Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward All Men. And Women :)

I'm so glad it's finally Friday. I've been looking forward to Christmas break since we got back from Thanksgiving three weeks ago. :) I've been thinking a lot about Christmas, esp as people keep asking me what I'm hoping to get. What am I hoping to get? Oh, I want all these things I know I can't have. I want someone to finish my online classes for me. I want someone to pay the $9,000 I'm short from being able to pay for Westminster. I want a laptop. I want to get my license without having to take stupid Driver's Ed, and I don't wanna have to get my learner's again. I want my mom to have a good Christmas, and to stop having to worry about money. I want my brothers to be excited for whatever they get, regardless of it's what they initially wanted. I want Tyler to do well in school, and to drop some seconds off his times, so he feels all his hard work and effort has paid off. I want my friends to get into the schools they wanna go to, and to have good relations between them and everyone they come in contact with, so that they don't have to worry about people and college and money all at the same time. I want the economy to bounce back, so my mom stops losing money on her investments. I want Americans to stop buying things they can't afford and don't need. I want the troops to all come home for the holidays, and stay home. I want the world's population to be at peace, one with another. I want a lot of things for Christmas. But most of all, I want all of you to find joy, and for everything you're worried about to work out the way that will most benefit you and make you the happiest in the long run. I hope I can be of some assistance :) and let me know if I can help in any way. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and wish you a fantastic, eventful, and productive New Year! :) Much Love to you.

Les Miz

I've been listening to the Les Miserables soundtrack. This is my favorite Broadway show of all time; the message is so powerful, the music is so phenomenal, the combination of the two gives me goosebumps every time I listen to the soundtrack, and especially when I see the show. My favorite part of the show is the Finale. If you're not already bawling by the time the Finale comes around, you will be quickly. But I wanted to post the lyrics to the end of the Finale, after Fantine and Eponine enter to bring Jean Valjean home. I first posted the lyrics to Do You Hear the People Sing. The Finale lyrics follow those. Anywho. Maybe you'll take something from these lyrics, maybe you won't. It's mostly for me. :) If you have never seen Les Miz I'd definitely encourage you to see it done by a professional company if you ever have the opportunity. Just look past the sappiness coming from Marius and Cosette, and focus on characters like Fantine, Eponine (she's my favorite character), Gavroche, the School Boys and Javert, and the journeys they take individually as presented through the life of Jean Valjean. It's incredible.

Do You Hear the People Sing?

ENJOLRAS

Do you hear the people sing?

Singing a song of angry men?

It is the music of a people

Who will not be slaves again!

When the beating of your heart

Echoes the beating of the drums

There is a life about to start

When tomorrow comes!

COMBEFERRE

Will you join in our crusade?

Who will be strong and stand with me?

Beyond the barricade

Is there a world you long to see?

COURFEYRAC

Then join in the fight

That will give you the right to be free!

ALL

Do you hear the people sing?

Singing a song of angry men?

It is the music of a people

Who will not be slaves again!

When the beating of your heart

Echoes the beating of the drums

There is a life about to start

When tomorrow comes!

FEUILLY

Will you give all you can give

So that our banner may advance

Some will fall and some will live

Will you stand up and take your chance?

The blood of the martyrs

Will water the meadows of France!

ALL

Do you hear the people sing?

Singing a song of angry men?

It is the music of a people

Who will not be slaves again!

When the beating of your heart

Echoes the beating of the drums

There is a life about to start

When tomorrow comes!

This song is the cry of the School Boys who want to start a revolution and rid their community of the corruption brought on by the...police...for lack of a better word. Needless, all of these school boys, and many others, die in this effort. Well, all accept Marius, but that's a different aspect of the story. What makes the Finale so powerful, is all those who die in this effort re-enter the stage to sing this last song. Their message is one of hope for their future, and one they hope to instill in the hearts of those listening to their story.

The Finale

CHORUS

Do you hear the people sing

Lost in the valley of the night?

It is the music of a people

Who are climbing to the light.

For the wretched of the earth

There is a flame that never dies.

Even the darkest night will end

And the sun will rise.

