Of Good Choices and Great Opportunities

Being in a singles' branch, I am reminded constantly of the importance of dating and getting married. I know that marriage should be the ultimate goal of an individual attending a branch of this type, but-- in my case (at least originally)-- the singles' branch was simply an opportunity to socialize with people who were and are in similar circumstances of life and learning as me.

My choice to associate with singles, like all choices, has been accompanied by consequences. It has been wonderful to be able to make friends and feel like, for the first time in my life, that I fit in! And yet, I also feel like I am growing up too fast. Being in college and surrounded by older single adults has given me experience that would have been shielded from me, had I stayed in high school for the usual amount of time.

I have dated all sorts of men (hey, I've even had a few marriage proposals!) and I've been attending a singles ward, institute, and college for three years now. All of this should be new to me, since I am only an 18-year-old girl, but it is not. I am used to all of it. In fact, I am starting to get tired of it all.

People often ask me, "Brooke, if you could go back in time, would you decided to stay in high school?" My reply is always the same, " No. The choice to go to college has given me some hard consequences, but it has been the best decision of my life. If I had the chance to go back in time, even with the knowledge that I have about how it would all turn out, I would choose college over high school, any day." And I would, too! After all, I prayed about that decision and felt like attending college was what I needed to do. As hard as it may be, at times, I still feel comforted in my choice.

With that said, I return to the idea of growing myself up too fast. I have one more year until I graduate with a BA, when a normal girl my age would be barely starting off at a new school as a Freshman-- the world of college being new, fresh, and exciting. It is insane to think about! I am excited to think of how far ahead I am in the world in comparison to that little freshman girl, though.

I have the advantage of a few years of experience. I'll be able to graduate, before I marry (that is, if I ever marry). I'll be able to get a nice, stable job and start really supporting myself (hopefully, anyhow... haha). I'll also probably be able to go to Graduate school. There is so much I can do with my life! Thousands of doors are wide open for me-- each one filled with a dozen fabulous opportunities. I am one lucky girl! I just hope that I can make the most of it.

I haven't done my best, in the past, but today is a new day and a bright future can be mine, if I give it my all and always rely upon the Lord to make up for the difference.

Love...A Very Short Summation of the Good the Bad

The Good

Romance is nice, but only if both parties are "in like" or "in love" with each other. There is nothing as exciting as having someone you are attracted to be attracted to you. It is definitely a self-esteem booster. This may be an amazing experience, but...

The Bad

I've experienced many a heartbreak because I chose to fall for guys who didn't feel the same way about me. I don't care who says it or how it is said, but the "let's just be friends"/"I like you, but not like that" speech always hurts. Dating, I've decided, trains young people to expect rejection. What else is a person supposed to expect after putting his or her heart out there over and over, just to get it ripped to shreds every time.

Tips From the Pink Bible

"The clever huntress always looks her best. She never knows when big game will pass her way" ~ The Pink Bible.

What do y'all think about that? If you have no clue what The Pink Bible is, look up http://www.pinkbible.com/. In the Mormon version of Pride and Prejudice, this little book is used and referred to by the many characters (a bunch of girlie college students on the hunt for men).

Anyways, the above quote has been running through my head, a lot, as of late. It seems to me that--even though it is a bit (or extremely) naive of a girl to follow the advice of silly books that supply the do's and dont's of dating--this bit of advice strikes true.

People really should love one another for their inner beauty, but there has to be an initial physical attraction. Am I right or am I right? A guy is not even going to give a girl a second look (unless she is abominable...) if she doesn't look half-way decent. Without even a second glance, a girl wouldn't be able to get small talk, a hang out session, a date, marriage, and/or any form of a relationship from a guy. As shallow as it may seem, looks do matter.

From my experience, this can be really annoying. Whenever I look like a neanderthal woman, handsome guys are everywhere. I swear it is like my ugliness attracts 'em. Sigh. I do try to look pretty, most of the time, but it requires a lot of effort. Okay, okay, it isn't a lot, but sometimes it is more than I care to put forth. There are a bunch of steps that go into the beautification process (basic hygiene, shaving and plucking unwanted hair, contacts, makeup, nail care, clothes, curling/straitening/just doing one's hair, and etc.).

There is a quote circling about random conversations that goes something like, "there are no ugly women in the world, just lazy one's." With a bit of effort, every female has the capability to look like a glamour girl. The thing is, though, I hate dolling up for no reason. If only people had built in or natural abilities to sense a need to look impressive. Wouldn't you agree? I mean, honestly! I don't always want to look like Beautiful Brooke, especially if I am not going to run into a Handsome Henry. A little warning would be lovely.

The Real Man

What is the definition of a real man? Are there actually real men in the world?

What about those who are considered less than the real man? What is the defining line. Where is the differentiating border that separates the "real men" from the "boys" or "woman folk."

I have several friends who are obsessed with being "real men." It is mostly talked about in a playful manner, but it has caused many a thought to bounce around in my noggin.

This is what I mean...

• You can be a man's man and like supposedly feminine things, right? Right.
  
• My dad plants flowers in the garden and my brothers like chick flicks. Does this make them unmanly? No.
  
• I've seen shows discuss/interview gay men. When asked about the circumstances and determining factors of the discovery of their "true" sexuality, ridiculous reasons were usually (if not always) stated. Does liking the color pink distinguish you as a homosexual? It shouldn't. If a man can decorate, good for him. So a guy sings and dances like Gene Kelly, what is so unmanly about that? Etc., etc. Where in Tar Nation did such retarded ideas about men come from? It might not be the norm, but it doesn't have to be warped into gay and lesbian crap.
• When did not liking feminine things become a way of getting a dame? Yes, a girl likes to know her man is a stable source of protection, but she also finds it wonderfully attractive when her oh so strong chico shows his soft side.

Random quote/story from my memory bank =

A group of guys are sitting around discussing how to be real men. Guy to guy, they share their manliness. Eventually, the topic of shaving comes up. The fellows take turns going into great depth about how they supposedly shave like real men. As the narratives go on, the stories get more extreme until finally... dun dun dun... the man's man approaches.

"Ya'll got nothin'," he breathed in a deep scratchy voice. "I wrap barbed wire around my fists and punch myself in the face. It takes the skin right along with the hair, but THAT is how a real man shaves."

yeah.. that is my version... it actually goes on more and is slightly different, but hey.

Give me your thoughts and opinions please.