130 was pretty dull today. So I got a blueberry muffin afterwards to make me happier. It worked, and I had a pleasant snack as I sat in the lounge, partially procrastinating and partially getting ideas floating around in my head sorted out.
I felt like I should've been more proactive afterwards... but at least I got to talk with my Mom on the phone :) That was really nice!
I went to lunch with Jinny and met up with my friend Sam at EVK while we were there! She's in all but one of my classes, including Text Studies, so we walked over together.
I'm finding my classes so fascinating, especially this one. I love it!
I had an interesting thought while walking back from class though: Remember how when I first moved down here, I talked about how every day had it's own adventure? Every day was an adventure.
What happened to that?
I mean, come on people. I'm in L.A. Los Angeles. The city of Angels. That huge city in Southern California where Route 66 ends and which symbolizes the edge of the West Coast.
But life has died down since I moved in. Things are becoming just... more commonplace. More normalized. Sure, there's lots of exciting things happening all around me, but not to me in particular anymore, you know?
Anyways, I spent some time in my room studying for my Spanish test and getting organized, then went to my actual test. I barely finished on time... the reading section of the test took me too long, that's all. I did finish though! So that's good, but it probably could've been better if I'd had ten more minutes.
Came back to the dorm, worked out, came back to my room and cleaned up both myself and the room.
And then, I decided to have an adventure.
There's a philosophy that I have in mind that I'd like to test out: if you want an adventure, go look for one. So I did.
Bill Maher was on campus today, and going to be giving a talk as part of some of the organizations here... It's not Visions and Voices... I don't remember who sponsored it... but anyways. Jinny had been talking about going to see it but couldn't, and I heard lots of people talking about it, so FOMO (fear of missing out) took hold of my brain as well as my want for something exciting and I went to get a ticket.
The line was super long when I got there of people who already had tickets, but were just simply waiting in line to ensure a good seat. Wowzers. I was able to snag a ticket for a balcony seat, which I thought wasn't too shabby at all, then raced back to my room, grabbed some food for dinner, and made it back to my appropriate line for the balcony people with my homework and sat down in line about 7. The show started at 8, but hey: I don't want THAT bad of a seat.
Throughout this journey, I learned a little more about this guy: he's a famous comedian with a lot of political humor and a complete atheist. I thought, "Great, what am I getting myself into..."
Well, I stuck with it and got a pretty decent seat up in the balcony actually. Then, naturally, Bill came out and gave his talk, which is why we all came to see him.
What did I think? Well, I didn't think he was funny, for being a comedian. Half because some of his jokes I didn't get, and half because, well, I just didn't like what he was saying. He had a couple great moments where I did laugh, but all in all, he's not that funny. However, I was entertained and amused. He was fascinating to listen to. I just kind of sat back and took it all in. I was also careful not to applaud if I didn't agree with what the applause was for. I feel like that's appropriate for these situations. Let me know if it's rude...
One thing that was cool was he did a Q&A session after his little one-hour sketch. He had some great responses to student questions: many of them being opinions about political ideas, or requests for help on papers (yes, this happened. "We're here for extra credit. Can you give us a lead in on what we could write our response about? What you say and Public policy?" It was pretty funny. He got shut down big time). One thing I gathered from it most was that Bill wasn't really a totally pessimistic guy. He admitted that he doesn't dislike anyone, even those he doesn't agree with. He just pities them greatly. Plus, he added, they're great for his show.
So there was my adventure! Not as adventurous as I hoped... the theory mentioned earlier is still in testing, I suppose, but it was still a good experience and I'm glad I went.
Anyways, I got some ice cream after that cause I felt like it, then went back up to my room. I did some housework, then I was going to get homework done, but ended up writing Sneha a story on Facebook instead. I've included it, for your entertainment, in case you're interested. If you'd rather skip it, go to where the little squiggle lines close out the area.
