Crazy People at the Airport

The airport is one of the most ridiculous places I have ever been.

You’d think I’d be used to it by now, I’ve been flying since I was two months old.

I’ve been on more planes than probably just about anyone in my school. When I was little we would go on vacations at least three times a year, plus all the trips to Georgia. We would pretty much always fly and never drive. Who wants to sit in a car for 18 hours when you could just fly for 4? Not me. I hate car rides.

So the other alternative is to fly. You get to go to the airport and see all the sites from other cities. Sometimes it’s super frustrating, but not as frustrating as your little TomTom GPS telling you to go down a one way street the wrong way and getting you lost every time you turn it on.

Lately I haven’t gone on as many vacations. I haven’t been flying as much as I used to, but I am flying alone a lot more. Pretty much every time I’ve been on a plane in the last year and a half, actually. I  often go by myself to see my relatives in the south, like Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Georgia. I’ve gone all of those places by myself this year.

Almost every time I have flown recently I have gone through the Chicago O’hare airport. I have that place memorized. There’s a Starbucks right after security and a Johnny Rockette’s just a little ways down. It also has this place called Argo Tea. It’s delicious and I always have to go there to try some weird type of tea and eat some macaroons. I was stuck in this airport for about four hours coming back from Mississippi last summer, so I walked around while I was bored.

I also know the Atlanta airport pretty well from flying there so many times. There’s a Popeye’s on concourse B. That’s really the only thing you need to know.

There are some crazy people in the airports. Foreign people seem to be the craziest. I’m sure I’d look just as stupid as them if I was in another country and could barely speak the language…but man do they annoy me. They always seem to walk so slow...RIGHT in front of you. This is only a problem in big airports really, but it’s so annoying when it happens. They walk slowly in front of you and then turn around and run into you. Or they walk the wrong way. This is America people, we walk like we drive. It’s the opposite of Britain. They also seem to talk louder than everyone else. They get on their phone and start yappin’ in their foreign language. They also just cause problems. Again I’m sure I would too if I were in a foreign country. I wouldn’t know how everything works. But it seems like every flight I’m on they have to go up to the counter and make sure they have a seat, or on the flight they are trying to talk on the phone while we’re in the air and the flight attendant has to come tell them they can’t do that.

The other annoying people are first time fliers. I mean, it’s kind of cute if it’s a little kid. But if you’re a teenager or adult and you’ve somehow never flown before, you need to understand that you have to follow directions. In security you have to take off your shoes and jacket. You need to get rid of any metal on you. Like, how stupid are people? There is a sign RIGHT there and they don’t read it and then they hold up the line and have to go back through the security thing three of four times. It also makes the people working very grumpy, and they’re already scary enough. They also are people who walk very slow in front of you, looking at everything they pass by. Sometimes they freak out about flying. THAT is super annoying to someone like me who passed that scared stage 15 years ago.

Also big families at airports are annoying. Especially ones with small children. The kids scream and cry the WHOLE plane ride. Big families = big migraine for Jessie. They are constantly talking or just making some kind of noise. The kids electronic games are making noise, the husband is on the phone, the teenager is yelling at the 7 year old, the baby is screaming and the mother is yelling at everyone to be quiet. It’s the worst.

There are also crazy people who wear heels at the airport. Like sorry but I just don’t get that. I understand if you have to dress nice because you have to go to a meeting as soon as you get off the plane or something, but don’t you have time to change your shoes woman?! I could not handle that. There’s so much walking in big airports, and standing and waiting.

Crazy crazy people. 

The End of Junior Year

Here it is.

The end of junior year.

Summer is just around the corner.

You would think that means it’s time to relax, but my summers are busier than the school year. Sure, I don’t have to worry about due dates and homework. Overall it may be less stressful. I’m doing fun things instead of boring school, but there’s still so much going on and it’s hard to plan it all out!

I have journalism camp for a week, then church camp the following week. I’m hopefully going to Colorado to look at colleges and have a little fun, then traveling to Oklahoma to visit my family and possibly get a Mustang. I think I’m going on a trip with my boyfriend’s family sometime. That’s already at least four weeks gone out of the summer.

My cousin from Mississippi might also come for a week, or I may go visit her-but that one is less solid than the others because she’s getting ready for college and whatever else.

Between all these trips and camps I’m going to try to find time to hang out with friends… and my boyfriend who will be leaving for college in a mere 3ish months. That’s terrifying. And even THAT time is extremely limited because he’s going to be working 6 days a week. That’s even more terrifying.

And with all of this, I think I am somehow expected to get a job. HA. No one is going to hire someone who can work literally like 2 weeks out of the whole summer. I’m not going to waste the tiny bit of free time I have WORKING. I’m already stressed out enough about this crazy summer!

