Tumblr Vs Pinterest and Why Bilbo Is AMAZIN'

I spent a month without Pinning. It wasn't that bad because Tumblr was my methodone. No! Pinterest is the Methadone for Tumblr!!!

Way more fun and interactive!

Oh, and Guess WHAHAT?????? I found my Geek Glasses!!

(Note: In honor of the six-movie series, this will be the first in a six-post series dedicated to the awesome that Tolkien made.)

*pushes her Geek Glasses up the brim of her nose*

There, that's much better. Now, where were we? Oh, yes! The Hobbit.

Now, in ebster's dictionary this one is filled under 'H', or 'T'...no?

OK, maybe 'B' No?” Lemme see....

(rummages through a few more pages)

“Oh, yes! Here it is! Under 'A' for 'Amazin'”

On more then one occasion (before "The Hobbit" movie came out) I've gotten into those geeky movie conversations with people who enjoyed the Lord of the Rings movie series. Whenever I would get into these conversations I would invariably ask the golden question: “Are you familiar with The Hobbit?”

More then once the response has been something like, “Oh, I read that one when I was in school." Followed by a dismissive shrug indicating disinterest in the subject.

Whenever this happens, I really can't help but wonder if I'm the same species as these people.

I think of what an impact this story and it's main protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, has had on how I look at life. For me, it's not just a not a story about a Hobbit and a Wizard and a Ring, its a story about a little man with unflinching integrity.

What Bilbo Taught Me:

1) Even when you stand nothing to gain...

 you can show kindness and mercy.


2) Even when it costs you a friendship...

you can life your standards and do the right thing.

and 3) (This one comes later...)
Even if you are never taken seriously, never get married, and are seen as an eccentric kook for the rest of your life...

you can be true to who you are.

You can choose to be the hero, you can choose to do the right thing. You can live the adventure of your life for the rest of your life.

Community Health Nursing and The Sorry State of Society

It's December 31st and I am sitting in Starbucks with my little sister. (She isn't bored yet, I gave her my tablet.)

I spent most of this month researching reproductive health services for the community as a part of a community health nursing class. A lot of it was spent going around to different healthcare centers in my community and asking questions...and then asking citizens about their opinions and analyzing the data and coming up with a plan for correcting a health disparity based on one of the health indicators in the Healthy People 2020 Initiative.

I learned that our community has a lot of excellent resources for economically disadvantaged pregnant women and young mothers, but few resources for family planning and STI prevention.

This project was a lot of fun (and by "fun" I mean "facinating" and "eye opening"). I feel that, in a sense, I've become richer from it. I got to talk to people, and not just in a "survey" way...some of them really opened up, about something that was important to them.

In my final paper, I endorsed the placement of a Planned Parenthood clinic in my community as a key way to reduce the rates of Teen Pregnancy, Chlamydia, Syphilis and Gonorrhea (turns out my county is in the top fifty for the country).

Now, I know what you're thinking: "Mormonhippie, You're Pro-Life. You've never been pregnant, and you practice abstinence. What the frak?"

The reason is:

1) Sexual health is more then having babies or not having babies. I learned that when I had to start taking birth control pills because my periods were irreglar.

2) As a society we are abhorrently polarized by this issue. Conservatives see pro-choicers as selfish and Liberals see pro-lifers as ignorant. NEITHER of those steriotypes are universally true, and I think it's shamefull that we've been so dismissive of an opposing veiwpoint and that we can't find common ground. 

3) I'm fascinated by public health, and I think that by polarizing this issue we hurt people. How do we "make" people take care of their bodies? How do you cause that kind of social change where people THINK about how their behavior effects other people?

I don't think we have all the answers yet, but denying services to men and women in need is the wrong way to go.

In my case I have to look out for myself and do what I know is right before God because by-and-large I may be the only person doing so. 

.....................

NOW!!!! On to something way more fun to discuss!

(The Hobbit, An Unexpected Awesome)

Just give me a chance to find my Geek Glasses, K? BRB

....

November and NANO

Last month's experiment was kind of a bummer. I had intended to show appreciation to some people I don't know well but I associate with regularly. One of them was on a road trip and the other called off of work that night.

So instead, I spent money on people who are actually an important part of my life. That was nice ("nice" in a Mr. Tilney kind of way)

The best part of the month was nano. I finished my 50,000 words but, like the previous story on which this one is based, it's pretty unstructured and episodic. Yet another revision I will have to put on the shelf for some mystical time known as "later".

This month I'm not pinning anything on pinterest.