TheKindestOfThemAll.

I hope your days have been filled with *Summer joy and that you are relishing every last minute of this Summer break. I hope you are going on adventures and trying something new, and I hope most of all that wherever we go you are emitting kindness everywhere and to all of those that you encounter. I think sometimes we get too wrapped up in our worldly situations and circumstances and only focus on ourselves and our lives. But it must be such a tragic sight to see all of us so worried about our so called "busy" schedules, and then when we encounter the world each day and we leave behind the most important attribute we are to carry around. I think it's time that we need to asses ourselves and do it in such a way where we do not view ourselves through rose colored glass as we tend to do, but we need to give ourselves a brutally honest self-check. Are we kind when we walk out of the house each morning? Are we kind to our family each day, are we going out of our way for them as we should? Are we catching up with those friends that we have seen in a while to see how they've been doing? Are we sharing kindness to those we work with each day? Are we speaking in kindness each time we open our mouths? Are we reaching out to those we do not know and pouring kindness onto them? We are called to love on not just those we chose but ALL. So why do we forget to be kind? I know how hard it can be a stressful day at work, someone did something hurtful to you, you're tired/lazy/blah blah blah. I get it we are the masters of excuses. But asking ourselves to be kind isn't asking for much. That's the least we can do for all of those around us. So we need to forget how we feel and we need to put aside our own petty emotions to consider those around us. We need to love on everyone, listen to them when we don't want to, and help them when we'd rather focus on our own needs. I feel that if we are kind not only will we get back kindness from all of those around us, but we will feel more positive, and joyful. And no matter how many things that don't seem to go our way, that will all seem a bit circumstantial and we will be able to rise above it and see the bigger picture. But I feel as if this post is just reiterating all that I have said before. I just feel that we forget, we always forget about the others around us. There are so many different things thrown at us each day and we never remember that we need to stop look around and notice the other things around us and actually care about them. We need to think about others, pray for them, ask questions. We need to notice their needs before our own. We need to go out of our own way when they are joyful and when they are hurting. We need to love. Not just when we want to, or when it's convenient whenever we realize the need. We need to find reminders for ourselves to never forget, to love first.

Here's my latestDixie Jam..

Danielle Bradbury- The Heart of Dixie

Music City, Dixieland.

Will the circle be unbroken 
By and by, Lord, by and by 
There's a better home a-waiting 
In the sky, Lord, in the sky 

I said to that undertaker 
Undertaker please drive slow 
For this lady you are carrying 
Lord, I hate to see here go 

Oh, I followed close behind her 
Tried to hold up and be brave 
But I could not hide my sorrow 
When they laid her in the grave 

Will the circle be unbroken 
By and by, Lord, by and by 
There's a better home a-waiting 
In the sky, Lord, in the sky 

Country music at it's core, is defined by this song. I don't think I realized how bad I wanted to go to Nashville before this Summer. And I'm not sure if even after the trip I fully realized what place in my heart that city occupies. But recently I tried to win this free, all inclusive trip to Nashville and sadly I did not win. But through these last few months I have realized the impact this one city has made in my life. I love country music and it's community to the core. But Nashville, Tennessee in general really hits home for me. I really identify with the crowd, culture, way of life, and people there. So basically I'm in love and need to go back. It's most likely hard to understand if you've never been immersed into the country culture before as to what I am saying. But there is so much love, community, belief, and kindness within this community. So I hope that at some point you can find yourself investigating this culture, because it's so beautiful. Below I have posted some links that show a bit of what I am describing.

Things to Do in Nashville, Tennessee

Alabama- Dixieland Delight/ Will the Circle Be Unbroken

Downtown- Nashville

Frankin Tennessee

Tim McGraw- Nashville Without You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzPtO1V5u3Q&list=PL4653B79A5858F74C

Belmont University

Johnny Cash Museum

Campus Crack-Ups.

I know no matter where you go, no matter what class you are taking. The same things and the same types of people will be found at any university, college, community college, high school, etc.

- Those individuals who walk slower than you. And then you have to somehow politely speed by them, without looking like a jerk.
-When they are walking slow and you cannot pass them, due to no extra space on the sidewalk. So you walk creepily close behind them because it's impossible to walk any slower.
-Those giggler, gabby girls in class. Always talking and snacking, possibly drawing pictures. I love those girls, possibly because I have fit this description one too many times.
- That awkward kid who walks into class with his headphone turned up too loud, and you find that he really likes Miley Cyrus's new song "We Can't Stop" (is that what it's called? Yes I do believe so). ( This actually happened today to an exchange student and he literally had no idea Miley Cyrus was blasting throughout the classroom, I wanted to laugh so loud)
-The kids on their cellphone so concentrated that they don't even see you, I mean hello I'm not into running into others, so let's not text and walk.
- That kid that will talk and ask questions every class period, and you wonder where all the confidence comes from.
-The older individual that will always take better more organized notes than you do. And without a doubt will ace this class. I swear there's one in every class.
- The class eater, it will either smell bad, be loud. But there's always one, and it's usually me.
- The kid on the first day who asks if this is the right class. Hilarious how we always doubt that it's the right classroom when we've checked duckweb a thousand times already so we don't end up in the wrong class. Yet someone always asks.
- The kid that smells like a mixture of vinegar and mold that smells so bad you start thinking it must be you because it seems so strong and so close. So you sniff your clothing "discretely" throughout class.
-That kid you swear you have every class this term with and when you finally figure out that yes that is the same person. You wonder if they recognize you and who's going to get the better grades in the classes.
- That moment when you realize your 400 level classes couldn't be any smaller and then think back on the 100 level 500 student classes and miss them like you missed food when that one time you tried to do the juicer diet for a week.
- That one kid who wears headphones throughout class and is sure that they cannot focus without them.
- That one kid who you watch fall asleep in class and as they are slowly trying to keep awake you are dying at the sight of their super exhausted face. This is me on a daily basis.
- That one girl you see walking who tried to look cute but realized today was another 46 degree weather day and a skirt should have been a no go, but she refused. This was my school attire till I realized, no thanks.
- Those days where you endlessly walk around campus in circles just trying to find one table to study at.
- The professors with chalk on their behinds and no student bothers to ever say a word. I always wonder how pissed they are when they finally get home and realize how long they've walked around with chalk butt.
- The professors with their flies down.
- The professor who loves to tell you about their wife, life, children.
- Any other school cliche you can think of.

Honestly I love just to sit and watch everyone, I love human beings so complex, so simplistic. I just find it so fascinating.