My good friend named Hypnos

According to ancient Greek mythology the deity Hypnos was the god of sleep. His power and control were tied to forgetfulness and darkness. He lived in a mansion within a cave that had no gate to enter or to leave. It was designed that way as to help sleep enter and stay with no regard to the rules of the mansion. It boarded the river Lethe. This was the river known to cause forgetfulness to the taste. His children were known as the Oneiroi and they were three in number. Morpheus, Phantasos, and Phobeter. These three entities were the children of dreams. They controlled the visions men had as their father lulled them into sleep. Hypnos was so powerful that even Zeus himself could be lulled into his power. He is one of the lesser known, yet highly influential gods of old.

Hypnos and I have been great friends recently. As of late the only solace I can find are those moments that I find in his friendship. However, his children plague my thoughts and the time I spend with him. It is often ironic that human nature we always want what we can't have, and then upon having it, we do not want it anymore. That's how my friendship with this god has been. I want him to make it all disappear, yet I know that letting that happen will only leave me at the hands of the Oneiroi. Again the irony of human kind is seen again. We all need Hypnos in life, but when we are using him as our only option is when he has true power over us.

Every Greek myth has a hero. I guess the hardest part about this myth is that the villain needs to be both our ally and the enemy. But at the heart of it, we are always are own enemy. How can we be the hero that the myth craves for when we ourselves seem like the true villain of our own myth. The dichotomous thinking will surely be the Ragnarok to our souls. And Hypnos won't be able to help anyone when that time comes. But as we become consumed by the shadow released by Pandora's box, we forget to hold on tight. Endure all. Try with every fiber of our being to keep looking. For it is only then that we will see hope, shining back at us from the bottom of the box.

Thoughts on Being a Bookworm

Love this....a lot....

            My sister and I had an EPIC conversation this morning about literature. One of those awesome philosophical conversations that we engage in. Nothing special. We touched a little of infinity but no big deal. So this post will be about books. Why I love them. Why they mean so much to me. Here is an insight into the workings of my soul.

            I don’t specifically remember when I started loving books. Always have. I do remember that the first word I could spell was Aladdin. In reality it was probably my name or "mom" or something lame like that….Aladdin is just so much cooler. What I do remember is we always had books around. Eric and I shared a room and we had this massive bookshelf that was always messy. From Dr. Seuss books, to Amelia Bodelia, we always had something to read. My favorite kid book is tied between “Where the Wild Things Are” and “Dinner Time.” Dinner time is a pop up monster book that haunted my childhood. My mom got it for my wedding. She rocks.

Seriously...one of the most terrifying books of all time...

            From there on I fell in love with books. As I entered 4^th grade I discovered Harry Potter and from there it all began. At this time I learned to use literature as an escape. Here was this perfect world that I could throw myself into. I put parts of my soul into books and in return they gave me shelter and peace from the crazy puberty world around me. I was bullied as a kid. Books gave me the safety of escaping all of that and entering a place where no one would bully me. Harry, Ron, and Hermione became my best friends. I was Jonas from the Giver. He thought be to see color. I wanted to go to Terebithia with my best friend. I would fight Orcs with Aragon. I escaped with Aslan through the wardrobe. Books gave me freedom from the pressures of the world. They were my drug of choice.

            Then sixth grade happened and Mrs. Hatch showed me a whole new world (BOOM another Aladdin reference.) to books. She taught me how to analyze, research, and ponder the deeper meanings of books. Once I started doing this I never stopped. I was introduced to "Lord of the Flies", "Dandelion Wine", "In Cold Blood", "Beowulf", "The Iliad", and countless other books that changed how I viewed the world. I learned that books have devastating power. They can change the world and influence individuals far greater than most things in this world. You can’t just read “Night” by Elie Wiesel and not be moved. Books now became not only my escape, but my gateway to learn the truly powerful lessons that enhance my life.

Oh Dumbledore...why are you so cool!?

            Finally, books gave me the heroes that are dear to me. Literary heroes have some amazing potential. The authors craft these gorgeous characters that connect to you on levels that you didn’t think possible. Dumbledore became a father figure to me. Hermione became to represent knowledge and loyalty to me. Katniss became bravery and strength. Robert Langdon became insight and intrigue. Aslan was (and is) a deity. Charlie became insecurity and overcoming it. Hazel became hope and faith in a better future by building on a difficult past. These characters became role models. They became friends. They became examples.

            To end, I cannot describe how much books have molded me and made me who I am today. They will always be my escape, my power and my example. Reading is probably my favorite past time of all. I will always do it. To read is to have power. There is nothing more true to that. There are worlds and inspiration out there, and all we have to do is turn the page.

Pure Truth

p.s. 5000 blog points if you comment on your favorite book.

p.p.s 500 for reading

p.p.p.s 50000 if you recommend a book for me to read!

