Smörgåsbord Of Thoughts

I have many things that I would like to talk about. Due to the brevity of each of the topics on my mind, I have chosen to pack them all in one. This may seem frustrating for a reader with a specific concentration, but I would encourage you to at least browse through each topic. You may just find something that tickles your fancy.  Headings for each topic will be in bold.

Memorial Day:

The first thing I would like to do inform the general public about something. There is a difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day. This appears to be obvious to most people, but for some, the concept hasn’t been explained well enough. I will assume that you don’t know for the purposes of this post. Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service. Veterans Day is a day of gratitudeto honor and thank all who served in the United States Armed Forces. So for future reference, when observing Memorial Day, please remember that the focus is intended to be on those who have died in service to our country. It is acceptable and understandable to recognize current members of the Armed Forces, but please realize that this day is not intended to commemorate their service. 

Should employees be given a day off on holidays?

Yes, of course!No, stop being lazy.SometimesOther:

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The second thing I would like to do is complain. Is it fair that the overwhelming majority of people in my state did not go to work today? Absolutely! I believe having Memorial Day off is a fantastic idea. With that being said- Is it fair that I had to go to work today while the overwhelming majority of people stayed home and left me bored all day? Absolutely not!  In my opinion, only emergency services should be required to show up for work on national holidays. For those who do not observe those holidays, logically you should not complain about this because such a stance would give you a day off for no apparent reason. How do you feel about this?

Tropical Vacation:

Although I was not able to take this Memorial Day Monday off, I will soon receive just compensation. Two weeks from today, I will be at the beach. The sun will be shining down on me, the wind will be blowing in my face, and I will be sleeping on the sand to the sound of waves. This is an annual trip that my family and I make during the summer. We have been going to the same place ever since I was born. Doing the math, that is about 19 years! I would like to think that we run the place, but I’m afraid I can’t quite say that. Either way, this vacation always provides much needed rest and relaxation for all who experience it. I am very excited to be counting down the days now. Two weeks from today, I will have a whole work week OF NO WORK!!!

Update on my hands:

For those of you who were concerned about my hands after Friday’s drum circle… Here is a quick look at the change.

3 Days Later

As you can see, the wounds have dried up quite a bit. I applied bandages for blisters over the last two days and recently removed them to allow the wounds to dry and heal more. It should be about two weeks before they are completely healed.

Here is the rub: before those two weeks will be up, there will be two more drum circles downtown. Do I go and risk more damage? Do I abstain and experience drumming withdrawals?

What would you recommend?

Based on my condition, should I go to the drum circle?

DO IT!!You're an idiot.Go, but don't play.

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You could be the vote to change my future! Choose wisely my friends! 

Pleasure Amidst Pain

The image above is a photograph of the drum circle in Asheville, NC. I have enjoyed going to the drum circle for quite some time now. I play the djembe, an African drum which you can see most people are playing on the front line. It is quite an intense environment for the drummers because everyone really gets into the rhythms. One thing that makes this particular circle an interesting one is all of the dancers that show up. The drum circle is free for anyone to observe, play, or dance. What you cannot see in the photo are about 30 people dancing to the beats that we come up with. I love adding my part to the beat and I go all out with my playing. Below is an image of my drum before I started playing it and another image of my drum after one night with it.

Before

After

What you see on my drum after its first use is blood. Why are their blood stains on my drum head? Well the answer is quite simple: I play till my hands bleed. Wanna see what that looks like for a djembe player? Well I’m going to show you either way! 

This is my hand. This is what happens when you love drumming so much that you play non-stop for 4 hours. This is pleasure amidst pain.

“Didn’t that hurt?”  This is the question I get most often. YES it hurt! haha DUH!

“Well why did you keep playing?”

I kept playing because I love playing. Spending time at the drum circle is very enjoyable for me, and it only comes once a week. If I am going to go, I am going to beat out as much fun from those 4 hours as I can. The pain is worth it!

Are my fingers still like that right now? Absolutely. I went to the drum circle last night! Does it hurt to type? Yes, it does hurt to type; and typing with my fingers wrapped up is a very difficult task, but it is worth the effort! I love blogging too much to let some blistered fingers stop me! 

Moral of the story: Sometimes you have to endure pain in order to do the things that  you love most.

Save the Storks!!!

Hello kind world! Are you interested in photography? Are you interested in the Pro-Life movement? Are you interested in both?

Well here is your chance to do something about it!

 The Save the Storks team is group of individuals dedicated to meeting the needs of pregnant women by compassionately educating them about their pregnancy. Initially, it is the offer of a free sonogram that draws women to the Stork bus. However, at the end of the day, it is the love and attention of highly trained counselors who are walking with women towards a brighter future that makes a lasting impact. Women walk away from the Stork bus feeling loved, hopeful, and reassured they have the strength and resources to give a new child life.

Brittney Julian, a student photographer at Union University, is attempting to raise money for Save the Storks. She will be hosting an event that will display student photography (including some of my own work) and raise funds for Save the Storks. Each photo will be on sale, and all of the proceeds will go towards Save the Storks and their mission.

Here is where you guys come in. In order to host a show, we need money to print, frame, and pay for other expenses. As college kids, we don’t have any money, so this show happening all depends on how much support we can get.

If you want to help or find out more about the event,  please follow this link. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/568307763/selling-photography-to-save-the-storks?ref=live

We only have a few days left to raise the rest of the money, if we don’t meet the deadlines we lose all of the money. If you can’t help finically please help by spreading the word. Reblog or repost… Do whatever you feel necessary. We would love to make this event a success, but we need your help!!!

-Skylar Macrae

Chill (defined)

C h i l l -

v. to calm down; relax. Also, chill.

adj. the state of being calm; relaxed.

In order to chill:

Inhale..... Exhale.....

Inhale..... Exhale.....

Clear your mind, focusing on nothing. 

Now, stop reading and do what I just said. I know you didn't do it! You just skimmed over my instructions and kept on going. Typically, that would be ok for you to do. Right now, it isn't.  The whole point of this post is to get you to relax. So go back and do it. Once you've done this for about 1 minute (because your attention span is short and I want you to keep reading this post), you may continue reading.

Feel better? You should. If you completed the steps above as described, you have successfully chilled. Congratulations!  You are now chill.

Chilling and being chill are two very important concepts that need to be  understood and practiced in today's society. People are overly stressed.  There is too much going on all the time. Schedules are crammed till they are bursting at the seams, and people are no longer taking time to relax. This is a problem! 

Not only does being stressed affect the individual, it affects everyone that the individual comes into contact with. Humans play off of the emotions of those around them. Being stressed causes others to either worry, stress, or change the way they react towards you. Do yourself a favor, do me a favor, do everyone else a favor- chill.

Stress isn't worth dealing with. Chilling is fun and removes stress. Trychilling  at least twice a day. You may find yourself smiling just a little bit more!