Thursday, June 18, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Confession of Geek Genes
Okay, I admit it. I am full of geek genes. There is something about learning new knowledge that is invigorating. Still, I have always been the kind of person to hide my inner geekiness. Although I read frequently, I generally do it in my room with a closed door, and library trips are often just described as “I’m going to campus for a couple of hours.”
If one was to check my internet browse history he/she would find frequent visits to dictionary.com (but never when anyone is looking, of course), farm facts pages and current news sites.
Still, until recently I was able to keep my geek genes in check. Generally people associated me with the “people-pleaser” or the “entertainer;” but when I started a new job, I was asked to take a personality profile quiz called StrengthQuest. Any guesses on my top strength?
WHAT?! It is out in the open people. I love to learn, I am a proud geek. Call me Artemis. StrengthsQuest is absolutely correct when stated the following about me: “you get a thrill out of learning new facts, beginning a new subject, and mastering an important skill. Learning builds your confidence.”
It is true—learning does build my confidence. I love to figure out html coding for Web design, try out a new writing strategy in journalism or design a newsletter in Adobe InDesign. I even admit I am enjoying the challenge of my graduate statistics course. When I opened the book and saw the complicated formulas, I thought I would faint; however, as I have applied myself to learn the material I have found a new confidence. I can learn statistics and I love that.
Such statement is a testimony to my new found strength. A learner “enjoys the process of learning as much as you actually learn—perhaps even more.”
So people, it is not that I actually am a geek, I just love learning how to become a geek. Phew, my secret is safe.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Oops!
I have a reputation for experiencing big "Oops" moments within the first few weeks of a job. While these moments can be stressful at the time they happen, I am learning to sit back and laugh when they do.
My first BIG job (a.k.a. I felt responsible) was changing irrigation pipes for my dad on our sheep farm. As a sophomore in high school, I was ready to prove to my dad that I could be as good as my brothers. The first day, I had to transfer about 22 pipes from one field to another. My father gave me farmer instructions—never full of details—the night before, “take the line from Parnell’s and put it on the center riser of the grain.” So I did. I packed every sprinkler line individually to the center of the field. I thought it strange, but I wanted to follow my dad’s instructions. For those not familiar with irrigation pipes, the customary way to set up the line is to start from one far end of the field to the other. Needless to say, my dad was not very happy with me that evening and I had the opportunity to pack them again to the far side of the field.
Still, the first day was only the beginning of my adventures. On the second day, I decided to drive on a muddy, recently irrigated trail to check an end plug. To make sure I didn’t get stuck, I gunned the gas to get to the end of the field. Sadly, my plans did not extend past the end of the field. After checking the end plug, I went to turn the truck around and sunk into the mud. “Oh crud,” were my exact thought at the time. I tried to get out, but my attempts were useless. I buried the truck to the door, then called my dad. He had to pull out the John Deere Tractor and chains to get me out.
Two bad days, I could not afford one more. I wanted this job. The third day things went smoothly. I changed my lines and met my friend Rachel at her line. She reported to me that she couldn’t get her sprinklers to turn on. In my farm-girl pride, I thought “I’ll show her tough.” I turned the valve handled hard and suddenly water equal to Niagara Falls hit my face. Rachel forgot to clip the valve on the riser and as a result it was blown off by the water pressure. I was soaked. She was soaked. Dad was going to kill me.
I knew I had to face dad one more time. So soaked and covered in mud, Rachel and I got on the four-wheeler and drove to my dad’s office. I thought the secretary would wet herself when I asked for my dad. We were a sight, but dad was prepared. After I told him what happened, he pulled out his jeans, sprinkler boots and a wrench. When we arrived at the farm, dad waded in, and turned the riser off. With water dripping off his face, he looked at me and said, “Tamra are you sure you want this job?”
Since that day I had no problems on the farm with sprinkler pipes.
Today, it is a different story. I was trying to formulate a mass email to send to more than 200 companies. Jami, the office secretary, and I decided to send a test message; however, we hit the wrong button and sent an incomplete email to all of our company contacts—OOPS! Still, I am happy I have made my first mistake. I like feeling human.
What about you? What kind of oops moments have you had in the work place?