Dr. Max

 

One of my Zoology Professors told me the snakes are actually worms....i dont know if i believe him. 

Why do I want to be a doctor?

That is a huge questions. And as I am told it will be frequent in my interviews with potential medical schools. That is what this post is about. Something incredibly important to me. With all the schooling, the stress, the tests, the o-chem, and all the loans. ;D It is a long road, and this is post is a look into why. Why on earth am I doing this!?

            Back in the day, when the only thing that you worried about was getting all the Golden Bananas on Donkey Kong 64, I wanted to be an astronaut when I grew up. (now I don’t know what on earth I was thinking…pun intended.) One day I went to Lagoon with the family. I was finally able to ride the cool big white Rollercoaster. I remember this being the first big rollercoaster I ever went on. My dad being the future planning dad he is told me that what my stomach felt like would be what it would be like to be on the space shuttle. Well after the ride I puked, and my dreams of being an astronaut were in my mind. Ruined.

            The downfall of my astronaut career led to a dark time in the life of young Max George. I wanted to be all sorts of things. Only to let them fall away with little thought or care. A scientist, video game designer, director, and crime scene investigator were only a few of the things that I wanted to be when I “grew up.” One test told me that I should be a clothes designer….still thinking that might be a good idea….

            A few of my posts have talked about how I am a planner. So it is normal for me to say that not knowing what I wanted to do with my life was very distressing. I knew I liked science, but math was not my favorite. I loved kids, but I did not like teaching. This would perplex me day in and day out. One day, the thought came into my head about medicine. Maybe I could be a doctor. A pediatrician. I would use science and work with kids. Best of both worlds!

 

Cute non-stress senior Max....

            I knew in that moment I think that being a pediatrician is what would make me happy in life. It just seemed so clear. I took some medical classes my senior year of high school and fell in love with the art of medicine. I could look at an anatomical diagram and have it memorized in a matter of minutes. Ask me to do that with a Robert Frost poem and it will take me 4 years to master. Medicine just came easy to me. All of the sudden, I knew, with out a doubt what I wanted to be when I grew up.

Why do I want to be a doctor?

All of this happened while I was pubescent and in high school. I took some medical classes in college before my mission and again, fell in love with the science. I left for Uruguay and continued this drive to see an MD after my name. I returned home and began school immediately in the fall as a pre-med student.

            Being a pre-med student is no cake walk. There are so many pre-req classes for the MCAT that I want to shoot myself on occasion. I feel like I will never get out of Weber State University. I see my friends around me graduating and moving on with there lives. And I am still dreading finals week every semester. The classes are difficult. Often I have 3 classes with 3 hour labs a week. Chemistry is a bitch. I have so much extra-curricular going on that I feel overloaded sometimes. Sometimes I wish I could just work at Great Harvest full time….

            And I will be honest. Sometimes I do want to give it all up. Throw the towel. Give up on medicine. There is nothing more degrading then getting a bad score on a test in my mind, and I have had my fair share. I look at the 7 years I still have to go, all the money, the moving, the challenges, and I want to say screw it. Why shouldn’t I go into movie editing!? That would be fun. 

I know Gandalf...I know.....

Why do I want to be a doctor!?!?

            Here is the reason. I want to make a difference. Now, I am not saying that all the other professions on this planet do not make a difference. That would be ignorant of me. But for me, to feel like I am making a difference I need to be a doctor. There is no other profession that I can think of that would fulfill me as much as a doctor would. I want to cause change. I want to look into the eyes of a sick child and make them feel better. I want to heal. I want to fix. I do not want to be another grain of sand on this planet. I want to be that seashell that makes someone’s day. And in my young adult brain the only way I can do that is by being a doctor. I want to figure out the unknown. I want to solve problems. I want to be there for people when they need me. There are a lot of perks too. The pay, the prestige, the allure of being a doctor. But at the heart of it all, I want to help this world. I do not want to fade into the background noise like a lot of my generation. I want to be a doctor.

            After writing all of this I feel like we maybe should start asking kids what will they be when they grow up instead of what they want to be. Obviously that would be impossible. It took me quite sometime to figure it out. And I am glad I did. I am passionate about medicine and this is a small glimpse as to why. Kylies little cousins have recently started calling me Dr. Max, and now it is a thing. I even have a clock with it on it! (Thank you Brian.) Dr. Max. It has a nice ring to it. A lot is going to happen in my life. Some of it I won’t be able to control. One thing though that I can control is that I will be a doctor. Give me all the hell that is school. I can take it. Give me all the student loans. It’s worth it. Give me the stress. What is another ulcer? Dr. Max is only a few years away.

Scary, stressed, senior in college Max... 

p.s. Sorry is this sounded arrogant. Not my intention. It is however, my passion, and I feel like I can be somewhat of a big head about it ;)

p.p.s What do you want to be when you grow up? :D (3000 blog points)

My Big Nosed Sin Baby of a Little Brother...who also happens to be my Hero.

