Miss My Heart is Beating Really Fast

I just finished my last final and my heart is beating really fast.

As I was filling out the last 5 questions on my bubble sheet for my econ exam, I almost started to cry. I can't decide it if was out of happiness because I will never touch economics again, or if it is because I am sad that my undergraduate degree is over.

Either way, my heart is beating so fast.

The teachers, people, jobs, classmates, friends, tests, papers, assignments, activities and opportunities that I have been part of here will never be forgotten.

Thank you BYU-I.

Miss Story of My Sister

Cut

By Mallory Guymon

She stood two inches taller than I, three pant sizes smaller than me, and one grade below me.  She was my baby sister, but I would never consider her a baby.

High school is never easy for anyone. Those who claim that it was—lied. This was even more true for my high school that was known for their competitive sports, arrogant attitude, and self-righteous behavior. My sophomore year went well being on the volleyball and softball team, having a “cool boyfriend,” and of course having a car. Going into my junior year my confidence was not so high.

My younger sister and I are 18 months apart so when I entered my junior year, she entered her sophomore year. She has the brains in the family and ended up taking the same science and math class as I. We even ended up in the same math class period together—that changed quickly.

Two weeks before school started, we both tried out for the high school volleyball team—I tried out for varsity and she tried out for junior varsity. The competition was high. We spent a week going through brutal sprints, jumps, rolls, and dives.

My sister has a vertical that obviously surpasses mine which is why I specialized in passing and bumping the ball. While I passed, she hit and she hit hard. Compliments rolled her way. I was happy for her.

Two days before school started, we anxiously awaited at home, still in our practice jerseys, the results of our hard work. We were told that the results would be posted on the gym doors after 8 p.m. Before we concluded tryouts our coaches asked us if we wanted to be considered for junior varsity, varsity, or both. I informed the coaches that I only wanted to be considered for varsity. If I didn’t make it, I didn’t want to play junior varsity.

My sister and I drove to the school, swerved into the gym parking lot, and linked arms as we walked towards the door. Our eyes scanned the two lists—13 girls on each. My name was absent and my sister’s name was on the junior varsity list.

There was silence.

We drove home in continued silence. I pulled up to the front rather than the driveway and said I would be home later. Tears ran down my cheeks and she closed the door slowly behind her and walked to the front door with her arms crossed and her chin down.

I went to see my cool boyfriend for sympathy an received a less than an adequate amount per usual. My mind raced and could hardly stomach the thought of going to school on Monday. Dramatically—my life was over.

I drove home at snail speed, and my mother met me at the back door. I sobbed in her arms and she listened, like mothers always do. She put her fingers through my hair and consoled me for a moment. I calmed down but still dreaded the next nine months of torture.

As my mother walked out the door, she turned around and mentioned that my sister came in crying, too. She thought she was the one who didn’t make the team. By the time she made out her words through her sobs, she found out that I didn’t make it.

My sister is still two inches taller than I, she got married before me and is currently expecting her fist baby girl in March. One day, that baby girl will have a sister and hopefully she will have a sister like mine.  

Miss Don't Be Weird.

How to Keep Eye Contact

By Mallory Guymon

Toddlers do it when they’re avoiding punishment, students do it when they ‘re avoiding giving the answer, and adults do it when they’re avoiding confrontation. What are their doing? Avoiding eye contact.

Many assumptions gather around those who avoid eye contact. It’s assumed that if one avoids eye contact they are nervous, insecure or lying. Keeping a visual connection can make someone feel uncomfortable in general but it may not indicate any of the previous.

You walk down the street, across campus or even around the house. Do you look up at a passerby? If you do, people may call you aggressive, romantic or just plain creepy. Having unbalanced eye contact can cause tense situations. For instance, maintaining eye contact with a gorilla can raise their temper and cause serious rage and danger.

Maintaining eye contact can be a taboo subject for the common person but for a celebrity, it’s a routine. Both Barbra Streisand and Michael Jordan have a habit of forcing hotel workers to turn and face the wall when they enter a room, goes the tale. Some even say Nicole Kidman insists her makeup artist refrains from making eye contact. Recently, musical artist Katy Perry’s tour rider indicated in the section covering her driver’s behavior that the chauffeur is to “not to start a conversation with the client or stare.”

Source: kyliecox.tumblr.com via Rachel on Pinterest

To determine an amount of adequate eye contact depends on the situation. For example, if you were being interviewed for a new job, eye contact would be important throughout your interview. Continuous eye contact is not necessary but sincere eye contact with the hiring manager can establish an unconscious trust.  

  

If you were resolving a complication with a friend or spouse, eye contact could determine the whole mood. Avoiding eye contact with your spouse as you discuss a close friend of the opposite sex that you have, could lead them to believe that your behavior is untrue. Listening to a friend vent about their bad day or bad boyfriend may not require the same sincere eye contact.

