In Defense of Harry Potter

We found the Sorcerer's stone,
We entered the Chamber of Secrets,
We freed the Prisoner of Azkban,
We entered our names in the Goblet of Fire,
We fought alongside the Order of the Phoneix,
.We discovered the Half-Blood Prince,
We mastered the Deathly Hallows,
With pride and love, we are the Harry Potter generation.
It will never die, but live on through us.
There is now, and will always be magic in the world because of Harry Potter.

 I recently had a friend tell me that it was sad to say that Harry Potter was the defining moment of our generation.  My first, knee-jerk reaction was that he was just a jealous muggle.  But after much thought, I came to a more logical and consicse argument.:

What else would you have define it? Jersey Shore, Teen Mom or any other ridiculous and embarrassing TV shows? The current economic crisis? Decreased marriage rates and rising suicide occurrence? Faceook/Myspace/Twitter? It is true that there are great technological and scientific advancements that could also "define" our generation, and I would whole-heartedly agree with such sentiments. But saying that Harry Potter defines a generation does not mean to the exclusion of those things.
In defense of Harry Potter, if it were a primary thing that could be said defines our generation, I would not think it sad in the slightest. First because it is first and foremost a book. In a world that is fast becoming indiscriminately (and not in a bad way) intertwined with technology, the fact that a book is primarily reaching its audience in the form of literal printed word is never a bad thing. In fact, it is a true testament to its literary heritage. This series has had a phenomenal influence on literacy rates and school work as well as increasing the interest of the general population (specifically children, teens and young adults) in the written world. About 450 million copies of Rowling’s novels are in circulation in almost every language under the sun. She has inspired our generation to pick up a book and read again! (In a slightly scientific side note, it has also been shown in several research studies that an increase in fluency and literacy, which come from an increase in reading, are directly related to increased “intelligence” as is classified by academic achievement and academic interest.)
Second, the simple but constant messages of this story have left a lasting impression on those who participated in the phenomena. Harry Potter is about hope, courage, friendship, self-sacrifice, family, loyalty, hard work, choosing good in the face of evil, and above all love, not just for our friends but also compassion for our enemies and those considered of less worth by society. In a world constantly bombarded by the media with deceit, hatred, intolerance, greed and cruelty, this is a surprising and most welcome change. There are all sorts of charities, organized, funded and run by our peers striving to apply this series towards changing the world. With mottos like “love is our weapon,” and acting to help the down-trodden of society (donations of thousands of books, raising money for Haiti and Darfur, etc.), Harry Potter has given a “raison d’etre” for our generation to stand and fight for what is good in the world.