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Once upon a time, in a faraway land that wasn't all too far away, there lived a girl. Some considered her fair, others gentle, some quite intelligent and kind, but all considered her to be unbelievably lazy.
She was so lazy, they said, that some days she would go without eating, just because she didn't feel like leaving her room. She was so lazy, it was a shock to the kingdom how she could avoid being morbidly obese... but perhaps that was because she skipped meals. Some even said, she was so lazy, she would marry the first chap that came knocking at her door.
There was one chap who lived in this same land. He was a common fellow: charming, cheerful, a very hard worker, and always pleasant and sweet to those around him.
His name was Mitch
Now, although Mitch lived quite a pleasant life down at his father's farm, he was fairly lonely. After all, people only pass by farms: they rarely ever stop. And Mitch loved his father and two sisters, but he knew them too well to be thoroughly interested by them anymore. He found his greatest joys in his daydreams as he worked hard, long days on the fields.
People don't stop at farms, perhaps, but they do go by them, and as the people went by, Mitch would turn his ear and listen to their stories. It happened, perchance, that one day, he overheard the stories of this incredibly lazy girl and how she would marry the first man she saw.
Now, Mitch thought to himself, "Why, I am not all that handsome, and I am fairly lonely, and this girl is quite well-off. Think of how happy my family would be with me if I brought home a beautiful wife like this!"
Then Mitch remembered... "but what if she really is all that lazy?"
No matter, Mitch would try his luck. He packed up a sack, taught his sisters how to use some powertools for harvesting the crops (this was a civilized society, after all), and away he went, walking down the long road.
They didn't have cars back then, silly
At last he reached the house of this lovely young girl. It was a grand mansion: her father was a lord to the king. He knocked on the door, and the butler answered it
"Hello," Mitch said, "I would like to speak to the master of this house, the Lord."
The butler went to get the Lord, and when he returned to the area, Mitch gave a formal bow and stated, in the most confident way he could,
"I am a traveller from afar who has heard of your daughter's fair features and character, and would like to ask you for her hand in marriage."
The Lord, though impressed with Mitch's gall, was also quite amused
"Who do you think I am, the King?"
So he kicked Mitch out
Mitch scratched his head... how could this have gone wrong? It was like the oldest of fairytales...
Then, he came up with an idea: He could woo her the normal way a lad would a lass
But how? She never left her mansion for being so lazy, he heard, and he... well, he was not too welcome to walk right in anymore. So he camped the night out nearby the mansion to think of an idea
Mitch couldn't sleep that night. He was so distraught with the thoughts of this lady. He so desperately wanted a wife. As he tossed and turned, something caught his eye inside the mansion gardens
Abandoning his camp, he went over to investigate. He hid behind a bush, and observed as a beautiful lady, the most lovely he'd ever seen, waltzed outside. She was quite alone, but caught up in her blissful reverie, singing to herself about a love that she yearned for in the sweetest, tenderest voice.
Mitch was captivated. "This must be the lady of the Lord's house! this must be his daughter!!"
Her golden hair was still shining in Mitch's mind the next morning. However, he was afraid to step into the Lord's house again. What if he received the same treatment as before? How would the Lord react if he knew Mitch had been observing his daughter in the late of the night? That sounded so creepy even to Mitch that he couldn't believe he'd done it himself?
So he waited in his little camp out... watching every night the lovely lady who waltzed outside. He was, of course, too nervous to talk to her. He fell so in love with this lady... this beautiful, beautiful girl. His love burned a blissful passion inside of him, and he found the courage to try again.
Two weeks later, he knocked on teh Lord's door and begged, "May I at least make the aquaintance of your daughter? May I call on her and introduce myself?"
The Lord looked at his butler with... a look that seemed to carry a certain message but Mitch didn't know what... and agreed, "All right. You may meet her. Wait here."
Mitch waited with the butler as the Lord ascended the stairs of his mansion.
