Potential

Anyone who has ever taken a physics class could tell you that the world universe is full of things that have potential. You start learning about potential energy when you're in middle school, and then again in high school, then in college, they teach you about all kinds of potential. But what does potential have to do with anything?

• A car sitting at the top of a hill has a fairly substantial gravitational potential energy.
  
• A rubber band wound around a person's fingers waiting to be released has elastic potential energy.
  
• An electric charge placed in either an electric or magnetic field has electrostatic or magnetic potential respectively.

I could go on, but we'd be here for a long time.

The thing about potentials is that regardless of the type of potential, nothing likes to stay at the highest potential. Let's go back momentarily to the car and gravitational potential energy. This is the easiest and most applicable example. The car has the most potential energy when it is sitting at the top of a hill. Or, I guess we could say a person has more potential when standing on the top rung of a latter than when standing with both feet firmly planted on the ground. With nothing to hold it in place, the car would roll down the hill converting potential energy to kinetic energy until the car comes to rest at the bottom where the potential energy has reached zero. Similarly if you are the person on the top of the ladder, and you're stupid enough to let go, you will fall until you splat on the ground. At that point, you have zero potential energy, zero heart rate and zero brain function. Basically things in nature tend towards the least potential possible. It is easier.

Guess what else tends towards the least potential possible because it's easier? Me... you... and everyone around us. This is not just speaking in terms of gravitational potentials, electrical potentials, or chemical potentials, but something far greater. We all have inherent in us a celestial potential greater than we can imagine. But, just as it takes a great amount of effort and work to push a car up a hill... towards a higher potential, it takes an extraordinary amount of effort to reach this celestial potential. In truth, it's easier not to. It's easier to give up, it's easier to fall back to a place where we exhibit zero potential. If we stop pushing the car, it's going to roll right back down to the bottom of the hill. It's not impossible, just difficult. BUT like getting that car to the top of the hill, and being able to see everything surrounding you, reaching being faithful and achieving the highest level of celestial potential will be worth the work.

I guess what I find most interesting is that "potential" is applied in a science in a way similar to explaining our own progression to eternal life. Like a roller coaster which obeys the laws of physics absolutely, it's simple for us to end up right back where we started, but unlike a roller coaster, we have the ability to choose NOT to give in to nature. We can choose to remain or even progress in nature to whatever degree we desire. We do not have to return to a place of minimum potential, but can progress upward indefinitely. Maximum potential is limitless. It's a provoking thought that the only thing that puts us as humans above the rest of nature is our ability to choose to place ourselves at a higher potential.

Entitlement

For some reason, as human beings, we often seem to get the notion that we are entitled to things. Perhaps it is just part of the nature of being... human or other wise. We had a cat for several years who felt she was entitled to many things.... Her favorite spot on the bed, half your can of tuna, Megan's crochet slipper. Yes, she certainly believed that she had rights in our house! Dogs also tend to think they are entitled to things.... leftovers, anything in the trash can, shoes, bones and any toys you give them. Our dog even knows which toys are his, and which toys are the puppy's (my nephew), and the dog will not touch puppy's toys, but he also doesn't like one to mess with his toys.

Many if not all of us possess this sense of entitlement in at least one aspect of our lives. I, for example, have worked at Old Navy for two years, and am still making eight dollars an hour. I feel like after two years of putting up with all the nonsense that goes on there that I should be entitled to a nice fat raise! To me, this seems a fairly reasonable and realistic entitlement. Sometimes though, I feel like people take their sense of entitlement to an extreme, and this irritates me.

At work we have 15 fitting rooms. 13 of those are regular sized (still fairly large) fitting rooms. Two of those don't work, so in reality we have 11 regular fitting rooms, one larger room, and one handicapped room. Keep in mind that two or three people can pretty comfortably fit into one of our regular sized fitting rooms. Living in Happy Valley, we get a lot of moms that come shopping with their little kids. I have absolutely no problem saving the bigger room, and giving it mostly to moms with kids. That doesn't bother me at all, more people, more room... it is all reasonable. But what really bugs me, is when moms with kids and a cart full of stuff stick their nose up at my offer for the bigger room, and request the handicapped room. Here is why this bothers me. First, the bigger room is plenty big enough to fit just about any cart, stroller, or any other child-toting contraption around. Unless some mom comes in with quintuplets, the larger room is plenty big enough. Second, I am really curious to know... since when does having kids make you handicapped??? Last I checked having kids makes you a mother, not disabled. Yes, I understand, kids are a challenge, kids are hard, and sometimes they may make you feel like you are handicapped, but I assure you, it's not so!