He is actually not an Asian....

This is Eric George, the second George boy. He is my little brother and will always be one of the strongest people I know. This post is for him. We are 100% different, and yet I value my relationship with the kid more than I can even understand. Even if his nose is larger than the rest of us, and he is naturally tan and has sandy blonde hair. He may be the milk mans baby…who knows ;D

Growing up Eric and I usually were constantly at each others throats. Even after the purgatory that is puberty we still did not get along like most brothers do. He liked cars and motorcycles and I liked musicals and books. We were very different growing up. But as most brothers go through, we were brothers. We would do a lot of the same activities and that brotherly friendship grew. It may have been a slow growth, but soon we put differences aside and became very close.

 Before my mission we both became amigos. However, we still had out separate lives and did the best we could to keep it that way. Then all of the sudden I went to Uruguay. Eric would play the tough guy front and tell me he was excited for me to leave so that we could take over my space in the house. I just laughed it off, thinking more or less this is just how my brother worked. Then him and I hugged at the airport and we didn’t let each other go. Tears started and all of the sudden I realized that missing my goofy little brother was going to hurt. A lot.

 Over the course of two years I quickly learned that my brother Eric is one of the best people on this planet. I would miss him so much, and all of the sudden I realized that he and I shared a bond that only brothers really have. I would want to tell him things that I couldn’t tell anyone else. I missed that punk a lot. Missions are funny things. They tear you apart from your family for awhile, and then they slam you closer together like you would never believe.

Us with the Weasley twins...nothing big....

 Through the course of my mission I would learn about the trials that my brother was going through. He had idiots friends, ward members who were vicious, and migraines, that would ultimately hospitalize him for a week. Through it all, the kid never gave up. Never threw in the towel. He endured his issues and kept going. As a missionary at the time this was inspiring. When times got rough for me, with no bills, no homework, no job, whose life in reality was pretty cushy… I would remember that if Eric could do it. So could Max.

 When I got home I promised myself to spend more time with my brother. And that I did. Soon he was hanging out with my group of friends and he became part of that “family.” We spent a ton of time together and my brother became one of my most valued friends. I can’t recount how many stupid movies we would end up seeing. (Like “Zookeeper”) I cherish those moments a lot. More than he probably knows.

He was the perfect WALL-E

 Then the punk had to go and leave on his mission. I hate missions sometimes. Eric made his own decisions and I shared some amazing experiences with him as we was preparing to leave. Once again we were growing closer. The day he left he was in our basement and I gave him that last hug. It was surreal. I did not want it to end. But of course it had to. I had my meltdown in my car on the way to school.

Eric got home from his mission a few weeks ago, and the other day we had a brother’s night. Man I love this kid.

Funny thing about being the older brother is that I have always felt this necessity to be an example and a role model for Eric. I would drown him in advice and suggestions to try and “help” him. I would try and be the best person I could be so that he would see that and do the same. Eric didn’t have the easiest of missions and I would again send an onslaught of support trying to him trying not to show him my own weaknesses. Little did I know Eric was the real role model in all of this.

 Eric is one of the most genuine people I know. While i was so preoccupied about being a good "older brother" he was silently showing me how to be the better brother. He does stuff because he wants to do them. He makes his own decisions. He knows what is right and what is wrong and he will stick with that. He is a loyal friend and will be with you till the end. He is enduring. He has been put through the ringer and has had a shit load of trials. More than most people. And yet, my younger brother is stronger than anyone. Stronger than me. Out of us George boys, it is his example that shakes the ground.

 I owe a lot of who I have become to the example of my brother. I love that kid. We may be 100% different, but I would be lost without him. We may not agree on everything, but his opinion matters drastically to me. Through hell and back I know that Eric will be with me through it all. I have had my personal trials, but I know that over all of it...my brother will always be there. And I will be there for him. 

Glad you are home buddy!

p.s. Do you know Eric? If you don’t. Go Face book creep him and become his amigo.

p.p.s 500 blog points!

My Exact Thoughts..But Spoken Through Another Man...

So Dan Pearce hits another home run on how I feel. This post he created is brilliant and I couldn't agree more with him. This is an intense topic in Utah at the moment. And I feel that he has done an excellent job on making a rational and logical argument for this intense debate. More importantly for me it hits a cord. I echo his words, and feel that his view on the matter mirrors what I believe. Especially pages 2 and 3. Take not on page three. I honestly do not know how it is any different from what happened in the past. Hopefully his article spreads understanding and not just hate. I think that is what is at the core of what is going on right now.

10 Important Ways Same Sex Marriage Will Change Marriage & Family

P.S. 50000 blog points for Dan Pearce. He is a rock star of the blogging world.

