Gender Equality

Everyone thinks that equality is women being able to do men's jobs. Or men doing women's jobs. Maybe not everyone, but that's the common view point. But that is all wrong. There is nothing wrong with believing in traditional gender roles. Equality is believing that both roles are equally good, equally fulfilling, and equally worthwhile. Why shouldn't we focus on our strengths? If a woman wants to stay home and raise her kids, why should people feel she's being oppressed by her traditional role? That bothers me. Why is her role lesser? That is where the real gender inequality is. Both men's and women's roles are necessary and equally good.

Until we value traditional women's jobs as much as men's, we will never have true gender equality.

The Sad State of My Life

Last night I was in bed at 8:30 pm. I'm single, and in bed with the lights out at 8:30 pm.

Reflections and Resolutions

With the new year comes many things. Foremost among these are reflections and resolutions. As I reflect upon this last year, I must say its been pretty good. I started out with 5 jobs last year, working pretty much all hours of the day and night. The good news is I was able to pay all my bills. I finished the three classes I needed to get the Reading Endorsement in Utah and I was definitely not bored. The start of the new school year found me working full time at the school, which allowed me to quit all but one of my other jobs. Fortunately the last job is not stressful at all and brings in needed extra income. The new school year also brought me the opportunity to purchase my own home, for which I am grateful every day. So there are many good things that came out of last year. This year is looking pretty good, as my bills are manageable and hopefully next school year will find me getting paid salary.

As I think about resolutions, I have to say I have mixed feelings about these. I am the kind of person that when I decide to do something, I don't want to wait until some arbitrary date to accomplish it. I choose to make a change right then. Someone wise once said that if you feel the need to change and don't do it within the next 24/36/48 (can't remember the exact number, but it was at least 24 and no more than 48) hours, you won't change. So I have tried to make the change quickly. This has caused me to relax more so that I'm not as stressed out, to get up to work out in the morning and to find time for the temple regularly. So I'm not really much for New Year's Resolutions. I try to accomplish things as quickly as possible, as opposed to waiting for the New Year.

Having said that, I do have a resolution that has come up at this time and I feel this is the perfect time to institute it. I normally read my scriptures straight through. I read from the beginning to the end. Its an easy fall back. I figure if I have a question or a thought, then I'll study that, but generally I just am too lazy to actually do that. So this year, I am going to work on studying my scriptures by topic. I have struggled a little trying to decide how to decide what topic to study, but I have decided that if I hit a wall on what I should be studying, I can always go to the Conference Ensign and I'm sure the General Authorities will be able to help. I am also hoping that this will help my scripture study be more meaningful. (Especially since I've read the standard works several times from beginning to end. And by several, I mean more than 5. Book of Mormon I've read at least twice every year. So time for something new)

I do have other goals, but many of them are long term, as in longer than a year. As I think of them, I'll try to share, but this is what I've got for now.

Good luck to me!

A girl who reads

Totally love this.

My new place

Bedroom

For everyone who cannot come to see my new place, I took pictures!!! Some of them aren't so great, but at least it gives you an idea of what it looks like.

Bedroom

Bathroom

Bathroom

Kitchen

Kitchen

Living Room

Dining room

So there you are! A glimpse of the new digs. Someday I'll hopefully be able to get new couches, but until then, this is what I've got. And it could be a whole lot worse.

Story of my Life

I've been offline for a bit because my new condo (pictures coming soon) does not yet have internet. Today I was at my old apartment and logged onto Facebook to find that a guy I had dated in July is now engaged. Three months after he told me that he wasn't ready to be seriously dating. Why is that always the case? Why do I have to always be the one they don't want to date? I've had other guys get engaged in less time than that after he broke up with me. My first boyfriend did that. My second one was engaged 3 months after he got back off his mission. The third one, well, he just didn't want to actually date me, but he was fine kissing me. The fourth didn't actually like kissing me (not sure what happened to him). Another guy liked me just fine, but then not decided to go out with me because an old girlfriend told him he was a player and he was still in love with her. He ended up dating someone else just a few months later too.


Blerg.

The Difference

I've been thinking about marriage lately. Specifically eternal marriage. People have commented that I just want to get married and it doesn't seem to matter who I'm with, so it never feels to them like they are someone special. However, I have realized there is a difference between wanting to get married and wanting an eternal marriage. Wanting to get married can mean that you just don't want to be alone anymore, that you are afraid that you'll never find someone else, that you are sexually frustrated or any number of other things. However, when you want an eternal marriage, you are looking for a relationship that will last forever, one that upholds and honors sacred covenants you have made to each other and to the Lord. You are looking for someone to serve for the rest of eternity, someone who will help you become less selfish and for someone with with to enjoy the wonderful blessings of family and children. An eternal marriage is not entered into lightly. It is entered into with faith. A marriage because you just want to get married is entered into because of fear and lack of self control.

I have seen close family members get married just because they want to get married. I do not feel that they chose wisely in this case (though I choose to support them in their path). I think that they lost sight of the big picture, what eternity really means.

My choice is to wait for an eternal marriage. I don't want to get married just to get married, though the two may look similar to someone on the outside. I want to get married for the right reasons and to find the joy that I see in the wonderful marriages around me.