Now, in all honestly, we don't get too many people in wheel chairs, or that need the handicapped room coming into our store, so sometimes I will put mothers with their carts and kids in the handicapped room because I'm feeling nice, BUT if someone has the nerve to ask for it just because they want the bigger space, I will usually say no. I do not believe that mothers are entitled to the handicapped dressing room, and people who do believe that really irk me. I believe that people who ARE handicapped are entitled to the handicapped room, and it should be free and available to them as often as possible. Maybe I'm just a softy for people in wheelchairs, but I know that my life would definitely be a lot harder without the use of my legs, and I would really appreciate anyone who tried to make it a little bit easier for me.

A Seemingly Small Realization

So last night I was getting ready for bed and I was thinking. All of a sudden something clicked in my head. It's probably something really simple that everyone else realized a long time ago, but for me last night it was profound. Correct me if I'm wrong about anything...

If "as man now is, God once was" Then God really does understand all about life and progressing, and the pains and frustrations of failure and the pressure to become perfect. Think about it. We always talk about how Christ knows exactly what we are going through because he suffered all of our pains. In some ways that is more comforting, but I think it also might be important to realize that God himself (and not just through Christ) probably has a pretty good idea of exactly what it's like to strive for perfection because He has done it. He is not just a mighty King who has no comprehension of the pains and frustrations of His people, but He knows! He knows what it's like to fail and to have to get up and try again over and over. He knows what it's like to feel like despite all your efforts you're getting no where. He's done it, and He gives us the challenge because He knows it's possible because He has done it. He has done what we are all striving to do. And He knows that if we really put our all into it, then we can do the same thing!

I don't know. I feel like that creates a greater bond or connection between God and man. It makes Him seem more reachable because He can relate so to speak. When you get so frustrated that you almost feel like there is no point in trying anymore... well just think... He probably felt that way at one point in time too. But He overcame it, and we can too.

Some people might feel like this humanizes God too much, that it is a desecration of His glory, perfection and almighty power, but I believe it merely a beautiful illustration of our potential for great glory after this life and a mighty source of strength as we struggle now to reach that potential! God lives, He loves us, He knows what we go through here, and most of all He knows that it's possible and that it's worth it. How else could He know this if He has not experienced both for Himself!

Dating and Dumdums

Trust me... the title is not what you think. While it does in many ways have application to real life, that is not the reason I chose to title this post "Dating and Dumdums."

At work, both at the fitting room, and at the registers, we have large containers of candy that we can give out to little kids (or adults). We do this as an attempt to convince people that our store is fun so that our customer service survey scores will go up. We also play Disney movies and provide a place for kids to play and color...

In working in the fitting room the last several days, I've had a lot of opportunity to hand out candy to little kids. The pick this week is dumdums, and I've been able to notice that there is a great deal of variation in how kids chose their dumdums. Some reach in hardly glancing at the flavors. Cherry, strawberry, cotton candy... does it matter? Some want to try a little of everything. These kids want one of every flavor. One is not enough and they often try to take two or three of the best looking at the same time, and end up very disappointed at learning that in the end they must leave with one. Others will go through and look at the flavors... wavering back and forth between one or two or three before finally resting on a decision of the most worthwhile. For these there are many that could be good, but it is all about determining which is best. And finally there are the kids who know ahead of time exactly what they are looking for. These kids have a specific flavor in mind (blue raspberry for example) and will comb the whole container over in search of that one dumdum that is going to make them happy. If such a dumdum can be found.

I have begun to think that the choosing of one's dumdums is in many respects similar to dating. Maybe it's just because I'm at BYU and dating is stressed and thought about a lot. Maybe it's because so many people I know are getting married. Maybe it's because subconsciously I want to find someone to date (HA!), or maybe it's simply because it has been a slow week at work which leaves the person in the fitting room a lot of time to think. Regardless, I think there are some valid similarities.

First, there are those who choose haphazardly.... "I'll date any guy/girl that comes along merely to have someone to date." They are all different, and some may not be quite as desirable as others, but in essence they are all made up of the same ingredients. All dumdums are made of sugar.

Next, there are those who want it all. They want the cherries and the strawberries and the butterscotches. These don't want to be told what to do or restricted. In a manner of speaking... these are the players of the world. They like it all, and want it all.

Third, are those who look at what they have and try to make the most of it. These people see that there are a lot of good options but don't need all of them. They have restraint. These are able to come to decisions and be satisfied with whatever they choose. They are realistic and intelligent at the same time. Setting the proper goals, but at the same time, not setting their standards to an unattainable level.

