Resisting My OCD Tendencies

I've been studying on the third floor of the library in the No-Shh! Zone lately. Normally, I sit at one of the computers on the long side of the oval tables. Today, I decided to try and sit on the rounded edge or the table instead. Since I sat down, I've been trying to resist the urge to move. I think I really do prefer the straight edge of the tables to this weird, curved one. At first, I tried to talk sense into myself. This spot is fine. I really can sit here. But immediately my brain started to come up with a zillion of other problems with this seat. The keys on this keyboard are stiff and hard to type with. The screen is crooked. The keyboard doesn't line-up perfectly with the computer. I don't like this angle. A sick person probably sat here before me and I'm going to be sick tomorrow for having used the same computer. There could be a glitch in one of the computer cords and if I continue to sit here it's probably going to blow-up and injure me. If I don't move soon I could miss out on a serendipitous opportunity to meet my Mr. Right. Someone else probably really loves this spot and if I don't move, I'll ruin their day.

I tried. Really, I did. "Just wait out writing this blog post and see if it still bugs you," I told myself. Alas, I'm sad to say that my OCD tendencies are still nagging at me and this seat is driving me crazy. I'm off to move over to that straight-edged-table computer seat I've been eyeing for the past five minutes or so. I hope no one sees me move.

Over and Out.

Pets

Mom, Fred, and I

When I was two, we had a dog. Not that I remember, I just hear stories about me loving him to death. He got sick and died not long after we got him. Being two, I didn't really understand this, so I would go out to our backyard and call his name. "Fred! Fred!" Or at least, that's what my mom says I did. Like I said--two-year-olds don't remember much.

When I was in kindergarten, we got a fish tank. This, I remember. I remember going to the store and looking at the fish through the glass and thinking they looked so awesome. I remember thinking that it was strange that some of the fish ate each other (cannibalism, anyone?). I remember thinking that the "sucky fish" was my favorite because it's the one that lasted forever and didn't die.

When we moved to Washington, we gave up the fish and tank and since then, my life has been pet-free. When I was little, I really, really, really, really, really wanted a dog or a hamster or an anything, but we remained pet-less. And really, that's okay. I was fine with the idea of visiting my friends' pets for an hour or so and then being able to go home without having to worry about all the unpleasant parts of having a pet. Course, now Jessica, Abby, and Kate are trying like crazy to have my parents get them a dog. I doubt they'll cave in.

Daughters in My Kingdom

One of the most powerful book I've ever read is "Daughters in My Kingdom." The first time I read it, I read it because Sis. Beck, who was at the time the General Relief Society President, was coming to speak to the girls in my stake and she asked us to read it. I did, but it didn't really do much for me. Then, last summer, our Relief Society decided to read it together. Because I wasn't distracted with homework assignments and huge to-do lists, I was able to really focus on it this time. It was absolutely amazing. I loved reading this book so much because it gave me real, strong, admirable role models to look up to. The following is part of a letter I sent my friend while I was in the middle of reading the book. I think it sums up my experience reading the book fairly well:

"I’ve had such an amazing experience reading DIMK. I think that Heavenly Father told me to have the Relief Society read the book mainly just because I needed to read it. I’ve only gotten through a third of it, but already it has better strengthened my testimony of Relief Society than any other talk, scripture, or manual ever has. Relief Society is awesome. And the women of the church are even awesomer. I used to always feel so disconnected from Relief Society because I felt like it was so old and stuffy. Reading this book, however, has helped me realize that, like I said earlier, the women of the early church weren't pushovers. I admire their courage and testimony and strength. This book has given me the right kind of role models to look up to. Not the skinny, worldly kinds we see in the movies and the magazines. No. These women knew God, and wanted to follow Him. They served and served and served and never stopped. They loved their families and let the God-given female desires they had lead and guide and motivate them. They weren’t ashamed to want to have kids and to nurture and love and…well, to be feminine.

Not going to lie—I’ve kinda grown up my whole life a little afraid? Embarrassed? Against the fact? that I’m a girl because girls can be annoying and obsessed with silly things like makeup and clothes. I like running around and getting dirty and doing ‘boy’ things. Also not going to lie—I’ve never liked the stereotype of the girl who comes to college just to get married. And for a while I felt like saying that I was—am—excited to have kids and a family made me feel like I was a part of that stereotype. This book, however, has taught me that being a girl isn’t about the hair and the makeup and the frills. It’s about taking care of a family. And it’s a good thing to want to take care of a family and that I shouldn’t be ashamed of the feminine qualities God has given me. These women weren’t, and as such, they had a greater capacity to love and serve those around them and to be just plain amazing. They weren’t ashamed to be who God made them to be. They were women—and happy and proud of it! I want to be like that, and reading this book is helping me to be more like that. I have not a doubt in my mind that it was inspired by God. I’m so grateful that we have leaders who are awesome enough to seek out Gods will and to follow it so that we can benefit from their efforts."

Boomboxes

This is a picture of the boombox I had!

When I was young, boomboxes were the coolest things. Ever. I remember going over to my friend Alix's house when I was in first grade and listening to Backstreet Boys and Nsync while jumping on her bed and dancing and singing along all because she had a boombox. It was pretty serious business. We were pretty serious business. That's how cool you got to be when you had a boombox in your room.

I didn't get a boombox until the next year for Christmas. At least, I'm pretty sure it was the next year. Second grade. I walked out that Christmas morning and there it was, in all it's grey, bulky, metal and plastic electric glory. This was it: my ticket into the cool club.

Okay, so I didn't really think in terms of trying to get into some "cool club" or anything, but I did deem myself pretty awesome for now owning my very own music playing device.

Anyways.

Sitting next to the boombox (my boombox) were my very first CDs. I got the soundtrack for the movie Shrek, with cool songs like "All Star" and "I'm a Believer," and a CD of a Christian girls  group named Zoe Girls. It was awesome. The whole boring grey exterior wasn't working to well for me, though, so I decorated it with rainbow heart and peace sign stickers. On the power button, I put a yellow smiley face.

Just three years after that the world was introduced to the iPod, but I stayed loyal to my boombox. My collection of CDs continued to grow, with music from "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrects" (which got stepped on one day when left out on the ground at Grandma Sorensen's...we went to WalMart the next day and bought a new one), the "Lord of the Rings" soundtrack, and the "Pirates of the Caribbean" soundtrack (I kinda have this thing for soundtracks). At night, I would press the "sleep" button and then drift off to sleep while listening to "Pride and Prejudice" or the song "Fairy Dance" from the 2003 "Peter Pan" soundtrack.

I have since moved on from my cool boombox and CD days and now buy everything I listen to with a click on Amazon or iTunes and then upload it to my iPod. I think, though, that there will always be a special place in my heart for big music-playing hunks of plastic. They are, after all, the ultimate ticket into the thirteen-years-ago second grader's cool club.