WhyiDont {Compare Dogs and Cats}

I used to compare dogs and cats. You know, try to convince people that one or the other was better. Now I don’t. They are two separate, wonderful, companion animal species. And I’ll tell you why in a minute. But first, a shamless plug for Goldens. 😀

http://instagram.com/p/R1EShyBtXf/

This lady, Braedyn, has been by my side from the day I recieved her as a puppy on my 16th birthday until the day I got married a year and a half ago. She walked with me, sat with me, slept on my bed, laid beside me when I was sick, and (I was convinced) always knew what I was thinking. I could always count on her to make me feel better.

Since I’ve been married, I have realized that not everyone thinks the same way. D’ oh. My husband’s family kept all dogs outdoors and had cats that lived both outdoors and indoors. On the other hand, my family has had dogs since I was born and they lived inside and were a huge part of our family. So when I wanted to bring Braedyn to live with us when we got married, I was met with some opposition. We argued for awhile (mostly amicably) and both tried to convince the other that our docile creature was better. [In the end, we ended up agreeing to try out his cat, but I became super allergic and had to nix that idea before I lost my sight]. But I realized that when people don’t see eye to eye, each of them see the other side as “bad” or incorrect even when there is never really a “correct” answer. So I just wanted to share with you three reasons…

#1. You only are accustomed to that with which you have grown up living, and will most likely only be able to see with those “goggles” on. So if you can only see one side, you won’t be able to identify with the other side…

#2. Dogs and cats are two very different animals. Every person will have a preference (even if it’s not based on how that person grew up), and eventually, it’ll register that you can’t just change someone’s favorite.

#3. YOU WILL NEVER WIN. Well, I won’t ever win. Maybe you will… *shrug* 🙂

So yeah, agree to disagree. Or put yourself in someone else’s shoes. But for real, this ageless debate won’t end anytime soon… so be nice and don’t let this keep you from being friends with somebody. Haha.

WhyiDont {Blog}

||The Introductory Blog||

My name is Laura Witty. I’m 23. I’ve been married for a year and a half to the love of my life, and I’m a choir teacher at a local private school. I grew up homeschooled, received a college degree, and now I sit around doing nothing. False. Well, that last part is. My life is incredibly facinating, stressful, and exciting all at the same time, and you’ll discover more about what makes me tick as you read through my blog.

The point of this particular blog post is to help you know why I have chosen to blog, and encourage you, as the reader, to continue to follow me and read my posts. So here you are, 5 reasons for…

WhyiDont {Blog}

#1. I do not blog to convince readers that I have knowledge that they don’t have or cannot have. I am not blogging because I believe I have all the answers.

– I do blog because I want those who read to understand that we are all alike. Everyone can have a voice in this world, not just supermoms, award winning DIYers (if that’s a thing), the politically-correct, or the healthy-crazed (even though I commend the above for their accomplishments). I mean, I’m just a normal person. Isn’t that enough?

#2. I do not blog because I expect or want to get famous. Let’s be honest, that would be kinda cool. (Doesn’t everyone want to get famous at some point or another?) But if getting famous was my intent, I think Youtube would be a better avenue for that.

– I do blog because I want people to know what I think or believe about something. I have valid opinions and arguements (nice ones) about things that I would like communicated to the general populous. I do believe – like all of us should – that I, even as one individual, can influence and impact the world.

#3. I do not blog to tell others what to do or believe or to force any type of religion on them.

– I do blog because my Lord has given me a voice and reason. My “religion”/what I believe has impact on my worldview, and thus, my blog posts will reflect that. But I am a firm advocate of sharing, not forcing anything on anyone. Whether or not you agree with my religious beliefs, I am positive that you’ll be interested in what I have to say. 🙂

#4. I do not blog to record my feelings. That’s what journal’s are for.

– I do blog to help others discover what they believe about themselves and the world around them… and at some points, there will be emotion in that. But in general, you will not find emotion-ridden posts here about why I hate my life…cause I don’t. And that’s what a journal’s for. Anyway.

#5. I do not blog because I have nothing else to do. My life is in fact, the opposite. I am married, work 50+ hours a week, spend copious amounts of time in ministry most nights of the week (husband is a youth pastor), and then eat, spend time with family and friends, and sleep.

– I do blog because of all the reasons in the above numbers… plus, writing is fun for me!

If you got this far, I’d like to tell you what I plan to blog about. Here are some topics in no particular order: Young adult life, church, Jesus, food, relationships, education, music, and diy.

Some sneak peaks into my upcoming blogs –

WhyiDont support {Dating in High School}

WhyiDont see {Jesus as a means to an end}

WhyiDont {Ignore Social Media}

WhyiDont {Hate Gays}

WhyiDont get excited about {Generation Z}

WhyiDont {Buy Music}

WhyiDont {Eat Sweets}

“Forget love – I’d rather fall in chocolate!”