Another 2 Cents on Vaccines

IF you are a reader of my blog you know that vaccines and children are high on my priority list... Kylie sent me this article today and it is incredible. It is a first hand experience of the dangers of not vaccinating. This poor baby had Whopping Cough. It is a disease that we have immunizations for. Yet it killed this poor baby. Seriously do your scientific research if you are questioning not getting your child vaccinated. It is SO important. I have some more thoughts on this and the flu shot but that is for another day.

 

http://shotbyshot.org/pertussis/bradys-story/

 

 

The Grossest Words I Could Find.

This is a fun post. Over the past couple of months I have been compiling a massive list of some of the grossest words I know. These words should just not be allowed. Most of them involve bodily functions, but there are a few that are just awesome. Kylie says its all in the way you say the word...but I don't know. Some of these words are just inherently nasty. If you make it to the end of the list check out the hilarious movie from CollegeHumor. It is a real life application of these words! :D

Moist

Scab

Gooey

Sweat

Infected

Swollen

Smear

Damp

Rank

Putrid

Festering

Mold

Swallow

Throat 

Grime

Crusty

Pus

Pimple

Steamy

Snot

Vomit

 Gassy

Asparagus

Chunky

Soggy

Queasy

Fondle

Drip

Clogged

Squirt

Secrete

Creamy

 

 

  Did you make it through them all okay? The last couple are my favorite! Hopefully you didn't puke. If you have any other horrible words that I didn't list please put them in as a comment. Id love to see what you think of!

 

 

 

 

Enjoy! 

Youtube Friday #6

Yes I have not done one of these in ages. This semester is a beast. But tis the season, and the world needs to see this movie once again. Man its incredible. We should never complain about getting Thanksgiving songs...because this is what happens......

Good Luck. And Happy Thanksgiving!

Powerful Article from KSL

Just found this gem (more like a diamond) on KSL. Normally I only visit this site to see how stupid the world is being. I was blown away at the power of this article. I love it. I strongly recommend you read it. And more than that...think about the message it is getting at. Definitely going to print this and keep it forever. Wonderful stuff.

 

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=968&sid=27651571

Coexist

If there is one thing that gets me livid it is intolerance. Especially religious intolerance. For some unknown reason Facebook for the past couple of weeks is swarming with people declaring their beliefs on one thing, but then judging other’s for differing beliefs. Religious intolerance (and intolerance in general) hits a soft spot for me. I hate it. A lot. I have some very personal ties to it, which will not be discussed here. Or ever on this blog. This post is my rant though. My opinion on why I think religious intolerance is one of the foulest things to predominate among humans.

I was a nerdy child. (still am ;D ) But my time in elementary school was a nightmare. I was a skinny. I was nerdy. I was not good at sports. I had more girl friends then guy friends. I was smart. The combo of these traits had me targeted for bullies faster than I could name the planets of the solar system. I was bullied. I was different. Skipping all the gory details I eventually moved schools…only to be bullied by a different set of kids. Did I deserve some of the bullying…? Maybe. My social skills probably were not that adept. But still. I was different. And for that small reason I was singled out as being “weird.”

I kind of look like a rodent of some sort....

I do not know if this is what started my loathing for intolerance, or if it was my passion for other cultures and mythologies. But from what I can remember it started early. I always have believed that every religion on this planet has some value. I feel that religion's goal is to make people good. I may be flawed in this belief. But I don’t care. Spirituality is a key in the neurological stability of maturity. Whether it is Jehovah, Elohim, Budda, Jesus, Zeus, Hecate, or Confucius. Each one of these Gods gave humans the ability to make their lives better.

           So what is tolerance? To me tolerance is accepting. It is respect. It is taking that weird kid. The skinny one, who likes to read instead of playing basketball. It is taking him…and being nice. It doesn't mean agreeing on everything that kid does. But it does mean respecting it. Not verbally attacking him. Not challenging his actions because they differ from yours. Are we the ones who just make fun of the kid to get a rise out of him. Or are we the followers who promote it?

           To me there is no difference from this school yard bullying and religious intolerance. There are thousands of beautiful religions in this world and each of them have something to give to man kind. What makes us arbitrators of what is good and what is bad? Being a member of the LDS faith I see this on a regular basis. I served with Elders in Uruguay who believed that the Catholic Church was the legit Church of the devil. I knew of Elders who rejected any religious idea that was not our own. I participated in some of this. And it is and will be one of my biggest regrets of my life. I love my religion and I believe that it is true. But we have some of the best examples of religious intolerance out there. Both from our active members, and from ex-members looking back in.

           I do not care what you believe. But do NOT attack or belittle other faiths because you do not understand them or do not agree with their practices. That is not okay. Religion is meant to edify and build. Has it done its job? Not all the time. Is it one of the most hypocritical things out there. Of course. But I believe that is due to the human interaction. We are not a perfect species. We project our pride and ambitions into our activities. So HOW is it okay to judge a religion based on the actions of people? Will religions annoy you? Of course. I have been the annoyer. I have been spit in my face because I was trying to share what I believe is the word of God. Is that okay? Yes. Did I spit back because they didn't believe? Absolutely not.

