I graduated high school nearly 4 years ago. I can't remember what it's like to have 3 minutes between classes. I don't remember my lunch number. I think it's 1-0-5-0-something. I guess it doesn't really matter anymore. That was a long time ago.
I went to a small high school. There were maybe 450 of us in the whole school, including teachers. Truth be told, I didn't learn much. I THOUGHT I was learning, but once I got to UT I realized that I knew nothing. Don't get me wrong. I had a few really good teachers, but for every good teacher there was a bad one to cancel out the positive effects. Do I wish I had gone to another school? No. Am I going to be one of those people who swears their children will never be in a Morgan County school? No. Why? Because I realize the value of community that is created when a 100 kids stick together long enough to become lifelong friends as opposed to just classmates.
The thing I miss least about high school is the most cliche answer possible-the drama. Everybody says this, but the funny thing is you're never really completely dramafree afterwards either. I guess the joke's on us.
My most missed memory of high school would have to be hanging out at the picnic tables beside the school after lunch. We were so dumb, but those wasted minutes were an escape from the cinderblock that we stared at for the other 7 and a half hours we were at school.
Things have changed since high school. People have changed since high school. Over 30 of our classmates have a kid. Several are married. Some are married with a kid/kids. Where am I? Sitting in a lecture hall at UT remembering how high school used to feel.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Weddings
I love weddings. I love everything about them. I love the flowers, the dresses, the tuxes, the cake, the guests, the family, the ceremony, and the reception. My single favorite moment in a wedding is the look on the groom's face when he sees his bride for the first time. It's almost as if everything bad in the world goes away for that one moment. The world freezes, and the guests get to feel the love in the room.
Today I was working our first bridal show in Knoxville, and I got to interact with brides from all backgrounds. Although I was dealing primarily with my fashion show models, I met a lot of beautiful brides to be. I think it's interesting how something as traditional as a wedding ceremony can become so stylized and personal.
One of the big trends in weddings now is to go over the top with 200+ guests and extravagance fit for a king and queen. This works great for some couples, but my favorite affairs are the intimate weddings with small guest lists, lots of love, and dancing. On that note, it seems like no one dances at weddings anymore. That saddens me. Dance is an awesome for of expression, and I believe that we should dance when we are overjoyed. I recently read a book by Donald Miller (my favorite author) and he said:
"One of the things that gives me hope is that even with all of the tragedy in the world the bible says that when we get to heaven there will be a wedding, and there will be drinking and dancing."
What a beautiful quote. I guess Donald Miller feels the same way I do about weddings.
Today I was working our first bridal show in Knoxville, and I got to interact with brides from all backgrounds. Although I was dealing primarily with my fashion show models, I met a lot of beautiful brides to be. I think it's interesting how something as traditional as a wedding ceremony can become so stylized and personal.
One of the big trends in weddings now is to go over the top with 200+ guests and extravagance fit for a king and queen. This works great for some couples, but my favorite affairs are the intimate weddings with small guest lists, lots of love, and dancing. On that note, it seems like no one dances at weddings anymore. That saddens me. Dance is an awesome for of expression, and I believe that we should dance when we are overjoyed. I recently read a book by Donald Miller (my favorite author) and he said:
"One of the things that gives me hope is that even with all of the tragedy in the world the bible says that when we get to heaven there will be a wedding, and there will be drinking and dancing."
What a beautiful quote. I guess Donald Miller feels the same way I do about weddings.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
The Farmer's Market
Have you ever been to a place that felt happy? I don't mean that YOU necessarily felt happy. I mean that the place simply radiates happiness. If you've ever been to the Market Square Farmers Market, I guarantee you've experienced this. No where on earth is like it. They say that Disneyworld is the happiest place on earth, but I have my doubts. The Farmers Market is where it's at.
Today was the perfect day for strolling through the Square. The weather was amazing, the sky is becoming that beautiful shade of October blue, and people were relaxed. I walked into the market just to look around and was truly inspired by everything I experienced.
Let's start with the sights of the market. Tables upon tables of fresh produce line rows of the market. One man in particular sells the most beautiful peppers you've ever seen. They colors are vibrant and the man who grows them is passionate about what he sells. I love that old man. Just past that table there is an okra table, a pastry table, and a man playing the fiddle (I'll come back to that...). You walk past more rows of produce and dairy before coming to the rows of crafts. There's a guy who sells recycled bottle vases. He struck me as particularly interesting, so I stopped to check out his wares. Needless to say, I bought a vase today. Perhaps my favorite sight in the market is that of little old couples on benches enjoying their mornings together. I love to see this happy couples enjoying each other's company. I hope that I'm lucky enough to have something like that someday.
