Goal Accomplished

12-31-17

#myDecemberGoal

Goal Accomplished

            Today is New Year’s Eve which means that by posting this blog piece I have successfully accomplished my December goal. At the beginning of the month, I made it a goal of mine to write one blog post a day until the ball dropped celebrating the New Year. I wrote one that was private which I didn’t post and I forgot to write one on Christmas Eve so I wrote two on Christmas. Besides those little missteps, I can happily say that I successfully accomplished what I set out to do. It’s been a fun journey and I’ve learned some things along the way.

            First, I found out that it would take me until 11 pm to feel motivated to write. Often later in the night was when I would reflect on my day, which brings me to my second point. Each day of mine brought something new and something to write about. No matter how boring or how fun, there was always something on my mind that I could share.

            Speaking of sharing, I hope that you’ve enjoyed my short stories these past 31 days. My main motivation for writing these posts wasn’t to make you want to like my writing. It was simply me striving to accomplish something over time. I said in the beginning that #myDecemberGoal was like a reverse New Year’s resolution. I did it because I knew that a specific timeframe would help me stay accountable. Now that we have a little under 15 minutes until 2018 rings in, new year's resolutions will be made. For me, I’ve already accomplished mine. It just so happened to occur during December.
  

-Brody

Overcoming Limits

12-30-17

#myDecemberGoal

Overcoming Limits

Today I was inspired by E:60. It’s a show on ESPN where journalists interview people about their life stories and how it relates to sports. They were airing a special this evening to reminisce about their past 10 years of creating the show. While watching all the footage and hearing some interviews, it was incredible to see what some people accomplished while having some sort of setback.

One girl they covered was a star track athlete even though she had multiple sclerosis. She couldn’t feel her legs whenever she raced and had to fall into her coach’s arms every time she crossed the finish line in order to stop her momentum. She then had to be immediately carried to a bench to be cooled down by ice bags and water because her body would be producing so much heat. This happened every race and it’s not like she came in last. She won many of her races.

Stories like these inspire me because they make me realize that we as humans can persevere through the limits that Mother Nature puts on us. And when we do, we can accomplish great feats. I’ve found that this is easier when someone is along side of us, constantly pushing us to be better and encouraging us along the way, like that girl’s coach. While there is a breaking point and such thing as too much pushing, I usually find that I have a lot more effort to give whenever the thought of quitting or not even trying pops into my head.

I believe the military has a 40% rule that says when you first think you want to quit, you really have only given 40% of your available energy. Thus, you still have 60% to give. I remember when this saying affected my workout a couple months ago. I first only wanted to run 10 laps on the track but I decided at about lap 7 to add 60% more laps to my goal. I ended up running 25 laps (60% more) and was amazed that I actually did it.
           Mindsets like this and stories such as what the journalists of E:60 share have led me to make one of my New Year’s resolutions be not to underestimate myself. If I don’t underestimate myself, who knows what feats I can accomplish.

-Brody

Deleting Email

12-29-17

#myDecemberGoal

Deleting Email

I’ve spent the past hour and a half deleting emails from my personal account because I thought it would free up some space on my phone. After about 15 minutes, I decided I was going to go all out and try to delete as many unwanted emails as I could.

I’m a person who likes to save stuff. I like the sentimental aspect of gifts, written cards, and yes, even emails. As I sorted through the electronic pile of messages, I realized that facebook and twitter took up a majority of my email space. I also realized that my emails were a time capsule of my past 5 years. As I sifted, it was fun reflecting on all that has happened and who has been involved in my life. There were emails I got when I was trying to find which college I wanted to go to. There were emails from my first job. There were even emails about people who retweeted my tweets. I’m not a big tweeter, but those posts definitely brought back good memories.

All in all, while it was boring to delete all those emails, the going back in time aspect made it worthwhile. If you’re a saver like me, maybe go back and read some of those old emails. It’ll refresh your memory.

