Substitute "damn" every time you're inclined to write "very;" your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be. ~Mark Twain

I have been doing a lot of writing lately. For numerous reasons really…. First there is that whole thing where the roomies were gone for 4 days and so that left me with hmm… myself, my phone, my computer, a good book and the television [shrug]. But then there’s also this blast throat thing that is attacking my esophagus and creating the desire to stay silent even when people are around.

Additionally, the lack of roommates around the apartment has given me a large amount of time to think. And as a result, I have written some very real and important letters the past week or so…. Trying to solve problems, encourage good decisions, and be inspired by how great God is.

Now, I don’t profess to be a genius. Far from it, actually, but I keep hearing about situations where… I have to admit, I think to myself “Am I really THAT much smarter than you?” Now, some of you might think you know what I’m talking about, and for the others of you, I’d rather just keep it vague. But I keep coming across people who I really love, and admire at times, and respect, and then I hear about something they did, and I think, “What is the matter with you? You are smart, probably smarter than me, and yet you really screwed that up somehow!” [shakes head]. And I’m not talking about one specific instance, but rather a collection of them over the past few months. I guess what it comes down to though, is that [shrug], we’re all humans and make mistakes. And the instances that I’m talking about are all with 20-somethings… so we’re young and so we’re probably making more mistakes.

But I get stuck on that whole “we’re young” thing. Do we really make that many more mistakes than older adults? Or do we just care more about each other and our decisions now? Or do we just not hide our mistakes as well? [raises one eyebrow]. Interesting. That could be worth some more thought.

But I wonder, how much we do learn from our mistakes? And what does it take to learn from them? Like, in college… it took me a while to figure out that I had to spend more than the night before studying for a test if I wanted to actually pass it. Yet, it took me little time to figure out that I could sleep in until 15 min. before class and still make it on time and look presentable [hey, I didn’t look any worse than the other crazies that signed up for those early-ass classes]. Maybe it has to do with learning what we WANT to learn, and denying the situations that cramp what we want to do. That sux. Because although I can say I have an impeccable 20 minute [or less] morning routine that was created and perfected in college, there is a lot more to be said about how my future will be molded by the lessons I absorbed in class and by studying long nights for those tests. A lot more will stick with me and make an impression on my life from the lessons that took me longer to learn, and the lessons that I was perhaps, not as inclined to WANT to learn.

[Shrug], I don’t know. I’m searching for answers and reasons as to why because I want there to be some other reason why we’re stupid. I don’t want the answer to be “we’re human”…. Lame. But [shrug]…. Could be the only answer I might get.