Stone Mountain
Today was the second day of my family vacation this summer. We are in Georgia still, so we visited Stone Mountain, which is pretty close to Atlanta. This is the 3rd or 4th time I've been, but I only remember the last time with any clarity. Five years ago was the last time I was at Stone Mountain; my dad and I were on one of our yearly father-son trips we used to take.
We decided to climb the huge boulder. With my two sisters, neice, and dad accompanying me, we ascended the 1,300+ feet on a gradual slope that just seemed like a never-ending hill. The back side of the mountain is largely forest with a wide natural granite path that leads all the way to the summit. The front face of the mountain is very bare and steep, with the sculptures of confederate heros Jefferson Davis, Stonewall Jackson, and Robert E. Lee etched into the side.
I'm not really a big redneck, rebel-flag-waving, true-blue, staunch southerner like lots of folks around here, but I do have some rebel pride in me. What I think is silly is the fact that some people associate the confederacy with a fight to keep slavery--the Civil War (as I learned in U.S. History) was a battle over the C.S.A.'s desire to separate from the Northern States and create their own country. Now I'm not saying it was the best of ideas, but I think the whole underdog, rebel, break-from-conformity is respectable and honorable in a way, so sue me.
Plus, we all know that Yankees are nothing but selfish, unkind, petty jerks who don't use turn signals on the road anyway, right? ( ;-) to all my Yankee friends out there, I still love ya!)
Anyways, it was fun, while tiring and grueling at times for the poor ladies in our group. Not much to talk about there, it was pretty scenery and a spectacular view at the top, but other than that... not much to talk about.
The next thing on our agenda was to eat. We all crammed into the car (that's right, six humans in one sedan--not fun) and roamed around the outskirts of Atlanta for an hour and a half, all irritable and edgy, looking for a place to Dad's liking. We wound up at a Chinese buffet, and it was pretty tasty.
Then we drove back to Stone Mountain and looked around the bottom of the mountain at all the tourist traps and traped tourists. I went into a gift shop and bought Mary a shirt and myself a souviner deck of playing cards. I lightly collect cards. Mary had been talking about wanting to get a shirt from Stone Mountain, but she was too tired to trek up the hill to the gift shop. I figured that I would get her one since I predicted that later she would regret not going to look at them, and I was right. She was pretty happy when I gave it to her, even though it was a white shirt and she doesn't like white that much. Oh, well--it's the thought that matters, right?
At 9:30 we watched the laser show. It was pretty impressive. It was basically a firework/laser/light show on the bare side of the mountain that lasted about 45 minutes and was set to music (mostly country--icky). It's hard to describe other than that, you've got to see it some time though because it was very entertaining, and free (besides parking).
So! Now that the summery of my day is over, I'd like to waste more of your time with some of my thoughts for today. Well, it's really thoughts of yesterday and today to be more exact.
I want to talk about GIRLS.
I love girls. Girls rule. I mean that! Every time I see one of those feminist, girly, immature "Girls rock, Boys suck!" I agree with it. I am a girl fan. One time at Crooked Creek, a Young Life camp, my group (all guys) was doing our cabin meeting. At some point, one of the pranksters/jokers of the group, in the heat of a conversation he was having with his compatriots, yelled, "Yeah! Girls suck!" I stood up and said, "Whoa, hold on... I don't know about all that...." and let the unspoken message linger a little.
It's kinda funny to me, this whole gender wars thing. I know better. If this world were devoid of females, I would suffer tremendously--much more than any girl, thats for sure. People want to pretend, whether in jest or truth, that their sex is superior to the other. I think the opposite. I place such a high value on the female sex that I admit I like them better. I think that's where chivalry comes into play.
Chivalry, as my english teacher told us, is the distant admiration and respect of/for females, and the behavior these feelings lead to. I try to keep myself in check by holding doors open and the like, but it slips sometimes and I have to constantly remind myself of the right and proper way to treat ladies. Not to brag or make myself seem like the perfect gentleman, I know I'm not quite there ;-)
Next issue. Sunday morning, my OOOOOLLLLLDDDDD childhood friend Rachel came to my church. It was the first time I'd seen her in a year. She is a Junior at Meredith College, and most of our friendship lasted from my birth until about middle school. Our parents were friends with her parents, so we grew up together until her parents split up.