-Brody

Malls

12-28-17

#myDecemberGoal

Malls

            I don’t like going to the mall. My brother needed some pants though, so today we made the drive out there. The only part I like about going to the mall is walking around. It’s fun to feel the energy and look in the window displays. But after awhile my legs start hurting and it’s all downhill from there.

            The next frustration comes when I have to find what I’m looking for. I’m usually one of the smaller sizes so finding the right fit can be hard, especially when it comes to pants. Shirts are easier since there are fewer shirt sizes made. Once I’ve found an item, the money factor comes in. For me, I like to know all my options before I purchase something. However, the mall makes it super hard to compare items across stores. I would have to walk to each store, find similar items, compare the items in my head, and then go back to the store which I think has the best deal and best item.

Thus the tired legs, the inefficiency of selecting clothing, and trying to find the best deal are all reasons why I don’t like shopping at malls.

-Brody

Waiting for Wristbands

12-27-17

#myDecemberGoal

Waiting for Wristbands

            Even though I went to IU, I grew up going to Purdue football games. I was really young when Drew Brees had his phenomenal career and the Holy Toledo play. I barely remember my parents watching the 2001 Rose Bowl in our family room with their friends. I do remember Kyle Orton pretty well. Unfortunately they ruled his scramble as a fumble versus Wisconsin. Dorien Bryant was the speedy wide receiver and return man. I was at Joe Tiller’s last game with my Dad in 2008. Then there was Danny Hope and Darrell Hazell. Enter Jeff Brohm. I remember when Ross Ade didn’t have lights. To say the least, I’ve experienced a lot of Purdue football.

            After games, my friends and I would wait outside the Purdue locker room in hopes that we could catch the players’ wristbands that they would throw at us. If we were really lucky, we might have even gotten a pair of gloves. As a kid, I always said my dream was to be a college football player and Purdue allowed me to experience it as a fan.

            Fast forward to 2015, and my fandom changed to IU football. I made the 13 hour car ride to the Bronx to watch IU play in its first bowl game since 2007. It was a great game but we unfortunately lost on a last second missed field goal in OT. Now it's 2017, and I’m watching Purdue play Arizona on TV in its first bowl game since 2012. There’s 8 minutes left in the game so I don’t know who’s going to win. I'm still an IU fan, but it has been pretty cool to see both IU and Purdue go to bowl games recently. Hopefully both teams become above average in the near future. I’m not waiting for wristbands anymore, but I am waiting for bowl wins. We’ll see what happens.

-Brody

Are you a Gamer?

12-26-17

#myDecemberGoal

Are you a Gamer?

            Do you play video games? I’m not a big fan of them but I do play with my brothers sometimes. We enjoy playing Fortnite and Rocket League on the PS4. Fortnite is like hunger games where you have to pick up supplies in a giant map and try to be the last one standing. Rocket League is like soccer except you kick the ball around using a car that looks like it was made by hotwheels.

            I really have no clue what else to write about, so this will be it. I try not to play too many video games because I think they’re a waste of time. They are fun, but for me they get boring after about 20 minutes of playing. All in all, it’s pretty impressive how good the graphics and gameplay are these days. I can’t even imagine what they’ll be like in a couple of years.

-Brody

The Best Present

12-25-17

#myDecemberGoal

The Best Present

            I didn’t write a blog post yesterday. Frankly, I didn’t want to write one on Christmas Eve. I was enjoying spending time with my relatives too much. Every year on Christmas Eve after church we have our cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents over to our house. We munch on snacks all night long and have a good time chatting about whatever. This year I also went to my first midnight mass. The choir was superb and I enjoyed how peaceful the drive home was in the snow. The town was silent.

            Today of course is Christmas. Merry Christmas! We celebrate Jesus’ birth and all that he represents. When he was born, he wasn’t wrapped up in some fancy wrapping paper. Instead, he was wrapped up in cloth. He wasn’t under a tree but under a smelly manger’s roof. He wasn’t some fancy gadget that connected to the internet. He connected us in a better way. It wasn’t through computers, but through forgiveness and love. He’s the best present and it’s our choice whether we accept his gift or not. The good thing is, we don’t have to accept the gift only on Christmas. He gives us his present every day.

