Near Death or Near Life?

Date: July 22, 2012

My brother Jake and I work at a Boy Scout camp over the summers. We caught a ride to camp with Jake's best friend, Andrew, and another councilor, Hunter. Andrew was driving. Well we were about a half a mile away from camp, on a dirt road, when we hit a really bad pot hole a little fast, turned into a skid, and then flipped the car… twice. All four of us were conscious the whole time the car was rolling, we all had our seat belts on. I was sitting behind the driver and, although the right side of the car flipped first, our side got hit the worst. When the car finally came to a rest, the four of us jumped out of the car, called the camp for help, and then assessed each other. Somehow Jake and Andrew came out with only sprained necks, shoulders, and a couple scrapes. Hunter got glass in his head, had to have staples and stitches, but was otherwise ok. I hooked my head on the luggage hook, took some hair out but not a lot, and a piece of glass cut my right ring finger and I had to have five stitches to close it. When the camp director and the medics got to us, they immediately put Hunter and me on back boards. As soon as the three ambulances got to us, Jake and Andrew were both put on back boards too. Andrew went into major shock, being the driver that was to be expected.

The accident happened at about 7:15pm and we got to Madison Memorial at 10:30pm. When we got there, Jake and I had to wait, strapped to the boards, while the other two, who were considered in worse condition, got ex-rayed to make sure their backs and necks were not broken, which neither were. I was third to be ex-rayed, and I was finally let off the board, with no cracks, breaks or anything. They then ex-rayed Jake and he was fine too. All four of us were released from the hospital at about 3am Monday morning, with nothing worse than some scrapes, cuts, and bruises. Before any of us left, the doctor on duty basically told each of us about four times that we should have died in that crash or at least broken something, but none of us did. If that isn’t proof that there is some form of God out there then I don’t know what is. 

I only post this here to show that, things happen for a reason. There is a reason none of us died that day, and I'm sure as hell going to find out why. What is my greater purpose in this world? What am I supposed to do to make it a better place?

Putting it Together

                I know it’s been a long time since I’ve blogged but, as the end of my fall semester of my sophomore years is coming to a close(that and I have to make and upload a video due tomorrow tonight) I feel that I just need to get the creative juices flowing and then genius will come to me.

                This semester had been, well not hard but not easy. It started out great: moved in with amazing friends, and our friendship has just grown stronger. But my classes were harder than last year and required more time put into them and I finally saw that in high school I might have been smart enough to get away without doing a lot of stuff, but college was going to be different. Take for example this moment: I should be making and editing a video due tomorrow but I’m not. I just don’t know what to do it on. Also at the end of September, I got another surprise, and a panic attack to go with it. I won’t go into the situation because that would violate one of my best friend’s privacy but let’s just say that it has added stress into my life because I hate the fact that I see them hurting and know that whatever I say or do is not helping them. I just love them so much that I hurt that they hurt.

                I guess the up sides of this semester are I turned 20 years old. That really wasn’t that exciting. It feels the same as 19 and yet it is weird to think that I have lived in three decades and have seen so many things happen. It almost makes me feel old. I also have amazing roommates! And I auditioned for a chance to be on The Glee Project and compete for a guess starring role on Glee. It is one of the scariest things I have done in my life, but it felt right. I don’t find out if I made it until Friday but still it was huge.

                A lot of people I know got married or engaged this semester. Good for them but I just can’t see being married right now. Maybe they are more mature than I am, and that is a good possibility, but I just can’t see being in a serious relationship at this point in my life. Maybe it’s because I’ve never been in a relationship ever, maybe it’s because I still have a lot of learning and growing an exploring to do, maybe it’s for some reason that I don’t even know of but whatever it is I’m kind of glad it is there.

                Maybe when I graduate college I’ll join the Peace Corps. I need to give back to the world, I just feel it.

Jerr

Maybe My dreams can come true...

I grew up with this: 

And At the tender age of 6 I believe I had this song memorized and was singing it everywhere. By 10 I had people telling me I sounded like Judy herself.

