Epiphany

I pretty much lead a lame life, that is what I have decided. If I a life worth talking about, a blog might be a good thing to have. I am also discovering that this thing I have been calling writers block for the past six months is actually called no writing ability. This new information has come as somewhat of a blow to me since the only thing I feel I somewhat enjoy or excel at is indeed writing.
I am starting to think that my story reservoir is drying up, my imagination is wilting and it is time to get a new dream. This is a moment my fiction lecturer would call a moment of "epiphany," where the character (me) has a sudden enlightenment and with it an inevitable and somewhat painful loss of innocence.
The more I dabble in this journalism business, the more I think perhaps it is a road I can and should pursue. I really cant imagine a more fun job then a human interest writer for newspaper of magazine. Perhaps my imagination is ungifted, but my ability to form ascetically pleasing sentences is not. I wouldn't mind spending my time traveling and testing out accommodations from a travel magazine or writing reviews on food, ski resorts, or bed and breakfast joints.
That is the beauty and sometimes torture of college. You come with some idea of what you want to do, like me, to be a writer and then you realize that its way harder than you thought. Or sometimes it is way too boring or nothing like you planned. So you change plans. I guess that's all this college business is, learning to deal with and accept change. Never liked change, but maybe it will help me get a good job. I might change my opinion, who knows.

I'm the Full Beard, you're just peach fuzz

So I was forced into going to a gig over the weekend at The Retro House. The headliner was one "Calvin Smooth." With a name like that, one is asking to be critiqued heavily. It either takes a really confident person, or a total social reject to pull off a name like that. I know Calvin, met a the kid a time or 2 through mutual friends and needless to say, for being a white rapper, the kid has got somthing special.

The Retro house is a literal house on about 800 N. in Logan, just below campus. Apparantly a bunch of guys live there and invite bands to come play free shows. Its a small house that truly is retro, from the sign above the door as you enter, to the red shag carpet througout. Needless to say the house was packed with bodies. Being petit I weaseled my way to the front where Calvin and his band would play.

The band was good. Calvin on keyboard, his younger brother on lead vocal, a guitarist and a sax player. The real deal was Calvin Smooth, himself. Calvin is not some Eminem copying white kid wanna be, hes got witty lyrics and verbal agility to amaze. I did not want to be there, but needless to say, by the end of the night, even I was singing along, chanting call backs and wondering where I could get this kids CD.

Amazing what funny things you can find around this place we call Cache Valley if you just take a minute to explore and perhaps risk being a little uncomfortable.

Check out Calvin Smooth on Myspace or his sweet video for "Peach Fuzz" on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Mr0Y1xsy7k

Not so bad this week...

I am having a good week I think. With the new semester afoot, I am exhausted 24/7 but that is the life of a student/workaholic. Here are the few things that prove that this is indeed a good week.

1. I am taking my first news writing course. In the 8th or 9th grade my journalism teacher told me that news writing was not my thing and to probably find a new thing to do. His lack of faith in me has weighed upon me to this day. Why in heaven's name would you become a journalism major then, you might ask? Answer: It is the only way I can write and guarantee that I get paid. The stories in my head, while amazing to me, may not sell to blind children in Indonesia, let alone in the U.S.
Back to my topic. Intro to news writing: We were asked to write an intro to a news story. Literally the first two sentences of a piece about a friend in the class. My 2 lines took me at least ten minutes. I wanted them to be perfect, to not look stupid. I got that paper back the other day and it said "Good job, Hayley." Instead of the big stamp Pease threatens us with and a million red marks that I feared, I capitalized hip hop and the rest was good. He said so. Good! This small feat has pretty much made my week.

2. Housing has a Returning Resident Campaign every year to re-talk residents into signing up to live on campus. Every year it has a theme such as Uncle Sam's "We want you" to live on campus etc etc. This year the big wigs of housing held a contest. I entered. My idea won. I admit the idea is not super. I bet anyone could have come up with it, but I wont lie, its kind of cool, plus I got $50 for it. Not bad for a moments work.

3. I might get an internship with my favorite radio station 101.5 the Eagle, a country station based out of Salt Lake. I get to talk to some lady on Friday about it. This is my first step to earning my way to free concert tickets for life! There are a few things in life I feel i know something about, writing being one of them, country music being the other..... Sweet!