Ride of my Life

Okay folks. So i’m doing something that’s never been done before. In front of me are two fortune cookies (unopened) that i’m about to open…LIVE….right now. And i’m not lying either. I got the two fortune cookies from a study break held at my building tonight. We had chinese food and it was delicious. Anyway…I got two fortune cookies….one brown and one white. This is a good representation of my ethnicity so I thought it was very appropriate.

Okay. Here I go. I’m about to open them both right now right here….on the world wide web….in front of millions.

Drum roll please. Here I go to open the first one…the white one.

[ u n w r a p p i n g ]

[ o p e n i n g t h e c o o k i e ]

And let’s see what it says:
“Listen to life, and you will hear the voice of life crying, Be!”

Wow. I don’t think i’ve ever had a stupider one than that. It’s semi-profound, but nonetheless very silly. I didn’t like it at all. On a scale of 1 to 10 I give it a 3.

Okay next.

[ u n w r a p p i n g ]

[ o p e n i n g t h e c o o k i e ]

Now for what it says. Hopefully it’s better than the last…and I hope it sheds more light on the “secret adventure” that’s in store for me (from my blog a few days ago).

“Today is a perfect day to give that special person a gift.”

Hmmm. Interesting. First off….I don’t have a girlfriend. Second, the girl I WOULD give something special to (see blog from April 24th) is on vacation right now in Thailand. But I definitely liked this fortune better than the first.

And just to embarrass myself even more…how bout I share with the world something small that I did do for her. However, it was before I got the fortune. You ready? It might be the nerdiest thing you’ve ever seen. Seriously. Only nerds do this kinda thing. Okay. To check it out, go here www.mickhagen.com/rd. Haha…how embarrassing.

Fortune cookies. Aaagh. I used to believe in Santa Claus…then I noticed that the handwriting on all the presents was identical to my mom’s. I used to believe in the tooth fairy…but then one time I woke up while my daddy was sneaking loose change under my pillow. And now the fortune cookies. I used to believe. But after the last 5 fortune cookies, I’m starting to realize it’s all just a big hoax. No fortune. No destiny. No meaning. Just crazy foreigners making money off little Christian nerds from Utah. That’s really all it is. Capitalism. Darn you!

Bed time. I’m waking up early. Tomorrow we’re going to NYC to chill at NBC studios. My broadcast journalism teacher is a producer there and basically we’re just gonna chill there all day…talking to the execs, seeing how it all goes down, etc. I’m excited.

Peace out gangstas.
Mickey Lee Hagen

OF THE DAY AWARDS…
Highlight of the day: Church is always uplifting. Getting a sweet email from my buddy in Thailand.
Lowlight of the day: Nothing.
Biggest Surprise of the day: No surprises.
Biggest nerds of the day:Dan O’Shea. Phil Stern. Webmastaz know how to roll.
Crush of the day: Autumn Andersen. She’s straight up ghetto-fabulous.
Song of the day: Love at Home (it’s a hymn)
Quote of the day: “Girls are like pianos. When they’re not upright, they’re grand.” – Benny Hill

2,524.

That’s how many photos I took today. My arms, wrists, fingers, and forearms are sore. The camera itself isn’t really that heavy. However the lenses are. And holding it up for a total of 6 hours in a day can be quite exhausting.

I was hired to shoot at Silas Riener’s Senior Thesis Production in the afternoon for a couple hours. And at night, I was hired to shoot at the Disiac shows. Both of them. It was fun. But i’m exhausted. I’m ready to sleep now.

Here are a couple pics from today.

Here are just a couple of Disi’s faceboard pics that I took (these are from a couple days ago)

Photography is awesome. It’s an art. I love art. I’m an artist. I have fun with it. And as a bonus, I get paid to do it. Nothing in the world beats gettin’ paid for doing something you enjoy! And that’s the bottom line. Life is too short to be wasting time doing unenjoyable things. Some people would argue with that…but I stand firm in my belief: Do what you enjoy! Do what you enjoy! Do what you enjoy!

Moving on.
So I met a really hot girl today. It’s tough cuz I kinda already have a girl on my mind…ya know….the girl i’ve been talkin’ about in my last few blog entries. However, she’s not my girlfriend (yet)…so I don’t feel at all “bad” by expressing my feelings publicly in saying that the girl I met today is hot. For indeed she’s hot. It’s funny cuz she was the crush of my day yesterday (I hadn’t yet met her), but today while I was taking pics at the Disi show…we met. I think it’d be fun to get to know her better. Word to Alison’s mother.

Okay kiddos. I’m tired. I need sleep. I’m so sad I didn’t find time to go to the gym today. Tomorrow I won’t miss it. Also, tomorow we (BodyHype) are performing at Communiversity (a thing that the university does with the community of Princeton). We perform at 4:00. Stan Hope Stage (I think that’s what it’s called). Be there if you wanna see the Micksters shake his booty like a madman.

Peace out. And I still haven’t discovered what my “secret adventure” is.

Mucho amor,
Mickey

OF THE DAY AWARDS…
Highlight of the day: The Benjamins. Also, today we had some sweet meetings related to the big time business venture i’m involved with. This sucker is rolling…and i’m excited. I might need to take more time off from school….we’ll see. But don’t quote me on that…cuz the venture is still in the very early stages.
Lowlight of the day: Not workin’ out.
Biggest Surprise of the day: Running into my crush at the Disi show.
Biggest nerd of the day: Me. I’m just a straight up nerd.
Sweet diggity Dogs of the day: Disiac. I liked their show.
Crush #1 of the day: Alison Wood. That’s sayin’ something….cuz I never put someone on here more than one day in a row.
Crush #2 of the day: Marya Stansky. She was picking her nose right in front of me. I thought it showed alot of courage. She’s crush-worthy.
Crush #3 of the day: Perry Nagin. She was looking good tonight on stage at the Disi show.
Song of the day: Star Spangled Banner
Quote of the day: “All my life, I always wanted to be somebody. Now I see that I should
have been more specific.” — Jane Wagner

“A secret adventure is in store for you.”

Hmm. Interesting. What does that mean? I wanted to know what all this “secret adventure” talk was about. I was determined to find out. Curious, I decided to grab another fortune cookie from the big bowl.

I grabbed a cookie, ripped the wrappers off, cut the cookie in two, and squeezed the thin paper out.

“Your enthusiam inspires people.”

Yeah…that’s kinda cool. But I wanna know what my adventure is. I want answers! It was driving me crazy.

Third time’s the charm, I thought. So I quickly did an Amazonian tribal chant to the Fortune Cookie Fairy and made a run for the money, grabbing a third fortune cookie.

