Friday Five--

1) What new experience(s) did you have in 2008?
The most important experience I believe I had was in February. I was at a gig and one of my friends, who is underage, showed up to the place completely drunk. The group of people that I was with were so embarrassed by her and one even pushed her away from them. I put her arm around my shoulders and helped her around the place, even in the bathroom. I believe it was an important lesson to learn for me--acceptance. I'm straight edge and normally wouldn't even want to be seen with someone drunk, but I put that in the backseat to help my friend out when no one else would. While she brought it upon herself someone still needed to make sure she didn't break her face falling or getting carried away by some random guy.

Also in March I had the most wonderful experience. I was at a show with a few friends at Dakota State University and it was probably the best thing in the world. I was totally and completely content with everything around me. The entire night I was telling my friends how much I loved them and how great the night was and how we should do it again. I just outright told them it was the best night of my entire life. I don't know what triggered the feeling of contentment, but whatever it was it stayed with me the entire rest of the weekend.


     2) What inspired you in 2008?
I would have to say the biggest inspirations this year have been Sarah Palin, Selena Gomez, Nick Jonas, and the boys of McFLY.

Sarah Palin broke onto the scene and it was just chaos, but she kept at it. She got a lot of those airhead remarks, but she perservered. When people said there was turmoil in the McCain Campaign she kept a smile on her face and her shoulders up. When news of her daughter's pregnancy broke she didn't even faulter. I think she would have made a remarkable Vice President and a wonderful President if McCain did pass away during office. The way she ran her own state and the way she conducted herself when under pressure always made me nod my head.

Selena Gomez and Nick Jonas kind of fall into the same boat. They're Disney stars, one obviously an actress and the other being a musician. A few other of the network's stars have been making some not-so-good headlines, but they seem to keep their toes behind the line and keep working at what they think is best. The message of them just being kids helps, too. The vlogs Selena does on YouTube with Demi Lovato and the fun interviews she does keeps her as just another sixteen year old girl in the eyes of the public and I love that. She isn't too serious and she's entirely wholesome with a good outlook on life and what she wants to do in the future. Nick Jonas is primarily the same way--keeping a good attitude, letting people know that he is just sixteen years old, and just going with whatever life tosses at him. The fact that they both aren't afraid to say that they're religious and waiting until marriage doesn't hurt either, because that shows that they want to be good role models for kids their age and younger.

And if it weren't for the boys of McFLY I don't exactly know how much I would have gotten done this year. I started running in January and started cycling in April with them in mind the entire time. Tom and Harry of the group have just been remarkable role models when it comes to fitness and when I biked the five miles to my friend's house they kept crossing my mind. If Harry could run a 26 mile marathon, why couldn't I bike five miles? If Tom could lose however much weight, why couldn't I finish this little ride? Tom also wrote three short stories for a children's book this year which inspired me to keep working on my writing that I had been letting go tremendously, including my own children's story about a field mouse named Shakespeare. Then the boys' new album came out which came with a DVD and I was tossed into a whole other wave of inspiration. I've been playing my bass every day now and trying to work on my vocals, trying to get them out of the range I'd placed them in when I was using Simple Plan to work with. They've also done several charities, which have made me get more involved in the Diabetes Awareness Troupe and think about what I really want Stay Together For The Kids to do.
 
     3) What challenged you this year? 

   What hasn't challenged me this year? I lost a friend in March from a drunk driving accident, my cousin passed away in August from his battle with cancer, my dad quit getting as many hours at work so we've had to go without food and heat for some short periods of time until he can get in the work, my brother's been in jail for stealing from some close friends of ours and I've had to deal with the shame that backlashed from that, college applications, scholarship applications, my declining physics grade, my art teacher's vendetta against me, and, most recently, the toss up of if I really want to be a writer or if I should get my head out of the clouds and think of a real job. Friends have also gotten in the way. One wouldn't get a job so I had to be behind her and encourage her to get it and stick with it, one keeps putting me down on anything I tell her, another won't listen to anything I've got to say, and another thinks I'm the most fascinating thing since sliced bread and has way too high of expectations for me. It's quite odd to go through so much in the span of a year, but I keep going. I keep praying, keep writing, keep trying to be the change I want to see, and just keep on truckin'.

     4) What new person or people entered your life?

  The one person I met this year is Mr. George Nielson, my social psychology professor at Dakota Wesleyan. He has been a wonderful teacher, challenging me on all aspects of life. His main thought is that we need to think freely. We need to abandon life's expectations and just go for it--do what you want and say what you want. He wants us to let go of inhibitions and think outside the box. Swearing doesn't mean anything, sex is going to happen so you might as well talk about it, and sometimes religion doesn't make sense so you should talk against it. I'd never met anyone quite like him before and he's definitely something else. I am extremely glad I landed in his class and not someone else who would have taught me what a book said and not what they themself were thinking. Sure Freud has some points and Aronson wrote a wonderful book, but I think George Nielson could battle them when it came to freedom of thought.

     5) Which global event(s) had a strong impact on you?

This year it was mainly the things going on in Tibet and the relationship of China and the rest of the world and Darfur. I was focused on the human rights aspect of those countries and I've primarily been trying to figure something out to speak out. I wrote a scholarship essay for the Middle East a few weeks ago and was saying something about organizing a concert like Live Aid or Live 8 or Rock For Darfur, but making it more diverse and more like the Lifelight Festival I went to in Sioux Falls this past August. It would take a lot of thinking, a lot of effort, a lot of people, and a whole lot of money, but I've been thinking.

Then, of course, the election had a strong impact. I wasn't aware it was as globally important as it was until about September when the English started voicing their opinions about Obama. But there's a lot going on with that. The new president has to deal with the crumbling economy not only here in the US but in Japan, China, Australia, and England as well and they've got to do something about the Iraq War and terrorism in general and they've got to do something about national security, immigration, abortion--it's a big deal. I'm giving President Elect Obama a chance and I'll see if he really makes the change he's been preaching about, but I was a McCain supporter. I started out Obama, but then went Huckabee (and I still stand strong beside Governor Huckabee as he does his talk show now) and finally went to McCain when Huckabee dropped from the race. Ah well, there's always 2012. Mike Huckabee for President, boys and girls.