            I do not understand a lot of that the Jehovah’s Witness believe in. They have some interesting ideologies that I don’t quite understand. However…they are an incredible force of people. They strive to make their members better and they promote healthy lifestyles. What is wrong with that!? Is it human nature to see only the bad and reject the good? Mormons, Catholics, Muslims, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Evangelicals, Wicca’s….we ALL have CRAZY beliefs. (Mormons have some of the craziest!) But why does that matter!? Why are we so keen to attack those beliefs we don’t agree with or think are ludicrous?

          This leads me to the Facebook dilemma. I love facebook. I am on it WAY TOO MUCH. I think it is a great tool to meet people, plan events, and catch up with people who you do not see everyday. But it is also a vicious tool. People can post whatever the hell they think is important without realizing the damage it can cause. Or making a spectacle of thier public journal. They hide behind their computer screen and attack beliefs that are dear to others. They don’t know if their words hurt. They cant see the pain they cause. But they sure as hell like causing it. All for the sake of inflating what they already believe.

            I have seen more crap (trying to be decent…) from people who claim that they are now self sufficient in their spirituality and don’t need religion. From agnostic to atheist. I really do not care. But just because you do not believe. DOES NOT mean you can belittle the rest of us just because we believe in a different God than you do. Keep it to yourself. What happened to “if you cant say anything nice…don’t say anything at all?” Apparently that saying does not apply in the realm of social media.

           J.K. Rowing wrote 7 incredible books about the dangers of intolerance. Dumbledore was gay. Hermione was a mud-blood. Harry a pure-blood. Ron a traitor. Yet each one of them symbolizes that it simply does not matter. Why does it matter when religion is involved? Would we think Hermione any less of a literary heroine if we found out she was Catholic? Or if Snape was a Buddhist? Would their symbolism change? People are people. They have different beliefs. Those beliefs can be crazy. Why do we care? She said it the best in this incredible quote that has molded my opinion on this matter.

Will this little rant change anything. Probably not. I will still read blasphemy on Facebook. That wont change. But if you do read this. Please think about it. Are we so willing to criticize instead of finding truth and goodness in what we don’t agree with? Do we post things that we may not find offensive on our walls, but could hurt someone else? Or are we forced to just block people. People who I admire and think are wonderful people. Friends, relatives, colleagues, and family. People who have a lot of respect in my eye. Yet lose it the moment they comment on my or any religion in a negative way.

          To end. I am sorry for the rant. But I am not sorry for my words. I will defend religious tolerance till I die. It means so much to me. The world would be a better place if we could all just respect each others beliefs. Will this ever happen. Doubt it. But I can sure as hell try to do my part. And I will. Also the next time you want to say something on Facebook…remember there are three things we shouldn't talk about at the dinner table. Sex, politics, and religion. Maybe the dinner table is not the only place to do that at….. ;) just saying.

Thanks for reading. This is stuff from my soul.

“It's an universal law-- intolerance is the first sign of an inadequate education. An ill-educated person behaves with arrogant impatience, whereas truly profound education breeds humility.” 
― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

“If man is to survive, he will have learned to take a delight in the essential differences between men and between cultures. He will learn that differences in ideas and attitudes are a delight, part of life's exciting variety, not something to fear.” 
― Gene Roddenberry

In this world, unity is achievable only by learning to unite in spite of differences, rather than insisting on unity without differences. For their total eradication is an impossibility. The secret of attaining peace in life is tolerance of disturbance of the peace. (p. 99)” 
― Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, The True Jihad: The Concept of Peace, Tolerance and Non Violence in Islam

“The Potter books in general are a prolonged argument for tolerance, a prolonged plea for an end to bigotry. And I think it's one of the reasons that some people don't like the books, but I think that's it's a very healthy message to pass on to younger people that you should question authority and you should not assume that the establishment or the press tells you all of the truth.” 
― J.K. Rowling

Real Social Networking

About four years ago I began my exodus that is college. Best decision I have ever made. I love school. I also hate it. We are in a very complex relationship. I would be absolutely lost without Weber State University telling me how to spend my weekday nights. However, this post isn't about how much I love and appreciate higher education. It is about what I think that every person needs to understand when they go to school. College is more than just books. It is about people.

