It was a beautiful Florida day, sunny, not overly humid, perfect. The shimmering sun shone on the mighty metal frames and bright beams of the amusement park rides on that joyous day in early June. My family walked down the wide entryway towards the gate at Universal Studios Orlando. I was filled with sheer anxiety and the sight of those tall roller coasters, those sleek, serpentine steel monsters that had haunted me for nearly ten years. Yet intertwined with that fear was utmost excitement; I was here! In mere moments I would be at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the theme park based on my favorite childhood book series! I was like a young eagle, scared of the sun but excited to be flying.
“Tickets please,” the cashier said as we at long last arrived. My mom took the tickets out of her purse. My second-youngest sister, Juliet, wasn’t feeling well.
“Do we need to buy any more?” my dad inquired.
“No, that’s okay, Juliet and I are going to go shopping!” my mom said, trying her best to make poor Juliet feel a bit better about not getting to go.
We entered the gate, found the nearest person that looked official, and asked how long the Wizarding World would be opening. Considering the park had not officially opened yet, this was a major concern.
“They are thinking of closing it at eleven,” the man softly replied.
It was 10:15. Within seconds, I was off like a rocket at Cape Canaveral, as fast as my sixteen-year-old legs, made fast by years of running on the cross-country team, would carry me, the stupendousness and sheen of Hogwarts Castle acting as a guide as I ran. I reached a bridge, across which and around the bend, I was sure the place of my dream lay hidden…that is until I was stopped by a park worker.
“Slow down!” He reprimanded. I then explained my situation, how I had to get to the Wizarding World before it closed.
“Oh, they’re thinking of keeping it open until 12:30 today.” He stated. Relieved at my luck, I slowed down and, with the tension of a pulled rubber band, waited for my dad and two younger sisters.
When we were finally there, it felt like a dream! I was in Hogsmeade! We went inside Honeydukes, surrounded by screaming, excited people, to look for souvenirs, hearing an announcer announce loudly with each “adopted” Pygmy Puff. Completely in awe, we bought Butterbeers and Chocolate Frogs. It was wonderful, all I could have asked for, except one thing lingered; the Wizarding World of Harry Potter had a roller coaster, a big one called Dueling Dragons, that went upside-down and in loop-de-loops. We then went on Homing Hippogriffs, a thrill ride but not scary enough to deter me. Then it was decision time: to wait for minutes that felt like hours as I had many times before while my sisters and dad went on the behemoth or do something crazy and join them. The deciding seconds were agonizing.
“Vic, you gonna join us?” My dad, knowing my fear, patiently asked.
Filled with nervousness and feeling like I might faint, I stammered something along the lines of “Well, I guess, considering the circumstances, it would be a waste if I didn’t.” We put our souvenirs in a locker and got in line. Within five minutes, I was about to do it. I was about to get on a roller coaster, reassured by the fact that, if I hated it, I would never have to again. The ride started, zooming, up the huge first hill, and was off! The adrenaline was almost a safety net, drowning my inhibitions in a sea of heart-pumping excitement. For a second, I saw my legs dangle above the street over a hundred feet below.
And then it was done. And it wasn’t too bad. For the next few hours we continued going on rides, including one with an 85 foot straight drop. Then came the other roller coaster at the park, a roller coaster both taller and faster than Dueling Dragons. My confidence lured me in line but, seeing other coaster riders, my old fear quickly reappeared. As we boarded I muttered to my sister, “Yeah, I’ll go on it but I probably won’t like it.”
Needless to say, I did. Very much.
Nearly two years later, we arrived at that first park, the first park where I remember seeing a roller coaster, the park where I nearly ran out when I was seven because I was so scared of ROAR!, the park’s beastly wooden death-trap, or that was what I had once considered it. This time, when the anxiety returned, it was quickly vanquished; as I got of that roller coaster, I felt completely, totally alive, devoid of old fears. In fact, I went on it again. Twice.
