Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience…I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You’re not as fat as you imagine.
Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing everyday that scares you
Sing.
Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.
Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.
Get plenty of calcium.
Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.
Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body, use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.
Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.
Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.
Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good.
Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.
Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen…
Sunday, June 26, 2005
Monday, June 06, 2005
Best Weekend Ever
Okay so I just had, like, the most amazing weekend ever.
The youth group went to PLBC and cleaned up the camp. So we left on Friday at 4:00, and I was in the vehical w/ Ashley, Leanna, Adrienne, Henk and Brion. Leanna and Beatrice and I talked the whole way there about all this stuff, like drinking and smoking and premarital sex and everything we could think of and discussed the spiritual stuff about it. That was awesome. Then we got there and like, picked out our beds in the cabin. I had all awesome people in mine - Ashley, Adrienne, Allison, Natalie, and Leanna. I was pumped. So we all walked around and hung out, and Allison and I just talked and it was totally awesome to get to know her better, we have so much stuff in comman. So then, like, we had supper, which was fantastic and wonderful and we hung out more, then we had a campfire devotion, at which I gave my testimony. It was scary, but it felt so wonderful after, and like I totally cried and it made Ashley cry. Then everyone came up and hugged me and thanked me. Henk told me it was moving.
So then we went inside and had hot chocolate. It was so hot we all burned our tongues. Henk played the piano for us and it was beautiful. He's so good, (who knew?) and really it was so pretty. Then Leanna and Allison and I hung out, talking about God and everything, and it was so cool to have people want to talk about it. It was bed time, and Leanna sat up in her bunk reading the Bible. Ashley came up to join us, and we just layed there talking (all three of us on a single bed, TOP BUNK, man it was awkward). We laughed like idiots and it was so much fun. After like 3 hours we fell asleep. I woke up at like 5:30 and was so hot and uncomfortable, so I moved down to my bed. Leanna was like "no offence Janna, but THANK GOD." It was funny. Two hours later we were geting up for breakfast. It was pancakes, my favorite.
Then we split into groups and my group did the dishes. After that we went to dig out the volleyball pit. That was awful, the "sand" has turned hard as cement. It was bad. So Henk and I went to clean the tuck shop, and just talked and had some really good coversations about God and stuff. It was so neat to talk to him about it. We just talked for like an hour. After that we went back to the pit and picked weeds out of it. It was fun, Curtis and I buried Kim in the sand. So then we had lunch and had free time until 3:00. So Leanna and I sat in her bunk and talked about our church and all this stuff that we felt and stuff. It was so amazing. We felt the same about so much of it. So like, I changed and got clean and I just hung out with people, it was cool. Curtis and I played volleyball. I love that kid.
Then we drove to Brandon and had free time in the mall. I walked around with Leanna and Ash. I bought mascara. Anyhoo. So I met up with my parents, and the youth group left. I got my pictures developed and they are awesome, so many of me and Carlyle!!! Yay! Anyhoo. So yeah. I looked for grad shoes and couldn't find any. That was sad. Then I bought these beautiful and amazing pink and black airwalks, I love them to death. So we ate and the McDonalds guy hit on me, it was ridiculous. So on Sunday I went to church and we did fuzzy wuzzies in Sunday School. People wrote nice stuff on mine, and Curtis wrote "the greatest ever!" and Ashley wrote "the bestest friend." I was so thrilled I almost peed.
After church we got ready for mom's b-day party (her birthday is today). Then people came over. It was so fun, and the food and the cake was amazing. We sat around and it was awesome. Everyone went for a walk and then Ashley and I had this deep and amazing talk and we sang songs from camp and talked about songs we want to teach the orphans in Africa. It was so fun. Then everyone came back and Henk was soaked cuz he fell in a flooded ditch. It was hilarious. So we talked and ate around the campfire. After the Bakers left, Henk and Kristin and I sat around the fire, talking. Its so sad, I was just watching Henk and memorizing all these things about him, trying to take it all in and put it in a box so I could keep it and remember it always. I almost cried, I'm sad he's leaving. Then she went to bed and we talked out there until 3:00 am about everything. He's never been so open, ever. It was neat to hear him just be open and honest. So yeah, I'm tired, but I sat with Carlyle all band class, it was awesome. I should go, this post is way too long.
The youth group went to PLBC and cleaned up the camp. So we left on Friday at 4:00, and I was in the vehical w/ Ashley, Leanna, Adrienne, Henk and Brion. Leanna and Beatrice and I talked the whole way there about all this stuff, like drinking and smoking and premarital sex and everything we could think of and discussed the spiritual stuff about it. That was awesome. Then we got there and like, picked out our beds in the cabin. I had all awesome people in mine - Ashley, Adrienne, Allison, Natalie, and Leanna. I was pumped. So we all walked around and hung out, and Allison and I just talked and it was totally awesome to get to know her better, we have so much stuff in comman. So then, like, we had supper, which was fantastic and wonderful and we hung out more, then we had a campfire devotion, at which I gave my testimony. It was scary, but it felt so wonderful after, and like I totally cried and it made Ashley cry. Then everyone came up and hugged me and thanked me. Henk told me it was moving.