With that in mind, College gives us the opportunity to forget the drama that was prom dances and 1 week romances and lets us begin again. We are thrown into a world where no one knows who you are, what you have done, or what click you were in. They don’t care about your religion, your sexual orientation, or your morals. It’s awesome. Sometimes though I think we don’t realize that we have the INCREDIBLE opportunity to branch out and meet these cool new people. To participate in real social networking is a beautiful thing. And yet…a lot of us don’t. WHY!? We cling to our high school friends and don’t want to explore the world of higher education. Granted I love my high school friends. But they are real friends. I will never lose contact with them. Most of the other “High School” friends I had are now just memories. I have seen both sides of the social network on campus. The side where I didn’t branch out and the side where I did. And I am so glad I did.  Here is my story.

Freshly graduated I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. I want to work with kids. Make them healthy. Make them laugh. I want to be a pediatrician. (now I am thinking pediatric psychiatry…buts that’s another story…) So when I was accepted to Weber State I was ecstatic. Weber is an awesome school. Surprisingly for pre-med students as well. However, as much as I am a Wildcat. Weber has its cons. It is a MASSIVE commuter school. Meaning that a lot of the students come to go to classes and then get out of there ASAP. With this in mind Weber loses a lot of the “college atmosphere.” Unlike USU or the U or even the terrifying BYU, Weber doesn’t have the massive college life experience. Unless you change that yourself.

My freshman year on campus I was dating my high school girl friend. We both had the same interests and thought it would be a great idea if we took similar schedules. Worst idea ever. While it was fun, looking back on it, I made a huge mistake. I made absolutely no new friends at Weber that first year. I studied with her, I went to class with her, I only talked to her in class, we did projects together, and group work together. Big mistake. I took human anatomy my first year and could’ve had the amazing opportunity to network with some really cool people. But I didn’t. I went to school to go to school, then I would leave and hang out with…..? The same girlfriend. Big mistake.

Then I left and had a spiritual awakening in Uruguay for two years. Good decision. Here I got a taste of social networking (the real kind). I met thousands of phenomenal people who I cherish dearly. One of which is now one of my closest friends. The mission taught me how to put my personal reservations aside and get to know people. It was awesome.

I returned from the mission and in three months started school again. With no girlfriend I was ready to rock the campus scene. However, my girlfriend was now replaced with my brother. Who I did everything with on campus. We studied together, went to lunch together, drove together, and complained together. Once again I trapped myself into a rut. I didn’t socialize. I took some AMAZING classes with awesome people and I just left them in the dust.

Then my brother left on his mission, and I finally was all alone on campus. But what did I do? Not socialize. Bad decision. I don’t even know the name of my chemistry partner from intro to chemistry. We only worked side by side for 14 weeks…but did I talk to them…!? No. Bad decision.

Then my incredible wife entered the picture. She couldn’t believe that I had no college friends. She is USU’s number one fan and had an incredible college experience. I soon became envious of her awesome stories from college. So I made the plunge. I started to talk to people. I went out of my way to talk to those who were going to the same classes as I was. And it changed my entire academic career.

His name was Dan Jensen. We took Principles of Zoology II together. I decided I was going to become his amigo. His Bro. His friend. And BAM! It happened. He is a crazy smart kid who is in my same field. We would proof read each other’s work as to get a good grade on it. He also took chemistry with me. BAM we studied together and this weird feeling of what a college should actually feel like started to happen.

It was that decision and idea from my incredible wife that made all the difference. I am now the creator and vice-president of the neuroscience club. I helped organize and volunteer for Brain Awareness Week. I am a member of the Golden Key Society. I Am now the Co-director for Brain Awareness Week. I tutor physiology and SI for neuroscience. I am doing research with a professor and may get to present it at a huge conference in Kentucky next year. I organize and plan study groups with loads of incredible people who amaze me. A 16 year old college student who is taking theoretical algebra. (what does that even mean!?) A pre-med student who when I joked that she should make me soup… and ACTUALLY DID IT!  I actually talked to my Organic Chemistry partner this time and now he is one of my best guy friends.

Super Amigos. (Thats friend in spanish...)

Moral of the story is I can’t walk around campus now without seeing a friendly face and saying hello to someone. I am involved in the activities on campus. It feels fantastic. Now I am a FIRM (blue) believer that socially networking on campus is the only way to get the most out of your college experience. It gives me reason to go to school. Not only am I going to class, but I am applying that knowledge into my extra-curricular all the while making new friends. Its incredible.

To those of you who are starting your freshmen year. GET INVOLVED! That means more than just joining a club or having a study session. Become friends with those who are around you. Go out to eat, go see movies, and hangout outside of campus. Even if they live forever away. It is worth it. I promise. I have been on both sides, and I am never. Going back to the other side.

P.S. 5000 Blog points. This was a long one. ;D

This is Halloween

Yes I know it has been a decade since I have last written anything. But come on. I got married and then started the first of two hell semesters on campus. So naturally my life has been an onslaught of Organic Chemistry, Physics, and yelling at Comcast. I have missed blogging dearly. Which is why I am back.