 One day some snotty girl told me I can't sing as well as Judy and that I would never get anywhere. She had never heard me sing and was just going off of what I looked like. I stopped wanting to sing as a career and only did it in choir. I very rarely auditioned for solos. And then I saw this:

This talented woman has taught me to hope and now maybe I can make something of my voice.

Jerr

The things my brain thinks when I am asleep

Last night I had a dream that I was on Glee and that Darren Criss and I were dating in real life. Somehow or another it then changed that I was married to a geeky kid that wore glasses and was way smart that somewhat resembled Darren but his name was Steven. We were on our way to boot camp for some reason. In the middle of the introduction movie I look over to my husband, who is playing with my hand, and he is now a buff Polynesian dude also named Steven. And to top it Darren was jealous that I had married Steven and not him. I'm very confused as to what to think if any of this came true...

In the Begginging:

There have been many influential things in my life but the biggest has to be music.

My mom likes to say that I sang before I talked and I danced before I walked. I don't know how accurate this really is but I like to believe it. I have always been singing and dancing along with the TV and I even burst out into song without even thinking about it really. The first musical I remember truly loving from a very early age was Oklahoma! and it still holds a very special place in my heart. However although I did fall in love with songs such as "People Will Say We're in Love", it was the side story of Ado Annie and Will Parker. They are so funny and just, if played correctly, steal the show. There is something just magical there. This is where I got the thought of being an actress, and I was only 5 years old.

When I was in the 5th grade my life changed. Although I loved music and acting I never really thought about really pursuing it as a career, I wanted to be a teacher by then. One day in Beginning Music (because I didn't want to play in the band or Orchestra) we were playing recorders in front of the class. Mrs. Banta called me down to play. I was nervous and started to play. The sound was fluttering around because I was so nervous. She stopped me and asked me to sing. My mind went blank. Why did she want me to sing? So I sang the first song that came to mind: "Can You Feel The Love Tonight." When I finished she told me I had a natural Vibrato and that I should take choir my next two years of middle school. So I did! Mrs. Banta and I became fast friends (I dare say I was her favorite) over the next two years. She understood me and I her. In the 7th grade at out final concert, I was in the choir, a quartet, a trio, a duet, and I had a solo because of how fast I could learn music. I sang "Think of Me" from Phantom of the Opera. I had a mother of another student, who had shortly been on Broadway, came up to me and told me to continue with my singing and I could make it on Broadway myself. I was on cloud nine!!! Then some girls came up to me and teased me because they were jealous of my voice. They teased so bad to this day I will not sing "Think Of Me" again.

Moving into Jr High, I still had dreams of being on Broadway. I joined choir and immediately became fast friends with my teacher. He was somewhat of an outcast in our city because of his sexual orientation, but that didn't stop me from befriending him. I like to think that because of him, I am more open to people than I was in the past. He taught me not only music but acceptance. I wish the world would open up to those who are homosexual and just let them be who they are without harrassment.
Anyway back to the main story: I, in the 8th grade, had a solo in the Les Mis medley. I sang "I Dreamed A Dream" and had everyone crying. After that, for the next year and a half I was in Jr High I got no solos. I think this is because parents of children not as talented as I complained that I out shone their student. Anyway I didn't care much because I knew I could sing.

Then High School came. I auditioned for the choirs and made it into the lower of the three audition choirs, the female choir Musettes. I guess at this point in the story I should mention that I have a very hard time with sight reading music. To be honest I can't really read music at all. I am what my High School Choir teacher likes to call a "Parrot", I listen to it played a couple times and can, for the most part, repeat it back flawlessly. I sang a year in Musettes and then it was time to audition for Bel Cantos, the mixed choir, and Vocal Spectrum, the "Show Choir". I didn't make it into either, I stayed into Musettes.
I came to school the next day with my glasses on and my eyes big and puffy. The teacher walked up to me and told me that I was the last one he had cut from the choir, thinking that it would make me feel better. Well it didn't, it actually had the opposite affect on me. I cried harder when I got home.
I suffered another year in Musettes and again at the end of my Jr Year I auditioned for the higher choirs.
This time I made it into both Bel Cantos and Vocal Spectrum.
For the most part, my senior year was an alright year for my music, the two choirs and getting a leadish role in the musical,  but it made me realize that I really wanted to be a teacher rather than an actress. I found out I didn't/don't have the patience to compete and kill for a role.