I ripped that sucker open like it was Christmas morning. The only thing between me and heaven was that darn wrapping paper.

I started reading the fortune.

“You are naturally high-spirited and confident. Others admire these qualities in you.” Blah blah blah blah. I still remained unsatisfied with my fortune. I was seeking further light with respect to my first fortune….and I couldn’t find it anywhere. I gave up on the clue-seeking and whispered angry nothings to the Fortune Cookie Fairy. That little dork. My “secret adventure” remains a secret. And secrets, kids, don’t make friends.

So anyway….I received alot of feedback from my last blog, “A blog on love.” I don’t know how, but that day I completely beat all previous records for “hits” and page views. I guess people liked it…and I guess people told friends. An incredible amount of people read it that day. It made me happy. Cuz I felt like I put alot of emotion into that blog. It was coming straight from the heart. From the depths of the soul. And i’m not afraid to express my feelings with the world. I’ve got nothing to hide. I’m falling for a girl…and she’s a princess. Her magestic prowess is hard to match up to. But i’ll try my best. She’s special.

My parents are probably freaking out right now….cuz they don’t really know how much I like the girl. They’re in Paris right now having their own romantic escapades (yet still finding time to read my blogs…I saw that someone logged onto my site from Paris today…..it could only be them). So dad, if you’re reading this right now, I want you to do me a favor. Give mom a big fat kiss. Yes. Right now….in that nice little Café with hairy French women staring at you. Give her a kiss. I’m sure you’ve already given many….but give her one more. Tell her to calm down. I’m not getting married anytime soon. Lil’ Mickey Jr. isn’t gonna be at Grandma’s causing a ruckus anytime soon either. I’m okay. I’m under control. I know how many fingers you’re holding up. No worries. All i’m saying is that summer time is gonna be alot of fun…..and that Rachel and I are gonna really get to know how close that bridge of love really is.

K. Done with that.

So tonight was the dodgeball tourney at Dillon. It was so much fun! I really got into it…I played for BodyHype, Butler, USG and everyonce in awhile I’d sneek on with teams to just to help ‘em out. It was a 64 team tourney of all the organizations, teams, etc….the entire school basically. Butler got knocked out in the first round, USG got knocked out in the second round, but I was happy to see that we got to the sweet sixteen with BodyHype. We smoked Triangle. Sorry drama queens. And then we smoked the Surfing Club. They didn’t last very long riding that wave. So overall it was alot of fun.

I love competition. I thrive off competition. And I hate losing. I hate losing more than I love winning. I’m not sure if that makes sense…but it’s true. Losing really sucks. And I hate it. I’ve won alot of different things. But i’ve also lost alot of different things. And it’s poo. Poo. Poo. That’s all I have to say about that. It’s a mental thing. I love competition. I love victory. I love triumph. That’s the bottom line. Perhaps i’m too competitive…I don’t know. But it’s life.

That’s all i’m gonna say tonight. The weekend’s gonna be jam packed. Here’s a quick run down of just tomorrow:
9:00am – Register for classes. Then run to East Pyne Media Center
9:30am – Watch the Portugues film in preparation for class later.
11:00am – Meeting with Dean Dunne. And Chris Gueits emailed me and said I also had to talk to Dianna Friedman about some other payment issues related to the Cuban Conference.
12:00pm – Grab a quick lunch.
12:30pm – Portuguese Class. Boo yah. I lived in Brasil for two years so i’m fluent, suckaaaaa!
1:45pm – Chancelor Green Rotunda. Photoshoot with Silas Riener…dancer doing tech run of senior thesis show.
4:00pm – A couple meetings related to a potential business venture I might get involved with. I’m not sure i’m supposed to be talking about it so that’s all i’ll say. But you’ll learn more about this in the future.
6:30pm – Disiac hired me to take some sweet pics at their shows. Also I did the faceboard pics. So if if you go to the show you’ll see some sweet faceboard pics. Shortly i’ll put these photos in the “my photography” section of my site.
9:00pm – I’ll be at Disiac again….snap shootin’ away.
11:15pm – Arrive to my dorm room ready to snooze away. But in reality i’ll probably try to get some work done.

Yup. A jam packed day. And that’s leaving out a gazillion other small things I gotta do. I go to the gym everyday and i’m still trying to figure out where exactly i’ll fit it into this schedule. Only if I wake up early…but that’s not gonna happen. We’ll see I guess. I don’t know.

I’m out. Time to sleep. I gotta read my scriptures. I read them everyday but sometimes I read them so late at night that I don’t get as much out of them as I should. So i’m gonna try to read them early…and really focus on learning more about the Gospel. Oh yeah…and another thing….during Dance rehearsal today in Wilcox…..there was a religious discussion going on next door. There were a bunch of people there…it was a kinda a big deal. They had food (that’s where the fortune cookie was, drinks, snacks, etc) We went out to get some snacks in the back and Thomas Woodson was one of the dudes in charge of this religious discussion (he’s also in BodyHype and is a friend). I told him the Mormons needed a chance to speak….so towards the end he went to the pulpit and announced i’d say a few words. It was fun. I probably talked too much. But basically I talked about my mission, shared some experiences, and talked about my love to serve. Serve God and serve His children. I really didn’t know what the focus of the entire thing was about so I was pretty general in my words. It was fun though.

K. This time i’m out for real. Sweet dreams nerds.

Much Love,
Mickey Lee Hagen

OF THE DAY AWARDS…
Highlight of the day: Dodgeball was pretty fun.
Lowlight of the day: Losing in dodgeball. And not just losing…but a couple games I got out early cuz I was overly aggressive. Blah! That sucked!
Biggest Surprise of the day: Having alot of fun in History class today. An alumni from Princeton came and spoke with us. He comes from one of the wealthiest and most succesful trade families in Greece. We’re learning about Greek trade and it was really interesting to hear it from someone who actually was there. His family’s name is actually in the books we’re reading. Their family was BIG TIME ship owners in Greece. It was a great discussion.
Biggest nerds of the day: Alex Lenahan and Rob Biederman (For the non Princeton readers: they are the President and VP of the Undergraduate Student Body). Those two are goofs. I caught them in their office today. This is what our USG leadership really does when no one is watching.

(i’m just kidding folks. These two are actually doing alot of amazing things for the well-being of the student body. I’ve actually been very impressed with their leadership. The picture was just for fun)

Sweet diggity Dog of the day: Freddy Flaxman for putting together a cool Dodgeball tourney.
Crush #1 of the day: Alison Wood. I don’t know her. But she’s hot.
Crush #2 of the day: Autumn Anderson. I met her once taking pictures of her messy room. She randomly facebooked me today. She’s hot too.
Song of the day: “Just Two Guys” -Lonely Island
Quote of the day: “What is a committee? A group of the unwilling, picked from the unfit, to do the unnecessary.” – Richard Harkness

So anyway…i’m still wondering what my “secret adventure” is all about. Those darn fortune cookies.

