Cookies, cakes, and choices: which to choose?

Happy Friday, internet explorers!

And no, I don't mean the Internet application that barely exists anymore.

Oh! I'm so glad you noticed that intended pun.

Before I get started with today's post, I would like ask how everyone has been doing. It's my hope that life is treating you all well. I realized that I'm the one who is always telling you how my life is going that I forget to ask how every one else is. My apologies, dear readers. It will be added to my list of goals: to ask my readers more about their lives and how they are going.

I know this is going to sound hypocritical (and I'm sorry). I just wanted to give you all an update of my life. I OFFICIALLY MADE IT THROUGH MY FIRST WEEK OF MY SOPHOMORE YEAR OF COLLEGE. GO ME. (Normally, I'm not a user of the caps lock key, but that statement seemed worthy of using caps lock.) Now, were there some moments when I was so stressed that I wanted to quit college and join the circus? Yes, but I pushed myself to get through them. This is also an amazing feat for me.

Also, an amazing opportunity is in front of me at the moment. Before I get to the point, I would like to tell you some background information. While I was working this summer at the library, a gentleman asked if we checked out laptops that had a Webcam. Politely, I said, "Of course," and handed him one. When he returned it, he had mentioned that webcam worked and the interview he needed it for went well. To make small conversation and, out of pure curiosity, I asked him what the interview was for. He asked me if I had ever heard of The Odyssey, and said, "Yes, I love that site!" He proceeded to tell me that the interview was for The Odyssey to come to UNI. Of course, you know all know I love to write, I got extremely excited, and it must have showed because he asked I like to write. I told him that I did, and he asked me if I would like to write for it, and I said that I would. 

Today, I put myself out there, so to speak, and emailed the editor-in-chief (the guy I talked to at the library) to tell him I was very much interested in applying to be a writer or photography. And surprisingly enough, he remembered my interest. I then made the decision to apply to be a writer or photographer for the The Odyssey @ UNI.

And now I wait to hear back.  

(For those who don't know, I am not a big fan of talking about myself. So that was a lot for me. I'm good for quite a long time.)

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Today's topic is about about a word that can be unbelievably scary and paralyzing for some people (aka: me), but for others don't even blink. This is something that I can promise you that face every day of your life whether you are aware of this or not.

Choice

"Choice: (noun) an act or instance of choosing; selection" (cited from dictionary.com). In life, we face many choices. Sometimes we make the right one; sometimes we make the wrong one; sometimes we don't make one at all. 

What do you think of when you hear the word? Does it bring up good memories like "I'm so glad I made the choice to go to college" or maybe does it stir up some bad moments of your life like "I can't believe I was stupid enough to believe he liked me"?

For many, you probably have had your fair share of choices: good ones, bad ones, and the one you might be too scared to take. 

For when you feel like you made a good choice: Congratulations! It's something to be proud of. Really. It is. That feeling you get when you know deep down that feels right is amazing and powerful. And sometimes we don't revel in that feeling more. 

For when you feel like you made a bad choice: You are not a failure. You must tell yourself this. Sometimes we mess up. We are humans, not robots. Sometimes we get it wrong. And that's okay. The important thing to take away from your experience is that you put yourself out there and took a chance. And the second important thing to take away? You learned something whether it be that you can't do the splits or that you should have studied a little bit harder for that test. The only to move on from it, is to actually move on, and stop dwelling on something you likely can't change.

For when you feel like you are too scared or nervous to take: You might never know if you don't try. The possibilities are at your front door. Rarely does that happen, but when it does, it's best to open your door and welcome them. Sometimes you might lock that metaphoric door and run the other direction. And that's okay. Maybe you weren't quite ready. Give yourself some time, and when a similar opportunity comes around, you should tell yourself "I may not be fully ready, but I just have to take a chance and let it play out as it should."

Sometimes you have many choices and there will be times when you don't have a choice.

Trust your gut; it's usually right.

Until next week,

 

Thought of the day

Dear, freshmen: sincerely, someone who knows

Happy Fri-Saturday!

Hello, dear readers of mine. If you are regular to my blog, you would realize that this post is a little late. There are a couple of reasons for this.