So why was I so sad???
Because she has a boyfriend. No, I'm not jealous or sad that I'm not her boyfriend or anything like that. This gets me down because it reminds me of all the countless other situations where a friend of mine gets a boyfriend and becomes aloof to me. Or it reminds me that I may never get a chance to experience a relationship with a certain girl because she may keep the dude she's with.
I eventually forced myself to come to the realization that I am not putting enough faith in God for this very important matter. I worry often about finding a girlfriend. I don't think it's because I am looking for a wife or anything too serious like that, even though that plays a part. Dating is simply the first step on the path to marriage. There is the same possibility with each girl I date that I will end up married to that girl.
I think its a problem I have deep down. The lack of confidence in myself to attract girls to me. I have this lingering fear that I'm too ugly, too dorky, too whatever to be of interest to any girl. No matter how much I tell myself it's not true. No matter how much I remind myself that God is in control. I can't help but think this since I'm always looking at the evidence striaght in the eye--the very fact that I haven't been on a date in 6 months!!!
It's pathetic, I know. Feel free to stop reading and pity me for my stupid assumptions. But I know it's just a matter of faith. The lack of confidence and self-esteem I have is the shadow of the real problem--a lack of faith that God will lead me where I need to be. If I do His will, he will guide me.
Still, it's hard. I went so long without being single that I have forgotten how hard it can be sometimes. I miss kisses and hugs and 4-hour long conversations and nice dinners and just having fun with a girl who cares for me.
Sometimes, I actually don't even want a girlfriend, upon reflection. I feel like I really want to go on lots of dates with lots of different girls to get a better feel for what I like. But as hard as it is to pick up one girl, its x-times harder to pick up x girls. (Please don't be offended by the term "pick up," I don't mean it any other way than "get girl interested in a date with me." Two words that sum that up is easier.)
Well, this entry is three times longer than it needs to be. If you're still with me, congratulations--you get a prize (See inside of box for details). If you skipped to the end, POO ON YOU and you missed some of my weirdest problems in the last few paragraphs. If you quit half way... you're not reading this.
Thanks! Goodnight!
We decided to climb the huge boulder. With my two sisters, neice, and dad accompanying me, we ascended the 1,300+ feet on a gradual slope that just seemed like a never-ending hill. The back side of the mountain is largely forest with a wide natural granite path that leads all the way to the summit. The front face of the mountain is very bare and steep, with the sculptures of confederate heros Jefferson Davis, Stonewall Jackson, and Robert E. Lee etched into the side.
I'm not really a big redneck, rebel-flag-waving, true-blue, staunch southerner like lots of folks around here, but I do have some rebel pride in me. What I think is silly is the fact that some people associate the confederacy with a fight to keep slavery--the Civil War (as I learned in U.S. History) was a battle over the C.S.A.'s desire to separate from the Northern States and create their own country. Now I'm not saying it was the best of ideas, but I think the whole underdog, rebel, break-from-conformity is respectable and honorable in a way, so sue me.
Plus, we all know that Yankees are nothing but selfish, unkind, petty jerks who don't use turn signals on the road anyway, right? ( ;-) to all my Yankee friends out there, I still love ya!)
Anyways, it was fun, while tiring and grueling at times for the poor ladies in our group. Not much to talk about there, it was pretty scenery and a spectacular view at the top, but other than that... not much to talk about.
The next thing on our agenda was to eat. We all crammed into the car (that's right, six humans in one sedan--not fun) and roamed around the outskirts of Atlanta for an hour and a half, all irritable and edgy, looking for a place to Dad's liking. We wound up at a Chinese buffet, and it was pretty tasty.
Then we drove back to Stone Mountain and looked around the bottom of the mountain at all the tourist traps and traped tourists. I went into a gift shop and bought Mary a shirt and myself a souviner deck of playing cards. I lightly collect cards. Mary had been talking about wanting to get a shirt from Stone Mountain, but she was too tired to trek up the hill to the gift shop. I figured that I would get her one since I predicted that later she would regret not going to look at them, and I was right. She was pretty happy when I gave it to her, even though it was a white shirt and she doesn't like white that much. Oh, well--it's the thought that matters, right?
