Illumination

Creative Writing Assignment:
A gust of wind, too early for this time of year, swept through the peaceful urban street. But the silence would last no longer; soon lightning would crash and thunder would roar and all would be peaceful no more. At the climax of this sudden storm, a horrendous bolt of lightning struck. Darkness reigned for a time until an anxious hand fumbled for the matchbox. On top of a dusty Chappell piano, a distinctly molded and preserved pillar of burgundy wax rested on an ornate silver base. At the heart of this beautiful column lay a braided string, better known as a wick. With a swift strike of the match this small object lit the room. A wisp of black smoke emanated from the top of the wick as a small flame took shape. As the wax began to burn a pleasurable aroma took hold of the night air and wrapped us in tranquility. Reflecting light on every face and dancing images across the walls, the candle set the ambiance for the night. For solace we came together in its light, told stories in its shadows, and created love and lasting memories in its warmth. The resounding impact of the candle had taken hold and rescued our hearts from fear.
Enchanting every gazer, a candle is a symbol of relaxation and romance, of peace and of warmth. The heat of the flame is displayed in marvelous colors. The area of deepest heat is colored blue, and with decreasing temperature the colors roll from red to orange to yellow to white. So it is within us; we bear our warmest passions in the depth of our soul. Though powerful on the outside, imagine what we can become if we delve deeper into ourselves and arouse the potential and power within. But take heed, for a sole lit candle can unintentionally create shadow. This lone candle is not sufficient to bring the light necessary to emit such a radiant power as can be refracted in every corner of the earth; but the flame can ignite other wicks and spread to influence many more lives to remedy the shadows which were created.
The purpose of this candle which had so many hands in its creation is to be consumed in giving. This once hardened pillar of strength and beauty, has now resigned itself to a pool of heated wax; and soon the illumination will be whisked away by a gentle draft. Just as the candle in all its glory had come to comfort us, it had to go away. The light and heat slowly faded and we were left in darkness yet again. But stay vigilant, for through carelessness we may well forget the light that we have seen and the warmth that we have felt. As if the candle had never possessed light in the first place…as if the match had never been struck, nor consolation sought.

A Long Distance Auntie

I never realize how far away I live until I get a long distance call from one of you kiddos. You tell me about the cute boy you met, or the dress you're wearing to the dance; you tell me about church and school, and what's been troubling you this week. And when you do I just can't help but tear up, because I miss you so dang much!
I want to help you all mend everything that's broken.
I want to help you remember the all good times we've had.
I want to be a confidante for each of you.
I want to be there when you discover your talents.
I want to hold your hands as you go through troubling times.
I want to party with you when you find something to celebrate.
I want to help you make your big decisions.
I want to help you find your testimony.
I want to be in all your pictures.
But most of all I want to see all of you smile :)
...And I can't help but feel like if only I had taken the time to do those things when I was there, I wouldn't be feeling the way that I am now.
I want to tell you how one of a kind you really are, but it's just not the same on a long distance call. I'm sorry if I ever took you for granted, but trust me- I think about you every day that I'm here. I love to watch you grow, and am so proud of all the things you are accomplishing. Can't wait to see you you each again soon,
Auntie Paris loves you!!!

Community Mural

Soul Surfer

There's nothing quite so spectacular as being on a board in the middle of the ocean with the sun setting on your right, the moon rising on your left, and the beautiful city of Waikiki lighting up behind you. About two weeks ago a group of my friends and I drove into town to witness just that. Carlos, Cristiano, Nikki, and I hit the South shores for a pretty calm surf and also to have some fun in town. We got there about 530 or so, and paddled out to wait at the break with a bunch of other people, but as it got cooler outside more and more people left until we were almost alone out there. After a few hours we were exhausted and just floated on our boards to see the meeting of the blue and pink horizons. Someone was getting married on the beach so there were candles all around and live music that we could hear all the way out on the water :) When it got dark we paddled in, showered off, and went on a restaurant hunt. We found this cool mexican grill called La Cucaracha where they let us wear Sombrero's while we ate. It was epic. Such good food, we got so full! Then we walked around and let the boys do some shopping along the surfer strip where they have Billabong, RVCA, etc. It was an amazing day, and a crazy cool night, probably one of my most memorable here on this island... Love it here.

