the girl who was originally sharing her views. Then some people gave this sort of half-hearted titter, as if they were still recovering from the shock of my apparent near-apostasy-like views. I was so embarrassed to have interrupted the main speaker anyway, but then my friend Allison behind me whispered "Betsy, you are amazing," and I felt a little better.

A few weeks ago the prophet (Thomas S. Monson, for those of you who don't know) spoke at devotional, and since EVERYONE attended at the Marriott Center, the hallways outside the arena and avenues back to campus were jam-packed. As I shuffled slowly forward, I turned to the boy next to me and said, "Want to be friends? Because it looks like we're going to be walking at approximately the same pace for the next 20 minutes." He agreed, and we started talking. After I found out his name (Trevor) he asked me, "So, how did you like the devotional?"

Can I just say, that I think that question is ridiculous? Hello? The Prophet just spoke. It was great. Amazing. Revelation for our day. And knowing President Monson, it was hilarious too. So why are you asking me how I liked it? Is that supposed to be rhetorical? I have this same soapbox when it comes to people asking me how the Temple was. What am I going to say? "Nah, I don't like following counsel from the Lord and communing with Him in sacred ways, as well as providing salvation for my fellow men. Boring." Um, no. Or my FAVORITE is when people ask others "How was your mission?" as if you could sum up a two year-long life-changing experience in such a paltry way! What can you really say? "Nah, it was okay. You know, the ush. Bringing people the bread of life and consecrating my life to God for two years straight." My friend Will is the only one who has ever been able to answer it appropriately by saying "Solid." Which is pretty much the best description of a mission I've ever heard in one word. But that's Will for you.

So my friend Trevor asks me how I liked the devotional and I say, "Ah, I don't know, I thought they could have done better. I mean, I felt like no one really knew who this guy was. I wish they'd get us some high-profile speakers every once in a while, instead of these guys no one has heard of. I felt like I was the only one in there. We could really pack that place, you know?" I glanced at Trevor out of the corner of my eye, and he was looking more startled than anything. "Surprised and confused" might be another way to say it, only he was definitely more confused than surprised. He struggled for words for a few seconds, still looking at me as if I were an alien life form and then said slowly, "You...are a wicked girl," and I laughed at him (%70 nervous/%30 at my own cleverness) and said, "Oh, you know. I try." Then we moved on to safter topics such as "where are you from," and "what's your major." I don't think I've EVER been called wicked before. I hate it when people don't get my jokes. Boo.

poetry

Sometimes I feel like i am a tree
backlit by the sun
so much potential
so much beauty
so much outlined by light
and then i say to myself:
Betsy, you are not a tree
you are the sun.

Goals

So it is my idea, technically, to have me write for an hour a day. To have that as a goal I mean. But it shouldn't be too hard, right? I mean really, a lousy little hour? Maybe this would be easier if I had a paper and pencil, instead of just the click and tap of keys to accompany my writing experience. And maybe I should be sitting in a cafe down on center street, looking artistic and cute. Not that I don't look cute here in the LRC, I'm just saying it is a different effect when you are streetside halfheartedly sipping coke that was brought to you in a bottle and steadily working your way through delicious potstickers (ok, maybe I am a little bit hungry. As well as strongly desiring to look artistic. In fact, those just might be my two most forceful motivations for life right there. Looking artistic, original, like a cultured, smart lady, and wanting to eat delicious things. That, my friends, is a great Venn diagram to be in the center of).


Listening to: "Take a Look at Me Now" The Postal Service

Be kind to animals; kiss a rugby player

a bumper sticker I saw this afternoon. I like it.

a few run on sentences with poor punctuation and grammar about home

i definitely need to write more about this vacation today I woke up and i picked up ellie and then I came back and finished watching ms austen regrets on youtube then I showered. louisa came home and we all went shopping, came back, i saw mary for a little bit, that was wonderful and then we all went out to eat and came back, finished watching the paul mcartney concert, and i hung out with marie where we talked about our lives but ended up talking about the gospel at culver's till 11. my life is great

i am excited to start school and not be stressed out



i found this great site called listography.com; i want do to one of them a day this next semester as well as just write for an hour a day. they'll give you a list and you just fill it in. What a great idea!

husband

So it was awesome to see Carter and Rach again. As it was awesome to see Sarah and Spencer tonight. Not to mention Bry-bry and Katie. But it does kind of make me want a husband. Patience, patience, I know...

st george

Best weekend ever.

