Am I Popular Yet?

I think if you have to ask, your not. Is that right? This is not one of those post though.

This is really about my daughter running for Student Body V. P. at her elementary school. What is a student body election really? Is it a popularity contest?  Is it about validation? Is it about picking the best person for the job? Picking the most responsible person? The one with the cutest slogan? The one with the best speech? The one who dresses the nicest? The one who is most athletic? The one who is friendliest? The best looking? The funniest? The teacher's pet? The smartest? What is the answer? Someone please tell me.

Growing up I think I ran for student body office every year from 6th grade on. I won a grand total of... never. I never even made it past the preliminary round. I was never in the top two for a position. I never made a poster. I never gave a speech. Yet, for some reason I ran every year. Two of my sisters were on the high school student council, so I think I just assumed that I would get elected as well. John Adams, John Quincy Adams, the Kennedy family, the Bush family. All electable families. I guess I assumed mine was as well. Turns out I am not a Kennedy. Who knew?

With Sophia running this year I thought for sure my losing streak was over. It's not like I gave birth to the child or made her posters or anything. I did both of those things so it's okay to say, "my losing streak." Her poster was adorable. Her slogan cute and catchy, "Mama Mia! Vote Sophia!" She even had a cute little helper during her speech, Dylan dressed as Mario. Sophia is cute, friendly, and smart. She knows a lot of people, most of the sixth grade and some of the fifth. Fifth and sixth were the ones voting for the positions. I honestly thought we had this thing in the bag. Again, it's okay for me to say, "we." I'm not living through my daughter, I'm just supporting her in her dreams!!!

She did make it through the primary election. It was her and a boy from the fifth grade for the final election for VP. Come on a little fifth grader against my tall amazing daughter? Of course she would win, no problem. You can imagine my surprise on Friday when she told me after school that she was not elected. What??!! My perfect (mostly) child not elected? How is that possible? We still don't know, but I am totally betting on a conspiracy. I don't know what it is yet, but I'm sure it's there. The boy conspiracy? The smaller kid conspiracy? The fifth grader conspiracy? The favorite of the administration conspiracy? I don't know. I'm just saying it goes against all logic. Now you may say that this other kid had just as much right to win as Sophia. That may be so, but I'm sticking with the conspiracy theory.

She took it very well. She acted very mature, not a tear shed. I don't know if she plans to run again. Congratulations to Miss Sophia for taking a chance and making it as far as she did.

I'm puzzled as to why kids do it at all. Now that I'm away from it all it just sounds like more work to me and why would I go looking for more work? Okay, really I think it's about being involved and making a difference. Most of us want that, right? We want to make our world a better place. I've decided my kind of race is the one where I'm the only one running. I'm pretty sure that I am the most popular and will totally be elected as the best Jennifer Lynn Pelo Rawlings the world has ever seen. I'm a winner!!

Here's a funny election speech from one of my favorite new shows, The Middle.

I love music

I love music. I have it playing for a lot of my life. Cooking, cleaning, dressing, driving, gardening, on the computer, it's usually on. Music is such a huge part of life. It can up my energy to do things that are difficult such as running or cleaning. It can calm me down and help me relax. It can add to a mood or ambiance. I can hear songs from my past and they can take me right back to a single moment in time. Howard Jones - "Life in One Day?" Jumping on the mini-tramp on our covered deck on a summer afternoon. Edie Brickell & New Bohemians - "What I Am?" Driving home from play practice in 9th grade. Alphaville - "Forever Young" & Depeche Mode - "Somebody?" Many jr. high and high school dances. The Cranberries - "Linger?" Driving around Dayton with this cute new guy, Kenneth Rawlings.

Music remind me of my favorite movies or TV shows. Ferris Beuller - "Oh Yeah," by Yello. Say Anything - "In Your Eyes," by Peter Gabriel. Any John Williams music (Star Wars, Jurrasic Park) or any Danny Elfman music (Batman, Pee Wee's Big Adventure). M.A.S.H. theme, "Where Everybody Knows Your Name," "I'll Be There for You," X-Files theme.

Let's not forget hymns that mean so much to me, "I Stand All Amazed," "I Believe in Christ," "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief," "Amazing Grace," "Lead Kindly Light," "As Sisters in Zion," "Called to Serve," this list could go on forever, so I'll just leave it at that.

Of course everyone has "their" song as a couple. Ours is "Dreams" by The Cranberries.

Music can have a downside as well. A new band formed just down the street from us and band practice can be super loud and super long. It's not that they sound bad, it's just that they sound loud and repetitive for long periods of time. My kids sound loud and repetitive on the piano, but I it doesn't last as long as band practice and we are usually the only ones hearing it.

Another downside to music is blog playlists. I have been guilty of this as well. Luckily someone told my husband how annoying it was and he passed it on to me, so I silenced mine. Now I find it very annoying. I don't mind blogs having the option for music. I want to hear what my friends, or people I'm stalking, are enjoying. So at times I will turn on their playlist, especially if they mention it. However, trying to find the location of the playlist and pause button on the different blogs that I have open in my tabs is really annoying not only to me, but to anyone else in the room.

Ok, those two things are really just minor annoyances. The real downside to music is basically the same power that makes it great, but used for evil instead of good. Lyrics that make you feel sad, bad, dirty, or angry. Loud, pounding rythms that drown out any hope of feeling the Spirit. Have you ever really liked a song and your singing along to it not really thinking about what the lyrics say until you have your parents or your kids in the car/room? I hate when that happens. I'll try to do better.

Now it's your turn. What are some of your musical memories? What's "your" song? TV or movie themes you love? Favorite hymns? Let the music play!

P. S. I did put some of the above songs on my playlist, so if you want you may turn that on while you are writing your comment.:-)