What I Do

The day 6 prompt reads, "If you couldn't answer with your job, how would you answer the question, 'what do you do'?" 

I express. I refine. I strive for simple, effective communication. I arrange. I persuade. I craft. 

As a technical writer, I do all of the above on a daily basis. I think I'm one of the lucky ones, because at the end of the day I can say my job is very rewarding. I love the feeling that once a document leaves my desk it's as close to perfect as it's going to get. I write, then I rewrite. I edit, then I reedit. I format, then I reformat. I go through every submission with a fine-toothed comb, striving for a thorough, direct, and professional execution. 

I can remember in college thinking how amazing it would be to get paid to write...and here I am. I may not be making money off of my works of fiction, but I believe this is a step in the right direction. 

At the end of the day, I'm writing, and that's really all that matters. 

A World Without Meaning

It's Day 4 of the Blog Every Day In May challenge and I'm getting a late start. There is something about sleeping in and then taking your time with that first cup of coffee  --gives me that feeling that today is going to be a great day. Funny how an extra hour or two of rest and some caffeine can change your morning outlook on life. And then I started to ponder that a little --my outlook on life, and how mine usually isn't all that positive. I hate to admit it, but I tend to be a glass half empty kind of girl.

So that's what was on my mind this morning as I looked for the perfect response to today's prompt, "your favorite quote and why you love it." (Yes, I didn't begin looking for a quote until this morning. I'm also a blog on a whim kind of girl.) Instinctively, I typed the name C.S. Lewis into my search bar, probably for two reason: 1) he was a brillant scholar and deep thinker and 2) his writings always seem to strike a cord within me, as if he knows what it is I've been struggling with even though I cannot articulate it myself, and provides me with an answer that resonates within my entire being --and just like that, I know it's truth. An atheist philosopher turned Christian apologist, C.S. Lewis used his pen as a sword as he defended his faith using philosophy and logic, leaving in his wake glorious quotes for me to use in a prompt such as this. Thank you, Clive. 

"If this whole universe has no meaning we should have never found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there was no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning." - C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

I first read this quote in college. In my philosophy class I was assigned to read six books by Lewis, then I found myself checking out biographies on him in the library just because, and then I decided to write a paper on him, too. I was drawn to him and at the time I thought it was just because he was a great scholar, but now I realize it was because he was speaking truth --something that is so lacking in our world today, something that resonates inside of us whether we want it to or not.

I think what Lewis is saying is pretty straightforward. We know there is meaning to this life because we can see it all around us --in a child's laughter, in the beauty of creation, in the helping hand of a friend -- just as we know there is light because we've experienced it. If this world had no meaning, we would never question whether it did or not because we wouldn't know any better, just as we would never know of darkness if we hadn't experienced light. It's very basic, really, yet so profound. Of course, Lewis was using this logic as a defense for the existence of God. 

I buy into his logic and I've adopted it as my own. 

We could take this deeper, as, I'm sure, Lewis intended for his readers' to do, but the sun is shinning and Huckleberry's waiting for me to take him on a walk. The last thing I want to do is turn any blog post into a debate on my beliefs. You see, I don't believe a debate is necessary. I see the proof of God's existence day in and day out. Just as I know there is good because I have witnessed evil, I know there is a God because I have witnessed Godlessness. We humans are capable of so much destruction, yet (most of us) strive to live life's of peace and bestow patience, kindness, goodness, and love on those around us. We strive to be like Him because we recognize just how dismal a world without Him is capable of being. 

So thank you, Mr. Lewis, for helping me when I struggled with this truth all those years ago. This world is not without meaning and this life should be viewed with the glass half full.

Things That Make Me Uncomfortable

Hey, friends! Happy Friday! It's sunny here in Seattle and I just received some amazing news concerning work! So to say today's an amazingly spectacular beautiful FRIDAY is an understatement! I'm excited and refuse to quite using exclamation points!!!!!(!!!!)

In other news, today's day 3 of the #BlogEveryDayInMay challenge and the prompt is "things that make you uncomfortable." This is easy. My list of things that make me uncomfortable could probably go on for days. It really doesn't take much to push me outside of my comfort zone, but since it's Friday I'll keep my list fairly short and concise. 

1. Shopping for undergarments/people referencing undergarments/opening a ridiculous Christmas gift that is an undergarment....basically anything to do with undergarments. Bras and underwear simply make me uncomfortable. I've always just felt like they are a personal thing that doesn't need to be discussed (and especially seen) in public. I hate when I see men in VS, I hate having to pick out lingerie for a bachelorette party, and I hate walking up to the register to pay for my undergarments. Literally, I want to crawl under a rock and die. 

2. Walmart. Yes, Walmart makes me feel uncomfortable and I avoid going there at all costs.

3. Political debates on Facebook. I think there is a time and place for these discussions and Facebook just isn't it. When I see two people going at it over a Facebook status I am immediately turned off, and, if I'm being honest, I usually delete their conversation from my feed (after I've read it in it's entirety, of course).  ;)

4. Large crowds. I'm a home body. Large crowds make me super uncomfortable and I experience a lot of anxiety if I'm in said large crowd alone. And along these lines....

