70.3 miles with Andy, Snails, Silence, and cessation from seeking something. AKA Finding Joy in the Journey (feat. DC and "Man The Post"

Yeah, I can't really tell you why I am writing a blog post at 11:12 at night when I should be sleeping. But Andy Mckee is on (Number 19) and it's just kind of one of those moments where I should be writing in my journal but I am on a computer so you get an insight to my soul... all 2 of you :).

First, this weekend I am doing a half IronMan triathlon. For those of you that don't know, it's 1.2 mile swim, 56 miles of biking, and 13.1 miles of running. Tell let you know I will probably be walking about 12.9 miles, we shall see. That is one of my big feats for the year, I am doing another one in September and the plan is to finish this one and do better in the next. For instance, I did a sprint triathlon (aka not as long by any means) last year and another one this year. I shaved off 16 minutes from my time and was pretty happy with it. I am thinking that the difference between the half IM this weekend and the one in September will be a couple of hours. The reason I am writing about this is I was having a discussion with someone about how it's taking up my time and what not. They reminded me that I couldn't just read the scriptures all of the time and develop like that. I then started thinking about things that I'd learned from getting ready for this, and things I will learn in it, and in finishing it. Ha, now Snails is on (number 32). I am doing a presentation in my communications class on silence and it's benefits. I promise all of this relates. I think that the learning comes in the reflection on most of the things that happen to us, or that we participate in in life. We have to take time to sit back and think so that things can be revealed to us. I have thought about how I have had to discipline myself to complete this, even though I haven't done it as well as I should have. Then I have thought about playing piano and if I want to be better I have to practice. And how if I can discipline myself to do this half IM I should be able to sit down and get better at that. Something I need to be better at is doing nothing. Cutting myself off from everything and just being. After all, that's why Adam fell (2 Nephi 2:25). Snails take time to get where they're going and get to see what was on the way.

Second, I went to DC this past weekend to hang out with Allison Shamrell, a sister from my mission. Now before you say anything, don't you worry, she's a best friend of mine. It's funny because her and Julie Slater (her companion) and Joel Johnson and myself (once companions) are all good friends so we hang out when we can. She flew from Jerusalem to DC because she is working up there this summer. I hadn't seen her in a year and thought it would be funny to hang out again. It was a spur of the moment vacation that was good, but too short. DC is an amazing place that I will be going back to see soon. I realized I don't know as much of my history as I should. I also thought about how we think of our lives in movie settings. I could imagine myself standing in front of the Vietnam Memorial looking at my grandfathers name and having flashes of his life and who he was. Thinking of how what he has done led me to where I am now. It doesn't always happen like it does on the big screen, but that doesn't mean it's not important or meaningful. The soundtrack to my life wasn't written by Hans Zimmer and the famous one liners weren't planned out before hand. Tom Hanks wasn't cast to play me and Topanga is not my wife. Life is life and it should be experienced, appreciated and enthusiastically shared with others. I was talking to Allison about reading her blog while she was in Jerusalem and how it was hard because I was still in the basement of my parents house. We all have different lives, and none of them are normal. We have all been rewarded with experiences, say "Thank you," not "How come they got THAT? Can I get a copy?" Now I realize that this is easier said that done, but we speak a lot and should do just as much. And as we do we become and those little rough edges are taken from our tumbling stone.

God places us where He would have us be to help us see what we need to see, however sometimes we are so bent on someone else's viewpoint that we miss the sight of the sunset that they can't appreciate. The cool part will be enjoying both of them.

One last thing, "Man The Post." I like it. We were talking about light at FAmily Home Evening tonight and how we are all given the Light of Christ when born. Later, after certain covenants are made, we can be blessed with a more thorough gift of the Holy Ghost. I thought about Narnia and the lamp post. Then I thought about war. About how some people can see what others can't and we have been given a gift to see in the light. So I think that we should "Man The Post." It may not be politically correct, but hey this isn't a communications class.