a change...

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Social Media

I'm sitting here watching the rain out the window at Winans...not studying because I feel ready for my 8 a.m. final tomorrow. But I think that's probably me being overconfident. I decided to take a break and blog for a while.

This post is prompted by the fact as a Public Relations major we are constantly bombarded by the message of social media and how important it is to use it in our campaigns. The following are my thoughts about this. Not all of them are complete. They are just musings that I'm curious to hear your thoughts about.

I don't disagree with the usefulness of social media. I've seen what a big impact it had on our campaign this year--it helped us achieve results that we would not have had otherwise. I've seen how useful it is for campus events. I also appreciate how it allows me to stay in contact with friends around the nation who I would not talk to otherwise.

Honestly, think about how much time you spend on your various social media accounts during your day. Think about how many times you're writing a paper and just get on facebook for a "quick" minute--that turns into a while.

My problem is I think that social media isolates us. I've heard numerous stories of "tweet-ups" where a group of people sit in a room together and use twitter to talk to each other. I mean really...?!?

I think these sites create a false sense of community and security.

I just fear that we're losing the personal side of communication with the help of these sites. There is time and effort that goes into a phone call or a written letter that our generation has lost.

I also know that these sites help us "waste time". I know I'd write a paper so much faster if I didn't have so many other things to look at or do or keep up with on my computer.

So these are my thoughts.....what do you think? Do you agree? Disagree? I'm sorry they are not more complete. I'm just thinking out loud.

the 918

My most recent thought on life in Oklahoma is that Tulsa is my new favorite Oklahoma town (or is city the right word to insert here?). Tulsa has...

Penguins.

Philbrook Museum. (My favorite part from this most recent visit)

Nordaggios.

Mimi's Cafe.

The Coffee Shop on Cherry Street.

Plus...it has the home's of good friends.

Anyways....those are my thoughts about Oklahoma right now.

My name is Julie.

I am awesome.

The Stars at Night....

Some of my favorite memories have to do with star gazing at night. I grew up out in the country away from the lights of the city and you could see the stars almost every night. That's where I learned to pick out the constellations. My favorite constellation has always been Pleiades (The Seven Sisters).

Every September we used to go to Horn Creek in Westcliffe, CO, a rustic family camp in the foothills of the Sangre De Cristo mountain range. I can remember taking walks at night and almost being able to reach up and touch the stars. The sky was filled with a blanket of stars every night.

The summer after my freshman year of college I traveled on the West Coast with Worldview Academy. We spent numerous nights that summer looking at stars. Several of the small group leaders would have t-time under the stars with our students. We'd write our student post cards under the stars together. We'd also just sit under the stars and talk together. It was under the stars that friendships were formed that will last a lifetime.

Last night there were no stars out, but it was a beautiful spring night and the moon was bright, so we lay in the yard and were mostly just quiet contemplating. It's not often that there is time to just be quiet....it was nice. After that we sat on the porch swing and played with Ben the dog and talked to Seth for a while. It was a good night.

I'm excited that Spring has come to Norman and all the nights ahead of looking at the stars.

“I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness because it shows me the stars.”

Og Mandino--American Essayist and Psychologist, 1923-1996

Bike Riders....why?

This is something that I've been wondering for a long time, this happens mostly in Norman, but I've been driving around Dallas today and noticing it here too. Maybe some of you bike riders out there can help me answer this question. 

So, imagine driving down...say, well I can't think of a street that would be an example off the top of my head. Well this street is a nice street and you're driving a long and to your right you notice a nice smooth sidewalk that goes on as far as your eye can see. Well then all of a sudden you happen upon a bike rider, but instead of using the nice smooth sidewalk, he/she is riding in the road right along with the cars. Why is that? I mean I could understand if there wasn't sidewalk or something, but this happens when there's wonderful sidewalk to ride on. I really don't mind that bikers choose to ride in the road, but I don't really understand why. So my question tonight is why the road, not the sidewalk? 