One might think (I certainly would) that this could only apply to adrenaline-seeking activities. I guess I was wrong because two months after I got off that wooden ride, I was knocking on the door of an apartment where inside dwelt a girl that I thought was beautiful. I was scared to death. The difference? Well, the difference was that that fear no longer mattered. Victor had become the victor.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Friday, March 16, 2012
Writing 150 Draft, based on recent international media events
From Facebook to Freedom: Promoting Democracy and Defeating Tyranny through Social Media
In the time it will take to read this, millions of people will log on and/or off a social networking site such as YouTube, Twitter, or Facebook. Most of these conversations will probably be rather meaningless and likely would not have happened otherwise. Yet what about that small proportion of conversations that do mean something? Could a Facebook events page or mass message in any way create change?
It was admittedly a rather ordinary February when Kony 2012 suddenly materialized on the Facebook walls of America. However, within a matter of days it seemed to take the nation, particularly the youth, by storm. Suddenly every internet-savvy individual became either a critic or a social activist. This thirty-minute video, found on YouTube and Vimeo, generated enough pathos to give added momentum to conversations about foreign policy. It seemed to electrify the people of the United States into remembrance that they were still the leading world nation, that were a people with a loud voice, that what they said truly mattered, and that if they honestly could unite to a cause they could potentially accomplish a lot throughout the world. After the successful Egyptian revolution that was, in part, organized online through social media, the question had arisen on what role new media would play in the changing world and this question only amplified with this new campaign to capture a man wanted for crimes against humanity. The critics of this campaign argue that “liking” a page will not create change, liking a page will not capture Joseph Kony. In these assumptions, they are right, to a point. Surely, knowledge is power but that power is useless unless it inspires action. However, the power of the human will is such that if a people stand united with a firm belief in their cause, it is difficult to defeat them. Social media, through each interpersonal connection, can inspire the masses to rise up for causes they believe in, empower people to advocacy and action, and, ultimately, generate enough influence to change the course of events of this world.
P.S. To all those reading let me assure you that I do remember that Sister Steadman said to save the introduction for last. However, I had already written this a week ago and am currently in the process of writing the 2.5 prescribed pages of body paragraphs that were to be posted today. Those will be up by the end of today, but I figure that, so no one is left waiting, I could put up this instead for your comments and corrections. Thank you very much and have a fantastic Friday.
P.P.S. The italicized portion is my thesis statement. I'm not sure if an intro can/should be two separate paragraphs but I figure why not try it out?
In the time it will take to read this, millions of people will log on and/or off a social networking site such as YouTube, Twitter, or Facebook. Most of these conversations will probably be rather meaningless and likely would not have happened otherwise. Yet what about that small proportion of conversations that do mean something? Could a Facebook events page or mass message in any way create change?
It was admittedly a rather ordinary February when Kony 2012 suddenly materialized on the Facebook walls of America. However, within a matter of days it seemed to take the nation, particularly the youth, by storm. Suddenly every internet-savvy individual became either a critic or a social activist. This thirty-minute video, found on YouTube and Vimeo, generated enough pathos to give added momentum to conversations about foreign policy. It seemed to electrify the people of the United States into remembrance that they were still the leading world nation, that were a people with a loud voice, that what they said truly mattered, and that if they honestly could unite to a cause they could potentially accomplish a lot throughout the world. After the successful Egyptian revolution that was, in part, organized online through social media, the question had arisen on what role new media would play in the changing world and this question only amplified with this new campaign to capture a man wanted for crimes against humanity. The critics of this campaign argue that “liking” a page will not create change, liking a page will not capture Joseph Kony. In these assumptions, they are right, to a point. Surely, knowledge is power but that power is useless unless it inspires action. However, the power of the human will is such that if a people stand united with a firm belief in their cause, it is difficult to defeat them. Social media, through each interpersonal connection, can inspire the masses to rise up for causes they believe in, empower people to advocacy and action, and, ultimately, generate enough influence to change the course of events of this world.
