DON'T JUMP OVER THE FENCE!

When I was in high school, sometimes I felt restricted.
Confined.
"Un-free."

I wanted a later curfew on the weekends.
I wanted to choose what movies I watched.
I wanted to have sleep overs with my girlfriends,
I wanted to be allowed to stay up however late I wanted on... get this... A SCHOOL NIGHT.

And then I got to college.

I can stay out however late I want on the weekends!
My parents don't expect me to text them to ask them if I can watch a given movie.
I live with one of my girlfriends. Slumber party every night!
And ain't no one comin in my room at night saying, "Lights off, please!!"

But you know what?

I still try to go to bed at reasonable hour on the weekends.
I don't watch R-rated movies.
Our slumber parties consist of doing our homework and cleaning our room,
And our lights are out by like 11. Not bad for college, eh?

It doesn't make sense! I should be pulling all nighters every night of the week!! I should be living it UP at college!!

But I learned something at Institute a couple weeks into school that helped this all make sense to me.

When I go to the zoo, I'm grateful for the bars.

When I go to the zoo, I'm grateful  that there are cages, and bars, and signs that say, "DON'T JUMP OVER THE FENCE!" I'm grateful there are zoo keepers that remind me to "Stay behind the rope, please!" And I'm grateful I can enjoy the zoo, despite being surrounded by animals that COULD KILL ME AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT. And, quite frankly, I'd rather not be mauled by a bear.

It's the same in life. In life, I'm grateful for the bars. I'm grateful that I have restrictions, and rules, and people lookin' out for me, whether they by my mother at night telling me to turn lights off, or my Relief Society President asking if I've done my visiting teaching this month. (Which, I totally have, just so you know.) Because, those bars? They're actually not restricting US at all. They restricting the bad, the evil, the extremely dangerous, like you'll realllllly regret jumping over the fence. Because those bars? The enable us to live in the world but not of the world, like Jesus taught us. Because those bars? They're keeping us safe. They're keeping us happy. And, in real life, they're keeping us very, very free.

So, let's decide to not get mauled by a bear, okay? Not at the zoo, and not in life.

UM. EMILY. HELLO.

So, I have what I like to call a stupid wrist and because I have a stupid wrist, I can't play the violin, which is annoying cause THAT'S WHY I'M HERE. But I've learned that God has this tendency to talk to us in lots of different ways even when we have stupid wrists and empty hearts due to such things. Wanna hear an example? Here:

Thursday morning. I wake up at 8:03. Class starts at 8:10. I arrived at 8:09. Please, please, save your applause for later.

Yes, I looked as if I had gotten ran over by a truck on the way to class, but it's fine, cause I was totally on time.

But, even though I was on time, and even though it was a lovely day outside, and even though I was brave enough to ride the elevator, I was still feeling annoyed at frustrated and confused because of my stupid wrist and rough nights and other things that can make my life hard and I felt kind of like this: "I JUST WANT TO GET BACK IN BED BECAUSE MY AWAKENING THIS MORNING WAS FAR TOO ABRUPT."

But then I had a thought. (God's pretty good at putting those in my head when I really need them.) I decided to make two lists. One of things I couldn't change in my life, and things I could change in my life.

(Only MAYBE I was making these lists during class.)

On the first list, I had things like my stupid wrist is being stupid, I couldn't do what I do best, I woke up 7 minutes before class, I looked like that truck that had run over me that morning was actually for real, it was a rough night the night before, I had just gotten a C- on a stupid test, blah, blah blah. Ultimately, I had about 7 or 8 things on that list.

On the second list, though, I couldn't stop writing. I could actually get ready for the day (wait, what?), I could eat breakfast, I could sing out loud (this is real life. no need to make fun.), I could talk to my two very best of friends: Henry and Melissa, I could read my scriptures, I could pray to God, I could dance (also real life.) I could heat up my stupid wrist, I could take medicine for my stupid wrist, the list went on and on and on and on and on. Just a bunch of things that I could change in my life that could make it better.

After class got out at 9:25, I ran upstairs and started to dig into my list. I sang out loud and danced while I got ready for the day. I prayed to God and I walked to the cafeteria to get some breakfast. I sat on a comfy little couch with my strawberries, muffin, and hot chocolate, and pulled out my computer to listen to a conference talk. I listened and I ate and I already felt so much better. Things were already looking a little up.

Quick side note: Once I had written on my list "talk to Henry boy and Melissa", I didn't think much of it, cause I've never actually seen them on Thursday mornings, cause we have different schedules. I was already feeling so much better, I didn't think of that one on my list.

God did, though.

Right as President Holland said, "Amen", I looked to my right and saw Henry walking towards me. He sat down and we talked for a few minutes and my mind didn't even process that God was practically yelling at me that he had been watching over my shoulder in class that morning and was helping me accomplish every last one of my things on my list. We just talked like normal, when all of the sudden, he said, "Hey, look! There's Melissa!" Lo and behold, there's Melissa getting her breakfast. She comes over, and we talk, and my mind still doesn't hear God up there saying, "UM. EMILY. HELLO."