Finally, those who seek for that one dumdum...that one flavor that may or may not exist in a particular batch of suckers... they are the fantasists. They believe in soul mates, and may spend all their time looking for that lone dumdum whilst all the time oblivious to the things that the other flavors have to offer. They may perhaps even know that they like strawberry, but because they have their mind set on grape, they refuse to even consider strawberry as a worthwhile possibility. Too bad for them when grape isn't to be found, and they walk away empty handed.

This comparison is by no means a perfect comparision. Not everything matches up perfectly, but it was fun to think about. I am also not intending to say that the way a person choosees their dumdums in anyway says anything about how they conduct their dating life. I definitely do not believe that this is the case. I am sure that this application could be applied to many other aspects of life, but being a young adult... dating seemed the most worthwhile application.

Back to School

As with every place, living in Utah definitely has its high points and low points. Many have heard my contrasting of shoppers in Utah versus shoppers in California. I believe that this difference is highlighted most clearly during back to school season. Back to school is a busy time in any retail clothing store, but add Utah to the mix and you have something else altogether. I believe that only in Utah is back to school season more dreaded than the three weeks between black friday and Christmas eve!

To give you an idea of what things have been like the last couple of weeks, here are some pictures of the store friday night when I left at ten. I was lucky enough this week to get out in time to catch the bus so that I didn't have to make the four and a half mile journey home on foot at midnight :)
I closed down the fitting room on friday, these first two pictures are of some of the clothes that I folded during the last few hours before we closed.


This last picture was taken in girls as I was leaving.


I feel bad for everyone that had to stay. I don't want to think about how long they had to stay to get things cleaned up.

With any luck, this will be my last back to school season working at Old Navy! After the last few weeks, I think I can honestly say there isn't really anything I will miss about it. Not even the discount!

Planning Someone Else's Wedding

My sister is getting married. YAY!

This means that because I'm the only one that lives close to her, I've been able to participate in all of the pre-wedding preparations. You know, stuff like dress shopping, ring searching, looking at cakes and flowers, and on and on. With some brides this would be a pain, but my sister is very simple and easy going and it's actually been quite pleasant.

This being said, I've begun to think that this is the best way to do wedding. You get to participate in all of the prewedding goodness without actually having to do the official wedding thing. Don't get me wrong, marriage is great, but I'm thinking that now I've done it all, I don't have to do it again. I've experiences dress shopping, ring shopping, and searching for cakes. Now if I ever get married, I can skip all the nonsense and just find a temple, and DONE!

Maybe this one. Any guesses?


All the fun without all the stress! Sounds like the way to go to me!!

The Paradox of Happiness

I was talking to a friend last night (huge surprise there), and the end of our conversation took an interesting turn. There is no need to go in to the particulars of the conversation, but just about the last thing that this friend said to me was to do "whatever makes you most happy. And results in the least chance of pain or hurt." I have not been able to stop thinking about this since last night. Here are some of my thoughts.

We live in a world full of opposition. If you add, it can be reversed by subtraction, multiplication by division. Even Newton understood the principle of opposition in his third law of motion which says that for each and every action there is an EQUAL and OPPOSITE reaction. Newton created his laws for motion... but truth is universal. I believe his principles can be applied to other aspects of life, and in this instance, happiness.

Many of the things we experience are relative. Having been raised LDS, I understand that opposition exists so that I can have experiences. Sorrow exists so I may experience joy, evil exists so that I can experience righteousness, and infirmity exists so that I can fully appreciate what it is like to be healthy. Without these varying states, life would be bland, boring, and not worth living. Continuing the pattern, it seems logical to assume that without painor the rist of pain, I could not experience happiness?

In considering both the law of opposition, and Newton's third law of motion (which if you think enough about it are actually the same thing) The only conclusion that I can come to is this: That whichever course of action I choose that results in greatest happiness for me, will also, by laws ordained of God, carry with it the greatest possibility for hurt and pain. The least amount of possible pain would then be obtained by making the choice that while still resulting in happiness, results in the least amount of happiness. I suppose that in theory there would be a neutral ground when a decision results in neither happiness or pain, but I do not believe such a thing exists.

I guess then that the thing to take into consideration is not the amount of happiness possible compared to the amount of pain possible because both extremes would be at the same but opposite ends of the same balance beam. The question then is if the possible happiness is worth the risk of experiencing the possible pain. My opinion is that most times, the risk or pain makes life far more worthwhile than living experiencing no happiness.

Birthdays

Today is my 21st birthday.