Take a minute in your day to listen to "Hallelujah" by Shawn Mcdonald. It's the beginning of Matthew 5 put the music. It's a new favorite of mine. I'm pretty sure today alone, it's now number one on my Top 25 most played in my iTunes. My second most played is "Falling Slowing" by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. 

I like late night phone calls from roommates. 

Christmas in Texas

This post isn't really about life in Oklahoma because I'm not there right now. I'm sitting in a dark quiet kitchen in Texas. The house is quiet, most of the family is asleep. The Christmas tree is glowing in the living room. Leon Redbone is singing about "the weather outside being frightful..."

It was sad to leave Norman today. I'm glad to be in Texas with my family for Christmas, but for some reason I got sentimental about leaving when I was packing today. So my packing contained frequent intermittent breaks to wander around the house into my roommates rooms to sit on their beds and watch them pack. When I finally couldn't find anything else that needed to be done in the house I set off to run errands around Norman. I went to drop off "The Never Ending Story" at Blockbuster and then I remembered I should eat lunch. So I went to lunch at Canes with 2 Fleetwood boys and sat there for as long as possible. But then, yet again, there's only so long you can eat chicken for. It came time to leave, so then it was off to Cayman's to get one final Christmas present before leaving town. They wrapped my gift for me while I was waiting. I was so glad they did because it looks beautiful. This sounds funny, but it looks like a present from a movie or maybe something that a girl would get a piece of jewelry in (it's not jewelry though)! Just in case you're wondering, it's wrapped in deep red wrapping paper and has a big shimmery silver bow on it. It's my favorite just because of how it's wrapped. After I left Cayman's I stopped to see my friend Rachel at the Candy Basket. It's amazing how many people were finishing last minute shopping. It's funny that our society begins celebrating Christmas before Thanksgiving, but still people wait until the last minute to finish all of their shopping. Well anyways, I'm back in Dallas now. 

Dallas will be busy over the break. We'll spend this Monday night with my brother's family and celebrate Christmas with them. Christmas Eve will be spent with my mom's family. We're having an International Gift exchange that I have yet to find a gift for. Christmas Day is my favorite though because it's just our family at home together. There's something that's hard to describe, but there's something about going to sleep Christmas Eve and waking up and it being Christmas Day. Maybe I love Christmas the most because I'm a December child, who knows....

I'll be spending a lot of time with my Grandparents over the break. My Grandfather is one of the wisest men that I know and I love sitting on his couch with him and hearing his stories and talking with him. He's also one of the most special men I know. My Grandmother has Alzheimers, but he has never left her side during the whole illness. He still treats just as if she's his young bride that he married so many years ago. I called him tonight on my way home and he was so excited about having dinner with her and her nurse and was telling me about the game that they were planning on playing. They blow up a balloon and toss in the air and keep it going between then because it helps Grandmother's motor skills keep working. He was smiling and laughing because he was so excited that she loved to play it with him and what a big deal it is. People say the Notebook is a special movie about Alzheimer's, but I get to see that lived out every day. I want to marry a man like Grandfather some day. 

This week also means a birthday date with Dad. From the time we were all 4 years old he's taken us to the Highland Park Pharmacy for our birthdays. The Pharmacy is an old fashioned soda fountain that was built years ago and has been a tradition in our family for years. Mom and Dad took James there when he was still in a baby carrier. We always sit up at the bar and watch them make our grilled cheeses and my chocolate milk shake and dad's chocolate soda. Then most often we go visit the jobs and talk to Dad's home owners together and take some time to walk around North Park together. It's just a Daddy and daughter day that will always be one of the most special things in the world to me. 

Most of the rest of Christmas will be filled with working at Tyler's, taking some time off to go to Oklahoma for New Years. WOOT! The week before school Dad, Mom, and Hannah and I are going to Honduras. We're flying back the night before school starts, so I'm cutting it close. But I'm so excited about seeing my Honduran friends again. Funny, it takes me three months to update my blog but then I write a book.......I'm sleepy. I think I'll just crawl into bed with a book and fall asleep reading.....I like ellipses.

"I'm dreaming tonight of a place I love even more than I usually do....I promise you....I'll be home for Christmas....."