Music + Dialogue

I love when a song has dialogue at the beginning or at the end of it, especially when the dialogue doesn't seem to have anything to do with the song. I just think it is so fun to listen to the tidbits of conversation. Some of my favorite artists that have included dialogue in their songs are MIKA and Regina Spektor, but my favorite would have to be in Cobra Starship's "Send My Love to the Dance Floor."

This is the video, but I couldn't find the part with the dialogue on YouTube.




What did you say this boy's name was again?
I don't know dear
It sounds to me like he's experimenting with you

xoxoGrace

Tea at Two

In my neverending quest to discover new activities to try, I decided to have a tea party. It was three of my friends and I, homemade goodies (cucumber sandwiches, eggsalad sandwiches, and chocolate covered strawberries among other things!) and a cup of tea per capita. The whole affair was delightful. We all dressed up in fancy clothes and had a grand time. We finished off the afternoon with a modern twist by playing Guitar Hero. I know for sure that I will definitely have to have friends over again for another tea party before the summer is over.










Here are some good websites with recipes and tips for hosting a tea party:
http://www.seedsofknowledge.com/teaideas.html
http://www.joyofbaking.com/EnglishTeaParty.html
http://whatscookingamerica.net/HighTeaRecipes.htm

xoxoGrace

Are You Up There?

God was walking towards me. Calmly, slowly. He only wanted to talk. And I started running immediately in the other direction. Among my own footsteps, my heavy breathing, and the noise of the other runners and bikers around me, I could not hear Him calling after me. I was running away from home. Atheism was looking like a good idea. Anything, really, but what I had. But then I realized that it didn't matter if I knew what I was doing now. That's why He is there to begin with. He is supposed to guide us to who we are meant to become. If we already knew what direction to go, He wouldn't have to be around to help us. But if we knew what direction to go, we wouldn't learn much along the journey. I had to accept it. I had to accept that I have absolutely no idea what to do with my life. And my 5 minute mile pace slowed to a 7:20 pace. And then 9:45. Eventually I stopped running. I was running out of places to hide, running out of energy for escape. I stopped. He was there. He reached his hand out and I took it. And we slowly began our walk back to the fork in the road where I'd gone the wrong path. And He helped me fix what I'd done wrong. Now I'll never have to ask, "Are you up there?" Because I already know the answer. He's right here.

All You Need Is Love

As the Beatles said, "All You Need is Love," but that phrase makes it sound much too simple. That phrase makes love seem so accessible, as if all you need to do is go to the store and pick some up on your way from yoga class to voice lessons. The Beatles definitely weren't mistaken when they said "All You Need is Love," but they failed to be specific in what kind of love one actually needs.

Ancient Greek had three words for love: ἔρως(eros), φιλία(philia), and ἀγάπη(agape). ἔρως is the sexual and passionate love. It is the first type of love because it is based solely on sexual attraction. φιλία is the love between friends, family members, and lovers. It is not sexual or passionate love, but it is a feeling kinsmenship and the duty to one's neighbor. ἀγάπη is affection for one's children or spouse. It is the highest form of love. It is the acceptance of loved ones despite their flaws and weaknesses.

Is it necessary to have all three types of love? Or does having only one or two fulfill the human need? Can we be whole people if we have acceptance of others and passionate love for one person, but we do not have a feeling of obligation to our neighbors? Can we have a sexual love and a feeling of kinsmenship without accepting our loved ones for who they are? And can we be complete if we have filial love and acceptance without a passionate love for someone? No.

All THREE of the the different words for love are important. All aspects of love are necessary for us to be truly rounded and happy people. Can we be content with only two of the categories of love? Yes. But we cannot be happy until we have acquired all three. The Beatles hit the nail right on the head when they declared "All You Need is Love," but obtaining love is much more complicated than a walk to the store.

Absence DOES Make the Heart Grow Fonder

Have you ever experienced an apocalypse when suddenly you realize how profoundly you love someone? Someone that you see all the time, weekly if not daily, and you always knew you loved them but you never until that moment knew exactly how much you love them? I'm not talking about a romantic love, but the love you have for a family member or friend. In Hello, Dolly!, Cornelius begins singing about how "It only takes a moment to be loved your whole life long." It's as if you've had an Epiphany and although this person has been taking care of you all your life, it is only now that you can realize how much they do for you, how much they love you, and how much you love them in return. It's kind of sad to think that there are people in our lives who would give anything to help us, and we cannot fully appreciate all their hard work. It's moments like these, small revelations of our love for others, that we must be thankful for. We must always be thankful for these moments, because it brings us one step closer to God. There are so many things in life that go unsaid, so many things that go undone, and so many people who are never told how much they are loved. These apocalypses are given to us as a gift from God. They are a reminder to tell our loved ones how much we actually do love them and appreciate them for who they are and everything they do. We need to take these messages from God and tell our loved ones what they mean to us. We will all feel better knowing that our friends and family KNOW that we love them.

