My Mission was Real Life

On my mission I found a pattern. That pattern was that the Lord blessed you for your efforts. Life was spiritually holistic. If I was poor at memorizing but worked at it and tracted my heart out, even if I didn't get anything from that tracting--somehow things worked out. I was blessed because I was trying, even if the trying was unrelated to the area I was seeking blessings in. (I don't care about the preposition rule.) However, in college if you are poor in writing but work really hard and do well in other areas, too bad you're dead--college is not holistic and if you want to do well you have to do well regardless of your proportional conditino. Effort means nothing. I don't think life is like college. Same with college itself. I believe that life works out like a mission. You work hard, do your best, and things will work out. Because honestly people fall short of so many things in so many ways there is no way we could collectively honestly qualify for blessings. The efforts of our hearts and faith qualify us. Life is holistic and the Lord is over all. D&C 4.

I received an email today from a swimmer on my team. I don't even know what to do with it. It is a counter to the news I received Monday. I coach and I love it:

oliver,

I don't know how you felt todays practice went but what I could stay for, I loved. I don't know if I could have finished all the set, including the deck work but I sure as heck would have tried. I don't know if you realize what the team is willing to do for you. I think that if you had told us to keep on trying to do push ups and crunches and so forth, we definitely would have gone till we couldn't go anymore. I don't think that our team is one for quitters. We are tough crowd under a tough leader. I like being pushed beyond what I can do because that is how I get stronger. I probably will be a little sore from the 50 pushups I did do, but I would have willingly done all 300 or whatever was written on the board. I want you to know that I appreciate all that you put into the team. See you some time tomorrow maybe.

and here is a good song:

3/16/2009

Oliver Crane
570 s 2nd w apt 15
Rexburg, Idaho 83440USA

Dear Oliver,

Thank you for your recent application for admission to graduate study at Brigham Young University. We regret to inform you that the Public Administration MPA program has not recommended you for admission for Fall 2009.

I am an English major and I am required to analyze character motivation. I say so what if someone is annoying, mean, angry, a liar, etc. Good job you've found a flaw. So what. Are you really going to dehumanize someone and discount them because they're not good at something or even trying to be good? It seems a silly reason to like or dislike people because of who they are. Why no take control of your life and start liking people because you're not a victim of their traits, habits, or personality? Start being a leader.

Shylock in the Merchant of Venice makes a good point in act iii scene i.

To bait fish withall, if it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge; he hath disgrac'd me, and hindred me half a million, laughed at my losses, mocked at my gaines, scorned my Nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies, and what's the reason? I am a Jew: Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dementions, senses, affections, passions, fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subiect to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same Winter and Summer as a Christian is: if you pricke us do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us doe we not die? and if you wrong us shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility, revenge? If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example, why revenge? The villany you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.

Everyone's got a story.

Maintain the Fury

Another good song.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99455777

Good Song

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99340118
Song: "Booker"
Artist: Milton
CD: Grand Hotel
Genre: Folk-Pop