Would I?

Would I have the courage to stand up for those in need, if I was forced into that situation? I just finished watching the movie, "Hotel Rwanda". AMAZING.
This is a true story of the Rwandan genicide that happens in the 90's or the movie is also know as the African Shindler's List.
In both situations, there was ONE, yes ONE, person that did everything in his power to help those in need.
The one thing in Hotel Rwanda, I could not tell the difference between the 2 races that were in the movie. I know that they could, but why, why do people hate each other so much to kill one another?
Why didn't the Americans or ANYBODY step in y help? I just don't understand how anyone can sit around y just allow something like that to happen.
We were asked to make a list of people who we though would go into the all time hall-of-fame after we are all dead y I would put Oscar Schindler y Paul Rusesabagina on my list. They did so much to save the lives of those they cared about, they are Christ like in my eyes. No they were not members of the Church y did not share our morals, but they are people I would strive to be like.
They didn't want the power or responsibility that was thrust into their lap, but they took upon themselves that burden y did wonders with it.
If we were more like those two men, along with a long list of others, Prophet Joseph Smith to name one, that stood for what they believed to be right, so many problems in this world would be solved!

A lost cause

Something just clicked
We spent hours with one another
dreading our time apart
Thinking I had found true love
Only to have it ripped out
From under me

Slowly slipping
Into the great unkown
What is the pain I feel
Losing all desire for anything

Tears come without warning
Searching for what I had
Coming up empty at every turn

Letting bitterness take control
Trying to mask the pain
Not letting anyone near

Running from it all
The only way to survive
Knowing that
I'll never be able to out run the pain
but not wanting to truly embrace it

I am a man in Limbo
A lost cause

Man is an island

John Donne wrote:
"All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated...As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon, calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come: so this bell calls us all: but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness....No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."
It is obvious that Mr. Donne had never stepped onto the campus of any high school or college, since he passed away in 1631. Now a days, man is an island. I walk down the hall at Utah Valley y on occasion, I meander through the campus at BYU. I am amazed how many people I see walking with each other, but not with each other because they both are listening to their own music coming from their own ipod.
The other day, I decided to follow suit and try to be like the normal college student, young American and listen to my ipod while walking to my class. I lasted a whole 15-30 seconds before I had to take the ear phones out y turn the music off. I love listening to my music, but I cannot help but wonder if Ipods are isolating others from enjoying each others company.
To be it is a sign of selfishness. You are sending a message out to the world, stating that no one else matters but you y your music. I feel like the sounds nature y everyday life could disappear, just like elevator music, y no one would notice, since they are all stuck in their own world.




Now ipods are not a bad invention, I mean I enjoy mine, when I am home alone trying to relax after a taxing day or when I have to more the acre lot in front of my house, but other than that, I'd rather talk to with others during the day.
My friend y I were running one night y passed two girls running together, but each girl had their ipod, so they really couldn't enjoy the run together or talk. Reagan y I were dumbfounded on what we saw.
So please unplug those headphones y enjoy life. Listen to the sounds of nature, meet someone new in between classes. It will only help you become a better person y might help you expand your personal bubble.

Burning Bridges

Well my good friend Si (CY) y I, spent a little over 90 min talking to our institute teachers on Friday. First we talked to his about what we can y cannot speak about, about the temple in helping others prepare to enter. It was an interesting conversation to be apart of, while with Sister Hepworth we ended up talking about what guys do wrong when it comes to first dates y dating in general. The one thing that stuck out to me is, when we are no longer dating, we burn the bridges down.
I do not know one person that has not burned, at least one, bridge down in their life. I know that I have had my fair share y at times wish I could go back y rebuild those. She also mentioned that she can still sit down with her old boyfriends y be friends with them. I can do that with all of the girls I have dated but three. The girls are not in a particular order either.

The first one I wasn't the one that burnt the bridge, she shot me a text telling me that I was uninvited to her wedding y reception. I see her all of the time at school y it's awkward, but I still laugh at it.

The second is a girl that was my best friend, I miss her still to this day. We didn't completely burn down the bridge after we broke it off, but we left it deserted for a few months. We tried again at what we had the first time, it felt familiar but it wasn't the same. I then burned the bridge when she kept assuming that I wanted to get back together with her when we would talk.

The third girl, is a sweet girl. We both burned the bridge after we did things that we wish we could take back. I hope the best for her, but it is still hard to see her with out feeling the guilt creep inside of me.

I guess the moral of this post is to find closure in your relationships when the end, so that the bridge you built is still intact. I mean we are in other peoples lives, to either build them up or build ourselves up.

Don't be like me y regret burning down a bridge that you had built with an amazing friend, girl 2. I wish were still talking one with another, I miss our conversations that we would have all night long. She still is the only girl I've stayed up all night with talking y not feeling the pressure to do anything but sit there y talk.

One date is to mkae new friends y not lead to courtship.

Yet again, I strike out before I take a swing

It's true, to become a .300 hitter you have to take the bat off your shoulders. I've had a problem these past few months, that I have been home from the Carni life, with dating. I want to date, I even convince myself that I am going to ask certain girls out, but I cannot allow myself to go through with it. Am I scared, any guy would be lying if he told you that he wasn't nervous in asking out a girl he might be interested in.
Being scared isn't the problem because as a friend once stated,
"The scariest things in life, are the most rewarding!"
I'm to hard on myself, I see other guys with girls I'm interested in y I allow the adversary to tell me that the girls are better off without having the option in going out with me or not. He wins 90% of the time once that argument is started. I think that is one of the biggest reasons, that I have started to become a hermit.
I come out of my cave at night, when I know that I will not see anybody that might recognize me. I only talk to the same 6 people week after week, but lately have been slipping away from them. I don't do the wild y crazy anymore, I'm trying to think about the consequences before I do any actions.
I don't know what is wrong with me, maybe I am growing up but I doubt it. I need to move y figure life out, that is all!!! Plus I need to stop thinking things through so much y live on a whim again.