7.12.2005

Spitfire

I have another little sister who is not Savvymom. I've decided that her blogger-world name should be Spitfire, unless she wants something else. It fits her, though. The girl is 21, 4'11", gorgeous, and will go toe-to-toe with pretty much anyone. A few months ago she hauled off and smacked a guy who made "unwelcome advances." She even chewed out her oral surgeon, and he totally caved! I admire this, because, as we all know, dental care providers tend to shake me off my groove.

Spitfire graduated from Utah State this spring, and has been trying to figure out what to do ever since. Last night, she made the final decision to serve a mission. We've all thought that she would be a great missionary, and figured she would be the one to go, so this isn't really a shock. But still, it's a hard choice to make when there are all these options and you don't want to just head blindly on a completely wrong course. So now she feels great and excited and at peace and all that good stuff. My dad is thrilled, because she was his last hope for having a daughter on a mission. Not that he pressured any of us, mind you, but we knew he was hoping. He even offered to pay our way, which Spitfire remembered and promptly called him on.

One of my reasons for thinking that she should go was purely for statistical purposes. Because if she goes, then here's what we will have:

1. Nemesis--No mission, graduated from BYU, Master's degree from England, hopes to get married (preferably to Ioan Gruffudd) but will be the best spinster she can be until then.
2. Savvymom--Temple marriage to v nice boy at young age, babies, had to change educational plans and do lots of extra work, but will still graduate this year. Yay for Savvymom!
3. Spitfire--Graduated from USU, mission, then it's anybody's guess.

We could be the Trinity of Multiple Options for Righteous and Kick-Trash Women or something. Maybe we'll be asked to go on a lecture circuit.

I know I have lots I would like to say to the dear young girls in Young Women. Let's hope they're being raised by a different generation than the one that taught me. I came to BYU fully expecting to get married and drop out, because that's pretty much what my YW leaders told me would happen. No one ever mentioned that I might not get married and then find myself graduating with absolutely no career plan at all. (Side note: The YW leaders who told me to go to Ricks or LDS business college for just a year or two because that's all I would really need? None of their daughters graduated from college. I'm just saying.)

Of course, these women meant well. They grew up in a different time and had no way of knowing that there would be this army of single graduated LDS women in which I currently find myself. And it's a great thing to hear President Hinckley and the rest of the General Authorities talk about how important education is. They don't get up there and say, "Hey, hold off on that college stuff. You wouldn't want to become intimidating." Instead they're up there saying, "Remember to keep your priorities straight, but get all the education you can! Get off your butt and make a life for yourself and find a way to contribute!" I'm paraphrasing here, of course.

Anyway, congratulations to Spitfire as she prepares for her next big adventure!

7 comments:

daltongirl said... [reply]

Am very excited for Spitfire and her latest decision. Am also one hundred percent supportive of your decision NOT to serve a mission. It's not for everyone. Trust me.

Too bad your YW leaders had no inspiration or ability to forsee a future in which all the eligible men would sit around playing StarCraft and Halo II and refusing to date and marry awesome women. Still can't figure that one out.

You'd think these boys (and I mean man-age people who have not matured enough to be referred to as men) would decide they wanted to have sex or something. That's what I was taught was the reason all men got married. Then, after they made the commitment, a righteous wife could mold them into a decent provider/protector/presider. Wait, maybe that was from Fascinating Womanhood! We gotta get that book back as an RS manual, and Man of Steel and Velvet back as a priesthood manual. Then all our problems will be solved, ladies. All of them.

Streets of Belfast said... [reply]

1. I am very proud of Spitfire

2. I am equally proud of Savvy Mom.

3. I feel like I could do such a better job of being the best spinster I can be.

4. How is it that I didn't meet you until a few years ago, but we had the same YW leaders?

Cicada said... [reply]

I swear I had a YW lesson titled "Men Are Lazy and They Have Strong Sexual Urges Because Otherwise They Would Never Get Married." Apparently, these days the strong sexual urges aren't strong enough, because, as daltongirl has pointed out, they sit around and play StarCraft and Halo II. It's sooooo true. Perhaps even sadder is that after they get married, they STILL sit around and play StarCraft and Halo II.

When I made the decision to go on a mission, my then-boyfriend's s-in-law made the comment (no word of a lie), "It just baffles me when women ignore the prophet and choose to go on missions." She then asserted very firmly that her daughters would never go on missions. When my then-boyfriend said, "But of course, when they're 21, it will sortof be their choice, right?" she replied, "No. My daughters will never go on missions."

Nemesis said... [reply]

Ho. Ly. Crap. Cicada, that's a great story about your exbf's s-i-l. