She didn’t. Oh yes she did.

What is the plan?

After attending a show last night which posed very big questions on religion I thought I would share with you all what I ‘believe’ in. What I want all of you to know that as long as you are happy, safe and well then please continue on with your life.

I was brought up my parents with always having an option. I was christened in the Nelson Cathedral in a white dress and shoes to match. I was brought up by my parents to always be thankful. For the food that you are given and they chances you have in life.

My family values I would say now that I am a little bit older are as follows:

• Be honest. Always.
• Be respectful.
• Be happy.
• Hold no secrets.
• Clean up after yourself. (I struggled with this one.)
• Forgive.
• Do not stand for others ignorance.

My mum and dad are two people I can say are aging gracefully. Falling back into their youth one day at a time now that they have an empty nest. Skyping them I have to be an adult. My father has found many ways to make my mother cry with laughter and being 504km away its hard not to miss them. Without fail they tell me they love me and they always ask me if I am happy.

Growing up my parents didn’t take me to church. However I have been many of times with my sister to see what the fuss is all about. I can say it just wasn’t for me.

Though we weren’t a family at church we had our own beliefs. If it was meant to be then its meant to be.

I may only be 20 but I have come to understand that there will always be someone who will disagree with you. I attended a college which had some religious aspects but all in all my home town is not deeply religious. However when I moved to Auckland I found that a lot of people are religious. I live in a city where attending some sort of church is normal and I am a minority since I do not practice a faith.

During O-week I was stopped by two individuals who wanted to speak about Jesus Christ. I didn’t have any where to be so I listened. After they were done they said “what do you believe in?”

Simply I said: “the universe has a plan for me, I just won’t know till the end.”

So now you are asking yourself what the front door is this girl on about.

Here is what I think about most things:

1. we are all born equal. we all die equal.
2. if you respect me then I will respect you.
3. there are second chances if you know you did wrong the first time.
4. stand up for who you are. there is no one else who will care for you  as much as you.
5. just because something scares you does not make it wrong.

My news feed is full of everything. “God answers parents prayers” “A buddhist monk could still be alive because his body was found in the lotus position” “Test tube babies are the future.” “Vaccines are not longer the answer but they problem.” “Where will your God be when global warming hits?” Scroll, scroll, scroll.

Have an educated opinion please. That is all I ask.

You are worth that much. At least.

So no I don’t believe in any god. I believe that there is some sort of plan. A series of events that will make your life. My faith lies with me. Only I can make changes that I want to. For that I am thankful.

Thankful that I am a Powell-Jones. Just little me. With gangly legs and arms. Maybe I was a gazelle in another life.

Misleading Daydreaming

So for once Auckland was slightly less warm than usual. Which meant to my flat “The Hot Box” being less hot and all activities being less painful and a lot less sticky. So I was sitting on the bus that was slowing chilling me from the outside in. So for once I was able to day dream and not think about how hot I was. Now I am huge on day dreaming. Could do it all day if it was needed. I mean I even did a choreographic piece on day dreaming. You see I was thinking about how only a select few say thank you to the bus driver when they hop off. So this is how my day dream went, stay with me okay?

Saying thank you to a bus driver

Being thankful.

And thats where it stopped. Long right? I then started to gather all the weird things I am thankful for.

• Polite neighbours with adorable children.
• Headphones.
• Cold weather.
• Cookies and cream ice cream.
• Flat mates who make me laugh.
• Physiotherapy.
• Good banter.
• Swimming in rivers.

Its only fair that I say these are only a few. I suppose that I was thinking about very random things and slightly concentrating on the fact that my physiotherapist had just stuck needles in my butt because thats how you fix a broken Seren.

So I finally made it to the CBD and as I hopped off the bus I said thank you to my bus driver and walked to my apartment entrance. I then thought about how much my life has changed since I first moved away from Nelson (my home town). I thought about how I could never move back for good. Not right now. That I had grown too big for that tiny town. I guess I am thankful I grew up there and now I see the appeal of raising a family there. But thats a long way off. About 10 years.

So be thankful is what I guess I am trying to say. For the weird things. Or at least go and have a day dream.

5 things every girl living in the city should be able to do.

Mastering city life can be a little tricky but if you can do these 5 things, then congratulations on being a well established gal.

1.   Be able to go for lunch by herself and not feel embarrassed.  I think that there is nothing sweeter than watching a girl sit in a cafe and just be herself whilst having a coffee and a bagel.
2.  Baking. Straight and simple baking. Coming from a girl from a small town. Filling an apartment full of the smell of brownies. Nothing can compare and make one feel more at home.
3. Your “other hand” nails. I’m right handed and mastering painting my left hand has been one of the greatest challenges.
4. Know when to be delicate and when to be a bad ass. If someone bumps into you on the main street is no reason to cry however if your room mates have not cleaned their dishes in 3 weeks that when you put your foot down. Your not a animal.
5. To live independently from family and friends. No financial help. No constant checking up. No google. To know the answer to a problem without having to ask for help.