The "Grunge Look" Pays Off.

Because I've done nothing of note this past week, I've decided to recall an experience I had a few months ago. In the beginning of February, I was headed to the North Shore with my roommate Ashley to play at the beach. When we got there we ran into a few friends who told us that casting calls were going on down the road to be in a movie! So we hopped in the car, and drove down to the Turtle Bay Resort to track down the auditioners. As we ran through the marble lobbies barefoot in our swimdresses, we turned more than a few heads...haha. We gave them our information, measurements, and took a few photographs, and were on our way. Well a few weeks went by, school started, and we completely forgot about the auditions. On February 11, I received a call from the casting director asking if I would be willing to come do an overnight filming at the Kualoa Ranch Fish Pond! I was so proud of myself :) The movie they were shooting is called Soul Surfer, and they needed extras to come be beach-goers. (I guess showing up in the "grunge look" paid off ;) So I took the bus to the Ranch and showed up a little bit early- just in time to see Kevin Sorbo getting out of a minivan with his 3 kids, Dennis Quaid getting out of his trailer, Carrie Underwood and Anna Sophia Robb getting out of a red convertible, and Jeremy Sumpter walking on the beach!!! So they were all just kind of hanging around and I was the only non-celebrity in the group! It was super fun just being introduced to them and chatting. So then we started shooting, and I was supposed to stand right behind Kevin and Jeremy for the shot...which we ended up re-doing for like 4.5 hours. So anytime there was a break they would both turn around and talk to me! So we introduced ourseves, they asked where I was from, which launched us into a discussion of sports (Nuggets, Rockies, Broncos, etc) and then USAFA where apparently they both love to golf, and I've golfed there before, etc. Then they told me about alll they places they'd visited, and recommended that I get into acting! haha. Well then it started to rain a little bit, but the people in charge made us leave our jackets and things down the road at the camp. So it was FREEZING! ...Well as cold as it can be in Hawaii ;) But then the assistants walked around with the jackets for the celebs and Jeremy handed me his to wear! So YES, I was wearing Peter Pan's jacket. haha. So anyways, we just got to talking and laughing and stuff and then when we were all finished filming they kind of separated the celebs from all of us "normal people" and we walked away. So then I was on my way back to the trailers to change and Jeremy ran up behind me and was like "Hey! let me get your number, and we'll do something while I'm still in town!"
Well even though he never called, it's nice knowing that a celebrity has my phone number :) haha THE END.

Cinnamon Life

Have you ever noticed that junk food always goes on sale first? It's this game that grocers like to play called "let's only put the chips, cookies, and pop on sale for the first week of the month so that when the poor starving college students are forced to go grocery shopping they can only afford that- then after they've already stocked up on junk, we'll put all the granola, soy milk, and produce on sale." Well this week I was too tired to strategize and lost that game- which landed me sitting at work with nothing to munch on but a box of Cinnamon Life. And as I munched I thought about the mediocrity of college life. I thought about how one day those who gave me grades would be begging me for an autograph, how those who denied me financial aid would begin asking me for donations...how my landlord would one day be my gardener. And as I relished that thought for a while, I decided that in order for that precious day to come I would need to make a few changes; for our future is only as great as the sum of our sacrifices. So then I asked myself, what am I willing to sacrifice? Am I willing to do now what others won't, so that I can do later what others can't? I hope my priorities are such that I can look back on this time and remember more than just the beach- I hope to remember the changes that I went through, the people that I met, the goals I accomplished, and the path that I laid brick-by-brick for future generations.
...And then I walked into my Mathetmatics of Accounting class and all such dreams faded into a dusty oblivion where I lost all hope for a pleasant future. As the teacher droned on and on about liabilities and compound interest, all I could think of was how I longed for the simple sweet taste of that Cinnamon Life.

My Least Favorite Phrase:

"They're great...once you get to know them." People, be great at first so that others will want to get to know you. Life is about the value of our social interactions; not merely how we treat our friends, but how we treat strangers. "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."