I went to City on the Hill last year and was so motivated after leaving I graduated from high school a whole year early. This year I had plans to rock City on the Hill so hard that I didn't expect what happened to actually happen. Here's my City on the Hill story:
It really started the night before, I was packing for this amazing life changing week, I had worked all day that day at my internship, so I was feeling tired yet stoked beyond belief. Though that next afternoon felt at a distance, it managed to come very quickly. The next morning I woke up to a business call and the thought after hanging up was, "Am I not on vacation?" From there, I got up and got ready for the day, it was a start of an amazing week. It felt like nothing in the world could stop me because I was on top of the world.
The festivities started with dinner, ice breakers, and bowling. Then worship and small groups. We got to know each other and bonded pretty quickly. Heading to bed that night in the William Jessup University's apartments was the last thing I did that night. I didn't sleep much that night. It was a mixture of excitement and soreness. The ice breakers were really intense that night. The alarm could not have gone off any earlier the next morning. The excitement overpowered the exhaustion. I was ready to take on City on the Hill. Nothing was going to stop me.
Take a look at Tuesday night's Newscast:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq5twM_6aKg
The first day consisted of serious politicing and elections. It was the start of the week and I was seriously starting to get in the game. Following side my Party Leader Assembly woman Lucy LeFever. It felt as if I were on top of the world. The day consisted of a lot of caucusing and a lot of political drama. It was like that until worship that night, where it seemed that we all put it aside to worship our one true God. Then in small groups where we literally poured our hearts out to each other, forgetting about what party we were on, the plans we were making with each other and privately to ourselves.
Take a look at Wednesday's Newscast:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZNXWEiEyM0
Thursday took a turn for me physically, mentally, and even emotionally. We headed to the California State Capitol for the first of two visits. I woke up with a bit of a headache that morning. I took some Excedrin and headed down to breakfast. It went away until half way through our visit to the Capitol. Then pulling Governor Karen England aside and telling her what was wrong, she then turned to the staff and my small group leader gave me some Advil and then I sat in the back of the committee room and tried to get the headache to go away. It was ruining my plans at City because I can only play cool for so long before things got too out of hand for me. My small group leader happened to work at the Capitol so she put me on the couch in her boss' office. I heard people walking and talking. It was too much for me. Then I walked out to the executive director of Capitol Resource Institute (or rather Governor Karen England) saying, "I'll take her back to William Jessup." So I walked to her car with her, kicked my shoes off, and put sunglasses and Karen's suit jacket over my face. Getting back to William Jessup to taking a nap turned into an interesting night. I woke up from the nap feeling like a huge truck hit my face. Dinner was brought up to me in the apartment by my small group leader. Then trying to come down to session didn't necessarily turn out in my favor. I was met by the Governor not even halfway out of the apartment complex. "What are you doing?" her question was to me. "I thought you wanted me out for session." my answer was to her. "No, you need to sleep. I am going to give you a Tylenol PM and you should go to bed." Walking back up to my apartment with her I was starting to feel like a loser and a failure. That night I slept for a good 11 hours.