Marathon

I have realized recently that my masochistic streak may be getting out of hand. I say this because a little over a month ago, I ran a full marathon. I have never been a fan of running-in fact it has been one of my least favorite activities since I was little. Although I could probably link this to a few rather terrible experiences on junior league soccer teams, I have never cared to develop the talent or skill of a runner.
However, when my brother ran the St. George Marathon after he came home from his mission, it inspired me to try. I do have to admit that part of it was because I couldn't stand to be one-upped by him either. Having zero experience in training to run period, let alone train for an endurance event, it was a quite a journey for the first few forays I made into running. I entered my name in the lottery for the St. George Marathon the following summer(2009), and was not selected. As I had just begun my training regimen, and was not liking it very much, I wasn't heartbroken to be handed an excuse to stop.
Alas, I had another friend plan to try again for the next summer (2010) as well, and I began a much more serious attempt to articulate a schedule and diet plan. As fate would have it, I was selected to participate in the SGM that summer, and jumped head first into it. I was not prepared, and was taking a full course of summer classes while working full time. I was miserable, and after consulting with my parents, I decided to drop out. I felt like a failure. I don't quit anything I start, if I can help it.
All of this brings me to about last February (2011). Having officially added "run a marathon" to my bucket list the previous year, and with the fresh and painful humiliation (in my perspective) of having to quit the year before, I was once again contemplating a marathon. Ironically enough, in the intervening time I had never really kept up any sort of running training or entered myself in other events. It never occurred to me that this would be the intelligent and most helpful course of action during the interim.
I found a training buddy and, with the help of the internet and several expert opinions, I came up with a 27 week training plan that allowed me to start from scratch. By the time I could enter the lottery (for the third year in a row) I was just starting to hit my stride in the programs and was experiencing my first real "long runs." I feel the need to reiterate my feelings towards running at this point. They are still the same as they were 4 years ago. I don't like running, and it took every ounce of willpower I possessed to force myself out of bed, early in the morning to train. But I was far enough into the plan that I wanted to finish what I had started. But silly, naive little me: I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into.
When I was not picked in the lottery, I found myself in a dire situation. I needed to find a full marathon that wasn't half-way across the country that I could run in that fit into a 2 week window I had planned into my schedule. In a stroke of perfect luck, I found the Layton Marathon, which was exactly a week after St. George.  With a little bit of wiggling I was able to readjust my training schedule to accommodate the change, and I keep moving forward.
Unfortunately, that is the best that could be said for some of my runs.  I finished them.  When I started hitting distances like 15, 16, 17, it literally became my goal simply to finish the distance, be it at a run, jog, walk or crawl.  Fortunately, I never had to crawl home, but there were times when I wished I could have.  I sacrificed sleeping and other creature comforts that I had grown to love over the summer that I couldn't otherwise indulge in during school.  I finally began to understand what all of my long distance runner friends meant about how disgusting their feet were.  At one point, I had blisters on every toe of both of my feet.  Sometimes there would be blisters on top of blisters.  )It took quite a while of this before I realized that cotton socks are the devil!)
My family thought I was crazy, but they supported me anyway.  Even when it meant I had to miss out on things and went running when we were on vacation.  By the time I started tapering, my body still hated me for running, but I was much better than when I started.  As is my luck, on my last long run (20 miles) I was nearly unable to complete it--my left knee hurt so bad by the time I finished I was limping.  After tapering and freaking out for two weeks that I was actually going to have to run 26.2 miles, I found that my race day had come at last.
I had to meet up to catch a bus to the place we had to meet to catch a bus to the start line at 4:30 AM.  I guess it was a good think I had been awake since 3 AM.  It was freezing cold and rainy driving all the way out to Antelope Island to the start, and I realized during the 40 minute ride (during which they got lost at least twice and had to turn around) that the only way I was getting of this dreary and smelly island was to run the 26.2 miles back.  I was officially past the point of no return.
As a small blessing, I made friends with the woman who I sat next to on the bus.  She turned out to be an experienced marathoner who had even run St. George the week before.  With her assurances that I would do fine, she graciously kept me company as we stood in the freezing drizzle for 45 min.  I find it incredibly ironic that a group of people who are planning on running 26.2 miles are made to stand around for nearly an hour before the beginning of the race.  Great way to save your legs....
We parted ways with a quick hug and wished each other luck as the race began.  And thus I commenced what would become the most challenging experience of my life (to that point).  It was monotonous and etched with lake stink, and the gray sky did nothing to lift my mood.  I did reasonably well until I reached the halfway point.  To realize that I was only halfway done at that point was disheartening and only served to increased my bad mood which was creeping up with the return of my knee pain.  This pain got worse and worse until it became almost unbearable, ~17.5 miles into the race.  My pace slowed to a pitiful jog/walk and I watched others I had self-righteously judged myself to finish before now pass me.  As I neared the 20 mile mark, I hit what could only be "the wall."  As I hadn't encountered it in my long runs before, I had no idea what to expect.  I was freezing cold, wet, exhausted, starving, light-headed, and all I wanted to do was sit down and cry.
I may be a crazy, enthusiastic, slightly spastic, masochistic, and borderline insane, but I am not a quitter.  So I did not give up, but kept putting one foot in front of the other, crying the whole time.  When my parents drove by to cheer me on, I think I yelled at them to go away.  I knew if they stayed even a second more, I would crumble and tell them to take me home while I tried to forget that I had ever had this crazy idea to run a marathon.  I guess they took the hint, because I finished the race without another sight of them.
When I rounded the corner in to the park, and the finish line was in sight, I blasted the most pump-up song I could find on my play list and tried to run.  My knee almost gave out twice.  I couldn't hear a thing when I finally crossed under the arch, but according to my mom, they announcer over the loud speaker who I was, and that I was finishing my first full marathon.  At that point I didn't really care.  I took the medal they handed me and literally collapsed on my mother, sobbing.
I managed to hobble to the first aid tent, where they gave me a big bag of ice for my knee, and it was all a blur going home.  I do remember asking my dad to stop for Arby's--I got curly fries.  It was the first time I had eaten anything from a fast food restaurant in close to a year.  Apparently in my delirium I made a comment to athletic trainer on how I couldn't believe that people chose to do this for fun.  With my experience, I vehemently stated that I would never do it again.
Since then, I have received some treatment for my knee (severe IT band syndrome and popliteal tendonitis), and might be able to start training again soon.  Its funny, but I find that I miss running just a little.  But I have a hard time owning to it, and will deny it if you ask.
So, in the end, I was able to cross "run a marathon" off my bucket list.  I told myself that this was a once-in-a-lifetime thing that I NEVER wanted to do again.....which means I'll probably talk myself into running another one next summer.

