What I Wanna Be When I Grow Up!

When I ask kids that are about 5 years old, barely starting kindergarten, I get answers like "A fire-fighter!" "A princess!" "A ballerina!" "A superhero!" The list could go on forever. No little kid is going to say "Defense attorney" or "Librarian" or even "Psychologist."

Did the adults of my childhood stick with what they wanted to be when they began to grow up? Most certainly not. For myself, I changed my mind at least five different times and even then there is some variations of one job that I could choose a career from. However, I'm not finished growing up.

When I was 10, I wanted to be a veterinarian. That aspiration lasted about a year. I changed that aspiration to large animal vet like James Herriot, the famous large animal vet in England. That lasted about a year. The next thing I wanted to be was a defense attorney. I was 12 so I didn't exactly know what a defense attorney did. So then I changed my career aspiration again. This time I wanted to be a constitutional lawyer. That also lasted maybe about 6 months.

My last career aspiration was to be an archaeologist. I got the inspiration from Indiana Jones (I'm being honest.) Throughout high school, I focused on studying the classics in history, language, art, and culture. I studied Latin and Greek and my love of history blossomed. I'm going to be an archaeologist when I grow up...if I grow up. :-)

African Animals and Landscapes

My mom holds art camps every year and I usually contribute to her art camps by creating examples to inspire the kids.

Here is another of my projects:

"Lone Zebra of Pride Rock"

I wish I could Write Poetry

Of everything in the world, I wish I could write poetry. You know more than "I was a poet, And I didn't know it." Or something like that. I wish I could bring my thoughts together in some lyric iambic pentameter and create something that made sense to someone. My best friend is brilliant at creating poetry out of her head, pulling from her feelings and abstract thoughts that make perfect sense when they come onto the page (Trust me, I have a whole book full of her little couplets that she's written.) I'm not. Another of my friends is writing a story of a man who is pulled into an unbelievable world. He's able to bring in imagination and combine it with philosophy, cheesy science-fiction references, and logic, that seems almost like something from a Lewis Carroll novel or from that movie The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus.

I can't seem to bring my mind to think outside the box. When I write, I seem to fashion a character, who seems to closely resemble me, either in the appearance I write or the personality that I assigned to them, mannerisms that make their ways from my mind to my pen (or fingertips) to the page. Somehow I cannot escape from writing somewhat biographically. It is a vulnerable position because I am in a position to be judged by how I interpret events when I put them down on the page.

If any of my readers have any ideas on how to think outside the box and create something like a Lewis Carroll or a Brian Jacques book, email me. :-) It is one of my goals to become somewhat creative with a pen and not just able to write feelings.

Doctor Who

Something you probably already know about me, but I'm going to tell you anyways is that I love the UK science-fiction show, Doctor Who. I absolutely adore that show. My favorite Doctor is David Tennant's Doctor, the 10th regeneration of the Doctor. However....Matt Smith is amazing! Season 6 is blowing my mind!!! Season 5 did a great job introducing Matt Smith to the world, but Season 6 is moving forward at such a fast pace, it is truly amazing me.

Matt Smith is most definitely my second favorite Doctor. However, it is becoming a rather close second to David Tennant.

If you haven't already, make sure you watch "Rebel Flesh" and "The Almost People." These two episodes have been the best so far of Season 6, but all the episodes have been amazing so far. Each week, I count down to Saturdays when Doctor Who airs on BBC America.

Art

Art has been apart of my life since...I could talk. My mom is an artist. Last week, my mom held an art camp for little kindergarteners. The theme was Coral Reefs. For the next two weeks, my mom will teach three different camps: a pirate themed camp, a coral reef themed camp, and an African landscape and animal themed camp. I usually do some examples to inspire the kids with ideas. I am not as good as my mom. :-) But I was very proud of my pieces this year. So here are three that I've scanned in.

