The pen is mightier than the sword.

So, Blogger, we meet again.

I had forgotten that this blog even existed. While preparing an assignment for my programming class, I stumbled across it again; an old friend.

How interesting it is that writing can contain so much power and emotion. We have all heard that the pen is mightier than the sword, but how many of us actually believe that? Upon stumbling across my writings and muses de nuevo, I began to read some of my posts.

It feels strange to read things I have written and get chills. To think, "Wow, this is really good." I read about my fathers influence on me, coping with the death of a friend, and why writing is important to me.

So, to put it lightly, it is good to be back. I don't make any promise that I will continue to write. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if I forgot about my blog again. That being said, it is very satisfactory to know that the writing is there, stored in some deep, hidden location on a Google server. I'm grateful that writing can instantly transport me back to events and emotions that I may have forgotten about.

True, This! —

Beneath the rule of men entirely great
The pen is mightier than the sword. Behold
The arch-enchanters wand! — itself is nothing! —
But taking sorcery from the master-hand
To paralyse the Cæsars, and to strike
The loud earth breathless! — Take away the sword —
States can be saved without it!

 Edward Bulwer-Lytton - 1839

Also, note a similar usage by Shakespeare

William Shakespeare in 1600, in his play Hamlet Act 2, scene II, wrote: "... many wearing rapiers are afraid of goosequills.

Teaching The Unteachable

This is my first attempt at creating a blog, hopefully all will go well. I am mostly starting this because of the massive amount of thoughts I find floating around in my mind, many of which I just need to get out and place on... well paper. 

I have been reflecting a lot recently a lot about where I am currently at in my life. I have been home from an LDS mission for almost six months! Wow I cannot believe it has been that long! I truly feel that I am making good decisions and am trying to become a better person. I look at the picture to the right and memories come flooding back into my memory. My mission was the most difficult thing I have ever done in my entire life. It is also the accomplishment of which I am most proud. I remember very well the day that my companion and I were walking and saw that drunk man. I remember feeling bad for him, wishing that I could wake him and teach him the Gospel, however I could not. It's hard to teach people who don't want to listen. I think of my own life, as good and bad as it is. How often am I like that intoxicated man on the bench? How often are people trying to give me advice, waiting for me to listen, and I simply won't make the effort to listen? I hope the answer to those two questions is not very often. 

I am finding that life is a difficult, complicated thing. I am also finding that deep within the difficulty and complication is where the deepest beauty and satisfaction can be found. My deepest fear is not achieving my full potential. I know that I can be great, a leader, a world changer, force for good, and that it all depends on me. Life will continue to move forward, this is a logical, inevitable fact. It is my hope that I will be part of that moving forward, that I will always challenge myself and not be afraid to try new things. I have blessed by my Heavenly Father with an abundance of wisdom. I am not concerned with achieving the ability to buy myself a mansion, nor do I have the desire make myself better than others. I only want to have a family and give all of myself to that family. I only want to study because I know that after this life I can take my knowledge with me. It is difficult at times to not get caught up in the vain things of the world, money, cars, success, fame. It takes much more intelligence and wisdom to be able to step back, to zoom out and see the big picture. 

I don't ever want to find myself in the position of that drunken man. I want to always be the one sitting by his side, ready to lend a hand. I feel that these desires I have are righteous enough and that I will be blessed to achieve them. The most interesting, boring, scary, thrilling, part about it....... it all depends on me.