Grad School and Planning for the Future

I am the type of person who likes to have a plan for the future.  That way I have a set goal that I work towards; it helps me when I get discouraged and gives me a point of focus.  I spend a lot of time looking at my "next step" to make sure I am prepared and that it is the best choice.  While I firmly believe that this is a good trait...I have found that there can be some not-so-welcome side effects.  The main one is that I sometimes forget to live in the moment, or to appreciate it at all.  At one point, this moment was the end goal of much thought and planning, but when it comes, my brain and heart have already moved on to newer and more exciting things (or so I think).  This minorly unpleasant self-realization has been a catalyst for (hopefully) encouraging self-improvement.
Although I have no desire to provide a full disclosure of my future plans in their entirety, I think it would suffice to mention that my original plan (as of about a month ago) was to graduate as quickly and painfully (I would say painlessly, but theoretical physics is somewhat masochistic) as possible.  From there I would enroll in the University of Houston Ph.D. Kinesiology program along with its corresponding Doctoral Curriculum in Space Life Sciences and attempt graduation in 4-5 years.  That would put me eligible to apply to the Astronaut Corps. in approximately 2017-2018.  However, my afore mentioned self-realization, assisted by a trip to Boulder, Co (of all places) set in motion a new plan.
I realize that it may sound ridiculous in light of my recent discovery, that my response would be to make a new plan.  I must, therefore, restate my opinion that I do not think it is a bad thing that I like to have a plan.  The negative symptoms regarding my attitude towards the present are ones that, like any bad habit, can be avoided and changed once they have been discovered to be detrimental.  So I will continue, for the foreseeable future, to make lists, charts, excel spreadsheets and all sorts of plans.  And yes....they will all be color-coded.
So what was this life-altering experience which has set me on a new course?  It was a annual conference called SpaceVision put on by SEDS.  The opportunity to surround myself with like-minded individuals, both students and professionals, gave me an incredible new perspective on my chosen career.  After some thought, I believe it can be simplified down to a few things.

1. Astronaut Captain Steve Lindsey (Leader of the final mission of the Space Shuttle Discovery) gave a priceless piece of advice.  To a room full of (desperate) wannabe Astronauts, he implored us that while it was an incredible aspiration, we should not set all of our hopes and dreams on joining the 300-some odd souls who had been lucky enough to escape above near-earth orbit personally.  Although, in the very near future, it would be highly likely that many of us in that room would be able to have similar experiences as we took our places as leaders and developers of the space industry, there is much more to do than simply the the body on the plane.  His recommendation was that each of us should find something in life that we love to do and can be passionate about.  If our lives also happened to lead us to joining the Corps., then we would be blessed to have that honor and experience.  But if it did not, it would be a terrible tragedy to find ourselves in a career we despised simply because we hoped it would get us into space.  
2. I met a great group of students, from all over the country who had the same goals and dreams I did.  Until that point, I had always felt the odd-man-out syndrome that comes with the lack of an aerospace engineering program and the accompanying interest in space exploration and development from the staff and student body.  Their experiences and insight provided me with information about the wide variety of career paths available at a variety of universities and institutions.  There are many others out there like me (but not quite me--thanks Shady) and the industry has many opportunities I had never even dreamed of.
3. I will admit, on occasion, to falling prey to stick-up-a** syndrome in my drive to succeed.  While I am currently hampered by certain parental influences that restrict me from having the active social life I often desire, I do also have to admit that part of it is my own reticence.  My efforts have driven me to work for and desire lofty ambitions.  This is all well and good, but in order to become the person I see in the future, I need to work on developing those traits now.  This includes learning to take more risks, pushing outside of my comfort zone and being more open to change.  Letting loose at a club every now and then with friends is a good thing....now to find somewhere in Salt Lake to go...