5. Talking in front of an audience. Public speaking is wayyy out of my comfort zone, but the funny thing is that you would never know it. Everyone says I always come off as extremely confident and poised, but the truth is I'm palms are sweating, my hands are shaking, and I usually feel like I could vomit at any given moment.

6. Looking at old photos of myself. Why? Because I use to look like this.

I mean really, how big can one's knee caps be??? And my hair?? Let's not even go there...

Well, there you have it! Now you know all about the things that make me squeamish.

I hope you have a great weekend! And don't forget to stop by tomorrow for Day 4 of the challenge.  :)

Yoga Etiquette

Day 2's prompt for the #BlogEveryDayInMay challenge says, "educate us on something you know a lot about or are good at." When I asked Steven for help coming up with a topic his response was puppies. Puppies?...

Luckily for you, I'm not going to discuss puppies (because you would melt into a puddle of love), but rather yoga etiquette. 

In the last couple months I have fallen in love with practicing yoga --hot yoga in particular. Maybe it's the heat in the 105 degree room or maybe it's simply the quiet and stillness of mind I've been able to achieve during those 60 minutes in class, but either way, I've become a self-proclaimed yogi and an advocate of the mental and physical benefits one can achieve from the practice. However, I often hear people say they are scared/nervous to give hot yoga a try. Sure you know what to bring to class -- your yoga mat, a towel, and a bottle of water --but you really don't know what to expect once that door closes behind you and your stuck for an entire hour (or more) with 20-some yogi's standing on their heads.

Well, today I'm going to give you a list of do's and do not's when it comes to yoga etiquette (the things you can't find on that yoga practices website) to help ease your mind about trying out a hot yoga class at your local gym. You're welcome.

Do drink lots of water. I know this is pretty obvious, but the first few times I went to my hot yoga classes I definitely got a little dehydrated. So basically, drink more water than you think necessary just to be safe. The last thing you want to do is pass out in bird pose. That would hurt. And be extremely embarrassing...

Do not gawk. You know that old man with the big beer belly who looks like he should be on life support rather than this hot yoga class? Well he's about to do a standing bow pose while you can't even kick your leg off the ground. It's pretty amazing, but remember gawking is impolite. 

Do mind your personal hygiene. After one class, every square inch of your body is going to be covered in sweat. So be prepared for some stank. Come clean and showered but without any lotions or perfumes on your body to keep your personal stench to a minimum. The last thing you want is to be that person other's are scooting their mat away from...

Do not be that excessive grunter or moaner. These people do exist. I'm not sure if their yoga practice is extremely painful (grunters) or extremely pleasant (moaners), but either way, it makes others extremely uncomfortable, so I would advise against the use of any excessive sound effects during class.

Do try not to laugh. Laughing is definitely frowned upon in yoga. How do I know this? Well, because I'm guilty of it (as you will see in the next do not). This time is for silence and meditation. Laughter not only disrupts your practice, but the practice of those around you. Many of the people in class may have stressful jobs or are at home with children all day, seven days a week. This hour of solace is something they look forward to and probably need to recharge before heading back to their busy lives. So if you fall out of a pose and are tempted to release that nervous laughter, simply refocus and try to stifle that nervous energy. 

Do not fart. Because I will laugh at you. And then I will receive evil looks from other yogis who do not find flatulence hilarious. 

And lastly, do wear undergarments. Really. Does more need to be said on this subject? Basically, I want to be focused on my practice and not the fear of your tidbits being exposed. This happens, people. I kid you not, this happens.

Have you ever practice hot yoga or any other kind of yoga class? If not, I hope my list of do's and do not's is not causing you to run away faster than ever in fear ;) Namaste. 

My Life in 250 Words

Today is Day 1 of the Blog Every Day In May challenge, and I must say, this has already proven to be harder than I anticipated! Today's topic is "write the story of your life in 250 words or less." I admit, my response took on a different form than I anticipated, but I decided to just go with it. 

The story of my life is one of constant motion. At a young age my family moved from upstate New York to West Virginia. I had an amazing life in West Virginia, but never really felt “at home.” I missed my grandparents…I missed Lake Ontario and Adirondack grape soda. I felt misplaced and was constantly looking towards that next big step in life, hoping it would take me to where I belonged. After high school, it wasn’t hard to leave that small town in WV behind. I packed my bags and never looked backed as I headed towards Lynchburg, Virginia. There, I buried my face in textbooks and novels for four years and experienced an immense transition. I learned about comma splices and Americanos. I grew spiritually. I fell in love. After I graduated I moved to Washington. Moving 3,000 miles away sounds frightening, but it wasn’t. Adapting to life here hasn’t always been easy, but I’ve never had to do it alone –Steven has been by my side. Shortly after my move we got engaged, married 6 months later, and bought a home. Our home. And one day it hit me –he’s my home. For the first time in my life I felt settled and I knew I was exactly where I belonged. My life of constant motion came to a rest.

Steven has my heart. Steven is my home. The story of my life is a closed chapter. This is our life, and the story has just begun.

Exactly 250 words. Mission accomplished. 

Sorry for the mushy, gushy love-fest post. But it's the truth, yo. Deal with it.