They will live again in freedom

In the garden of the Lord.

They will walk behind the plough-share,

They will put away the sword.

The chain will be broken

And all men will have their reward.

Will you join in our crusade?

Who will be strong and stand with me?

Somewhere beyond the barricade

Is there a world you long to see?

Do you hear the people sing?

Say, do you hear the distant drums?

It is the future that they bring

When tomorrow comes!

Will you join in our crusade?

Who will be strong and stand with me?

Somewhere beyond the barricade

Is there a world you long to see?

Do you hear the people sing?

Say, do you hear the distant drums?

It is the future that they bring

When tomorrow comes...

Tomorrow comes!

The English Language

I've been thinking lately about how liberally we, as speakers of the English language, use certain words and phrases. Words such as: hate, kill, die, starving; phrases such as "best friend" and "I love you." The English language is a fascinating linguistic tool. Each word has a specific meaning, and yet can be interpreted in so many ways. This puts pressure on us, as English-speakers, to use words appropriately and meaningfully. If you tell someone they're your "best friend", they are apt to believe that there is no one else you would rather be friends with. If, after you tell someone they're your "best friend", you ditch this person and blow them off, they will inevitably conclude that you are a liar. You may never have meant that you would never choose anyone over them, but that's what came across, and now your word is in shambles. Like I said, the English language is a fascinating linguistic tool; let's all try to use it wisely, shall we?

The Beginnings of a Thank-List

I've been trying to think of something to blog about for awhile. But I'm kind of chicken, and I always am hesitant to put my thoughts out there for everyone to see. Hard to believe, coming from me, i know. Anywho, I've been thinking a lot lately about all the things I'm grateful for. Partly because it's Thanksgiving time, partly because it's getting close to Christmas, but mostly because someone helped me realize that I'm kind of a spoiled brat. I have so much, and I'm never really satisfied. I always want more, in some form, when anyone else would be perfectly content and eternally grateful. I decided this needed to stop. So, over the past few days (Wednesday and today, for the most part) I've been making mental lists, putting things into categories, and realizing how much I have and am blessed with. Since it's Thanksgiving, I thought it'd be fitting to list a few of those things:

I'm grateful for family. Mine, mostly. But other people's families also. I've kind of come full-circle over the past few months; gone from trying so hard to get away from my family because they drive me crazy to cherishing the few moments I get to joke around and relax with my family. I love them with all my heart. Tyler, who makes me smile always, especially when I don't want him to; Spencer, who is so freaking smart that he astounds me constantly with his knowledge; Joshua, who leaves me notes saying, "I love you! Love Josh." and cares so deeply for people at such a young age; and Mom, who is the strongest woman I have ever known, who would do everything and anything for her kids, and who has become my anchor -- someone I depend on constantly, even if it's just for a hug each day.

I'm grateful for friends. I've learned that my friends pick up on everything I do. They look out for me. They want me to be me, nothing more, nothing less. I have a crappy way of showing it, but this has meant more to me over the past few weeks than just about anything. I don't always understand why my friends do things the way they do. But I've realized that doesn't matter. All that matters is that I have friends who care about me, about who I am and who I am capable of being. Friends who know exactly who the real me is, even if I haven't found her yet.

I'm grateful for water. James and I stopped drinking carbonation in March. Crazy, I know. At times, I miss the taste of Dr. Pepper. Not going to lie. But I love the feeling of not being addicted to a substance. Even if that substance was just a soft drink. I have a new-found appreciation for water, which is usually my beverage of choice. Water has no addictive substances. It's cleansing. It makes everything better, actually. And it's become sort of an accessory. I carry a bottle of water with me an awful lot.

I'm grateful for sight. My eyes have been driving me crazy for months, yet my prescription hasn't changed. I ended up getting new contacts -- a smaller size, so they conform better to my eyes. The change has been incredible. I can see so much clearer, and it's been wonderful. On top of that, I am grateful for my new glasses, which are not only cute, but they're also the right prescription. My eyes have loved the break from constant contacts.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to give to others, and to serve them. I get such a rush from helping people out. It's so much more gratifying to give to people than it is to receive from them, and I only hope I can begin to serve those who help me out constantly in such a way that I may thank them for everything they have done for me.