Kindergarten. A very long, long time ago. It was a time in my life where I lived as a rebel…peeing on school walls, looking under girls’ skirts from beneath the jungle gym, and slyly throwing all my cut-and-paste homework in the trash, where it belonged. I was a kid. Kids do dumb stuff. They live. They learn. And they forget. However…there is one “feeling” I had back then that every once in awhile comes back to tease my soul.

Yes folks. Let’s talk about love.

Sarah Mckinzer. She was cute. She was smart. She had short brown hair, pale skin, and a smile worth a million pogs. And yes….I worshipped pogs. That and comic books, marvel super hero cards, GI Joes, and of course….NINJA TURTLES. Sarah was sweet. She would smile at me every time I would burp. She must’ve thought it was sexy or something. I don’t know.

One day….for nap time…..I decided I was gonna make my move. I really “liked” this girl….and it was time that I finally express my feelings. I had lived almost the whole year with the love monster tormenting my soul…trying to get out and enjoy some fresh air. I couldn’t keep it in any longer. I had to do something.

So I did.

Nap time. Everyone was asleep…except me of course. I fought hard to stay awake. For I was about to accomplish the mission impossible. I wasn’t quite sure what I was gonna do at that point….but the bottom line is that I needed to do SOMETHING. So I did. The teachers were in their office. The kids were all asleep on their Snoopy and Pooh Blankies. And then there’s me….slowly….making movements to get on my knees and start the “army crawl” towards Sarah Mckinzer.

So I start.

If you were looking at me from the window, it would be like watching a little salamander in an aquarium….in slow motion….weaving in…..and out……of weeds and brush. I was slowly making my way around the other kids making sure I didn’t wake anybody up. That would mean disaster. I wasn’t ready for that. Peeing on walls was a good life….and I wasn’t about to lose that privilege over some nap time mishap.

Minutes passed. Many minutes passed. Finally when I reached Sarah…..I froze. I stared at that little princess…wondering what I was to do next. Was I to wake her up, round up the horse and carriage, and ride off into fairy land? Was I to caress her silky brown hair as I whispered lullabies into her cute little ear? Perhaps I was to meet her lips with mine, softly, as any kindergartner knows how.

Drops of sweat trickled down my brow….made its way down my cheek….finally reaching the corner of my lips where I could taste the saltiness of the moment. It wasn’t sweet. It was salty. It was sketchy. It was like the beginning of a crazy horror film. Everyone was asleep except the creepy killer, at the bedside of his one true love. His princess. The one he’d had an eye on for quite sometime.

I freaked out. I realized that I was in quite the predicament so I quickly started making my way back to my blankie. My safe place. My “home.” Half way there I realized NO…NO….NO. I was getting it all wrong. I couldn’t blow an opportunity. I had to do something. I had worked so hard to get to that point. Something needed to be done. Bragging rights during recess were on the line. I couldn’t chicken out. It was game time. My “coolness” was in jeopardy.

So I started back for Sarah. I reached her and I decided that the very least I was to do was….well…..to touch her leg. Her cute little, growing calf muscle. Slowly I let my right arm dangle closer and closer. The moment of impact occurred. It was a sweet, smooth landing. No turbulence. No bumps no bruises. No oxygen masks or warning lights. The skin of my 2 inch index finger and the smooth skin of her baby calf joined together. Fireworks went off. Bells in my heart started ringing. Frogs started jumping. Kangaroos started humming. The sweet smell of love was in the air. No booger nor belch was gonna ruin this one. Kids around school would be singing “Sarah and Mickey sittin’ in a tree….K – I – S – S – I – N – G……first comes love….then comes marriage….then comes a baby in a baby carriage…….” in no time. “Mickey + Sarah” was about to be engraven on every tree in the yard.

And indeed it all happened. She woke up. Looked at me, half-asleep. Smiled. And like a princess in a Disney movie, slowly put her head back to the pillow, returning to la-la land.

Me. Well….I returned to my baby blue blankie that my mommy had made….and went on with my nap. I’ve never slept so well in my life.

Love, for the first time in this mortal life, had found a place in Mickey’s heart. So I thought.

The more I thought about it…the more I realized that I wasn’t in “love.” Really I was just in “like.”

From that day to this…i’ve been analyzing what it means to “like” someone…and at what point it becomes “love.”

After the incidence with Sarah Mckinzer….I grew older. I realized that to “like” someone meant that you had to tease her. You had to be mean. You had to pick her last in the game of kickball at recess. You had to throw a little harder at her in the game of dodgeball. You had to point and laugh alittle louder everytime she said something dumb. You had to ignore her even more everytime in the cafeteria.

Then I grew a little older. To “like” someone meant to never talk to her in person…but to leave cute, sappy, romantic notes in her locker. To “like” her meant to have all means of communication between you and her be passed through best friends, friends of friends, and friends of friends of friends. To “like” her meant to call her using *67 (blocked call), waiting to see if she’d pick up so you could hear her soft sweet voice, then hanging up. To “like” her meant to stare at her in class….then quickly look away as she takes a quick glance in your direction.

Then I grew a little older. To “like” her meant to try to make her jealous by talking to other girls in front of her, and laughing and playing. To “like” her meant that you’d talk for hours on IM…bugging her on who she “liked.” To “like” her meant that what you really “like” is the kissing.

Then I grew older. I went to Brasil for two years as a missionary. No dating. No girls. No kissing. Just missionary service.

And now i’ve been home about 9 months. To “like” someone now is completely different. I’ve lived this life over two decades now. And i’m finally starting to grasp what it really means to “like” someone. And I gotta admit…it feels good.

For me, to be in “like” with someone now isn’t about kissing. It’s not about teasing. It’s not about notes. It’s not about cheesy pick-up lines. Rather, it’s about nurturing a relationship so that it can find its way to the next phase: love. It has many of the same characteristics of love….simply because it’s on the path to love. It’s about caring. It’s about doing what’s necessary to please the other and make her happy. It’s about swallowing the pride. It’s about listening. It’s about communicating. It’s about being honest and open. It’s about uplifting, inspiring and motivating. It’s at the doorstep of love.