The sounds of the market are like the symphony of Knoxville. No, I'm not talking about KSO. I'm talking about what Knoxville REALLY sounds like. Let's go back to the man with the fiddle. This man was sitting on a suitcase (which he used for percussion), playing a fiddle, and using his feet to keep rythm on a tambourine. His music combined with the rising and falling of voices made for the steady beat of the city. Add in the laughter of children, the cries of babies, and the chimes on the doors of stores and you have one of the most beautiful melodies you'll ever hear.
Oftentimes it's hard to say that an urban center smells good, but on Farmer's Market days, Downtown smells amazing. The combination of fresh biscuits, pastries, produce, and neighboring restaurants create an intoxicating fragrance that could lull even the fullest stomach into making a purchase. I managed to avoid the temptation in the market, but was drawn into the French Market for a cinnamon crepe. Simply delicious.
My absolute favorite part of the farmer's market is the camaraderie. I love the friendly faces, but I love the actual people behind the faces even more. This adorable little old man in an elbow-patched jacket struck up the most amazing conversation with me. As I was walking away from some lovely ladies I was chatting with he caught me by the arm and told me I reminded him of his wife 40 years ago. I found that endearing, albeit odd and decided to continue the conversation. He then proceeded to tell me about her laugh, her Christian walk, and her love for homespun yarns. As I listened to him I realized that everyone I encounter has an amazing story, but I'm often too busy to hear it. At the farmers market, life is different. You walk slower, smile continuously, and listen more.
So if you're ever looking for me in Knoxville on a Saturday morning, you may as well come on down to Market Square. I'll be there listening to life stories, buying ecclectic items, and loving how happy it feels at the market.
Today was the perfect day for strolling through the Square. The weather was amazing, the sky is becoming that beautiful shade of October blue, and people were relaxed. I walked into the market just to look around and was truly inspired by everything I experienced.
Let's start with the sights of the market. Tables upon tables of fresh produce line rows of the market. One man in particular sells the most beautiful peppers you've ever seen. They colors are vibrant and the man who grows them is passionate about what he sells. I love that old man. Just past that table there is an okra table, a pastry table, and a man playing the fiddle (I'll come back to that...). You walk past more rows of produce and dairy before coming to the rows of crafts. There's a guy who sells recycled bottle vases. He struck me as particularly interesting, so I stopped to check out his wares. Needless to say, I bought a vase today. Perhaps my favorite sight in the market is that of little old couples on benches enjoying their mornings together. I love to see this happy couples enjoying each other's company. I hope that I'm lucky enough to have something like that someday.
The sounds of the market are like the symphony of Knoxville. No, I'm not talking about KSO. I'm talking about what Knoxville REALLY sounds like. Let's go back to the man with the fiddle. This man was sitting on a suitcase (which he used for percussion), playing a fiddle, and using his feet to keep rythm on a tambourine. His music combined with the rising and falling of voices made for the steady beat of the city. Add in the laughter of children, the cries of babies, and the chimes on the doors of stores and you have one of the most beautiful melodies you'll ever hear.
Oftentimes it's hard to say that an urban center smells good, but on Farmer's Market days, Downtown smells amazing. The combination of fresh biscuits, pastries, produce, and neighboring restaurants create an intoxicating fragrance that could lull even the fullest stomach into making a purchase. I managed to avoid the temptation in the market, but was drawn into the French Market for a cinnamon crepe. Simply delicious.
My absolute favorite part of the farmer's market is the camaraderie. I love the friendly faces, but I love the actual people behind the faces even more. This adorable little old man in an elbow-patched jacket struck up the most amazing conversation with me. As I was walking away from some lovely ladies I was chatting with he caught me by the arm and told me I reminded him of his wife 40 years ago. I found that endearing, albeit odd and decided to continue the conversation. He then proceeded to tell me about her laugh, her Christian walk, and her love for homespun yarns. As I listened to him I realized that everyone I encounter has an amazing story, but I'm often too busy to hear it. At the farmers market, life is different. You walk slower, smile continuously, and listen more.
So if you're ever looking for me in Knoxville on a Saturday morning, you may as well come on down to Market Square. I'll be there listening to life stories, buying ecclectic items, and loving how happy it feels at the market.
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