-Attributed to Sandra J. Dykes

Although I very much love… well, being in love, the above statement has rang true almost my entire life. Desserts and sweets of every kind have been a kind of addiction for as long as I can remember. And by addiction, I don’t mean the I-go-crazy-and-do-horrible-things-if-I-don’t-have-it addiction – but more like the I-need-to-have-it-to-survive-and-feel-right-about-life kind of addiction. Whether my parents know it or not, they started this whole shebang. My dad loves brownies. I say loves because I know that right now, if I called and said I was heading over, he would still put a batch in the oven for his loving daughter. He loves them because of their taste and their undeniable availability and convenience when it comes to needing a last minute dessert for an unexpected guest. I remember eating brownies after many a dinner meal in my house growing up. It wasn’t so much of a we-need-a-dessert-after-dinner need, but a this-is-what-we-do-after-dinner-to-bond need. To this day, I do not regret our brownie nights – nights filled with laughter, and sweet fellowship with my family.

Having said all that, after leaving my parents house when I got married to my husband, I got confused really fast. I began to understand that other people weren’t raised on brownies the way I was. Didn’t see that coming at all. ; p

On my husband’s and my first joint trip to the grocery store as husband and wife, I was so sure of everything. I knew what I needed to eat and was confident of our future supermarket needs. As we went down the cake/spice isle, I casually picked up a brownie mix and threw it in the cart. The next thing I knew, the mix was back on the shelf and I was standing open-mouthed in front of my husband. I was literally stunned, and had no idea why what just happened did, in fact, happen. Regaining my posture, I stood self-assured. “We need a brownie mix”, I said matter-of-factly. “Why?”, husband replied calmly. Before actually thinking, I replied, “I’ve always had a brownie mix in the house!”. Whoa. Hearing that come out of my mouth, I knew it wasn’t what he was looking for. “It’s a good dessert for when you have people over!”, I added, obviously trying to recover from my senseless first answer. After standing there for awhile, I realized I wasn’t going to be having brownies much anymore. Ha. Turns out, my husband isn’t much into sweets in the first place, and that day allowed me two sweets to take home from the grocery store.

It’s a funny story that I tell pretty often to explain that we take on a lot of our family traits and habits even thought we hardly ever recognize it until they’re threatened. And honestly, I wouldn’t have had it any other way! I love my family so much. However, to this day, I have an INSANE sweet tooth after every dinner meal. And after realizing how much I rely on sweets to curb a relatively unnecessary craving I have every day, I have decided to be done with it.

I love fuit. Really, I do. It’s just hidden by every cookie, doughnut, piece of cake, and snickers bar I have ever eaten. Fruit is sweet to the taste. So are the calorie ridden, fat-filled treats that I call “sweets”. (And btw, I understand that a lot of you make healthy sweets now. I totally get that, and that’s awesome. Truly. I just did not eat those…things 🙂 So… the plan is to trick my taste buds into thinking fruit is candy and ice cream and cake and doughnuts and pie! Well, not really. But the idea is the same.

I am not eating sweets for the entire year of 2014. That is basically saying that I will never eat what I would call “sweets” again! …cause I mean, after a year, I probably will hate the stuff! (here’s hoping) I will instead eat fruit during or after dinner to suppress my sweet tooth that has plagued me all my life (not really) but will now encourage the consumming of foods healthy for my body! It’s a win-win for me, really. I can’t wait to see how this changes my health and desire for foods that are good for me.

So sweet! Truly.

That is WhyiDont {Eat Sweets}

Editors note: This blog post is not meant in any way to discourage the readers to rid themselves of any food that they themselves enjoy. This post was only meant to explain the reasons the writer has for not eating sweets at the current time.

WhyiDon’t {Keep Silent}

“A choir is made up of many voices, including yours and mine. If one by one all go silent then all that will be left are the soloists. Don’t let a loud few determine the nature of the sound. It makes for poor harmony and diminishes the song.”

― Vera Nazaria

The world is a choir and all who are in it determine who we are as a people, a social institution, the world. What we believe, the opinions we hold, and the thoughts that run through our minds daily MATTER and influence and direct the world around us. We, as a people, make the world what it is. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m proud to say that I’m a follower of Jesus Christ, and because of the beliefs that I hold to be true, I KNOW that every human being’s worth and value is determined solely by the Lord of the Universe, and that that worth and value CANNOT be taken away by any earthly means.

However, I am still a voice. And I can still influence.

And you are a voice. And you can still inflence.

And through voices, thoughts, blogs, talks, conversation, forums, etc.,

I can and will be heard.

And you can and will be heard.

I believe it is important to realize that because every person has a voice, every person deserves to be heard, to be listened to, and to know that there are other people out there who hold the same beliefs, wonder about the same doubts, ponder over the same matters, discuss the same issues, and ask the same questions. And I believe it is a DUTY of the human race to both SPEAK OUT and LISTEN. And to speak out and listen AGAIN. And again. And again.

After all, we ought to be a choir of many voices – not just of a few soloists.

“-Don’t let a loud few determine the nature of the sound.-”

That is WhyiDont {Keep Silent}