One Picture Tells 1000 Stories

I was directed for one of my classes to a website with 25 of the most influential photographs of all time. These pictures honestly and frankly tell America's story over the last 80 years more efficiently than any textbook I have read. Some tell of the mountains we have climbed and the progress we have made. Many of the pictures truly show the pain that has been endured. Some are disturbing because you realize these aren't just pictures; they are people, events and stories that actually took place. Hunger, war, racism, and natural disasters are realities of the world that we live in. They are cruel realities, but ones that we must face. Not only must we face them, but we must accept them and where we can, fight them. 90 years from now, there are going to be a set of 25 equally illuminates photographs depicting the rest of the 21st century. What pictures do you want to be shown there? Will they be more pictures of war and violence, hatred and indifference? Undoubtedly, some will tell of horrors we cannot imagine. I can only hope though that some will tell of compassion and charity. Some will show that yes the world has evil, but it can be countered with human creativity, progress, ambition and love. 

Right now you might be saying "This girl is ridiculously ideological." I am, and I take that as a compliment. If you can never expect the human race to get better, why are you here? Look at Martin Luther King Jr. Certainly he was an ideologist. He fought for something no one could foresee happening: equal rights for both whites and blacks. And yet in the last 50 years, America has revolutionized because of the civil rights movement. 

I am not Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Theresa or Gandhi, but I am Anne Katherine. I do not fight for revolutionary world change, but I will argue that one person does make the difference. In your life, you are that one person. So many people undervalue the true effect a single person can have on the world. Pick a cause, and fight for it. If you are unhappy with something, try to change it. If you love someone, tell them. If you don't, what will the world say about you when you are gone? Or will it have anything to say at all? 

If you want to take a look at the site, here is the link. I suggest you take a look. http://www.pxleyes.com/blog/2011/07/25-of-the-most-influential-news-images-of-all-time/

Go change your world, okay? 

Anne Katherine

Umm.. Can You Stand Up Without Arms or Legs? Probably Not.. :)

So yes, the little messages that flash in between the clips of him are cheesy. But in an "I need to keep watching this right now," way. This guy is the epitome of a positive attitude. It's insane. Just watch!

"Nick Vujicic was born in Melbourne, Australia with the rare Tetra-amelia disorder: limbless, missing both arms at shoulder level, and having one small foot with two toes protruding from his left thigh. Despite the absence of limbs, he is doing surf and swimming, and playing golf and soccer. Nick graduated from college at the age of 21 with a double major in Accounting and Financial Planning. He began his travels as a motivational speaker, focusing on the topics that today's teenagers face."

How amazing is that?! AH, amazing. It puts my little college tests into perspective. 

Another thing. Let's just say you need five minutes to chill out and need something to entertain you? Go to drawastickman.com. 

My favorite song at the moment: 

And just an underwater river. NBD.

The world is beautiful, don't you think?! Night!!

Word Up, Braski.

When I left, my little brother could barely string three words together. Today, he told me that he liked hockey and about how he was learning to paint in preschool. It's crazy just how much you miss in a month and a half.

Thales, a Greek philosopher said, "Underlying all the change in the world, there is a fundamental order ad unity that does not change." I'll believe it when I see it, dude.

I made homemade peach pie with my grandma on Sunday. It was delicious. And I helped make it... That is very paradoxical. But I was very happy with how it turned out. It was so nice being at my grandparent's house this weekend. They are such amazing people and such wonderful examples to me. And my uncle and aunt are so much fun to be with also. And for the record, I beat them in Ticket to Ride. Anyone who knows them knows that this is a big deal.

This is how I feel right now:

However, it's HOMECOMING!!!! :D This week there is something huge happening every night (minus tonight) and the weekend is even better. Football, 5 dances, lots of parties. It is going to be great! That is.. if I get the hundreds of papers I have due done. If not, they will be looming over my head like the giant rain cloud that hit Provo an hour ago. Whenever people talk about college, they conveniently forget to tell you just how much homework you are going to have. 

Anyways, it's still homecoming this week and I cannot wait. It is going to be WAY awesome. 

Way. That is a word that is WAY overused on campus. It doesn't even make sense. It's way confusing. 

See what I mean? 

A cute boy I didn't know came and sat by me this morning. I love random encounters with attractive men. Almost as much as the regular encounters with attractive men. 

Do you want to know how to persuade people you are going to rule the world? All Alexander the Great had to do was cut a knot. You think I'm joking, but I'm not. There was a knot in Gordium that was tied to a wagon. The knot was complex and whoever could untie it was said would rule the world. Alexander got there, looked at it, and cut it in half. The world then believed he would rule the world. 

If only it were that easy.

My roommate, Rachael Davies, feels like an old soul. At least that's what she tells me at 2 in the morning. 

