This I Believe Tuesday

This I Believe Tuesday - I believe that sometimes you are just too old to go out.

This past weekend was a GREAT weekend full of reuniting with old friends and having fun with more recent friends.  But one thing I learned is that sometimes, you just need to face the fact that you might possibly be too old to go out. 

As we heading downtown, my friends and I began a list of signs you are too old for this.  And the list went a little something like this...

• You are one of very few women wearing a jacket - despite the fact that it's 30 degrees outside.
• You show your actual passport instead of your Hokie Passport as your second form of identification.
• You are seriously considering tying your jacket around your waist because it's so hot and crowded in the bar.
• When you're at the bar, you're looking for others who might possibly be older than you.
• When you're leaving the bar, you hold on tight to the railing when going down the stairs.

And drum roll please... The biggest sign that you are too old to go out is....

When you need a full day to recover.

What do YOU believe?

Y3W: Fall, Friends, Fun

Jenni from the Blog challenges bloggers to sum up their week in three words.  Here's mine for this week...

Fall.  Friends.  Fun.

Let's start with the first word - Fall.  This is by far my favorite time of year in Virginia.  The air is crisp cold, there is a nice breeze gust of wind, and the leaves are full of beautiful colors.  I just love it.  I love walking outside, breathing in the autumn air, and taking in the beautiful landscape.  Seriously, only a picture can show you what I mean (and this was taken a few weeks ago - the trees are even more vibrant now).

And the last two words - Friends and Fun - are really geared toward this upcoming weekend.  It's homecoming at Virginia Tech, which means a lot of friends are coming into town.  And what happens when lots of friends get together?  FUN!  It's going to be a great weekend, hopefully one filled with remembering many fun times in the past and making memories for the future. 

How would you sum up your week in three words?

Y3W: Poo, Vom, Pee

Yes, I said it. 

Poo.  Vom.  Pee.

Ridiculous I know, but that's what I've been dealing with over the last week and a half.  Living in a residence hall of over 1,000 students means that our number of incidents are up.  However, we have had a lot of shit crap issues in the building.  And it's not just pooping, vomiting, and peeing... it's also just general issues with alcohol and drugs.

What the heck is wrong with these students?  I do not remember any of this happening in my residence hall when I was a freshman.  Or was I just oblivious?  That very well could be.

Either way, my week can be summed up in the above three words.  Let's hope these issues stop soon.

How would you sum up your week in three words? 

Don't forget to check out Jenni from the Blog's Y3W challenge.

This I Believe (Thursday)

It's been one heck of a week, and the world is reminding me that it's not quite over yet and so there is more to come.  So I'm sorry I missed posting on Tuesday for my This I Believe.  But I'm making up for it now...

This I Believe Tuesday Thursday - I believe that decisions are not easy.

My colleague and I have had to make many decisions this week, and none of them were easy.  There are other people that have had to make difficult decisions this week as well, and I know they were not easy for those individuals.

I came home from work last night at midnight and looked in the mirror and what did I see?  My shoulders were practically touching my ears!  The tension in my shoulders and back was building up to the point of me *scrunching* my shoulders without even noticing it.

Suffice it to say that decisions are not easy.  They affect the individual, they affect others, and they have an effect on dynamics.  But each decision one makes, they learn from it.  One's decision may bring about respect, or it may bring about hate.  And you know what?... it's your decision to determine how you feel about another person's decisions.  I challenge me (and you) to think about how you decide to react to certain things.  Let's show some more respect for the person making the decision, knowing that decisions are not easy.

What do YOU believe?

Being sick sucks...

I haven't showered in two days.  Yes, that's probably TMI, but it's the truth. 

My head is pounding like I drank 3 bottles of tequila... not that I've ever done that, it's just how I imagine it would feel.

I can count how many hours I haven't been sleeping easier than I can count how many hours I have slept.  (I have been awake 4.5 hours out of the last 36...) 

My migraine has also decided to have a little friend join it, a fever.  And what comes with a fever??  Chills!  Lots and lots of chills.  I keep putting on and taking off my favorite sweatshirt, given to me by The Speedbumps (a pretty awesome band from Ohio).  I can't get to a comfortable temperature in my apartment. 

In my late twenties and all I want is my mommy.  Yea I said it.  And she's not even the most sympathetic person, but she makes me feel better. 

I have taken two days off of work, and can't stop thinking about all of the things that need to get done.  Yet I still sit here, one leg under the blanket and one leg over, sleeping.  I guess I just need to get over it and accept that my body needs this rest to recover from whatever is going on. 

I get put back into perspective, though, when I think about how much worse things can be.  One of my mentors was hit by a car while crossing the streets of NYC a few days ago.  He is in ICU.  I know someone who is facing cancer (and this ain't her first rodeo) and the battle is tough.  A family friend just recently had a serious heart attack, with recovery still a long ways away. 

And I'm sitting here complaining to the four or five of you that read this blog.  I need to be thankful for the health that I do have, because it could be worse.

But whether it's a migraine, fever, major accident, heart attack, or cancer...

Being sick SUCKS! 

So I'm going to go continue to get my rest so that I can be back to 100%, and be thankful because many people out there in the world may never get back to their 100%. 

This I Believe Tuesday

This I Believe started out as a radio show, then moved into books, and now has moved onto the internet.  It is a movement to get people to express what they believe in, their core values, and the stories behind them.

Our Common Book at Virginia Tech this year is This I Believe II.  I absolutely love this book!  It is a collection of short essays, giving you a glimpse into 75 individuals' lives and personal philosophies.  We are finding ways to integrate the book into our daily work at the university, which I have been finding very rewarding.

So I have decided to try and do a This I Believe Tuesday... putting out there what I believe for the current time and situations that I have encountered in my recent history.

So to start this first one off...

This I Believe - I believe that everyone has a story, a story worth knowing.  

Recently in my class, I assigned a paper in which the students had to write their story.  It was as simple as that.  They could choose what they wrote about, how they wrote it, and what they expressed about themselves in their story.  I was fascinated by what my students had to say.  Had I not had them complete this assignment, my knowledge of these individuals would have been just barely scratching the surface.  These are people who have experienced difficult childhoods, poverty, health conditions, loss of family members, living in different cultures, and so on.  They each had a very unique story... a unique story that is worth knowing.  I am honored that they were willing to share their stories, and now I hope to find ways to share my story with them.

What's YOUR story?  What do YOU believe??

Y3W: Just keep swimming...

The point of Y3W (aka Your Three Words) is to sum up your week in just three words.

I first saw it on a fellow blogger's site and I've now been inspired to do it.

So my three words for this week are {drum roll please}...

Just keep swimming

I've been dealing with a lot of crap -- yes I said it... CRAP -- this week and I've had to tell myself multiple times to just keep swimming.  Sometimes things can get you down but if you keep treading that water, you will eventually get to the other side.  (You may just be doggie paddling it all of the way.)

If you would like to start participating in the Y3W challenge, click on the button below.