Final Writings

8/8/2019 Final Writings

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This I Believe Alicia Garcia

This essay was written for an assignment but was modified andsubmitted to NPRs This I Believe podcast.

I believe that nothing in life truly takes us by surprise.

One day a co-worker said to me, This may sound strange but I have aweird feeling.

I asked, What kind of feeling? I feel anxious, full of anticipation for something. Yeah? I asked. Have you had this feeling before? Yeah. The last time I felt this way, my brother got in a car accident. I replied, I believe that in life nothing really takes us by surprise. We

are given hints or small indications of the things that are about to happen:the good and the bad.

Yeah, its something like our intuition. Yeah. Its that gut feeling. It never lies. I said, We just tend to

ignore it. She nods.

What are you going to do about it? Before she could answer, a customer asks her a question and our

conversation ends. I havent had time since that discussion to see if something ever became of that feeling. But I wouldnt doubt that something

happened even it was small and she hasnt felt the ramifications yet.In my life I have noticed that it is only when I look back, that I realize

the signs or indications of things to come were all there, I just didnt seethem for what they were.

One significant example of these, hints or feelings, I have seen in mylife is in regards to the places I have attended college. In high school myfriends and I had driven to a football game in a neighboring town that had auniversity in it. Of the four of us in the car three were going to go to thatuniversity but I was determined not to, but there had also always been afear or feeling that I would end up there. I mumbled, I dont want to gothere but I have a feeling I will end up there.

My friend, Mary, heard me and said, Dont sound so depressed. Its agood school.

A year later I attended a university four hours from home. Two yearslater, after various incidents that I hadnt seen at the time as hints to my


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future, I found myself at that university I had said I didnt want to go to.When I saw Mary on campus she asked, You were right. How did youknow?

I shrugged my shoulders and said, I dont know I just did.

I have had friends tell me I am psychic but I know I am not. It justthat sometimes I am able catch the subtle hints that life gives us. I believethat if we were to pay closer attention to our surroundings, to our thoughtsand to our gut feelings we would be better prepared to face whatevercomes our way because we would already know that it was coming; be itgood or bad.


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C hange Alicia Garcia

This story was written with the idea that everyone has a story. Theassignment was to find a random student from the student directory andwrite a story about them. I found Travis Mowery and this is his story.

If you dont like it you can always change back, said Travis Mowerysmother in response to him becoming a Mormon. It has been seven years.Travis still hasnt gone back.

Traviss journey toward the church began the summer before hissenior year of high school when some of his close friends went to Young Lifecamp at Wild Horse Ranch. Young life is a camp for kids to go have fun andlearn about C hrist. Traviss high school basketball coach, Tyler Satterquaite,also went to the camp and spoke about the mistakes he had made in life butalso about prayer, how he found C hrist and the happiness that came withthose discoveries.

I thought, wow we can pray, said Travis. Satterquaite said that if theywanted to find C hrist they could pray to find him.

So I prayed, Said Travis. He went into a field and prayed that, If Godhad a true church where is it at? If it is true to lead me to it. Then I forgotabout it.

Almost a year later, while Travis was fixing his friend Karas car, herfather invited Travis back for a barbeque. Karas father was a bishop and

had invited the missionaries to the barbecue as well. Travis told themissionaries, I dont have anything against learning but dont expect me tobecome a Mormon. By the second discussion the missionaries had askedTravis if he wanted to be baptized. Travis said no; however, he did tell themissionaries if they had to report to someone and it made them look betterthey could write down a date.

That summer Traviss friend invited him to go on a trek. He said itwas like camping but we just wore old clothes and bonnets, said Travis, Itwasnt just a camping trip. During the treks testimony meeting, I thought,wow, why do I feel so good right now, happy, peaceful? Looking back nowat how he felt Travis said, There is no way to feel that and have it not betrue. No way can Satan make you feel that way. He cannot duplicate peace. He was baptized after the trek in the summer of 2003.

After Traviss baptism he had a dream that he was baptized andeverything that had led up to that point. He woke up wondering what had


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happened and realized what he had dreamt had really happened butwondered how he had become Mormon.

I was taken back to the field said Travis, and I felt peace. Travis hadfound Gods church and God had lead him to it.

Travis came to BYU-Idaho in 2004, he was only able to stay for twosemesters before he became sick with an internal infection. He spent thenext eight months at home, in Boring, Oregon, going to doctors andspecialists, none of which were able to help him. It was not until Travischanged his eating habits that he started to get better.

Your body is made up of everything that you eat, said Travis. He beganeating more vegetables, consuming organic products and eliminatinghydrogenated foods. As a result Travis got better and he was also able tohelp his mother when she diagnosed with leukemia and help his father withhis arthritis.

