Pro tip: not everyone was raised the way you were

Happy Friday!

If your week was anything like mine, you most definitely deserve to treat yourself, because, in general, my week was pretty crappy with 3 tests, 1 paper, and 1 group dance project and being awoken at 5:15am for a fire alarm on Wednesday morning. You know what? I got ice cream; it wasn't 4 Queens level of ice cream, but it was a treat nonetheless. So. The point is: treat yourself.

Next week at this time, I will be at home, enjoying the presence of my kitty and my family and away from classes, work, campus, and generally all adult responsibilities that comes with being a college student. No, I won't be spending my Spring Break in partying Florida for two reasons: one, I'm a broke, and two, I'm not a big fan of crowds/partying. Hence why I will be working for most of the break. I'm a real dare-devil. 

My latest Odyssey article link: 15 Things Only Fangirls Get.

In the last couple of weeks, I have come to a realization about college. Sure, classes and dealing with some professors and even co-workers (not mine, of course, I have awesome co-workers) can be difficult, generating feelings of frustration or anger. Although, I believe there's something that's even more challenging than those things. Actually it's probably most likely the overlaying cause or theme in a couple of those things. 

Not everyone was raised the way you were.

You might be sarcastically thinking, "No, really, Melissa." It's true, though. It's also easy to think that when it's not happening to you. (Like most things in life.)

If you're a frequent reader of this blog of mine, you know how much I love and appreciate my family. I'm so very blessed with a family such as mine. My parents, who didn't have the easiest childhood, know the value of hard work, spending money practically, honesty, a good work ethic, being courteous and kind to others, and many other admirable traits and characteristics. Just like the good parents they are, they wanted to make sure my siblings and I learned and realized how important it is to have those traits and others. (And I'd like to think they succeeded.) How my parents taught us those traits wasn't always a walk in the park; in fact, they were, and continue to be, hard lessons learned. Many times, I couldn't always realize or see what they were trying to teach me. All they've taught me is one of the many things I'm thankful for and something I'll never regret the experiences and hope to pass onto kids of my own someday (in the very distant future). 

But not everyone experienced all that I have and I haven't experienced all that everyone has. It can be a hard truth to swallow. Not everyone I help at the library is as courteous as I was raised to be, and I grin and bear it. Not everyone was raised to be kind and do something nice for a stranger, especially when it might slightly inconvenience you. Not everyone was taught to respect co-workers and supervisors and do as you're instructed. Not everyone was raised to not recklessly spend money as soon as they get paid and learn how to save it in case of a rainy day. Maybe most importantly, not everyone was raised to think of others and their feelings before yourself. 

Everyone is different, yes. Everyone experienced life a little differently, yes. Is it frustrating when you wonder why someone doesn't know that a harsh truth is better than any sugar-coated lie? Is it hard when you wonder why someone doesn't know that actions speak louder than words; that apologies require a change? Yes. Hell yes, it is. This happens with roommates, best friends, friends, co-workers, and anyone else you come into contact with on any given day. What's probably even harder is accepting and understanding differences in values, opinions, and etc. The good thing is, though, this a life-long process.

Until next week,

Thought of the day

 

Stop always waiting for the other shoe to drop

Happy Friday!

and

Happy New Year!

Hello from me in 2016! I hope everyone enjoyed the journey into the new year. Let's hope people were smart when (and if) they drank to find another way to get home so there were little to no accidents due to drunk drivers. 

The Iowa Hawkeyes are letting the Stanford Cardinals run all over them in the Rose Bowl. After the third touchdown in the 1st quarter, we decided to watch something better than the crap show. I apologize if any of my readers are Hawkeye fans but they are not playing the best.

Not much is new in my life since the last time I posted. I will be going back to UNI on Sunday to work next week. Spending time with family is nice but sometimes there's a point when a person spends too much time with them. Similar to a family vacation: on the way to the destination is (usually) the fun part, but on the way back, everyone is usually sick of each other.

Here's the link to the latest in the Odyssey articles I've written: Cats Are Jerks During the Holidays and Being Single During the Holidays, As Told By Tina Fey And Amy Poehler. 

OH! Before I forget, I checked my final grades and I earned two A's, two A-'s, and one B+ which is a 3.74 GPA for the semester. After screwing myself over scheduling 2 humanities courses with all the reading that came with them, I'm proud of the grades I got. Was it worth all the stress? Maybe. Yes and no. It's up for debate.

Onto to today's topic. This is something I've noticed that I do and I imagine that there are others out there who are guilty of this. It's something that, once in the habit, can be hard to get out of the habit of doing. 

Living life always waiting for the other shoe to drop

Hi, my name is Melissa Curtis, and I'm guilty of living like this. When something good goes right (or the way you wanted/hoped it would) or someone comes into your life that you instantly know will change your life for the better and after coming down from your high, you stop to wonder, "Now what will go wrong for me?" 

