And The Oscar Goes To...

WHY IS IT THAT US HUMAN BEINGS ALLOW OURSELVES TO BECOME MORE FASCINATED WITH THE LIVES AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF STRANGERS THAN WE ARE WITH THE VERY LIFE AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF OUR OWN?

Tonight is the Academy Awards.  They happen every year.  People who are involved in movies get to dress up really nice and then goof around all night while they reminisce and reward each other.  Everyone else in the world gets to watch, wish, and worship.  

"Everyone else" is who makes this one night last all year.  They do this by watching TV shows that talk all about it, they read magazines that rave all about it, and they buy and watch the movies that ultimately make the night possible.

Why does "everyone else" allow this?!  Why don't they tune into their own lives instead?  Why don't they write their own stories instead?  Why don't they celebrate themselves?

Here's to Kristen Gibb.

BEST WRITING - SCREENPLAY (NON-FICTION)

I love this book more than I can express.  I carry one in my back pack with me everywhere I go in case I come across someone who needs one of their own.

MOSIAH 2:41

BEST WRITING - SCREENPLAY (FICTION)

I love this book more than I can express.  If I ever quote something that sounds really smart, inspiring, or profound, it's probably from this book. 

I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.

BEST MAKEUP

No comment.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

The outfits of 3912.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

It's coming.

There will be a music blog in the near future.

And there will be an original song.

Until then, I get a kick outta this song:

BEST PICTURE

Summer 2010.

Raymond Aquatic Center.

6:00 AM.

BEST DIRECTOR

TIED!  Between Darryl and Rena Gibb.  A kid couldn't ask for better parents.  Thank you for all the direction you've given and continue to give!

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL DISCOVERY TRUE FRIENDS MAKE IS THAT THEY CAN GROW SEPARATELY WITHOUT GROWING APART.

-ELIZABETH FOLEY

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

M-RIZZLE.

IT IS ONE OF THE BLESSINGS OF OLD FRIENDS THAT YOU CAN AFFORD TO BE STUPID WITH THEM.

-RALPH WALDO EMERSON

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

SISTER TO SISTER WE WILL ALWAYS BE,

A COUPLE OF NUTS OFF THE FAMILY TREE.

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

VACANT.

He'll turn up someday.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO - 

KRISTEN GIBB

i love my life.

We Used To Wait.

Have you ever heard a song that cut you to the core and refused to leave your mind and haunted you day and night and made you think, like really consider and ponder something?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Since it's Reading Week, I am home visiting my family in Raymond.

Since it's Sunday, I went to church with my family.

Since my mom is a Young Women's leader, I sat in on the lesson she gave to the 14 & 15 year old Mia Maids.

Since I watched them text through the entire lesson, I have something to blog about.

I spent nearly my entire childhood growing up on an acreage.  If I wanted to get into town to a friend's house, I had to ride my bike, walk, or wait for a ride.  Nothing beat walking into town.

When I was in grade three, my family moved to Logan, Utah for six months.  The year was 1998.  My favorite days in Logan were the ones when I would check the mail box for apartment D and find a letter addressed to myself.  Nothing beat getting a letter. 

I was in grade four when I started reading Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.  I had graduated from high school when I read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  Nothing beat the time it took to read each book and the year of anticipation for the next instalment. 

Around grade six, life really picked up speed.

I was 12 when I created my first email account.

I was 14 when I logged onto MSN Messenger for the first time.

I was 16 when I got my first car.

I was 18 when I created my first Facebook account.

I was almost 20 when I got my first cell phone.

Now, at age 22, I can communicate with practically every acquaintance I have instantly through a variety of methods, travel quickly anywhere I want, and process loads of information at the click of a button.  And even though I have all these luxuries, I often find myself getting annoyed with slow wifi, poor cell signal strength, traffic jams, or a slow reply to a text or email.  Because things come so quickly and so easily, I also find myself searching for bigger, more extravagant forms of entertainment or excitement.  What happened to the days when nothing beat walking, letters, or Harry Potter books?  What happened to waiting?

Is it just me, or have we forgotten what it is like to wait?

Please.  Listen to this song.

Or, if you want to try something SUPER COOL, go HERE to listen to it.

This song cuts me, refuses to leave my head, haunts me, and makes me think.  Those little Mia Maids today made me realize it.  Was what they were texting so important that it had to be sent right then?  Would waiting have hurt anything?  Do they even know how to wait?  Do I even know how to wait anymore?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

From http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858832982/#73015933344

"we don't wait anymore - everything's extremely fast today, communication especially.  long-distance contact can be made instantaneously.  so everything feels even more ephemeral, or transitory, or fickle.  we also don't walk as much in the contemporary busy life format, opting for faster means of transportation than our own legs.  fast fast fast.  it's only natural that the older generations will look back at those times when you actually had to wait to receive a letter, a physical document, and, in the case of classic lovers, a special piece of paper with the sender's very own handwriting (when not typewritten).  there was expectation, and the expectation itself could be a reason to be content to be alive.  a big part of the romance is gone."  -- drmn

"I think it's talking about how modern technology has completely changed human interactions and relationships.  It does indeed seem strange to think how we used to wait for letters to arrive.  The world we live in has become consumed by instant gratification.  Technology is our crutch; without it we would be lost.  He hopes desperately that he can have something genuine, even as he feels himself slipping into the same trance the rest of the world has fallen under."  -- alj93

The best prize...

... is a SURPRISE!!!

