Mom knows her stuff

I was talking to my mom the other day about being more positive, and she gave me some great advice. I asked her about positivity because she has always been the one person that I could count on to have a great attitude. There has never been a situation that my mom didn't seem able to handle, and she always keeps her cool under pressure. This can't be said for my dad, who is one of the most pessimistic people I know. I think I received equal amounts of the positive and pessimist genes, because it all depends on the day of the week in my case.

My mom talked about how she has always been so positive, and I was surprised by what she said. She mentioned that when she was growing up, her family didn't have a lot. Her mom died when she was only four, and she was forced to grow up quickly. Her lack of a childhood would make many people bitter, but my mom doesn't look back on it with a negative attitude. She instead mentioned that never having something makes it impossible to miss having it. She doesn't really remember anything about her mom, so she never had something to miss. She accepted the situation that was placed in front of her and made the best of it. I am not sure that I would have done the same thing in her situation.

I think my mom was given a special personality, because she is able to deal with extremely difficult situations and people without becoming negative. Two of these people are myself and my dad. I was most certainly not the model child, and I continue to challenge her patience. I think that my dad is actually taking my place as the child, because he seems to always have something going on that my mom has to deal with. He would be the last person to admit it, but he relies heavily on my mom to be the positive influence in his life. I also still rely on my mom to give me advice and listen to my ramblings. Thanks, Mom!

The Power of Positivity

There is something to be said about people who are constantly positive. I have never been one of these people, but I have noticed that they seem to be happier in general. This makes a lot of sense if you think about it, because they don't let the little things in life get them down. I have always been someone that claims to be positive until something difficult comes along, and then I think its better to complain about it than try to solve it.

My current situation is one that shows me how much a positive attitude could really do for me. I have a lot of stuff left to complete before the end of the semester, which I constantly think and complain about. What I should really do is have a good attitude and try to get it all done and think about how soon I will be free for a few months. It just seems much easier to complain and put the work off as long as possible.

I hate looking on Facebook and seeing that one person that updates their status about getting all of their homework done for the rest of the semester. Am I the only one that wants to punch them in the face? Maybe you are really on top of things, but don't rub it in my face. Being prepared doesn't make you any better than me . . . Ok, maybe it does, but you don't have to be all smug about it.

I prefer to use my Facebook status for talking about how stressed I am, or how much work I still have to do before class the next day. Just let me have my pity party in peace without having to see you brag about being on top of things.

I just went off on a rant about how much I hate people that do this, but what I should really be doing is attempting to be more like them. If I was positive about things and focused on getting the job done, I would already be bragging on Facebook and waiting for the semester to end peacefully. I don't know if there is hope for me becoming a more positive person, but I think the area of homework is a good place for me to start.

Go Away, Bieber!

I can remember my parents thinking that the music that I listened to when I was in middle and high school was strange, but I like to think that it was better than the stuff that adolescents are listening to now. I work with kids on a regular basis, and I hear them talk about the new songs that they like to listen to. Some of them are absolutely awful.

I fail to see how people can like Justin Bieber. I think he sounds like an 8 year-old with speech issues. I have never heard of another Canadian that talks like he grew up in inner-city Detroit. As soon as I heard him say shawty for the first time I knew he was going on my list of least favorite singers. My friend Katie was talking to me about him the other night, and brought up how complex his lyrics are . . . not. If you can repeat the word baby 1,000 times in a song and make it a hit, I guess young people really are dumber than I thought.

When I think about it, I guess I feel sorry for Justin Bieber. What is he going to do when he finally goes through puberty and loses his 8 year-old voice? He will have the same fate as groups like Hanson, who were no longer popular once they grew up. I can only hope this is what happens to Bieber. I guess there is one thing good about Justin Bieber . . . I really like watching people make fun of him, like they do in this video parody.

Pothole Problem

Winter in Nebraska is a time of constant weather change. It can be almost 50 degrees one day, and a blizzard with below zero temperatures the next. This takes a toll on our roads, and leaves us with huge craters in the streets by the time spring arrives. The roads department is usually fairly quick about getting out and filling these potholes, but I am sure there are many reasons that they may not get to them immediately. They have coffee break, for instance, or they need to take a vacation day . . . I understand.

When driving around Kearney I noticed several potholes on major roads, but there was nothing that I couldn't easily dodge around. This was not the case when I went to see my parents in Grand Island. There are so many potholes on the roads in GI that it was almost impossible not to hit at least one on each street. The streets in GI have always been crap, but I think this year is one for the record books. While driving through the sycamore street underpass, I tried to avoid a pothole that looked at least a foot deep and two feet wide, but there was no way I could without hitting the side of the underpass or sideswiping another car. This caused me to slam into the pothole, and possibly do damage to my car. I know the street department is busy, but for crying out loud, if there is a hole in a place that makes it unavoidable to hit, please fix it.