The list continues for miles. But those are towards the top of my list. What're you grateful for this Thanksgiving? I hope you all got to spend the day with good company, and eating good food. There's another thing I'm grateful for: good food. :) I have some waiting for me now. Love to you all.

On the Election...

I was sitting in my government class today, and everyone except my teacher, my friend, and myself were bashing on Obama. In band today, my friend was dressed in all black, in mourning. My brother and I were watching McCain as he was giving his concession speech, and he said, "Are you sure there's no possible way McCain can come back?"

Last night, for family scripture study, we read Helaman 1 in the Book of Mormon. The first fifteen verses. In this chapter, there are three brothers, Pahoran, Paanchi, and Pacumeni. Pahoran, the chief judge, is assassinated and his brother -- I believe it's Pacumeni -- takes his place. My mom made the comment, "People are worried Obama won't be able to serve a full term, due to assassination attempts."

When McCain made his concession speech last night, an overwhelming feeling of security came over me. Since Hillary dropped out of the race, I've wanted Obama to be president. He's calm, tactful, organized, goal-oriented, and motivated by the will of the people. He speaks politely when addressing foreign policy issues, careful to not offend any international citizen that may be listening. The rest of the world would vote for him. It makes me feel safe, knowing that the world is on his side. I think he's a very personable person. I'm excited to have a president i can relate to, who is in touch with what matters most to me.

So to those who oppose Obama, deal. I wholeheartedly believe he's the change we need.

Have you ever loved someone so much that you would give them everything good in your life if it only meant that they could be happy?

Kick-Box That Frown Away

Do you ever get to the point where absolutely nothing is going your way? And no matter how hard you try, things still refuse to cooperate? I applied for Sterling Scholar in the Music category. Yeah, I didn't get it. I got close, I was one of four finalists in the category. But it was one of those things that I just really needed to go my way, and it didn't.

And what do I do when things don't go my way? I pretend like I don't care. After awhile, whether that be hours or days, I freak out at someone I love over something really stupid. Life gets more difficult, because I end up pushing people away when I really need them the most. Go figure, right? I do a lot of pouting when I'm by myself, and when I'm with others I tend to flaunt my failure so as to lure people into thinking I don't care. I really do though.

When I truly care about things, people, ideas, etc., I care for them deeply. I'm sorry if I'm not always able to convey that. But it's true. However, when I feel like the world hates me, I take it out on what or whom I care about. Horrid habit, I know. It's one of those instances where instead of throwing myself a pity party, I should do something productive like kick-boxing or pottery or homework or something.

So, the moral of this rant? When the world doesn't go your way, tell the world to suck it and find something useful to do. I know, I'm not the pro, but I'm working on it. It's a more fulfilling way to get over things, and -- if you're like me -- it keeps those you love from having to endure your nastiness. I'm almost positive they would love to be spared that.

Better Your Way

I've always wanted to be an exciting person. I've never considered myself to be exciting, mainly because loud and exciting are not necessarily synonymous. But in trying to be exciting, I tend to stray from who I really am. I'm really bad at just being me. I guess I don't consider myself to be fun or interesting. Rather, I usually consider myself to be boring and obnoxious, and a complete dork. I look at other people, people I consider to be exciting, and I want to be like them. Bad idea.

That's why my quote this week is, "We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be." It's true. If you're a Molly pretending to be a bad girl, over time you'll realize that you're no longer pretending to be a bad girl, and you're somewhere you never intended to be.

So I've been experimenting. And I've found that life is a lot easier when you stop pretending to be someone you're not. Granted, I didn't come to this conclusion on my own (eternal thanks to you!), and I'm not exactly Queen of Being Myself. But it's a work-in-progress. And we are getting there.

Moral of the story? Don't try to be someone you're not. There are enough exciting people in the world; we need boring, normal, down-to-earth people to counterbalance that excitement. Be content in being who you are, because more people than you can possibly know like you better that way.

