A Letter to Mr. Plan

Dear Plan,

This letter is in regards to your performance as of late. I employed you with the simple task to direct my life, but instead you left me alone at the mercy of other peoples' agency. Why didn't you step in and stop it? Couldn't you have used your authoritative power to put the others in their places? Haven't they all been assigned by you to their corresponding positions? What am I paying you for?

I invested in you and your future because you promised me a different life than the one I now find I have. You were so convincing! Your presentation lacked neither graphs nor stats. How is it with all your research that you were so easily mislead?

I am not mad at you...entirely. I am mad at myself for trusting you. I used to be a sensible person, adaptable to whatever situation came to me. Then you came in with all your talk about 'preparedness'. "Prepare for the change and you will never have to change," you always said. Is that what i am supposed to do? Sit and wait for the outcome you promised?

I regret to inform you, Plan, that I no longer need your services. You did not deliver on your promises, so I am forced to seek out someone else who can. I have spent to many resources and time invested in your promised potential only to find myself depleted.

I wish you luck in your future endeavors.

Sincerely,

Ryan White

Ryan's Recommendations

At work (Borders Bookstore) I was asked to make some suggestions of good books, movies, and music. While I was walking through the isles of books and music, I saw many things that I did like. I liked the plot of that book, I liked the lyrics to that song, I laughed at this part of the movie. I could of written my three-sentence recommendations about many items.
Yet, as I sat back and wondered what book/movie/music CD I would suggest someone to buy, I thought I should pick something that I not only liked but that I wanted everyone else to like as well; I needed something I sincerely loved.
I was limited at work by what we had in stock, but here I am not. The sky (internet) is my limit. So, I will make a list of Ryan's 5 recommended books/movies/music that one must listen too before they die...wow that sounds dramatic.

Books

1) Faith of the Fallen, by Terry Goodkind
Seriously, this is the best book. It is number 6 in a series of 13, but even if you don't read the 5 in front of it, you need to read this. You will love the strength of the human spirit more than ever after finishing it.

2) The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis
The book is about a man gets on a bus from Hell to Heaven. If you want to contemplate the deep with a fascinating story, there is no better book.

3) The Book of Mormon, by God
This book is scripture. If you want to know the divine, this book will introduce you, I guarantee it.

4) Much Ado About Nothing, by Shakespeare
This is by far my favorite Shakespearean play. It centers around how we as humans make conflicts about simple nothings and misunderstandings.

5) Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis
Another C.S. Lewis book, another interesting plot. It is a collection of letters from one devil to another about how to properly tempt man. This is worth every page.

Music

1) A Different Light, by Sherwood
This band is my all-time favorite band. This CD is an expression of their talent.

2) Transatlanticism, by Deathcab for Cutie
While Deathcab for Cutie has so many good songs, this CD has some of the best; Title and Registration, Tiny Vessels, and What Sarah Said are amazing works.

3) A Lesson in Romantics, by Mayday Parade
Every song is good! This isn't a CD where you skip over certain tracks, you will listen to them all.

4) North, by Something Corporate
Though this band is broken-up, lame, their songs are legendary. This album has it all. Listen to it, love it, and live on.

5) The Score to Braveheart, by James Horner
Don't be surprised if you see this movie on the movie's list. The soundtrack only exemplifies it.

Movies

1) Groundhog's Day
Funny, interesting, and Bill Murray.

2) Braveheart
This is a "Man's" movie. Every time I watch this, I speak in a Scottish accent for the next 2 days.

3) Waking Ned Devine
I appreciate movies that are original with interesting plots. This movie fits into both categories, plus it is inspirational.

4) Shrek (the original)
This was truly a well-written movie. Not only was it funny, but it had a great love-story everyone can relate too. You have to route for the undershrek.

5) Gladiator
Another Man's movie. If I were gay, I would stalk Russell Crowe. History, war, violence, enough said.

*Bonus movie
6) Bedazzled
I love this movie so much, I made an exception to my 5 list rule. This is a funny movie with a good moral, plus Elizabeth Hurley is in it!

It is important to remember that on any given day, some of these items will not make a top 5 list. But if one were to pass without reading these books, listening to these CDs, or watching these movies, it would be a shame.