My first BIG job (a.k.a. I felt responsible) was changing irrigation pipes for my dad on our sheep farm. As a sophomore in high school, I was ready to prove to my dad that I could be as good as my brothers. The first day, I had to transfer about 22 pipes from one field to another. My father gave me farmer instructions—never full of details—the night before, “take the line from Parnell’s and put it on the center riser of the grain.” So I did. I packed every sprinkler line individually to the center of the field. I thought it strange, but I wanted to follow my dad’s instructions. For those not familiar with irrigation pipes, the customary way to set up the line is to start from one far end of the field to the other. Needless to say, my dad was not very happy with me that evening and I had the opportunity to pack them again to the far side of the field.
Still, the first day was only the beginning of my adventures. On the second day, I decided to drive on a muddy, recently irrigated trail to check an end plug. To make sure I didn’t get stuck, I gunned the gas to get to the end of the field. Sadly, my plans did not extend past the end of the field. After checking the end plug, I went to turn the truck around and sunk into the mud. “Oh crud,” were my exact thought at the time. I tried to get out, but my attempts were useless. I buried the truck to the door, then called my dad. He had to pull out the John Deere Tractor and chains to get me out.
Two bad days, I could not afford one more. I wanted this job. The third day things went smoothly. I changed my lines and met my friend Rachel at her line. She reported to me that she couldn’t get her sprinklers to turn on. In my farm-girl pride, I thought “I’ll show her tough.” I turned the valve handled hard and suddenly water equal to Niagara Falls hit my face. Rachel forgot to clip the valve on the riser and as a result it was blown off by the water pressure. I was soaked. She was soaked. Dad was going to kill me.
I knew I had to face dad one more time. So soaked and covered in mud, Rachel and I got on the four-wheeler and drove to my dad’s office. I thought the secretary would wet herself when I asked for my dad. We were a sight, but dad was prepared. After I told him what happened, he pulled out his jeans, sprinkler boots and a wrench. When we arrived at the farm, dad waded in, and turned the riser off. With water dripping off his face, he looked at me and said, “Tamra are you sure you want this job?”
Since that day I had no problems on the farm with sprinkler pipes.
Today, it is a different story. I was trying to formulate a mass email to send to more than 200 companies. Jami, the office secretary, and I decided to send a test message; however, we hit the wrong button and sent an incomplete email to all of our company contacts—OOPS! Still, I am happy I have made my first mistake. I like feeling human.
What about you? What kind of oops moments have you had in the work place?
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
New Cheese
Anyone familiar with the book Who Moved my Cheese by Spencer Johnson will understand my title. Basically the concept of book observes four different characters and their individual reactions to change. New cheese is a respresentation of change and new opportunities.
For me change stands for "Could Have Another Nice Gut-wrenching Experience." So it will not surprise anyone that my life has taken a huge change within the past month. I have moved from rocky mountains to wind-whistling plains; with the BIG move I have changed jobs, cultures, and universities.
With a new place most things in life tend to become transparent, like the cheese. Although core values remain constant within, external perceptions change with different environments. At the local IFA Country Store I was known as the upbeat, agriculture communication major with a stubborn connection with symmetry and color balance with shelf display. At church, I was known as "Tamra with a Camera" the person that took all the pictures; to others I was known as their best friend.
So point blank truthful thought: the hardest part of my "Could Have Another Nice Gut-wrenching Experience" is not the wonderful aspect of discovering more talents and enjoying awesome classes, its the journey through a new identity which comes with the discovery of new relationships.
Yes, Yes, I know you're all thinking, but you LOVE people and you are so good a meeting them; still, new relationships take time to build. I am enthusiastic about the small foundations I have built this week; I have great hopes they will yield a bountiful harvest of love and memories.
But for now, I just have to slowly color in the lines to make my new cheese bright.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Soulmate, This is for you...
"I won't worry my life away"
That's the perfect words to describe today. I was sitting in the Manti temple this morning thinking of the huge changes that about to hit my life in the next couple of weeks. I am going to move far away from my family, my horse, my friends, my beautiful mountains and my temple. Life is looking up.
Still, as I was trying to swallow this like a horse pill, I glanced at my siblings itunes playlist to find an 'ole favorite of mine, Remedy by Jason Mraz. My old roomate Jenny and I used to scream this song at the top of our lungs while driving down University Avenue in Provo, Utah.
