Dear people of my generation,

Dear people of my generation,

Put away your phones. Look your experiences in the eyes not through a lens. I know that you want to be in constant communication with the world and that you want to document everything but it seems in documenting everything we miss truly experiencing it for ourselves.

I went to a concert a couple nights ago and as soon as the headliner took the stage, there was a field of phones in the air. And most of these were the ones closest to the band. It wasn't just the lights of the phones that was a problem for me, it was the fact that people were staring at the phone screen instead of the band! 

They missed out on the experience of everything by staring at their phones. They couldn't dance crazy with their friends in fear of ruining the recording. They didn't see the beads of sweat on the lead singer as he got worked up by his performance. Instead they were staring at a phone. And this is not an uncommon phenomena.

Often times, I will be with my partner or my best friend and I feel isolated because they are on their phone. My partner will be holding me with one arm as we (or should I say I) watch a movie and with his other hand, he is scrolling through Tumblr. Now, most of the time I do not mind, but when we have been too busy to spend time together and we specifically schedule time to catch up and shower each other with affection, it bothers me when he chooses to play on his phone. The same goes for my roommate or my siblings. The older we get, the busier we become and I want to feel my time is valued. When I go to a restaurant with people I want to create experiences. I want to talk to the people in front of me. I want to people watch together.

Technology is amazing and serves so many important purposes but be careful not to miss what is in front of you. Watch that movie. Call that girl instead of texting her. Make up a game with your friends. Really see the world. Sure take pictures but don't let recording memories take away from making them.

Life is so much brighter without the lens. So put the phone away. Make some good memories.

Sincerely,
B. Anne

From bad to good

At the beginning of the summer, my partner and I had a discussion wherein I learned that the University we met at was not his first choice. He went here because he did not get into the program he wanted at another school. This made me start thinking about all of the things that had to happen for he and I to meet. Skipping the obvious idea that we both had to be born and the like, we both had to graduate high school in high enough standing to get into our school. He had to not get into his first choice. He had to have met the guy years before that would be his roommate and then live with him. My cousin had to go to our university and then not graduate in four years. Then my cousin and the roommate had to move in together. They then throw a party and both my partner and I had to be available and willing to go. And finally, we had to run into each other at this party.

And that is just to meet. We didn't start dating for months. In fact, after that party, we didn't speak until we ran into one another at another at another party the next school year at the same house! So many little details had to go exactly right for us to be together and that is just one relationship in my life.

I challenge you to think of an important relationship or moment in your life and think about how things had to be for you to end up the way you did. Did you do it?

Now that you have thought about all the things that lead to your moment or relationship, did it include any bad moments? Did it include your weaknesses? Your failures? Mine did. Like I said my partner didn't get into his first choice school but he wasn't the only one whose failures contributed to our love story. The first night we met I got drunk and made out with a guy that I didn't know. My friend then stopped me by saying it was time to go and I was upset with myself. I didn't like that I had gotten so sloppy drunk, though I wasn't all the sloppy. I had let myself down. BUUUUUTTTTTT, the reason why he decided he wanted to date me is because I approached him at the second party by simply saying, 'didn't I make out with you?' knowing full well I had. He thought it was cute and funny and he wanted to get to know me better.

My failure turned into something wonderful. When you start to feel bad and like everything is the worst pick one big moment from your life and think of everything that had to line up for that to happen. Think of all the bad that lead to it. And remember that the bad you experience may be part of something so much better. Mine did.