His friend (lets call him Bob) went skydiving in Hawaii for his first time ever, and managed to drag this other friend (lets call him Joe) with him because he didn't want to go alone. Well, after going through all the safety classes and lessons, Bob and Joe finally got suited up and on the plane.
So the plane took off, and they had a little while before they were up to jump, so they were just sitting, no parachutes on... just hanging out. Now, Joe was a little curious (maybe we should have called him George) and he wanted to go look out the plane (there was no door, just a big opening that they would jump through). So Joe went up to the instructor that was there with them and asked if he could look out. At first the instructor was against it, but then he said that as long as Joe was careful, held on to the hand holds, and was super careful since he didn't have his parachute on, he could.
So Joe made his way over to the door, and grabbed hold of the holds, and leaned out and saw the amazing view. And, just as he did so, the plane hit a pocket and the plane jerked a bit... just enough to knock Joe out of the plane without his chute...
Now, as Joe was falling from this plane without a chute, he had two options with the end of his life seeming to be inevitably close:
1: Get angry... why did I let my friend drag me in to this? If I hadn't gone, I wouldn't be in this situation... What kind of instructor was this guy to let me go to the door without a chute? What a terrible pilot, can't even read the turbulence. I can't believe these people!
OR
2: Enjoy the view... Man, Hawaii looks great from up here! I never imagined how beautiful this looks... i can't really do anything now, so i might as well enjoy the view.... wow, the ocean is really blue!
Although option one seems more likely, our friend Joe chose option 2. How do we know? Well, the moment Joe fell out, the instructor put on his chute, and dove out of the plane. Knowing how to sky dive well, he went very fast and caught up to Joe, strapped himself to Joe, and pulled the string, opening the chute, and landing them both safely and alive.
As you may have guessed, there is a moral to this story, and there is a connection. First, the moral: when things go wrong (not always life and death like this story) or when things seem too much, or even when things just don't go your way or how you planned, you have a choice... get angry, start blaming, start saying all those "if onlys" and so on. Or, you can find the good, the bright, the "view" that can be enjoyed. It's certainly tough, and I learned how to have some patience tonight in relation to computers... it's funny how even though computers are the ones with the keys and buttons, it's the computers that always end up pushing my buttons. I had this video project that i am supposed to have finished tomorrow at 10 in the morning, but ever since i got back from hawaii, the computer has been broken (hard drive nearly crashed and had to be replaced). So it is just now (11:20 pm) fixed and ready to use. I am avoiding option 1, but it's hard to find how option 2 can work... we'll see... some flexibility will be needed tomorrow and hopefully i can turn it in later on in the day, because i need to sleep.
on that note, i will end...
well, one more thing:
"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." Romans 8:28
Saturday, August 5
Thursday, August 3
nobody was harmed (badly) in the happening of this VERY embarassing moment....
okay, so i will let you all in on an embarassing moment that just happened about 15 minutes ago...
so, i went on a bike ride this morning with a friend to the beach. after we got back, we went our separate ways, and i had about half a mile to go home. i decided to take sidewalks since i was just cruising along. i get to the side street that takes me to the street that my house is on, and i see someone i recognize about a half a block ahead of me. then i realized that i was being whacked in the face by these untamed vines that were growing on the wall to my right... so what do i do? i go on the grass, and then when i go from the grass back to the sidewalk... i completly ate it... luckily my feet weren't clipped in because i had unclipped in case i would fall... which is exactly what i did. i fell straight into the vines, scraping up my knee and only my knee... nothing else was harmed. but embarassing as that is alone, it gets worse. remember that person i recognized???? my honors chemistry teacher and his two grandchildren. yup. that was embarassing.
i immediately got up and on my bike (it didn't hurt, it just looked really bad. honestly, it just stung a little). so i biked up to my teacher and when he saw that i was fine, he was laughing, i was laughing, his grandchildren were... well, i don't think they were laughing, they actually looked a little confused. anyway, i exchanged a few humorous words with him and he swore himself to secrecy. I completed the 20 yards i had left between the crash zone and my house and laughed a little more.
life would be way too long if i couldn't learn to laugh at some of the stuff i do :)
here's a pic after i cleaned up a bit
so, i went on a bike ride this morning with a friend to the beach. after we got back, we went our separate ways, and i had about half a mile to go home. i decided to take sidewalks since i was just cruising along. i get to the side street that takes me to the street that my house is on, and i see someone i recognize about a half a block ahead of me. then i realized that i was being whacked in the face by these untamed vines that were growing on the wall to my right... so what do i do? i go on the grass, and then when i go from the grass back to the sidewalk... i completly ate it... luckily my feet weren't clipped in because i had unclipped in case i would fall... which is exactly what i did. i fell straight into the vines, scraping up my knee and only my knee... nothing else was harmed. but embarassing as that is alone, it gets worse. remember that person i recognized???? my honors chemistry teacher and his two grandchildren. yup. that was embarassing.
