Power vs Protection

I was just watching E:60 on ESPN and they did a piece on girls lacrosse in high schools across the nation.  I didn't use to know much about lacrosse, but in the last few months I've come to find out that it is a really cool sport! However, with that being said, part of what makes it so cool is that there is A LOT of contact with players hitting other players with their sticks,  and the balls are solid. One conk on the noggin with that ball, especially when it's being thrown as hard as possible, and you're at risk for some major brain damage! 

Unfortunately, the segment focused on a couple of girls who actually did have the unfortunate experience of being nailed in the head, and dealing with the consequences of brain damage from concussions.  It pointed out that the girl lacrosse players aren't allowed to wear helmets in their sports, because the people over the sport have decided that they can limit the amount of head injuries with better trained coaches and better refereeing...is it just me or does seem absolutely asinine?! Why would you not allow someone to take precautions and put a helmet on their head rather than be at the mercy of the coaching abilities and refereeing abilities of other individuals?! This just blows my mind and seems incredibly irresponsible of those who make the rules and regulations for girls high school lacrosse.  Especially because of the fact that guys DO wear helmets in lacrosse.  I understand the thought process that if no one has a helmet everyone will be more cautious not to hit people in the face, however anyone who has played sports knows that there are times when a person's aim is off, and WHACK another player gets nailed in the head, and let's not count out the fact that you can ALWAYS depend on one hot head who can't control themselves or think rationally and THUD goes the ball against another player's head.  I mean come on!  People's desire to have power and control things makes me mad, but much more so when life long, or even life threatening consequences are involved.  

Watanabe is Japanese for Amazing Friend

Billy's Graduation from UVU April 2010

I had the pleasure of going to Bombay House tonight with three of my favorite people: Lynne, Laura and Annie.  Lynners is leaving us tomorrow night to head out to Michigan State University to become a scholastic doctor of sorts...as it were.  Now I have a sentimental attachment to good ol' Michigan, especially MSU campus since I served on that campus as an LDS missionary a few years back, but I have an even bigger attachment to my dear friend Lynne and I will miss her tremendously!

I've had the pleasure of becoming great friends with Lynne over the past three years, and as I read her "goodbye" note, that she wrote to me, after I got home tonight, I couldn't help but look back on the great memories we've had over the past two years.  From our fantastic trip to California in Spring of 2009 to just hanging out on Sundays over at her apartment with the rest of our friends doing nothing, Lynne's friendship and the memories as the result thereof will always be a highlight in this chapter of my life. Lynne has always been someone who I could just be myself with and not worry about being judged.  She's always built me up, at times far more than deserved, and has always been supportive of me in whatever I've chosen to do.

Lynne, I'm excited for you and for what lies ahead of you out at MSU! I know that you'll be amazing as always,  and just want you to know that you have A LOT of friends back here who love you and believe in you.  Always keep that in mind, and I look forward to hearing about your adventures!

Dentist Visit #1

Dentist visit #1, it's now over, t'was no fun...but I took this cool picture of myself!

Filling 3 cavities! Flossing is important kiddies!

Collective Trust

It occurred to me today as I was driving down Main street how much trust we put in each other as members of a society.  I was in the middle lane as two cars merged into the the lanes on each side of me at the same time.  The only thing that kept me from freaking out was the fact that there were dotted lines on each side of me to keep me "safe".   I find it incredibly interesting that we operate these pieces of machinery that weigh at least a ton each, and the only reason we expect to not be killed by each other is because we trust that others will obey rules that tell us to stay within certain lines, and to use blinkers when change lanes. Just a random though that I had...

There is Beauty All Around

Sometimes I'll be doing my own thing like just now as I was sitting at my desk at work, typing away.  I stopped to turn around, for what reason I couldn't tell you, and this is what I saw...

I realize that with my phone camera there is no way you can see this exactly how I see it, as the setting sun casts a glow over the greenery and brings it to life in exhilerating fashion, but that just gives me one additional thing to be grateful to God for.  Beautiful surroundings and eyes that can capture an image better than any camera ever could. Tender Mercies...

Family = Freaking Fantastic!

Jesse's wedding in L.A. (February 14, 2009)

I was wasting away my time on Facebook tonight and started going through past profile pictures randomly.  It was fun to look at past photos and laugh as I recalled many of the moments that the pictures were taken, but I was also filled with an immense gratitude for my family, especially my siblings, as I came across pictures that included them, as well.  I've always believed that the family unit is an immensely powerful influence in an individual's life, whether for bad or for good. The power that family has to shape a person is beyond words or measure, in my opinion.

Although I grew up in what most would probably call a dysfunctional setting (Who am I kidding, I'd be the first to say so), and even though we siblings grew up with half in one parent's home, and half in the other parent's home for most of our lives, it is amazing to me that we all seem to have such a strong bond with one another and love to spend time with each other.  I can definitely say that my siblings are among my best friends, which is something I'm always sad to realize that so many others cannot.

I've had the unique opportunity, I think more so than any other of my siblings to have one-on-one times with each of my siblings.  From my 8th-9th grade years where I was constantly spending time with my oldest brother,  Gordon, to my opportunities of having times during my junior and senior years of high school of being the only other sibling at home with Aubrey or Jesse, to my post mission era of becoming besties (Yeah, that's right, I said "besties. Tender moment) with my youngest seester, Lina; let's not forget all of the years I spent sharing a bed with Daniel.

We've all grown up now and are going about our lives in different areas throughout the western United States, and have ventured into different lifestyles.  We have some pretty heated family e-mail conversations, and definitely don't all see eye to eye on things.  But if there is one thing that I know, it is that my family is the most valuable thing that I can call my own and that there is no group of people I'd rather spend time with because albeit loud, we're pretty freaking funny, and fantastic!

My colon the...moral compass?

I've come to discover that my colon, or whatever body organs are in that immediate area of my body, have become my moral compass, of sorts.  Weird?  You betcha!  It's painful too, at times. 

So as it turns out, my older brother and sister (the two right ahead of me in age) both have forms of colitis.  My assumption is that this came to be because they carry their stress down in their abdominal section, just as I do.  All of my life I've had minor problems with my guts. You know, like the irritable, stomach tied in knots kind of feelings; but in the past couple of years it seems that my colon and co. have decided to take it upon themselves to remind me when I'm trying to go against what I honestly, and most often deep down, feel is the best thing for me to do.  Since I don't ever seem to learn, and I continue to go ahead with what seems logically correct, even though it's against my inner judgement, I've begun to pay a price for it every time I do.  My stomach gets this tightly wound, tied in knots and gnarls, you shouldn't have eaten that type feeling, and my colon, or immediate area becomes very tender and sore.  Even when I have my mind made up that my decision is the most logical thing to do and the best option, I apparently cannot lie to my abdominal section.  I guess it comes down to having to trust my gut feelings more often, or face the consequences of feeling my guts in tyranny until I put up the white flag

...I can't help but wonder if this means I'm a prisoner to body, and what seem to be commitment problems, or if my gut is just smarter than my brain.