No Man is An Island

We need people. Basically, it comes down to that. I think I've been reminded of that lately... although we sometimes need to experience and learn things on our own, our lives are not meant to be lived in isolation. We naturally feel a need for affiliation, for friendship, companionship, love, etc. It's just a part of who we are. Some of us seem to need it to greater degrees than others. We may need this human interaction more at certain stages or times in our lives than in others. But we need it.

Think about the reasons why... We could not survive without each other, life would cease to exist (just think about all that parents do to raise a new generation). Often we receive answers to prayers through other people. We find true love in a relationship with another person. Even prayer is a communication between ourselves and God, another being, in whose image we are created.

Why do we love watching movies or reading books? Usually, it's because we feel some connection to the characters and their experiences. We flinch when someone is shot in a movie because it feels like it's almost real. We might go "Aww" during a romantic comedy because we see the truth in someone's love, even if the story is completely fake. Movies remind us of the importance of making real relationships with others.

When we're in need of help, emotional or physical, it is often through other people that we start to move forward again. Sometimes people can help us see things in ourselves that we may not see. If we all lived completely separated from anyone else, life would be pretty meaningless, and I guarantee our happiness would dwindle.

Remember those who are forgotten by most people, and let yourself do something good for them. And let people do something good for you.

Being open to people, I think, demonstrates an openness to life itself. Sure, we will all get hurt once in a while. Maybe even a lot. Use these experiences as a reminder of the extent of one's impact on others... but don't shut people out. No one is perfect, including any of us. Forgive people when they mess up. Trust me, if you don't, when you're older, you will probably not be glad that you kept out the world - you'll be lonely.

Let people in, and you'll let life in.

Thanks to the people who have reminded me of this.

Heart-Shaped Pizzas Make Valentine's Day Great

Dare I comment on Valentine's Day? Well, why not, it's already over anyhow :-) My advice for a Happy Valentine's Day is to just enjoy it. It doesn't need to be a big pressure holiday... just enjoy the loves in your life, in whatever form they come, and eat some yummy candy and write a few cards. Valentine's day was the best in my elementary school years, when every kid had a brown paper bag hanging up in the classroom, and everyone got a valentine. That's what it's all about! Anyhow, here's a picture of the heart-shaped pizza some friends and I ate. Yum!

Some things change for the better.

So, the BYU library closes at midnight, and at 11:45 P.M., they begin to play "exit" music. For my first two years at BYU, it was always the same song: Oh When the Saints Go Marching In.... and then that song from the "Beef: It's What's For Dinner" commercials. I found the Oh When the Saints a bit obnoxious, probably because often I was dozing when it suddenly would come blasting over the loud speakers.

Upon coming back to BYU this semester, I guess I assumed the same music would be playing at 11:45. However, it's changed. And... both times I was in the library at 11:45, there were DIFFERENT songs playing! Oh boy! They're mixing it up in the library! I'm wondering if perhaps the workers were starting to have nervous breakdowns due to the monotony of it all.

Anyhow, I'm enjoying the new variety of library exit music... it's always instrumental, but I'm pretty sure they played the "Star Wars" theme one of the recent times I was there. I'd much rather be woken up to that. Or better yet, I might try not having to stay in the library till midnight at all!

Anyhow, it's nice to know that there is some stability in my BYU experience... library music, lovey-dovey couples walking around (I didn't necessarily miss that though), those really good wraps in the Cougareat, ward prayer on Sunday nights...

Oh, and one other improvement! The Varsity Theater has begun to show regular movies again. Basically, they show stuff that is in the dollar theaters... The Prestige, Happy Feet, etc. But, before they only showed international films, so I'm glad that I can enjoy a nice movie now and then at my leisure.

Well, I'm off to class. School is CRAZY busy right now!