Character means everything. Unless you're the President of the United States??

“If you don’t have any fresh ideas, then you use stale tactics to scare the voters. 
If you don’t have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run from. Make an election about the small [insignificant, meaningless, distractful] things.” 

-President Barack Obama

Those who know me well know me to be a pretty good judge of character. Sometimes it's an uncomfortable feeling in my gut. I can't help but cringe at their smile and instinctively distrust everything they say. But for times when it's not so obvious, I defer to the combination of actions and words which make up that priceless thing called character.

"Everyone tries to define this thing called character. It's not hard. Character is doing what's right when nobody's looking." 

- J. C. Watts

Although I'm "technically" a Republican, I don't have it in my head that Democrats are bad people. I know many of my Democratic friends to be smart, objective, analytical people. Most of the closest and dearest friends I've ever had are Democrats. We're not that different. We all want the same things---we just believe in going about them in a very different way.

I implore those friends, and all Americans, to consider this:

The thought process behind someone's ethical beliefs (or lack of) tells you everything, everything, EVERYTHING about whether or not they're someone you should be rooting for. If I paid attention to someone's words alone, I'm likely to build an unrealistic opinion of that person. No presidential candidate has ever been close to perfect; truly, we'd be naive to deny that sometimes the reality of the situation is a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils. But if we're objective---that is, if we're honest with ourselves (admittedly, the most difficult kind of honesty) and truly want what's best for the greater good---we can use our discernment to pick out the traits that comprise someone's character.

A good place to start is looking at someone's actions. Because as the old adage goes, "actions speak louder than words."

"I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts." -John Locke

Do your own homework about the person you plan to vote for. What's their REAL history---the things the media has decided that you should overlook? What are the things they've said in the past that revealed their character before anyone was really paying attention to it? Do they take good care of their health, or do they allow their stress to manifest in unhealthy ways such as smoking? Do they maintain good relationships with others, or do they have immediate family in Africa who are reaching out to locals to help pay the medical bills for their child because their multi-millionaire brother has disowned them? (Ok, so it's obvious who I'm picking on a little bit! But don't shoot the messenger, do your own research.) Whether you like to admit that these things are indicators of character or not, they are. It doesn't mean they're a bad person, but it DOES mean you don't want them leading our nation.

Watch your thoughts...they become words.

Watch your words...they become actions.

Watch your actions...they become habits.

Watch your habits...they become character.

Watch your character...it controls your destiny. 

(Or, if you happen to be, like, the President of the United States, your character controls the nation's destiny.)

So many people these days say "eww! I don't deal with politics." If that's the case and we're being honest, can you please stop feeling special? An ostrich with its head in the sand is a worthless asset to society, but will be present and held accountable for its decisions nonetheless.

Character is everything. It's who that person really is. And like it or not, it WILL play a role in every decision they make.

Consider that this November.

Coi ponds, Batmans and power outages

Wow, so I've been running behind on things all week. The fact that it's Thursday and I'm just now blogging the week end is a pretty good example of that.

On Friday, Roberto found out where our next station may very possibly be. Nothing is certain with the military until it's certain, however, and even then that means nothing until we're there (should be early spring). Nonetheless, it threw a wrench in my day. Not much a sweet husband who gets home early, a fruity drink and good flick can't fix, though.

Saturday we drove a friend of Roberto's to the airport and, while we were in the area, tried to catch a showing of Batman III. But when you show up to buy tickets 15 minutes late on a Saturday afternoon to a popular movie that came out less than two weeks ago, there's not going to be any good seats left (who knew). Which made me soooooo sadddd (remember how I hate packed movie theaters???). So we took the snacks we grabbed at Walmart for the movie (shh) and found a gorgeous little park in downtown Grapevine.

We didn't know about it until we stumbled upon it (21st century definition of stumbling = searching in the Maps app). But I love that we found it. Because I'm always looking for hidden gems just around the corner. I rarely find them, but I always believe they're there----it's just a treasure hunt, and the key is not to settle. For example, we almost awkwardly ate our lunch on a bench that sat about 30ft from a downtown curb----if it wasn't for my belief that there was something waiting for us nearby that was perfect.

We traded a bum hotspot for shaded cobblestone walkways, trail bridges, sunny courtyards and ponds teaming with coi. We ate our snacks under a canopy of trees at the peak of a miniature hill overlooking a nice area of the park surrounding a water fountain. It was like the park was made just for us.

As if I wasn't already as happy as a kid in a candy shop, Roberto pushed me on the swings and bought me froyo. Yeeaaaaap, it was my kinda Saturday afternoon.