Cinderella didn't. Her shoe slipped and she kept on running. I think what happens is that we recognize a pattern in our lives that when something we get something really wanted and then an event happens that makes us wonder why we get our hopes up in the first place. But what we fail to see is that up and down pattern we experience what life is. It's a rollercoster that is full of ups and downs, twists and turns, and any other sudden changes in direction. To be fair, it's easy to get caught up in our day to day lives and forget that.

I don't have any special advice or words of wisdom. Why? This is something I'm still trying to figure out for myself. If you have some advice, I would be all ears.

Until next week,

Thought of the day

  

Save one person; it doesn't matter if that person is yourself

Happy Friday!

Well, it's once again Friday. After the long week we have all had, we deserve a treat. 

I, as well as all other college students, definitely deserve a break after finishing finals and surviving the week from hell. Granted, there are many other students who had way worse week with tests, presentations, projects, speeches, etc.

FINALLY. I'm home with my kitty, my family (Rachel comes home tomorrow! EEK), the holiday decorations are up, holiday food will soon be made. There really is nothing else like coming home especially during the holidays. No classes, no homework, no studying. Or in other words, no stress.

Here's the link to my latest Odyssey article: An Open Letter to My Future Children. There is an error, but it's already been published. 

I can't remember where I saw this quote but it touched me in a way that it opened my way of thinking. So of course, I needed to find the quote, but I couldn't find it to my disappointment. It went a little like this: "Save someone. Just save one person. It does not matter if that one person is yourself." We often underestimate our actions when it comes to helping out others. We love to try to save everyone when in reality we are the ones drowning and needed saving. Family and friends try their best to help us, but we need to save ourselves. It's easy to become reliant on others to save us. If the only person you end up saving is yourself, then you succeed.

Some say that to save others, you must first save yourself. This is not true. Far from it actually. By doing the little things, saying the right set of words at the right time, etc., we don't always realize the effect that can have on someone's day, mood, life, and so on. And sometimes it's through saving someone else that we save ourselves or figure out a way to save ourselves. 

Until next week,

Thought of the day

 

  

Running on empty signals you to slow down

Happy Friday!

Guess what? You made it through another week. Treat yo self however you want, whether that's a half hour nap or getting a pint of Ben and Jerry's to eat while you're watching a movie or both. 

Me? Right now at this moment, I have a sinus headache, stuffed-up nose and a runny nose, and a sore throat. I will try to keep this article relatively short so I can nap and maybe eat some ice cream or drink tea to soothe my sore throat. Yep, those are my plans as a college student on a Friday night. Allergies suck. If you didn't know that already.

My latest Odyssey articles link are here and here. I hope you enjoy them!

Fast. We live life in the fast lane. It's hard for us to slow down. Why? We hate being left behind. 

We often forget that we need to slow down every now and again. A car can't forever run on E. Not only is that bad for the engine, but also it hurts. We are the same way. When we are always running from place to place without slowing down, it's mentally and physically painful and/or exhausting. 

When we finally run out of gas, we just can't go anywhere until we refill our "tanks". However you relax is completely up to you; just make sure you do it. I'm not sure if this happens to anybody else, but when my allergies flare up or get sick, I feel like it's my body telling me, "Melissa, you need to slow down and recuperate." Or when I had my wisdom teeth out, I needed to slow down and to give myself time to recover. It wasn't easy for me to sit around and not being able to get back to going from one thing to the next. 

So, how am I slowing down? I'm taking the time to thankful just a few of the many important people in my life for being there: my parents, my siblings, my aunts and uncles, my grandparents, cousins, friends, mentors, and awesome co-workers. I'm truly blessed when it comes to people mentioned above; they put up with my Grumpy Cat obsession, my bouncing-off-the-wall personality when I've had too much coffee/caffeine, my delayed reactions when I'm going on less than 5 hours of sleep, my addiction to coffee or anything that has even a little bit of caffeine, my habit of talking to myself more than what's normal, and etc.  

Until next week,

Thought of the day

 

Sometimes we have to learn make the sacrifice

Happy FRIDAY!

Hello, all readers of mine! Did you read that top line, because if you didn't, I suggest you read it again. JBIF (Jumping Because It's Friday) is the new acronym I just came up with. Another reason for you to enjoy today is the fact is you survived this week with all its trip-ups and stumbles. YAY! GO YOU.

Another reason for me to be happy is that I survived this week of three tests or mid-terms. Although, I have two tests next week, but I will remember I can do it and survive.

Other reasons: IT'S HOMECOMING FOR UNI. That's pretty exciting. I will be working during the parade and half the game, but life isn't always going to work around my work schedule. Sacrifice is a part of life, and I am continuously experiencing and learning that. Life lessons sometimes need to be taken with a smile plastered on your face.

*********

The main focus of this post is to talk about a topic many people experience frequently- some more than others- if their day-to-day lives. It's something that can be a hard or easy decision for people to make. Depending on how the decision will affect yourself and/or others in your life, it can almost be a decision someone makes without even thinking about it. 