It feels good to know that i’m on a road that leads to love. A narrow road. A road traveled by few. A road that leads to a bridge. On the other side of that bridge is true love. A land where what appears to be beautiful, really is. It’s not a land for fools nor foolishness. It’s not a land of trade nor traitors. It’s a land for love, not “likers.” I’ve followed the signs on the road. I’ve obeyed the laws of travel. I’ve listened the the buzz of sweet bees on the other side. I know i’m going the right direction. I’m not going too fast. I’m not going too slow. I’m not letting the weather delay me, the temptations deter me, or the bumps impede me. One day…i’ll get there.

It all starts by getting on that road. It could be long. It could be short. But the only way one can get on that road is if he goes after “Sarah Mckinzer.” No one needs to be quite the weirdo that I was. But staying awake when everyone else is asleep, moving when everyone is still, and touching when no one dares touch. That’s what will lead to the bridge. That’s what will lead to the love. To fail while no one else attempted is in itself a success. And that’s what makes the road so narrow.

I won’t say i’m in love. But I feel pretty darn close. I really “like” a girl. And i’m going after her. I’ve entered the game…and she’s rolling the dice. I’ve put myself on a limb, she’s out there dangling with me. I’m on the road that leads to love, and she’s putting gas in the car. We’ll see how long it lasts. We’ll see how bumpy the road is. And perhaps….we’ll see how sweet the other side of the bridge is.

I think the bridge is close. Cuz i’m falling hard.

Don’t let love find you. You go find love.

-Mickey Lee Hagen

The Magic Of Love

Love is like magic
And it always will be.
For love still remains
Life’s sweet mystery!!
Love works in ways
That are wondrous and strange
And there’s nothing in life
That love cannot change!!
Love can transform
The most commonplace
Into beauty and splendor
And sweetness and grace.
Love is unselfish,
Understanding and kind,
For it sees with its heart
And not with its mind!!
Love is the answer
That everyone seeks…
Love is the language,
That every heart speaks.
Love can’t be bought,
It is priceless and free,
Love, like pure magic,
Is life’s sweet mystery!!

- Helen Steiner Rice -

So guess what happened? Guess I said. Stop reading now!!!!

Guess.

If you’re still reading this then you’re cheating.

Guess now! C’mon folks….ya gotta guess….

Ya all are knuckle heads! Aaaagh! I give up. You’re never gonna guess…so i’ll just go ahead and say it.

Well….there are a series of things that need to be said. So let’s get the party started.

+ First off…I broke up with my girlfriend.
If you read yesterday’s blog then you’d realize how REAL this whole thing really was. It was true love. It was fate. It was special. However, after much pondering and consideration, I figured it’d be better for both me and Gloria if we started seeing other people. She lives in Miami, travels alot, and has a husband. Things unfortunately just couldn’t work out between us. I knew it was all too good to be true.

+ Mexico sent me an email.
The President of the Gloria Estefan Fan Club in Mexico emailed me today….haha….and i’m dead serious. His name is Julio Fausto and he owns www.GloriaEstefanMexico.com. I have no idea how…but somehow this dude came across my blog from yesterday. Perhaps he did a google search….really….I have no clue. But somehow he found my website and blog about Gloria, my new girlfriend. Anyway….so he read my blog and said he loved it. He was amazed. And he was jealous. He stole my pics (right-clicked and saved) and said he wanted more cuz, in his words, “I didn’t found pics, please!!!” Haha. I love it. Mr. Julio Fausto, my Mexican brotha, if you’re reading this (which i’m sure you are), you are in luck. I’m a nice guy. I’ll send you those pics of Gloria…especially the one of us kissing! Vive Mexico! And by the way Julio, Brazil and the U.S. are gonna smoke you guys in the World Cup this summer….no offense. I still love Mexico.

+ My prayers were answered.
My alarm clock finally gave me a frickin’ break. Yes folks. It didn’t “go off” this morning. I don’t know what happened….but it didn’t work. I was supposed to get up at around 10:00am just cuz I had to go the conference and shoot at the activities….but what can you do when the alarm doesn’t go off????? Nothing. Wahoooh! I love it!!!! So I ended up waking up at around 1:15pm. What a glorious day. I actually got more than 5 hours of sleep.

+ The Class of 1958 rocks my socks.
So if you didn’t already know….i’m in charge of updating the website for the class of 1958. Yes, the alumni of Princeton who graduated in 1958. If you don’t understand what i’m talking about….read the blog of February 25th. Anyway, today we had a meeting on campus with a bunch of the 1958ers who are on the committee to plan the 50th year reunion. It’s a HUGE EVENT. It’ll happen in 2008 and they are already planning because they spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on it. It’s nuts. So anyway….I just wanted to say that these dudes are awesome. The meeting today was great. Yeah…they’ve lost their hair, they’re elderly, and they’re on the verge of going senile. But other than that these men are great. They laugh and scream and yell and joke and cry and cough and gaggle like they were 6 years of age. It’s fun to witness. I’m excited to be working with them the next few years. After the 50th year reunion….unfortunately it’s the grave for most of these guys. But they’re great.

+ A MAJOR decision.
So I was talking to the waitress at dinner today (it was with the Cuban Conference at Prospect House) and got some good insights with respect to what major I should choose. I’ve been throwing around ideas like Computer Science, Econ, Portuguese, and Ballet (okay….not ballet). The waitress is a Princeton student and she’s majoring in Architecture. Well folks….after a good conversation with her i’m starting to seriously consider Architecture as a major (the A.B. track). I don’t have to decide until the end of next year…so I still have some time to think about it. But I like the idea of architecture: using your imagination to create things. I love to think. I love to create. I love to use my imagination. I love design and things that are visually appealing. It fits hand in hand with what I already do (design). Ultimately I want to go to Business School….of course. But I think it could be a cool undergraduate concentration. Like I said, i’m a creator. I’m a designer. I’m a thinker. Architecture could very well end up being my major. Word to your mother.

And that’s it folks. Those are the only announcements I have. The Cuban conference today was great. My daily gym visit was fabulous. The meeting with the 58ers was “happenin.” Life is good. But it’s almost time to snap back to reality….school. I’ve got multiple projects that are close to deadline. Agh! Time to go to bed. I gotta wake up early for church. Yeeeeeehaw! The Sabbath. The day of rest.

