Seattle: Day 4 "Wash me"

The back of a moving van said "Overtaxation is not the answer" written in the dirt that covered it. You know you are in Seattle when hooligans write political statements instead of "Wash me!"

I sold my old camera today. I was a little nervous about money, so I am glad that it is gone. A part of me will miss it, but that part of me is ok with starving to death.

The man who purchased the camera clearly had the money. He arrived in a nice Audi, his hair was slicked back and he spoke to me like a was kin. He was a very friendly man. He offered $400. I told him I would go no lower than $450. He examined the camera while I explained to him why I came to Seattle. I told him about internship opportunities, friends and adventures.

The real reason I was here was irrelevant.

Something must have struck his compassion. He left with my camera at full price. I mustered up all of the stuff and offered him a "call-me-if-something-goes-wrong" warranty.

He was a good man and a Godsend.

I went to Marymoor park today. I took photos of a garden where volunteers grow food for local shelters. Ah, Seattle.

Seattle Day 3: "Night and Day"

Today was a lazy day. I spent most of it playing Rockband and Super Mario with the family that I am staying with. Their 11-year-old daughter loves to cook. Her knowledge of recipes is limited, so I had rice crispy treats for breakfast.

Later that day, I wandered the historic part of Redmond with Jessica. There was a bookstore that sold at half price. Conversations about lowering the drinking age and nuclear war were heard over the cash register. It was good to see a local bookstore do well.



When evening approached, Jessica retired to talk with her boyfriend. Tsige and I ventured to Seattle for some night photography. While I shot, I got to hear her stories. Tsige Tafesse was born in America, but is Ethiopian by blood. She spoke of the incredible story of her parents, her feelings, her opinions and so on. It was a refreshing conversation.


We traversed the city until 2 AM. The city at night is calming in its quiet beauty.


A day of beauty: Stories, cities and people.

Seattle: Day 2 "Clam Chowder Sums It Up"

Let me begin with the following statement: Iver's in Seattle has the best clam chowder I have ever had.

The city of Seattle is calm. It was nice getting a tour from locals because they would be nonchalant about most of the sites, which kept me from being over-enthusiastic about people throwing fish.

The people of Idaho believe that a camera will steal your soul. In Seattle it is an everyday occurrence to see a photographer chasing you. It was like a shooting gallery where the targets don't get mad when you shoot them while they have food in their mouth or when they are not smiling.

There is one universal constant that remains unscathed even in Washington. The single's congregation here is odd.

They are fun, likable people but weird nonetheless.

There was an activity at the church tonight. We performed improv skits. Nothing beats an comedic routine where the only laughs produced were from Star Wars references.

I had fun.

Seattle: Day 1 "Kind of Like Japan"

I woke up to a rooster this morning. No, I am not staying on a farm. I am in Redmond, Wash. which is just outside of Seattle where I arise in the morning to the sound of "urban chickens."

I feel like I have gone to another world where everything is backwards. Kind of like Japan.

Seattle is beautiful and full of interesting people. I thought I would stand out here as the stranger looking to escape his problems by running away to Seattle. It turns out that it is made up of people like me.

My accommodations have been wonderful. Jessica's parents were delighted to meet me. All of my unspoken and unanswered questions about her personality quirks were solved by 10 minutes of conversation with her family. When I arrived at my temporary home, the lady of the house taught me how to give a proper hug, gave me a tour and left for Japan the next day.

In conclusion, Washington is full of Starbucks, hipsters and trees.

It is wonderful.

beautiful motivation

The alarm screeched. It begged for my attention like a dog needing a morning walk. It wouldn't receive it.

I was sleeping off a day of travel. Vacations have their costs, and mine left me with a debt of late work. That debt was paid with midnight oil.

After realizing where I was, I began searching for reasons to postpone my return to student life. Sleep beckoned me like a silent siren, and I was powerless.

I was startled awake by a striking revelation. There was one reason to attend class that stood firmly planted against an army of opposition.

Arianne.

I regularly sit next to the reason for this dissonance. She makes the 7:45 am trudge uphill worth every exhausting step. Unfortunately, I have spoken fewer words to her than I had minutes to get ready for class. There weren't many.

"Today will be the day," I thought.

I conspired against the simple "hellos" and awkward smiles and made a resolution to ask her out. I dashed from the apartment with razor burns and a wrinkled shirt and began my march.

I rehearsed some pathetic ice-breaking jokes that could probably be found on a taffy wrapper. I felt fully prepared when I arrived.

Ten minutes passed with no sign of the reason for my attendance. The teacher lectured while my attention was homed on the door. My second revelation of the day was not as exciting. She wasn't coming.

I smiled at the irony of it all.

I imagine that she had the same morning struggle. She woke up to a needy alarm and weighed out her options. Unlike me, her morning experience was not filled with beautifully motivating thoughts.

"Is there a reason for me to go to class today?" She probably thought.

Nope.

Grudges and Grenades

A grudge is like a hand grenade. You shouldn't hold on to it for to long. You could hang on to either for as long as you like, but the consequences are equally as deadly.

I tend to hold on too long.

Forgiveness does not come natural. It is a matter of conditioning. If someone has wronged to us, we hold it against him or her because of the negative experience we now have.

One such occasion has happened to me recently. As many of you may already know, my ex-girlfriend and I broke up in January. She is getting married in August.

The speed of her flight to another man shattered my self-esteem. I often blame her for things like low confidence, bad dating experiences, inclement weather or anything else that I can peg her to.

I cannot let go because of what she did, but I have to.

knowing art

I once ran into my friend as he was leaving the art gallery. He is a construction management major, so this was an odd sight.

"What brought you to the art gallery today?" I asked.

"I'm in FA 100. I had to go," he replied.

"So, what did you think?" I inquired.

"I think it was ridiculous," he said. "These art students don't know what art is."

I was startled. My friend's accusation was not what I was expecting him to say.

 "What do you mean?" I simply had to know.

"They assume all that stuff is art and everything else isn't," he said. "To me, a well done set of cabinets is art." 

I pondered for a while on my friend's claim. Perhaps he is right. Yes, the more obvious arts are beautiful, inspiring and arguably necessary. But what is "art?" Art goes far beyond the bounds of traditional fine art mediums. Creativity can be found in writing, cooking or even welding.

Whenever we create, we are being creative.

We are children of God. We have inherited characteristics from Him just as we inherit characteristics of our mortal parents. If we gain divine attributes from the Great Creator, then we all have a natural ability to create.

Cherish it.