Go Women!

I was happy to hear this event happened this month. When people ask why I was a Women & Gender Studies minor in college, it was not because I was influenced completely by liberal viewpoints going to a Catholic but Jesuit university in the bay area, it was because I wanted to understand the other side and know how to present valid arguments as a Catholic woman in today's society. You can be for Women's Rights and not be a Liberal Feminist. Women have the right to present conservative and moderate ideas, too. What if people stopped judging and labeling and started asking questions to really understand why people stand for certain things?

Lessons Learned from Running

Dejen Gebremeskel Wins Fourth Straight Carlsbad 5000

Last weekend my boyfriend and I enjoyed a thrilling Sunday morning watching the best runners in the world compete in the Carlsbad 5k. Little did I realize how inspired I would become after watching Dejan and Bernard Lagat finish in less than 13:30 seconds.On good days, I run a mile at 8 minutes right now and I usually casually jog a 5k at 25-30 minute pace. We witnessed Bernard Luggat break the American 5K road record in 13:19 minutes! This is truly amazing. Not only does it take sheer athleticism to obtain this type of endurance, speed, and quickness, but these runners exhibit the utmost level of discipline and perseverance. 

Many runners from Africa actually choose running to escape poverty, knowing if they become good enough, they will excel and someday compete in beautiful places like Carlbad, California or the Olympics! 

When was the last time you woke up with a desire to push yourself to your full potential or your greatest athletic abilities? I left this race jumping for joy and ready to sign up for a race! I hope these runners inspire you as well. Read the Full Competitor Article Here

Social Constructions

A common question from people: What is Sociology? Why would you study Sociology in college? I knew I wanted to study Sociology in college because it fascinated me. It may not be a "hard science" like organic chemistry but Sociology is based on theorems and postulates, hypotheses, and qualitative and quantitative data and statistics. Some of my favorite papers in Sociology combined research that stemmed from fascinating data from Economists analyzing gender, race, and class issues and ethnic enclaves. (Look Up "The Power Elite" by C. Wright Mills)

 I encourage all of us to dive deeper into social theories and ask ourselves things like, where did this social construct come from? Culture will fascinate you and it is something so intricate and personal. As political debates and moral arguments come to the surface, have you ever thought about asking someone you disagree with, "Where did their social construct come from? Why have they been raised to believe this? What in their upbringing, life experiences, or culture, made them believe this?" 

Perhaps you didn't even realize Fascinating Sociological Books Exists! Take a gander at the link. For some easier and compelling, and gripping reads, try reading:

 

The Odyssey of the Armoire

Heirloom armoire dresser at final destination after 80 mile Odyssey

My Grandma Nora and Grandpa Wally resided in a beautiful town called Bonsall, just 45 minutes shy of San Diego. I cherish happy memories of weekends spent at Grandma and Grandpa's; walks through the grove, fresh squeezed orange juice and delicious guacamole, monstrous rocks to climb, family dinners and Christmases, music boxes, whistling and classical music, wine, and a place where my dad and his siblings brought their families. 

In 1999, we lost our sage Grandma Nora to pancreatic cancer. It was a difficult loss, but we knew she was in a better place. We missed her and certainly visits to Bonsall were not the same. We took care of Grandpa and checked up on him often. A year or so later, my Grandpa Wally remarried and he was blessed with ten more years of life. It was special to see Grandpa happy again and unceasingly charming us with his wit and hospitality. 

When Grandpa Wally died I was transitioning from college to living at home and working full time. Shortly after, I moved to Pacific Beach and my family underwent the difficult task of cleaning and selling my grandparents' property and my mom and dad offered me the armoire dresser. With honor and gratitude, I accepted. 

But how did it arrive safely?

M Way Pro Moving Services transported my grandparent's armoire from Bonsall to Pacific Beach and then TWO years later from Pacific Beach to Carmel Valley. 

Amazingly, it arrived at each new location, unscathed. Yesterday, this 300 pound antique was wrapped delicately with layers of plastic wrap, carefully maneuvered by M Way Pro employees onto a truck and padded and secured for transportation. It ventured along the 5, 8, 94, and 56 freeways stopping in City Heights and Banker's Hill to drop off other item before arriving at its final destination--my parent's garage.

We did not have any qualms because I was confident in M Way Pro for another quick, affordable, efficient, and safe move. These workers arrived on time, worked steadily, understood everything I told them, and seamlessly executed the move. 

Once again, I was blown away by how easy M Way Pro makes moving. I highly recommend this company. Please keep them in mind for your moving needs. You can find more details on their Yelp page. Antiques and family furniture can be passed on for years and I am grateful that we embarked on this odyssey together to preserve this family heirloom.

The Beauty and Powerful messages within "If"

I discovered the poem, "If" By Rudyard Kipling in high school. I remember taping it on my door and finding solace in the poem during trials or moments when I needed encouragement. Tonight, when I read "If" I asked myself if Rudyard was a prayerful man? He must be because when you analyze the poem, most of the concepts have to do with patience, fortitude, and embracing a virtuous life instead of letting the world penetrate you to the degree that one might act on instinct, urges, thoughts, and feelings. He reminds us that "manning up" and becoming the bigger person entails thought and reflection before action, ingredients to making sound decisions. Additionally, he acknowledges "the fall" doesn't he? And what does he recommend? Perseverance and Fortitude. In our daily trials, how many of us can actually say, I lost my life completely today, I 100% percent lost everything I built? The answer is rarely. So really, we should practice and re-read "If" because he is promoting a type of awareness, and self knowledge and awareness of ones being, one's conscience, and others that we truly thirst. Our world is filled with earthly desires, love of self, and people who think they are doing things right, but in reality, they are not virtuous and in turn their vices take over. Pride is the worst vice. It is also the most common. We need to rip ourselves of pride and practice true love of God. Endurance and faith also shine through in Kipling's poem because he writes about very challenging situations and enduring them, but seeing the light and acting justly, humbly, and very patiently through difficult situations. When I reflect on how important it is to do this in my life right now, I know that prayer certainly helps you when you feel your burdens getting heavier and heavier and someone just drops everything on you all at once. Prayer is how you persevere and putting into action the perspective that everything is going to be okay :-) Eternal life is just around the corner; a life that we almost crave sometimes in our world surrounded by man and his flaws. But, we never lose hope and we will deal with things properly if we practice the above items. Balance. No wonder I'm a libra... ;-)

If—

                                                                     BY RUDYARD KIPLING

(‘Brother Square-Toes’—Rewards and Fairies)

If you can keep your head when all about you   

    Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,   

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

    But make allowance for their doubting too;   

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

    Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,

Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,

    And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;   

    If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;   

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

    And treat those two impostors just the same;   

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken

    Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

    And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

    And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

    And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

    To serve your turn long after they are gone,   

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

    Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,   

    Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

    If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

    With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,   

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,   

    And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!