Sometimes the effects of our decisions we make have consequences we didn't anticipate or we couldn't avoid. We don't always realize how the decision we make now will be worth it out in the end. 

 Sacrifice

In life, this something that can be guaranteed as something you will have to go through. The cool thing about sacrifice is that it's a life-long process, and it's not something we figure out once and think it will be the same situation every time. Circumstances will be different. Context around the decision will be different. Your mind-set will be different. 

Parents. I realize all parents are not like mine. They make so many sacrifices for their children. You want that last piece of cake? Go ahead. It's almost an automatic given that parents put the needs and wants of their children ahead of their own. Some parents don't mind making because they believe they are doing it out of love for their children and just want to see their children happy. Others believe differently. It's for this reason (among others) that I'm thankful for my parents and all the sacrifices they have made for me, because they didn't have to do it. Thank you, Mom and Dad.

Military and other emergency response people. While some might have strong opinions when it comes to these people and their actions, I believe we all could agree on the fact they are putting their lives on the line to protect us and that's something we should recognize that brave sacrifice. What we often forget is the family and friends of these brave people who make the incredible sacrifice that they do. I don't say this as often as I should, but I'm thankful for those brave people. Thank you, members of the military and other emergency response teams for ensuring my safety and getting me assistance when I need it.

Siblings (specifically older for me). This is true for me. They have sacrificed nights out to watch me for my parents. Or the times Mom said they had to take me with them if they went somewhere (obviously having your little sister tag along wasn't cool). For the times when they put up with the stupid and maybe embarrassing things I would say about them in front of their friends or someone they liked liked. Also for the times they let me watch whatever Disney channel movie happened to be premiering that night. They have made so many sacrifices for me, and I appreciate for putting up with my antics and quirks. Thank you, Billy and Rachel.

Family and friends. For those who don't already know, I have many quirks and strange aspects of my personality. There are a couple that I think my family and friends have a hard time with. No-filter on what comes out of my mouth sometimes (re: most of the time) and that I talk to myself. Sacrificing their time to be patient with me while I likely backtrack what I maybe should have filtered. Also they sacrifice their reputation when they are with me out in public and I say something without thinking or if I start talking to myself in public. Thank you, family and friends.

Take the time to thank those who have made sacrifices for you.

Until next time,

(Oh God. The Toy Story 3 feels are coming back to me! Ahh!)















Thought of the day

 

Siblings: forced by nature; friends by choice

Happy Friday!

Guess what? You made it through another week of life. And if that's not something to celebrate, I don't know what to tell you. It's been quite a week for me, and I'm ready for a break. Strangely, I'm usually always ready for the weekend.

Here's the links to my latest articles from The Odyssey. 

A little update on my life. On Wednesday, I had an interview with STEM on campus for a student communications assistant position. It went as well it could, and I'm hoping things will work out like they should. If I get the position, it would be an amazing opportunity for me. If not, I can take comfort in knowing I tried and I gained more experience with interviews. I'm just trying to keep a positive mindset. 

Also on Wednesday, my big brother, Billy, turned 26 years old! It's hard to find the words to describe how much I love this guy. He's been there for me when I had my accident and whenever I needed advice about anything from car troubles to stressing over classes. He's not perfect (no one is), but he's taught me right from wrong, how to be sarcastic, how to ride a bike, and so much more. 

Thank you for always being you, Billy! 

"Bro.ther (person): 1. a role model for learning how to be a good person. 2. a model to compare potential boyfriends against. 3. a best friend for life."

Onto my topic of this post which is....I don't know. I know I have called wolf many times when it comes to saying that. There are too many thoughts going through my mind for to pick just one to talk about. 

Okay. After procrastinating long enough, I decided on a topic. This topic is something that many people take for granted sometimes and play a big part in our lives. We sometimes forget to take the time to thank them for all they put up with. Something I have touched on a little bit already.

Siblings

I realize that not some people are not as fortunate as I am with two older siblings. Sometimes I forget to thank them for all they have taught me, all the good and bad times, all the crap they have had and continue to put up with me, all the love and support I have received, and all the times they needed to snap me out a bad mood. 

Sometimes, we fight like no other which makes my mom just shake her head most of the time. But there are other times we are getting along, laughing, and just enjoying time with each other. It's those times where my mom just looks between us and smiles that secret smile of hers. I have thought about that smile so many times and what it might mean. My theory is that she's happy and content with her children getting along and experiencing what it is like to means to have someone who will be there no matter what. 

I saw somewhere that asked the question, "Do you ever look at someone and they could be doing the simplest thing and think to yourself, 'Man, I really love you.'" That happens with my siblings and extended to my family. Sometimes I love just watching them all getting along, making memories, enjoying each others company, and I am completely content with my life in those moments. 

Thank you, Rachel and Billy for putting up with me.

P.S. You are sort of stuck with me either way. 

Until next week,

Thought of the day