New Year's Resolutions

"Our diet starts tomorrow!" This phrase was probably said by thousands of woman (and men) across the nation on new year's eve. Losing weight, working out, and getting in shape are very common new year's resolutions. Ironically, a study showed that new year's resolutions like these would be more effective in the spring. The dreary winter weather tends to have a negative impact on motivation, while the warm spring weather, associated with rebirth, encourages motivation...Lucky Australians!
Regardless of when you make your resolutions it is important to have a series of small daily or weekly things on the list like:

1) Workout for 20 minutes (daily)
2) Floss (daily)
3) Shower (weekly)

The small regular resolutions are the easiest to forget, but in the end can help you change the most. These goals often lead you into bigger goals...for example, showering weekly will help me with my eventual goal to go on a date.
Along with small routine goals I think it is important to have a series of large, random (yet fun) goals that you want accomplished throughout the year. When I make my list, I do not think I will accomplish them all, but I hope to get as many of them as possible. Some of my big goals for this year are as follows:

1) Get onto the Price is Right game show (and spin the wheel)
2) Write a disgruntled letter to congress or a large corporation
3) Finish a triathlon in a superhero costume
4) Have my picture get into an conference-edition Ensign magazine
5) Try sushi....maybe
6) Meet someone from Iceland
7) Streak across a freeway overpass
8) Kiss a girl who has been on t.v (not someone from America's most wanted)
9) Speak for an entire week in a British accent.
10) Have a 24-hour t.v. marathon

Those are just some of the goals from this year's list. When making this list it is important to remember what kind of story to can tell in the future from accomplishing this goal. You may not finish all these goals, but each one you do finish adds to your own "interesting person" points.

Finals Week

I am under the strong belief that life comes in waves. Life will be packed with problems that hit one after another for a short time, followed by a mellow brake. In short, when it rains it pours. The month of December is a guaranteed month of continuous waves.
For many students, the epitome of college classes comes down to the last week, the final week. Certain classes have finals worth more than 40 percent of the class. Additionally, some schools, like BYU, require every teacher to give some sort of written final. For the 18-credit-hour student this does not bode well.
If the stress of finals is not pressing, then scheduling them in a busy month will. This year, finals are scheduled right before Christmas. Christmas shopping, plans, and vacations in return are postponed to the final week of Christmas (20-24). In essence, one should never anticipate a well-thought-out gift from a college student.
This year I chose to work the holiday month of December. By saying I "chose" to work, means that I have no money and I need to work. During finals week, I am scheduled 226 hours. Ouch! This will take away a lot of cramming time. I hope that the pursuit to get some money for Christmas gifts doesn't affect my grades.
Lastly, I decided to throw an 'Ugly Sweater Christmas Party' during finals week. Why? Mainly because it is before Christmas and the week afterward everyone will have already left for home. So unfortunately, this is the only week it will fit in.
To sum it up, I have to worry about the following things this month:
1) Finals and grades
2) Work (26 hours of fun)
3) Christmas shopping and gifts
4) Throwing an amazing Ugly Sweater Party

I think the whole college experience can be summed up in this week. This week determines whether one will sink or swim in college. I am a pretty good swimmer, so I plan on staying afloat.

