What a drag it is getting old

Is it really though? I find myself pondering this idea quite often. Sure, The Stones made a great song off the idea. And our society definitely plays into it. Nowadays you can smooth age away with creams, suck it away with surgery or you can just Botox those wrinkles to bloated, younger-looking skin.

I used to dread my birthdays. I still do. Would I drink from the fountain of youth if such a miraculous spring existed? Hell yes.

Society puts pressure on us--mainly women--to look young. Why in my early twenties do I feel like I'm shriveling up? This should be my prime. This is my prime, right?
These questions remind me of a line from "Just Friends." (Yes, I've seen that movie. You can smirk all you want) At one point Ryan Reynolds insults Amy Smart by saying she's the girl who 'peaked in high school.'

That line still gets me.

What I find hard to swallow is that I've already been on this planet for 23 years. True, I am proud of a lot of stuff I did. I feel like my presence has made a difference. But at other times, usually when I finish reading someone else's story, I feel like I have little or nothing to show for my time. Christ, even Lil Wayne was getting press at 16.
Now I'm not looking for consolation or affirmation that my life is worth something, I know it is. It just amazes me that aging perplexes me so. It's surprising and depressing to think how quickly time flies by. I've lived in Gainesville for nearly three years, but I still feel like I'm just getting to know the place.

I'm not really sure how I can ease my mind on this whole aging thing. There's a part of me that can't wait to see what the future holds, but I don't want to rush it. For such much of our lives we're just preparing for the future. With all that prepping, how can you enjoy the present?

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
-John Lennon

Tune In

So already I'm starting to slack with the blogging upkeep. We'll fix that now. To play catch up, let's see what's happened since my last entry...
Work sucks, still. The new manager is frustrating everyone with her sour attitude and incompetence. I'm trying to stay optimistic, but that place is going down like the Titanic.
I've been applying incessantly to jobs all over Gainesville. I've had a few nibbles, but we'll see if I hook any. Most of them are receptionist or office jobs. They offer decent pay, and I'd really prefer to be out of the food industry. The only terrible thing about finding a new job is leaving all of my beloved scooping pals. I know we'll still hang out, but it won't be the same.
My mom is coming for a visit in a few weeks. I'm really excited! I haven't seen her since Christmas break. We'll most likely go to the Butterfly Rainforest, but I'm not really sure what else she wants to do. We'll eat at some of my favorite places like Reggae Shack, Mellow Mushroom and Bento for sure. Maybe I can even get her to try sushi. I recently went to Buddha Belly with Jessica and the food was incredible so we could check that out too.Their peanut curry was amazing and the best part is you can choose how spicy (or plain)you want your meal. I like some heat and 5 was perfect.
Another idea for us involves pie. There was/is some pie festival/contest in Celebration, FL that I wanted to go to so that's a possibility too. My mom and I both love to bake and who doesn't love pie? It would also be really fun to take her to a show at the Hipp. Hopefully something intriguing is playing.
Her visit will be a nice break from work for the both of us, I'm sure.

Make your move

I've always wondered what Texas was like. I always had assumptions that it was where people attended rodeos and rocked cowboy boots with spurs.

Beginning in August, I will discover the truth behind these thoughts. A few days ago I was accepted to City Year San Antonio. For a year, I will be dedicating my time and effort to an organization aimed to make a difference in local communities and schools. I first learned about City Year after being rejected by Teach for America. Funny how life works like that sometimes.

I was attracted to City Year because it involved more than just working in a classroom. I'd also be working in the community. That was intriguing because the community is where the heart is. It's where you get to learn about the little things. You learn where to get the best slice of pizza, where to go for a first date. You meet all types of people--not just the kids. I am excited about mentoring students, don't misread that. But I'm also curious about the rest of the population that inhabits the city. I want to know who to go to if I'm having car trouble, or if my dog needs a playmate. I also want people to know who I am, and that I have something to offer. It's people and the connections you make and experiences you share that make life worthwhile.

Back to San Antonio. I've never been there, I don't know anyone who has, and I don't really know anyone who lives there aside from my soon-to-be buddies with City Year. Although it is a little intimidating, it's extremely exciting. I don't know what to expect, and that's a good thing. There will be challenges and I'm sure sometimes I'll wonder if I made the right decision, but how much would I really learn, or grow if it was easy?

I'll update later once I receive more details about my training, moving date, potential living situations, etc.

Until then, check out this. Looks promising!

One more time

So I'm going to try this whole create-a-blog-and-update-it-frequently thing. I've had a rough relationship with blogging in the past so I can't make any promises.

What's on my mind now:

I don't understand the obsession with Twitter. I don't fully understand the concept of the site. Is it really just a constant status update? It just seems like a new social network that makes stalking acceptable.

Don't get me wrong, I take interest in what my friends and family are doing. But do I really need to know whether they 'just got out of the shower' or are 'headed to Publix for the third time today. Forgot the TP!'?

Whatever happened to TMI?

Apparently our society has evolved past leaving some things to the imagination. Between the scandalous photos posted and the hourly updates, people don't really need to communicate face to face. You can simply add a friend, and then follow their every move, learn their every interest and track their every step via internet access.

Forget personal phone calls or a friendly letter in the mail, just check my status. That's how we'll keep in touch.