The Joy of Reading

The first book I remember reading is "Sammy the Seal". Actually, I had my sister Heather read it to me so much that I memorized it and thought I was reading. Since then I've never quit--reading, not memorizing. Reading is one of my favorite things to do. I wonder what it is that makes reading so enjoyable. It is the entertainment value? The learning? The information? In "Shadowlands", a movie about a part of the life of C.S. Lewis, a teacher is quoted as saying "We read to know that we are not alone." Is that supposed to mean I feel like a loner? That I read to feel connected to people and their experiences, most of which are not even real? I don't feel that way, so I don't really know what it means. All I know is that I'm glad I can read and that I enjoy it. I feel bad for people who don't enjoy reading. Besides, it's a cheap hobby.

Ode to Mom and Pops

On this day 31 years ago, my parents were married. I'm not sure if it's considered "pride" to think that you have the best parents in the world, but I think that anyway. My mom and dad are smart, funny, talented, and more importantly, good parents who make the gospel a number one priority. I sure love 'em.

Um, Yeah, That's Not Gonna Work

I think it's funny when I hear on the news that the Democrats haven't accomplished anything, and the Republicans have ruined everything, but if we put them together for some sort of bipartisan plan everything will work out. This ain't no math problem. Two negatives don't make a positive in politics. Obviously in order for our country to function and to be what it is today, someone is doing something good somewhere.

Still Makin' Me Laugh

There are some things that make you laugh for a long time after they happen. There's one that stands out in my mind. It happened over ten years ago. I was with a couple of friends when one got on a pogo stick. Now, normally you're supposed to jump up and down. Somehow she got out of control and must have leaned forward a little too far because pretty soon she was bouncing along at a 45 degree angle. The angle decreased until it seemed she was bouncing almost parallel to the pavement. She then proceeded to crash in the dirt at the end of the driveway. I wanted to rush up and make sure she was okay, but I had to stop laughing first. It's a curse to always want to laugh when someone falls. I think I get it from my mom. (Remember the BYU bookstore incident?) Anyway, it still makes me laugh. On a more serious note, it reminds me of talks from Pres. Hinckley and Pres. Uchtdorf about how being off by a few degrees or inches can be disastrous or at least cause a lot of problems. We have to be wise and careful about things (like media) that we allow into our lives because giving in just a little can mean giving into a lot more later on down the road.

A Continuation of "Not My Moral Voice"

On another occasion I watched as a famous actress was being interviewed (although not by Larry King this time). The big news was that she was pregnant, the father being her boyfriend. She explained she had been married before, and it had ended in divorce. Therefore, marriage to her was just a piece of paper and didn't mean anything. She and her boyfriend had a "deep spiritual connection" and that is what truly mattered. Here's my problem with that. This actress is equating marriage with the marriage certificate. The latter is merely proof. Marriage itself is something much more meaningful. It is saying to the person you marry that your love and devotion are such that you will bind yourself by law, commitments, and covenant. Not to mention that "marriage between a man and woman is ordained of God", and it doesn't matter how deep your "spiritual connection" may be--it's still not marriage. I believe most Americans still believe in the sanctity of marriage, but the voices of the red carpet ring so loudly in our ears that it can be discouraging. I heard Glenn Beck say something to the effect that many things are not so much a matter of right and left (meaning Conservative or Liberal) but of right and wrong. That makes it all the more important to stand up for what we know to be right and true.