So in my desire to enjoy the journey, and not focus as much on the destination, there is suddenly a barrage of opportunities and choices.  Things I had never even considered before; sometimes crazy (to me at least) and completely unprecedented.  The long and short of it is that I think I will get a Master's degree before moving on to a Ph.D.  And get this....I found a program at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland.....in Bioengineering!  

First off, I had never even contemplated getting any sort of education abroad (thought I wasn't opposed to it).  Secondly, I am not interested in engineering as a career.  At all.  In fact, I have a particular propensity for all things mechanical in lab-like environments to malfunction horribly whenever I am involved.  I am like the Bermuda Triangle in the physics labs.  This is one (of many) reasons I did not go into applied physics.  But, true to form, I believe in challenging myself to do things I never thought I could do, or previously believed myself incapable of.  Apparently, this includes getting a Master's degree in engineering.  Thankfully, the program is only a year long, and it provides an incredible opportunity to take all the types of classes that I was interested in from the Biomedical Engineering program at the U.  Also, the saving grace is that the faculty is involved in the specific type of research that I have been thinking about, and I don't think I have to build anything (I  think...).  

Of course, as I am not a member of the EU, school is insanely expensive.  Since money is such a constant and painful worry for me, I find it surprising how easy it is to justify twenty thousand dollars worth of student loans for this.  However, I did find a program where, if I was selected to be a Fulbright Scholar, I would have my tuition paid for and, as I believe, receive some sort of stipend that would allow me to avoid some nasty debt.  Of course, this program is very competitive, but I seem to have a penchant for the difficult and crazy.  

This decision to get a Master's degree doesn't really change my "original plan" detailed above much, it really just adds another year before graduating.  So it would be a little difficult to understand how this is evidence of personal growth.  I would propose that it is the mindset that would even allow me to consider something like this is indicative of how much I am trying to change.  Granted, it is a bit of a step sideways rather than forward, it has given me the propulsion to climb out of the holding pattern-like rut I have been in since I started college.  

The other thing I am working on is the whole "enjoy where you are at" concept.  I have been in such a hurry to grow up (since I was 5-6 ish), that I never pause to enjoy the things that come with being young, unattached and relatively unhampered by major responsibilities.  This one does not have as direct a solution, and requires more creativity and work (of an entirely unfamiliar kind) on my part.  It is a challenge all on its own and one that requires, by nature, that I cannot do it alone.  So here goes to, in effect, spicing up my social life and breaking out of my bubble.  While I have no idea of how to do this, at least I have identified that I want to try.  

Wish me luck!

10 Ways You Know You are With Smart People

1.    They don’t talk as much as you, because they know they got smart by listening.

2. They know lots of things other than what they’re specialised in. Theirs is the gift of a broad mind, constantly fed with the stimulant of being interested in what everyone else is doing.

3. They juggle home, work and personal interests with dexterity and never fall back on the tired old refrain about “work life balance”. And when they’re juggling, they somehow manage to seem 100% engaged with what they’re doing, on all fronts simultaneously, even though you know they’re taking appropriate steps behind the scenes to make sure their lives are perfectly, serenely balanced.

4. They probably do social media. Not always, but probably. It is not only another chance to listen, but one they use to ensure they can feed their brains with things they otherwise wouldn’t have come across.

5. Even when things go very badly wrong, they’ll be smiling. Smart people never get ruffled because their smart brains present them with alternatives faster than the bad stuff can happen.

6. They know they are usually the smartest person in the room, but they don’t spend their time dwelling on that. Instead, they take it as a personal challenge to see if they can make everyone else the smartest person in the room too.

7. If they are managers, they will make every effort to get people smarter, more connected and more popular than them in their teams. They’re not threatened because they know that smartness is synergistic. They also make sure that their smart people get to look smarter than them for the same reason.