During that tiny bit of free time I want to have bonfires on our new land, and go mudding and camping and swim in the creek at night. Wow I just sound like a redneck don’t I? Oh well. It’s true. I also want to go to Adventureland and maybe Chicago for a weekend. I want to take art classes somewhere and do lots of photography stuff. I plan to try to get really skinny this summer (which probably will be pushed down to the bottom of my priority list.) I was going to go to Farrell’s or some gym.. I guess I could just save some time each day by not eating! Just kidding. I love food that’s like my MAIN priority. Ha. I’m going to have to start working on scholarships and figuring out what I want to do with my life. I have to/would like to go to about 20 grad parties, 8 of which are on the same day. They’re all important people to me… I can’t leave one out! There’s so many things to do and such little time.

MAKE IT STOP. How do people do this? I don’t understand how some people can be involved in sports and clubs and choir AND have to do all this! Perhaps their summer is not filled to the brim like mine. Because this just seems ridiculous.

I’m going to be so white this summer because I’m never going to have a second to just lay outside in the pool and tan.

I would love for this summer to go by slowly, but I know it won’t. It never does. I’m saying goodbye to junior year, soon I’ll be saying goodbye to summer and all the things I hoped to achieve in it. 

Random Acts of Kindness

Yesterday someone did something nice for me. 

I was at Barnes and Noble, trying to relax and do something I like before the dreaded AP Lang test the next morning. I wanted to get a National Geographic book on photography, but it was 30 dollars and I was pretty sure I only had 27. I ended up just getting a magazine on photography and a magazine on weddings. The cashier smiled and winked and sang, "Someone's getting married!" I just awkwardly shook my head and said no. It's weird how often I get asked that. Do I look like I'm in my 20's? Anyway, the total was about 11 dollars so I was sure I'd have enough. I gave her my debit card, and apparently, there was only 4 dollars on it. I told the cashier that I'd just come back and she said she would hold it for me. All of the sudden the woman behind me asked the cashier how much the difference was. The cashier told her 7 dollars. The lady and her young daughter walked up and she said that she would just pay. It was so nice. I didn't even know how to respond... I just said, "Oh no you don't have to do that..." The lady insisted and I just thanked her over and over. The cashier said "Wow that is so nice!" I didn't know what else to say. Maybe I should have gotten her name so I could send her a thank-you note with the 7 dollars somehow. I know it was only 7 dollars... but still, a total stranger just offering to pay because some teenager didn't do her math right after she bought two Starbucks frappuccinos earlier? (She didn't know that...but still) Who does that? Getting the magazines isn't even what made me happy... I really could have survived without them, but just a random stranger being unimaginably kind to someone made me feel happy. 

Though they are rare, I've heard of these random acts of kindness a lot. Once when I was little some random man in a restaurant paid for me and my parent's meal. I've heard of a friend or two of mine paying for the person behind them in the drive through line. This is more common, but if someone's car breaks down or they slide into the ditch in the winter, people pull over on the side of the road to help them, and even give them their coat while they wait. My boyfriend and I dug someone out of a snowbank once. My dad's pulled people out lots of times. But paying for someone's meal (or magazines) purely out of random kindness? 

That's just wonderful. It makes me want to get a job just so I can do things like that for other people. I want to buy breakfast at Perkins for some old lady sitting all alone. I'm always tempted to leave random notes of kindness around at school or on people's cars, but I don't want anyone to see me do it or recognize my handwriting. I'm also tempted to create a twitter account that just tweets compliments at random people in the twittersphere but I feel like that might just be seen as creepy... 

I always see people tweet about random things that they want... or about how happy they would be if someone brought them food. Of course no one ever does that. But imagine of someone did? If someone they may not even be good friends with showed up with exactly what they wanted... just to be nice. Or if someone mailed them something they really want with no return address so they have no idea who it's from. I want to do that for people. I just want to see how they react... but I mostly just want to let everyone know that people care about them and notice them even if they aren't friends or close friends. People like that lady at Barnes and Noble care about people. Just people. Complete strangers are still people. I love that and I want to be that kind of person too. You can make someone's day.. maybe week or even month- just by a simple random act of kindness. 

A Love Story

One of the greatest love stories I have ever heard happened in my very own family. All of this is 100% true. 

It began in a little schoolhouse in Mississippi during the 20s. Just a boy and a girl in elementary school, passing notes and talking constantly. To solve all of the disruptions this little boy and little girl created in class, the teacher separated them. Jack Lee and Ouida Waldrop were just children, growing up together in the tiny schoolhouse but they didn’t know they would grow old together as well.

They both had grown up poor. Jack came from a family of eight children. His father was a train engineer, but his mother wanted to settle in the country. They moved to Brookhaven on a farm where Jack and all of his siblings worked. His father was gone to work on the trains a lot, but him and his siblings made the best of it swimming in a creek or playing ball.

Ouida was the oldest of nine children and grew up in the country in Mississippi with her family who sharecropped. Everyone in the family helped, and eventually they had enough to buy their own patch of farmland near Brookhaven. Despite all the hard work, the children still had fun picking blackberries and reading by the fire.

As they entered high school, they remained close and became even closer. They were dating one another and as the Mississippi weather heated up, so did their love. Ouida had to move with her family for a while because they were out of work. The couple was devastated. Jack couldn’t go without seeing her. This is where it begins to sound like something straight out of a Nicholas Sparks book. Ouida was sitting in the sand in her yard looking at the dry cracked road and thinking of Jack, when she suddenly saw someone walking towards her. Her wonderful boyfriend had walked and hitch-hiked about 150 miles across the state of Mississippi to see her!

 Jack was still in high school and Ouida had just graduated from East Lincoln High School. Their love had grown to where the only thing they could think of was to get married. Only 17 years old, they came up with a plan to elope. The couple said that they were going to a play at school, when really, they were about to leave and go to another county. They borrowed someone’s car and five dollars and drove to a preacher’s house where they got married. They were just wearing their normal clothes so they wouldn’t be asked any questions because they told no one. Jack drove them back to Lincoln County and the two parted and went home to their families. Their wedding was on October 24^th 1940.

It became difficult for Ouida and Jack, hardly spending time together and keeping their marriage a secret. The only option was to tell their families. Once they did, they moved back and forth living a few weeks with the Waldrops and a few with the Lees. Shortly after that, they moved to Savannah Georgia where Jack’s brother lived. Jack worked at a paper company and Ouida attended secretarial school. Also during their time in Savannah, they went to the Church of the Nazarene which influenced them in the rest of their lives.

Sadly, more separation was to come for Ouida and Jack. He served in the Navy in 1942 to 1945 and was soon sent overseas to the Philippines. They sent each other letters and pictures; Jack sent her one on July 24^th 1945 and wrote, “I love you darling, Jack.” Later during the war Jack was stationed near Savannah but was sent to Texas and Florida. Ouida found time to go visit him, and when she wasn’t there, she worked for an Army General. On December 5^th, 1945 Jack was off duty and could be back with his true love.

One year later they began attending Bethany Nazarene College in Oklahoma. They made many friends and began to become established church members. Ouida worked in the church office while Jack taught a Sunday school class for 12 year old boys. Jack decided to become a preacher, and they received their first pastorate in the town of Hooker, Oklahoma.

At the age of 28, Ouida had her first child, Dinah Kay. Not long after, they moved to Kansas City to work at another church. They then had another baby girl, Jennifer Gay. Their church, family, and of course their love, grew. Again they moved, this time to Newport, Kentucky. The church was sad, but new opportunities came and so did a new baby girl: my mom. Rebecca Lynn was born on December 24^th, 1959. They moved to Baltimore, Maryland and pastored there for a while next. Constantly moving around, they arrived in Kankakee, Illinois in 1964 where they lived for about 5 years. The girls made a lot of friends, and another daughter was born: Jacqueline Beth. Jack and Ouida were 46 years old!

The church in Illinois threw Jack and Ouida a party for their 25^th anniversary, but they soon left for Georgia. This was their most beloved church family and it was hard to leave them, but Jack was called to be District Superintendent of Georgia. He spent a lot of time traveling and meeting people of the churches around Georgia. Ouida stayed home with her girls during the week, and on weekends they often visited nearby churches.

Dinah soon graduated, as well as Jenni who graduated early. They went off to college and it was just Becki and Jackie at home. But a tragedy soon arose. Jackie crawled into the street while a babysitter was taking care of her and was hit by a car and killed at 22 months old. Even though everyone was sad and grieving, the family loved each other and Jack and Ouida never became unpleasant with one another.

The family went on several little vacations, even though the girls were all growing up. Becki soon went off to college and in time, all three daughters were married. They had a special day to celebrate Jack and Ouida’s 41^st anniversary in 1981.

Just months later Jack became diagnosed with mesothelioma. He could no longer fight the horrid disease, and died on March 14, 1982. Him and Ouida’s love stayed strong through all those years, and in the last moment she is what he was thinking of. With his last breath, he whispered, “Ouida.”