Much love,
Micksters

OF THE DAY AWARDS…
Highlight of the day: Sleeeeeeeeping.
Lowlight of the day: Huber Matos is definitely a hero. But today he gave the loooooooooooongest speech. My oh my.
Biggest Surprise of the day: Julio’s email.
Biggest nerds of the day: My parents. Spending their anniversary in Paris…those suckers :)
Sweet diggity Dog of the day: Timex. They made me an alarm clock that’s merciful.
Pretend Crush of the day: The Harvard Cuban girls that were flirting with me today. They wanted my name so they could “facebook me.” Oooh la la….
Real Crush of the day: The Sunshine RD
Song of the day: The Jaws Theme Song.
Quote of the day: “Not a shred of evidence exists in favor of the idea that life is serious.” – Brendan Gill

So today was a special day indeed. By the title of this blog, i’m sure you understand what the news is. I’ve finally found a girlfriend. And it was completely unexpected. She popped into my life so quickly there was no time to blink. As a matter of fact, today was the first day we met. And indeed, it was love at first sight. We immediately hit it off. We had lunch together, sang together, played footsies together, smiled together, laughed together, and danced together (kinda). It was meant to be. She’s my angel. She’s my dreamboat. Yes folks, she’s my girlfriend.

Here are the two love birds together during lunch today.

At first glance you might think it’s kinda weird. Yes…she’s a little bit older. She was born in 1957. I was born in 1984. But trust me folks, it was meant to be and when we’re talking about heavenly love, age really doesn’t matter now does it.

Let me introduce you to my new girlfriend. She is a five-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter-author. She sang the WORLD FAMOUS song “conga.” I can guarantee that you’ve heard it…but probably don’t know it. It’s a party favorite (kinda old…but still popular). Anyway….my girlfriend is Cuban. She’s an international icon. Her birth name was Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo. Her name today is Gloria Estefan. And yes….love has found a place in Mickey’s heart. Finally. Almost 22 years of searching, seeking, sniffing and hounding like a doggy…..Mickey finally found what makes the bells ring. Love. April 21, 2006. An unexpected time. An unexpected place. At an unexpected event. To an unexpected woman. Life is full of surprises. Ain’t it grand.

So aside from me finding a girlfriend and totally falling in love…today was an interesting day. It was fun…but exhausting. Princeton is hosting “The Princeton and Harvard Cuba Conference” this weekend…and they hired me to be the event photographer. How lovely. Basically it’s a big conference for Cuban/Cuban-American (half or full) to meet together and discuss what they can do to help develop a more pluralistic and democratic Cuban society. More than 150 students are here from 44 different schools. I’ve never seen such a passionate people devoted to a cause before. Tears during speeches weren’t rare. Bitter remarks toward the evil dictator weren’t either. It’s quite amazing. I’ve heard some amazing stories about some of the oppression and social injustices that are occurring right now in Cuba and things that have happened in the past. It’s sad. And it’s real. But it’s great that these young Cuban-Americans are joining together to try to do something about the way things are going in the Communistic Cuba. It’s been very interesting for me to learn more about it and be educated.

Here is one of the panel discussions during the day.

Many influential and well-known Cuban-Americans are in town. Gloria Estefan of course is one. Another interesting fella that I met was Huber Matos. He was the former commander of the Cuban military during the Cuban Revolution when Fidel Castro and their regime took over Cuba from the previous dictator, Batista (I think his name was). This Huber Matos guy was the third most powerful guy in Cuba. A close friend of Castro’s. However, after seeing the way things were going with Fidel, he resigned from the Commander position. Fidel Castro got very upset and threw him in jail for 20 years. Fidel Castro wanted to put Huber Matos in the firing squad, and kill him. But Huber somehow survived that and was put in jail. After being released he came to the U.S. to seek protection, where he of course found it. Since then he has been fighting for the cause of making Cuba a free nation. He’s quite an old man. But he’s a hero to the people. And whatever room he enters, heads do a slight bow and respect is always shown. It’s an interesting site to see.

Here is Hubert Matos with Gloria Estefan.

So it’s been an interesting experience hanging out with the Cubans. I’ve enjoyed learning about the situation and becoming educated.

One of the things that I love about my job as a photographer is that i’m always meeting new people. I’m a social guy…and to me it’s always fun to interact with people, get to know them, make new friends, and learn from their culture, background, and experiences.

One nice man I met during lunch today at the conference was a man by the name of Pedro Greer. His daughter goes to Boston College and is also at the conference. She’s extremely nice. Pedro’s wife is nice too. The entire family is extremely nice. I spoke with Pedro quite a bit during lunch. It was fun getting to know him. He’s probably one of the nicest guys i’ve ever met. He was so friendly and so down to earth. He was sitting at the same table of Gloria Estefan…they’ve been friends since childhood. He told me he was a doctor in the Miami area, but a simple google search led me to learn that he wasn’t just any doctor in Miami. He was big time…and quite well known. Here are just a few articles I ran into online:

Little Havana’s “Dr. Joe”
Local Leadership Profile
2002 Hispanic of the Year

We spoke awhile and in the end he gave me a goodbye hand-shake, told me his name and told me to be sure to look him up if I was ever in the Miami area. Like I said, I love to meet new people and make new friends. You can be sure that if I’m ever in Miami, i’ll be looking up “Dr. Joe” to pay a visit and see how their family is doing.

Here is a picture of his family (the three on the right…and he might have more kids….I don’t know). The dude on the left is just one of the conference dudes. The young lady is the crush of the day.

[ TIME OUT FROM THE CUBAN SCENE ]

Anyway….since I only got a few hours of sleep last night I decided to take an afternoon nap (during a break at the conference). It lasted a couple hours. However, there was an activity right in front of my room in the Butler Quad that was LOUD as H – E – double hockey sticks. They were playing loud music and the worst part of all….the music was terrible. So it was tough to sleep. But I managed to snag some z’s nonetheless.

In the evening we (BodyHype) performed a piece at the Operation Style Fashion Show. It was a huge event that took place in a big ol’ closed tent outside on Frist Lawn. It was to raise money for the charity, Operation Smile. Princeton students basically did a bunch of modeling with designer lines, etc. They had a catwalk and everything. It wasn’t a normal stage…so our spacing during our performance had to be all reconfigured before hand. Anyway…the place was packed. There wasn’t enough room for everyone so tons of people were left outside looking through the little plastic tent windows on the side. We had a good showing. It was alot of fun. Disiac (another dance company here at Princeton) went alittle before us and they did a really good job as well. I liked their choreo.

[ TIME IN FROM THE CUBAN SCENE ]

After that…I ran home quickly, changed, grabbed my camera equipment, and headed up to Rocky Dining Hall for the Cuban party. As event photographer, I was supposed to be there to capture the event. I arrived at around 11:40ish and started snapping some shots.

And oh boy…was it a party.

I love the latin culture so much. For those who don’t already know, my mother is Guatemalan. So i’m half latino. Tonight’s party was so much fun. The Cubans know how to dance. They definitely have that latino rythm & energy. That’s why I love latin dances so much….cuz everyone dances…..and everyone knows how to dance. It makes the entire experience so much more enjoyable.

