Things People Give Me #2 (Valentine's Day Edition!)

Happy Valentines Day!

I didn't expect anything this year, just like I never expect anything any year. But alas, like most years, I was surprised!

In Japanese class today, my friend gave me an intentionally corny handmade card, just like she did last year. Apparently she searched the Internet for the corniest pickup line she could find, and since I'm a polisci major who's always writing she thought I'd enjoy this one. And I did. Thanks, Lauren!


"I'm writing a paper on the finer things in life, and was wondering if I could interview you." I've never heard this one before. Do guys really say this?
 

Another acquaintance of mine gave me candy. She gave everyone in Japanese class candy, but only a few people had bags with their names on them. I was one of them, and that made me feel good that she thought about me even though we haven't been able to talk in a while. Even though I don't eat candy and will probably just give it to Ma when I see her, I really appreciated this. Thanks, Jordan!

"You can't take it with you."

I'll be the first to admit that I am cheap. I do not like spending money. It almost pains me to spend sometimes, that is how cheap I am. Often I'll have a certain conversation with my mom where I say that I want something but don't want to pay for it because it, like everything, costs money that I don't want to spend. Then Ma will respond by calling me a cheapskate or something similar to it, and then remind me that it's not that big a deal: "You can't take it with you." I've always understood that phrase to mean that money is just money, and overvaluing it to the point that you can't bear to part with it is a waste of time. There's no use putting so much value into "things", because they're all temporary. You can't take any of them with you when you die. Makes sense, right?

But these days, I've noticed that the meaning of that phrase has been flipped the other way around in many people's minds. Especially young people. For example, on my way to Grand Rapids last weekend, my friend's boyfriend started playing "When I'm Gone" by Wiz Khalifa. The chorus goes:

 I'm gonna spend it all why wait for another day/I'ma take all this money I own and blow it all away/Cause I can't take it when I'm gone, gone, gone, gone/No I can't take it when I'm gone, gone, gone

Somehow, "You can't take it with you" has become a justification or excuse for indulgence and waste, for spending money without regard to consequence. And it makes sense to everyone but me.

It's almost like "YOLO". One would think that knowing you only live once would encourage a person to enjoy his life, but also not do stupid, toxic, or dangerous things that would end it too quickly. But no, it means exactly the opposite. Do anything you want, just because, why not? Who cares?

Really? How in the world did this happen?  I know I'm Christian and old-fashioned and all, but I cannot be the only one to see how backwards things have gotten... right?

Silent War: 0-for-2 when it comes to roomates.

I cannot believe this is happening again. My first roommate experience last year did not go well for various reasons. Basically I went in blind, didn't click at all with the person  (aka "The Princess") I was placed with , and it got to the point that we didn't have a single conversation second semester.

I was able to make a lot more friends than I'd expected, one of whom I planned to room with this year. But she pulled out to apply for an RA job, and I had already signed up for my spot in the room. And I was deteremined to not. go. in. blind. again. So I convinced another friend (aka "Miss Thang") to room with me, and I was actually really excited about it. We had some things in common and I admired her because she was a lot of things that I wasn't. I guess I wanted her to be my friend because I thought she was cool, and thought this would be a growing experience for both of us. I had this typical college life fantasy of us spending all this time together, becoming besties for life, and so on.

Boy, how much things can change in a year.

I can't even stand to hear this girl's name, and her very presence just makes me tense up. I chose my roommate this time around, but again, second semester has rolled around and we do not talk. I kid you not, we'll be in the room together for hours and not say a single word to each other. We're even in the same small class at 9am every morning, but we still do not talk. The silence is more broken up than last semester's, though. For the most part she ignores me, avoids me, doesn't talk to me. But every now and then we'll have these talking spells that last a day or two. And then another round of silence. This round has lasted 8 days so far.

There are various reasons why things happened the way they did, but I won't get into them (although I will say that she stopped talking first). I'm just writing to say that I'm over this situation. I was nice and positive, I even gave her the benefit of the doubt and ignored numerous warning signs, and I addressed the problems directly when I noticed them happening. But it all came to nothing, and I'm over it. So to you I say this, Kammy:

People are who they are. I get that. But who you are and what you do are not conducive to the life I am trying to live. You are an obstacle, you are dead weight. So I'mma need you to exit stage left and stay out of my way.  Whether you move out soon like you said you would or I have to be stuck with you until the end of the semester, after this is over I hope I never see your face again. God bless.

I Met Talib Kweli!?! Say What Now?!

Friday
7:30pm- Got snazzy and set off for Grand Rapids (my first time!) with three friends to see Talib Kweli at the The Pyramid Scheme

9:00pm- Doors opened (the doors were supposed to open at 8)

10:00pmish- A.B. (first opening act) performed!

11:30pmish- Mama Sol (second opening act) performed! I LOVE THIS WOMAN!

1:00amish- Talib Kweli FINALLY performed!

2:40amish- The four of us grabbed some food at Grand Coney

3:40amish- Got to my friend's house, met her mom, and crashed on her floor (all four of us side by side like they used to have children do in the good old days)

Saturday 2/9
11amish- Woke up and hung around talking and eating

2:30pmish- Headed back to EL

This past weekend, I managed to get beer thrown on me; witness two fights; have the misfortune of inadvertently making friends with a white woman whom the four of us nicknamed "Drunk Jen"; meet the mom and sister of one of my college besties; eat Eritrean food for the first time; sit in on/participate in multiple debate-conversations about nothing, and.... MEET TALIB KWELI!

He looked sooo exhausted and I felt bad about bothering him. But he was really nice, shook all of our hands, asked all of our names. Thanks S for being brave enough to ask his DJ to meet him after the show, and thanks random drunk white guy who literally pushed me into the photo.

First Grand Rapids/club/hip-hop concert/Eritrean home experience = SO MUCH FUN! My weekend was insane, but I loved it!

Things People Give Me #1



I decided to start a series on this blog called "Things People Give Me". Despite what people like to say, no one gets by in life all on their own, and I think it's good to take time every now and then to acknowledge moments when people give you things. Giving is a phenomenal action and receiving is a phenomenal experience. No one in this world is obligated to give you anything, so when you receive something for an unselfish reason, it's really a blessing.

 

Let's try not to notice how huge my forehead is in this photo...

Today the black caucus in my dorm decided to have Valentine's Day bingo, and I won a $25 dollar Meijer gift card! I originally went because a pair of Beats by Dre was the grand prize and I figured, I don't even use my mp3 player, but those headphones are really popular these days so why not? Obviously I didn't win them, but this gift card is so much better. I won't have to pay for groceries with my own money until March! Isn't it wonderful how sometimes you get what you need instead of what you want?

Thanks, Shaw Hall Black Caucus!

Shine like a mountain peak

Something I found yesterday at my favorite place, a.k.a. Just B Yoga in Lansing.

3 Weeks!

My high school entrepreneurship teacher Mr. Morton always said it takes three weeks to make or break a habit. Today I have officially been doing yoga for 3 weeks. That may not mean anything to y'all but it took me a lot of prayer and self-pep talks to try something new like this. Thanks to my friend Caitlyn M. for the encouragement and to Just B Yoga for being a safe place with kind people. :)