April till now... or I've been a blog slacker... and I rant about diapers... and social situations

So my last post was in March, I really have been a blog slacker, but the greatest part about life is that you can always have a re-do. Restart, or Do-over... so here is my big do-over on the blog, updates and more, we'll see if I can keep it up over the next couple of months...


I was going to list everything I'd done and try and post pictures, but really that feels overwhelming, and I think I'd rather babble on and on than try and remember the details that I forgot to write down. Needless to say I had some awesome trips with amazing people that I love very much!


I was watching TV the other night and a commercial came on. It was by Huggies (the diaper company) and it was about how many people can't afford to buy diapers for their baby's so if you buy the diapers and wipes with the "certain label" on them they will donate diapers to these people.


Now, I don't have children and I don't claim to be an expert in the whole diaper industry, but really... I have to buy your over priced diapers to have you, who by the way must be making mint on those things, help out the needy? Then I stopped blaming the people who make a consumer driven product and turned my wrath upon those who "can't afford diapers for their children". Alright, as stated before, I don't have kids, I have no idea the amount of money involved in raising them, but I can tell you right now, that if for some reason I were to have a baby and could not afford disposable diapers for the dear child, I would humble myself enough to use cloth diapers. I mean really... yes, baby poop no matter what stage of life the child is in is disgusting, but instead of trying to have someone else fix the problem, why not take a little responsibility and try and fix it yourself. And actually all the tree-huggers, out protesting the circus coming to town and people that eat at McDonalds, should agree that cloth would be better for the environment, but no... "then you have to touch the soiled mess, and I'd much rather think eating meat is cruel than clean poo from a cloth".


It's the whole you can teach a man to fish parable... I think that our society in general is way too dependent on the free fish and we've all forgotten how to fish for ourselves. We expect to be given everything and not have to work for it!


I keep reflecting on friends that I have that were/are/have been unemployed for quite a while. One in particular kept turning jobs down because he was over qualified and didn't want to work for minimum wage. Really? Lets see, I can look for jobs that I don't want and not have to work and live on the tax payers money, or I could take a job I don't want, try and support myself, and contribute to the community while I look for another job. hmm... I'd rather not work too. However my parents taught me better than that and tried to instill some sort of sense of responsibility in me, hence I would take any job to make ends meet, and look for something better if I needed to, while earning what I could.


I think I'm just really tired of people feeling entitled because their lives aren't perfect, and I'm tired of seeing those that work so hard for their money tossing it down the toilet to help people that are too lazy, unmotivated or proud to get a job that will at least semi-contribute to their situation.


If we aren't the examples for those that come after us, who will be?

"The nearer we get to our heavenly Father," Joseph told the Relief Society sisters, "the more we are disposed to look

with compassion on perishing souls; we feel that we want to take them upon our shoulders, and cast their sins behind our backs." (HC 5:24) Joseph Smith.

So I had a "friend" ask me the other day what my weaknesses are. I think we all have weaknesses. I have a weakness for Ben and Jerry's Phish Food Ice cream, but would I consider that something against me? No. I wouldn't. I wouldn't hold that against anyone. Do I stalk my freezer with the stuff? No. Would I like to... yes :) Am I denying myself something by not? NO! I think if anything I'm making things a little better by allowing myself that pleasure when I've done something I feel needs celebrating.

So what are my weaknesses? Well currently I think I'm too nice. I think actually this is a weakness. Its not one that I'm going to give up, just like Ben and Jerry's this one has a purpose. I seem to look only on the good in people. I've noticed a couple of postings of late on facebook by my friends that have really made me think. I used to wish I could be a little more calloused and judgmental, that I could look at others and not see their potential, however after reading a post by my cousin; I realized that this isn't such a bad weakness to have. He had seen a kid who he immediately thought "Thug" when he saw him, then the kid started playing the piano and his talent came shinning through and the way he was dressed didn't matter any more.

So this isn't such a bad weakness, who doesn't like to see all their best parts in their reflections, and better yet to see those strengths reflected in those around you is just an absolute bonus. Not seeing the bad in people is a gift, and seeing the bad and not holding it against people but striving to help them be their best selves is what we should all be aiming for.

“Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up. You build up all these defenses, you build up a whole suit of armor, so that nothing can hurt you, then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life...You give them a piece of you. They didn't ask for it. They did something dumb one day, like kiss you or smile at you, and then your life isn't your own anymore. Love takes hostages. It gets inside you. It eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness, so simple a phrase like 'maybe we should be just friends' turns into a glass splinter working its way into your heart. It hurts. Not just in the imagination. Not just in the mind. It's a soul-hurt, a real gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain. I hate love.”

-Neil Gaiman

I love Neil Gaiman, I loved "The Graveyard Book", and when I ran across this quote yesterday my obsession for him grew. I challenge you to provide me with a more perfect definition of the torture of love.

Valentines Day Idea... :)

Valentines Day is just around the corner and I know it would make mine to get Drew Danburry's new album Goodnight Gary.

Drew Danburry has a new album out Feb 9th that you can listen to from start to finish on his website. You can also download plenty of free songs there too.

http://www.drewdanburry.com


You can purchase the new Drew Danburry album here.

http://www.amazon.com/Goodnight-Gary/dp/B00345F9M2


You can hear the whole album on his Facebook Fan Page's Music Player, as well as become a fan!

http://www.facebook.com/drewdanburry

Snow