I miss hanging out with Rachel and Carter when they are not around. Which is pretty much %98 of my life by the way. We had a grand time talking on the way back to St George from Provo, and then we packed up their old apartment. It is a huge job moving. I am not looking forward to it in August. Then today was great, but I never knew how exhausting it was to have kids in church. I was feeling drained by the end of 3 hours, and I didn't do anything but watch. And hold a baby occasionally. Being a parent is hard. Here are some cute pictures of their daughter who got into the cards while we were playing.

beatlemania

I saw Andrew jump off a piano tonight. With my very own eyes.

Perfect

Yesterday was awesome, work passed quickly b/c I got into an intense discussion with a co worker about guys and girls relationships. Only my favorite thing! Also I overslept (in between working early morning custodial and ancestry.com i usually squeeze in a nap) and was going to be late and have to work longer, but instead i called a pal who took me to work. I miss morning conversation sometimes. You don't get it riding the bus. Instead, I just blog. Which is not quite the same thing, but still a good use of my time I think.

I think the best part of my night though was playing Perfect Match with Tamsen and Sam, Eliza, Maranda, and Dave. That game is hilarious.

Today, first the big ward activity at the lake, and then, the concert!!! Pictures, respectively, will follow.

p.s.
I love Imogen Heap. She twittered about some issues coming up with her latest album, and then invited all of us to this chat where she talked to the fans via live streaming video from her flat, answering questions brought up in the chatroom, and basically consulting with her fanbase before solving the issue. Amazing. She played the piano for us too. It was incredible. She took requests! <3

hearts

I took off work 2 1/2 hours early yesterday, and spend it reading the princess diaries novels at the HBLL. It was the greatest vacation anyone could have asked for. What with how often Mia is getting kissed these days, it does make me feel a little old fogey ish, but it was still a great read. A candy bar read, as Eliza would say. And after 2 hours of reading it, I was feeling like I needed something with a little more substance, which I think is a good sign.

Eliza and I are going to the Jack's Mannequin/the fray concert this Saturday. And although i am in love with Adam of Owl City, he has nothing on Andrew McMahon as far as I'm concerned. Formerly the lead singer of something corporate, Andrew was definitely one of the gods/musical best friends of my high school existence. If I ever have a movie made about my life, the high school soundtrack could be exclusively Something Corporate songs, although I would argue for some Jimmy Eat World to be thrown in there for total accuracy. But we are going to see him (Andrew) live, and I think I just might die, if you'll pardon the 15 year old expression.

Awesome

day-old post (I didn't have time to post it yesterday)

I woke up this morning to go to work and it appeared to me that I was the only one home. Awesome. Everyone else was out seeing Harry Potter 6 or hanging out with their sweetheart. Woo hoo. Betsy just gets to get up in the middle of the night to clean the MTC. (note: I talked to MJ later, and she was actually home in bed, so this was an erroneous sense of loneliness. But I experienced it nonetheless.)

Good quotes lately:
(from Bryan, Russ' cousin, talking about Russ' teaching skills. Bryan was saying that his missionaries don't draw him stuff, whereas Russ has a few drawings that missionaries have done on their P-day. Eliza (i think) told Bryan that Russell just confiscates those drawings, that they don't draw them for him, and Bryan felt better: "I was lyin awake at night with jealousy burnin in my heart now I know you're just a has-been jerk stealin missionaries stuff in class."

Not awesome: (for real, this isn't sarcasm. I was upset at this.) One of my friends (who i used to really look up to) made a gay joke yesterday, and it really bothered me. Not that was an actual joke with a punchline, but he just pulled out the effeminate hand gesture and lisp when talking about style. Another friend who was with me called him on it, which was nice, but I am still debating going and talking to him about it later. I'm not so good at confrontation in the moment. And I think I'll have to talk to him, because it will keep bothering me. Even if it is kind of terrifying.