i'm so proud of myself :]

we are one tonight

call me a loser, it's what i did over thanksgiving break

Pleasures of Life

but now i'm sunny with a high of 75

Today I had the pleasure of getting hit by a car.
No, I'm not hurt. In fact, not so much as a bruise.
I know, disappointing.

Actually, it was a bit comical. In fact, I saw it coming. As I started to cross the street on my bike, a car, who I would like to note was not looking right, tapped me just hard enough knock me off. Quickly I got up, looked into the stunned eyes of the driver and the woman in the passenger's seat, and laughed at my clumsiness. They did not laugh back. I asked them to back up so I could retrieve my shoe which was jammed under the front right tire, which they did. I put it on, got back up onto my bike, and rode back home, trying to act tough for the shocked looking cross country girls who happened to be watching from the other side of the street.

As I was riding home, a thought suddenly hit me. My friend, who had broken his arm in a bike accident, had been reminding me to wear my helmet earlier that day. He had hit the ground so hard, his helmet now bore a huge crack down the middle. His skull, however, remained as thick as ever.

Laughing to myself, I remembered something else that had been told to me. In light of the recent tragedy at Fountain Valley High School, Victoria had reminded me how fragile life is.

It's funny how much we take for granted. How our lives are threatened daily by forces we don't even know of. At any moment the world as we know it could be shattered.

Yet, it's these sharp turns that really makes life what it is. The constant reshaping and reworking. How even the subtlest movements can change the future. If my friend hadn't reminded me of my helmet, if I hadn't been as aware, if the driver was less alert, would I even be writing this post right now? Or would I just be another name in the newspaper, claimed by the same thing that must take all of us in the end. Am I lucky? Blessed? Or is this just the way fate works?

It's funny what it takes to change your attitude about things.

I've lead a good life. No family members have passed, no sudden betrayal or real heartache. Many people would think this makes me happy. I don't think so. I think what makes my life so blessed is not the absence of tragedy but the presence of joy. A loving family, so many true friends, a Savior I know will always be with me. All the things that really make up life, I am now grateful for. I guess the real pleasure in life is life itself.

I don't know how else to say it. I'm happy to be alive.