There's no comfort in the waiting room

Every so often, hopefully less often, you experience a day you would never want to repeat. I recently had one of those days. While, I would rather never experience that day again, the day is worth mentioning.
On Friday I went snowboarding with a group of friends. After buying a season's ski pass, I have tried to make this a weekly ritual. On most occasions, this weekly ritual is the best form of therapy from a hard week. However, this trip ended differently. Our group was enjoying the fresh powder and back-country terrain, until we reached the bottom of the hill. At the bottom we noticed two people from our group were missing. Our questions were quickly answered as Drew, of the missing friends, called and informed us that Trevor, the other missing friend, had crashed. With ski patrol we retraced our tracks, and found him laying face up, shaking with pain. The sound of his breathing indicated the great amount of pain and effort it took to simply breathe. We tried to comfort him, telling him "everything is going to be okay." In truth we were trying to convince ourselves of just that. It took roughly an hour, but we were finally able to get him into an ambulance and to the hospital.
After reaching the hospital we were directed to the waiting room. We walked past several people, each wearing a sullen expression, reflected what we were also feeling.
We met up with his family, whom we contacted on the drive, and told them of our experience in further detail. Though it had just an hour ago happened, the story seemed so surreal out loud. The conversation died down after that. As I sat there, I couldn't help but be reminded of the song "What Sarah Said", by Deathcab for Cutie. The lyrics continually played through my mind, "It came to me then that every plan is a tiny prayer to Father Time, as I stared at my shoes in the ICU that reeked of piss and 409. i sat amongst the vending machines and year-old magazines, in a place all fear to say goodbye." I lifted my head, looked around and found that everyone was silently inspecting their own shoes. No one was reading the magazines, just lost in their world of questions and worries. "I rationed my breathes as I said to my self, 'have I already taken to much today?' Then I looked around at all the eyes on the ground as the t.v. entertained itself." I looked around again and saw the family's worried, easy-to-read expressions. Small talk is in short supply in the waiting room. Everyone feels the need to fill the silence with words, but silence's serious presence batters off courage. "There's no comfort in the waiting room, just nervous faces bracing for bad news. Then the nurse comes round, and everyone lifts their head, I am thinking of what Sarah Said." The nurse came up to us with a clipboard in hand. She looked at the clipboard, then to her side, then eventually told us that Trevor had broken all his ribs on his left side, many in two places. In addition he had a serious concussion, and punctured one of his lungs. To his fortune it had only partially deflated.
Strictly family was allowed to visit him in his hospital bed. After spending four hours in the ICU waiting room, we left, forced to return back to our separate realities. We contacted everyone we could think of that would want to hear about Trevor's state. We then rallied visiting groups and friends to visit him in the next coming days. Pity food and support was all we could do for him now. Though cookies can't heal the wounds, they can heal the soul.
It was then that I noticed my car was still up at the resort, my keys and phone locked inside. My friend offered me a ride up, a kind act well received. After opening my car, I noticed I had two voice-mail messages on my phone. Apparently, the first message informed me, my work had changed the schedule and I had been placed to work at 6:00 p.m. today instead of Saturday. The second message an hour later was my boss wondering why I was not there yet. It was now 8:00 pm, and I had to drive from Salt Lake to my work in Orem. In an effort to get there as soon as possible I drove quickly. The highway-patrol man believed that was too quick, he pulled me over on the freeway and gave me an expensive ticket.
I eventually got to work. I spoke with my boss for several minutes and was relieved to hear that the scheduling error was not my fault, but my bosses mistake. However, they were low on help, so they asked me to stay. They also informed me that tonight was a rare night were the store would be open till past midnight selling a midnight release of the movie Eclipse. I stayed till past midnight, 12:45 to be exact, cleaning up Twi-hard fan's (die hard fans of the Twilight series, usually young teenagers or 42-year-old moms) mess.
Around one o clock I got home, physically, mentally, and emotionally tired from the day. At home I realized that my laundry was at my house in Salt Lake, a cherry on the top of a fantastically dreadful day.
I sat in self-pity for a few minutes, until I came to my senses. Though I had a rough day, I had gained some perspective. My day was no where as bad as Trevor's day. I may have been tired, and frustrated with a series of bad luck moments, but Trevor had one bad-luck moment that would dramatically effect the next several months.
Two days before this dreadful day, I received a challenge/assignment in one of my classes. The challenge was to do something nice for someone in stress this weekend. The assignment was meant to get us out of our regular routine by doing something completely unselfish. While last two days have been filled with unselfish acts of support for a friend, I did not act because of a school assignment. In fact, I pity the person that needs a school assignment as motivation to do what is right in moments like this weekend.
The assignment didn't come to my mind until Saturday afternoon, when my roommate's girlfriend Elise, brought me a plate of cookies. She had heard about my rough day, and wanted to bring something to cheer me up. The irony of the situation was overwhelming. I had an assignment to do something small and nice for someone under a lot of stress. It never came to my mind, upon getting the assignment, that I would be the one in the stress. The assignment seemed trivial, but now I see the importance of a small plate of cookies.