• WORK. Ugh but not really. For those of you who are not familiar with UNI, we had our first ever UNI Now for freshman and transfer students. This program's idea is to get new-to-campus students more familiar with campus which in turn is likely to help them feel more comfortable and at home.

• FAMILY. Since my sister was kind enough to help me with moving to my room, I thought it was only fair to return the favor. Although I did miss the actual moving part, I did help with the unpacking. 

• FAMILY PART 2. From helping my sister, I went home-home to do some odds and ends. Mainly I needed a rug, but do you think I remembered to grab one? Nope. I got back to campus, and remember I needed a rug. Oh well. I'm not too worried about it.

 If you include driving time, it was quite a long day for me. 

Speaking of moving back to college, I have a few tips and goals for freshmen (and/or every college student).

Dear freshmen, 

Welcome to college. For many of you, this is probably this is not the first time you heard that. Some will know a little bit about college life from their older siblings. Stop. Stop right there. Your experiences will be different from theirs. If there is anything that is guaranteed in college, it is that. And you know what else? The experiences you have will be different from your friends and fellow classmates.

And that's completely normal and okay. 

Here are a few tips and advice, or what you wish someone had told you. 

<> Get to know your professors. I'm being serious. They are, most of the time, cool people. Ask about their experiences and for advice. You are stuck with them (unless you drop the class) for almost 16 weeks; so you might as well get to know them a little in the process. Plus, sometimes there are benefits of getting to know your professors personally.

<> You may not be best friends with your roommate(s). And that's okay. Really. But if there are serious problems occurring, then by all means, change rooms. 

<>  Read your syllabus all your classes closely. Most professors give you an outline of course assignments, big projects, and the like. Pay attention to the grading scales because professors differ in their grading scales. What may be an "A" in one class may be a "B+" in another class.

<> Don't go to the bookstore for your textbooks. 90 percent of the time they will rip you off. You are poor enough as college students. Go online to Amazon or Chegg or Half Priced Books. Or check your college library (yes, those do exist!) because sometimes they will have the same edition or a slightly older edition of your required textbooks. Sometimes you will have to buy books from the bookstore, but try to get as many as your books from other places.

<> You don't have to go out every weekend but don't be a complete hermit. From personal experience, it doesn't help you by always being cooped up in your room or by too focused on your studies. On the flip side of things, you can still experience college by staying in and just watching Netflix and pigging out on junk food with some friends. 

<> Watch what you eat. Freshman 15 is a real thing. It's easy to get into the habit of always getting ice cream or dessert at the dining center. Try challenging yourself by limiting the number of times you get dessert to once or twice a week. 

<> Take advantage of the wellness center. You don't have to work-out hard-core every day; you will tire yourself out quickly. It is beneficial to get into the habit of going to the wellness center to walk on the treadmill for 20 minutes or run the track for 15 minutes. Mix-up your routine. Not only are you helping yourself physically but also you are helping your mental state. Exercising helps your mind de-stress and relieve anxiety. 

<> Learn how to do laundry. THIS IS KEY. You are old enough to know how to do your own laundry. This aspect of college forces you to grow up and take more adult responsibilities. It also would be helpful to get into the semi-routine of picking a day or two you would have time to do it. Who knows, you might actually get to the point you look forward to do your laundry because it means getting away from studying or reading. Also set a timer to switch/take your laundry out as soon as it's done. Everybody appreciates this, especially if it's busy.

<> Get out of your comfort fort. College is the time to experiment. Learn about other people's cultures. Try foods you never would have ever tried. Experience new ways of doing something. Find what works for you and what doesn't. Take that class that sounds interesting to you. 

<> ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS have snacks, a reusable water-bottle, and headphones in your bag. If there is one golden piece of advice I have received, it is that. Snacks: for those back-to-back classes or middle of the day and you need an energy boost. Water-bottle: you need to stay hydrated and you are helping out the environment by not using plastic bottles. Headphones: for when you need, for whatever reason, the escape to an audiobook or your favorite playlist on Pandora. 

Guys, I could go on and on, but there are some things you need to learn on your own and/or experience for yourself. 

One last tip: don't forget to call your parents, siblings, and grandparents. Let them know how you are doing and what you have been experiencing. 

Sincerely, take it from someone who knows

Until next week,

 

Thought of the day

  

Dear readers...

Happy Friday!