He waited... and waited... it seemed like an eternity. He could feel his heart beating with anticipation... he rehearsed in his head what he would finally say to this lady... this beautiful lady of his dreams
Finally, the Lord came back downstairs...but there was no lady with him
"Follow me," he told Mitch
Mitch had to use every bit of restraint to keep himself from bounding, skipping, leaping up the stairs. He looked quite like a gentleman, however.
The Lord led him up, up, up, to a door plated with silver leaves. He knocked gently, and the door opened to a room swimming in soft, baby blues. Sapphires embedded in the ivory canopies of a graceful bed, a couch with blue velvet against a wall painted with swirls of every imaginable blue and white...
Mitch felt his heart beating faster: "She always does wear a blue gown when she dances at night..."
The door opened further, and there she was. Resting on her bed, stretched out like an Egyptian queen, a blue gown draped around her shoulders.
"Sup." she nodded to Mitch
Mitch was nearly paralyzed with shock. Who was this girl?? Where was his beautiful blonde-haired waltzer??
This girl, though fair, had curly locks of brown embedded against a pale slender face
"How are you? My name's Vanessa"
"....Mitch..." Mitch uttered
The conversation was short and awkward
Vanessa was, as they said, fair and intelligent and friendly... but she was so lazy
Mitch, in the ends of the conversation meekly ventured to ask... "You don't... happen to like dancing, do you?"
"Dancing? Heavens no!! Too much movement involved. I thoroughly despise it."
"Oh..." Mitch responded... "I just thought, since you had so many beautiful flowing robes that are so perfect for dancing... perhaps you did...."
"Well," Vanessa conceded, "I guess I like watching people dance. It's frightfully entertaining. Here, allow me to show you: Cosette!" She hollered out into the hallway.
"Cosette? Who's Cosette?" Mitch couldn't stop himself from asking.
Vanessa laughed a hearty laugh, "Oh, she's just my lady in waiting. She responds to my every whim. Angelic, isn't it? I just couldn't live without her."
Suddenly, Mitch heard the patter of quick, delicate footsteps, and turned to see this Cosette walk into the room.
His heart lept for joy: Into the room stepped the sweet, lovely, beautiful little blonde lady he had seen dancing every night. Though this time, she was dressed in a trim, white uniform.
"My lady," she curtsied with a sweet voice, then turned to notice Mitch
Their eyes locked instantly. His: sheepish, brown, and happily surprised
Hers: Blue, bright, awe-struck, and suddenly, happy.
Vanessa, being intelligent, noticed the connection.
"Well! I'll leave you two to get to know each other. Seems like you could use the time. Let's see if I remember how to walk..."
Cosette rushed to her side and helped Vanessa outside, into one of the mansion's great living rooms, where she plopped down and proceeded to play Left for dead 2.
Cosette and Mitch spoke for nearly an hour, getting to know each other
Mitch, at last confessed, "I've seen you before, and I've loved you from the start. Your dancing... in the garden... do forgive me, my lady. I could not help but watch."
Cosette let out a childish giggle and said, "You know, sir, I often did that for my own enjoyment and to practice for my lady... but you don't fit well hiding behind a bush. I danced for you as well."
She was perfect: a hard worker, kind, gentle, sweet, but not afraid to get things done. And what was better: She'd seen so few men in her life, that she practically fell in love with the first man, the first real, devoted, hearty man she saw.
They were married in the next Spring. Vanessa happily received a new chamber maid (she's rich enough to have several, anyway) and extended an invitation for the two to visit anytime. Mitch took Cosette home to his farm, where they plowed the fields together, laughed, and got to know each other far too well in the best of ways for the rest of their days.
The End.
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Beautiful, isn't it? I hope so. I like writing stories sometimes, but they're more fun when I share them.
Maybe my theory was wrong... maybe adventures just happen to you... It happened to Mitch.
But Mitch also went looking for an adventure...
Ah, nevermind. Though I look forward to the adventures that tomorrow may hold...
Fight on, friends.
Well, copying from Facebook made all the text after the story strange. Sorry about that, folks.
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