I Am a Cracked Pot

Read the title again.  I'm a cracked pot.  A pot with a crack in it.  Now that we've got that cleared up, let me explain myself.
At church this Sunday, one of the speakers told the following story:
(This is written in my words)
There was once a servant who was tasked with retrieving water every day.  Every morning, he would grab his pole and water pots and begin the trek to the water.  One of the water pots had a crack in it.  After retrieving the water, the servant would make his way back to his master's home, the cracked pot emptying ever so slowly.
One day on this trek, the cracked pot asked the servant a question.
"Why do you keep using me to retrieve water?" the cracked pot asked.  "I am cracked and I leak the water that is meant for your master."
The servant smiled and replied, "After we have retrieved the water, look down at the ground as we head back to the master's house."  The cracked pot did just this.  On the way back to the house, the cracked pot noticed flowers growing along the path.
Once the servant was home again, the cracked pot spoke up again.  "I do not understand," it said.  "I saw beautiful flowers, but that is all."
The servant gave another gentle smile and said "How do you think those flowers got there?  After I realized that you had a leak, I decided to plant flower seeds along the path on the side that I carry you.  Everyday, you water those seeds.  They are now the beautiful flowers that you saw today."

After hearing that story, I wondered what my "cracks" were.  I am not perfect.  Nobody is perfect.  We all have our flaws, or cracks.  My biggest flaw is most likely my anxiety disorder.  But instead of letting my disorder control my life, I take the reigns and make something good out of my problems.  Because of my anxiety, I feel that I am more patient.  I am kind.  (And humble, right?)  Acknowledging your flaws is an important step in overcoming them.  Once you have overcome your flaws, it will be easier to help others overcome their flaws, especially if they are similar to your own.  So go find your flaws.  You are a cracked pot.  Don't cover up your flaws.  And definitely don't make them worse! Build upon them.  Work on them.  Become a better you so you can help others become better.

Nothing of Importance

July 4th, 1776 was an important day for the United States.  It was the day that the Declaration of Independence was signed, a final act before the Revolutionary War.  The founding fathers wanted King George III to know that they had had enough.  They were starting their own country.
Meanwhile, over in England, King George III was (supposedly) writing in his journal.  (Upon further investigation, I have found that this story is false.)  The entry for that day was as follows:  'Nothing of importance happened today.'  King George didn't have a Facebook account.  Or Twitter.  Or even a gmail account.  He had to wait days, weeks, maybe even months to find out that something of importance did happen that day.
This story puts a new perspective on my life.  Nothing exciting or important has happened in my life in the past week or so.  But that doesn't mean that changes aren't being made elsewhere.  Life doesn't revolve around me, as much as I like to think it does.  It's hard to forget sometimes that other people have their own lives.
Look around you.  See the world around you.  If you ever feel like your journal entry for the day is going to be the same as King George's, find something to change that.  Make every day important.  Change someone's life.  Change your own life. Make every day worth living. Make every day important.

Living Life Unplugged(ish)

I have a flip phone.  There.  I said it.  I have a flip phone and I love it, despite getting teased about it by co-workers.  I know, it's the same kind of phone you had when you were in middle school.  Yes, it's the same phone your grandma uses.  So why am I using it?  I'll be 26-years old next month.  I'm still young, right?  Why am I using an "old fashioned" phone?  Simple answer:  Because it's available to me.
While everyone else is standing in line waiting to pay hundreds of dollars for the newest smart phone, I am at home, sleeping in my bed knowing that I am saving money by not upgrading.  Believe it or not, smart phones are not a necessity.  You can live your life without a smart phone.  All I need is something to call and text people with.  I don't need a hand held computer.  I don't plan on straining my eyes so I can watch my favorite shows on a six inch screen.  I want to enjoy what is going on around me.
As all my Facebook friends can probably tell you, I love memes.  I spend a lot of time on my computer just viewing and posting funny pictures and tagging friends.  Just imagine if I could do that from my phone.  I would have a lot of trouble focusing on the people around me.  I've seen how some people get sucked into the tiny, virtual world in their hands.  They are completely unaware of what is happening around them.  I don't want to be like that.
I also love the fact that I can drop my phone a dozen times, and nothing ever happens.  My screen in still intact.  And I can even fit my phone in my pocket.  I see people carrying their phones around because they have nowhere to put it.  I don't like carrying things around.  I like to have two hands free.  Most importantly, though, I can snap my phone shut.  I feel so invigorated when I end a conversation and then snap my phone shut!
Seriously, though, I really do think that having all the apps and features on smart phones is taking away from our humanity.  Take a look around you.  When I'm walking on campus I can usually count on my fingers the number of people not on their phones.  Everyone is walking while texting or googling or tweeting or Snapchatting.  Put the phone down and enjoy the world around you.  Have face to face conversations with your friends.  Try something new.  It truly saddens me to see everyone lost in their phones.
This is why I have a flip phone.  I don't want to be lost in a virtual world.  I want to experience the world around me, the good and the bad.  I want to experience life.

Related Article
Clayton, Nick. "Should you dump your smartphone for a flip-phone?" BBC. BBC, 21 Apr. 2016. Web. 9 Feb. 2017.

Stampler, Laura. "The Few, The Proud: The Millennials Who Still Use Flip Phones." Time. N.p., 18 Sept. 2014. Web. 8 Feb. 2017.  

Let's Just Tear Down the Statue of Liberty!

Did the title get your attention?  Good.  I don't actually want to tear down Lady Liberty, but it seems as though our great nation may be coming to this.  With all the controversy about President Trump's recent executive order banning travellers from certain countries, it seems as though we have forgotten what the Statue of Liberty stands for.  Time for a history lesson.
A man by the name of Edouard de Laboulaye, after witnessing the end of the American Civil War, wanted to bring his home nation of France closer to their ally the United States.  He proposed the construction of a monument to celebrate justice and liberty for all.  The Frenchman believed that the United States was a place where people were free to live whatever life they wanted.
Ten years later, de Laboulaye worked together with his sculptor friend Frederic Auguste Bartholdi to make his dream a reality.  Bartholdi was put in charge of sculpting and construction.  The United States was in charge of erecting a pedestal.  Everything was coming together nicely.  Until both the US and France realized they didn't have the funds to complete the statue.  After various forms of donations and fundraising, the Statue of Liberty was built and shipped to the United States.  Since then, Lady Liberty has greeted and welcomed foreigners into the Land of the Free.
Nearly 150 years later, the Statue of Liberty still stands.  But have Americans forgotten what she stands for?  People are being persecuted and turned away because their religion.  There is talk of a wall being built to keep out our southern neighbors.  Oh the irony!  One hundred and fifty years ago, our ancestors campaigned to raise money to build a monument to their freedom, to help them remember that we were all immigrants at one time.  Now, in the present, people are campaigning for a wall.  Taxes will most likely be raised in order to pay for the wall.  One hundred and fifty years isn't a long time.  But look what has become of us.  We went from a generation who was willing to allow others into their country to a generation concerned more about themselves than others.  So there you have it.  Let's tear down the Statue of Liberty.  It only seems fitting.

Works Cited
"Edouard de Laboulaye." National Park Service. National Park Service US Department of the Interior, n.d. Web. 2 Feb. 2017.

"Statue History." Liberty Ellis Foundation. N.p., 2017. Web. 31 Jan. 2017.