So at they party they had a sweet band playing. The band played for awhile and then they had this afro-cuban rapper dude spit some rhymes. It was fresh. The dude had dreadlocks and was really entertaining. Here’s a quick pic.

Of course throughout all this the Cubans were dancing away….getting their groove on. Also on the side of the dance, they had this Cuban artist making a painting. I had never in my 22 years seen such a scene. In the middle of a huge party, an artist making a painting. It was really, really, really neat. It added to the entire Cuban experience. Here’s a pic.

And of course, not to mention the Cuban cigars that a couple people were using. I don’t know what Cuba smells like…..but I had a feeling that the room we were in had Cuba’s scent all over it. Oh yeah, and a bunch of people were wearing those cute cuban berets. Word.

After the band and the rapper had finished their thing, music was played. Good ol’ vintage cuban dance music. At one point, somehow the computer froze and the music all of a sudden stopped working. The crowd went nuts in disappointment….but then with their cuban energy….started clapping and singing the lyrics to the song…..all while continuing to dance.

I gotta admit. It was quite the party. I took pictures for only about 15 minutes…then I danced. Cuz I really wanted to dance and enjoy the fun. And indeed…it was a blast.

You know it’s a sweet Cuban party when…..
+ The security guards (in tonight’s case: 2 Princeton police officers….with their big beer bellies, grey hair, and “white” upbringings) over by the door were dancing, shaking their hips from side to side and nodding their heads to the beat. There’s something about the Cuban vibe that just gets ya moving.
+ Old Cuban couples are in their dancing as if they were 30 years younger. The cuban spirit is eternal I guess.
+ Like I mentioned earlier, the music stopped…but the cubans continued to dance and have fun, replacing the music with clapping hands and singing of the song lyrics.
+ An NYU student who is doing a documentary on Cubans was there filming. He’s a gringo whitey in the purest form. He had long shabby hair, skaterish/punkish. He was chilling throughout the party, just filming everything that was going on….etc. Towards the end of the dance he had put his camera away. He was in the middle of one of the circles dancing like a maniac, sweat running down his face, shaking his booty in the most intense way that a “white boy” knows how. He was going crazy. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. All I could do is laugh.

The Cubans know how to party (dance). Latinos in general know how to dance. The cuban spirit has definitely rubbed off on me. I’m excited for tomorrow’s conference activities.

So there it is folks. The SUPER LONG BLOG on how in one day I became Cuban.

Much love from your latino gangsta,
Mickey Lee Hagen

OF THE DAY AWARDS…
Announcement of the day: Fidel Castro is a dork. Dorks need to be “taken care of.”
Highlight of the day: Being Cuban for a day.
Lowlight of the day: That terrible music eating away at my ears while I was napping.
Biggest Surprise of the day: Gloria Estefan wants me. [ Jay Kay, nerdz ]
Randomoscity of the day: Gloria Estefan is married so she can’t have me.
Sweet diggity Dog of the day: Chris Gueits. This dude is THE MAN. He’s a student at Princeton…and is the main organizer of the whole Cuban Conference thing. I’m very glad I met him this weekend. He’s an amazing bro.
Crush of the day: Alana Greer. The daughter of that cool doctor from Miami I was talking about earlier in the blog. There’s a picture of her up there too.
Song of the day: “Congo” -Gloria Estefan
Quote of the day: “Never invest your money in anything that eats or needs painting.” – Billy Rose

I’m going way too fast for my own good. Things are coming at me at incredible speeds. Life in the fastlane can be quite the adrenaline rush….but my goodness it’s exhausting. I’m living from project to project, problem set to problem set, essay to essay, assignment to assignment. When one task is taken off my table, two more are added. The cycle never ends. The exhaustion never goes away. The stinkin’ alarm clock doesn’t seem to cut me a break.

It seems like everyday i’m waking up earlier and earlier, be it for a meeting, a class, a photo shoot, or a simple homework assignment that needs to get done. Getting through Princeton (and doing well) is by no means a walk in the park. And then adding the gazillion other things i’m trying to juggle…well…..only makes things a little more complicated.

I wouldn’t call it stress. It’s beyond stress. Stress makes me jumpy and awnry. I’m way beyond that. I don’t feel too stressed at all right now. I feel happy. I feel excited. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel….classes end in but a few weeks. I’m on the final push….the final umph….the final breath. So instead of being stressed…I just laugh. I laugh at life. I laugh at myself. I laugh and tell myself, oh mickey oh mickey oh mickey, you never seem to learn. And it’s true, I never seem to learn. I don’t have a hundred hands. I can’t be in more than one place at a time. I don’t have a credit card of minutes that never maxes out. So Sir Micksters, you need to pick and choose your battles. You can’t do it all….and do it well. If you spread yourself too thin you simply will shoot yourself in the hiney with the nastiest shotgun you can imagine. Aaagh!

So life right now is interesting. I’m dodging the bullets as they come and living “pay check to pay check” in the sense that things in front of me are so time consuming, soul drenching, and mind exhausting that I don’t have time to think what’s gonna happen tomorrow. I gotta get through the tasks and obstacles of NOW before I can try dealing with the things LATER. It’s bad. Kids at home, please learn from Mickey’s mistake. Ya gotta jump on things EARLY…..keep things organized……so your mind won’t be clouded by the tasks of today. Ya gotta see the bigger picture or you’ll simply just take a shot in the booty. And like I said, it’s beyond stress. It’s beyond pain. You don’t cry. You don’t scream. You don’t pout. Rather, you simply laugh. You laugh. And you laugh some more.

It’s a tough life to live. But like I said….I know it’s (school) coming to an end (temporarily). Soon enough i’ll be home eating my mother’s sweet rolls, listening to Jay Z’s “Big Pimpin” (click here for those who don’t understand the big pimpin allusion) in the hot tub, and getting massages from the local BYU babes that reply, “nerds are so sexy,” when I drop the P-bomb. Yes, when I use the word “Princeton” and “I” in the same sentence (i’m joking I’m joking…well…..okay fine….i’m really not…….haha…..).

Yes. Life is good…in a crazy way. Ya put a gazillion things on the plate…..and eventually you’ll get to where I am: getting shot in the right cheek by some redneck’s nasty, rusted shotgun. No tears. No screams. Just bootyshaking (literally and metaphorically) to the 10th power. And yes, it’s a wonderful site to see. You should try it sometime.