This is the true love story of Jack and Ouida Lee. My mother typed it and created a scrapbook timeline of their romance. I’m retelling it in my own way, but everything I wrote is absolutely true! It sounds just like something out of a movie. If every married couple had a love like this there would be no divorces. This is the kind of love everyone should wait for and find; one that will last through pain and separation, and grows after fighting these battles. I want a marriage like theirs. They made it seem easy, though I’m sure at times it wasn’t. But pulling through is the most important thing. You have to remember what you love about someone. 

The Job Question

I don't think teenagers should have jobs.

But this summer I might get bored. And I might want some extra money. Or money to save for my wedding some day. 

So I'm considering getting a job... I know.. It's a really big shock. I'm not sure how I feel about it. 

I've thought about a few options... And I should probably find out more about them. My main concern is the hours. I do NOT want a job that will schedule me to work during a time I requested off. My boyfriend is working as a lifeguard nearly full time...so I have very limited time left with him before he leaves for college and I am not going to have my time with him taken by some stupid job. So. That's why pretty much any job that teenagers could have won't work for me. Those kinds of jobs are always scheduling you for whenever they want or people call you into work... I just could not handle that. I have higher priorities than some worthless job that pays $7.50 and hour. 

I've considered working at Starbucks. But my friend who worked there said the hours were bad and sometimes they'd schedule you for bad times. And I can't have that! However, I loooove Starbucks. I like to make smoothies and I'd love to learn to make their delicious drinks. I'd be a coffee snob, and know what everything is, and I'm okay with that. I'd see lots of people I know and that's alright too. I'd probably get really fat though. Just being around the drinks would make me crave them even more than I already do. I feel like I'd purposely mess them up just so I can drink the mess-ups. 

My friend has also offered me a job at her parent's warehouse. They own B&H Factory Outlet. They actually used to live across the street from me and began the business in the basement of that house. They are the largest clothing store on Ebay which is crazy. They have a big warehouse somewhere nearby and they have many employees. She said I could work as a photographer and take pictures of the models and mannequins, or someone who does inventory or a desk job or whatever else there is in a warehouse. I think it might be kind of fun because many girls my own age work there... but they're all from Linn Mar and are friends so it might be kind of awkward. It could also get kind of boring if I was just stocking shelves or typing in numbers on a computer. It doesn't sound that bad though, and she told me the hours are pretty flexible especially since they know me. Plus you get free or discounted Victoria's Secret swimsuits I'm pretty sure! So perhaps I'll work there.

Another job I wouldn't hate would be working somewhere like David's Bridal. I love love love weddings and wedding dresses and just everything about it. I love the emotion the brides-to-be have and hearing the comments from the friends or family they bring. Of course being one of the consultants would be the best, but I don't think they give those jobs to teenagers. I wouldn't mind just doing inventory of the dresses though. I'd still get to see some brides and I'd constantly be looking through all the beautiful dresses. Maybe they'd even let me try one on. I really want to try on wedding dresses... I suffer from addiction of Say Yes to the Dress and it's making me want to work somewhere like Kleinfeld or Bridals by Lori. (I'm watching that show as I write this). I'm not sure that they even hire teens, or if they are hiring at all. But it'd be fun. 

The main thing I am thinking about doing is interning for a photography company. Photography is my thing and I enjoy it no matter what. I don't want a job that I won't enjoy, and this would be wonderful in advancing my photography career. It would give me experience and help me in the future, even if I am not getting paid. I could learn new techniques from the other photographers and I would get my name out there for business as well. Perhaps I would get to attend weddings (which I would love) to take pictures or set everyone up for their group photos or something. I'm not really sure what all I would do. My only concern is that I would work Saturdays. That's the only day my boyfriend has off of work... and that's more important. I would love doing this though.

So those are my options. If anything else comes up I'll consider it, but this is all I can think of that I'd be willing to do. I absolutely would not work at a fast food place, or probably any food place other than ice cream or smoothies or something. I could not be a waitress. I'm way too clumsy. I couldn't work just typing in stuff on a computer all day. It'd be too much like school. I wouldn't like working at a store like Hy-Vee and dealing with old people who tell you their life stories as they are checking out. I wouldn't like stocking shelves all day either. Nothing involving math...so not a cashier unless it told me the exact change to give back. So yeah. I really don't know if I want a job or not. I will probably find out some more about each one I'm considering and we will see if I decide to get a dreaded job!

PROM

I finally was asked to prom...! 

And I went.

So one Thursday after my guitar lesson, I was driving home with my dad and when we pulled up there was a huge banner in front of my garage that said "Prom?" Jared then drove up and got out. I hugged him and said yes. (Obviously). 