P.S. To all those reading let me assure you that I do remember that Sister Steadman said to save the introduction for last. However, I had already written this a week ago and am currently in the process of writing the 2.5 prescribed pages of body paragraphs that were to be posted today. Those will be up by the end of today, but I figure that, so no one is left waiting, I could put up this instead for your comments and corrections. Thank you very much and have a fantastic Friday.
P.P.S. The italicized portion is my thesis statement. I'm not sure if an intro can/should be two separate paragraphs but I figure why not try it out?
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Unmasking Reality and seeing Things as they Really are
Everything we see is not necessarily as it may immediately seem.
But we're pretty lucky, aren't we? As members of the Church, we have the resources to see things "as they really are" and thus the responsibility to help others. It's like we're going spelunking and we are the member of the group with the super heavy-duty flashlight. That flashlight is the Holy Ghost. That flashlight is things like Elder Bednar's talk, that we can refer back to every time our caves get a bit darker than we might like.
Can I just put something out there? I like my body, a lot. I love my blond, attention-getting hair, I like my chiseled calves from years of running, I like my dark blue eyes and I like my relatively strong forearms. I like being alive, I like where this body has taken me and the wonderful people I've gotten to meet while my spirit inhabits this frame. God has given each of us a tremendous gift, of which Satan is very jealous. He thinks that if he can't have a body, we shouldn't be able to either. So he wants nothing more than to see us waste these precious gifts away, to watch them disintegrate into nothing. We can't let him do that. These gifts are far Too worthwhile to throw away.
Elder Bednar mentions that sometimes we waste our bodies by seeking adrenaline rushes and for some reason the first thing that came to mind was motorcycles. The next was cage-diving with Great Whites. I can't help but wonder...are these activities inherently wrong? Should I amend my bucket list to get up and personal with sharks in Gaansbai? Just a thought...
I was just reading through the talk again, seeing as to where I would continue this blog post when I realized that instead of summarizing section-by-section, it might be better to just take a stab at the purpose/theme of this talk: that our world is full of distractions, some of which can be used for righteous purposes such as designing temples, indexing, and sharing the gospel, but others than simply take away from the truly beautiful aspects of our mortal experience. We, particularly as the rising generation, have a responsibility to, despite any and all technological entertainment advances, never lose track of what is truly important in life, namely our family/friends, education, self-betterment, service, and especially the gospel. So lets keep raising the bar, lets keep getting better, and lets never stop seeing things as they really, truly are.
But we're pretty lucky, aren't we? As members of the Church, we have the resources to see things "as they really are" and thus the responsibility to help others. It's like we're going spelunking and we are the member of the group with the super heavy-duty flashlight. That flashlight is the Holy Ghost. That flashlight is things like Elder Bednar's talk, that we can refer back to every time our caves get a bit darker than we might like.
Can I just put something out there? I like my body, a lot. I love my blond, attention-getting hair, I like my chiseled calves from years of running, I like my dark blue eyes and I like my relatively strong forearms. I like being alive, I like where this body has taken me and the wonderful people I've gotten to meet while my spirit inhabits this frame. God has given each of us a tremendous gift, of which Satan is very jealous. He thinks that if he can't have a body, we shouldn't be able to either. So he wants nothing more than to see us waste these precious gifts away, to watch them disintegrate into nothing. We can't let him do that. These gifts are far Too worthwhile to throw away.
Elder Bednar mentions that sometimes we waste our bodies by seeking adrenaline rushes and for some reason the first thing that came to mind was motorcycles. The next was cage-diving with Great Whites. I can't help but wonder...are these activities inherently wrong? Should I amend my bucket list to get up and personal with sharks in Gaansbai? Just a thought...