Today is September 30^th. Tomorrow begins the month in which my second favorite holiday lies. Halloween! I am a HUGE fan of horror and the occult. I have never really understood why….but for some reason I love it. Absolutely love it. It may or may not stem from watching hours of Unsolved Mysteries as a child…There is nothing better than feeling the autumn air around me, seeing the colors change, and watching a scary movie in a corn field. Oddly enough I hate spook alleys and haunted houses such as Nightmare on 13^th. This however is going to change this year. As I am braving them with my wife and her family. Pray for me.

As a student of neuroscience I am often baffled as to why we love horror so much. Some people are revolted by the season, and yet others are consumed by it. Why do we love that which scares us? Do we want to push our limits? Do we have a dopaminergic response to that which terrifies us? Why? Executions used to be a social spectacle. In a way they still are. Ever turned on your television? We are drawn to darkness. We like being scared. The horror industry is huge. Millions of people venture into it every year. From ten year old's telling tales of Bloody Mary and the Hook Man, to adults watching movies that give us nightmares. Why do we do it?

I think one of the best answers given to this question is done by an incredible close friend Nathanial J. Darkish as he waits for pyramid head. His interpretation of this dilmena is intriguing and true. READ IT! It is quite honestly some of the best psychological bending material I have read. Especially if you have ever experienced what he has. His blog will dive deep into the human mind as it challenges itself on this very issue. He is an aspiring author and your views and comments will help give his works life. In his first essay that he gives us, he dives upon this paradox in a way that makes you question your own psychology. And will make you ask that same question. Why horror? Its brilliant. And I HIGHLY recommend it. (Plus the name of the blog is AWESOME!)

http://partisobscurum.wordpress.com/

Well for now this is it. I will return. I need to. It’s so therapeutic. Enjoy your Halloween season. It’s really the only time of the year where our fears become our friends!

P.s. 900 blog points for reading! An additional 100 if you post what your favorite Halloween past time is.

P.P.S. another 5000 points if you go and read that blog. It is really good stuff. 

"Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart"

Sometimes…people suck. They are real ass holes. Who hasn’t met someone who they just want to punch in the face because they are being an idiot? Whether it’s a family member, someone at work, or some moron on the road…we all have those days where we seem to meet the best of God’s dumbest creations. I feel though, that often times we are only looking in a mirror. Looking at something that we ourselves often are. An Asshole.

In William Golding’s book Lord of the Flies, a group of young boys are marooned on an island all by themselves. No parents, no government, no rules. Just themselves. In time, Pandora’s box is opened and chaos and death walk freely amongst the children. One of the central themes of the book is that humans are by nature, carnal, evil, and malicious. This is seen in the descent of these innocent boys from humane to demonic. It is also made manifest in a boars head upon a stake. The Lord of the Flies. Beezlebub, The prince of devils. Who taunts the children, making them realize that their greatest fear, the beast, is in fact themselves. This enigmatic symbol ultimately drives Simon, a representation of spirituality to his own spiritual and physical death.

The themes in this book inspire me. Weird right? This is one of my favorite books of all time, and is a must read for everyone in my opinion. However, there is one thing I completely disagree with about the book. Which in essence is the core of the book. I believe Human beings are inherently good.

I feel that naturally and deep down all humans are brought into this world as good people. I do not believe that some people inherently bring evil with them. In the realm of science there is an extensive battle between what is Nurture and what is Nature. Which of these two opposing forces dictates what we will become. Ask some people and its black and white…all or none. We either are a product of our genetics or a product of our environment. I believe in the color grey. That nature gives us certain anatomy, which can cause certain physiology, which can ultimately lead to certain personalities and dispositions. However, I also believe that the world around us is a very sharp knife.

Once we reach a certain point in our lives I feel that nature sort of dies, and we become subject to the knife of nurture. We react to situations by what we have seen others react like. We mirror what our surroundings teach us. Sure we have different personalities, beliefs, ideals, morals, and genetic variances that make us truly unique. But at the core, we all have been shaped with what the world has given us. Making some people bad, and others good.

I am so inspired by Golding’s book, due to the apocalyptic tale he tells. That humans are evil. He demonstrates that without laws we will be destroyed by our own beasts. And if this wickedness is not contained it will consume us. What I pull from the book is to fight against it. Recognize when we are being malicious and change it. We can’t force people to change who they are, but I STONGLY believe that we can be instruments of good in the world. We heal from the scars that the knife has left in us and we can be different. We don’t have to be depressed or rude and mean. We can change. We have control.

Sometimes though I think I am too optimistic. I have people in my life who wear me down. They make stupid mistakes and think that their life is out of their control. I want to ring his neck. Tell him to shut the hell up, and make the decision. Take his life, and make the best of it. Put off the negativity and choose to be happy. I tell him this over and over and over and over and over and over and over. Do they listen? For a couple of months. Then the descent back into Dante’s inferno begins again. Not just for him. But the people who his actions affect. We are his Dante and he is our Virgil. Dragging us with him…. down the circles of his personal hell. And all of us are raged and stormed by the tempest of those deep circles of hell.

