I ran across this poem today and couldn't help but chuckle. I wrote it when my awesome coworker was learning the poem "Daffodils" by William Wordsworth, and she would recite it over...and over...and over...and over... It still makes me laugh. If anyone knows of a parody-to-famous-poetry contest in which I could enter it, please let me know :)
Daffodils - by William Wordsworth
as adapted by Jen Parks
I wandered lonely as a clown
That stumbles along on crazy stilts
When all at once I saw a crowd
A host of angry daffodils.
Beside the wall, upon the rocks
Shouting and yelling at a fox.
Continuous as the taxis roll
And honk upon the motorway,
They marched and pushed a bouncy ball
Along their hot and angry way.
Ten thousand saw I at a glance
Raising their spears in Spartan dance.
The grass beside them withered brown
They pierced the leaves upon the ground.
A poet can’t help but be afraid
Of such a fearsome flower brigade.
I stared in fright, and every thought
Was on escaping from this lot.
For oft, when in my bed I lie
Shaking with terror from the sight,
They flash upon that inward eye,
Remind me oft of all my fright.
And then my heart with terror fills
And runs, screaming, from the daffodils.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Monday, October 7, 2013
New Year's resolutions
I've always thought New Year's resolutions were a little silly. For one, nobody ever sticks to them. Secondly, it comes right after the holidays in the middle of the winter (if you live in the northern hemisphere) and it's not much of a time to feel motivated to start a fresh new perspective on life. However, most years I make resolutions, if for no other reason than that I like setting goals. I do it all the time and hardly ever achieve them. Why not do it again on January 1st?
I can't promise I won't make more resolutions on January 1st, 2014. However, after watching General Conference this weekend, I decided this was a good time to set some goals. So I did. And I'm hoping they change my life a little bit. I'm kind of in a rut, and I'm not as happy as I could be. I feel like since I graduated and lost my job and started working from home, I'm not progressing in life as much as I could be. There's not really any reason I shouldn't be progressing. I don't have to be attending college classes to better myself. After all, "lifelong learning and service" is one of the AIMS of my BYU education - and if I can't figure out how to do do that, I missed something very important in the five years I spent going to class.
So here's hoping for a fresh start on October 7th - that the upcoming year and years will be better, more fulfilling, and happier. I don't expect they'll be perfect - life here never is - but maybe they'll be a little brighter and I'll be just a little bit better. After all, that's the point of being here in this mortal life in the first place - to continually progress toward the perfection our Father in Heaven knows we can achieve.
Viva la Vida.
I can't promise I won't make more resolutions on January 1st, 2014. However, after watching General Conference this weekend, I decided this was a good time to set some goals. So I did. And I'm hoping they change my life a little bit. I'm kind of in a rut, and I'm not as happy as I could be. I feel like since I graduated and lost my job and started working from home, I'm not progressing in life as much as I could be. There's not really any reason I shouldn't be progressing. I don't have to be attending college classes to better myself. After all, "lifelong learning and service" is one of the AIMS of my BYU education - and if I can't figure out how to do do that, I missed something very important in the five years I spent going to class.
So here's hoping for a fresh start on October 7th - that the upcoming year and years will be better, more fulfilling, and happier. I don't expect they'll be perfect - life here never is - but maybe they'll be a little brighter and I'll be just a little bit better. After all, that's the point of being here in this mortal life in the first place - to continually progress toward the perfection our Father in Heaven knows we can achieve.
Viva la Vida.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Viva la Vida - today and always
Viva la Vida - I started this blog over three years ago.
It's documented a lot of hard work, thoughts, dreams, hopes, and life changes, not the least of which was getting married and starting out on another journey that was different from anything I'd ever experienced.
And yet, through all the life changes and exciting events, I still keep going back to the title that I chose on a whim. I can't even remember when I chose it, I just remember I picked it one day and it stuck. Viva la Vida. Live the live. Live my life. Not his life or her life or the life I wish I had or the life I used to have. My life. The one I'm living in right now, at this very moment, the one where my heart is beating, keeping me alive, keeping me living here, right now.
It's so easy to miss that. So easy to fall into the trap of living a past life, or a different life, choosing to ignore the moments that don't fit, like puzzle pieces that you can't find quite where they go. I have some of those. But hiding the puzzle pieces, or pretending they don't exist - it leaves you with an empty, half-complete puzzle, staring at the bits of what might have been.
So viva la vida. The good and the bad. The easy and the hard. Viva la vida even while life is a whirlwind of change and you haven't any idea what's ahead or how to possibly find success, or peace, or even happiness. Live it. Don't give up on it. Just live it. It's your life to live, to make the most of every moment, because each moment is a gift from an all-knowing, all-loving Father, who knows what He's doing.
Viva la Vida.
It's documented a lot of hard work, thoughts, dreams, hopes, and life changes, not the least of which was getting married and starting out on another journey that was different from anything I'd ever experienced.
