Let me be clear...

I love politics.  It is what I want to dedicate my life to in some way, shape or form.  But man, I am so sick of reading/seeing/watching about this WI Supreme Court race, how it’s a reflection on Scott Walker and the Budget Repair Bill, and the potential government shutdown.  

Politics has become less about the issues and more about who is in bed with who, so to speak.  In November, voters in Wisconsin overwhelmingly went for Scott Walker and other Republicans who wanted reform, particularly in the budget area.  The Republican’s voices were heard.  Now, there are efforts all over the state to recall politicians—Democrats and Republicans alike—basically because constituents don’t like what they have done.  If I recall my 8th grade civics class correctly, recall is reserved for a politician who did something illegal.  Republicans did not do anything illegal in the process of formulating and attempting to pass the budget repair bill—and according to multiple sources, the passing of it was legal (I am not a lawyer—yet—so all I can go on is what I have read from various news outlets, from all perspectives).  Now I don’t know the legality of it, and I won’t claim to, but the Democrats fled to Illinois to avoid a vote, which, while in my opinion, is a bit unethical, but I haven’t read/seen/found anything that says it was outright illegal (as in, a recall-able offense).  This is not the democracy I grew up with (and I am only 20!) and this is not the kind of democracy I want.  It shows the fickleness of our voters.  

As the WI Supreme Court battle plays out, it will be interesting to see how the recounters and certifiers will handle it.  I would imagine that it is no small task, and I hope that all of the people involved will use the most ethical behavior possible when determining this very important race.  Either way it goes—Prosser or Kloppenberg—a lot is at stake.  Depending on who comes out victorious, it will swing our Supreme Court one way or another, which could have a significant impact on the outcome of various legislations that are pending, namely the legality of the Budget Repair Bill (though I read that this matter should be settled long before the winner takes office).  

I hope for wisdom for all involved, and I hope that our country can figure it out and make some headway.  Each party needs to give a little and take a little in order to meet in the middle so we can avoid a government shutdown; something I don’t think anyone would like to see.

I will reiterate that I love politics, but it is frustrating to watch.  Albeit interesting, this “politics as usual” is beginning to make me a little bit upset.

On another note, I wish I could write a political blog every day.  I love it.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Yep, the times are a-changing.  My life is changing.  I am changing. The people in my life are changing.  Change means a couple of things: things just don't remain the same, and sometimes things have to become different in order for them to be sound and for me to retain my sanity.  

Yesterday I did a thorough Facebook cleansing--where I went through my friends and deleted several who I no longer interact with.  Why does someone I barely know and have any contact with in my day-to-day life need to know or (and especially) care about what I am doing?  Why do I care about what they are up to?  Is this pure nosiness?  Stalking?  "Falking," (Facebook+Stalking) I think is what it's called.  Whatever it is, it's weird and unnecessary.  In this age of social media, it is interesting that we are often friends with 500+ people on Facebook and barely know half of them...and now our face to face communication is lacking because we sit behind a screen and expect it to suffice for human contact.  In case you were wondering: it doesn't.     

I have been finding out that the people who really matter are the ones who stick by you no matter what, and who aren't just there when they feel like it.  Everyone is busy, everyone has their own lives, but there is always time to be a friend.  Always.  Between homework and jobs and significant others and everything else, it can be difficult to balance things, but it is really unfortunate when friendships fall apart because one (or both) parties "doesn't have time" to nurture it.  Time is a restraint that we use as an excuse way too often.  "No, I don't have time to help you because I am busy."  "Even though I am aware you really need my help, I can't because I have to go to lunch with my girlfriend/boyfriend/other friend/family member."  "I know you have dropped everything to be there for me when I needed you but since I have something else that involves, you aren't that important anyway."  

Since my knee surgery, and especially in the couple weeks following it, I found out who my real friends were--the ones who didn't mind walking with a gimpy girl, the ones who came over and said hey, the ones who called just to see how I was, the ones who took time to even send a text or a Facebook message asking how I was doing.  I was surprised that in many cases, the people who did this were not the friends whom I thought would; they were the ones I least expected.  

Sometimes, I guess, life and the world have a funny way of working.  Life surprises you.  People surprise you, for better or for worse.  I guess that's what life is about: finding people you can count on.  We all need human contact and we all need friends to fall back on when the going gets tough...but I for one do not need the kind of friends we have grown accustomed to: the kind that are behind a computer screen, the kind that use you for whatever they need at the time.  It is ridiculous to expect people to reciprocate your actions--you do things for other people because you WANT to, not because you expect something in return.  But, sometimes it is okay to step away and realize that you are worth more than what they give you.  Have respect for yourself, and the rest will fall into place.  

And that is exactly what I am doing. 

Goodness...

I cannot believe how fast everything is happening.  It just dawned on me that I am -almost- half way done with college.  What?!  I decided to stay in tonight to do homework (yeah, I know, on a Friday...but I have had a lot to catch up on in light of surgery.) and I ended up figuring out my schedule for next semester, which led me to wonder if there were any spots left for the Aspin Center for Government in DC for Fall 2011.  Sure enough, there are.  However, I don't particularly want to study "abroad" for an entire semester; it would really mess with my four year plan since in DC you take 9 class credits (3 classes) and then 6 credits worth of internship experience.  With a double major, it would be very difficult to stay on track if I went away for a semester and neglected my Corporate Communication major.  But, as luck may have it, it appears as if there may be spots open for Summer 2011...if there are, and if I get in, I would absolutely love to go there this summer and intern on Capitol Hill and learn all about government...I am really excited right now.  It is just weird to think that I only have four semesters left; time flies so fast.