There are situations where it is not necessary or critical to a relationship. Walking down the street and looking at your feet or talking on the phone is not seen as offensive to most individuals. It is especially not required to look someone in the eye when you are driving and having a conversation with him or her—that’s just dangerous and illogical.

There is no doubt that eye contact is important to have but it can be determined per situation. Now, you look me in the eye and tell me you don’t believe that. 

Miss Controversial

Whatever You Do, Don’t Vote

By Mallory Guymon

In the 2008, Senator Barak Obama won the United States presidential election by almost 200 electoral votes. Out of all of those votes, your voted didn’t matter.

Whatever you do, don’t vote.

As we approach the 2012 election, don’t go to the polls. Every moment that you watch a debate, listen to radio commentary and read a Wall Street Journal article, consider it wasted time you will never get back. Don’t watch, listen or read that garbage. Your vote doesn’t matter.

There were more voters during the 2008 election since the 1968 election where republicans voted President Richard Nixon into office. We all know how that turned out. And President Bill Clinton? Do we even have to mention that political office? History has shown us that your vote will make things worse.

If you go to the grocery store and they don’t have what you want on your list, do you end up buying unneeded items? This is like voting. If none of the opponents fit you political views, don’t vote for them and end up buying an unneeded item. People who are apathetic to voting are told to not complain about the resulting president but, one could say they would complain more if they did vote for the candidate and were let down by the candidates bad decisions.

Why be forced to choose between the lesser of two evils? If you have a molded banana peel and tray of soggy bread to choose from, would you? No, you wouldn’t. It would seem illogical—like voting.

When you give your vote, you give your freedom. We live in a country with freedoms that no other country will ever experience. Political activist claim that voting is a freedom but, in reality, we are forced to choose someone who will make our choices for us. We lose our personal accountability by giving it to someone else when we vote and, that is a freedom we can’t afford to give away. If voting is a right, it is also a right to not vote.

Forerunners also declare that our vote for them will make us equal. So we get in line in front of a person who was convinced by their parents, spouse, teacher or friend to vote and make a difference, even though they aren’t aware of the views of any of the candidates, that person ends up negating my vote and confirms that the process is a waste of time.

Don’t trust that your vote will matter and don’t trust that your chosen candidate will deliver. They will say what you have to hear to lure you to the polls. They don’t owe you anything and in turn, you don’t owe them anything. For example, President Obama promised to cut national debt and ended up spending more than he promised to save. If you voted him in office, way to go. 

When you go to the polls this November, choose to stay in bed instead. Do you want to make things worse for our country? With the majority of registered voters heading to the polls last year, we saw what happened and I suggest we learn from history.

Whatever you do, don’t vote this November. Don’t vote.  

Miss Choices

Choices, choices, choices.

Is it ingrained in us to know how to make the biggest choices we will ever make in our lives? Does it just come naturally? Is it an instinct? I'm not so sure.

I am at one of those crossroads in my life where I have to make choices. Which job do I take? Should I go to grad school? Should we move? How much money should we put in savings? When should we start having kids?

My mind is a whirlwind.

A few criteria to consider when making big choices:

• Who is involved? When you make your decision, be sure to realize who is involved when you make this decision. 
• Is it time sensitive? If your choice is time-sensitive, you should set an even earlier deadline for yourself.
• Try it on. Someone once taught me that if I am considering a choice but not fully sure of it, to try it on and see how I feel. For example, if I was trying to decided what school to go to, I would choose a school and start pursuing it and if it didn't feel right, I would then know for sure to rule it out. 
• Talk it out. I am famous for this. I have a choice and I talk it to death with my poor husband, family, friends  teachers, random strangers, etc. Talking may help you come to conclusions you never realized. It may cause you to over think, so you this technique with caution. 

Miss Finals, finally

Most people feel like finals sneak up on them. I disagree.

It's finals, finally.

I have 3 more finals to take and then I am done! Knowing that I have a job lined up now makes it hard, I admit, but I am still going to finish strong. 

And then, it will be time to celebrate. 

                                                                         Source: gusandlula.com via Kitty on Pinterest

Miss I got a job!

I received an offer today for my first, "big girl", job! It was such a crazy day running back and forth between interviews that I had in Idaho Falls but I didn't leave empty handed, and that was a miracle.

I had an interview lined up across town that I was already running late to (don't worry, I called and told them and they were running behind too) after I received the offer. I wasn't sure what to do but I needed to get back to Rexburg for class and I knew I the other job was not going to pay even close to what this job is paying (which is pretty dang good) so I called them and thanked them for the interview but informed them that I had just received a job offer.

That felt good. This whole situation feels good. It feels like a "fit".

So, now what? I just start working. And being a grown up. And not doing homework. And wearing dress pants every day. And meeting with adults that I can call by their first name instead of brother and sister.

This may be quite the transition. I may need a night class to ease me into it.

I will tell you more about the job later. I haven't officially accepted it. I will be making that glorious phone call tomorrow.