            To wrap up, I hope everyone has had a wonderful Christmas and holiday season. Whether you believe in Jesus or not, I hope you always choose to treat others with compassion. Jesus would be proud if that’s how we interacted with each other. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

-Brody

Dolly Dolly

12-23-17

#myDecemberGoal

Dolly Dolly

The theme for the end of this year has been moving. I’ve helped my mom move classrooms and today I helped my Dad move out of his law office that he has been in for the past 18 years. My dad started his own law firm with his friend Jay when we moved back to West Lafayette in 1999. He’s had two or three staff members during this whole time and he’s supported our family in the best way. One of the reasons he wanted to have his own law firm was so he could spend more time with our family. For that, I am very grateful. He’s the best Dad.

This afternoon, my brothers and some family friends loaded a U-Haul with objects from the office such as filing cabinets, desks, chairs, and bookshelves. As my dad and Jay near retirement in the coming years, they decided it was time to sell their current building, make some money from it, and move into smaller separate law offices. They're sad they won't get to work in the same building anymore, but are happy that they're both almost done working. My dad's new office is located on the Lafayette square near the courthouse. He does disability work so he never goes to the courthouse, but nonetheless he is now going to work downtown which I think is pretty cool.

One of the funny phrases we came up with while moving was “dolly dolly” which was inspired from bud light’s “dilly dilly” commercial. We used the dollies all day, because without them we wouldn’t have had the strength to move some of the furniture. The most strenuous part of the day was when we needed to get the huge desks into the new office. The catch was that the new office was on the second floor and the only way up was using the stairs. There was no elevator. We needed reinforcements because these desks had to go up the stairs with pure human force.

Luckily, my brother called his friend to come help us. Without his strength, I’m not sure we would’ve been able to get the job done. Personally, I learned what the turtle technique was with regard to moving furniture. It’s when you put the piece on your back and carry it up the incline while you have two people behind you carry the back end. This technique worked masterfully and we successfully got all the desks to the second floor. The only casualty was a little nick in the wall.

To conclude, I had fun helping my Dad move into his new office. The next couple of years will certainly be times of transition for my family and me. This was just the beginning. Next year, my little brother will start his senior year of college. My other little brother will start his freshman year of college. I’ll be finishing grad school and my mom and dad will be one step closer to retirement. Through it all, I’ll just ride the wave of change and live life to the fullest. I'll call my friends for reinforcements when I need them. I'll use tools like dollies when I'm not strong enough to accomplish the task myself. Lastly, I'll always ask my Dad for guidance because in reality, that's his real job. And he won't be retiring from that anytime soon.

-Brody

The Last Jedi

12-22-17

#myDecemberGoal

The Last Jedi

            Tonight was the night. I watched Star Wars: The Last Jedi. It was incredible. What I loved most about it was the imagery that was used. The artistic part of the movie was the best accomplishment in my mind and the plot was one of the better ones too.

            I saw my first Star Wars movie in 1999 when The Phantom Menace came out. I even dressed up as Darth Maul for Halloween either that year or the year after. Now, I’m not a huge Star Wars fan but I do enjoy the movies. I still have the VHS tapes of the original trilogy that my brothers and I would watch on our VCR. They aren't making new VCRs these days, but I'm glad they're making new Star Wars movies. It has been a treat these last three Christmas breaks to come home, lean back in the theater seats, and watch the next act of the force trying to be balanced.
            One aspect of Star Wars that makes it so great is the characters. I believe every good story has to have dynamic characters and Star Wars has plenty of them. From Yoda to Chewbacca and Obi Wan to Rae, there is something about each one that makes them unique and relatable. If I had to choose a favorite, it would be Luke Skywalker.

