It's Been too Long, So Let's Make it Good

Wow. It has been a very long time since I posted a new blog, and for that I apologize to no one in particular (specifically because I doubt I have much of a "readership"). The last month has been pretty nuts....I went on an amazing service trip and I made it through a couple of stressful work weeks. I've been up, I've been down, and now I'm here to tell you all about it.

First to address, Project Appalachia:
I sit here looking at my screen blankly because I cannot even begin to formulate words to describe this experience. I would drop five cent words like "perspective altering" and "ethereal" but none of this would really mean anything. The trip taught me a couple of wonderful things and brought forty amazing people into my life, as well as instilling a significant love of gravy and biscuits in my heart. It took a 12 hour van ride to Harlan, Kentucky, sleeping in a room full of sort of strangers, only two cold showers in one week, hikes, ditch digging, house cleaning, yard work, late night diner encounters, kick ball, gorp, exposed, burnt oatmeal, a bonfire, Rocky Raccoon, and standing under a freezing waterfall to understand how lucky I really am.

For the first time ever I was around a mass of people who simply made me just want to be a better person, and I finally realized the significance of surrounding yourself with goodness. Since Appalachia, I have come to the conclusion that experiencing severed ties from people who only make your life worse is not something to worry or stress about; it's an improvement. It's okay to cut loose the people who don't want you to be happy because, sadly, a lot of them do exist but so do the good ones. I came back from Kentucky with the infamous "Harlan Glow" and I, like many of my fellow Appalachia people, am doing everything in my power to keep it for as long as possible. Things change, both good and bad happen all at once, but the people we choose to be can decide what factors influence us. I can let petty problems wear away at my glow, or I can choose to be improved by the good in life.

So there you have it, Kentucky sun was just great for me, and I will never forget my times in Appalachia.

Other than that:
I don't really have much to say otherwise, actually. I saw Slumdog Millionaire on Friday and it was, like everyone and their mom said, amazing. Its theme pretty much went along the same lines as what I just said, which was a really cool coincidence, and I was further reminded (with a Bollywood touch) that our perspectives on life have to do with what we choose to influence us. The main character, Jamal was served with some really crappy experiences, but he controlled their impact on him so that they made him stronger and better. He came out happy and successful because of what he chose to affect him. There are so many people who choose to dwell on their minor miseries but the only reason to really pity them is that they can't enjoy the good around them.

Alright, I have to stop here because I got sappy again. Crap! Anyway, life's beautiful, kids; why do we always seem to forget that?

Peace