Embracing Simplicity

My favorite moments in life are the simple ones. Moments you share with people close to you. I adore car rides. Well, depending on who's driving. But there's something to be said about being able to enjoy the road closures and parking-lot-traffic because of who you're with. Bus and plane rides fit in this category also. I love music, and its ability to make a memory eternal: each time you hear a certain song play, you flash back to an isolated experience.

I love being clean. There are few things I look forward to more than being able to wash my face before I go to bed at the end of the day. On really nasty days -- those days when the world hates you and you can't find your slippers -- the thought of washing my face keeps me moving through the day. There's definitely something to be said for cleansing the part of you that the world sees most frequently. To me, it's like all the impurities, the ugly words that were said, the feelings that were hurt, the pride that was injured, the people who make you want to cry, they're all washed away with the dirt and the makeup, leaving clean pores and soft skin. It puts me in a better mood, and I sleep more soundly, not worrying over stupid things. It's a simple ritual, but it means a lot to me.

Girls drive me crazy. They're so complicated. Yes, I am complicated more often than not. But I kind of drive myself crazy also. :) I hate all the expectations that come with being around girls. I hate the competition. Oh, don't deny it, you know it's there. Who's the prettiest, who's the wittiest, who's the fastest, who's the smartest, who's the thinnest, who's the important-est, who's needs for attention are most fully satisfied-est. I love hanging out with guys. A select few in particular. But for the most part, hanging out with a guy is low-key. No huge expectations, no competition (unless you're playing video games), no cattiness, no blatant attacks on your emotions. Food, entertainment, something to do. You talk, you stuff your face, you use a yard stick as a microphone while belting out random songs, you watch a freaking sweet movie. Simple stuff. It's relaxing. I've never hung out with a girl and come home relaxed. I'm always on edge. I hate girls.

Hot chocolate is amazing. I'm sort of picky about hot chocolate, so I always make it myself. But without fail, hot chocolate always makes me feel better. It's a simple fix to any problem, from lethargy to math tests. The best is drinking a mug of hot chocolate while bundled in a big, warm, fuzzy blanket, sitting in/on your favorite piece of furniture. Cliche, i know. But so worth it.

Life is really stressful. We shouldn't complicate it anymore than we have to. End of story. Embracing the simple aspects of life -- car rides, music, washing your face, hanging out with boys, blankets and hot chocolate -- can be quite the stress-reliever.

Alternatives to a Necessary Evil

So, Sterling Scholar Applications were due today. What's with all the people who've already secured full-ride scholarships to their selected schools trying to compete with us poor kids who can't afford to go to college if we don't get this scholarship? Um, go find some national scholarship contest to enter. I've basically decided that I hate money. If our world wasn't completely controlled by it, life would be happier. In my utopian society, you would join clubs and non-profit organizations and such, and the time you spent involved in those would "pay" for your schooling. Obama said a couple weeks ago that he wanted to institute a plan where any person who joins AmeriCorps, the Peace Corps, or the military (although being a pacifist I wouldn't choose the last option) and serves for a year will have their college paid for by federal funds. I think it's a brilliant plan. Too bad our country doesn't have any funds to spend in the first place.

I'm a big fan of non-profit organizations and clubs and such. I thrive on being involved in all kinds of things. I've only been volunteering at the AF hospital for nine months, but it's been sort of a life-changing experience. Volunteerism is something drastically overlooked and underrated in our society. Imagine all the things we could accomplish if everyone were to volunteer for something they cared about.

It's always been my dream to join an organization like the Peace Corps. Maybe something smaller, more quaint. But someday, either between college and graduate school or after graduate school, I want to travel to Africa and Asia and South America, teaching English and helping people build better lives for themselves. It's my firm belief that the surest way to save the world -- from poverty, hunger, disease, and such; once it's started, there's not much you can do about war but wait for it end and then clean up the mess -- is to teach others. Teach them to take care of themselves. Teach them to care. Give them the desire to make a better life for themselves and they will work to obtain it, instead of waiting for the government to hand it to them.

"People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them."
--George Bernard Shaw