At 9:30 we watched the laser show. It was pretty impressive. It was basically a firework/laser/light show on the bare side of the mountain that lasted about 45 minutes and was set to music (mostly country--icky). It's hard to describe other than that, you've got to see it some time though because it was very entertaining, and free (besides parking).
So! Now that the summery of my day is over, I'd like to waste more of your time with some of my thoughts for today. Well, it's really thoughts of yesterday and today to be more exact.
I want to talk about GIRLS.
I love girls. Girls rule. I mean that! Every time I see one of those feminist, girly, immature "Girls rock, Boys suck!" I agree with it. I am a girl fan. One time at Crooked Creek, a Young Life camp, my group (all guys) was doing our cabin meeting. At some point, one of the pranksters/jokers of the group, in the heat of a conversation he was having with his compatriots, yelled, "Yeah! Girls suck!" I stood up and said, "Whoa, hold on... I don't know about all that...." and let the unspoken message linger a little.
It's kinda funny to me, this whole gender wars thing. I know better. If this world were devoid of females, I would suffer tremendously--much more than any girl, thats for sure. People want to pretend, whether in jest or truth, that their sex is superior to the other. I think the opposite. I place such a high value on the female sex that I admit I like them better. I think that's where chivalry comes into play.
Chivalry, as my english teacher told us, is the distant admiration and respect of/for females, and the behavior these feelings lead to. I try to keep myself in check by holding doors open and the like, but it slips sometimes and I have to constantly remind myself of the right and proper way to treat ladies. Not to brag or make myself seem like the perfect gentleman, I know I'm not quite there ;-)
Next issue. Sunday morning, my OOOOOLLLLLDDDDD childhood friend Rachel came to my church. It was the first time I'd seen her in a year. She is a Junior at Meredith College, and most of our friendship lasted from my birth until about middle school. Our parents were friends with her parents, so we grew up together until her parents split up.
So why was I so sad???
Because she has a boyfriend. No, I'm not jealous or sad that I'm not her boyfriend or anything like that. This gets me down because it reminds me of all the countless other situations where a friend of mine gets a boyfriend and becomes aloof to me. Or it reminds me that I may never get a chance to experience a relationship with a certain girl because she may keep the dude she's with.
I eventually forced myself to come to the realization that I am not putting enough faith in God for this very important matter. I worry often about finding a girlfriend. I don't think it's because I am looking for a wife or anything too serious like that, even though that plays a part. Dating is simply the first step on the path to marriage. There is the same possibility with each girl I date that I will end up married to that girl.
I think its a problem I have deep down. The lack of confidence in myself to attract girls to me. I have this lingering fear that I'm too ugly, too dorky, too whatever to be of interest to any girl. No matter how much I tell myself it's not true. No matter how much I remind myself that God is in control. I can't help but think this since I'm always looking at the evidence striaght in the eye--the very fact that I haven't been on a date in 6 months!!!
It's pathetic, I know. Feel free to stop reading and pity me for my stupid assumptions. But I know it's just a matter of faith. The lack of confidence and self-esteem I have is the shadow of the real problem--a lack of faith that God will lead me where I need to be. If I do His will, he will guide me.
Still, it's hard. I went so long without being single that I have forgotten how hard it can be sometimes. I miss kisses and hugs and 4-hour long conversations and nice dinners and just having fun with a girl who cares for me.
Sometimes, I actually don't even want a girlfriend, upon reflection. I feel like I really want to go on lots of dates with lots of different girls to get a better feel for what I like. But as hard as it is to pick up one girl, its x-times harder to pick up x girls. (Please don't be offended by the term "pick up," I don't mean it any other way than "get girl interested in a date with me." Two words that sum that up is easier.)
Well, this entry is three times longer than it needs to be. If you're still with me, congratulations--you get a prize (See inside of box for details). If you skipped to the end, POO ON YOU and you missed some of my weirdest problems in the last few paragraphs. If you quit half way... you're not reading this.
Thanks! Goodnight!