During the course of his illness, Travis was able to reach the timewhen he was eligible to go on his mission. I told God that if he made mebetter, I would go on a mission. I wanted to do what he wanted me to do. Travis came back to school determined to do what he needed to including:setting up an internship, his semester tracks, money and preparing for amission. Upon returning to BYU-Idaho Travis tried to go on a mission butcouldnt because he had braces. It seemed that everything was stopping him

from going but by the end of the year everything fell into place, and he hadhis call to Anaheim C alifornia, Spanish speaking. His prayers had beenanswered again.

In Traviss MT C district there was an Elder Wootan from Korea. ElderWootan also had a sister who was on a mission to Portland, Oregon. Boring,Oregon, where Travis, is from is 20 miles outside of Portland. While inC alifornia, Travis received an email from his mother asking if he knows anElder Wootan because she knows his sister, Sister Wootan. Sister Wootantaught Traviss parents while he was on his mission and they were baptized.Before Travis left he had been told that his going on a mission would softenhis parents hearts about the church.

Traviss mother had said, If you dont like it you can always changeback. When Travis came back from his mission they were the ones that hadchanged. They had changed with him.


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How To Live In Organized C haos Alicia Garcia

This is column about the idea that chaos can be organized.

Hey where is your tanning card? asked Sandra coming into my room.From my bed I tell her, Its on my desk.

Sandra steps towards the desk and asks Where? Its apparent she isnot sure where to start looking.

My desk is covered in papers. Beneath the papers random items can beseen, chap-stick, deodorant, an I-pod cord, coins, container of floss, glasses,hair ties, nail polish, pencil sharpener, camera, scotch tape, container of blank C Ds and a Frisbee from Saturdays party.

It should be by the family picture behind the pack of film. She looks at me confused, Where?

In the corner. Just move those papers around and you should find it. Hesitating, she begins to move some papers around and in no less

than five seconds she has the tanning card in hand. How did you know thatwas there?

Because that is where I put it. That is the key to living in chaos, keeping it organized. Always know

where you put things and always deliberately put things next to objects thatdont move.

For example: no matter how messy my desk is I always no that the

card will either be next to my lamp or next to the family picture and notmatter what it covering the card I know it is always there.

This same idea is true of shoes. If you are not lucky enough to have ashoe rack but you simply have to throw your shoes on the floor, beconsistent as to where you throw certain types of shoes. You could throwyour tennis shoes in the far right corner, throw your dress shoes just to theright of them, sandals or flip-flops can go just below the tennis shoes and allother shoes below or beside the flip-flops. It may look like a mess and pairsof shoes may not be right next to each other but you know they are within afoot or so of one another because you threw them in that general direction.

Keys may sometimes be a bit of problem for individuals who live inorganized chaos but again the rule of always deliberately putting things nextto things that dont move. Lets say for some reason you just drop your keysonto the floor whenever you come home. As long as you drop your keys inthe same place on floor you will have no problem. Some good places would


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be next to your desk, at the end of your bed or near the doorway (near thedoorway can be dangerous because you risk stepping on them but even thanyou will always have reminder of where you put them.)

Many do not recognize that living well in organized chaos takes quite a

bit of skill because you have to remember exactly how the chaos isorganized. But ask anyone who lives in organized chaos and they will tellyou that it is easier than actually having to remember where exactly you putyour keys because there are always in the same round-about spots.


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The Real Teacher Alicia Garcia

This article was written as an extra credit assignment and was latersubmitted to the New Era magazine.

It was my seventh week as an EFY counselor. I was mentally,

spiritually, emotionally and physically exhausted, but I was grateful forevery moment. I didnt expect to learn from those I was supposed to beteaching. During my last week of EFY, I learned my greatest lesson from aseventeen year-old girl.

The first day I met my girls I began the spiel about the rules for EFY,including the dress code and what was expected of them. At the end of myspiel, I ask the girls to share why they are at EFY. The ten new girls gave avariety of answers, but the answer that worried me the most came fromJenny, I am here for games night. This is my fifth year and my groupalways wins Spunity (Spirit/Unity). We are going to win this year. As acounselor this attitude worried me because I feared she might not get thefull spiritual experience.

Through the rest of Monday and Tuesday, Jenny was hard at workmotivating the group to win Spunity. Wednesday morning I went to mygirls apartment and the feeling in the room was somber. I figured it wasseven a.m.; it was a bit early. Before morning devotional, Jenny tells myself and rest of the girls what happened last night. Jenny had taken a challenge I

had given them during devotional. The challenge was to pray and not endthe prayer until you got an answer. Jenny took the challenge and the resultwas calling her long time boyfriend, who was a nonmember and breaking upwith him. In one night she made a life changing decision and had gained aslightly new perspective and goals in life.

After that morning, something seemed to change within her. Iwatched as she listened to speakers and devotionals that she was taking thegospel in and processing it. Her perspective was changing and she knewwhat she needed to do but she also knew how hard it would be once shewent home.