And yet, through all the life changes and exciting events, I still keep going back to the title that I chose on a whim. I can't even remember when I chose it, I just remember I picked it one day and it stuck. Viva la Vida. Live the live. Live my life. Not his life or her life or the life I wish I had or the life I used to have. My life. The one I'm living in right now, at this very moment, the one where my heart is beating, keeping me alive, keeping me living here, right now.
It's so easy to miss that. So easy to fall into the trap of living a past life, or a different life, choosing to ignore the moments that don't fit, like puzzle pieces that you can't find quite where they go. I have some of those. But hiding the puzzle pieces, or pretending they don't exist - it leaves you with an empty, half-complete puzzle, staring at the bits of what might have been.
So viva la vida. The good and the bad. The easy and the hard. Viva la vida even while life is a whirlwind of change and you haven't any idea what's ahead or how to possibly find success, or peace, or even happiness. Live it. Don't give up on it. Just live it. It's your life to live, to make the most of every moment, because each moment is a gift from an all-knowing, all-loving Father, who knows what He's doing.
Viva la Vida.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Restless Energy
Wake up.
4 a.m.
Sleep.
Wake.
Sleep.
Sleep.
Alarm.
Awake...
Snooze.
Awake...
Sleep.
Alarm.
Late.
Jump up.
Get ready.
Stress. Hurry. Walk fast.
Sit.
Stand up.
Sit.
Stare.
Sit.
Run to class.
Eat.
Sit.
Focus... what?
Sit.
Stare.
Tap pencil.
Sew.
Unpick.
Sew.
Unpick.
Tap foot.
Watch clock.
Mind wanders.
Walk home.
Sit.
Stare.
Eat.
Sit.
Walk around.
Sit.
Think.
Check phone.
Sit.
Think.
Sit.
Stare.
I'm going CRAZY! I can't focus on ANYTHING! My mind is just all over the place today for no apparent reason. Early onset insanity? Possibly.
Viva la... what? Oh yeah. Vida.
4 a.m.
Sleep.
Wake.
Sleep.
Sleep.
Alarm.
Awake...
Snooze.
Awake...
Sleep.
Alarm.
Late.
Jump up.
Get ready.
Stress. Hurry. Walk fast.
Sit.
Stand up.
Sit.
Stare.
Sit.
Run to class.
Eat.
Sit.
Focus... what?
Sit.
Stare.
Tap pencil.
Sew.
Unpick.
Sew.
Unpick.
Tap foot.
Watch clock.
Mind wanders.
Walk home.
Sit.
Stare.
Eat.
Sit.
Walk around.
Sit.
Think.
Check phone.
Sit.
Think.
Sit.
Stare.
I'm going CRAZY! I can't focus on ANYTHING! My mind is just all over the place today for no apparent reason. Early onset insanity? Possibly.
Viva la... what? Oh yeah. Vida.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Discipleship
In my linguistics class, we've been talking about morphemes. Morphemes are the smallest unit of language that holds meaning. We often think of them as roots or suffixes or prefixes.
I've been wading through the New Testament in my personal scripture study the last few months. I love the four gospels, but Paul's words tend to wash right over my head. But one thing stood out to me as I was reading in the gospels. Christ refers to his followers as "disciples." According to the dictionary, a disciple is a follower, student, learner, apprentice, or pupil.
I have often wondered what it means to truly be a disciple of Christ. I think the answer to that question is a lifelong question. I don't expect to ever master the concept in this life. However, while contemplating morphemes the other day in class, I realized that "disciple" has the same root as the word "discipline." That means that the two words are related.
Isn't it true? Part of following Christ and being a disciple of Him is obeying his commandments - and all the commandments require discipline. It takes work and practice and self-control to emulate Him in all that we do. Those who practice an instrument or play a sport understand the discipline it takes to keep going even when it's hard, to do something over and over and over so many times until it becomes a habit, second nature, if you will. They understand the practical application of discipline in both body and mind to be able to keep going even when all you want to do is quit. Is it not the same with the gospel? Some habits are hard to break, and others are even harder to form - but, as the instrumentalists and the athletes can attest, once the task is mastered, the rewards far outweigh the pain and stress and difficulty and discipline it took to get there.
I know that's true. I know it's worth it. Sometimes, it takes an inhuman amount of discipline to keep doing everything I know I should. Sometimes it seems so much easier to quit, to stop trying to keep my temper in check, to keep getting up early to read my scriptures, to keep remembering the purpose of my fast, to keep working on myself as a person and trying to grow. But it is SO worth it. It's worth it every day when I kneel at my bedside and feel the incredible love of a Heavenly Father wrapping all around me, encouraging me to keep going. It's worth it when I stop and recognize the hundreds of blessings, both big and small, that are showered upon me in the most unexpected ways. It's worth it when I remember the promises made to me in blessings and in the temple, and knowing that someday, somehow, everything will be made right, that all the frustrating inconsistencies of this life will be resolved, that relationships will be made perfect, that loved ones will be cared for, and that no matter what, I can always access the love of a Heavenly Father, who is God, who knows me and loves me and supports my righteous efforts.
That's worth all the discipline in the world. Being a disciple is more than talking about following Christ. It's truly syncing my life with His and being like Him.
Viva la Vida.
