Selfie-explanatory

What are selfies all about, anyway? I thought they were just a picture you took of yourself, but it turns out it's a picture you take, yourself, with you and anything/one else in it.

Why is this happening? What is the appeal? Am I missing something? Why is this a real word in the dictionary now?

Why is this happening? I have no idea, but please, make it stop.

What is the appeal? I'm assuming it's a way to get complements? And if you tag a Bible verse, or killer hashtag on the end of it, you get lots of likes and comments.  Stop doing this. You are pretty or handsome enough without likes or comments from people you don't really know. Like yourself! Look at yourself in the mirror. Take a pretend selfie, and like what you see! No matter what people comment, or how many people like your picture, YOU HAVE TO LIKE YOURSELF! These people will not change that.

Am I missing something with this? Like, is there some sort of contest involved? Is it a cash prize? I might want in on this.

Why is this a word in the dictionary now? WHY?! WHY?! WHY?!

AGAIN - You liking you is enough...it's ULTIMATE! One hundred people clicking "like" under your picture is not going to make you feel better about yourself. It's really not.

Here are a couple of examples of what might be an "ok" selfie.

Here we have the classic bathroom mirror selfie, but look, it's 2 people. This is OK....

How about this selfie.  A fat baby finger, part of a child's face, and a crazy adult face. This is probably ok because all of the things all up in this selfie.

These are NOT OK, in many senses of the word. I repeat NOT OK...

"Just me smiling on this beautiful day"

"John 3:16"

"So tired! #hugezit"

Communication via 2014

So, a couple of things I've learned recently.

1) Guys ask gals on dates via SnapChat (what's snapchat?!)
2) Guys and gals don't call each other on the phone anymore.

First thing's first - SnapChat. If you don't know what it is, good, but I'm about to tell you.

It's basically an app that you can post a picture, and whoever you send it to can only see it for 3 seconds up to 24 hours. After that, it's gone "forever" (We all know nothing is gone forever on the internet). If in the wrongs hands, this could be a REALLY creepy app, and recipe for trouble. ANYWAY.... Apparently guys take a selfie (don't even get me started on selfies), and put a caption on it "will you go to the movies with me? my mom is driving."  If you can't ask a girl on a date WITH YOUR VOICE, what makes you think you can talk to her FACE TO FACE in real life? No logic. None. It's awkward. The whole thing is awkward.

Now, onto guys and gals not talking on the phone anymore. It was recently brought to my attention that "People don't talk on the phone anymore. It's weird." Someone told me, after not being texted by a friend in a few days, "(insert name here) hasn't communicated with me in 3 days." I nearly fell out. What is happening? First the Biebs gets arrested, and now this is considered communication. Surely a sign of the end times.
My most fav memories, you know WAAAYYY back in 2006, were of me and my boo staying up late and talking on the phone. My favorite time of the day was when he would call. Yes, we texted, too (they did have that back then), but it wasn't the bulk of our communication.

I'm so sad and feel like kids these days (did I really just say that?!) are missing out on the best parts of getting to know someone. Hearing them laugh, instead of reading LOL, the nerves thinking about if a conversation gets an awkward silence instead of sitting and wondering if they were going to respond to your Snappy (oh dear). What about being able to tell if someone's smiling on the phone, instead of just seeing a :).

My most special memories are hearing my boyfriend (now hubby) clear his throat anytime there was even a half second of silence on the phone, and hearing the nervousness in his voice when he told me he loved me, IN PERSON. I would be so sad if my future children never had these memories.

I'm not hating on texting. It's convenient, and you can do it while you're going to the bathroom. You know you all do it.

I gotta go. I'm in a real deep texting conversation with my husband. We're planning our future via text. (SEE HOW SILLY THAT SOUNDS?!)

Pink Heart

Do you ever have special people from your past pop into your brain? Even if you're not a writer, I encourage you to keep a notebook for when this happens, and write down your memories of them. You'll be glad you did this, well, probably glad you did this. :)

Last night my Uncle Dale came to my mind. I think I was about 10 years old when he died. He was a bus driver. Had a short temper. He was gruff, rough, a lover of What-a-Burger and Jesus, father of 5, and husband to my dearest special aunt.

I only have a handful of specific memories with him.

One was on my birthday, (not sure which one). He told me I could pick out any candy I wanted from the snack shack at school. I remember exactly what I got. I knew he didn't have a lot of money, so this was a big deal.

Another is him playing catch with me in the front yard. As I now know, he pretended I was throwing it so hard it hurt his hand.

Then there was the time my whole family was gathered at the airport seeing my cousin off to college. It was Easter Sunday. My stomach wasn't feeling well, and Uncle Dale hugged me a little too tight. He hugged everyone very tightly. That was it. I puked right in the midst of my whole family, and on my mom's shoes.

From my memories, he was always sweet to me. I don't recall spending much time with him. He seemed to always be working. But, he did a good job of being my Uncle and letting me know, when he could, that he thought I was special. I think he knew how much I loved my aunt, his wife. Which leads me to my last memory of him.

He had open heart surgery, after a heart attack. It was not looking good for him. In my 10 year old memory, there were quite a few of us gathered in his hospital room. He was alert, but couldn't talk. He pointed at me and motioned me over. I remember feeling embarrassed and like the room was instantly quiet, and all eyes were on me. He handed me a pink heart shaped pillow. (My dad told me the hospital used this heart pillow to cover his chest while he coughed so his stitches wouldn't rupture. I'm about 85% that is not true.) I remember that I cried, but I can't remember whatever emotions my 10 year old self was feeling after that.

I don't have the pink heart anymore. After Uncle Dale died, my dad took me to my aunt's house and I gave her the pillow with tear filled eyes for the both of us. It seemed like, at that time, she should have it.

I'm glad I remembered this yesterday, and I'm glad I wrote it down.