Anonymous

So I've decided that it is pretty awesome to be anonymous. I mean, when you do something for someone and they see you do it or know that you did it, what do they do? They say thank you or otherwise express gratitude. That's a no brainer, and it's for sure a good thing, and in most cases I believe in that persons sincerity. However, it can't be denied that at least in part the motivation in that "thank you" was likely inspired by simple courtesy. Now, courtesy is a virtue that we should likewise aspire to, but if expressions of gratitude are hollow outside of courtesy then something needs to change. That however is another discussion entirely. So what's my point? When I give of myself anonymously and see the joy and appreciation, unobscured and unfettered by the demands of courtesy or anything else, that that inspires in people it makes me happy. Their gratitude is certainly pure of pretense and I like that.

One Year, Four Funerals, and a Family

I'm not sure how much I can add to what anyone reading this already knows about this last weekend, or indeed, the three other similar occasions of this past year. Most of you were there or at least know all about it by now. I did however want to express in a few words my gratitude (in light of Thanksgiving) for what I consider to be a unique experience on my part.
As all of you well know, I have spent the past two years living out in Michigan in Jonathan's house. For the first year of this time I had Kayleigh as my next door neighbor. And while at the time I'd complain about the volume of her movies and music (I've still got lines from movies I've never seen memorized), given the suddenness of her passing, and considering the fact that I had spent the two years prior to that on my mission and away from everyone, I will forever be grateful for that year that I spent with her just next door, it is priceless to me. Her optimism and love still inspire me.
Similarly, in the past two years I've had the opportunity to make relatively frequent trips with Mom to Kentucky. A few of those trips were made when Granddaddy was still healthy. When he's be up long before the crack of dawn making sausage and eggs for our breakfast. I'm glad that I can still remember his laugh and smile from before the nursing home days. I'm grateful that I was able to watch movies with Uncle Joe in his bedroom with sprite to drink, he always had sprite, and that I was able to go to the movies with him (seems like all the older kids got to do that in the past, but this was my first time). He had a secret or two...I think it's funny that he wants it kept secret actually, but he told me not to tell, and I suppose I never will. He acted like it was a huge conspiracy, I was almost worried when he first started telling me...I almost laughed out loud when I found out what it was though. I'm grateful that I was able to go out and eat with all them at Shoney's and other places so often...we of course had to go out to eat at least once every time we were down there, you would have thought that it was the law that Granddaddy treat us to a meal at a restaurant. It was always funny to see him with Grandma Bloodworth, seemed like he could complain to her about something and sing her praises in all the same breath. They for sure belonged together.
I suppose all of these experiences have actually made it harder to say goodbye but I wouldn't trade them, I couldn't. I am grateful for all of you, my family and my friends! Please know that I treasure the moments we share together (I do apologize if that is too sappy for some of you but it has to be said) May we share many more! Thank you all.

So last night was good. It was a young single adult activity in K'zoo which is typical on Fridays out here. By that I mean to say that it's typical that they have those activities, not that it's typical that I go. I would like to go to all of them and every other young single adult activity that they have out here, but a lack of gas and money in addition to friends who work too much and the distance to travel make it rather more improbable then I would otherwise like it to be. In spite of that improbability however I was able to make it last night. And of course the night that I do make it up there no one else does...well, that's not true...the two girls that I went with were there...Oh, fine there were a few other people there too. That doesn't change the fact that on those Friday nights that I am not able to make it up there for some reason and my other friends go they will inevitably bring back stories of how many people were there and the amazing activities that took place, and then of all the many times that I've been up there I have only ever been to one such like that, and according to these same friends that time was nothing by comparison... Now, I know that it would be illogical for me to somehow take this personally but to miss all of the best activities within a years span...I don't really know how else to take it... For that reason I have decided not to "take it" at all. Live in denial, that's what I'm about. Of course none of that really has anything whatsoever to do with last night...I just wanted to take this opportunity to vent a little. That being accomplished we may now continue our previous narrative.
The activities were few though varied (actually there were a pretty good number considering the amount of time that we fit them in...I just thought that "few though varied", though simple in nature, was rather impressive word choice). We talked a lot, played ping pong, played uno, and played a game called "apples to apples" or something very like that. It was all very fun, but there is one lesson that shall remain with me from it all. I have learned that while one girl may be harmless enough, to allow yourself to be outnumbered two to one by two such girls is shear insanity! I don't advise this. I was picked on, and bashed to no end. If I got a point in ping pong, no matter how legal, somehow it didn't count, the rules existed only insofar as the girls had made them up that far, and it was useless to try and use those rules against them because as soon as you did that the rule would change...and that's not even the half of it! By the end of the evening the only thing that I could do is find some corner of my mind to hide out it, a happy place if you will. Yet as a demonstration of how socially starved I am I actually enjoyed it...I guess at this point the only thing that I can say is, "hang the sense of it and be happy."

I chose the title under Alison's suggestion. It sort of means connected, though with the connotation of "plugged in" really. It's not a bad move for now... if I find something that I like better then I may change it in the future but it works for now. As for why it is french...well, if I could I would do everything in french. A lot of things I do have in French: PSP, PS2, my camera, more or less everything that I can put in French I do. This is because I am desperate to keep this language... It is one of my sincerest and greatest fears that I will lose it... donc voila.

So I've thought about it a little bit and for my first post I would like to ask, what should I do for my first post? Or rather what does anyone want to know to start off with?