            Besides the characters, Star Wars is even unique in the way the movies have been released. The fourth movie was the first to be created and the sequence has been bouncing around ever since. Here are two lists of the movies, ordered by episode and release date: 

                                               Ordered by Release Date                                  

                                               1977 - Episode IV: A New Hope                      

                                               1980 - Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back    

                                               1983 - Episode VI: Return of the Jedi              

                                   1999 - Episode I: The Phantom Menace         

                                               2002 - Episode II: Attack of the Clones             

                                               2005 - Episode III: Revenge of the Sith            

                                               2015 - Episode VII: The Force Awakens           

                                               2016 - (Standalone film): Rogue One               

                                               2017 -  Episode VIII: The Last Jedi                   

                                               Ordered by Episode 

                                               Episode I: The Phantom Menace
                                               Episode II: Attack of the Clones
                                               Episode III: Revenge of the Sith 
                                               (Standalone film): Rogue One 
                                               Episode IV: A New Hope 
                                               Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back 
                                               Episode VI: Return of the Jedi 
                                               Episode VII: The Force Awakens 
                                               Episode VIII: The Last Jedi  
 

            To conclude, I won’t give away any spoilers from The Last Jedi. However, I will say this. Good art is one of the treasures of this life. I am thankful that Star Wars allows me to experience good art.

-Brody

Double Agent

12-21-17

#myDecemberGoal

Double Agent

            Like how a double agent knows both parties, I feel nowadays that I am experiencing everything from the other side. What I mean is, I’m at the intersection of childhood and adulthood where I can now relate to both how adults think and how kids think. I pay bills. I worry about house maintenance. I go grocery shopping weekly, etc. Here’s an example of this two way thought process. As a kid, I would go grocery shopping and think from the consumer side: “What kind of food am I going to get?” Now as a young adult, I also think from the seller side: “They put the produce in the very front to make me want to stay in the store longer.” or “That’s a nice point of purchase display. They almost convinced me to buy that product.” It’s weird to think from both perspectives.

            Another example of this two way thinking came this afternoon. I went with my brothers to our high school where my mom teaches English. She needed help moving all her supplies because she is switching rooms. As I was helping her, I was putting away books that I had to read in high school and I recognized some hidden themes that I did not pick up on as a student. I also saw how many resources were needed to actually provide a good teaching environment and how she was stressed about her lesson plans. As a student, I had no clue how all this behind the scenes stuff actually came together to create the learning experience. Today I got a taste.

            There are many more examples, and it’s sometimes sad to know the real motivation behind something. However it is also fun to gain new perspectives. There are always new angles to look at the world whether it be high, low, left, right, diagonal, upside down, buyer, seller, student, or teacher. It won’t be long until I am leaving this intersection of childhood and adulthood. I’m waiting for the light to turn green so I can experience more adult perspectives. Until then, I’ll keep on enjoying the double agent life.

-Brody

Stepping Outside

12-20-17

#myDecemberGoal

Stepping Outside

            One of the hardest parts about being on Christmas break is trying to go outside. It stinks being cooped up inside all day trying to find something to do. Almost everyday, I want to go outside but I have to convince myself to make the effort to bear the cold.

            This afternoon though, I sucked it up. I put on my jacket and took a walk around the block. This year I have really come to appreciate the time I get to spend outside. If there was one drawback from being in grad school this past semester, it’s that I was in the same building the whole day. For undergrad, I would at least get to take the 15 minute stroll around campus between classes to get to the different buildings. However, for this semester I was often perked up in one building for the whole day. I would get 10 minutes of fresh air when I would bike to class and 10 minutes of fresh air when I would bike home. That was it.

            The walk this afternoon reminded me just how healing fresh air can be. I walked around my little league where I first learned to play baseball as a youngster. Coincidentally, my high school field where I would catch fly balls as a centerfielder is right next to my little league. I enjoyed the reminiscing and the walk taught me something that I think applies to life in general. If I want to be refreshed and find something that makes me happy, I have to sacrifice being comfortable. My house was my comfort zone. But when I literally stepped outside of that comfort zone, I became a lot happier. Even better, the sun and blue sky made me forget that I was even cold.