Sunday we grabbed some snacks at Whole Foods after church before heading to the first matinee (empty!) showing of Batman III. And can I JUST SAY that Katie Holmes in the first Batman was a very confused look, tilt-of-the-head "seriously?" Maggie Gylenhaal in Batman II was an "I don't know how this happened, but I don't know where to begin." But when Anne Hathaway appeared on the screen, I thought insanity had turned to torture. Oh NO, I have to put up with THIS chick for the next two and a half hours?! But she actually fit her role quite well. I will say, though, that I'm not amused by the glamorization of shootings and bombings throughout the entire movie. Bad guy is featured as an ultimate bad-ass, shoots up a place, camera pans to close-ups of people in horror at his mercy, flashes to news casts and talk shows revolving solely around him. Even if the majority of human beings weren't as impressionable as children, they'd do a lot less for that kind of attention. Couldn't really get passed my overwhelming dislike of Hollywood and the general stupidity of society to be impressed with that movie. 

Annnnd Roberto longs for the day of simple answers when he asks me what I thought of a movie on the way out to the car.

Afterwards we went to Sweet Tomatoes!! Courtesy of a gift card I had received in the mail the day before from a sweet friend who obviously knows me well. Cause I love me some Sweet Tomatoes. 

Later that evening we woke up from a nap to orange light shining through our blinds and the sound of tornado sirens. We frantically began emptying the stairwell underneath the stairs when we lost power...

The storm passed quickly, but the house was dark and HOT for the next 28 hours. Night time was miserable but during the day we used the excuse to do some of our fave things. Our time was spent hopping between restaurants, shops and bookstores in an effort to avoid being at home, where our only option was to lay still. We for sure made the best of it though!

Thank God for the books, AC and the free wifi of B&N!

Don't you hate when the power goes out?

We lovvve Buca di Beppo. Their veggie pizza, which is thin crust, practically no cheese, chunky sauce, fresh veggies and breaded eggplant, is officially my FAVE. By the way, that pizza made at least four amazing meals.

Yea know, life treats me pretty good.

Letter to me

If I could write a letter to me

and take it back in time to myself at 17...

Roberto and I were talking the other day when he brought up in passing the fact that 2007 was five years ago.

I don't recall what he was talking about, but I can tell you that my attention froze right there.

I can do basic math, so this should have been of no surprise. And yet I had never stopped to count. Has it really been five years since I was 17? Five years.

Years since my old bestie and I spent our evenings in abandoned parking lots working on our skateboard skills (well, utter lack of) just to have something to talk about with the boy from school.

Yeah I know you really liked her, and it just don't seem fair

But all I can say is pain like that is fast, and it's rare...

Years since weekends of speeding through the streets of our neighborhoods blasting The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. Years since a curly haired boy with a natural tan asked if he could sit with us at lunch. Years since I wondered if he would ever ask me to prom.

Um.. yeah.

Each and every time you have a fight

Just assume you're wrong, and dad is right...

Years since I got my first car, an old Nissan Sentra which smelled of cigars but made me feel bad-a as I ran to Walmart to pick up last minute things for my mom that rainy Thanksgiving---because it was mine. Years since I navigated the corridors of my high school with my fellow classmates to the sound of Pomp and Circumstance in my rebelliously floral heels.

Oh, you got so much goin' for ya, goin' right

But I know at 17 it's hard to see past Friday night

Tonight's the bonfire rally, but you're staying home instead

Because if you fail algebra, your mom and dad will kill ya dead

But trust me, you'll squeak by and get a C

You're still around to write this letter to me

Years since we danced on the beach that night he asked me to marry him. Years since I got on a plane to Paris, absolutely certain I would die. Years since we moved only 6 hours north of our family----and yet a part of me felt we had taken on the world.
Years.

I wish you'd study spanish, wish you'd take a typing class

I wish you wouldn't worry, and let it be

Have a little faith, and you'll see...

Honing my skateboarding "skills"

I love listening to Brad Paisley's If I Could Write A Letter To Me. I can relate to pretty much every line (except that part about the playboy and the skoal can... honest). I feel I've done an ok job at keeping the mistakes in my life to a minimum----and still oh, if I could write a letter to me.

I might say that high school didn't matter. Grades weren't everything. Athletics teach you more about life than you'll ever learn in a classroom. No friends are better than bad ones. Life is short. Some things can wait. Don't give up Photo for more OJT. Family is more important. Be sweet to your parents, they want what's best and they know what they're talking about. Follow your gut. Don't worry. And believe it or not, despite the fun you're having now, these really aren't the best years of your life.

It makes me wonder, as I sit here, slowly freaking out as it becomes obvious that our next duty station will only take us farther from my scholarship and home, what wisdom I would impart to my 22-year-old self five quick years from now. Oh, if I could expedite that letter to me.

You've got so much up ahead

You'll make new friends

And you should see your kids and wife

Then I'd end by sayin, have no fear

These are nowhere near the best years of your life.

If I could write a letter to me...

March 2012