Much love,
Sir Mickster the clumsiest catastrophe-catching clown

OF THE DAY AWARDS…
Announcement of the day:I HAVE SO MUCH STUFF TO UPDATE on my site. I’ve had like 4/5 photoshoots that I need to put in the “my photography” section along with some new stuff in “my design.” I need to finish up my songs to put in the “my music” section. And it’s about time I have another fictitious awards thingie-majigger for my blogs. I have ALOT to update. These next few days i’ll do it in phases. Word.
Highlight of the day: Performing with BodyHype at Tigernight. Dancing at cloister until the wee-hours of the morning. Finishing my lovely history paper. Speaking on the phone (early early early in the morning….late last night) with a girl whose middle name is snufferlufagus.
Lowlight of the day: Getting shot in the tushy cheek.
Randomoscity of the day: I think I just invented that word. How cute. Anyway, I gotta wake up in a few hours to take some pictures of Gloria Estefan. I sure hope you’ve heard of her.
Biggest Surprise of the day: The world is only spinning faster and faster as each day goes by.
Sweet diggity Dog of the day: Jennifer Day. She made quite the Salsa dance partner. Word.
Crush of the day: Kelsey Stallings. She’s nice. She’s hot.
Song of the day: “B – I – N – G – O” – A weirdo
Quote of the day: “I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.” – Winston Churchill

First things first. Mom, happy birthday! I tried calling but no one picked up. But regardless….I still love you and i hope you had an amazing day! And I hope you all have a safe trip too!

So anyway….on to today’s blog.

I’m extremely tired. Extremely. I went to bed at 6am and woke up at 9:30. So i’m exhausted from the day’s labors. I’m going to bed this minute. I’ve already done everything to get ready for bed…the only thing standing between me and the bed is the blog. So let’s just get this sucker over with once and for all.

Today was a busy day. It was a productive day. Alot of work. Some academic…which I got done. But mostly business, projects, design & photography. So to make the blog easier for all of us…I figured i’d SHOW some of the things I did in the day.

I was hired to do some more posters/flyers for a couple events that are coming up. Posters are always alot of fun! I get to use my creativity and imagination. It was because of these two suckers that I was up till 6 this morning. It’s okay though…i’ll sleep better tonight!

Soon enough i’ll be putting these two posters in the “my design” section of my website. Chill.

At night I had two photoshoots. Shortly i’ll be putting them in the “My Photography” section of my website. But I don’t have time right now.

The first one was for BodyHype Dance Company. I’m a member of this dance company. We have a show in a few weeks so we’re starting to put together the promotional materials like posters, teasers, flyers, etc. We took tons of pictures…these are a couple of the fun ones….maybe just one of these will actually be used for a poster.

And my last stop of the night was Theatre Intime. College, the Musical, is gonna be playing in a few days. They wanted me to be there to get some portraits shots of the cast (to put on the faceboard in the theatre lobby for everyone to see). Also, they asked me to take some pics of their dress rehearsal so they could use it in media related things…I don’t know. Anyway….I took hundreds of photos there……here are just a few of the portrait shots and one of their run-through:

And now i’m in my dorm room…ready to go to bed and have sweet, sweet dreams. Cheers.

Your nerd back east,
Mickey

OF THE DAY AWARDS…
Highlight of the day: Hearing the cash register ring.
Lowlight of the day: No sleep. And also, today was room draw. That’s the process we have to go through to select our dorm room for next year. I had a bad draw time…and got jacked from the head to the toe. I’ll be in a small single in a ghetto building. But hey…that’s life. Worse things are happening in the world.
Reminder of the day: To organize is to create.
Biggest Surprise of the day: Southern accents turn me on. Oooh la la….
Sweet diggity Dog of the day: Grant Bermann. He’s all bones. And the class of 09 needs to re-elect him for Class President is all i’m saying.
Crush of the day: The hot southern belle from the Musical, College, who has that sexy southern accent. She’s the second portrait picture (up above).
Song of the day: No song of the day. I didn’t listen to anything today.
Quote of the day: “Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. That’s relativity.” – Albert Einstein

So you know how I was gonna completely smack down on “the creature” today at the jungle gym at 3? Yeah….turns out the creature called in sick…so we had to reschedule. But no worries…I still plan on facing him!!! And i’m gonna annihalate the sucka. No worries.

Anyway….I got an email today from a really cool girl. She shared with me a quote that’s worth sharing with the world. It’s about risk….and i’m all about risk….so I think it’s perfect.

Risk

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out for another is to risk exposing your true self.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To live is to risk dying.
To try is to risk failure.

But the risk must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing does nothing.
One may avoid suffering and sorrow, but simply cannot learn, feel, grow, love.
Chained by the certitudes, the individual is a slave, and has forfeited freedom.
Only a person who risks is free.
- Unknown

I really like that quote. Mainly because I enjoy risk-taking. To me it’s fun. It’s a thrill. It’s a rush. And like i’ve mentioned a hundred gazillion times already….that’s why I wanna go into business. That’s why i’m an entrepreneur. I love it when there’s alot at stake. Oh I love it. High risk = High return. Life’s more fun that way.

Right now life is fun…because I feel like i’m living not afraid to fail. I’m taking risks…i’m putting myself out on a limb in a bunch of things. I can come out on top….or I could break the branch and go tumbling down. No matter what happens though….I feel good about myself because i’m trying. I’m not sitting on my butt hoping that some great opportunity will come. The weak wait for the opportunities. The strong create them. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. I’m going after things. I’m taking the risk. And that’s exactly why i’m having fun. I’m chasing the unheard of, the impossible, and the never-attained. And ya wanna know what…..one of these days i’m gonna catch it. Yeah….i’ll fail, flop and fall in the process. But if I fall down 7 times, I’ll get up 8. Failure is my friend. Risk is my partner. Success is my love.

Learn at the failure. Laugh at the risk. And love the success. Victory can only be sweet after you’ve felt the agony of defeat.