It's a big one... at least that is what people say. I am legal now. Birthdays don't really mean much to me. No one feels any different the day of their birthday than the day before. Well, perhaps. I bet a lot of people feel different when they turn 21.. but since I don't drink, I wouldn't know. And most people that do drink, already have, so the 21st birthday is really just an excuse to get plastered.

Birthday wasn't bad this year. Last night, I went out to dinner with my sister, and then did a double date with her, her boyfriend, and the boyfriend's roommate. It was fun. Would have been more fun to go with someone I actually know, but beggars can't be choosers, and since I couldn't come up with anyone myself, I can't complain about going with someone chosen for me.

There actually are some big things that come with turning 21... even for us LDS people who don't drink. First, at 21, I'm finally old enough to go on a mission. I always thought that I would serve, but now I just can't seem to make it work. Someday when it's right, it will, but there is some significance in being old enough to go if I so decide. The second almost goes right along with the first. There were many guesses made that I would be married, or almost married by the time I had to worry about deciding to go on a mission. Well everyone, here is my 21st birthday, and I have absolutely nothing in the men's department holding me back from going. No husband, no fiance, no boyfriend, no prospects. I'm as single now as I was the day I turned 16, 5 years ago. Sorry to all of you who thought otherwise, but I fully expect to graduate from BYU in two years unmarried. I'm thinking that old maid hood doesn't sound too bad. Heck I'm a pretty good knitter, and I could, might, maybe learn to like cats. Regardless, it's been a pretty good weekend. Look forward to seeing what the next year brings (marriage not being on that list, I assure you!)

Roommates

All students look forward to college life... I mean, what isn't to love about it. You get to pay to go to school, or not go to school as it is your choice to go to class or not. You get to pay for each of your 100 plus dollar text books. Pay to live. Pay to eat. If you want to do something social, that often involves money too.

Remind me again why we thought high school was so bad??

But best of all, the college experience is not complete without roommates! Roommates, like everything else in life come in all varieties. Quiet. Loud. Nice. Annoying. considerate. Disrespectful. Soon to be best friends. The ones who just want to get married. The ones that are getting married. The ones you wish would just get married because you don't want to live with them anymore. Molly. The opposite of molly. Vegan. Meat eaters. Well, you get the picture.

Having now lived with twenty-two girls in six apartments at three different colleges, I have experienced just about every type of roommate listed above. I believe I can honestly say that roommates make a world of difference in the experience one has at college. And while I can say that having roommates has been exciting, fun, and worth it, I also have no fear saying that in many ways I look forward to graduating, so I can have things in my house the way I want them to be.

Now, don't start thinking I'm anti college or anything. I wouldn't change my experiences for anything... not even the trying to transfer college credits from three different colleges... though I don't recommend it. I love college, and all the experiences I've had. There are just some that I think I could handle being done having. Of course, I still have two years ( and who knows how many more roommates) before I'm done with my undergrad, and another three years grad work, so perhaps I shouldn't be looking too far in the future yet. But someday I will control my own kitchen!

Last weekend in California!

I moved back to Provo this week. It was about 13 weeks ahead of my original plans, and 6 ahead of more recent plans, but it was definitely the right decision. I feel back at home, and have even found myself a cute little complex to live in for the summer. I haven't met the roommates yet, so I just have to hope that those are good too!

Because my stay in California was so short, my sister and her family came up to see me before I left. Here are some pictures of my nephew. It was warm enough that we were able to get in the pool a bit, but X wasn't sure what he thought of the new water wings...

He also got a chance to kiss one of the dragons. How many kids can say they've kissed a dragon?







Well, that is all I've got for now. I'm sure there will be more coming. I had all sorts of ideas of things to write about on the train, but unfortunately there is no internet on the train. Oh well...

"Scarf"

Here is the real reason I finally gave in and started the blog. I finished a 13 month project this week, and needed a way to show it off. I've been calling it a scarf for the last 13 months, but obviously I had no idea how large the finished project would be.



I'm not really sure what to call it now. "Scarf" just doesn't really seem to fit.

Over all though, I'm pleased with the finished product. There are a lot of things I would do differently if I were to do it again, but it is my first completed large project. Hooray!



As for my next project... well I've bought some beautiful silk yarn that should knit up really fast into a pretty little something actually "scarf" sized!

First Post

I've been thinking about this for some time now... debating the idea of starting a blog. I like to write and I think that a blog could be fun, so I guess I'll just see how it goes. Not sure what kind of nonsense I'll be posting on here, but honestly... there are much worse things I could be doing with my time on the internet.

Hooray for things to do at night when I should be sleeping!