It has some inspiring words for me in the my life right now:
1-I won't worry my life away
2-I will shine the light on my friends, when it all amounts to nothing; because I love them wherever they may be.
3-When I fall in Love, I take my time (hint, hint, 25 and still going strong)
4-Wherever I go, "I am still going to shine"
The fact is, there is nothing as constant as change in our lives, so we just have to learn how to bite the bullet, and sing at the top of our lungs, no matter how old we get.
That's the perfect words to describe today. I was sitting in the Manti temple this morning thinking of the huge changes that about to hit my life in the next couple of weeks. I am going to move far away from my family, my horse, my friends, my beautiful mountains and my temple. Life is looking up.
Still, as I was trying to swallow this like a horse pill, I glanced at my siblings itunes playlist to find an 'ole favorite of mine, Remedy by Jason Mraz. My old roomate Jenny and I used to scream this song at the top of our lungs while driving down University Avenue in Provo, Utah.
It has some inspiring words for me in the my life right now:
1-I won't worry my life away
2-I will shine the light on my friends, when it all amounts to nothing; because I love them wherever they may be.
3-When I fall in Love, I take my time (hint, hint, 25 and still going strong)
4-Wherever I go, "I am still going to shine"
The fact is, there is nothing as constant as change in our lives, so we just have to learn how to bite the bullet, and sing at the top of our lungs, no matter how old we get.
Friday, April 17, 2009
I Bleed Blue...Always.
The famous saying at Brigham Young University was: "I bleed blue" at Utah State University its "Go Blue or Go Home"
I always feel pride when I'm dressed in the deep navy blue color. However, this color comes from a deep love for an organization I gained many years ago--The National FFA Organization.
The organizational mission is "to make a positvie difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education."
During my years as a FFA member, I developed skills in public speaking and leadership. I learned proper etiquette and how to be a strong member of a team. FFA taught me that I could dream, work and accomplish.
Sadly, today there are many critics of FFA and other vocational programs. Some claim vocational education is outdated and should leave our school systems. I disagree. For I believe classes like sewing, cooking, welding, animal science and others are needed more in our school. For they teach the principles of self-reliance and practicality.
Maybe its time to return to the simple things in life. Why not include practicality into our lives while we are quoting Hamlet, or figuring out Einstein's law of relativity? Or might we consider it ironic that our CEOs can crunch numbers but when they lose a button they have to buy a new shirt. Mostly, let us remember that such skills as quoting poetry or crunching numbers shall be nothing if we cannot feed or clothe ourselves by using pratical skills.
Has America come so far in the line of progression, that we have forget the simplicity that helps us prosper?
I know I have not forgotten the power of practicality I learned through vocational education. I shall always bleed blue, although it may have some Cougar and Aggie blue mixed in, my true blue will always be national blue, the color that represents the National FFA Organization. An organization that helped me develop premier leadership, personal growth and career sucess.
I always feel pride when I'm dressed in the deep navy blue color. However, this color comes from a deep love for an organization I gained many years ago--The National FFA Organization.
The organizational mission is "to make a positvie difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education."
During my years as a FFA member, I developed skills in public speaking and leadership. I learned proper etiquette and how to be a strong member of a team. FFA taught me that I could dream, work and accomplish.
Sadly, today there are many critics of FFA and other vocational programs. Some claim vocational education is outdated and should leave our school systems. I disagree. For I believe classes like sewing, cooking, welding, animal science and others are needed more in our school. For they teach the principles of self-reliance and practicality.
Maybe its time to return to the simple things in life. Why not include practicality into our lives while we are quoting Hamlet, or figuring out Einstein's law of relativity? Or might we consider it ironic that our CEOs can crunch numbers but when they lose a button they have to buy a new shirt. Mostly, let us remember that such skills as quoting poetry or crunching numbers shall be nothing if we cannot feed or clothe ourselves by using pratical skills.
Has America come so far in the line of progression, that we have forget the simplicity that helps us prosper?
I know I have not forgotten the power of practicality I learned through vocational education. I shall always bleed blue, although it may have some Cougar and Aggie blue mixed in, my true blue will always be national blue, the color that represents the National FFA Organization. An organization that helped me develop premier leadership, personal growth and career sucess.
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