Oh, the Places You'll Go
About 2 years ago I decided to go to school to do hair. Everyone close to me had been telling me for a few years that I should do it, but I felt that if I didn't get a degree, people wouldn't view me as successful or smart or important, etc. I decided though, that I didn't care anymore what other people thought. I was miserable at college and couldn't seem to fit in anywhere. So, I quit university and signed up at my local tech school. During the 18 months that I was in tech school, life was sooo hard. Not the material or the classes, those were a joke (which made it even more difficult because mostly I felt that I was wasting time), but just having to get up early every day, sit in one small room for 8 hours for the first half and then 6 hours every day in a different room for the second part, during which time at one point I was additionally attending class from 5:30-10 pm and working between the breaks (from 3-5).During the whole process, and even for a couple of months after it was over, I would get really depressed, because I thought I would never find anything that really made me happy. Everyone said hair would do it, yet I didn't feel happy. Mostly I felt frustrated, especially after I graduated, because I felt like nothing I did measured up to what I wanted it to be.
Now, I'm not about to say that now I'm totally happy with everything I do when someone sits in my chair. That would be a lie. I'm always learning and I never want to be totally satisfied with what I do, because that would mean I had reached a point where I thought I didn't need to learn anymore, which in this industry, or any industry for that matter, is basically career suicide. Or creativity suicide. Whatevs.
Anyway, I know this is a lot of words but basically what I want to say to whoever is reading this is don't give up. Keep trying to become better at whatever it is you've chosen to do. Just because you're not happy right now doesn't mean you never will be. Granted, if you absolutely hate your job and daydream about doing something else, something very specific, you're probably not in the right place career wise. But if the reason for your frustration is because you really want to be better and you have dreams of doing more and becoming more in your particular field, keep at it! Let that fear that you will never measure up to your own standards become the driving force behind why you work so hard to get better! And I can promise you, you will come to love what you do. And in loving what you do, you get happy! I can finally say, after searching for a career that would fulfill me and make me happy, I think I've found it. It took almost 4 years, but it's worth it.
You may be like I was, picking something to study and then when it didn't immediately fulfill you, you moved on to something else, and it became a pattern. I can't tell you how many days and moments that I was in Cosmetology school that I just wanted to quit, because I felt the same discouragement and frustration that I had with every other field of study I had chosen previously. But I had people encouraging me every day, people who had already been through what I had and who had come out on the other side, who could tell me that it was worth it and if I could just make it through this, it would all be worth it. And it is.
I love what I do. I never thought I would be able to say that, but here I am, saying it. Well, typing it. Again, I'm nowhere near what I want to be. I dream and aspire to be the absolute best hairdresser and makeup artist I can be. And I'm going to work hard to get there. And do you know what else? I have other dreams too. Dreams that have nothing to do with hair. And I really believe that when the time is right, those dreams will come to pass too. With a lot of hard work and planning ;)
So, the moral of the story is: Don't give up. Keep working hard. If something in you likes what you're doing now, keep doing it. Get better. In the words of Jon Acuff, "Hustle!" (Another thing you should do is get his Start book haha.) I promise that in the end, it'll be worth it.
Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.
You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.
And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.
It's opener there
in the wide open air.
Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.
OH!
THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!
You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.
You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don't
Because, sometimes, you won't.
I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.
You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.
You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.
And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.
You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?
And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.
You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...
...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.
NO!
That's not for you!
Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.
With banner flip-flapping,
once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you're that kind of a guy!
Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. there are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.
Except when they don't.
Because, sometimes, they won't.
I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.
All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.
And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.
But on you will go
though the weather be foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.
On and on you will hike
and I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.
You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!
{Small waterfall at En Gedi}
Imitation
You know how they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery? I don't support that. You know what some of the synonyms for imitation are?Forgery.
Rip off.
Counterfeit.
Artificial.
Phony.
You know what some of the antonyms are?
Real.
Genuine.
Authentic.
Original.
I want to be the antonym of imitation.
Israel
Hmm why is it that when there's a lot going on in my life there seems to be a greater loss for words? Let's have a recap of what's happened in the last few weeks.- We sold our house and my mom, sister, and myself have moved (almost everything) into my sisters house.
- I took the last part of my state board test and applied for my Master Cosmetologist license.
- I started to write my first song ever.
- I found out I have LPR (Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Disease).
I guess those are the biggest things. It's funny how writing them in simple list form makes them seem so commonplace. I guess they kind of are.
I was going to write this long, riveting post about all the different aspects of the above mentioned events, but now that seems kind of unimportant. I find myself just wanting to write about Israel. I miss it so much. Everything that's beautiful and good reminds me of Israel. I can't wait to go back. It's weird how you can visit a place that was never your home, that most likely never will be your home, and yet you feel homesick for it. This is a little embarrassing to admit but my cheeks are running with tears as I write this. Israel has half my heart. And I hope so much that I'll be able to go back.
{The above picture was taken on the way to Caesarea Philippi. I believe that is Lebanon and Syria in the distance to the right.}
{This is part of an aqueduct that Herod installed at Caesarea Maritima on the Mediterranean. Herod had also built a palace right next to where this photo was taken and the Apostle Paul was imprisoned in this area toward the later part of his life.}
{Mediterranean Sea.}
{Portion of the Jezreel Valley, also known as the Valley of Armageddon. Taken from outside of Nazareth, on Mt. Precipice.}
{The Decapolis at Bet Sha'an. Most likely the place Jesus was referring to when he spoke of the wide and narrow gates.}
{Ruins of the Decapolis.}
{Beautiful architecture at the Decapolis.}
{Omrit. 1st century temple built by Herod for Caesar Augustus on the road to Damascus. Jesus would have passed by this with his disciples.}
{View of the Sea of Galilee from a walkway at our Kibbutz.}
{View from Mt. Arbel, from which you can see 80% of the ministry of Jesus. The Sea of Galilee is what's pictured.}
{Masada. Incredible story surrounding this place. Dead sea in the distance and just past that, the mountains of Moab, I believe.}
{Sun directly over the Dead Sea, taken from a wadi in the Judean Wilderness.}
{Another view from a walkway near our Kibbutz in Galilee.}
{Caesarea Maritima.}
Those aren't even the half of it ;)
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