Happy Birthday, Gandalf the Gay, and Coldplay

So I turned 19 a couple of days ago. Huzzah for Israel, right?

Wrong.

What makes a birthday isn't the day itself, it is the changes that come with it. For example, the reason that turning 13 was completely bomb is that I was finally able to watch PG-13 movies and play T-rated video games (Thank you mom and dad). 16 was also big, mostly because I was able to take some ladies out at long last. Driving was a side-note because I hadn't completed my 6 months of learners permit-ness yet.

By the way, who came up with that idea? It seems like if learners permits work on the road we should apply them to every part of life. For some reason, I just can't take the though of James Bond working on his learners permit to kill seriously. Emily J, you don't have to point out the logical fallacies with that argument, I'm well aware that it doesn't hold up to logic.

Anyways, nineteen used to be a big birthday because of the new access to the mission field. With that gone, 19 is more like 18+. The day didn't really feel special, just like a regular day with more...me.

That said, it was an enjoyable day. I finished all my school work by 6:30 and by 10 people had shown up to watch some LOTR with me. It turns out that Gandalf the Gay is on a flamin' rampage in the Shire scenes. Here are a few of the highlights:

Frodo to Gandalf: We Baggins's used to be respectable folk before you came around.

Frodo to Gandalf: You've officially been labeled a disturber of the peace.

Gandalf to Bilbo: Frodo suspects something.

The moment where Gandalf is smoking weed and decides to blow a ship. That one should have some sort of disclaimer warning children.

Gandalf to Frodo: Keep it secret.

Gandalf to Frodo: Is it secret?

Bilbo to Gandalf: Will you keep an eye on Frodo?
Gandalf: Two eyes, if I can spare them.

(This entire sequence was absolute gold)

Sam: Oh please, Mr. Gandalf, sir, don't turn me into anything...unnatural.
Gandalf: No?...I have a better use for you. (End of scene)

Needless to say, when you watch with me, Tyler, and Spencer, you either love it or hate us. We've gotten our fair share of both. To this day Ashlyn Parkinson won't ever watch them with me again. Carter and Nate, however, seem to be on the love bandwagon...which was probably not the best phrase to use after discussing a desire to watch a homosexual wizard.

As for presents, I asked my parents not to get me anything, but in typical fashion they disregarded my request and got me a sweet digital camera, some clothes, and a pack of bacon.

Also, to allay any doubts, I decided to stick with school until the end of the year.

I want to go on a mission right now, but since that isn't an option, I would rather do something productive for the next few months than sit around for three so I can leave one month early.

I think the most appealing thing about the mission for me is the direction it will give my life. Right now, I feel like I'm kinda floating along in an ocean. I don't know where I want to go, so I swim out a ways and then double back to see what I missed. A mission is more like a river. Each day is filled with purpose and direction. It might be a bit harder to stay afloat, and there are bound to be some rapids, but at the end of the journey I've gone somewhere, seen something new, accomplished something.

But that's for the future. For now, I'll try to figure out what major-less classes I'm taking now.

Sadly, I'm finding less and less new art entering my life. How I Met Your Mother continues to impress, as do most of the things I already like, but there is less discovery.

One thing I have rediscovered though, as I do every few months, is Coldplay.

Coldplay is probably the greatest band of all time. No matter what sort of a mood you are in, there is always something that speaks to you, and it always sounds dang good. In particular, the song Talk has been speaking to me lately. I can't really tell you why, just listen to it and try to see for yourself.

Although I will say this. The responsibility associated with being an older brother has finally set in. When there is something I don't feel like doing, or a challenge I don't feel like I can surpass, I keep fighting for my brothers. I know that the way I live my life sets the standard for the way they approach theirs, so I have to be the example.

Earlier I talked about the Charge of the Light Brigade. Let me just say that when I am faced with the Valley of Death, I'll ride into it for them.

Converts Over Babies...(maybe, but probs not)

Yesterday an announcement was made that changed the lives of thousands of kids around the world.

I wasn't one of them.

Cool beans for everybody who didn't want to go to college before the mission. Hooray for all the girls that won't have to wait until they don't get married to go (I know, I know, double negative. It's fine.). For me, my timetable hasn't changed in the slightest. I'm probably going to go after I finish a year, unless I can get a job really soon, in which case I'll probably take the downtime between semesters and my mission to work.

However, it is an interesting development, so I thought I might as well pitch my two cents about some slightly less obvious results of this decision.

The norm for mission age is going to shift way down, especially in Utah. Something not everyone recognizes is that mormon guys in Utah are defined by their mission papers starting right after Christmas of senior year. If you see someone you know and you are within a year of being eligible to serve a mission, the first thing you talk about will be your papers. There's a ton of pressure to go as soon as possible. The 18 year old rule just means that guys will start feeling the pressure starting after junior year.

Not in and of itself a bad thing, but it does hold guys to a higher standard. If you aren't ready to leave the country for years within two years of learning to drive, you are now the "slacker" guy that no girl wants to date. To make up for this, I think the young mens program is going to have to adapt. Frankly, most of the high school seniors I know haven't got a clue what the Bible says. The guys of that age in my ward are not even close to ready, so this year will either be a huge growth experience or they are going to struggle to meet the new standards.

I feel like most guys need a little experience living on their own before they go. A senior companion shouldn't have to be a babysitter.

Even more interesting are the consequences surrounding the announcement for sister missionaries.

Lowering the age is probably going to triple the number of girls that serve missions. More missionaries means more converts, and probably more missions opened. I don't know that the quality of sister missionaries will go up, however, as social pressure to go will probably push quite a few sisters into the field that never even considered going before.

The stigma surrounding sister missionaries will probably more or less disappear. No longer will sisters serve only if they can't find a husband by twenty one, and no longer will they be missing their prime marriage years if they go.

When the guys get back from their missions, there probably won't be a whole lot of options waiting for them. Most guys marry girls that are twoish years younger than them. These girls will be high school seniors, and therefore dateable only by total creepers. No one within a year of their age will be there, because all of them will be on missions. Freshmen coeds will be more comfortable dating RMs because the age difference will be significantly less than before, and there won't be much opportunity for commitment because the coeds will have their papers in.

The net result of this change is that the average age for marriage will probably shift up for Mormon couples. The result of that shift is a subtle decrease in the LDS birthrate.

Interesting stuff, but only the bit about RMs having trouble getting married affects me, and even that really don't do much to me. Lydia is probably never going to let me forget that she was right about going on a mission before getting married though.

Even missionaries won't have as much trouble getting married as BYU has playing football. Good night, it has been painful to watch! Our next two games are going to be even more pathetic. We can't compete with top 25 teams. I've never been more happy to have a dual loyalty to USC. Go Trojans!

Highland is basically the bomb. There is food... for free! Do you know how much I've missed red meat? Plus it is fun to be immature again. I finally engaged in an epic Banks-style battle with Tyler, Brenden, and Brevin. In our tournament, I was bested only by Tyler, who managed to cut off my right hand...twice. I then won an epic string of brawl duels with Jayden Banks, who is actually pretty good, but wasn't quite able to get the upper hand against my incredible Sheik/Wolf/Link-ness.

I will make one quick plug for my other blog. I'm writing a fictional blog following me and Spencer attempting to survive the Apocalypse. It is called the Survivor Chronicles. I'm trying to make it as realistic as possible so don't expect me to start sniping zombies (who won't be making any real appearance at all) from a mile away or taking on a bunch of thugs with my bare hands. Or eating anything resembling salad. I'm actually putting a good bit of work into this so hopefully there is some measure of quality to it. Give it a whirl, at thesurvivorchronicles.blogspot.com.