Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Brittney Spears isn't a good performer, she's just a good stripper

Thank you Ginger Ranslam. Good times at Mac's.

So I'm at rehearsal right now. I got here over two hours ago so I could do some homework before the LDSSA meeting. That's basically been my life. Homework, school, rehearsal, somtimes work, an hour or so at a time between classes when I hang out at Mac's with some music/theatre people. Mostly though it's just rehearsal and homework. Though since I'm taking this class for credit, rehearsal can be considered homework. So basically life is homework and school.

I'm doing pretty well in my classes right now actually. I think I have mostly A's. I'm not so sure about my writing class. I know I've gotten all the points possible on our worksheets and such, but I also missed a 20 point assignment because I was down in Utah. That's a sore spot. But I got a 90% on our last essay. Everyone else around me said they recieved 78's, so I'm not sure if she's grading on a curve. If she were it would be sweet.

The play opens in a little over a week! FREAKY!!! I think I need to actually memorize my lyrics. That might be smart.

Man I want candy. Seriously. Major chocolate craving.

I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do tonight. I really want to go and see Isha, but I don't have the money to pay to go through the Haunted House. Besides, Mollie's at work and Jeff already went so I don't know how hot he's going to be on going again. I could probably stay home and do homework, but I sort of want to do something. Like eat chocolate.

Anyway, I'm going to go because I'm supposed to be going on soon. Talk to you guys later!

Toodles!

-Jillian

Monday, October 23, 2006

The Passenger Seat...

I roll the window down
and then begin to breathe in
the darkest country road
and the strong scent of evergreen
from the passenger seat as you are driving me home.
then looking upwards
I strain my eyes and try
to tell the difference between shooting stars and satellites
from the passenger seat as you are driving me home.
"do they collide?"
I ask and you smile.
with my feet on the dash
the world doesn't matter.
when you feel embarrassed then I'll be your pride
when you need directions then I'll be the guide
for all time.
for all time.

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Reflections on Love

"I love you" is a statement that can be expressed in so many varied ways. It amy be a stage song, repeated daily without any meaning, or a barely audible whisper, full of surrender. Sometimes it means I desire you or I want you sexually. It may mean: I hope you love me or I hope that I will be able to love you. Often it means: It may be that a love relationship can develop between us. Often it is a wish for emotional exchange: I want your admiration in exchange for mine, or I give my love in exchange for some passion, or I want to feel cozy and at home with you, or I admire some of your qualities. A declaration of love is mostly a request: I desire you, or I want you to gratify me, or I want your protection or I want to be intimate with you, or I want to exploit your loveliness.

Sometimes it is the need for security and tenderness, for parental treatment. It may mean: My self-love goes out to you. But it may also express submissiveness: Please take me as I am, or I feel guilty, I want, through you, to fix the mistakes I've made in human relationships. It may be self-sacrifice and masochistic wish for dependency.

However, it may also be a full affirmation of the other, taking the responsibility for mutual exchange of feelings. It may be a weak feeling of friendliness, it may be scarecly even a whispered expression of ecstasy. "I love you" - wish, desire, submission, conquest; it is never the word itself that tells the real meaning of the simple phrase.

I don't know why I found that so fascinating. Probably because it's referring to the many different interpretations of a so-commonly spoken phrase. What does love mean? I suppose to me it means the full-trusting and desire to be with someone. The feeling and idea that no matter what happens, you'll be able to get through it as long as the person you love is with you. That that person makes you happy, they complete you. I'm not saying the person is perfect, by any means. Just that they're perfect for you. It means "I trust you not to hurt me, I trust you with my mind, my heart, my everything." It's long-lasting.

Have I ever said "I love you" without meaning it? I thought I had, but looking back at what I think "I love you" means, I realize I haven't. Not really, when the person realized I meant it, and not just in the cutsey "I'm saying I love you because I'm asking you for a favor" way. You can love your brother, you can love your husband, and - most importantly - you should love Christ by fully trusting.

I suppose there is no official definition for love. Dictionary.com lists the number of defintions for the word love at 28, but I think there are as many as there are people on the earth. I don't think it can really be defined, only expressed.

The issues comes, I suppose when two people exchange "I love you." Can you ever really know what the other person means? I thought I did, but now I realize that definitions for love are about as different - and plentiful - as a person fingerprints. They are formed by life experiences, needs, desires, purposes in life, mental state, anything and everything.

To live is to love right? What does love mean to you? Do you agree with my analysis or not? Is love even a verb, or an adjective?

I would appreciate answers to those questions, but if you don't want to, just think twice before you say I love you next time. I think everyone needs to figure out what love is to them before they should use it. I know I'm more determined to use it accurately, and not just as an off-the-cuff conversation filler, or an automatic because someone says it to you.

After all, "What's not to love?!"

I hope you all have a wonderful night!

-Jillian

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

...i hate school...

Awe is not a world much used lately, - is this the Three Wise Men following the Star? - what hasn't been explained? Actually, I don't know what has been explained. If we are told, for example, that 99% of our genes are simliar to those of a mouse, does this explain anything? Apprehension, disillusion, disoreintation, selfishness, lust, irony, envy, greed, and even self-sacrifice are commonplace: but awe? Our society has forgotten about it.

That's from my Writing 121 Essay book, and I managed to find it while wading through an obnoxiously long, random, nonsensical essay. But I just want to point out how truthful it is. I think we all need to feel more awe. Just to pause and look at our lives and our bodies and the wonderful, beautiful world around us, and feel awe, awe and gratitude. Awe and gratitude that Heavenly Father has given us all that he has.