In the infamous words of Ferris Bueller:

"Life moves pretty fast.  If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

3 Week Update.

So it has been exactly 3 weeks--21 days since my knee surgery.  I am feeling absolutely phenomenal!  This week I am markedly improved from last week, and I continue to improve with my physical therapy every day.  On Tuesday when I went, I was at 0 degrees straight and 120 degrees bent...both were a struggle for me.  Today I was at -3 degrees straight and 124 degrees bent--without help!  (Post surgery, the goal is to be at 110 by 2 weeks and 130 by 6 weeks.  After the first couple of weeks, progress slows significantly...there is only so far you can push it.)

That is not to say I don't get frustrated.  I want to run again, and the exercises are tedious.  I am determined to keep improving, though.  I am in the market for a PT partner--someone who will help me and push me through, especially now that I am able to walk far distances (eg. more than like 50 yards at a time.) I just need to have someone with me in case I need them for whatever reason (I am still weak and unstable at times...strength will come in time, I am just super impatient.)

I am excited to see where I am going to end up.  It is a long journey, but one that is necessary if I want to remain active for the rest of my life.  I am grateful that I have been given this gift of a new start (for my leg at least!) and I will never take little things like walking and climbing the stairs for granted again.

New knee=New Beginnings.

So I have failed to update in about two weeks...recovery from surgery is a long and tedious process.  I have good days and bad days; days where my knee hardly hurts at all and feels "normal" and days where I want to crawl into my bed and sleep until the pain goes away.  I am lucky to have such a fantastic support system by my side to help me along.  My family, friends, wonderful boyfriend...all have done so much for me and I am so grateful.  My doctor and physician's assistant are excellent, and my physical therapist is the best I have ever known and she pushes me to my limits every single day I go to see her.  I can't wait to be better, but the journey is pretty sweet and I have learned so much about myself through this unexpected experience.

Since I haven't been able to do a whole lot of physical activity except a little walking (hobbling), I have been doing a lot of reading and school work.  I have been mulling things over recently, trying to figure out how I can use what I like to do to make a name for myself and establish network connections.  I am searching for a job that will encompass my interest in communication and social media.  I want to be able to network and I feel like I do not know the first place to start.  I have been given advice by Danny's friend, Candice, who has turned into a sort of mentor and friend to me, too.  I created all of the sites that will hopefully help me on this journey--an about.me dashboard, a HootSuite...heck, even blogging was her idea!  I am trying to Facebook and Tweet about things that interest me, instead of just anecdotes about my mundane life.  It's an endeavor that I will keep trying to improve upon and get better at.  I am excited for where this journey is going to take me...it is time for a change in my life and this is EXACTLY where I want to make it.

Success.

Surgery was a success.  They found more damage than they initially thought, so they had to repair that, too.  I will be on crutches for about 4 weeks and in a brace for 6-8 weeks.  Pain is relatively under control, but discomfort is expected and completely normal.

I thank God for the success, and I will never take the gift of walking for granted again.  You don't realize how vulnerable you are until you are basically helpless and relying on your mom, dad, and sister to assist you with everything you do.  I am blessed to have such wonderful people around me, willing to help.

My next goal is to make it to the Best Buy all-store meeting tomorrow.  It will be nice to get out of the house since I am going stir-crazy already.

Thank you for a new day.  <3

Perspective.

Surgery is tomorrow.

I am a nervous wreck.

Which is why I am writing.

It has been a busy few days, between preparing for surgery, attending Military Ball, working, and studying for (and taking) midterms, I feel like I haven't had time to breathe.

However, that all changed this morning.  As we are aware, it is Ash Wednesday, a Catholic tradition.  I decided to go to 7AM mass at Gesu, this gorgeous parish right on campus.  Since the roads were terrible this morning, I was about 8 minutes late.  Naturally, I sat in the last pew.  It took a couple of minutes of getting settled, but I looked to my left and saw what appeared to be a homeless man.  His clothes were tattered and torn, his glasses looked they were from the early 1980s.  This guy was just sitting there, so quiet, so reverent.  He was praying, and praying hard.  Every time I looked over at him, his head was bowed, as if in a state of pure concentration.  As we started the Sign of Peace, he immediately reached for my hand and said "May the Lord's peace be with you today and always".  It nearly brought tears to my eyes.  This man, who probably literally has nothing except the clothes on his back, was wishing me, a middle to upper class white girl who is getting a stellar education, Peace.  He didn't ask me for money, he didn't act like he was downtrodden.  He was just there, worshipping with the rest of us, receiving Ashes.  It was a beautiful thing, and something that definitely put things into perspective for me.

My life, although I have some challenges coming up, especially with surgery, is not bad in the least.  I lead a brilliantly blessed life.  Like this homeless guy, I want to praise God and be as thankful as he was for the simple gift of today.

"Remember you are ashes and to ashes you shall return."