Watch the Thursday night newscast:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dT8DsaYyHI
The next day when the alarm went off I was wide awake, but my head wasn't feeling any better. Yet I told everyone I was feeling a little better, so City people you now know the truth. It was another interesting day. I woke up not knowing anything that happened the night before and no one would tell me what happened. All I got was, "How are you feeling?" At breakfast that morning, I got two sisters talking to me. One said, "Halie, whatever you do, don't sign the petition." and the other one said, "Halie, whatever you do, sign that petition." I was now feeling like a complete and total loser and failure. I had no clue what to do. My plans to take over were crushed. The petition was to call an emergency floor session to call our speaker of the house, Assemblyman Kyle Sasai out of the seat. So I ended up signing it. Then they day just got worse like my head. During the emergency floor session, I asked Karen if I could step outside for a minute. After getting her okay, I stepped outside and my head hurt so bad I was crying. Well I was out there for literally 60 seconds then I made the mistake of going back inside crying. When Karen saw tears coming down my face she was immediately at my side. Then after I told her it was just my head, she gave me an ultimatum. "You have two options. You can either call your mom and go home or you can take something and go take a nap." I went with the second choice, mainly because I am stubborn. So I went up to miss committee and take a nap and as I was laying in bed with a pillow over my face, I thought, "My mom payed over $400 dollars for me to be here and I am missing half of it. So then I got up hoping to go down to committee and it's like Karen was at the bottom of the elevator waiting for me. "You're feeling better?" she asked. "No, but I want to present my bill on the floor tomorrow." "You'll be able too, but in order for that to happen you need to rest. Sleep until dinner and then enjoy the talent show tonight." I finally gave in, she's a mom, so I guess she knew what was best for me. I went in and took the nap as she requested. I got up from the nap and my head felt slushy. I couldn't think straight at all. I went down to eat because I needed to outweigh the medication I had taken with food. So I went down and ate. Then headed to the lecture hall for the nights activites. I was fine until Karen brought up the rules for the chamber floors the next day. "Is there any questions?" she asked everyone. My hand went up and over my head, "Was that a half risen hand Halie?" she asked me. "I can talk to you in private." "Okay then..." Then worhip started and she came to me and asked what was wrong. "How is my bill going to be presented tomorrow?" I asked her. "As if it was passed in committee." "Oh great," I thought to myself, "special treatment." "Oh okay." I said to her, but my voice was shaky, so she followed that up with, "Is something wrong?" Then I told her, "This week did not turn out the way I planned it to be. I feel like a, a..." "A what Halie?" "Like a failure." "You're not a failure. You had a headache. It's not your fault." She hugged me and then put me in front of Clara LeFever who had massaged my head, back, and shoulders twice that day already and she did it willingly again. Before the talent show Clara took me into the bathroom to try and do something and I told her how I was feeling and she hugged me and we stepped outside of the bathroom and she said, "Halie, I was thinking after small group the other night of how much more outgoing you are this year and how you act like an alum. You are not a failure..." We headed back in for the talent show and then we headed to bed because the next morning was coming early.
A breaking newscast that came about on Friday:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJPdEh_kAls
Saturday came and it was the pinnacle the frosting on the cake of the week, we headed down to the chamber floors of the state capitol. We all had 3 bills all week long, 2 to oppose and 1 to support. The first bill I opposed was a bill that I was not necessarily ready for. I got up there and totally winged it. Then afterwards I looked at Karen and said, "See? This is why I should've been at committee." She said, "Halie... you had a headache." I never felt more like a failure in my life. The day went on, I manged to be a pro temp speaker of the house with a huge headache. Heading back to William Jessup that afternoon to take a nap because I knew a long night was ahead of me. Waking up for the banquet that evening with a headache that I could manage for the first time since it started. I was sad to see the week end. I needed it to go on another week, I wanted my plans to go into effect. I was planning on making speaker and causing just as much drama as Kyle did. It seemed like fun, the parts I was in were fun too, I just wish that my head didn't have to hurt so bad.
My bill got signed even under the circumstances. Even when I felt like a failure the night before while writing it. I kept thinking to myself, "What's the use? It's going to fail on the floor. I am going to embarrass myself in front of everyone!!! I am such a loser. I am such a failure." Then after the banquet we all headed out to a candle light ceremony, where a lot of us told how the week impacted us. Then the night really began, tshirt signing, and then in bed by 2am? Then I was awoken up three hours later by a lot of the last year alums to watch the sunrise with them.
That was my week. Sorry that it was so long...again! haha! A special thanks goes out to Karen England and Clara LeFever, even though you both say I don't owe you anything, I really do. Karen, you took care of me last week and Clara you willing massaged my head, back, and shoulders even when I didn't ask you too. I am forever indebted to you both! I love you both sooo sooo very much! I wouldn't have made it through the week with out you guys!!
This week God showed me many things. Like relaxing is not a bad thing. And when someone gives you an ultimatum, you should listen to them, they obviously care enough to give you the ultimatum. I hung out with my amazing City friends and made new ones. And soooo much more! However this is another long blog post, so I might break it down in other blog entries. Until next time, I am signing off!
No comments:
Post a Comment