-Brody

Stronger

12-19-17

#myDecemberGoal

Stronger

It was Monday April 15, 2013, and I was graduating high school in a month. A new school week had begun and I was in my last class of the afternoon with my basketball coach as my teacher. We were in one of our school’s computer labs working on our stock simulation game when someone mentioned that there had been bombings at the Boston Marathon.

We were scheduled to be in the computer lab the whole week working on our project. However instead of working on the assignments, I browsed the web to follow the manhunt that ensued to capture the two bomb makers. The sequence of events was weird because it lasted all week. I was too young to remember 9/11 as I was only in first grade, but these explosions occurred when I was a senior in high school. It was the first time where I experienced real reactions to a killing plot. Day after day, my classmates and I were wondering what was happening in Boston. I remember when they discovered where the final bomber was hiding. A Boston local had given a lead to the police authorities that the bomber had ran into the local’s backyard to hide in a boat. The police threw a ball shaped camera into the boat to confirm the man was hiding in there. Once they saw the footage, they stormed the boat and captured the suspect.

It’s four and a half years later, and my Dad and I sat down in our basement to watch the movie Stronger. It describes the story of a man named Jeff Bauman who lost his legs during the marathon blasts. Here’s what I’ll say after watching the movie. It opened my eyes to what people with any sort of disability have to deal with. I try to relate but I just can’t. The only thing I can do is be thankful for what I have and to open my heart and mind as to how I can help people who do have disabilities.

For this reason, I strongly recommend that you see the movie and I hope it teaches you what it taught me. It reinforced to me that everybody has their own internal battles and that we should be aware of this whenever we interact with someone. We need to always be compassionate and always be kind to others, because whether that person lost their legs or has lost a loved one, we can all give each other hope that this life still has joy to give even after devastating events.

-Brody

P.S. The Boston Red Sox won the World Series in 2013 after their city went through those horrific marathon bombings. Similarly this year, the Houston Astros won the World Series two months after their city went through the tragic events of Hurricane Harvey. When we come together and live to lift each other up, we become stronger.

Working out and sitting out

12-18-17

#myDecemberGoal

Working out and sitting out

The past couple of times that I’ve been home for break, I’ve joined my Dad at his weekly workout sessions at our local gym. There are usually about 20 people who attend these instructor-led burnouts, but today there was an even bigger crowd.

When it comes to working out with people, I think the psychology of it is fascinating. Here’s my take. Whenever I exercise with a group and we are doing the same activities, I always feel motivated to do my best. I found this true when I played on sports teams as well. However, if I’m at the gym by myself trying to get a workout in while other people are doing a different type of workout, I feel no motivation at all to give extra effort. There is something about doing the same exercises as others that makes me want to go all out. Our group today definitely motivated me to want to excel.

Now, I’m not going to lie. I consider myself fairly in shape but during the workout I got light headed from the intensity. Either the workout was harder than I thought or I tried too hard. I think both are true. I had to go get water and take a seat which made me miss the abs part. I returned for the end, but felt bad that I didn’t do the whole routine. Here’s the good news though. Next time I’ll do better. Why? Because while I might pride myself on always trying to be my best, I find more satisfaction in continuously improving.

-Brody

Chili and Friends

12-16-17

#myDecemberGoal

Chili and Friends

            IU beat Notre Dame. My whole family was cheering at the top of their voices as the walk on Zach McRoberts grabbed the offensive rebound from a free throw and passed it to Juwan Morgan for the game winning dunk. It was Archie Miller’s first signature win as IU basketball head coach. He really knows how to bring out the best in his players.