I am writing this post, not for him. Not for myself. But for those people who day by day choose their destiny. They choose to be good. Thank you. Thank you to all the mothers who put up with their children’s shit day after day. Who hide their scars of sadness from the world. Thank you to the dads who struggle to make ends meet, but who still take time out of their day to play with those who they love. Thank you to the sisters who hold on, and have a faith in something that the rest of us have troubles with. Thank you to the friends who listen without bigotry or hate. Thank you to the lovers, who bare the burdens of their partners.

Thank you to the people in the world who are trying to make a difference. I have had a very hard week. Then I meet people around me, at work, at school, in the store, and all around me. It gives me courage to look into the Lord of Flies and yell at him. Scream at him that I am better. To overcome my personal darkness and fight for myself to be a good person. To choose the right in more ways than a religious one.

What inspires me? Good people. Not only who they are, but what they choose to overcome each and every day. To all of you who inspire me. Thank you. I would be lost forever on an island without you.

 

P.S. 5000 blog points ;)

Another Pediatric Rant.



Yup.

Yup. Here is another one. A rant about the inner workings of the pediatric world. You sick of these yet? Tough. I work in a pediatric office. What do you expect? Deal with it. I sometimes hate when I just blog-rant. But it is so stress relieving. So you may just have to deal with one more of these. Sorry.

Just a heads up. I am not a parent. Probably won’t be for awhile. But where I work I see parents in action and sometimes it makes me sick. So this is an opinion. On what I consider “Bad Parenting” to be. Don’t agree? That’s fine.

First off… minor rant of sorts. If you have children and you take them to a public place…PLEASE clean up after them. I swear I have cleaned up poop on walls before in my office. Sometimes I walk into a room ready to clean it for the next patient and it is like 3 little tornados have gone through the room. Crumbs are everywhere, it smells like rank diaper, our books are destroyed, and walls are colored. How in hells sake can you just let your children run amuck and destroy other people’s property. Had I done that as I child I would be punished faster than you swat at a mosquito. It is ridiculous how inconsiderate some people are. GAH! Fix it future parents. Its pathetic.

Now the major rant. Put your big kid pants on. This might get crazy. Every now and then we get children who are spawn of Satan. Hellians. Demons. They scream and kick and yell and bite. (yes we have had people bitten) Just the joys of working with kids right? WRONG! I honestly believe that behavior is learned. Yes genetics take a role in certain things, but in this regard I am 100% nurture. (Unless there is physical brain deformities or problems...but that’s a whole other post)

About 110% of the time these children have parents who baffle me. While their child is screaming at me while all I want to do is weigh them….they sit there and are playing “Angry Birds”. Or they sooh and cooh to the child and say in the sweetest voice possible “it’s all right.” I understand that we are kind of a traumatizing place to be at. I get that. But this goes deeper then freaking out about getting a shot and crying.

How my patients acted today, and how I feel about this topic...

 

What I am talking about is these kids learn the system. If they throw a fit they will get away with it. They become entitled. If I don’t get what I want, I will throw a fit until I get what I want. Mom and Dad aren’t going to do anything about it. Then when I get what I want I will be the cute little angel my parents are conditioning me not to become. Soon I am a terror and when they can’t control me they will blame it on ADD. (once again a WHOLE other post that I will not even mention at the moment.)

 

For me I hate this. I think it stems a lot of problems in society. I think this form of pediatric entitlement eventually morphs into bullying, and other adolescent issues. Procrastination and street youths (if you get the New Girl reference you are a rock star) thinking they are better then everyone else. There is an article on KSL that is BOOMING with comments about a group of cheerleaders from Highland. They are upset because they are being kicked off the cheerleading team because they had 18 UNEXCUSED ABSENCES! Eighteen. Not two. Almost Twenty. What ever happened to consequences and accepting that sometimes you don’t get everything you want? Here is the article. Its ridiculous how many parents are defending them saying that the school is in the wrong. What the hell!?

 

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=24568907\

 

The point I guess that I am trying to get at with this post is aimed at parents. Don’t let your kids control you. They need to learn responsibility. If you do not teach them that by act and deed. Through punishment and example. They will never learn. And they will grow up to be bullies and Highland Cheerleaders. Like I said earlier…I am not a parent. But I have INCREDIBLE examples all around me. One thing they have in common…their children behave. Why? Because they don’t put up with their crap. Be proactive. Care about the future of your children. What we do when out kids are 2 and 3 can have a profound impact on their lives. Make sure it is the right impact.

ugh....too true.

 

 

 

P.S. this is a long one. Sorry. Very close topic that I see on a daily basis. What do you think about the whole issue?

 

P.P.S 2000 blog points for reading. This one was brutal.