During the banquet on Friday, after they announced the Spunityaward (we didnt win), Jenny turned to me and said, This is the first year Ihavent won Spunity and I dont care. This has been my best week of EFY. As a counselor you get many opportunities to witness kids come to EFY andembrace the gospel and you can see them change everyday and everyday


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you pray that they keep even a portion that spirit and perspective once theyreturn home.

I realized that EFY is an inspired program and that the sessiondirectors and EFY staff are all inspired as to what they needed to teach, but

the Spirit is the real teacher. As teachers, leaders and counselors in thegospel of Jesus C hrist, we are merely cheerleaders and instruments in thehands of the Lord.


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Say More Alicia Garcia

When I am not in school, I write stories: long, short, fiction andnonfiction. This is an exert from a story I started in 2009

So what do you think? asked C arly squeezing my arm. I know its

small but at least we all have our own rooms right? The beach housebelonged to my sisters roommate Evas parents, who live in Georgia. Herparents only use it once or twice a year so whenever they come to C aliforniamy sisters just sleep at friends houses. The rent was cheaper than anydecent apartment in the area. The house was right on the beach threebedrooms and my newly converted attic bedroom. It was small but it had awindow and I could stand up straight in most of the room so I guess it willwork for three months.

Yeah, its great. Sorry you cant stand up straight everywhere we all just figured it

would be better if we all had our own rooms and no one had to share. Itssmall up here, but you have a great view of the ocean. Said C arly.

Yeah, it will work fine. You will get used to it. Anyway, why dont you get your things

unpacked before C assidy and Eva get home and then you can help me makedinner for tonight. We are having spaghetti and meatballs.

Okay. I say turning towards my bag.

C arly stands then places her hands on my shoulders, forcing me to look herin eyes. This is going to work, I promise.

Promise? I ask, trying to swallow the knot rising in my throat. I promise little sis. It will. She adds as she heads down stairs.

I dont know how I had forgotten that somehow C arly is able to know what Iam thinking. She seems to say out loud whatever is in my head. I dontknow how I had forgotten how good it feels to have her around. She makesme feel safe.

Hola C hicas yelled who I assume is Eva. I set down the knife, I wasusing to cut the onions and looked up at C arly. She was kneeling on thecountertop, rummaging through the shelf of the cabinet looking for basil. AtEvas announcement her face went serious, jumping down she said, Justbreathe. Like she already knew I had stopped.


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The last time I had seen C assidy was two years ago when out of theblue she decided to show up in C olorado. I came home from school to astrange silver car in my driveway, which I now know is Joshs. When I wentinside, I found C assidy and my mom, who hadnt gotten out of bed in two

weeks, in the living room talking.My mother smiled for the first time in months as she exclaimed, Look

C assidy is here. I was shocked by my sisters presence and all I could say is Yep. I sat down on the recliner across from the couch where they sat. Ilooked down at my hands that sat on my backpack and listened to theirconversation. I could feel C assidys glance in my direction every so often butI never looked up. I looked at my backpack and remembered the zipper thathad broken earlier that day in third period and I snapped. With more forcethan I meant , I threw my backpack on the floor and looked at C assidy andasked, What are you doing here?

My mom looked as if shed be slapped in the face and C assidys eyesnarrowed as she seemed to take me in and she began I but I wasntdone,

What did you want to come see the damage youve done? To see if youcould undue it? Or did you maybe decide that life here might not be so badand your going to give another try? With each word, my voice became louder and my mother shrank deeper into

the couch. If youre here to stay we dont need you and I dont want youhere. By now I was standing over them.

Are you done? Whispereed C assidy. No. Fine then. Before I realize it she is dragging me into the garage. It was

the closest thing to a soundproof room in the house.I yanked my arm from her grasp and continued my rant. When you left todo who knows what, mom didnt get out of bed for five months, then threemonths later C arly has to leave the take care of you and whatever mess youwere in. She didnt get out of bed for nearly eight months after that. Eightmonths! You left me alone. I was alone.

By now tears were streaming down my face. I was all alone. Alone at15. I was forced to take care of mom. I dont mind taking care of mom, Inever have but I wasnt ready to do it alone. I wasnt ready to abandoned bymy sister. I understand why C arly left; she had to keep you from killing


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yourself but you youre just selfish. I took a deep breath and leanedagainst the wall, glaring at C assidy.

C assidy bit her lip before saying, Youre right and I am sorry. I continued to glare. What she did could not be forgiven with a single

apology and no explanation. Let me say goodbye to mom, then I will leave. I said nothing and watched her leave the garage. I sat on the floor and

counted the bugs and the front of our C amry until I heard her car leave. Icounted 73 bugs, four times before she was gone.

That was the first and last time I had yelled at someone or even said somany words at one time, to anyone since my dad was alive. My mom spentthe next seven months in bed.

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