I would like to take a moment to thank each and every one who reads my blog. Whether it's every once in a while or every post, it means the world to me that people want to hear what I have to say. It's an amazing and empowering feeling. I can finally say: "I have a voice, and this is what it's saying!" 

Thank you for giving me that feeling!

In the spirit of being thankful, I would like to take the time to list only some of the many things I have to do thankful for.*

*In no particular order :)

Things I have been blessed with: 

a FAMILY who loves and supports me

a few FRIENDS who I can count on being there when it matters 

a JOB that I can make money and be given the experience

a ROOF and BED to stay and sleep

the OPPORTUNITY to get an education

the A/C on hot days like today 

all the SACRIFICES people have made for me

ELECTRICITY to allow me to charge and power anything I need

WI-FI and/or INTERNET that allows me to connect to other people

BOOKS when I need an escape from life

MUSIC when I need to get out of my head for a little while

GOD and all the ANGELS in heaven looking out for me every day

I could go on forever (okay, maybe not forever) but that wouldn't necessarily be a good use of a post.

We take things and people for granted. Don't deny it. I can't deny that fact any more than I can deny the fact my name is Melissa Curtis.

I don't mean any harsh feelings by saying that. It's a fact or statement that is open to interpretation. Whether we mean to or not, we do take things and people for granted. We forget that life does not owe anything. The same can be (most of the time) said about people. Being a good father or mother or sister or brother or friend is a choice. Meaning, they don't have to be to you. 

It's for this reason that we have days like Mother's Day and Father's Day and the lesser-known Grandparent's Day. We take advantage of the fact they will always be there. There will be times when they can't be there or are no longer able to be there for us. 

This does not only to parents and grandparents. This applies to everyone: friends, family, pets, teachers, professors, mentors, godparents, doctors, nurses, dentists, etc. Or basically everyone in your life or who have ever been or will be in your life. Please remember to thank them for all they do. They all have helped shape who you are today. 

If you read this and all you see on the news are terrible things, click here and read the article. Here is your one good piece of news. A nice reminder that there are good people out in this world that is seemingly full of hate and destruction.

Sometimes we underestimate what a simple "thank you" will do.

Until next Friday,

Thought of the day

 

  

  

  

 

Thank a veteran--dedicated to all past, present, and future soldiers

Happy Particular Preposterous Packaging Day!

Check out this website. Did you think I was kidding?

Some of these crazy and/or bizarre holidays are really dumb. They seem to made up for just the fun of it. A day for particularly preposterous packaging? 

But sometimes there are some holidays I come across and my reaction is the exact opposite. Like August 7th being Purple Heart Day. Which brings me to today's post topic. 

For those who don't know, the Purple Heart is awarded to anyone "being wounded or killed in any action against an enemy of the United States or as a result of an act of any such enemy or opposing armed forces". It was first awarded in 1932, and the medal has a side profile view of George Washington. The Purple Heart is the oldest medal that is still given to military members. Since 1932, there have been approximately 1.9 million awarded. 

Let that sink in. Do you know what that means? There have been almost 1.9 million wounded veterans who are still living and/or soldiers who gave their life for this country. 

If this shocks you, it shouldn't. Why? Because there is no one, absolutely no single person, who comes back home from combat or war unharmed. You see things, you do things, you witness mass destruction and murder. No one would be the same person after experiencing those things.  

Why is this so important to me? My two grandfathers who fought in the Korean War received this great honor. They served this country, and in the process, they were wounded. I am damn proud to be related to them. 

I have heard stories of how different my grandfathers were after coming home (after medical care). My mom would tell me, "Your grandpa would re-live the war over and over again in his head. Sometimes your grandma couldn't help him or didn't know how to help." 

Today we coined the term Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD for this. And when this goes untreated or undiagnosed, a likely end result is suicide.

There are programs and other organizations dedicated to helping soldiers really come home from war, helping them adjust to civilian life. I feel that we aren't doing enough for the men and women who come home after protecting us and our freedoms (which we take for granted, most of the time). 

Someone doesn't need to be an expert about this to help. Sometimes a "Thank you for serving our country, protecting my family and me, and I want you to know that your dedication is very much appreciated" will help. 

Sometimes it's the smallest of gestures that has the biggest impact.

Until next week,

 

Thought of the day