I came back from a hike with papa Styler today and since I had a lot of time on the mountain to think about all sorts of things, I decided that I've learned a lot in the past few months and I'm very happy with the things that have either fallen into my lap or that I've chosen to learn on my own. Here's a list of things I've learned. As you will notice, it's not all profound, and most of this I'm thinking of as I go:
1. I'm a republican, and this is the first time I'll come out and say it. My first year as a voter in 2004 I was a registered democrat, but I've come full swing all the way around (i claimed "independent" for a while). This year I've learned that I feel pretty strongly about avoiding socialist tendencies (too many government handouts and over-managing the economy). Reading Atlas Shrugged helped with that one. The book basically grinds it into your head (maybe too much) that industrialist brains are the ones that keep our economy, and therefore our nation's welfare, at the level it is. If we're prosperous, its because certain people are doing all the work and others benefit from them. It's true that making money and being rich is a GOOD thing, if you do it with your own ideas and hard work. Besides, I'm a strong believer that work is what makes us happy. Working to be rich is only a bad thing if we're lustful for power. hmm...there's too much to write about here. Anyway, I know that during this recession the government is called on to help the people in dire need, but i was wondering...how does it not create a vicious cycle of debt and handouts? How does this actually work? How can we print money, pump it into the economy and not expect massive inflation? Why does everyone keep noting the errors, but not changing them? meh? I don't know, i don't even watch/read the news every day.
2. On a lighetr note, having a chunk of mozzarella cheese and a bottle of tomato sauce on hand is great for spontaneous microwavable pizza bread whenever you want it. Hmm, this is the best pizza pic i could find (in Peru after hiking):
3. Story I learned: When dad was out hunting with grandpa Walt as a boy, he once got to carry back, and keep, a full 6 point rack of horns for himself after Walt killed an Elk. They were his pride and joy, both attached to a piece of the original skull...until Walt made him give them away years later. Poor dad, I can still see the disappointment in his face haha. I heard THAT story today. :) yep, pops is full of good ones.
4. There was a fire on the mountain above our house in Highland. When did that happen? Was my life in danger....?
5. Don't count your house or car as an asset if it's not really an asset!(ya knowamsayin?) I don't exactly have a problem with this, but i was made aware of it for the future.
6. Obama lived in Indonesia as a child and first worked as a community organizer in Chicago. He smoked, not just pot but cigarettes too. Besides that, I admire his life story.
7. Bashir is an evil evil man. This knowledge was just reinforced with a passion, rather than newly learned. I'm saddened by how many world leaders like him have gotten away with murder in the past and still do today. I'm frustrated that I can't do much about it in my current position. I do know that grassroots organizations can make a big difference, but sometimes on the grand scale it doesn't matter at all.
8. I now feel ok with, and am seeking an opportunity to eat something with tentacles, or just the tentacles themselves. Live octopus tentacles would be cool, because if Josh Davis does it, I have to do it too.
9. Speaking of food -or wannabe food- banana slices in chocolate syrup is a pretty good substitute for ice-cream, in fact I often prefer it.
10. The more I recognize my donut obsession, the more I'm prone to "become it." That applies to a lot more than a donut obsession, but it needn't be written on the blog. :)
11. Sometimes i need people.
12. I like to write poetry, but I've learned that it's most fulfilling when I'm expressing hard-to-feel emotions. When i feel wonderful or happy feelings, i seem to just bask in my own glow, or write it down in non-poetry form... hmm, or even in incomplete songs (i TRY to play guitar but I'm still horrible)
13. When I choose my own topics to learn about, like when I choose the books I read because I'm not in school this year, I find that something amazing happens. Everything I read somehow starts correlating directly with what's happening in my life. I used 2 examples from books I recently read in the GRE essays. I read "rich dad, poor dad" randomly, right before a World Financial Group guy tried to recruit me into the business. If you didn't know, I wasn't very investment savvy before and I'm still working on it. Also, I've read 2 books that inadvertently helped me understand the current recession. There are seemingly 100's of examples of all the things i learn, intertwining themselves and leading me on paths of personal information-searching. I know this happens in university classes too. I loved semesters when I learned material in multiple classes that all seemed to correlate and enrich my learning as if it was a MIRACLE of information synthesis especially for nikki. Right now it seems like my passion for this "information synthesis" is heightened because i get to CHOOSE what i learn and synthesize. groovy.
by the way, this clip about savings that I saw at a World Financial Group meeting is hilarious. The corporation's former president came and spoke and showed it to us: http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/222624
Alright, I'll end there with lucky #13! This has been a random and slightly personal message from me to my loved ones just for the heck of it. I was inspired to write it by someone special who said, "i hope you're doing so well these days that you look at your life and say 'Is this really my life??'" Well, that IS what I say to myself! I hope you all feel the same. PS- Uncle Harry, thanks for writing me. I love to hear from you.
that was inspiring Nikki. I absolutely loved it. I love you!
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