 "Mr. Cotton's Parrot"

 "Circle of Life"

"Privateer of the High Seas"

Just a little proud of my work. :-)

Family

What is a family? Technically (anthropologically) the word "family" is defined as "families are universal in cultures, but their definition and dynamics are changing. A very inclusive definition is two or more people who define themselves as a family. Also see "extended family," "nuclear family,"" (http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/anth370/gloss.html#E). More specifically, a "nuclear family" is "a woman and/or husband and dependent children" (http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/anth370/gloss.html#M). An "extended family" includes relations on either side of the parents. The dictionary definition of family is "a basic social unit consisting of parents and their children, considered as a group, whether dwellingtogether or not: the traditional family." (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/family).


So that's the technical side of that word. The other side is more emotional.


Over the past year, I spent my days at Baylor University. The school is about an hour and a half away from my hometown. Being away from my family was rough. I had to get used to being on my own and then get used to going back into the family unit. My family is not just a unit. My family is my family. 


Now everyone says that, but what is cool about my family is that when we sit down for a family dinner, it is one of the noisiest occasions I have ever attended. We laugh at one another for silly quotes. We catch up on everyone's day. We discuss different aspects of our world (culture, especially...we all do musical theatre :) except my brother.) But I get this feeling every time I looked around the table that each one of us would stand up for one another if anyone tried to bash one of our own.


I thought about this while I was watching an NCIS episode titled "Twisted Sister." In this episode Special Agent Tim McGee goes above and beyond all protocol in order to prove his sister is not guilty and protect her integrity as a person. He stands up to the director of NCIS and says" Forgive me Director, for not putting the integrity of NCIS before my sister! (he pulls out his badge and gun and puts them on the table) It won't happen again. (he walks out)" (http://www.tv.com/ncis/twisted-sister/episode/891543/trivia.html). It is important for me to put my family before everything material in my life, except my faith. For me, the important things in life are my faith and my family.


Some of you who know me well are probably thinking "Why is she posting about her family?" "We already know her family's important to her." There is another family that is important me. My church family. Here is just one example of how great the Family of God has blessed my own family.


Today, my mom had surgery. She had a laparoscopic surgery and a biopsy on something in her abdomen that shouldn't be there. My mom had awful abdominal pains for the past couple weeks. The surgery was to make sure that whatever was in her abdomen was not cancerous. Now my mother is superwoman. ;-) at least, she is in my eyes. But surgeries make her nervous and the anesthesia makes her feel sick. However, today my God proved that He is a mighty God in that he was gracious towards my mum. The surgery went well and my mom is walking around and not feeling sick at all from the anesthesia. 


When my mom got home, my siblings swarmed around her asking all the questions "Are you all right? How was the surgery? How do you feel? Were you okay in surgery?" My family rallied around her. We stick together. We look out for our own. 


But it's not just our single family unity that blows my mind. The Family of God, his Church blows my mind. My mom said on the phone to one of her friends this evening that when the Body of Christ prays, powerful things happen. Today a powerful thing happened. My mom has been able to walk around and to eat a smoothie not even a day out of surgery. Thank you all for praying for my family. There is a power in prayer. There is also a power in the prayer of God's people. God listened to the prayers of his people and was gracious to my mom in her time of need. Thank you all for praying for my mom. I can not tell you how much it means to me.

Sixx AM "Skin"

"Paint yourself a picture
Of what you wish you looked like
Maybe then they just might
Feel an ounce of your pain

Come into focus
Step out of the shadows
It's a losing battle
There's no need to be ashamed

Cause they don't even know you
All they see is scars
They don't see the angel
Living in your heart

Let them find the real you
Buried deep within
Let them know with all you've got
That you are not your skin

Oh

When they start to judge you
Show them your true colors
And do onto others
As you'd have done to you

Just rise above this
Kill them with your kindness
Ignorance is blindness
They're the ones that stand to lose

'Cause they don't even know you
All they see is scars
They don't see the angel
Living in your heart

Let them find the real you
Buried deep within
Let them know with all you got
That you are not your skin

OHHHHHHHHHH

Well they don't even know you
All they see is scars
They don't see the angel
Living in your heart

Let them find the real you
Buried deep within
Let them know with all you've got
That you are not
That you are not your skin

Oh"