Ever since I was born in Salt Lake city, Utah. I have lived in 3 different states (Utah, Pennsylvania, and Alabam), vistied over 20 states (most of which were east of the Mississippi River), and I have driven through and flown over most of the country (Pennsylvania -Washington State, Pennsylvania - Florida, Alabama - Michigan, Utah - Texas, Utah - Alabama). Ther fondest memories that I have growing up are based on the beach in Florida. Whenever we would be out of school for spring break or vacation during the summer; we would spend a week down in Florida in a condo right on the beach. We would go shopping, eat all the seafood one can take, play on the beach and go swimming in the ocean, and we would go crab fishing at sunset when the crab would be in the tide.
When i was younger.. I had a thinking spot.. When my mom would yell at me for fighting in school, I had done something really bad and was punished for, or when I was being picked on by my brothers.. I would hop on my bike and I would go under this bridge down at the creek. I would just spend my time down there skipping rocks in the water, writing in my journal of new jokes I was making up at the moment, thinking of ways to get revenge if it was my brothers that made me upset.. or ways I can make it up to my parents when I had disappointed them. in December of 2001 just a few months after the moove to utah.. My parents told us they were getting divorced on the Sunday right before Christmas right after church.
I saw my mom crying before they had sat us down and I thought she was crying because of my brother Adam wasn't able to call on Christmas because of something to do with his mission. When they had broke the news we all started to tear up... I was really hurt thousands of thoughts went into my mind (maybe if I done this instead of doing this, maybe I shouldn't have said this when this person made me upset, maybe I should of told my parents how much I loved them more often.. Only if I didn't get into trouble at school all the time). The reality of it was it was just differences between my parents that caused the divorce.. it was something that had nothing to do with my brothers nor myself.. SO THANK GOD..
The day after they told us they were getting a divorce, I rode my bike.. just north of my dad's house in Pleasant Grove (the house we lived in before the divorce) and I just kept riding and never really thought where it was going to take me.. until I went into this neighborhood with a huge hill going east I rode up the hill and as I turned around to ride back down real fast.. I noticed the beautiful view over Utah County.. You could see Utah lake witht the mountains beyond the freeway and it was just amazing.. So I hopped off my bike and started hiking onto this dirt hill and I sat down on this rock in the freezing cold and just sat there.. I was lucky it wasn't snowing so I could of capture the wonderful sight. And the defining moment I knew.. I found a thinking spot. and not only for thinking I use it for shooting, picnics, places to take Baily when I take her to visit my dad etc.
Its funny how much a place can make you feel better when you can leave your cell phone, the people around you, the noisiness of the world behind and just spend a few moments to yourself with a place of peace so you can just focus on the positive things in life without any distractions. It makes a difference when you are in a wide open area soyou can just have an hour or 2 just to yourself to think, relax, and just slow down the pace of your busy schedule. I nkow that I am better person when I have time to myslef just to go out and have peace in my life. I even try not to think about the worries and concerns I may have at the time and it makes me a better person and it also gives me better insight on how I can change things for the better when I come back to my busy life. If you go ahead and just spend some of you're time for "me time" you'd be a better person and you wouldn't be as stressed. It amazes me how much peace an hour or 2 of nature can really do for you.
I PROMISE YOU, THIS IS THE VERY LAST ENTRY THAT IS TALKING ABOUT MY PARENT'S DIVORCE.
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