            Later in the evening, we had family friends over for chili and conversation. My mom made some fabulous chili and cornbread for dinner. It tasted really good. There is nothing like having a community of friends. We have known this family since I was 5 years old. I’ve always thought that people are special because they are our time capsules. This particular family has watched me grow up and knows what I was like before high school and before college. Throughout the evening, we sipped our chili and talked about how things at IU are going and topics involving West Lafayette. We shared our inside jokes and remembered old teachers we had as high schoolers. Reminiscing is the best and I’m thankful that we still have friends in the neighborhood who we can invite over to share an evening with.

            After high school, I learned how important friendship really is. Now as I’m searching for jobs, I try to remember that it’s the people that make a city great, not the fancy buildings and other perks. Wherever there is solid community, that’s where I want to be. I’m praying to God that he’ll bless me with as good a community of friends as I’ve had in West Lafayette. Also, random sentence right here. My mom just went out to our van to get the change that we keep in there. Supposedly, someone in our neighborhood has been breaking into cars. Before my mom walked out the door she said, “I don’t subsidize thieves.”

            Whether you value loose change or a good bowl of chili, I hope that genuine friendships are a top priority for you. I know that friends have made life so much more enjoyable for me, especially as life gets more complex. Friends bring the happiness and a listening ear. They bring encouragement and howls of laughter. And like a good coach, they bring out the best in you.

-Brody

Freeway with Comforting Lights

12-15-17

#myDecemberGoal

Freeway with Comforting Lights

            Today I had a wonderful meeting with my career coach. I thought I was going to sleep in but decided to try to squeeze in this meeting before I headed home for break. She really helped me with my resume and LinkedIn profile, which I greatly appreciated. Besides trying to polish up those documents, what I liked the most was the amount of time she took to meet with me. Usually these meetings only last 20 minutes because of how many students she has to help coach. However, she talked with me for 45 minutes. She took the time to learn about my experiences working at Camp Tecumseh and Bloomington Bagel. Sometimes just investing time in someone makes all the difference.

            In the afternoon, I headed home with my brother. We loaded up our car to the brim. It’s funny how my packing styles have changed with each year of college. Freshman year I would fold everything nicely into duffle bags. 5 years later, I just put stuff on hangers and throw it in the car. As long as everything fits, that’s fine with me. Going home is always interesting because somehow my brother and I always forget that there is still construction on highway 37. We get about 20 minutes into our trip, all excited to go home, and then realize we’re going to spend the next hour in a traffic jam since 37 is only one lane. BUT TODAY WAS THE DAY that we finally remembered to take a different route.

We took our old friend 231 back home to avoid all the construction. It’s a scenic route with Indiana woods and farmland. To me, there’s not a better sight than seeing the sun set over a harvested Indiana field. One joy of the trip was driving through Indiana towns that I don’t get to see often, such as Spencer, Greencastle, and Crawfordsville. It was cool to see their courthouses and light posts decorated with Christmas lights. Specifically, Crawfordsville hung up blue snowflakes on all the street lamps for a good two miles.

            When we arrived home, we were greeted with Christmas lights of our own. There is something about light that is just comforting. God says in John 8:12, “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." Maybe in our lives there will be roadblocks that we keep experiencing like highway 37. But my experiences today reminded me that there are better routes to take. A life investing time in Jesus is the way for me. And if I take it, I’m confident he’ll brighten it up with comforting lights.

-Brody

           

Team 2

12-14-17

#myDecemberGoal

Team 2

            There’s no better feeling than finishing a semester in college, especially when it's the first semester of grad school. After I had spent all of today in the business school giving and listening to final presentations, I felt overjoyed and full of accomplishment as I made my walk home in the evening. As I walked and gazed at the beauty of my illuminated campus, I started reflecting on all that I have experienced this semester. I came to realize that the majority of it was spent with my team, Team 2.

            We met during the second day of orientation in mid August, when we saw that we were assigned as "Team 2, Red Cohort." Our first task was to go on a scavenger hunt together around campus. As we tried to solve the clues, we started breaking the ice and getting to know one another. Eventually, we got to our last clue which was to take a picture with the statue of a former IU president. It was our first team photo.

