Where do I go from here?

Hello friends,

If you read the title of this post, and immediately starting singing a Pocahontas ballad, let's talk later.
I like you.

Today's topic (and it seems to be the topic of every day) is the future, but more than that--What kind of life do I want to live?

In our last Collo class, we discussed the characteristics of what makes good, useful, happy, and successful lives. The verdict is that all of these are quite subjective, but most of them include some aspects of love, service, fulfilling occupations, and living according to personal standards.
For me, these are not mutually exclusive. If I'm living a good or useful life, then I'll likely be happy and successful in my own eyes.
So, a happy life is what I want to focus on for my future.


As someone who loves to plan, who has lists for my to-do lists, and who is comforted by details,
the future is a daunting topic of discussion because of all the unknowns.

Luckily, I found some guidance to make it more simple. Where did I find it, you ask? Divine intervention? A crystal ball? A prophetic dream?
Nope, take another guess... a book!
Once again, I find the answer to my questions in written word. More specifically this time, it was Joe Biden's new book Promise Me, Dad.  One of the first pages is inscribed with a quote from Immanuel Kant! ( Probably none of you will geek out about this connection, but he is known in philosophy as the father of Transcendental Idealism, and he is super important in Political Science)

His words give me simple guidelines for the future I want.

"Rules for Happiness: something to do, someone to love, something to hope for."

Immediately, it made sense to me. Those three directives fit very clearly into my disposition.
Maybe I can't predict where I will live or exactly what job I will have. I know things I'm a fan of now will change; maybe I'll get tired of my bangs and maybe Nashville will be too crowded when I decide to settle down, but a few things in my life are constant. So, I feel comfortable doing a breakdown of goals and following these rules.

A Happy Life

Short-Term (aka the sweet, sweet bliss that will be Christmas break) 

• Something to do: READ!!! I have so many books that need my attention. Also as it will be Christmas and I have to make my happiness a priority, I must consume lots of cute sugar cookies, and most importantly, give all the presents I've been working so hard to get right. 
• Someone to love: This one is the easiest. I'm surrounded by the most wonderful people in the whole universe like my perfect boyfriend, Grayson (I finally get to see him soon, so woohoo!!!) and my crazy family, full of relatives I fiercely adore--most significantly, my cousin/best friend/soulmate/ life coach Amanda. They will receive showers of compliments and gifts and quality time with me in the next few weeks, and I will be overflowing with a feeling of wholeness and probably tears of joy.  
• Something to hope for: A White Christmas!!! I know this is a long shot as I live in middle Tennessee and I've already checked the weather. BUT I have seen every Hallmark Christmas movie and I really believe in miracles, so fingers crossed! Even if it doesn't happen, I also hope that the good people of Alabama choose not to elect Roy Moore and that maybe we save Net Neutrality. I'd use Christmas miracles for that too. 

Mid-Term (5 years) 

• Something to do: Well, I will be 24 and likely enrolled in law school or some sort of graduate program. I genuinely love learning, and I think I should use any knowledge I get to make a difference, so perhaps I will be participating in meaningful discussions and research.
• Someone to love: Still Grayson. Five years from now, I think we'll be married and every day I will get to hold his hand and make him feel appreciated for how amazing he is and we'll have cute little pets we can love, too! 
• Something to hope for: In 5 years, hopefully I have a restored sense of faith in the country that I love so much. My hope is that in 2022, we are committed to justice and good governance and equity. Also on a more personal note, I think I'll be hoping for more time to spend with my family. It's scary to think about life without any of the people I love now.

Long-Term (10 years) 

• Something to do: This puts me at 29, so I hope to be working as a lawyer or some sort of expert in policy research. Also as a hobby, I hope to have a really nice garden with lots of flowers and only the vegetables I like. 
• Someone to love: Never changing, always Grayson (and my family and Joe Biden) 
• Something to hope for: I don't know if I'll have a kid by then and I'm terrified even thinking about it now. But if I did, I hope I'm the mother he/she deserves, one that loves him/her with every ounce of who I am and teaches him/her to love that way too. 

Okay, so you may have some thoughts about my predictions. You may think my idealism is coming into play, and that I won't end up with my current boyfriend, but I know I will because I would have thought that too before I met him. He's the one I would have never planned on when I was thinking of life three years ago. My education and career were always the main focuses of my plan, and maybe I'd find someone along the way as an established adult. Yet, here I am: 19 and super in love. I mean I watch romantic comedies now, and I think "Hmm... Tom Hanks isn't that great." because I have someone better. Isn't that wild? I have this perfect person for me who beats the king of rom coms!!!

Anyway, I'm feeling really happy and blessed right now, even in the heat of finals week. 

Thank you to any dedicated reader that made it to the end of this. 

I hope you all have things to do, people to love, and hopes to believe in. 