I was just reading through the talk again, seeing as to where I would continue this blog post when I realized that instead of summarizing section-by-section, it might be better to just take a stab at the purpose/theme of this talk: that our world is full of distractions, some of which can be used for righteous purposes such as designing temples, indexing, and sharing the gospel, but others than simply take away from the truly beautiful aspects of our mortal experience. We, particularly as the rising generation, have a responsibility to, despite any and all technological entertainment advances, never lose track of what is truly important in life, namely our family/friends, education, self-betterment, service, and especially the gospel. So lets keep raising the bar, lets keep getting better, and lets never stop seeing things as they really, truly are.
Monday, January 9, 2012
I am a...
When I was younger, I always loved to play survival games; I would pretend to be on the Titanic or stranded on a desert island. Where all else failed, I would be the survivor. And, according to President Henry B. Eyring, that assumption, though just child's play at the time, is not too far off. Every day, every hour, we, in similitude of Samuel the Lamanite (albeit on a spiritual rather than literal level) dodge arrows of the adversary, sometimes sneaking by and other times with a powerful, imperturbable shield as our protection. Personally, I think that that is pretty cool.
That's a bit daunting, wouldn't you say? Because we are needed in the kingdom now more than ever, we are, says Eyring, to face and endure more: more than the Mormon pioneers, more than the early Christians persecuted by Nero, and perhaps even more than the Anti-Nephi-Lehis, who gave there lives to keep in accordance with their covenant with God ; essentially, we have to be more, more than we might even think possible. However, no matter what we become, no matter how many spiritual bullets we face down in our days, we cannot let ourselves fall to pride. If God knows we're doing good, it shouldn't matter who else thinks so.
There was one more thing in the talk that kinda struck my attention. It wasn't particularly prominent in the six pages on educational excellence, but it was there nonetheless. It was on page five, where it says that great learners have something else, something more personal, that drives them to continue with what they have chosen to do, to do that thing for a lifetime, to make it a part of them; it is in the pursuit of excellence in this field/pasttime/whatever that one fields meaning.
That's a bit daunting, wouldn't you say? Because we are needed in the kingdom now more than ever, we are, says Eyring, to face and endure more: more than the Mormon pioneers, more than the early Christians persecuted by Nero, and perhaps even more than the Anti-Nephi-Lehis, who gave there lives to keep in accordance with their covenant with God ; essentially, we have to be more, more than we might even think possible. However, no matter what we become, no matter how many spiritual bullets we face down in our days, we cannot let ourselves fall to pride. If God knows we're doing good, it shouldn't matter who else thinks so.
There was one more thing in the talk that kinda struck my attention. It wasn't particularly prominent in the six pages on educational excellence, but it was there nonetheless. It was on page five, where it says that great learners have something else, something more personal, that drives them to continue with what they have chosen to do, to do that thing for a lifetime, to make it a part of them; it is in the pursuit of excellence in this field/pasttime/whatever that one fields meaning.
I think ultimately what Eyring is saying is that, because "life at its longest is short," each of us is to pursue excellence in whatever we choose to do, then use that to help others. Will we be tried and tested along the way? Absolutely! Does that really matter though? If we are living life in a way that is gradually making us our best by doing what we love and helping others, then no I don't think it would matter. I think that if we are truly excellent, or are at least continually on that road, if we always remember that we are children of God, who loves us, then we will be able t o strongly stand through all the trials we might face and know that all of it is worth it, that all is how God would have it be.
And...because I am rambling and not completely sure how I want to end this blogpost, I will do so by quoting one of the great philosophers of our time who also had a lot to say about excellence; in 1989, Bill S. Preston, Esquire stated "Be excellent to each other." I hope you all will do the same. Have a wonderful week, take extra caution this Friday and I'll...likely post again soon.
And...because I am rambling and not completely sure how I want to end this blogpost, I will do so by quoting one of the great philosophers of our time who also had a lot to say about excellence; in 1989, Bill S. Preston, Esquire stated "Be excellent to each other." I hope you all will do the same. Have a wonderful week, take extra caution this Friday and I'll...likely post again soon.
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