Since then, we grew into one of the most cohesive groups in the core. If I’m being honest, my teammates made this semester bearable. Without them, I wouldn’t have had much support or encouragement with my school work, job search, or life events in general. They were always willing to be there for me. We were able to be candid with each other and we also communicated well. I am very thankful that our team had the chemistry we did, because the semester would’ve been gruesome if we didn’t develop it.

Together we accomplished 19 group assignments, 7 group projects, and 11 group presentations. We made 13 powerpoints with hundreds of slides, 2 applications, and successfully finished 2 case competitions. What's sad is that the numbers don’t even reflect the amount of time and dedication invested. Life has a weird way of making our memories fade quickly. But if there are any memories to hang onto, they will be the laughs, frustrations, and triumphs of our wonderful team. I am eternally grateful for team 2.

-Brody

A Whirlwind

12-13-17

#myDecemberGoal

A Whirlwind

This post is really short because I’ve been working on my final project all day. Tomorrow I present it, and when I finish I will be done with my first semester of grad school. What a whirlwind it’s been these past 8 months. I graduated undergrad in early May and stepped right back into the classroom a week later to take some summer grad classes. I found time during June to attend my best friend’s wedding and work for two weeks at Camp Tecumseh. Then in mid July I was back in the classroom and have been biking back and forth from my house to the business school ever since.

The first semester is called the core and it was an experience for sure. From case presentations to ambiguous assignments, coding, and 3 hour classes, somehow I’ve survived. It was psychologically painful at times, but I knew I was going to get through it. Like God says in Romans 5:3-5, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” I’ve had hope that tomorrow will come. It will be here shortly and I will enjoy reflecting on this whirlwind.

-Brody

Two Truths and a Power Outage

12-12-17

#myDecemberGoal

Two Truths and a Power Outage

            It was 9:30 p.m. and I was in the kitchen preparing my lunch for the following day. My roommates were in the family room watching the Monday night football game and chattering away. I zipped my pb&j into its plastic bag, and opened the fridge door to safely place it onto the cool top shelf. As soon as I set it down, there was a flicker...and another flicker. Then all went black and all went quiet.

            The chatter in the other room stopped. “What happened?” said one of my roommates. There was a power outage. This wasn't my first power outage experience by any means. However, this was the first power outage where I actually heard the zap of the current as it flickered in and out. Usually, everything would just go black instantly. But for this one, there were several charging and popping noises. One of my roommates said he saw flashes from outside our back window.

            Once we knew we were safe and that the outage had been reported, we all relaxed and sat around on our couches with flashlights in hand. It reminded me of summer camp where all you have is flashlights, something to sit on, and conversation. We made the classic dog silhouettes on the wall using our hands. We came up with conspiracy theories as to why there had been sparks seen down the street. Then I said we should play a game. So we played none other than two truths and a lie.

            I loved this because I love conversation with nothing to distract it. Nowadays, there is always some background distraction, whether it be TV, music, or someone’s cell phone. But this was a time where we were able to just listen to each other speak. I learned a lot about my roommates which was cool. This wasn’t like the junior high sleepover two truths and a lie game, where you reveal who you have a crush on. We shared random funny events that have happened to us throughout our lives. One of my roommates is my brother, so it was fun to test myself to see if I actually knew what his lies were.

            After about 2 and a half hours, the power finally came back on. The fun was over and it was time to go to bed. It was such a peaceful evening and it reminded me how much electricity we actually use. Anyways, I’ll end with two truths and a lie of my own for you to try to figure out. 1) I’ve kicked an extra point in Lucas Oil Stadium 2) I don’t have a blog 3) I wish there were a short power outage once a week.

