Conference uplifts in more ways than spiritually

Observation #21: My life is better than yours

Guys, or girls probably, I met my soul mate.

Oh and remember how I said I would include Europe in my next post? Well I don't feel like writing out every detail since I've already done that in my journal and put up every picture on The Book. Instead I want to explain why Europe is better than America.
In summary: the people, the economy, the environment, the style, and the people.
I loved the people. Complete strangers were content to sit and talk to us for hours without a care in the world. Why are Americans in such a hurry to get about their mundane lives? We need to take some tips from the Europeans and stop to enjoy our tea. Or milkshakes in our case maybe. We don't have to change EVERYTHING about America...

On to my soul mate.
If you do not know me you may think I am a creep by this story. But if you do know me then you KNOW I am a creep and will be expecting a creepy story. This is a warning for those of you who don't know me: I'm kinda a creep
Anyways, Matthew; He is the guitarist slash backup singer of this band:

You need to go FB stalk this band because they are amazing and Matt is adorable.
I met him sitting in the stand-by line for conference. We talked for 2 hours, and oh were they educational. Before those 2 hours I never knew that every quality I wanted in a man could be in one person.
  And now we are dating
I just wanted to write that because it felt good. But it is a lie. He lives in Vancouver, Canada. But his band is doing a concert in April.
Stay tooned till then...

Why do we need to hear those words, "I'm proud of you?"

Observation #20: The human race can't be satisfied without the permission of the world.

I have this issue of not being satisfied with who I am. I think everyone has that problem in some way or another but we each struggle with it in a different way. I have a problem comparing myself with others. If it seems like they are doing it a little better then me, I try their way. But the thing is, it never works out for me and I return to my way.
That is my over-personal, round-about way of explaining why I haven't blogged recently. I just haven't enjoyed it recently like I used to. And I don't enjoy it because I haven't been doing it the way I want. I started this blog because of my love of the art of expression through writing. But I looked at other peoples' blogs who had several more followers than me and thought that if I added pictures instead of my rambling and over-personal bits here and there, then maybe I would have more followers.
Why do I need followers?
Why do we all need followers?
Can we be satisfied without the approval of the world?

The end of rambles,
-Stoker

P.S. Europe will have a part of the blog soon

My Life is a Goofy Movie

Observation #19: I have lived a sheltered life


visited 14 states (28%)
Create your own visited map of The United States


Yes. This happened.
And the whole way through, this song was stuck in my head knowing we would be arriving in LA.
And let me tell ya, each state is a whole different world. I have always thought that everyone needs to travel out of the country to have an open mind and appreciation of others, but one could merely travel this country to be aware.
Here are a few examples of what we came upon:

 
The buildings of Chicago

 
 Wisconsin Cheese

Iowa's very own and very proud Corn Palace

South Dakota's prairie dog parks

Big Heads!

And the best rhubarb pie in the whole country! Trust me, I would know

Steven Dunn is so funn, he'll be my hunn. We won't need a gunn, because I'll wear a bunn, but I won't be a nunn. Yes I am dunn

Observation #18: We are so afraid of rejection that we are willing to succumb to lies as an alternative

Whispers collect there, the bad news
from our subconscious,
tears that have dripped down
the inside of faces,
apologies that have gotten lost
in all of our throats.

So much has been held in,
so much has seeped through
the soles of our shoes,
that half our lives are beneath the sidewalk
We sense the deep riot
that is always going on.

In spring there are small explosions.
Signs. This is why
the sidewalk must be repaved.
We hire someone to do it for us,
our tight bodies watching from the windows

-Steven Dunn

I hate it when English teachers would give you a poem just to tell you what it "really means" after you made, what you thought, a deep connection to it. So I will not shatter your dreams like the 9th grade pieces of my own, but you can make your own connection to this poem. And please do because it is my new favorite. And like my afternoon snack of nutella and pretzels, I have a hard time sharing my favorites (sorry roommate). So take advantage of it dang it!

Get me a time machine quick!

Observation # 17: Vintage always wins

This has been my motto for a long time when it comes to fashion, but I have realized that it applies to every aspect of life.
Today's views are so wrong. If Lady Gaga came out in our parents age she would be shunned, no chased down with pitch forks for being of the devil! Or maybe that's just what I want to do... Anyways, I was thinking about this the other day while I was watching my favorite movie from the 50s:

Some Like it Hot

If you haven't seen it, watch it. Now.

Okay now that we are all on the same page, I have a question maybe you could answer for me:

What were they doing to make their society so much better than ours?

Really. 

The humor. The class. The style. The morals.

They had it right.

I've recently realized that this idea of beauty being a size 2 is a modern idea. Take my girl Marilyn:

I mean look at that Bod!

She was the sexiest thing during her day. And guess what

 She's actually got some meat! How refreshing!

Why can't it be 1959...

The Best 19th Birthday I'll Ever Have!

Observation #16: I don't need my mom to have a successful birthday! Mazeltov to me!

So I'm turning 19. Now what? Well I'll tell you! This is what you do:

You hang on BYUI-center basketball hoops (Believe it or not I have a picture like it but my belly showage made it inappropriate)(I guess 19 is the year you gain the hops that black people have always had)

The next thing you do is fly a kite (preferably in Idaho since it provides the best kite-flying potential)

Then you find a carousel in a random park and beg Angela Graves to to pay for you to ride the pony

You then make your roommates dress up all hott so we can take pictures at Walmart like we are Asians or something (when really only a third of us are)

Lastly (((yes I am doing parentheses again(I'm 19 get over it))This one is crucial so take notes) you need to get in your footy pajamas and put 4 candles on a half eaten cake so you can blow them out RIGHT before 12:00 of the A.M.

P.S. No you are not crazy (well I don't actually know the kind of people my blog attracts so maybe you are, but I may be able to save you some money on a psychologist if you keep reading beyond these ridiculously long parentheses) that IS Angela Graves in the top picture. Unfortunately she didn't move to Rexburg, but she did visit me for a day, and made my 19th Birthday the BEST 19th Birthday I'll ever have!