Hey Mama

The majority of this entry is from an email I wrote to my mom awhile ago. To be honest, there will probably be multiple entries about my mom if I keep up with this blog (don’t worry, I fully intend to, I am constantly inspired) because she and my dad are my main inspiration in this life. They are the reason I am who I am and do what I do.

My mom is one of the most loving people I know. Yesterday we were at a wedding and all the married women were called to the floor. She stood there with her arms around her friends, laughing and smiling and it was easy to see why my dad fell in love with her and why everyone who knows her leaves her presence feeling cared for and encouraged. She serves others and cares SO MUCH that I'm sometimes afraid she doesn't leave enough for herself, she has absolutely no ego.

Imagine- a farm girl who was the first person in her whole family line to receive a college degree, now living in a city high rise penthouse apartment with four successful children and a husband who treats her like the queen that she is. Most anyone who had come so far and is living such a full and fulfilling life would surely look at their life from time to time and be proud, of all she's accomplished, of all the hard work, luck, and blessings it has taken to get to this point. But she does not. At no point does she toot her own horn or recognize herself as someone to be admired and mimicked and followed. Of course this is part of her charm and magnificence. 

[Breaking from email]

If you’ve ever met my mom, you’re lucky. She is so helpful and hospitable, sometimes to the point where people can’t tell if she’s serious. She always has something uplifting and kind to say, and she tries her hardest to keep unkind things to herself. She is beautiful, wise, and caring. And she inspires me.

Listen to: Warrior by Mark Foster, A-Trak and Kimbra

Village Food

Yesterday at work, one of the options they had for lunch was what they called "makanan kampung" or "village food." I've been tricked before with this makanan kampung business (last week I ate fried stomach-- well, one bite of it), so I asked what it was before spooning out a helping. "Tikus!" was the enthusiastic reply. I smiled, was this a joke? Tikus means... "Rat! White rat. You might not like.Very spicy." Oh yeah... I can't handle spicy too well. Bummer.


Listen to: L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N by Noah and the Whale

Intro

Since I moved here, everyone’s been asking me if I’m going to write a blog. There are a few problems with that. 1. I’ve been saying from day one that blogs are, for the most part, lame. No one wants to read your diary. However, my sister is a fourth grade teacher and she has a blog and I love reading it – it’s hilarious. 2. I don’t like talking about myself that much. Anyone that knows me, when they first hear this, laughs. I am quite a loquacious person (translation: I talk a looooot), but if you take the time to stop and listen (quite a challenge, I know), it’s usually not about me. It’s about events, it’s about things that I think are interesting, it’s about people I interact with, it’s about things going on around me. Really, when it comes down to it, I’m just not that interesting. Which leads me to point 3. I’m not super funny/smart/stylish/healthy, etc. which is what blogs are supposed to be for: people with knowledge or advice that others don’t readily have available.

I realized, however, that despite all of this, my new phase of life has dropped a particularly interesting set of circumstances into my lap so it would be a disservice to those who have exerted so much effort to get me here not to commemorate it in some way. But how? Well, part of my reason for moving here was to better myself. For a while, I was thinking that I’d moved here to ‘start over.’ But that would be stupid. I have a lifetime of memories, stories, experiences, loved ones, an lessons learned that it would be foolish to try to walk away from. Despite whatever appeal starting over may have, I am still the same person with the same gifts and talents, weaknesses and demons. I still have the most amazing family in the world who has carried me through without ever asking anything in return.

It dawned on me one day as I was reading a book, then, what I should write about. People that inspire me. If you have spent any amount of time with me you’ve heard me say more than once “I want to be her/him.” And even more frequently, I talk about attributes or talents of people that I’m jealous of. When it comes down to it, though, I don’t really want to ‘be them,’ and I’m not really jealous. This is all my way of expressing admiration and how much I admire these people. So, in the hopes of improving myself and becoming a fabulous combination of all the wonderful people that I hear about and know, this is my blog.

I don’t really know what format it will take yet, it will probably different from day to day. Many times I find inspiration in books I’m reading. And since the author has already said it in a way that I found inspirational, I may just quote the book. I might give background, or I might just tell a quick anecdote.  Who knows?  Now that I’ve actually begun writing this blog, I realize it will not always be about other people. Sometimes I might just put in good quotes, or interesting anecdotes about Indonesia living… this thing might take on a mind of its own. I also really suck at endings so sometimes these entries  may seem to come to a very abrupt halt. No use dragging things out, right?

 I will also include a song recommendation in every entry. This will not have anything to do with the person I’m talking about, I am just a music addict and like nothing more than introducing people to awesome music that will make them happy. So without further ado, please read on and I hope that you are as inspired as I am.