Critic

When I was a kid I thought that I should truly consider being a movie critic. I would go to the movies constantly, my Mom--the movie goer as she was and still is-- would always bring her sidekicks with her: mainly me, as she escaped the world with the dim lights, popcorn, and, if the movie was good, an escape into a different realm. When you forget about life for a bit then you know the movie was a good one.


I feel like my critical inclinations have followed me into my latter years. I walk around campus and things pop into my mind. As you can tell by the title of my blog, they are on occasion--critical. Let's define my type of critical as the kind that dictionary.com describes as: of essential importance. So, if my drift isn't caught, this blog and the things written are of essential importance. :D


I want to appoint myself to a patrol position: to the modesty police. Yes, I made up that title. No, I'm not part of the police force, nor will I ever be. 


I get opinionated about such things when I get interviewed for an ecclesiastical endorsement to go to the University in which I attend, which includes signing an Honor Code. The Honor Code consists in giving your word and your signature to follow and obey certain principles of the gospel, one of which is MODESTY. 


Modesty --"Modesty is an attitude of propriety and decency in dress, grooming, language, and behavior. If we are modest, we do not draw undue attention to ourselves. Instead, we seek to “glorify God in [our] body, and in [our] spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:20; see also 1 Corinthians 6:19)."


What is great is being taught details in which modesty can be followed as in wearing skirts,shorts, etc that cover the legs up til the knee and from not wearing cut off shirts but to have a sleeve. Basically: no short skirts no sleeveless shirts. Yes, we voluntarily sign up for this.This is part of modesty, but we do it because we respect our bodies and we know that Heavenly Father wants us to care for ourselves and have that respect for what He has given us. Also, to be obedient to his rules.  I could go on but, let's get to the rest, shall we?


Wednesday.5:15 p.m. There I was. In a glass building. Yes, people were looking in...I was in the library waiting there with Andrea for anyone who wanted to come find us to go watch the Ten Commandments. We were standing there and talking and laughing and people watching. (No, the laughing did not come from the people watching, or so I say. :) ) But, this was probably the 6th time of the day that I saw a girl walking with a beautiful outfit on and she seemed like a nice gal but, her skirt was very short. I really wanted to walk up to her and say, "Hey, how you doin'? You know what, that skirt is immodest (very short).Do you want to go home and change and then come back? Awesome."


Who enforces the honor code? Is it enforced? Are the consequences dispersed in personal blessing form--or the lack thereof? 


I'm just wondering how things work on campus.


 Let's not bottle up our feelings.

If there is a BYU Modesty Police I'd like to meet them. If they need volunteers, I have a busy schedule, but, I have plenty of time to speak up as I walk to and from work, campus, and home.

Not a prob.


I won't go into my feelings about the blue hair I see...nope...not today.

A Day of Ephiphanies

Today I found myself re-evaluating my life. I have no conclusion for the swarm of ideas that entered into my mind but I am brainstorming.

What are your thoughts about dreams? Perhaps my day of reflection came from how I woke up. I never say I had a nightmare, but I will say that I had a bad dream. One decision affected my entire happiness or lack thereof.

I saw myself in the temple kneeling at the altar about to be sealed for time and all eternity to a man. I did not know who he was, I did not see a face--which is already sort of freaky but makes sense since I'm not dating anyone. An idea crossed my mind of who it was but it entered and left as ideas usually do. As I dreamt I felt as thought it was real and then at other moments I felt like I was watching, standing behind myself, in the very same room. I do not recall the exact words that were spoken, but, I remember my feelings. There came a moment where I could exercise my agency and make it known that I changed my mind, that "no" I do not want this...and the feeling reconfirmed itself and it said, "Diana, no, this is not right". For a second I thought about it...and then I told myself that it would be okay, and I ignored my feeling. The second after I affirmatively consented to this eternal union and after the ceremony was over I knew with 100% surety that I had made the biggest mistake of my existence and did not know if there was something I could do to change what occurred.

From that point of my dream on it went through more emotions and scenarios but the bottom line is that I woke up grateful I am not close to that kind of decision, but, do hope that when that time to marry becomes a reality that I will have no doubts or such feelings and that I will feel nothing but peace and hope in the decision made.

Today I have been analyzing my life and had some interesting experiences. I watched the you tube videos on my wall about the man who truly experienced what we watched in the movie The Pursuit of Happyness. He made me re-evaluate myself because during his darkest days he constantly asked himself where he was going to be and where he was going. Today I've been thinking about what I want for myself. I listened to Elder Christoffersen's talk, he is an apostle of God, and his talk is called, Living a Consecrated Life. Life is short and we given the gift of time and the ability to use it how we will but we will be held accountable for how we use it. I started to think, What are you going to do with your life? How are you going to do it? How are you going to get there?

I know the purpose of life and the eternal perspective because my Heavenly Father made it known to me through his church--The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, but, what I refer to as in how I will live my life is about the quality of my earthly existence and trying to make sure and reflecting how I will use the time the Lord gives me on this earth until I will be judged for my works to be able to live with him someday. I want to use the time the Lord gives me well and not waste it and I do not want to look back and regret not building my talents and not using my time well. Opportunities are out there but so many loose them.

There are things I will be doing to give more of myself to a better cause. Here are my conclusions up 'til now:

-Start working on a writing project. I love to write. I have had dreams where I have written a book and maybe that's what I need to do, but, for now, I will write a biography of a woman that I truly look up to and admire. Her life has been character building and admirable and I know that there are not many people like her. It is my Mom.

- I need to volunteer somewhere. I have 3 options in mind and I am working toward figuring out where I will be giving my time

I will be working full-time this summer all I know that I need to do is look beyond myself and find and do what is required of me.

There are tons of other things but I need to think more about them. I'm pretty exhausted. I'm blogged out.