Well, this one brought me to tears as well.

I always have a lot of respect for books that can make me cry.  Few do.  Movies that make me cry are a dime a dozen, but it’s harder to convince me to react emotionally when the only weapon you have is words.  Natalie Standiford did that.

I hope that doesn’t turn you off to How to Say Goodbye in Robot.  It’s not a sad book, really.  Just very real.  I’ve been reading a lot more YA books lately, and they seem to fall into many of the same clichés over and over again. This book didn’t do that.  It reminded me of books that I enjoyed (Special Topics of Calamity Physics and Wintergirls) but in no way is like those books.

How to Say Goodbye in Robot is the quirky tale of the budding friendship between Bea and Jonah.  It’s not plot-driven, but it still surprised me in the end (though it probably shouldn’t have).  Standiford does a great job of getting you to feel what it would be like to be Bea in the story, and leaves you thinking just as Bea is left thinking.

If you ever enjoy YA literature, I recommend checking this one out.  Check out The Page Flipper’s review for another take on it.

Of course, one of the main problems with this presentation of sexuality is that by-and-large, what is presented and promoted is sinful: sex outside of marriage, lusting, etc.  Not that that isn’t bad enough in and of itself, but there’s a greater issue.

The problem with this message isn’t just that it is fuels lust, but that it gives a false picture of what matters.  Believe it or not, life’s not about sex.  I’m sure sex is great and all (don’t confuse being a virgin with being asexual), but it’s not the end-all be-all even in it’s proper context, marriage. No wonder there are more and more people that are addicted to pornography.  They’ve been sold the idea that the good life=sex and they’ve bought it.

My message quite simply is, life is not about sex.

Photo by mikebaird

No, I won’t be doing that this weekend, but I don’t have big plans, either.  The last few Valentine’s Days I’ve been babysitting, which is a fun/productive way to spend the holiday.  Probably because of the economy, I don’t have a gig for tomorrow night, but I’m glad.  This week has been so incredibly exhausting at work, that I’m looking forward to spending time at home catching up on reading (you know I have a schedule for my fun personal reading, right?).  It’ll be a fun evening, but I’m going to make myself clean my room and bathroom first because they really need it.  Then I can really enjoy the rest of the day.

Whatever your plans are, I hope that it will be enjoyable and that you’ll remember that God loves you more than anyone else can!  Happy Valentine’s Day!

The first opportunity I had to work on my eye contact with a real-life available man…well, I was wearing sunglasses. So while I did attempt to make eye contact, it’s a little difficult when the other person can’t see your eyes. Obviously I’ll still be working on this.

My class is going really well. I didn’t fall asleep in the first day of class (I do fall asleep in most classes, I know, bad Ronnica; but in my defense, I only sleep for maybe 5 minutes and then I’m good the rest of class). There is something encouraging about walking into the class and already having one assignment and a third of the reading done.

I did find a pillow. I decided to get a high-dollar pillow at Tuesday Morning, which meant that it wasn’t expensive. I spent the same as I have as I have for the ones I got from Target or Walmart, but this one has held up pretty well. I’ve been using it for over a month, and it has been heavenly and has shown no signs yet of flattening or becoming an incline plane. Between the new pillow, the new sheets, the new matress pad, and the new comforter my sleep is much more enjoyable.

It still hurts. Soon I’ll be saying goodbye to a new group of kids, and that’ll hurt too. I guess that’s what comes with working with kids.

I’ve already mentioned before how I’m trying to be more open. I think a key to this is showing that I’m open to communication. And by that I mean with my face and body.

I have had people tell me on more than one occasion after we became friends that they had thought that I didn’t like them when we first met. In none of these cases was it ever true. While some people have rubbed me the wrong way the first time I met them (yes, I’m talking about you, Cindy), this is the rare exception. The problem is, I’m not showing them I’m open.

The other night I was hurrying into my apartment because it was about to storm. All of the sudden, I heard a “hello” coming from the balcony of a neighbor I have never met. It scared me, and it was pretty obvious on my face. The friend that was with me assumed that he must have been a creep and that’s why I gave him that look. Further evidence that I need to work on my facial expressions!

I’ve decided that the best place to start with improving my body language and facial expressions is with eye contact. I really don’t like looking people in the eyes. I prefer to have a heart-to-heart conversation side-by-side not facing the other person. But I’m going to work on it. Not just in personal conversations, but when meeting people and seeing them from across the room, etc. I’m going to use my eyes to show that I’m available to talk rather than averting my gaze to signify I’d rather be alone. Though that might be true. But perhaps it’s not.