Then, Melissa had to go to class, and Henry had to go to class, and I had to go to physical therapy, and that was that.

It wasn't till, oh, about dinner time that I finally got it. I pictured God sitting on His throne up there laughing and shaking His head saying, "Didn't see that one comin', did ya?"

Nope, I sure didn't. But, boy am I glad that He took the time to remind me through two real live angels that He's there for me and He hasn't forgotten about me, even if I do have a stupid wrist.

He's there. He's watching. He's taking care of us. He showed me through two people who mean the world to me, and He'll show you through whatever makes you smile, even if you have a stupid wrist or you have a rough night or you get a C- on a stupid test like me. I promise it!

"You keep on bein a good girl, you hear me?"

The Vandy Van. Also known as the greatest thing Vanderbilt ever thought of. It's basically just public transportation just for Vanderbilt students that runs between the hours of 5 pm and 5 am every night. For most people, it's so they don't die walking home drunk from the Frats. But for me? So I don't die walking home alone from late night practicing. Sober.

Anyway, last night I jumped on the Vandy Van at, oh 5:30ish, to go do some practicing before I met some friends. I ALMOST MISSED THE BLUE VAN so I had to run super fast. The nice driver, Ms. Stevens, waited for me, and I climbed on, plotted myself on the very first row, and said, huffing and puffing, "Th-- (breath. breath) Thank (cough, breath, cough) you (more coughing and breathing)!!!"

She proceeded to look at me through her little rear view mirror and said to me, in her thick, Southern, black woman accent (the best kind, btw),

"I've NEVER seen you before!! Do you have an ID??"
"Yes, ma'am!" (and then I showed her my lovely student ID)
"Well! I have never seen you before!! I have worked here 13 years and I have never seen you before!"
"Well, I mean, I am a freshman!"
"I know, but I know ALL of the freshman. (just so you know, there are 1600 of us....) I'm the famous vandy van driver, Ms. Stevens. You've probably heard of me before."
PAUSE. Please keep reading this in your best thick, Southern, black woman accent. It makes it way better.
CONTINUE.
"Oh, yes, ma'am! I've heard of you before! You're the one who pulls over to the side of the road to pick up drunk students lyin on the side of the road in the middle of the night!"
"Yeah, you better believe that's me!! I have never seen you before!!"
"Well, I don't drink, you see, and I ain't on the bus, drunk, in the middle of the night, after comin from the Frats."
"You don't drink?? Oh, you are a rare breed!! I am SO glad I met you!! You stay that way!! I am SO glad I met you!! You know, I raised triplets, and they were always studious in college, and they never drank none either. You know, they're all dentists in California now. That's why I have white teeth. And you know, they's the best kids. Oh, they're my pride and joy!! I love those kids with all my heart! And, you know, they's rollin in the DOUGH over their in California, them bein dentists and all. Oh, they's just the best kids!!
"Well, you know, Ms. Stevens, you raised 'em!! You musta raised 'em pretty good if they turned out so good!"
"Me and my husband, we put our ALL into those kids! They told us when they were 8 years old they wanted to be dentists and we put our ALL in helpin them be just that. We taught them how to clean up, and everything! We raised them from the ground up, those kids. And you know, I tell them, that when they do their dentistry over there in California, they needa give their services to people who can't afford none, cause you know, we gotta give back in our world. We need help those that can't help themselves none! It's our responsibility!!"
"Well, Ms. Stevens, I think you're doin just that when you help poor drunk kids on the side of the road! You're helpin them out when they can't help themselves!!"
"You know, when I see them out there, I think 'That is someone's child out there!!' And then I go and help them, cause, you know, I love my kids with all my heart! And, you know, I go through 8 pairs of tennis shoes a year because of those kids pukin' up all over 'em when I try to help them get in the van! But, it's worth it, cause I's gettin those kids home safe."
"Ms. Stevens, that is so good of you! You're helpin those kids so much!"
*then we got to my stop*
"What's your name again? I have never seen you before!! I am so glad I met you! You made my night! I hope I see you again! You keep on bein a good girl, you hear me? And you don't drink none and you be safe, you hear me?"
"I'm Emily! And yes, ma'am! Thank you, ma'am! You have a good night!"

I seriously couldn't stop smiling. Guys, there are good people everywhere. People that will sacrifice 8 pairs of tennis shoes a year. People that'll drag drunk 19 year-olds into their van so they get home safe. There are good people everywhere. And you know what else? You don't gotta do much to share what you believe in. All you gotta do is live it. And people will notice. She noticed my decision not to drink, simply because I don't drink. I noticed her amazing spirit, simply because of how she spends her weekends: drivin the Vandy Vans.

Don't underestimate the power of example. People are watching.
And always, always, always, believe in good people everywhere.