So here I sit, just after my freshman year of college, blogging about music. I LOVE music and musicals. I love to sing and act but mostly as a hobby (not that if offered a chance on Glee or any other acting/music job I wouldn't take it!). I love how music makes me feel and I will always love it no matter how bad it is to me. 

Steven

The other day after posting I realized I had forgotten someone very important: Steven. This kid has never left my side in a time of need. He is my confidant and much much more! People thought we were going to get married because every day of our high school career we held hands for as long as we could. I love him and will miss him these next two years!

~Jerrica~

The Begining of the Rest of my Life... Again

                Here we are halfway through the first month of the New Year and I’m pretty sure that most of my New Year’s Resolutions have gone down the drain. So many things have happened in my life over the last year, everything from mini-mental breakdowns, school plays, and graduating high school to starting college and making wonderful new friends.

                To start off my year of 2010, we have to start August of 2009:

                All that summer was spent with my best friend. When I wasn’t working at a day camp for Cub Scouts I was at his side and when he wasn’t at Wendy’s he was at mine. So of course, being a crazy high school girl with hormones, I started to fall for my best friend. Looking back it probably wasn’t the best thing to do, but what can I say? I only tell you this (again) because it was a lot if my senior year was affected because he came back from Camp with a girlfriend.

                But enough about my heart ache! Senior year started out great (other than the crazy stuff)! I got the part of “Mama Paroo” in “The Music Man” staring alongside one of my other best friends as “Harold Hill”! Due to this part I got to fulfill my lifelong dream of dying my hair red! It was an amazing experience that I will never forget!

                Not only did I get a lead part in the Musical but I finally got into the Show Choir at my high school: “Vocal Spectrum”! This was another amazing opportunity to build my character and my voice. It also made me learn patience.

                As 2010 finally came in, I had had my wisdom teeth out and was ready for my face to get over it! The winner months weren’t really exciting, I mean I got to stage manage a student produced play but that was about as exciting as it got! Nothing really changed over those months.

                Come March I went to my first dance with a date. It was girl’s choice and I took one of my close friends that is two years younger than myself! It was amazingly fun!

                I helped with the spring play and my children did amazing!!

                As graduation drew nearer and nearer so did prom. I had never been asked to a dance my whole high school career and I never planned on being asked, I never was going to make the cut. One random day my best friend (the one that I fell for the summer before) walked up to me. He said:

                “So once upon a time, I was going to ask this girl to the dance in a really cute way but I couldn’t think of anything so…“

                At this point I was thinking up ways for him to ask this girl when he continued:

                “Do you want to go to the dance with me?”

                My mind went blank. I had no idea that was coming in my direction. I sat there for a couple seconds and then: “Awe cute!! Yes I would love to!”

                The night of the dance came and we (or at least I) had an amazing time!! It was one of the best days of my life up to this day. I think I’ll always have a place in my heart for him but I’m pretty sure I’ll get over him and he and I will have a friendship that last until the end of time!

                The day of graduation from high school came and went. The only thing about that day was that I closed the door on high school, hoping never to look back, and opened the door to the future.

                Summer 2010 consisted of working at a Scout Camp as the Trading Post Director.

               

August 2010 came and I moved to Logan Utah to start college at Utah State University. Here I have met so many wonderful friends that I think will be in my life for a very long while!

                December 2010: Christmas break- one of the last times to hang out with two of my best friends before they leave on their missions. I spent Christmas with my family and had an awesome time,

but the real fun came New Years Eve. My friends and I had an amazing time with activities such as fondue, pee-my-pants-funny games, making fun of “Twilight”, and finally kicking in the New Year with an act of feminism: burning bras!

                Now as I am sitting here in January 2011 I look back at everything that has happened both good and bad, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

                I look forward at the years to come: continuing college

               

                Crying because Steven will be in the Philippines

                And because Jeff will be in the Dominican Republic  

Dating

And friends

And I can’t wait to get out there!

~Jerrica~