Microburst

I smile in front in the hopes that passersby will be encouraged to keep walking.
I look behind to see the footsteps I leave, so that I know something in this world is mine.

Independence

Freedom is magnified by duty.  Joy is glorified in freedom.
Yesterday was 3 July; it was a fun day.  I worked the usual shift from 8 to 5, getting more done than we previously had ever in our assigned area.  After work, I came home and got dolled up for a date.  I wore a red floral shirt, blue jeans, a black cardigan, black ball earrings, with my hair pulled up in a pony tail and black flip flops on my feet.  My date was late, but I really didn't expect him to be there on time.  His name was Justin, a friend from work and one of the Gospel doctrine teachers in our ward.  He's one goofy kid.  He wears Ray Ban's glasses and looks like Clark Kent.  He has big brown eyes.  He is full of useless information and he's quirky fun.  He just got back from serving a mission in West Virginia almost a month after I returned from mine. He picked me up at 6:30, still basically in his work clothes; that made me feel better about not having showered.  He drove me to Eagle River, where he lives, and we got Subway sandwiches (spicy Italian, american cheese, spinach, bell peppers, tomatoes, chipotle sauce, toasted on Italian herbs and cheese bread).  This is going to sound lame, but we went to his elementary school and ate in the parking lot.  We played on the playground there, jumping off swings, seeing who could hang from the monkey bars the longest, riding this ridiculously complex merry-go-round, walking through the woods behind the playground.  It sounds really childish but I had such a good time!  We went to his house and talked to his family for a couple hours until just before midnight.  Then, we drove his car to a place where we could watch the 4th of July fireworks.  I said I wanted to sit on top of the car, so he obliged me.  He drove me home around a quarter til 1.  We saw fireworks on the drive home too.  We hugged at the door when he dropped me off, and that was weird for reasons I can't quite tell.  But he's funny and nice and he likes to read, so I've decided we will be friends.
Today is Independence Day.  I woke up at 8:30 and then, at 11, my parents and I went to see the parade in downtown Anchorage.  Kevin told me about it!  We left the parade early because it was sort of lame.  We saw enough, and there was a festival with rides and vendors in the middle of the parade route, on the grass.  It was nice to have that festival feeling, the one where you feel like you can eat everything; the smell of funnel cake and fried foods; giant blow up creatures and bouncy houses; and kids everywhere.  We came home to prepare for evening festivities with the Shorts, upstairs.  I actually took a nap, which left me groggy for a while, even once we were celebrating with the upstairs friends.  It was sweet oblivion!  We spent a couple hours just eating and talking with them and friends they'd invited over.  At one point, we went out back to blow up little hand fireworks like Pop-Its.  The food was well-supplied: tempura salmon, steak, chicken, potato salad, baked beans, meatballs, jello cake, etc.  I didn't even eat everything--I couldn't!  At the end of our feast, we watched Sherlock Holmes 2 together.  It was so fun.  I'm glad I'm AMERICAN.

Soldatna

Friday night, there was a dance in Soldatna, 1980's themed.  I drove out there with a friend from work:  Rachael Echols.  It was gorgeous.  We passed many lakes and rivers, some of them the color of jade.  As we drove past the inlet we could see the mountains mirrored in the water.  The mountainsides were green with trees, not like the brown of Utah mountains.  The dance was slow at first, barely filling half of the cultural hall.  As the night progressed, the room compressed but it never became overly crowded.  It was nice.  A girl from our ward, named Abby, was the DJ.  She was good; she didn't do the usual line-up of lame music.  The crowd was fun and adventurous!  The next day/Saturday/yesterday, we slept in til 10:30 because SOME people wanted to stay up until the wee hours, talking.  We stayed at Marlene and Robert Meyers's home, which was lovely; they are generous people.  Sister Meyers was one of those who elected to stay up talking--I won't hold that against her. C:  The next day we kayaked on a lake in the Meyers's neighborhood; we played frisbee; we played on a zipline.  I went upside down first, so I was like a pioneer.  We enjoyed each others' company.  It was refreshing to be among those young people.  Even on the drive home, it was nice talking to Rachael.  She's a kindred spirit really.  We stopped at a place called Beluga Point on the way home, climbed a big rock and looked at the inlet for whales.  We didn't see any this time.
I feel like I should have grown up here in Alaska.  Of course, if that were true, I wouldn't be in this family or be the person that I am.  I'm glad to be here now, even though there is so much I miss about my past.  That just means I've had a good life, doesn't it?
Rachael said something that I want to remember.  She said that it's fun to meet and make friends with new people, and it's sad to see them leave your life (that I already know very well) but in Heaven, we'll all be together and feel the joy we had in them, there!  I can't put it into the words she used, but man did it feel good to hear that!
I feel hope.