So then we went inside and had hot chocolate. It was so hot we all burned our tongues. Henk played the piano for us and it was beautiful. He's so good, (who knew?) and really it was so pretty. Then Leanna and Allison and I hung out, talking about God and everything, and it was so cool to have people want to talk about it. It was bed time, and Leanna sat up in her bunk reading the Bible. Ashley came up to join us, and we just layed there talking (all three of us on a single bed, TOP BUNK, man it was awkward). We laughed like idiots and it was so much fun. After like 3 hours we fell asleep. I woke up at like 5:30 and was so hot and uncomfortable, so I moved down to my bed. Leanna was like "no offence Janna, but THANK GOD." It was funny. Two hours later we were geting up for breakfast. It was pancakes, my favorite.
Then we split into groups and my group did the dishes. After that we went to dig out the volleyball pit. That was awful, the "sand" has turned hard as cement. It was bad. So Henk and I went to clean the tuck shop, and just talked and had some really good coversations about God and stuff. It was so neat to talk to him about it. We just talked for like an hour. After that we went back to the pit and picked weeds out of it. It was fun, Curtis and I buried Kim in the sand. So then we had lunch and had free time until 3:00. So Leanna and I sat in her bunk and talked about our church and all this stuff that we felt and stuff. It was so amazing. We felt the same about so much of it. So like, I changed and got clean and I just hung out with people, it was cool. Curtis and I played volleyball. I love that kid.
Then we drove to Brandon and had free time in the mall. I walked around with Leanna and Ash. I bought mascara. Anyhoo. So I met up with my parents, and the youth group left. I got my pictures developed and they are awesome, so many of me and Carlyle!!! Yay! Anyhoo. So yeah. I looked for grad shoes and couldn't find any. That was sad. Then I bought these beautiful and amazing pink and black airwalks, I love them to death. So we ate and the McDonalds guy hit on me, it was ridiculous. So on Sunday I went to church and we did fuzzy wuzzies in Sunday School. People wrote nice stuff on mine, and Curtis wrote "the greatest ever!" and Ashley wrote "the bestest friend." I was so thrilled I almost peed.
After church we got ready for mom's b-day party (her birthday is today). Then people came over. It was so fun, and the food and the cake was amazing. We sat around and it was awesome. Everyone went for a walk and then Ashley and I had this deep and amazing talk and we sang songs from camp and talked about songs we want to teach the orphans in Africa. It was so fun. Then everyone came back and Henk was soaked cuz he fell in a flooded ditch. It was hilarious. So we talked and ate around the campfire. After the Bakers left, Henk and Kristin and I sat around the fire, talking. Its so sad, I was just watching Henk and memorizing all these things about him, trying to take it all in and put it in a box so I could keep it and remember it always. I almost cried, I'm sad he's leaving. Then she went to bed and we talked out there until 3:00 am about everything. He's never been so open, ever. It was neat to hear him just be open and honest. So yeah, I'm tired, but I sat with Carlyle all band class, it was awesome. I should go, this post is way too long.
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Breathe
Sorry I haven't done a real post in forever. I've just felt uninspired or lazy or something, and I didn't want to do a crappy job of a post. So yes, here I am to spill out my brain as I see fit.
Okay so Tuesday night was the final band concert - or wait, my final band concert, ever. Last year I would've been praising God, but this year in band was so much fun! I think I'll miss it, I love so many of the people, and the music is so good! Dang. But yeah. It was fun though, I took some pictures of me with my peeps, and if they turn out I'll put some of them up on here.
Okay so did you like ever hear a song and wish you wrote it, or thought of some of the lines? That Anna Nalick song, 2 am (Breathe) has some lines that make me go, "dang! I wish I wrote that!"
2 am and I'm still awake writing this song
If I get it all down on paper it's no longer inside of me
Threatening the life it belongs to
And I feel like I'm naked in front of the crowd
Cause these words are my diary screaming out loud
And I know that you'll use them however you want to
Frick, thats some good stuff, same with when she says, "life's like an hourglass glued to the table." Who came up with that anyways? I wish I could've. Know what else is a beautiful song? Iris, by Goo Goo Dolls. Wow. Anyhoo, I'm dumb, I'm feeling all funky and depressed because I don't have a job, and I need one, and this is my last normal month, and Henk is leaving so soon, and I'll like never see him, and yeah I'm sad. So thats pretty much it for me right now. So yeah. Sorry this post has sucked as much as it does.
Okay so Tuesday night was the final band concert - or wait, my final band concert, ever. Last year I would've been praising God, but this year in band was so much fun! I think I'll miss it, I love so many of the people, and the music is so good! Dang. But yeah. It was fun though, I took some pictures of me with my peeps, and if they turn out I'll put some of them up on here.
Okay so did you like ever hear a song and wish you wrote it, or thought of some of the lines? That Anna Nalick song, 2 am (Breathe) has some lines that make me go, "dang! I wish I wrote that!"
2 am and I'm still awake writing this song
If I get it all down on paper it's no longer inside of me
Threatening the life it belongs to
And I feel like I'm naked in front of the crowd
Cause these words are my diary screaming out loud
And I know that you'll use them however you want to
Frick, thats some good stuff, same with when she says, "life's like an hourglass glued to the table." Who came up with that anyways? I wish I could've. Know what else is a beautiful song? Iris, by Goo Goo Dolls. Wow. Anyhoo, I'm dumb, I'm feeling all funky and depressed because I don't have a job, and I need one, and this is my last normal month, and Henk is leaving so soon, and I'll like never see him, and yeah I'm sad. So thats pretty much it for me right now. So yeah. Sorry this post has sucked as much as it does.
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