True Rivalry

Rivalry is common in many areas of life. Whether in the workplace, school, or on the sports field, rivalry can be a motivating factor that brings en-heightened excitement to regular competition.
You know that you have a true rivalry when the fear of losing is greater than the joy of winning. The prolonged embarrassment from losing does not fade quickly.
On the sports field, rivalry often reaches its peaks. Though fans are merely bystanders cheering on a team, fans see the victory as much contributed by their cheering as to the athletic ability of their team. In a real sense, the team's victory is their victory; the superior team reflects the superior fan.
An anticipated war on the field took place a few days ago between two arch-enemies, The BYU Cougars and the Utah Utes. This is a true rivalry because it lives true to the definition defined earlier, the fear of losing is greater than the joy of victory.
This rivalry is especially intense for me, an open Utah Ute fan living in the cougar's den of BYU fans. My future for a few weeks time is dependent on the outcome of the game. When we are defeated, I become the scape goat of laughter. When we are victorious, I become the must-avoid friend.
I was at the game on Saturday between the Cougars and the Utes. Though I am, as Bill Cosby would say it, an "intellectual, that attended college, mind you," that understands that this match is merely a game that has no intrinsic future value, I become emotionally evolved with these three hours of football. Each play, each mistake, each bad call tugs at my heart strings. The score was 13-0 at the half for the enemy, the faces of the fans were as dramatic as veterans seeing ghosts of war memories.
The 3rd quarter begins and ends with no change. The hope of even the biggest fans begin to dwindle. The 4th quarter starts, and the Utes score! Though it is just 3 points, hope is renewed. A turnover by BYU, followed by a Ute touchdown! The scoreboard reads, 13-10. BYU drives towards the in-zone. They are stopped! They kick a field goal, it's good, 16-10. The Utes get it...turnover! The anger of the hopeful fans thunders. BYU drives forward...turnover! The cheer of the mob is deafening. Utes push forward, and forward. Jordan Wynn passes long....touchdown! The Utes take the lead 17-16 with four minutes left to play. BYU receives the kick...they push down the field. A third down and long...converted. BYU enters the red zone (20 yards from the in-zone), 1 minute left to play. Jake Heaps passes to the inzone....incomplete! Another 3rd and long for the Cougars, every fan is off their chair. Stopped short! The time keeps ticking...40 seconds, 30, 20, 10, 4 seconds and BYU calls a final timeout.
BYU just needs a field goal to win, it all comes down to this last play. The thoughts of every Ute can unites, "block the kick, block the kick," consistent like the beating of every heart. The match can't end with a simple field goal. Despite the odds against missing or blocking the field goal every Ute fan knows the season can't end this way. The ball is snapped. The kicker thrusts his leg and makes contact with the ball, it launches forward and upward. Brandon Burton lunges forward...arms stretched out. The ball hits his arms, the kick is blocked! The kick is blocked! A cheer erupts from the crowd, shaking the stadium with its earthquake force. A sea of red fans break over the barrier and cover the field. Utah wins, Utah wins!
Though it was merely a one-point victory, the fans don't care. A win is a win. Arguments about bad calls, injured players and other game factors is sure to follow, but the end result will stay the same.
In the end, a true rivalry brings out the best and worst of each team. Each team plays at their best, and their worst in the course of the game. BYU's special teams fumbled a punt, had a field goal blocked, and the quarterback threw an interception. Utah's ranking offense didn't score until the 4th quarter, the quarter back threw 3 interceptions, and special teams never returned a kick pas the 20-yard line.
The reason a true rivalry will always be exciting is because despite each team's ranking, and past losses or victories, the game will always be determined in the exciting final minutes of the game. That is what makes a rivalry an anticipated and exciting game. Go Utes!

Christmas Music Protocals

November 2nd, two days after Halloween, I went to the store. I was greeted by Santa Claus, and cheery Christmas music. Too Soon? Maybe.
When can you listen to Christmas music and not feel it to be too soon? Like with everything, the opinions vary. Some say Christmas music should only be played in December. Others say that it can be played after Halloween. The happy medium, and average answer, was that Christmas music is okay after Thanksgiving, but not before it.
As an avid Christmas-music listener, it can almost never be too early. Two years ago, I started listening to Christmas music around mid-September. Crazy you say? Or is it that I just have more Christmas spirit and everyone else is a scrooge.
However, I even admit that it is strange that every store after Halloween has decked the halls with Christmas merchandise. What about Thanksgiving? While I love Christmas, it falls to second place in my favorite holiday's list. Stores, in an effort to get as much holiday buck as possible, have cleverly tossed Thanksgiving aside. It is merely a roadblock to the "money making" holiday.
Hence, the only clear solution to this conundrum is to create and market a series of Thanksgiving songs. If Thanksgiving is to stand a chance, we must have Thanksgiving music that carols the holiday's presence.
Thanksgiving day songs? Yes. Just think of the possibilities. Songs can be written about turkeys, yams, and most importantly football. Aged, 'has-been' bands like N'sync can come out with Thanksgiving albums. And don't think I forgot about Manheim Steamroller. I anxiously await there Thanksgiving album, along with a performance from Trans-Siberain Orchestra.