Unique

Everybody wants to be unique. They want to stand out amongst their peers and they want to dazzle everyone with their wit. They want to have their own unique “thing”. Wearing mismatched socks is her “thing”. Oh yeah, he always does that. It’s his “thing”. But in a world with millions of people, how can everybody stand out? We’re all different, but is there an element that somehow makes certain people shine brighter than others? How are some people always the center of attention, and others are always shying away in the corner, awaiting the day that they will get their turn as the star?

I think the answer is in how we view ourselves. I’ve developed my own theory about self image, although I only know from my own experience. I think a lot. When I am looking forward to something, I will plan out the conversation I am going to have. I build it up. Everything is planned. But how can I stick to that plan with all the spontaneous things that tend to happen in everyday life? You can’t.

I realized that the only time I really plan things out, is when I am going to be in a situation with people I don’t know very well. If I knew them, why would I even care? It’s more fun when you don’t know what is going to happen. But when I am with people I don’t know, I am extremely awkward. I used to never be awkward. I was the smiley, bubbly girl who could talk to anyone. But somewhere along the way, I started doubting myself. And that’s when I became awkward. Now when I am put into a difficult situation, I don’t always immediately try to work through it. First I spend a lot of time worrying. Worrying about the outcome, and worrying about what other people will think of me. Oh my God, I got yelled at in Religion class, he’s going to think I’m such an idiot now. But I know that if I were a bystander in that situation, I would not think that about the person in the predicament. I would feel bad for them because it is a situation that anyone could potentially be in. I’m always worrying about what other people will think. And I always think negative things about myself. But when I put myself into another position, the position of the one looking on, I realize I would never think those things. I don’t really know if this makes sense to anyone but me. But I realize that I must view myself as someone completely different from how others view me.

Another thing that inhibits my ability to communicate well with people my age is that I am a pretty good judge of character. I can tell almost right away when I meet someone what social group they’d be in. It’s really easy for me to talk to almost anyone. But if I know someone goes to parties a lot or is really superficial, it is really hard for me to talk to them. I don’t know why. I really prejudge people and I know it’s bad. I don’t know if I think they are superior to me or what, but there is something that I find so difficult to connect with. It’s like a piece of a puzzle that doesn’t quite fit the right way.

I really don’t know if this makes sense to anyone but me. I just ended up rambling on. But somehow I think this describes how people really stand out. I think the people who don’t really care what others think of them can be the most successful because they will spend less time worrying about the impression they are making and more time doing work and being productive so that that the impression is a lot better. My point is that I think people should stop spending time worrying about what others think, and do things for themselves. Maybe I am getting this all wrong, maybe stressing over others thoughts is important. But from my experience it’s best to do things because you want to do them. It does not matter what others are expecting. Do what you are doing for yourself.

Pants on Fire

I just finished reading Meg Cabot’s book, Pants on Fire. As I read the last line of the book, all I could think was, I want a Tommy Sullivan! This is the age-old story of the pretty, popular girl and her best friend who is in love with her, except that in this story, there is a twist. Tommy Sullivan, Katie’s best friend had been run out of town four years earlier for mysterious reasons. Bit by bit, the reader is able to piece together what really happened the night Tommy Sullivan is a Freak was spraypainted onto the middle school’s new gymnasium.

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire. Katie can’t help lying about almost everything in her life. It’s so much easier than telling the truth, but after Tommy Sullivan comes back to town the lies get knotted into a labyrinth that is too big for Katie to get out of. First, Katie is beginning to realize that she might not really love her boyfriend of four years, Seth, the Quahog football star. Second, she can’t let anyone know that she has a secret boyfriend, Eric, the drama club star, who she doesn’t love either. And third, she can’t tell anyone that she has an uncontrollable longing to kiss Tommy Sullivan, the boy that everyone in Eastport, Connecticut hates.

Through the story, Katie learns when it is right to tell the truth, and when the truth should be held back. She learns that although going against town traditions might disappoint her family and her friends, it is not right for some people to get special treatment. The secrets and guilt that she has been hiding for four years must eventually come out, and the return of Tommy Sullivan helps them along. While this story could be viewed as run of the road because of the basic story line, it is made interesting because of the mystery of what happened that night for years ago, and the fact that when nerdy, short, Tommy Sullivan comes back to town, he is ubelieveably HOT. After reading this book, every girl will start looking for their Tommy Sullivan.