8. They have hidden skills that never get rolled out until they’re needed. They don’t have any need to show their full capabilities for reasons of proving they’re better than others.

9. They may or may not have expensive educations. You’d never know, just by being with them unless you had their CV in front of you.

10. They never, ever, under any circumstances, make you look stupid, even though it would be easy to do so. They’ve learnt through bitted experience that the only thing that happens when you make someone look bad is you look bad yourself.

The Art of Being Happy

While trolling online under this heading on Google, I stumbled across this gem and felt obliged to share.  I wish I could take credit for it, but alas, I am not a life coach who can compile such amazing words of advice.  

While there are thousands of ways that stress can drive you crazy thank goodness there are some real easy ways to get rid of it. One of the simplest that I have come across and still use to this day is the power of happiness.

Many of the people I coach tell me that it’s impossible for them to laugh or be happy when they are stressed. The problem for them is that they are right.

You see, quite often it’s the way you look at things that is the problem, not the circumstances you find yourself in. It’s like the saying goes, ‘Whether you think you can or you think you can’t you’re right!’  If happiness is a destination you are waiting to arrive at then you could be in for a long ride. The assumption here for people is that happiness comes from outside of you.

While there are obviously things that happen in your life that make you feel either happy or unhappy, the fact is that these experiences come and they go. The better equipped you become at handling the events that cause you stress the less impact it will have on your health and happiness.  Many years ago I learned the secret of inner happiness. Now it is something that I can call upon twenty four hours a day, seven days a week no matter what events have or will occur. It may not feel real in the beginning but I encourage you to keep going because the more you practise being happy, the easier it will become.

Until you learn how to do this your emotional well-being will be in the hands of the events that happen to you. The more power your events hold over you to control how you think and feel about life, the less room there is for you to be happy and at peace.  What if you were in control of what you thought and felt about the things that happen in your life? Imagine how your life might be if you had the power to choose to feel happy anytime you wanted to?  This is not only possible to achieve it is without a doubt one of the most crucial skills you can ever master for an outstanding quality of life.

Here are 13 relaxation techniques for Instant Stress Relief

1. Decide to be Happy

To get started you must make a decision to make happiness a priority in your life. Just like you would spend at least 20 minutes a day exercising if you wanted to get fit, you need to devote time each day to creating happiness in your life.

2. Value happiness

Your choices are based on your values. If you regulate happiness to a low priority in life, other choices will take precedence. Where’s happiness located on your list relative to work, taking care of others, spending money, etc.?

3. Choose your response

There is a brief moment between the events that trigger negative thoughts or feelings and your normal reactions to them that you can choose how you want to respond to these events. The secret here is to become aware of that gap and then choose the response that will make sure you are in control of your feelings and actions.

4. Think about happiness

People who are unhappy dwell on their problems, and find fault with themselves and others. That’s not thinking - that’s wallowing. Thinking involves solving your problems, and determining how to bring out the best in yourself and others. Spend at least 10 minutes a day remembering a time when you were happy and re-live those feelings inside you.

5. Think about what you want

What do you think will make you happy? Picturing positive outcomes allows your brain to orient itself to mapping out steps to move you in the right direction.

6. Be happy now

Ask yourself this question, ‘what do I need to do right now to feel happy?’ Perhaps it’s putting on a funny video, or singing your favorite song, or dancing to a fun song, reading a good book or maybe it’s just as simple as changing your attitude. Whatever it is for you put aside time each day to bring more happiness into your life.

7. Practice appreciation

Take a few moments each day to notice three things which you are grateful for and why. The why will let you get in touch with the feelings you have about these things. The more you practice appreciating what’s good about your life, yourself and other people, the bigger your internal happiness bank account will grow.

8. Practice forgiveness

Bad things happen to good people. Good people make bad mistakes. There’s nothing you can do about it other than forgive and move on to making yourself happy again. When you hold onto bad feelings from the past, you prolong your suffering. Don’t give unhappy thoughts a home. Let negatives drift away.

9. Create positives to balance-out the negatives

You need to generate a minimum of five positive moments to offset the negative emotions that are automatically aroused by a bad situation. Keep a list of what makes you happy, and generate at least five of those experiences to eliminate the negative.

