Celebration of Lights

SMU’s Celebration of Lights is fast approaching. Being a freshman, I’ve of course never attended this event, but I’ve seen pictures and I’m so excited to do so. One of my recent posts was about the Holiday season, but I believe this event on Sunday will reaffirm my Christmas spirit as well as all those around me. My friends and I plan on making a Christmas day out of it. Exchanging presents, going to brunch, ice skating at the Galleria, and finally ending the evening all bundled up at this event. I can’t wait!

Thankful for Realizing

Thanksgiving break was my first time home since being here at SMU.  My trip was full of epiphanies.  I really learned things about my ‘friends’ that I hadn’t yet seen in high school. A void has been created between the people who went away to college and those who stayed in town to attend the community college (if even that).  The pursuit of higher education has created a shift of attitude amongst those of us who went away.  Not that there is anything wrong with community colleges, but my group of particular friends are showing that the only reason for attending the community college is to put growing up on hold and continue living in the high school scene of no worries and house parties.  

Have you guys noticed the same thing in your friends that stayed home, or are my friends a special case?

The Holidays

The holiday season is filled with colors, tastes, smells, and sounds that never fail to bring about feelings of nostalgia.  When this special time of year comes around, the signs are everywhere.  From the addition of Christmas lattes on the Starbucks menu to strands of lights strewn across front yards and houses across the country; it would be impossible to neglect to realize what’s going on.  People always seem a little bit nicer and warmer on a personal level to me….

The idea of gift giving helps people be a little less selfish, and reminds them to give and think of others.

The food, toy, and clothes drives in stores and establishments help people to be reminded of how important charity is. 

Many impoverished families are temporarily relieved during this season because of other peoples generosity and obligation to help others.

Human relationships are molded and reinforced.

Family values are appreciated and acknowledged.

People show spirit that would otherwise never have a chance to be shown.

 

The holiday season is my favorite part of the year… and for good reasons.  I’m looking forward to the traditions and excitement of what this time of year brings! 

MommyMixing

It’s all too common in my home city for mothers to gather on weeknight evenings at one another’s house or designated spot for a plethora of reasons.  The wild moms sip cocktails and play Bunco, the studious moms sip wine and discuss books, the social moms munch on deserts and browse shopping catalogs, but upon my arrival here in Dallas I found a new type of mom activity, it’s called MommyMixer.

This company puts on mixer events to put baby sitters into contact with families, and vice versa. 

Their brochure reads as follows:

“Add a dash of chatting, shipping bargains and fun, and you’ve got MommyMixer, the hot new service that connects college students looking for fun babysitting jobs with busy families that need occasional help.  There’s no better wat to get hooked up with the babysitter or family of your dreams.”

Crazy? Or Brilliant? I can’t decide.  This particular event will be taking place in a hip boutique here in Dallas.  Moms will pay $100 to attend (for sitters its free), and will browse not only clothes and accessories, but potential people to watch their little ones.  Sitters that wish to attend are asked to complete a resume online which is later merged with the other potentials into a directory for each mom to take home and keep to reference. 

I’ve heard of Tupperware Parties, Purse Parties, and even Taser Parties, but this one strikes me as truly unique original. 

Good Samaritan

I didn’t make it home over fall break.  Instead, I spent my break being a Good Samaritan.  It all started Friday night at the grocery store.  Walking down the pet section, it reminded me of the stray cats I’ve seen all over campus.  I decided to buy the food, and feed the little lonesome cats.  The next night, the few friends left on campus and I decided to go and feed them the food and treats that I had bought.  This led to my fabulous idea of luring one of the cats into my friends apartment.  I did this by leaving a trail of treats into the front door and up the stairs of the complex.  It made it into the house and enjoyed a scrumptious meal at the top of the stairs.  After the encounter with the cat, we decided to go get a meal for ourselves.  In the drive-thru line, we found a homeless man who asked us for money.  My friend who was driving said that he didn’t have any money but that if he needed a ride we could do that for him.  So we drove this man downtown.  My friend’s car ran out of gas and the car started smoking created a horrid burning smell.  Although we were able to do something nice for both a cat and a homeless man, we ended up with a burnt up engine that night.  Should we still do good things for other people if it ends up hurting us in the long run? How do we weigh out when to help others, and when to keep ourselves unharmed?

Upcoming Election

The elections are fast approaching, and I cannot wait.  I’ve always believed strongly in the duty in civic responsibility.  I learned from an early age, that voting is an essential part of our type of government.  I can remember my dad coming home from work with an “I VOTED” sticker placed proudly on his lapel.  We would always get into a conversation about the candidates, the issues, and what it meant for our nation.

            This has created a political interest and curiosity in me.  I love following the issues, the candidates, and the debates.  The primaries that took earlier this year was the first election in which I was eligible to vote in.  It was a little disappointing because my 1^st choice candidate dropped out about a week before the election in my state was to take place.  Satisfied with my second choice, I cast my vote proudly on voting day, only to find him to drop out the next day as well. 

            Now we are down to Obama and McCain.  I recently ordered my absentee ballot to be sent to school.  As much as I am hoping for McCain to win, I have a large feeling that Obama will be our next president of the United States.  He is a very likable guy, and people see him as relief from our current economic situation.  He seems to be the trendy candidate to support for young people.  I read his book, The Audacity of Hope, last summer and really liked him as a person, but completely disagreed with the ideas that he stood for. 

            I am really curious to see where the election in November takes us,  and what it means for our country.  I really hope McCain gets the election because I agree with the ideas in which he stands for.  GO McCAIN!

Finding New Motivation

Most high school students have high hopes and dreams of one day attending a prestigious college. I was no different. Nearly all of my high school activities revolved around the idea of resume building and college acceptance. Every paper I wrote, book I read, or club meeting I attended, I was in it for the greater purpose of being accepted to college. All of this work and anticipation made my decision of choosing my college extremely difficult and overbearing, but I am overwhelmingly happy with where I ended up.
The college lifestyle is so different from that of high school. No longer do I have to answer to my parents, be in (most) of my classes, worry being tardy, staying on campus during school hours, and on and on. I am on my own, and loving it. My transition into college seemed so natural and smooth. I was so ready to be done with the high school drama and structure and finally be truly independent. While I observe my peers, and see the different ways people have handled there adjustments, it makes me quite often think why some people have been able to handle the change better than others.
For me, personally, I think what helped my smooth transition was how independently my parents raised me. Having an older sister gave me more leeway around the house, and I was able to make my own decisions for the most part. I have never been grounded, and I think, from this, I have learned to punish myself for my own actions. I think this is important and the way that it should be.
Now that I no longer do my homework and my activities so that I can get into college, I have to do it for myself. It is my challenge now to find what goal will keep me striving to do my best. Maybe it will be acceptance to the business school, or maybe working towards getting a great job. Regardless, I’m on my own now. The responsibilities are all up to me. I’ve made the transition, and now its time for me to strive to do my best. I think we can all relate during this part of our lives. We all need to find a new type of motivation to keep us going, on track, and doing the right thing.