Random Ramblings

Ruffles is just…magical, lol.

EDIT: The cut/read-more is not working. I apologize ahead of time for this ginormous wall of text.

How ironic is it that my last high school yearbook has, in big letters on the cover, the word that best describes my last year of high school the best?

Journey.

There are no doubts on that. I mean, every year is a journey when it comes down to it, but I feel that this year in particular has been an unforgettable adventure.

The more I think about it, the more I think that this year, God was trying to teach me about humility. He was definitely trying to communicate to me that if I want to truly submit my heart, mind, and soul to him, I have to be humble.

There were two primary changes in my extracurricular activities this year: (theatre) teching and robotics. Three, if you want to throw managing the tennis team in there, but as a more significant part of my time was dedicated to teching and robotics, I will focus on those two (although really, when you think about being a sports team manager, it is quite similar in terms of the lesson I learned).

A theatre tech. We are not seen or heard. We work in the shadows or in the background. We get no spotlight, no applause, no recognition. And yet, the show does not and cannot run without us. Who makes the props/sets? We do. Who designs/helps with costumes? We do. Who manipulates the lights and sounds? We do. Who directs box office-related materials (e.g. ticket sales, marketing, etc.)? We do. Who does the physical labor of keeping a show running (e.g. moving set pieces around, initiating cues, etc.)? We do. I don’t mean to proclaim that techies are the best and most important omg you have nothing on us, but we are as vital to a theatre production as any actor, actress, or director.

A member of a robotics business team. Even that position by itself is rare. A robotics team is not simply building a robot, though that in it of itself is no easy task. Who figure outs how at least ten hungry teenagers and two hungry adults are going to eat? The business team. Who figure outs how much those meals cost? The business team. Who documents every single day of practice, both in pictures and in writing? The business team. Who compiles those pictures and that text into an organized, simple document? The business team. Who communicates with sponsors in an attempt to raise the thousands of dollars we need? The business team. Who keeps an account of the parts we’ve used and parts that we need? The business team. Who comes up with fundraising and outreach ideas? The business team. Who writes a couple well-written, articulate, sophisticated essays in attempts to win awards? The business team. Who talks to judges about everything the team has done, from history to outreach to sponsorship. The business team. And yet, we receive no recognition. The Engineering Notebook, an over one hundred page notebook documenting nearly everything we’ve done since stage one, something I’ve spent hours of my life on, mentions nothing about the business team. 80-90% of the working pictures (i.e. the pictures of us working) I’ve taken of the entire season are of the building, electrical, and programming teams. The awards we vie for are given based on robot design, performance, safety, and accomplishments of teams and individuals, despite the fact that the business team is the one that markets the team. There is minimal, if not zero, recognition for us.

It goes against everything our culture tells us. Don’t just stand in the shadows! Go out and stand in the spotlight! Don’t let anyone stand in your way! We aren’t supposed to allow ourselves to fade into the background. That’s weak, cowardly, pathetic. Someone who will actually amount to something stands out and lets their achievements be known. You’re supposed to aspire for greatness. How else will you ever be important?

If my year wasn’t God banging on the door of my heart and telling me that that message is wrong, then I don’t know what it was. I should have remained as miserable as I was going into my senior year, as society tells us what happens to those who are stuck in the background, and yet teching for shows and being on the robotics business team were the happiest moments of my senior year.

I’m not going to lie. Humility is hard. This reminds me of something Mr. Smith said in Spiritual Disciplines: “Humility is something you can’t admit to.” If you admit you’re humble, then aren’t you really being proud about the fact that…you’re not proud? Yeah, it just doesn’t work like that.

Humility is something you achieve over a long period of time. This is definitely not one of those stories where I’m going to end with after one year of God, my life has been completely changed! Yeah, I’ve changed, but I still have a lot to learn and a lot of work ahead of me. I got caught up in the busyness of my schedule, and I didn’t submit myself completely to God this year. But that’s okay. I have a better grasp of humility now, and I’m going to work at it for the rest of my life.

The other thing about humility I’ve learned is that great things can happen if you’re humble. As I said before, my happiest moments this year came from my moments of humility. With teching, I’ve gained a new appreciation for the arts, power tools, and a new hobby I can enjoy (watching plays). With robotics, I received the answer to a prayer and a great blessing. It was probably through these that God was telling me, being submissive and letting Me take the reins isn’t so bad. Let Me show you how it can be enjoyable. Let Me show you the great, great things I can do when you obey.

I’m going to end with a quotation that Mr. Mendolia, the current VCT Tech Director, shared with us on the first day of class. I think it best sums up what I’ve learned this senior year:

As artists, what we display to the audience is our worship to the Lord. Through our colors, our lines, and our sounds we aim to express His truths. Yet as technicians, we must humbly bow down behind the curtains, the walls, and the darkness. We must remember our place in this world. We are here to serve God, not ourselves. Technical theatre is an art that requires humility. There is no curtain call for the techies. And through this humility comes God’s comfort, encouragement, and satisfaction for the people of his pastures, the flock under his care.

The commitment is large, and so is His reward!!

- Chad Harris, former VCT Tech Director

Well, if that isn’t foreshadowing in action…

Day Three: Pokemon - Favorite Movie?

That would have to be the fifth one, Pokemon Heroes, the one with Latios and Latias. I don’t know. I really like that movie for some reason.

Day Two: Which Digimon Would You Like to Have for Your Own?

You all know how indecisive I am. x)

My favorite Digimon out of all of the seasons is Gatomon, so I would love a Salamon. I also wouldn’t mind a Terriermon, Lopmon, or Renamon. I adore all these Digimon and their digivolution lines. <3 A Wormmon wouldn’t be so bad either.