email & points to ponder

January 24, 1999 

I should say congratulations to my roommate, I guess.  He is now the North Dakota Student Association Student Lobbyist.  He's also the residence hall senator in UND's student senate and a member of the National Residence Hall Honorary national office.  He's constantly attending meetings.  I don't know how he can stand it myself.  But then again, I am not exactly a politician.

My stepsister is going to be having her baby very soon.  I heard from my mom that it's going to be a girl and that Shannon had chosen to name her Stormy Jean Tipton.

I swear my girlfriend can read my mind.  I spent most of the day at the library, away from distractions (mainly my computer), so that I could get some heavy duty studying done.  Then, as always, my thoughts drifted away from Calculus and I began to contemplate whether I should be going to a different school, studying a different major, or perhaps I should be quitting school for a while.  I was pondering the consequences of these actions, whether I would make enough money working at this career or that, whether I would enjoy this career or  that one.  My concern was totally for my future.  What would I do to earn money?  Would it make me happy?

Then I decided I was not able to focus on math anymore, and I needed a break.  So I walked through the endless shelves of books to the computer lab on the other side of the building.  I sat down at a computer and commenced to check my e-mail.  I got a forwarded message from Melanie.  Usually, I don't enjoy forwards.  You know how those things go most of the time:  "Win a trip to Disney World by sending this to ten people!"  "Quick, forward this message to help save poor little Tommy from cancer!"  and then there's the classic "Forward this message or misfortune will find you!" 

Anyway, the message Melanie sent me exactly complemented my thoughts before I came to the computer lab.  When I read an inspirational message that really seems to have a point, I hope the person who took the time to write it knows what they're talking about.  I would like to believe what I read, but nobody's an expert at life, am I right?  In any case, it was interesting.

Well, I suppose I can post the message on here so you know what I'm talking about:

      LIFE
Once in a while you meet someone, and soon
you both discover the two of you are truly
something special to each other.
You share your thoughts and feelings so
relaxed, so openly, and right away you
know your friendship's truly meant to be."-----

Life isn't about keeping score.
It's not about how many friends you have Or how accepted you 
are.
Not about if you have plans this weekend or if you're alone.
It isn't about who you're dating, who you used to date, how 
many
people you've dated, or if you haven't been with anyone at all.
It isn't about who you have kissed,
It's not about sex.
It isn't about who your family is or how much money they have
Or what kind of car you drive.
Or where you are sent to school.
It's not about how beautiful or ugly you are.
Or what clothes you wear, what shoes you have on, or what kind
of music you listen to.
It's not about if your hair is blonde, red, black, or brown
Or if your skin is too light or too dark.
It's not about what grades you get, how smart you are, how 
smart everybody else thinks you are, or how smart standardized 
tests say you are.
It's not about what clubs you're in or how good you are at
"your" sport.
It's not about representing your whole being on a piece of 
paper and seeing who will "accept the written you."

LIFE JUST ISN'T.
But, life is about who you love and who you hurt.
It's about who you make happy or unhappy purposefully.
It's about keeping or betraying trust.
It's about friendship, used as a sanctity or a weapon.
It's about what you say and mean, maybe hurtful, maybe 
heartening.
It's about starting rumors and contributing to petty gossip.
It's about what judgments you pass and why.  And who your
judgments are spread to.
It's about who you've ignored with full control and intention.
It's about jealousy, fear, ignorance, and revenge.
It's about carrying inner hate and love, letting it grow, and
spreading it. But most of all, it's about using your life to
touch or poison other people's hearts in such a way that could 
have never occurred alone. Only you choose the way those hearts 
are affected, and those choices are what life's all about.

This is not your ordinary chain letter.  Depending on how many
people you send this to, your life will change dramatically! 
 

If you send this to:

0-people:  Something terrible will happen such as losing a 
best friend.
1 person:  You will have 1 good day.
2 people:  You will have a good week, and the person you 
like will ask you out.
4 people:  You will have a good month, and a great surprise
every day.
12 & up:  You will have a successful life and all of your 
dreams will come true!
SEND THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!!

Hey, I bet at least two, probably four people will read this.  So that means I'm gonna have a good month and a great surprise every day!  Whoopee!!