Life Like This

I think he likes me. 

That's good.  I've grown fond of him, too. 

Team Sarah

Have you ever heard of Veronica Mars?  I hadn't - not really, until a few weeks ago.  It kind of buzzed around facebook opening weekend and then my roommate came home one day, excited that she could watch it Instant video via Amazon.  We sat down and watched it, much to her delight (and her husband's, who made a point to thank me for sparing him the date night at the movie theater, watching "a teenage girl movie").

I had no idea what I was getting myself into but I seriously opened a can of worms.  Intrigued by the witty and compelling story line from the movie, I started reading some reviews about this hit canceled TV series and its comeback as a kickstarter movie.  Did you know that the movie reached its 2 million dollar goal within 10 hours?  (It ended the campaign with 5.7 million.)  


In the past three weeks, I've dived more into Veronica Mars, burning through the first season and more than halfway through the second, as my roommate tries to pull me off Team Piz and squarely onto Team Logan.  (I was almost there until the beginning of season 2). 

I find myself thinking again about that 5.7 million.  What would I be willing to put up to back this show?  It has witty dialogue, compelling storylines and a cast of intriguing and well-developed characters.  (Disclaimer: this show, in spite of its sterling qualities, also holds some content that gives me pause so I maintain mixed feelings about it.)  If I were asked to support this movie (and I had a job) what would I be willing to put up?  What were the backers willing to put up?

I think I assumed the fandom was intense, shelling out serious bills to get this movie off the ground.  But while 5.7 million is no paltry sum of money, it came out of the pockets of 91,585 people, putting the average at $62.26 per person.  $62.26 sounds reasonable.  Not the hundreds or thousands I was expecting. 

Around the same time that I discovered the phenom that is Veronica Mars, my sister, Sarah, started a fund for Wounded Veterans so that she can run for this cause in the upcoming Marine Corps marathon.  My sister's run this race a few times before and although she's run in several different kinds of races, I think this is one her favorites.  (It's definitely one of her most talked about ones.)  It means a lot to her to support and raise money for the armed forces.  When my sister told me about her hope of raising $300, I smiled and secretly thought, "That'll take a day, three days maybe."

But over three weeks later, she's still not there.  So, here's my plug for a sister who is trying to do something small to make a difference.  If you and 91584 of your closest friends all gave a penny, we'd be more than there.  But since I don't actually know 91585 people, perhaps we can try for a dime or a dollar.  I can't guarantee witty dialogue on my part or drama-filled storylines about my life, but this definitely goes to support at least one well-developed character.  Go Team Sarah!

Here is my sister's donation website: Team Sarah

Forgiveness, the Atonement and the Blue Violin

About a month ago, I was discussing the topics of forgiveness and the mercy of Jesus Christ with a friend.  (Actually, now that I think about it, I discussed it with more than one friend.)

In any case, I tried to think of a few examples to explain some of my questions and this is what I said:
"A few years ago, I lent a friend my violin to use.  I call it the blue violin because it had a distinct blue case.  My friend lost the violin.  I didn't know what to do.  I couldn't demand her to buy me a new one because a violin is expensive!  In some ways, it wasn't worth it since it was just my high school student violin.  But then again, it was a violin that had a lot of memories for me.  I told my friend that it was ok and never held it against her.  I knew it wasn't her fault and refused to let it get in the way of our friendship but when I thought about it, I still felt sad that my only violin and one with important memories for me, was gone."

I looked at my friend and asked, "I think I've forgiven her.  But why, then, when I think about it, does it still hurt?"  

My friend looked at me and replied very matter-of-fact,"That's because you still don't have a violin.  For the Atonement to fully work, it should make up for your loss."

I looked at him, surprised.  "Like, give me a new violin?"

My friend didn't even pause, "Yes."

!!

What seemed so simple to him was simply baffling to me.  I asked him about other situations where "loss" was less tangible - such as loss of virtue or loss of love, hope, self-esteem.  He insisted it worked, that we would come to a new reality where the loss ceased to be seen or felt as a "loss". 

I confess - I walked away from that conversation confused.  I wondered at those words for a long time and wondered if the Atonement really had the power to make up for all the losses of all the people in the world.   I mean, I believe in Christ and his infinite atonement so in my head, yes, I believed it, but in my heart, I didn't know how it was possible. 

Recently, I ran into my friend's mom and she was holding my blue violin!  She smiled and apologized that it had taken so long for me to get it back (we're talking 5+ years).  I felt like I had just witnessed a miracle.  When I told my rational and wise friend from before, even he was surprised and delighted. 

Through this experience, I felt that God was answering my bigger questions, "Erin, if I can return your long lost violin, then surely, surely, I can make up for the losses that come in our lives.  The loss of virtue, the loss of time, the loss of loved ones and the loss of feelings of love and peace and hope.  Those can all be made up.  My Atonement truly can heal!"  

This experience also teaches me something of forgiving others and being forgiven.  Forgiveness is a gift - a precious one - and also a miracle.  

Happy Music

I did what I do every day on my way to UVa grounds - that is, I cut through the hospital lobby.  It's a fairly typical hospital lobby, with people from all ages and walks of life sitting in chairs, talking with each other, while waiting for any number of things that a person in a hospital lobby can await.

Today, when I walked in, someone was sitting at the piano, pounding out a jazz piece that I assumed was of the pianist's creation - with not much more than a melody and various jazzy chords underneath repeated in syncopated rhythm. The feeling in the room was different.  I started looking more at the people around me only to realize they were all either talking about or looking towards the origin of the music. 

As I walked past the piano, I noted the pianist - a young man not more than twenty, with his backpack on the ground next to him, playing his heart out.  His playing drew people toward him, with smiles and visibly lighter moods. 

Suddenly, as if I was given the gift of hearing and understanding, the melody rang out to a jazzy version of Happy (by Pharrell Williams). 

Could it be that that song really has the power to bring happiness to a room?  Or was it the pianist, who thought he would most like to spend his afternoon bringing a little joy through music? 

It made my day. 

We Got This

My roommate and I went to pick up a nightstand from a furniture store today.  We emptied the trunk and hoped that it would fit.

The furniture store men gallantly carried the box to the car and shoved it in one way and then another before realizing that it was wedged.

"It would fit in the back seat," they suggested.  "If you took out the baby's car seat."  We looked at them and the baby in our arms and shook our heads - sorry, that was definitely NOT an option.

Then, as we juggled the baby between us, we went to work.  With some small bungee cords, and a cord from a baby something or other and a bungee net used in the trunk, we managed to rig quite a little get up as the men watched us in some shock and surprise.  "Where there's a will, there's a way, I guess," they conjectured. 

My friend looked at them and smiled, "We're going to figure this out.  You see, we do both have degrees in engineering."  (I beamed in delight as I realized that I did indeed have a degree in engineering.  And then I remembered, I had two!) 

After getting in the car, we high-fived and laughed at our methods but proudly made it home safely.

Persistence

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."

-Calvin Coolidge, Oxford Dictionary of Quotations (1999)

Miracle

Today, at a church meeting, after the combined missionary/youth group choir sang, a man turned around and told the men sitting behind him, "My niece was up there with that choir.  She has a speech impediment but she was able to sing with them.  It's a miracle." 

The person sitting next to me and I looked at each other. 

"Did you just hear what that man said?" Our eyes asked each other, wide-eyed in surprise. 

Wow!