-Brody

Brosif Bowls

12-11-17

#myDecemberGoal

Brosif Bowls

            Tonight was our end of the year celebration for the MSIS ambassador team. We gathered in IU’s bowling alley for dinner featuring coconut shrimp, pizza, and chicken and then had fun showing off our bowling skills.

            It had been awhile since I last bowled, but I soon remembered how fun of a time it can be. First off, I love how I can slide all over the wood floors in my shoes. I moonwalk, spin around, and do whatever my feet can handle on the slick surface. I also enjoy the bowling follow through. If you don’t know what this is, it’s when you release the bowling bowl down the lane and end with your arm pointing up towards the ceiling while one of your legs glides behind the other. It’s one of the weirdest stances in sports, but feels so cool if you can pull it off.

            Towards the end, some guys and myself tried to see all the different ways we could have the bowling ball travel down the lane. We experimented with crazy amounts of spin which made the ball go maybe 1 mph. We also did the classic grandma roll, where you bend at the knees and push the ball with both hands right down the middle of the lane. A new one that I learned involves a pin that gets stuck in the gutter. You intentionally bowl a gutter ball but try to hit the pin that was already stuck in the gutter in hopes that it will ricochet into all the other pins. It worked once and I was amazed.

            With so many adult things happening lately, it was fun to be reminded that I can still act as a kid and enjoy some bowling. There’s not a better feeling than rolling one right down the middle of the lane and hearing the pins collide as you realize you got a strike. CRASH! X.

-Brody

Snap, Crackle, Pop

12-10-17

#myDecemberGoal

Snap, Crackle, Pop

When you get stressed, do you have a stress reliever that you do without thinking? For me, I have three situations of stress and three interesting stress relievers.

The first situation is when I have something to do as a deadline but it’s not really that hard to accomplish. I usually stick a piece of traditional trident gum in my mouth and get to work.

The second situation is when I have a deadline and the work is hard to accomplish. This could be a tough homework assignment, an exam, or a project. My go-to stress reliever during these times is cracking my knuckles. I also do this when I get nervous. Without a doubt, I’ll randomly look down while I’m doing my homework to find that I am trying to pop every possible knuckle that my two hands have to offer. If I recorded myself, I could be the snap, crackle, and pop jingle for Rice Krispies cereal.

The third situation is when I have had a tough day but still have work to do or I'm worrying about something in the upcoming days. This is usually when I hit the snacks. Stress eating is weird because whenever I do it, I feel like I’m a super hero in the making, fueling up to conquer the upcoming battle. However, this vision quickly disappears after the snacks run out. All that happens is my stomach expands and the stress seems to as well.

To conclude, whether you’re stressed because of schoolwork or life events in general, I hope this post allows you to know that you’re not alone. I feel like we worry because we have all these dreams that we want to make happen but not enough time to see them realized. However God says in Matthew 6:27 “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” This verse always puts life into perspective for me and helps me to remember what actually matters. For me, that’s loving God with all my heart and knowing that Jesus gave his life up for me so that I might someday experience eternal love. Remembering that is the greatest stress reliever of all.

-Brody

The First Snow

12-9-17

#myDecemberGoal

The First Snow

            Open….close…open…close..open. Fully open. My covers greet me good morning as I rub my eyes until the sand particles that always nestle in their corners disappear. I pop my head up and look out my window. Flurries of snow are parachuting through the air and tops of houses have their own blankets of white. It’s the first snow.

            This morning I awoke to the first true snow of the year. It was beautiful. What I love about snow is the peace it brings. Everything becomes silent and pristine. If I were to rate the seasons, I would put winter second. My favorite is summer but winter is definitely above fall and spring for me. It’s a time when I celebrate both the birth of my savior and the joys of the past year. It’s when I wrap up a semester’s worth of hard work and begin a new one. Off and on, the snow taunts me with both its white beauty and slushy ugliness. It’s when I ask people, “Do you want to build a snowman?” All in all, it’s a dynamic and demanding season that never fails to remind me of all that I’ve been blessed with. What a wonderful time of year.

-Brody