We went with a vintage look. I spent hours searching antique stores for the perfect vintage hair piece for the 20's hairstyle I wanted. I never found one so I settled on a broach that my dad turned into a hair clip. My dress was long, classy, and red. It had sparkly capped sleeves which inspired the whole vintage thing we were going for. I got my makeup done at Estee Lauder- winged eyeliner and classic red lips. I think Jared looked better than me though. I made him wear a bow-tie, which, despite his pouting, he deemed a "good call" after looking in the mirror at his attractiveness. His tux was black with a white vest. The only red he had was the flower. It was perfect. 

My dress was a bit too long, and I was really scared of tripping going down the stairs at Grand March. I didn't so yay. They have dinner at the school, right after pictures and the grand march. It was pretty good; chicken, ham, and potatoes. During dinner they showed seniors who won random awards, like "bluest eyes... Best smile..." Well, my awesome hunk of a boyfriend won "most smokin' car". I was prettttttty proud of his sexy Mustang and him!

Personally I like the CPU dances more than Kennedy's. I don't know anyone really, so I can dance like a complete idiot and I don't have to face the people who see me every day. Jared does, but he doesn't care. Plus, everyone else dances crazy anyway because most people at his school don't grind. I like that because you aren't pressured to. At Kennedy you look like a weirdo if you don't. At CPU you look like a weirdo if you do. Almost right after the dance started, Jared went up and requested "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong. He sings that to me sometimes and we danced to it before and it was really romantic. It was so sweet that he did that. We had fun... even though my dress kept getting stepped on. 

Post prom surprisingly went by really fast. Really the whole night seemed to go by way too fast. They had bouncy inflatables that were fun... no mechanical bull this year but oh well. There just weren't as many fun activities as the year before, but we were still occupied pretty much the whole time. You get tickets for every activity you do, then you put them into buckets to win prizes. Jared didn't win any-he wanted the TV. Every student from his school wins a smaller prize, he got gloves or something but gave it away. They had extras so I got perfume. There was a hypnotist which was fun to watch. Jared went up to get hypnotized  but it only worked on him for like 5 minutes then he fell out of it. I was sad... I wanted to see him dance like Beyonce and be silly. Overall though, it was really fun and exhausting. I'm still recovering from all of this fun craziness. 

The Perfect Date

I would be so good at giving some girl the perfect date.

If only I were a dude.

Oh well, maybe my boyfriend will read this and get some ideas ;) I'm just going to write about things that can be done here in Iowa... this would be much more exciting in other areas. 

It would start out before the sun rises. We'd drive out by some lake or somewhere pretty in a pickup truck. He would have piled the bed of the truck with blankets and pillows and brought some breakfast to go. He wouldn't have even told me he was coming, just show up at my house with flowers and drag me outside and into his truck. He wouldn't even let me get out of my pajamas or put on makeup. We'd go drive up close to the lake or wherever and then he'd make me get out. I'd crawl up into the back and see the perfect cozy place to cuddle and eat breakfast and watch the sun rise. And we would do just that. Then we'd fall asleep for a little bit since it was so early.

After that we would come home and he would tell me to go get ready, like shower and all that. While I'm in the bathroom he would pick out the perfect outfit for our date and lay it all out on my bed so I know exactly what to put on. He'd tell me to get my swimsuit and some towels and put them in a bag, and maybe some extra clothes too. Next we'd just stroll through a park, maybe go in some little shops. We'd act silly and try on weird hats and glasses and things. We might even go to a museum or just somewhere we can walk around and look at things and people can look at us and how cute and awesome we are. We'd have lunch in a simple little place, maybe even take it to go for a picnic  We'd get dessert and share it and sit there for a little bit and just talk.

Then we would take a boat or canoe out into the lake or river and ride around for no reason. We'd reenact the scene from The Notebook just to be weird. And we'd drink sparkling grape juice in a wine glass packed in a picnic basket. In fact, maybe we'd have our lunch picnic on the boat. 

It would be during the summer when it's warm and nice. If there was a local fair or anything going on we'd go ride some rides for a bit. Definitely the Ferris Wheel. By then it'd be about time for dinner. He would have made reservations for some really nice place and surprised me. He would just have the whole day planned out. That's the most important thing. 

Next we'd drive out far away and lay in the bed of the truck and look at the stars some more. It'd be pretty late by then, and he'd drive us to a creek and we'd swim under the stars. It might be a little cold but it's still fun to swim in a creek. No one around, just the crickets chirping and the frogs croaking. 

Reluctantly, we'd head home. He would come and open the door of the truck and walk me to the door and kiss me goodnight. A great ending to an exciting day. *Sighh.....*