From the Mouths of RMs

Casey texted me today and asked if I wanted to go clubbing at Club T tomorrow.

He meant the temple.

---

A few more sentences from my RM Chinese class:

He is a good person; after all, he is an American.

She is very beautiful, plus she has a car -- I want to date her.

Husbands should be considerate of their wives. At the same time, the wives should not repeatedly ask husbands to be more considerate.

The reason why I am taking Chinese is because I want to be able to talk to my Chinese girlfriend.

Our Common Cause

"If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. 

But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together." 

- Aboriginal Activist Group

Line by Line, Heartbreak by Heartbreak

People tend to write about what they know best. And in the case of my Chinese 202 class, my fresh-off-the-mish students apparently know all about frustrated love and DTRs.

They turned in their first homework the other day, where they were asked to write sentences using certain grammar principles.

Some classics: 

"I turned to her and asked, 'do you even love me?'"

"The reason why I like beef is because I just like beef."

"When I bumped into my girlfriend talking with a boy I didn't know, they made a face at me."

"It is very difficult to find a wife here at BYU."

"The reason why I don't leave the house is because I'm afraid somebody will hurt me."

"Together, we will make it to the Celestial Kingdom."

-----

Oh, the joys of being a TA.

A Wanderer

 Tap. Tap. Tap. Five. Seven. Five.

I've never liked haikus. Perhaps all those seventh grade composition assignments just drained it out of me. But recently in my creative writing class, our professor asked us to keep a haiku journal. And so I did. And I fell in love.

With Basho.

The magic is you have to cover it up and read it slowly, savoring every last delicious imagery. Let it surprise you.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Don't Imitate Me

Don't imitate me;

It's as boring 

as the two halves of a melon.  

I'm a Wanderer

I'm a wanderer

so let that be my name -

the first winter rain.

Ungraciously

Ungraciously, under

a great soldier's empty helmet,

a cricket sings.

What matters the most

Recently, I've been too wrapped up in my thesis/ PAS/ Golden Key/ Sigma Journal/ classes/ work/ Women in Politics panel/ missionary stuff/ future plans. Even though I was trying to hold everything together, I think I was falling apart at the seams.

Last week in Relief Society, somebody shared with us President Uchtdorf's talk "Of Things that Matter the Most." Here are some lines that struck me:

"It is said that any virtue when taken to an extreme can become a vice. Overscheduling our days would certainly qualify for this. There comes a point where milestones can become millstones and ambitions, albatrosses around our necks."

"love is really spelled t-i-m-e, time."

"If life and its rushed pace and many stresses have made it difficult for you to feel like rejoicing, then perhaps now is a good time to refocus on what matters most. Strength comes not from frantic activity but from being settled on a firm foundation of truth and light."

His solution for simplifying our lives? Focus on the four key relationships with God, our families, our fellowmen, and ourselves.

1. Relationship with God
I went to the temple yesterday. It's been too long. And sitting there, without looking at the clock, was absolutely wonderful. I learned some important lessons about myself. And on a less serious/ spiritual note, I also found out that I am now officially too tall for the size small and short baptism jumpsuit. It must be the vitamins.


2. Relationship with Family
My family periodically loses a child. And a sister. And a cousin. And a niece. They patiently wait for me to resurface from my piles of work. But while they've always been there for me, I haven't always done the same in return. Sometimes I call Chelsea when I'm rushing to school and she always sounds so surprised. So, this week I made a goal to call a family member every day. Soon, they'll be screening my phone calls.


3. Relationship with Fellowmen
I've made some really good friends this semester. I haven't done so well in hanging onto my old friends though. Last week, I cried when one of my closest friends shared about the depths of her loneliness. I cried because I've seen glimpses of it all along. And yet, I never really spent the time to just sit and talk to her. So then, I grabbed her and we talked. And talked. And cried some more. And then laughed at ourselves and danced in the bathroom.


4. Relationship with Myself
This one is the easiest and the hardest. I'll spare you.