Road Trip Dos

These pictures are in order. I also saw Ft. Knox-but you're not allowed to take pictures of it. It was a great way to get across the counrty. There were weird situations and tender mercies. This year there have been defining moments and opportunities that have far surpassed my greatest expectations. I suppose them surpassing my greatest expectations is what makes them tender mercies.

Grateful for:
the Lousiville Slugger baseball bat I was able to purchase for $17
being able to stay with my good friend Matt
huge dogs
my worn-in soccer cleats
documentaries and Ken Burns
big skies
music that moves me
being generally stronger than most 13 year olds
people
my shoes that have lasted for over 2 1/2 years--rare
my car and an open country of roads
the National Park system
Maine, Kieve/TLS, and all the people there
Scripture and prayer
good deals on backpacks and jackets

The Final Countdown

I have six days left till I drive back west. I am excited. I have had a great time coming here, the branch has been amazing. I do not know where I'll be in January. I could be in Rexburg, the Arizona desert, Maine, or Washington DC. If I get the internship in DC I don't know if I could pass it up seeing as how it could positively affect the rest of my life and my future family's quality of life. However, so could following a prompting of the spirit in another direction. Promptings trump anything, as long as I'm strong enough to listen and obey.

I am excited for:

• the continuity of a job and the blessings of a calling.
• the benefits of hard work and remuneration to save for necessities.
• stability in order to pursue friendships, family, coaching, grappling, creation, and education.
• a life of faith and the knowledge that it replaces loneliness and trials.

Yeah you, you got what I need!

2009 has been quite a year. And in two weeks I am going to be driving out to the west coast again and will see great people.

This fall: My friend Matt is flying out to Rhode Island and we are driving out on the 21st of November. I am going to have Thanksgiving in Paul, Idaho with extended family. I am then going to spend the next 2 1/2 weeks finishing up my online class. This takes me to Christmas, I have no idea where I will be going. I am actually tired of the vagrant gypsy life and hope to have an address that is my own to put on applications sometime soon. It has been a challenge since 13 to battle the feeling of this poem:

I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky.
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sails shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face and a grey dawn breaking.

I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife,
And all I ask is a merry yarn from laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over. --John Mansfield

(Note: This poem come from the Dangerous Book for Boys book and I read my boys these poems, war stories, and other extraordinary stories almost every night--depending on their behavior.)

This winter: I also do not know where I will be this winter. I only have two options though. I will either be in DC in January or in the west for a few months tills coming back to Maine for the final 3 months of the school year. Then I have to find somewhere to go for the summer again till graduate school in the fall.

The challenge: Ihave to battle the spirit of adventure and lack of responsibility I feel as a single man. But primarily, I think similar to everyone it is difficult to plan too far into the future because I have no idea what the Lord will put in my path. It is not necessary that I know everything that will come, I will move forward with faith though. Coming out to Maine has been perfect. I have returned to happiness and found new direction in life.

Finally: I know that I have been compelled to give things up that are dear to me. I feel I have learned many lessons right now. And I also hope that while I am learning these lessons I am becoming better myself. I will be happy no matter what happens. My happiness is obedience to the commandments and faith, which is "a moveable feast." This I have always known.

Boston finally happened!

I finally saw Lexington and Concord. I finally went to Boston and saw some of the city. This has been something I have wanted to do for the last ten years. Although I always have my eyes closed in pictures I still want to share some.

I was so happy on Sunday. I was walking around thinking, "I'm here. I'm really here." I've been reading about the events that took place here and now I'm finally seeing and experiencing it. Funny Things: For Halloween we went to a Masquerade Ball at the Harvard Club with a singles function. I had duct tape holding my glasses together and I couldn't see anything when I took them off. I think I asked a 45 year old women to dance which was so awkward and embarrassing I went and sat down afterwards. I was shaking I was so embarrassed. I don't think anyone could take me seriously because of either my glasses or my squinting. Funny: After a great stake conference with Elder Ballard an 89 year old man drove us around Lexington and Concord for a tour. I have no idea why he was driving. He almost killed everyone around us; including, bikers, other cars, and the gear box. It was so crazy I wasn't even nervous or scared. I just laughed. As you can see by the pictures he is not even looking at the road while driving and is blasting the heat for a 75 degree cab.

That's right sir. They're glasses sir.

I break and or bend my glasses almost every day. Normally it's from getting hit in the face by someones body that I am wrestling or some ball of some kind. Whatever the reason I hate glasses. Yesterday while playing catch I took my glasses off to bend them a bit and the metal rim around the lens completely broke. I knew this time would come. Every thing breaks. This summer I broke a crowbar. Back to the point, I purchased 2 pairs of the glasses above. They were $25 with prescription and everything. I am excited to see again with nerd glasses. It's a new style and I don't think it will last long because I now can find good cheap glasses for like $10. I can break them without feeling guilty anymore! Wrestling city here I come.

More importantly, my sister had a baby this week. He is not named after me and I am still coming to terms with this. Lilly and I will be forming a protest committee.

Have you ever made maybe one of the most difficult decisions of your life and realised you made the best decision and that you did it because you were a better person than you used to be? I had a situation like that recently. Daily scripture study, prayer, and temple attendance changes who we are in a good way if done with sincerity. It's just how it is.

And finally, every night this week I gave the boys in a cabin a 'how to become a man' speech. Monday night I talked to them about how to treat women. When I finished they asked if I could give them another 'how to become a man' speech the next night. They got quiet and in their bunks Tuesday night waiting for what I would say. Tuesday I talked to them about integrity, Wednesday about values (what you would have integrity about), and Thursday night I gave them their final talk about work and service--that they needed to be good for someone else not just for themselves. What a full week!

Sucess

This has been such an interesting week in the most extreme sense. Extreme tests of faith followed by great spiritual experiences. On Friday I gave two copies of The Book of Mormon away. Each was to a close friend and each was a private and a sincere experience. In both of these experiences I did not plan them nor did I force them. I love The Book of Mormon and I love these people, I wanted them to have this book. Then today, us three mormons at Kieve, went down to Boothbay Harbor and had more intense spiritual experiences. Great day, great day.

These are some of the things . . .

I know my mom reads this and I think Elise read my last post; and, sometimes Jessamyn reads. So for the 2.5-4 people who read this, these are some of the things I care about or love in no particular order:

It turns out I am not as deep as I wanted to be -- pretty uncomplicated. I like hitting things, smashing things, running around, and generally wasting energy.

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I chose this picture because it moved me. I think I love people; and, it is important to note that I have been taught this.

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I love standing for something, alone or with a group. This is because every day is a battle -- if it wasn't I wouldn't love standing for something.

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Although this is a commentary on child labor I am choosing this photo because it is filled with the pathos of a heart yearning and feeling. And in the business of the day I love taking time to feel and listen. I have regained this here in Maine.

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Work. I have been saying this for the last few years. I have learned that I'm not as hard a worker as I thought I was, I wish I was more. But dispite this I still love it; and, this love stems from something that work gives me.

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This is a given that I have recently decided how grateful I am for it. I have read this book so much that I almost forgot if it meant as much to me as it should. I love it, I read it, and I wish I loved it more.
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This is a pretty simple list. I have tried to complicate it more in my life but my wants or needs are pretty simple -- I really don't need much more to be happy than the essence of what these things mean. I am learning to come to terms with this.