One last thing. You know in cartoons when people drop coconuts and they break? I didn't think this would actually happen. Rachael and I bought a coconut but could not figure out how to cut it open. We tried three knives. Finally, I just jokingly threw it down on the floor. And it shattered. ALL OVER. Then two seconds later, like 10 boys walked into our apartment. And found us splattered in coconut milk with the shell all over the ground. It was a... humorous moment.

Anyways, be yourself.

AK

Plato, Star Wars and Harry Potter. Life Doesn't Get Much Better.

I have found my perfect Pandora channel. Nora Jones, Sara Bareilles and Howie Day. It is genius. If you are in the mood for a chill and spunky music channel, this is it. I love it. I listen to it practically every day. 


So my professor dressed up as Plato the other day. Greek white robe, the gold laurel headband, stone tablet and talked liked Plato the whole time. He pulled a girl up from the first row and started questioning her in the Socratic method and pretty much proved to her she had no idea what she was doing with her life. If I was her, I would still be in a state of confusion. I guess you could say he is pretty passionate about Greek Philosophy...


I ran into something comparing Star Wars to Harry Potter the other day. It made me laugh. A lot. So if you are in to either Star Wars or Harry Potter- or better yet- BOTH, check it out. It takes three seconds. Just Go Here.


Also, if you are still unsure of Harry Potter's dominance over Twilight.. Go Here Right Now.

Hope you smiled today!

Everything They Taught You in Kindergarten is Wrong.

Tonight I have something for you to consider.

Can anyone do anything unselfishly?

At first, you would like to say yes. But many good acts are done because of something you will get in return. You get good camaraderie, tax returns, scholarships, a good feeling, eternal happiness, and so on. I thought about my life and all the things I had done to serve other people. Most of the time it was because I was with my friends, I knew it would benefit me, colleges wanted to see it or I knew God wanted me to help others. Have you ever done anything unselfishly without any invested interest in it? Think about it...

I have my own opinion on this. You form your own ideas though. I'm not going to tell you how to think!

Just for laughs...

Love, AK

I Believe

Premise: Everyone has different things they value. One of the things I prize the most in life is my religion. My church has completely inspired me and I love it with all of my heart. :)

You know those days where everything said at church applies to you? Today was definitely one of those days. I was ready to hear the things the Lord wanted me to, and I received many answers to prayers. After church, two of my roommates and I walked up to the temple and read our scriptures. That was an equally amazing and insightful experience. Because I can't rely on the people back at home, I am really learning how to trust my Heavenly Father. It's really hard deciding that someone knows better then you, and trying to follow all of the Lord's commandments and rules can seem really restricting. However, looking back at how much He helped me through high school, I don't regret any of the things I had to "give up" because of religion. I see the happiness, wholeness and wellness my church has brought into my life. I look at the people I go to church with, my family and friends in the gospel, and they are just as at peace. Life is hard and giving your life to God is harder, but it brings an unmeasured sense of happiness and peace. I don't have to worry about hundreds of issues the world faces because God's commandments protect me. That's a huge paradigm shift right there: to view His laws not as restrictions but as bumpers on a road. I don't however see myself missing out on anything; I see myself happy and completely confident in who I am. I am a daughter of God, and He is my eternal father. He knows where the bumps in the road are better than I do. The feelings I have when I read His word or pray to Him are not artificial. I'm 17 and I already know who I am, where I am going and how to find happiness in this world. And that knowledge is the greatest inspiration one could ever have.

My life goal: "I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?" -Alma 5:16

This is what I believe: mormon.org

HAPPY SUNDAY!! :D

Today I Did Something Irresponsible

Note: If you have high expectations of me, don't read this. You might be disappointed.

When I woke up today, I was crabby. This is the truth straight from the word of AK. I went to a physical science lab which was not emotionally fulfilling, let me tell you. Then I went to my Honors 292 lecture. Basically what happens is people come in and lecture, you take notes and then write a one page paper on the topic. When I got there I was so tired and emotionally drained. (You know these kind of days..) So half way through the lecture, I left. I had taken plenty of notes to get me through the class and I have 100% after 3 papers, so I figured I was good.
I walked out and it was BEAUTIFUL. There were like 20 people curled up in random spots on the Maeser lawn trying to sleep, so I decided to join them. I curled up, used my backpack as a pillow and took a 30 minute nap in the sun. When I woke up, I was in such a good mood. All of my dumb problems involving everything dumb melted away. And then I had the best day ever.
So my inspiration is sometimes, you need to take care of yourself. Prioritize whats important. Today, it was important for me to chill. After my nap, I had an awesome film class, edited a paper like a boss, went to Olive Garden with my roommates, went to a choir concert, celebrated Elle's birthday, tried to do homework, did homework, went underneath an invisibility cloak, and laughed a lot. It was great overall. Sometimes bad days can turn good.

Saturday I have my first college exam. Wish me luck!

Also, my roommate Rachael Davies CAN step in the same river twice. At least.. That's what she tells her humanities class.