In Pursuit of Consideration

Today is a historical moment for our country. The supreme court is disputing gays' rights for marriage AS I WRITE and although I don't know what's being argued or what the outcome will be, I do have a plea for the country:

Let's be considerate.

Our Declaration of Independence initiated the public thought of a new country founded on freedoms and equality, but it also initiated our country's right to pursue happiness. It didn't define happiness for us, but it allows us to pursue it however we choose.

And I choose to do so with consideration of others.

Like most of the country, I choose sides for various political issues. I think I'm right all of the time, and I think you're wrong when you don't agree with me. I have an ego, and I'm perfectly willing to judge you for not agreeing with me. But I also see no reason to be rude about it. 

You can be on whichever side of the argument you want. That's the basis this county was built on. But to grow as an individual, to set an example for our children, to find sustainable happiness, you cannot ignore the significance of being considerate.

Let the car next to you merge, open the door for the person behind you, heck, let the lady on the cell phone go on ahead of you at the grocery store. Others may not notice your being considerate of them, but no harm will come from putting consideration out there. The best part? You'll start to notice others being considerate to you. Because let's face it--no one HAS to let you merge on the highway, yet we do it all the time. No one HAS to give you eye contact when you have a conversation, yet we do it all the time. No one HAS to answer the phone when you call, yet we do it all the time.

So feel free to argue your point all you want, but do so with consideration. Use respectful language, think through valid points, and don't be motivated by belittling your opponent's point of view. You'll never be happy by exploiting others and letting frustration overwhelm you.

And what's the point of winning if you can't be happy about it?

Let's pursue our happiness with consideration, after all, we have a right to.

Let's get one thing straight. I am not a writer.

I am not a writer.

I never have been.  I used the five-paragraph formula to write papers from the moment I learned it in sixth grade to the moment I graduated high school. I purposely majored not in English so I could avoid writing papers. The fact that my French major snuck into being a linguistically challenged English degree was as much of a surprise to me as the lack of toilet seats in the country itself was to my backside.

At first I was like:

!!!!!!!

But then I was like:
!?!?!?!


I'm over it.



Even after college I found myself in a job where I didn't really have to write. Sure I created editorial notes and summarized some plots, but I wasn't, ya know, writing.  

Nevertheless, if you ask my dad, I'm a writer. He read a college application essay I wrote one night after a brilliant burst of inspiration and decided I was the next Charlotte Bronte (does he know who that is?). I'm not too sure I agree with him still, but I suppose each of us is entitled to our own opinions.

This blog is a chance for me to do something. Let's face it, when life gets a little boring, one can either watch a lot of Law and Order and HGTV, or one can find something productive to do with her time.

I have no idea what I'll blog about, how often it'll happen, who will read it, or whether or not it will end when I finally reach my life's goal of acquiring a puppy. However, I can make some guesses as to its contents. Here are things I'm interested in:

-Language: including linguistically theories, grad school possibilities, word choices, and spelling. (Have you played the iPhone game Spell Tower? I just discovered it yesterday and am now contemplating spending $1.99 to purchase it. This is big because I've never bought an app in my life. Unless Justin Little A downloaded one without my knowledge and Lianh the Ninja provided my password to him, which is more likely than not.)
-Parenting ideas: (I have no children, nor do I plan on having any anytime soon). We can learn a lot about personal behaviors based on good child-rearing tactics.
-Dog training: Having a dog is the top of my goal list. And when I do, it'll be the most well trained dog that has ever existed.
-Interesting (or not) thoughts: Let's face it, I think about some pretty interesting ideas throughout the day. You can be a part of those ideas.
-Food: because what blog isn't complete without the best cake/pie/stuffed chicken/lasagna discussion?

So let's recap: I'm not a writer. But I'll be writing, because, ya know, it's kinda fun now that I'm not being graded.

Here goes!