Until next time, 

Maddie 

Volunteering:Honors College Student Council, Habitat for Humanity Store, and My Little Brother

So, this semester is almost over!  I have so many things to wrap up--tests, papers, Christmas presents---and my volunteer experiences.

Therefore, prepare for a long post because I have three big commitments to discuss. 

The first is Honors College Student Council! My first political position at ETSU! 

Some of you may remember the first Collo class we had this semester, everyone voted for a representative for their programs. 

After some short rambling about my love for people, words, and Parks and Rec, I was lucky enough to be elected as the Presidential Honors Community Service Scholars Representative (the first one ever because we're a new program). 

Over the past few months, I have attended meetings to discuss and plan events that are important to the Honors College, such as the Social and Charity Ball.  I even joined a committee with outside meetings to plan the Social and smaller events. Though I have been pretty quiet in most of the meetings, it has been a wonderful experience for me to represent my peers and learn more about the way the Honors College works. Throughout the semester, I have invested 8 hours into this organization.  

Another service opportunity I participated in was volunteering at the Habitat for Humanity Restore in Johnson City. I did three separate shifts totaling 10 hours. I really like it there because all the workers are so lovely and grateful for the help. You just walk in and get to work. Most of my duties included going through and/or accepting donations, then pricing items and finding a place for them on the floor.
My favorite part: the store gets so many books that all of them can't go on the floor, so the manager (Wendy) lets me take the ones I want! It's a dream come true. I've only taken two so far because I don't want to deprive the good people of the Tri-Cities, but it's always fun to browse for a new read while I volunteer.

Last one (and the most wonderful of all): my little brother!!

No, my mother did not have another kid. That'd be a crazy curve-ball and would really alter the balance of attention my siblings and I have carefully crafted.
I have a new little brother because I volunteer for the Boys and Girls Club, Big Brothers Big Sisters
Program.  (20 hours of Service so far)

The process of getting a little was quite extensive. I had to fill out an online application, attend an orientation, go through a 2 hour interview, pass a background check and have 5 references interviewed, then do hours of online training/testing, and then finally get a match.
I originally thought I would be matched up with a little sister because they typically match by gender, but that's not what happened! Our local Boys and Girls club had several young boys who wanted to be a part of the program, but not enough older boys/men choose to volunteer.

My little brother, whom I met in October, is delightful. I won't say too many details because I don't want to share too much personal information about him on the web, but he looks a lot like me--red hair, freckles, green eyes. People think he's my real sibling a lot, so that's a fun little bit for us. For the purposes of the blog, I'll just call him Lil J.

I meet with Lil J every week for two hours. He's pretty shy, so at first I didn't know if he liked me, but now we're regular ole pals. Our favorite activities are playing pool and making paper airplanes. I've been trying to help him with his reading. He doesn't enjoy it very much though, so I have to bribe him with Reese's and cookies.

The next few weeks without him will be weird, but I'm gonna send a card and plan some fun stuff for when I see him in January.

Overall, my volunteer experiences this semester have been thoroughly enjoyable, and that was the goal. It doesn't feel much like a requirement when I'm doing things that make me a better person and bring joy to others. I'm looking forward to next semester!


Until Next Time (which will be only a few hours! I've got another one to do),

Maddie



Total Hours:
2 Helping at the Honors Tailgate
8 Honors College Student Council
10 Habitat for Humanity Store
20 Boys and Girls Club

40!

My Friend and Her Trumpet

Hello My Fellow Americans, 

^ Tribute to my main man, President Obama

You know what's great? Seeing someone you love doing something they love. 

This past Monday, I attended the Brass Ensemble performances to see my wonderful friend, THE Kate Carter, play her trumpet. (Other students and instruments were also featured, and they deserve praise as well. Good game, guys and gals!) Now, this concert has been very much anticipated on my part. I've heard many stories about Kate's high school concerts, and I've experienced the pain of losing her to hours of rehearsal everyday. So I was really expecting something great, and she did not disappoint. 

My favorite piece was "Bugler's Holiday" by Leroy Anderson. Kate's part was the prettiest. I don't exactly have any musical analysis for that statement, but I could feel it and hear it.

Pictured below, you will see I was lucky enough to get her autograph. Note also: her name is printed wrong. It's **Katherine** for future notice.

Seeing this performance and hearing all the holiday music also dredged up some nostalgia for my experiences in high school choir and orchestra. As soon as the tubas began an arrangement of an  "Adagio for Strings", I ached for my cello. I still regularly listen to string music when I'm stressed or driving or studying. It will be a part of me forever. 

Perhaps that is something I will pick up again one day, but for now, I am just happy to have such a talented friend to bring me Christmas joy. 

I sign off now to write a few more posts on other subjects! 

Maddie