I've been wading through the New Testament in my personal scripture study the last few months. I love the four gospels, but Paul's words tend to wash right over my head. But one thing stood out to me as I was reading in the gospels. Christ refers to his followers as "disciples." According to the dictionary, a disciple is a follower, student, learner, apprentice, or pupil.
I have often wondered what it means to truly be a disciple of Christ. I think the answer to that question is a lifelong question. I don't expect to ever master the concept in this life. However, while contemplating morphemes the other day in class, I realized that "disciple" has the same root as the word "discipline." That means that the two words are related.
Isn't it true? Part of following Christ and being a disciple of Him is obeying his commandments - and all the commandments require discipline. It takes work and practice and self-control to emulate Him in all that we do. Those who practice an instrument or play a sport understand the discipline it takes to keep going even when it's hard, to do something over and over and over so many times until it becomes a habit, second nature, if you will. They understand the practical application of discipline in both body and mind to be able to keep going even when all you want to do is quit. Is it not the same with the gospel? Some habits are hard to break, and others are even harder to form - but, as the instrumentalists and the athletes can attest, once the task is mastered, the rewards far outweigh the pain and stress and difficulty and discipline it took to get there.
I know that's true. I know it's worth it. Sometimes, it takes an inhuman amount of discipline to keep doing everything I know I should. Sometimes it seems so much easier to quit, to stop trying to keep my temper in check, to keep getting up early to read my scriptures, to keep remembering the purpose of my fast, to keep working on myself as a person and trying to grow. But it is SO worth it. It's worth it every day when I kneel at my bedside and feel the incredible love of a Heavenly Father wrapping all around me, encouraging me to keep going. It's worth it when I stop and recognize the hundreds of blessings, both big and small, that are showered upon me in the most unexpected ways. It's worth it when I remember the promises made to me in blessings and in the temple, and knowing that someday, somehow, everything will be made right, that all the frustrating inconsistencies of this life will be resolved, that relationships will be made perfect, that loved ones will be cared for, and that no matter what, I can always access the love of a Heavenly Father, who is God, who knows me and loves me and supports my righteous efforts.
That's worth all the discipline in the world. Being a disciple is more than talking about following Christ. It's truly syncing my life with His and being like Him.
Viva la Vida.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
What makes me HAPPY!
~* getting a new recipe I'm excited to try out
~* translating - even "boring" linguistics textbooks
~* my new job - it's addicting! I love emailing people and getting stuff done and stuff. awesome .
~* writing crazy high-school style blog posts with no capitalization, and being like, YEAH take THAT English teachers, I am not in an English class right now and I can do what I want with IMPROPER CAPITALIZATION! (why yes, I am in a rebellious mood at the moment, and this is how it comes out :)
~* my sisters-in-law . i am so very, very sad they all live so far away, except for the newlywed one . the wedding weekend was the best!
~* my new jeans - bought with said sisters-in-law - *see above *
~* my sewing class - just chillaxin' in the sewing lab making cute clothes 4 hours a week . cool.
~* hanging out at work and talking to my mom about all sorts of things
~* skiing - and going down adventurous hills (for me) and rocking at it .
~* stalking cute wedding pictures on facebook . people are so cute .
~* writing blogs that are NOTHING like my typical blog-writing style .
~* watching Ryan study and cheering insanely with him when he aces quizzes - and being home to do it .
~* watching Raising Hope (i know, it shouldn't make me laugh... but it does. man. the addiction power of tv.)
~* looking at pictures from Ryan's mission and remembering our awesome trip to visit it!
~*seeing the eiffel tower and being like, oh yeah, i went there . nbd .
~* pretending to translate my senior project while really listening to THIS:
~* translating - even "boring" linguistics textbooks
~* my new job - it's addicting! I love emailing people and getting stuff done and stuff. awesome .
~* writing crazy high-school style blog posts with no capitalization, and being like, YEAH take THAT English teachers, I am not in an English class right now and I can do what I want with IMPROPER CAPITALIZATION! (why yes, I am in a rebellious mood at the moment, and this is how it comes out :)
~* my sisters-in-law . i am so very, very sad they all live so far away, except for the newlywed one . the wedding weekend was the best!
~* my new jeans - bought with said sisters-in-law - *see above *
~* my sewing class - just chillaxin' in the sewing lab making cute clothes 4 hours a week . cool.
~* hanging out at work and talking to my mom about all sorts of things
~* skiing - and going down adventurous hills (for me) and rocking at it .
~* stalking cute wedding pictures on facebook . people are so cute .
~* writing blogs that are NOTHING like my typical blog-writing style .
~* watching Ryan study and cheering insanely with him when he aces quizzes - and being home to do it .
~* watching Raising Hope (i know, it shouldn't make me laugh... but it does. man. the addiction power of tv.)
~* looking at pictures from Ryan's mission and remembering our awesome trip to visit it!
~*seeing the eiffel tower and being like, oh yeah, i went there . nbd .
~* pretending to translate my senior project while really listening to THIS:
I was born in the wrong decade.
Mamma Mia - Abba
Take a Chance - Abba
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