The City of Grand Island has never ceased to amaze me with their ingenious way of investing absolutely no money or effort into the roads. I remember a few years ago when instead of filling in potholes on one of the main roads near my parents house, they simply laid a giant piece of plywood on top of them. While this may have made the road a little smother, I think we should just embrace the crappy roads and take an example from the cartoon posted above. Fishing, anyone?

The Asian Whitney Houston??

I came across this video on YouTube and I was instantly amazed. This 10 year-old boy from Taiwan sounds exactly like Whitney Houston. I didn't know whether to applaud or wet myself laughing. Ok . . . I laughed . . . hysterically. There is just something about an Asian boy singing Whitney that gets to me. I think he sings this song better than Whitney could nowadays. This makes me hate American Idol even more than I have lately. I wish America had some overweight Asian children to sing power ballads on Idol instead of the crap that has been coming out of the contestants mouths the past few weeks.

Competing for attention - Final Draft

The Nebraska Baseball season is in full swing, but unfortunately the lack of swinging bats has caused a drop in public interest as well. This change is a complete contrast to the enthusiasm that the people of Nebraska had for the potential of the team a few years ago. This drop in support has been seen in a number of sports over the years, and is characteristic of the way most Nebraskans view all sports other than football.

I started following Nebraska Baseball in 2005, just as they were beginning to be noticed on the national stage. They went to the College World Series that year but were unable to advance far in the tournament. The following two years were successful for the Huskers. They made it to regional play both seasons, and the public responded to this success by creating a buzz about the sport and packing Haymarket Park for nearly every home game.

2008 and 2009 proved to be very difficult for the Huskers, and they failed to qualify for regional play last season. This was disappointing as a Husker fan, but a period of success is usually followed by a few years of rebuilding. The talent of the players has not been on the same level as it was a few years ago, which has led to fewer wins.

No one likes to lose, but sometimes there just isn’t a lot you can do to stop it. Over the past few years I have watched as the hardworking players have given their all only to lose game after game. This hard work should be applauded, but the opposite is happening. Most fans have either turned their back on the sport, or are calling for Coach Mike Anderson to resign.

It is unfortunate that so many fans are willing to stop going to games and supporting the team just because they aren’t winning the majority of their games like they have in past seasons. It makes you wonder what made Nebraska Football stay so popular even when they had several lackluster seasons under Bill Callahan.

I think the main factor in the prominence of Nebraska Football is its long winning tradition. The other sports are left to compete for the small amount of enthusiasm left over from the football season. Right now the sport of choice seems to be Women’s Basketball, but this was not the case in the past. Volleyball has also been a fan favorite over the past few years. This can change at the drop of a hat, or at the drop of a winning season. Nebraskans don’t like to lose, but they are much more patient with the football team than with other sports. I am also guilty of this double standard.

While many were extremely upset with the direction the football team was heading under Callahan, they stuck with the team due to their attachment to the sport. This attachment hasn’t occurred with other sports, because there has never been enough attention focused on them. This needs to change. We need to show all athletes that what they are doing is just as important as the quarterback of the football team.

I understand how disappointing it is to go to a game and watch the team you are cheering for lose, but does that mean you should stop cheering? It seems to me that the team needs to know that the public supports them in a rough time like this more than ever. That’s why I will be listening or watching every game that the Huskers play this season. When Nebraska wins the College World Series I want to be able to say that I was a fan before they were great.

Happy Birthday!

Today is my 22nd birthday. I am not a big birthday person, but it is nice to have one day when you are the center of attention. I do have to admit that I was excited to have a birthday that wasn't a major milestone. It seems like there are so many milestone years when you are growing up, but once you pass the 21 year mark there just isn't anything to celebrate. You then only have the birthdays that make you feel older and older to look forward to.

I had a lot of fun on my birthday last year, but this year its nice to just kick back and enter the boring stage of my 20s. I like that there is nothing special about this birthday. Being a twenty-something means that I am no longer a child, but I can still act like one from time to time. I have all of the perks of being an adult without having to be completely mature. I'm not sure if I will ever really be mature, but I don't know if thats really a bad thing. I think that people get so wrapped up in adult life that they forget about all of the things that they used to get joy out of as kids.

Aging brings with it aches and pains, but it also brings distance between who you currently are and who you once were. I think that we should hold on to who we used to be, even if it wasn't ideal. It is important to remember where we came from, because without the past there is no future. As I look back at my younger years I have no regrets, but I also have many things that I want to do in the future. Right now I think I will just kick back and enjoy being a lazy 22 college student for a while longer. Before I know it I will be celebrating my 30th birthday.