Guys, today was the best Valentine's Day. Usually I pretend it's a normal day and maaaaybe remember to wear some pink. But then I read this and realized that Valentine's doesn't have to be about loving my romantic love interest (who is currently non-existant. HI CITIZENS OF SOUTH CAROLINA!), but I can make a special effort to love everyone. Strangers, friends, classmates, family. And it turned out to be such a fulfilling day talking to strangers and also people I know (don't worry) and creating deeper bonds with them than I normally do.
What else made today special? Weeeell. Some friends and I resolved that we're sick of not being able to read for leisure during school so we started a book club. Now we have to read books we like! And it's nice to escape to fun little cafes like Cafe on 1st.
For January we read The Count of Monte Cristo. Mmm. Amazing book. If you haven't read it, I suggest you should. Even if you can't read. Have someone read it to you, it's that good. Emma would take it on a deserted island with her and nothing else. Not even food.
Let me tell you a little known fact about me. Actually, I don't know how little known it is. BUT. Whatever. I love this earth and I think it's super important we take care of it.
I actually was vegetarian for a year. Not for health reasons but to SAVE THE ANIMALS!!! Then I started craving meat and I was like whhhaaaa?? And my mom showed me scriptures of how the beasts of the earth and fowls of the air were for our consumption. Halright. And now I love all meats and steaks and burgers and chickens.
Muir Woods
Let me tell you what brought up this tree-huggin' thing today though. In my text book I read that if you put all the pavement in the world together, it would take up 38 BILLION FOOTBALL FIELDS. No. True story. Down with deforestation.
AND. Daily, Americans consume 120 pounds of stuff. That's like...3/4 of me a day--you don't have to do the math. Like. Really. Just believe it's like 3/4 of me. Crazy stuff right?
I just believe that this Earth has a soul. And it feels. And it gives a lot to us. So I wanna focus even more on giving back.
First off, it is one of the best things to exchange smiles with a stranger on campus. Or just anywhere.
Also delightful when random stranger stops you and asks for your number. I'm not bragging. THISNEVERHAPPENSTOME. Hilarious. Made my day. What didn't make my day was the fact he was shorter than me. :/ Eh. Counts for something!
Another thing I'd like to bring to your attention: we work waaay too much in our society. In one of my classes we've been discussing how America needs to take back it's time and slooooow down. And whenever we do something leisurely we feel guilty because we feel like we're not being productive.
Let me tell you something. By law, people in Europe get AT LEAST four weeks of vacation per year. America? One. One lousy week. Guess who is more productive? Youuuu guessed it.
Let's have some commentary on a few quotes in my textbook, shall we?
"Even the majority of slaves in the ancient world and serfs during the Middle Ages did not work as hard, as regularly, or as long as we do."
WAT. All these years I thought that serfs and peasants and things worked like crazy. Nope, that's us.
"If you want your dreams to grow, take your time, go slowly,
Do few things but do them well, simple gifts are holy."
Amen and amen. Simplicity my friends. That is what makes you savor.
"There is a teaching we call Shabbat ('Sabbath') and comes from the Hebrew verb for pausing or ceasing. In Exodus 20:8-11, the reason given for the Sabbath is to recall Creation; in Deuteronomy 5:12-15, it is to free all of us from slavery."
How cool is that? I love the phrase "recall Creation." Why do you think it's called REcreation? Because we are recreating something and using our gift to create.
"Human life is primarily qualitative. It consists of thinking, knowing, communing, loving, serving, and giving rather than in having or enjoying. Its supreme demand is that we should know more and love more, and that we should strive to know the best that is to be known and to love the best that is to be loved."
Just beautiful. The book continues to describe how we work in order to have or enjoy. Really, working should just be a means to leisure. Beautiful. This is like the worst predicament for American society. We could even get out of debt if we worked 6 hours! Think about it. And we would have a better sense of community. And less depression. Less expectations of ourselves. Less all things that are bad.
We can talk more deeply about it sometime if you like. I'd love to.
I have been called to serve in the South Carolina Columbia Mission and I leave May 29th!!
I am thrilled to be going there and I know that is exactly where the Lord wants me to be. I couldn't be any happier. I was surrounded by so many friends and family and I am so grateful for them in my life.