And I'm not just talking about the cute little surprises that happen around your birthday or Christmas.  I'm talking about the REAL surprises that life throws at you.  The ones that almost knock you off your feet.  The ones that keep things interesting.  Because, let's face it, if we didn't have those kinds of surprises, life would be as exciting as counting all the tiny holes in a ceiling tile.

Don't believe me?  Think about it.  

I know I've thought about it.  Here's what I've come up with.

SURPRISES = STORIES.

As sure as 2+2=4, surprises = stories.  It's a fact.  Think back to the last good story you told someone.  It probably originated from a surprise twist in events, some surprising news, or a surprising discovery.  I know my best stories all originated from the s-word, take my last blog for example!  I sure didn't know my Dad was going to go through all of that, but now I have a great story to share because of it.  Great stories also come when you're on the giving end of the surprise too!  I love reminiscing about the time I tried to hitch hike looking like this ...

SURPRISES KEEP THE FUTURE BRIGHT.

Growing up, my little sister Hannah would love to tell us about her future.  She was going to marry some handsome young man, live in a tiny house and have five kids named Mae, Coda, Daisy, Mazy, and Bo (in that order).  She recited this fairy tale life so much that I still, to this day, have these horrendous names stuck in my head.  It's amazing how excited such a little fantasy could make her, and I'm sure many girls get butterflies just anticipating these surprises to come.  How lame would life be if we didn't have some sort of surprise to look forward to?  The kind of surprises that us girls really have limited control of?  Who's going to invite us to the upcoming dance?  Who's going to sweep us off our feet?  It's great to day dream about and it's great to experience things as they unfold, even the surprises which aren't expected, because ...

SURPRISES MAKE YOU STRONGER.

I like to think that the strength I've gained and the person I've become are because of the surprises I've experienced.  As I look back to who I was only 5 years ago, I'm pretty sure that if someone would have come and told me everything that these 5 years held in store for me, I would have spit right in their face.  It was a big surprise to quit school, work at Booster Juice, lifeguard at a fancy indoor pool, and finally find myself living in Calgary of all places, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.  By embracing these surprises, I've come to realize my own strength and I'm ready to take on even more! 

EVEN BAD SURPRISES ARE GOOD. 

I got a flat tire on my way to church.  But because of that, I got to learn about the importance of accepting service and visit with an old friend as he kindly changed my tire for me.  I had all of my sheet music fall of the piano while playing a musical number for the ward choir.  But because of that, I now have a great story to laugh about, learned to not take myself so seriously, and now know to glue my flimsy papers to something sturdy like cardstock.  Me and my cousins flipped the quad when we were little.  But because of that, I learned how not to drive the quad, how bad landing in stubble hurts, and how fast Chase can bike across a field.  Even the unfortunate and despised surprises bring to pass much good.  Embrace it!  

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dear Life,

Please continue to bring me surprises.  I love them all.

Sincerely,

Gibb-Gibb

The Anatomy of a Drama Queen

POP QUIZ:


What makes a person a "drama queen?"


A)  An overabundance of concern for one's finger nails.

B)  An uncanny ability to get into "He said, She said" fiascos.

C)  A passion for glitz, glamour, and fashion.

D)  A need to scream and make a lot of noise.

E)  An inability to control ones emotions.

F)  All of the above.

Have you made your choice?  Well, the answer is ...

NONE OF THE ABOVE.

At least in my humble opinion.  You see, I've pondered on this subject for the past week or so and have come to the conclusion that what really makes a person a "drama queen" is their head, or rather, what's in their head.

Allow me to explain.  

Everyone has the power to decide how big their world is.  That power lies inside their head.  It's all in your head Mr. Tweedy.  How do you know how big someone's world is?  Find their tipping point.

Tipping points are situations where a person reaches their maximum capacity, loses their cool, or feels as if everything is game over.  A "drama queen" simply has a very low threshold and experiences their tipping point on a regular basis.  The miraculous thing is, we get to chose what our tipping points are.

So what do you dread?  What can break you?  What is your tipping point?  I advise being careful in what you choose, because if it's something small, you're showing everyone exactly how big your world is.  And if it's only as big as a finger nail, that could be a little embarrassing.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

My dad almost died in a horse accident on July 19, 2008.  He was rushed from Raymond to Lethbridge, where he had emergency surgery.  After over 12 units of blood and the extraction of his right kidney, doctors knew the only hope of survival was to rush him to Calgary.  Before he was airlifted, our family was asked to say good bye because the chances of him making it all the way to Calgary were very slim.  

Miraculously, he made it and again, our family was asked to say good bye as he was prepped for his next surgery.  After the longest night of my life, I remember looking out the window of the ICU waiting room the next morning and being absolutely confused as to how the world could keep spinning after all that I had been through.  People were still driving their cars, birds were still chirping, and I even saw someone with a smile on their face and heard laughing.  It was blasphemy!  Thankfully, my father was saved by a heroic surgery which reattached his severed renal artery to his aorta and I was able to let my world start spinning again.  

As I look back to that single moment of cognitive dissonance, I realize a very valuable lesson.  Although it may seem like my world has stopped turning, the real world doesn't.  Life really, truly does go on.  The sun will rise, the sun will set.  People will continue to enjoy life, even if I'm not especially happy.  

It is so easy to throw up the white flag, too easy even.  People do it everyday.  Some people even make a big scene about it and we call them "drama queens".  It's our choice to be one or not.  It's our choice to realize that the world keeps spinning.  It's our choice to determine exactly how big our world is.  

It's our choice.