I am an Idiot.

My bike has been parked down by the RB for about a month now, and today, I decided it was about time that I go and get it.

After my singular morning class, I walk down the steps by the RB (yeah, the really, really long ones) and I walk by the bike rack. Sitting there, covered in frost, is my bike.

Now, this bike and I are relatively new acquaintances. We became friends this summer when I decided that, after finally getting my license, I needed some mode of transportation. "A car!" You suggest merrily? Nope, not for me. My ride needs only two wheels.

So down to Wal-Mart I go. I ride the bus there, and then begin to look for a bike. Not a really fancy one, just something for around town, and I see it: The Roadmaster. My secret desires to have the same title send me towards its shiny blue frame, its black rubbery wheels...and its 60 dollar price tag. I knew we were meant to be. After purchasing the bike, I take it out for a little test drive in the parking lot, and then towards the bus. I waited for a grand total of about 5 minutes before I decided I could probably get home faster myself. I rode up the large hill...painfully out of breath, and stopped at the top, deciding that perhaps I couldn't make it home after all. I waited another 5 minutes, and looked up a street to see the mall at the end. "Ooh!" Thought I, "I can go and show off my new wheels!" So I headed up the road and down State Street to show off my ride. Once at my friend's place of employment, I showed him my bike. He gave the appropriate ooos and ahhs and then went back to work. Me, I headed for the Timpanogos Transit Station.

While on my way I discovered a bike path. I decided to follow it for as long as it might go. Turns out my friend had been trying to tell me about it, but I hadn't quite caught on. It also turns out that the path led all the way back to Provo. My bike and I were home.

Since we've become acquainted, my bike and I have made many a trip; up Provo Canyon to see Bridal Veil Falls and have a picnic, around Provo to do fun little errands, to class on occasion. The trip prior to today's left it at the RB.

And now we're finally back where the story was supposed to go.

So I start riding, and I'm trying to figure out the best way to get back up on campus. I decide that riding up a big hill seems like an awfully big hassle, so I'll just carry my bike up the stairs.

Stupid...stupid...stupid...

I get about halfway up them when I realize that I am very tired, and really starting to feel the friendship with my bike start to wane. I look behind me and I see a guy walking up the stairs, and I think, "Uh oh, what if he asks to help me?" So what do I do? Walk faster up the stairs of course! I get to the top with my bike, completely out of breath, hot, tired, and disheartened as I realize that I've still got to get home.

Why am I so dumb? There is a good chance that this guy wouldn't have even asked to help, and I still hurried up the stairs just in case. As I continued to walk home, I started pondering on why I can't let people help me. It just seems to be something that I'm not good at. I love to serve, I love to help other people, I love the happy feelings I get from knowing I did help someone. When it comes to letting other people get the same happy feelings from me though, I fight it. It's not that I don't want them to be happy, it's just that I fight against the idea that its ok to have people help you even when you can do something yourself.

*Sigh* Here’s to hoping I start learning a lot of lessons better, sooner.

Gee, He Must be a Fungi...

I just got back from lunch where I heard a young man attempt to woo a young lady. Is this a new theme at BYU? Not a chance. The novelty in it came in the subject matter that he was trying to woo her with. Mushrooms. Yes, that's right, mushrooms.

Now, I'm a pretty open minded person, but I can't really see how it is that someone could want to use mushrooms as their topic of romantic conversation. "And in our next episode, we'll explore as Derek brings himself closer to Anna by relating the awe-inspiring story of how he overcame his dislike of mushrooms." Probably not 60 Minutes material. Some of the actual conversation went like this:

"Yeah, I used to hate everything thinkable about mushrooms. I mean, they grow on dead things!"
"Really?"
"Uh huh. I made a choice when I came out to BYU that I would like mushrooms though, and so I worked so that I could do that."
"Wow, that's great."
"Yeah, I started out trying to eat them with chicken. Eventually I got to the point where I liked them. It's a good thing too, because they're so healthy for you."

And on it went. I was highly amused, because it seemed to be working! I decided to test out my own powers of mushroom conversation at the next meal, and it worked as well. Who knew that mushrooms could spurr such conversation. I still don't recomend them for wooing purposes, but the basic conversation effectiveness stands. Go ahead, try it. Pretty soon all the world will be convinced that you too are a fungi...