i immediately got up and on my bike (it didn't hurt, it just looked really bad. honestly, it just stung a little). so i biked up to my teacher and when he saw that i was fine, he was laughing, i was laughing, his grandchildren were... well, i don't think they were laughing, they actually looked a little confused. anyway, i exchanged a few humorous words with him and he swore himself to secrecy. I completed the 20 yards i had left between the crash zone and my house and laughed a little more.
life would be way too long if i couldn't learn to laugh at some of the stuff i do :)
here's a pic after i cleaned up a bit
Wednesday, August 2
...the final pics
Well, that's all from Hawai'i. Our last day (yesterday, monday) we went exploring and ended up passing the spot we were looking for and ended up on a one lane road with an 8-passenger van on the side of a mountain. since we couldn't turn around, we kep going... we ended up in a little unknown village at a banana bread stand. since we were there, we decided to buy some... it was he best! after getting correct directions, we turned around and made our way to some awesome tidepools and blow holes. i jumped off some rocks into this pool that was about 20 feet deeo and filled with fish. it was awesome!
i was very sad to leave hawai'i... after standing in the check-in line for an hour, i said my goodbyes to some of the coaches and a few players. i had a few friends on my flight to LA, so i was glad to postpone those 'good-byes'.
i go about an hour of sleep on the red-eye flight because we found a way to get all of us in the same row so we could hang ou a little more. after landing, everybody was off to their connecting flights and i was off to the baggage claim... i was sad to say bye, but i know some of us will keep in touch.
it was such an awesome experience in hawai'i... it was hard to come home, but i know that i had to some time :) i already miss the rainbows and sunsets, the refreshing mist during a tough tennis match, and the fun we had in the villa and around town.
thanks for reading my blog and checking out the pictures... that's all for hawai'i!
ALOHA
i was very sad to leave hawai'i... after standing in the check-in line for an hour, i said my goodbyes to some of the coaches and a few players. i had a few friends on my flight to LA, so i was glad to postpone those 'good-byes'.
i go about an hour of sleep on the red-eye flight because we found a way to get all of us in the same row so we could hang ou a little more. after landing, everybody was off to their connecting flights and i was off to the baggage claim... i was sad to say bye, but i know some of us will keep in touch.
it was such an awesome experience in hawai'i... it was hard to come home, but i know that i had to some time :) i already miss the rainbows and sunsets, the refreshing mist during a tough tennis match, and the fun we had in the villa and around town.
thanks for reading my blog and checking out the pictures... that's all for hawai'i!
ALOHA
Tuesday, August 1
Monday, July 31
last post from hawaii
well, i have to pack my laptop up, so this will be my last post from hawaii, but i will be posting more pictures up once i get back, because there are a ton more from the luau and from the stuff we will be doing today...
my flight leaves at 9:20 tonight hawaii time, and i will land around 5:30 LA time, so i have a long night ahead of me.
ALOOOOOOOHAAA!
my flight leaves at 9:20 tonight hawaii time, and i will land around 5:30 LA time, so i have a long night ahead of me.
ALOOOOOOOHAAA!
Sunday, July 30
last day of tennis...
Well, today was the last day with tennis in our schedule... i am really sad. It's been so much fun haveing 8 hour days of tennis (except for yesterday, which got completly rained out). Below are picks from our final day of match play. First i had a singles match, and then we played "world team tennis" where i played doubles and mixed doubles... me an my partner in mixed doubles (david) kicked some serious butt. There is also a pick of me and Coach Porter (actually, he is technically 'Dr. Porter'). This guy is THE tennis guy... internationally known, works with many many pros, coaches at BYU hawaii and leads them to multiple championships... and so on, and so on.... he coaches these chinese girls in doubles and they won australian open and wimbledom this year in doubles. Anyway, today was a great day, and it was beautiful (and windy) weather as well. Speaking of weather, let me just give a bit of a summary: every single day has been hot and humid, but everyday has also had at least 10 minutes of at least a mist (yesterday was pure rain). the mist is a welcome cool off. we have also had at least one incredible rainbow everyday. yup, its been great
i gotta go! hooroo
i gotta go! hooroo
Saturday, July 29
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