Somehow, this was meant for me...

Today... in fact, just now, I read this letter that John Steinbeck (you know, Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men... THAT John Steinbeck?) wrote to his son in response to his son's letter of being in love with a girl. And I cried. 

Maybe it was something that I needed to read this week.

Along with taking a few deep breaths.

So, here it is... I wanted to share:

New York

November 10, 1958

Dear Thom:

We had your letter this morning. I will answer it from my point of view and of course Elaine will from hers.

First—if you are in love—that’s a good thing—that’s about the best thing that can happen to anyone. Don’t let anyone make it small or light to you.

Second—There are several kinds of love. One is a selfish, mean, grasping, egotistical thing which uses love for self-importance. This is the ugly and crippling kind. The other is an outpouring of everything good in you—of kindness and consideration and respect—not only the social respect of manners but the greater respect which is recognition of another person as unique and valuable. The first kind can make you sick and small and weak but the second can release in you strength, and courage and goodness and even wisdom you didn’t know you had.

You say this is not puppy love. If you feel so deeply—of course it isn’t puppy love.

But I don’t think you were asking me what you feel. You know better than anyone. What you wanted me to help you with is what to do about it—and that I can tell you.

Glory in it for one thing and be very glad and grateful for it.

The object of love is the best and most beautiful. Try to live up to it.

If you love someone—there is no possible harm in saying so—only you must remember that some people are very shy and sometimes the saying must take that shyness into consideration.

Girls have a way of knowing or feeling what you feel, but they usually like to hear it also.

It sometimes happens that what you feel is not returned for one reason or another—but that does not make your feeling less valuable and good.

Lastly, I know your feeling because I have it and I’m glad you have it.

We will be glad to meet Susan. She will be very welcome. But Elaine will make all such arrangements because that is her province and she will be very glad to. She knows about love too and maybe she can give you more help than I can.

And don’t worry about losing. If it is right, it happens—The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away.

Love,

Fa

(my source)

I Volunteer.... As Tribute! Hashtag HungerGames

Last night was brilliant. 

I need to back up a bit.

I've been discovered. 

Remember how I sometimes write? I mean, really write? Write something other than what I put up on this blog or what's written in my journal?

Unfortunately, I haven't been doing much of it as late. My friend, Michelle, moved away and I loved bouncing my story ideas off of her and letting the ideas mold and become the story. I also read more which inspired my imagination. But lately, I haven't done either. School has gotten in the way and work is work so there has been little time to imagine. 

My friend, Heidi, was the first to discover that even while in this video/film world in which I work, my true passion is writing. She and I are going to start a blog. She told our other friend, Curtis. Curtis decided to bring me in on this amazing project. I asked for a trial run before we committed to recruiting me. 

So I wrote. Curtis loved it. We've been trying to figure out how to start the collaboration process. Yesterday, we were talking and he asked me to come over last night and we'd talk as well as double up with another couple in the hopes to save their date from disaster. I'm not sure if it was their first date, but Curtis and I made it our mission to save them from themselves. 

While they drove up from Provo, Curtis and I went to a poetry reading. It was at a hair salon. When we got there, there was a guy playing the guitar (he wasn't that good. Not that I'm great, but if I can tell that he doesn't play, that's saying something). Meanwhile, the girl from Curtis' ward throwing the party seemed to size me up... that was awkward, but highly entertaining. Curtis and I left before the "fun" began, but we got a full story later that night from Curtis' roommate, Ben. 

Favorite line of the night is the title of this post. Ben's date, Krista, volunteered to hold the guitarist phone so he could perform a song. She did so by raising her hand and saying "I volunteer... (beat) as Tribute!!" to which they both started laughing and then Ben said, "Hashtag HungerGames!" (referring to how one would type it if we were on twitter.) I promised Ben that I would write this whole thing in my journal. My journal is getting this entry too, but I thought I'd share everything on my blog as well. (And Ben, if you're reading this... I'm totally proud that you had the will to actually google this blog. The odds were in your favor!). Please note that 13 hours later, it's STILL funny!

Curtis and I met up with the other couple and went to Olive Garden. And I sat back to enjoy the evening. The awkwardness of the first date (for the other couple). How Curtis and I chatted back and forth with the girl. How I'm pretty sure that she's 19/20 years old and all she wants to do is get married and have eight kids. (No, really. She said that. Straight up.) Enjoyed how Curtis asked everyone their opinions on marriage and all that I could come up with is "Well, marriage is ordained of God and I think that every single person should strive to be married." (Yep... I'm a walking billboard for the single old maid former Relief Society President.)

After dinner we returned back to the house. It was 10:15 and we were discussing watching a movie. Girl mentioned that she had a test the next day that she hadn't studied for. I looked at the time and pulled the Mom card and suggested that they headed back as they had a 40 minute drive ahead of them. Twenty minutes of playing "couple chicken" later, they were out the door. Ben, Krista, Curtis and I then recapped our separate evenings enjoying the stories and laughing. A lot. While drinking Coke floats and Mountain Dew floats. (I have to separate the 2. We didn't mix sodas. That would be gross in this case.)

It was a good night.

And my favorite part of the last week or so?

I'm writing again.

Maybe one day I really will finish a story. Or a collection of personal essays. 

But until then, I'm glad that I have inspiration and friends that tell me I can.

Bucket List Item: NBA Game

Some of my friends splurged and got me four tickets to a Jazz game. Now, I may have put "Attend a NBA game" on my bucket list, but in all honesty, I don't follow NBA, at all. College basketball is where my heart is. I've geared up for March Madness and am planning out my schedule so that I can have my homework done and enjoy the games starting next week. 

But it was still great for my friends to let me take off something from my bucket list (now that I have it... I'm apparently making some plans to knock some more things off the list). 

It was on Leap Day (February 29th... I know... I should've posted last week. It's been busy around here lately!) I took a couple of my friends and another guy. We went out to eat at Settebello Pizzeria and heaven help me, it made me want to return to Italy (which is big since I wasn't too fond of Rome. Florence--yes. Rome? No way!). 

After that, we walked in the snow to the game. Remember how I hate snow? Yeah... it was cold. I didn't love that part.

Our seats were great and I was excited to learn that one of the players on the opposing team (Houston Rockets) was a kid that attended my high school. Chase Budinger. 

Maybe I cheered for him a couple of times. Maybe our neighbors a little mad. But you gotta root for the hometown guy. (Please note that the rest of the game I DID cheer for the Jazz.)\

We tried to go find a Starbucks that was open to have some hot chocolate after the game. We failed. So we returned to our cars and I headed home. 

So, one thing off the list. Next item to go? Oh yeah... seeing the cherry blossoms in D.C. I bought my ticket. April 24th-29th I will be in D.C. and Virginia (gotta go visit Twin in Charlottesville!!!).