Friday, June 30, 2006

Ring Back Tones

They say that smell is the most powerful of the senses. A smell can make your mouth water, stomach turn, or memories flood back to your mind. I think that music is very similar to that. A song can take you back to a memorable time in your life, stir your soul, or give you a release from whatever is on your mind.

Jamie has the ringback tones feature on his phone. It has been fun to see everyone's reaction to it. It catches you off guard to hear something pleasant rather than the actual ring. Many of our friends have said that they don't want him to pick up so they could keep hearing the song.

For a while, my ringback was the Aggie War Hymn. WHOOP! What can I say...I bleed maroon! Recently, he changed it to "Word of God Speak" by Mercy Me. He said that he thought I would like it. He was right (he usually is). I love that song. We walked down the aisle to it when my sister got married. It is a gorgeous song to begin with but it made the wedding so much more special. I am flooded by scenes of the wedding and the people there. I can close my eyes and see everything perfectly. Erin was stunning. Gregg was handsome. Everything was beautiful. We laughed, cried, and had a blast. I know that the wedding is for the bride but that night, walking down the aisle to one of my favorite songs, I felt beautiful too. Now, I get to relive that evening everytime I call Jamie. It makes me smile.

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Pedestals

Today we are going to celebrate Father's Day. Yes, we are a week late but we are taking Dad to a concert and, therefore, have an excuse for our tardiness. However, if you know me at all, the lateness fits me perfectly.

My dad is a pretty amazing man. I look up to him for so many reasons and admire so much about him. Whenever I have to make pretty big decisions, I often take into consideration what he would do. His voice is the one that echos in the back of my mind. Who needs a cricket as a guide when I've got Dad. I have noticed lately that, to a degree, I have put him on a pedestal.

Pedestals are funny things. We put people pretty high up for everyone to admire and look up to. Then, we do everything we can to protect the pedestal and make sure it doesn't fall. Overall, it's pretty silly. Like the fancy towels in people's bathrooms. There is a purpose for them but you know you can't touch it or it will be messed up.

Jamie and I were talking about this last night. There are people in certain circles that you look up to and admire. When we get to meet them, we are starry eyed and goofy. The funny thing is, those people are just like us. They have friends, inside jokes, goofy moments that their closest friends will never let them live down, mistakes that make them human .... and we expect them to be what we have created in our minds. We like it that way and try everything we can to keep them in that light.

So here is what I have decided, it's time to tear down the pedestals. We create them and, by doing so, place the person so far out of reach that we miss the most beautiful thing about them...their humanity. Afterall, isn't that what we need from them the most?

Putting myself out there

In the book Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, the character Mo says:

"Perhaps there's another story behind the printed one, a story that changes just as our own world does. And the letters on the page tell us only as much as we'd see peering through a keyhole. Perhaps the story in the book is just the lid on a pan: It always stays the same, but underneath there's a whole world that goes on - developing and changing like our own world."

As a teacher, I fell in love with this quote because it challenges us to be deeper readers - to imagine, conclude, visualize, to think outside the box. As a person, it makes me see you in a different light. After all, aren't we the same as a book...only allowing others to see what we want them to see? Haven't you ever looked at a person and wondered what was going on inside their head? Has a twinkle in someone's eye ever made you curious about what they are thinking about or planning?

So, this blog is a little bit like the key that pushes releases the doorknob just a bit. When you look through my keyhole, sometimes there are deep thoughts but sometimes there is silliness. Either way, it is my key hole you are looking through. Hope you like what you see.