10. Do it anyway

If you don’t take action to make your life better because you don’t feel like it, you’re enslaving yourself to your bad feelings. It’s especially important to do something to feel good when you’re feeling bad. Being proactive rather than reactive will stop your body from bombarding you with stress-related chemicals and allow it to do it’s natural job of maintaining good balance.

11. Practice being happy

Happiness is like a muscle - it gets stronger the more you exercise it. Keeping yourself happy is like staying in shape. You’ll become better at it the more you do it. It will become easier to do. And eventually it will become a habit that you’ll really miss when you don’t do it.

12. Promote happiness

Doing good things for others will keep your relationships working well because what goes around comes around. Knowing that you’re a person who makes other people feel good also will give you a deep sense of satisfaction about who you are as a person.

13. Lift your spirit

You can face any challenge in life if you have faith in yourself and in a higher power. To renew your energy, you need to make time to replenish your spirit through whatever acts or rituals that make your heart sing!

While there’s a lot you can do to be happier on the inside understand that your mind has two stories to tell. One will always be positive and optimistic while the other will always be judgmental, pessimistic and negative in nature.

Just by knowing this you can stop fighting with yourself. Happiness is your natural state of being when your mind is not conflicted.  Learn to observe your mind more than get caught up in it’s obsessive nature and you’ll have a life filled with such deep calm and peacefulness you will wonder how you ever got by with out it.

The Admonition of Time

It has been said that there is no time like the present.  It is the only thing that we can every truly perceive.  We can look upon the past and prepare for the future, but we only live in the here-and-now.  This puts a new and important emphasis on choosing how we live.  It is easy to forget what is currently happening, in favor of dwelling on the past or the future.  Such a practice can be dangerous and detrimental to our everyday experiences.
When we choose to forgo the now in favor of what was, or what will be, we can never appreciate who we are, what we have, or who we have in our lives.  We can plan for things, but never truly experience them.  We can dwell on things, instead of living them.  In essence, our life becomes much like a t.v. show or a movie.  Our mind is simply a reel of the past or future.  We are never actually doing something, just living the mental appreciation of things.
To prepare and learn are two important and necessary things, but when they inhibit our ability to actually BE, then we lose an irreplaceable piece of our humanity.  We are defined by what we experience, and how it changes us.  If we never experience, but simply anticipate, we lessen what we can become and limit ourselves to a muted existence.  This is possibly the greatest  crime we commit on our own potential.  As we cage ourselves within bounds of disbelief, fear, or lack of trust we strengthen the bonds of our mortality.  We are less able to live beyond ourselves and become more that simply the sum of our experiences.  To transcend ourselves and become something more, we need to unleash all of the potential  bound within us.  Then we will be free.

Nursing Home or Cruise Ship

There will be no nursing home in my future......Nope!  I'm going to live on a cruise ship year round when I get too old that my family gets sick of me.  The average cost for a nursing home is $200 per day.  Based on reservations and long term discount plus a senior discount price, it would end up being $135 per day.  That leaves $65 a day for:  


1. Gratuities which I estimate at only $10 per day.
2. I will have as many meals a day as I want, as long as I can waddle to the restaurant, or I can have room service. The best part is that they're good meals.  Breakfast in bed every day of the week.
3. Cruise ships have as many as three or four swimming pools, a workout room, free washers and dryers, a casino, movies and shows every night.
4. They often have free toothpaste and razors, and free soap and shampoo.
5. They even treat you like a customer, not a patient. An extra $5 worth of tips should have the entire staff scrambling to help you.
6. I will get to meet new people every 7 or 14 days.
7. TV broken? Light bulb need changing? Need to have the mattress replaced? No Problem! They will fix everything and apologize for the inconvenience.
8. Clean sheets and towels every day, and you don't even have to ask for them.
9. If you fall in the nursing home and break a hip you are on Medicare.  If you fall and break a hip on the cruise ship they will likely upgrade you to a suite for the rest of your life.


And, the best for last!
10. I get to see Alaska, South America, the Panama Canal, Tahiti, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, etc., etc. Don't look for me in a nursing home, just call shore to ship.


P.S. And don't forget, when you die, they just dump you over the side at no charge.


*This is all courtesy of a humor website.  None of this is mine, just sharing.