Much Love,
Mickey the Magic Dragon killa

OF THE DAY AWARDS…
Highlight of the day: Dance rehearsals were fun today. We’ve got two performances this weekend. Word. Also, today in Journalism we watched segments of some really cool documentaries. One was called Mad Hot Ballroom….about New York City elementary school kids being taught how to ballroom dance….it was so awesome!
Lowlight of the day: Not getting any homework done. No time. No time. No time! Aaggh!
Reminder of the day: How you treat a waiter tells alot about your character. My father sent me a cool article today titled “CEOs say how you treat a waiter can predict a lot about character.” It was a really good article. Read the whole thing here.
Biggest Surprise of the day: A couple emails from some girls I hadn’t heard from in a long time. They’re hot. They’re sweet. They’re fun. And i’m glad we’re back in touch. Also, I got an email from my boy Scott Ady….haha…..things seem to be going SUPER well with his girl. He’s only been home from his mission a month or two. He’s getting back into things pretty fast. This is what he said: “I have a confession that i no longer can say that i havent kissed anyone for over two years.” Haha….oh scotty boy…..you better watch yourself.
Sweet diggity Dog of the day: Anne Hamilton. I sense she likes risks.
Crush of the day: Kim Acerson. She’s the hottie who sent me the cool email about risks.
Song of the day: “Vindicated” – Dashboard
Quote of the day: “A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter, or to others, is not a nice person.” – Raytheon CEO Bill Swanson (this was in the article)

I was on an intertube….racing down a little river. It was weird though. The river was in the middle of a busy street. And the street had vendors, little shops, and kiosks. And I wasn’t merely floating down the river…I was RACING. I was going at super high speeds. As cliché as it might sound, I was going through the street market like a bull in a china shop. I was reckless and wild. I remember knocking things over, breaking little glass bottles and other street-selling goods. It was nuts. Nuts I tell ya. Nuts.

I was running. What I was running from I don’t know. But what I know is that I was running. I was trying to escape. I was trying to evade the grasp of some symbolic creature. I still haven’t discovered what yet. But I know that it was scary.

Later…I found myself running on foot. I had somehow lost the tube and the chase was on foot. I found myself in a jail…with little mini cells….in which it was hard to see what was on the inside, looking from the outside. I hid in one of those tiny little cells. I could see on the outside. But the outside couldn’t see me. It was then and there, for the first time, that I saw the creature. I couldn’t see it very well. But I could feel its breath. I could hear its footsteps. I could sense its anxiety. It spoke words I couldn’t understand…in anger….in angst.

Then it left.

I quickly got out of the little jail cell and started running…running…and running some more. I went as far away as possible. Jumping over neighborhood fences and hiding in family sheds. Finally, I reached a yard that seemed to symbolize freedom. At that point someone was with me, running…but I couldn’t quite grasp who it was. But as we got to that yard, there was a dog. My running mate was very scared of the dog. It was a brown dog, very large, comparable in stature to the dog from Sandlot. It was mean looking. Terrifying.

I wasn’t scared. As a matter of fact, the dog I recognized. I had seen him in previous dreams and by then we were quite good friends. We played tug-o-war for awhile, wrestled around in the dirt, and then we parted our ways. I opened the gate from the yard’s fence. And as I stepped out…some stinky oldies music went on.

Aggh! I hate that music. THe only reason I tune my alarm clock to that channel is because it has good reception. I’ll tell ya…there’s nothing worse than waking up in the morning to screechy static noise. So I always tune my alarm clock to the most receptive radio station. And here in Princeton, NJ…it’s oldies! And it’s poo!

As I woke up this morning I figured I had to write down what I remembered from my dream. What you read above is what I remembered and wrote down. It was indeed blog-worthy. Because undoubtedly, there is a great, far reaching significance to what it all means. I have a question….are you one of those people who think that every dream actually means something? Does it have an overarching principle? Is there something that I need to know, something that needs to be gleaned, something that was trying to be passed on in this wild dream? Is it a warning? Is it a sign? Is it a message from some diving being?

My answer to those questions: I don’t know. To me it was just an odd dream.

However, if…and I mean IF…..I was to try to attempt to interpret my dream…….I would say that most certainly the bigger meaning behind the dream is this: GIRLS. Isn’t it great how so often the subject of my blog ends up being about girls, romance, dating, and love? You know you love it. Admit it. You love it. You’re probably some married sicko who somehow came across my website and is reading it everyday. Every stinking day. You get your jollies by living vicariously through a chaste Mormon nerd at Princeton.

Well….if that be you….I say so be it. You can fantasize all you want with my blog. But I can promise you I won’t be talking about anything even remotely to what you’re looking for. No stories about sex. No stories about me getting wasted at the recent frat party. No stories about me doing dope behind the Gym. None of that.

Instead….you get ghetto fabulously strange anecdotes on a life that’s adventurous, outgoing, and CRAZY (in a good christian way)!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeeeeeeeeeeeee haaaaaaaawww cowboys….let’s round up Betty lou! Haha…

So anyway. I think my dream is about an issue i’ve been battling out the last couple days. To me, the scary creature symbolizes commitment. Not commitment in general. Rather, i’m talking about commitment to a girl. The boyfriend/girlfriend committment. I gotta admit, sometimes I run. Sometimes I hide. I’ll like a girl. I’ll be the one doing the chasing. I’ll be the one making the moves to win her heart. And then when push comes to shove and she reciprocates interest…….I run. Why I do this….I don’t know. But I did this ALL the time before my mission and NOW is the time to stop this horrible habit. I gotta face the creature of commitment.

Right now I’m likin’ this girl. She’s hot. She’s SEXY (that was said for the benefit of the sicko that I mentioned about above). She’s sweet. She’s got alot of great qualities. The bottom line….I enjoy being around her. I enjoy everything about her. However, the big questions of the millennium is if i’m willing to make the commitment. Everything in my heart and in my mind says to go after her and go for it. And ultimately I think I will. It’s just hard for me to make the step and actually say, “okay. I’m in. I’m your’s.”

Summer is just around the corner. It’s a time of parties. A time of dating and meeting alot of different girls. Ultimately it’s really a time to be single. And all those factors are pulling at me to decide that indeed…I should just run away from this “commitment” option that i’m faced with.

But at the same time…I really like this girl. And I don’t wanna lose this chance.

I talked to my parents about it tonight. And they gave me good advice. They say that I analyze it all way too much. And it’s true. I look into it way too much. My dad put it in clear terms how I should be: “If you enjoy spending time with her, spend more time with her. If you don’t, then spend less.” It’s simple advice. And I think that if I keep things to that level of simplicity, my life will be easier and I won’t have so many headaches in thinking about these things. My parents also said that it’s good to have relationship experience. It’s good to get to know someone at a better level, so you can figure out ultimately what you want and what you don’t want. “Doin’ the karaoke thing with 100 girls doesn’t get ya anywhere,” my dad said. And it’s true. If I just go on a gazillion first-dates…..ultimately I don’t get anywhere.

So it’s final. I like this girl. And i’m gonna continue with it. I analyze way too much. Aagggh! And it’s all because of that darn Easter morning dream I had.

Creature of commitment. Meet me at the jungle gym at 3. Don’t bring any friends. Me and you are battling it out head on. I’m gonna face you once and for all!!!!

Much love,
Sir Mickey the Creature killa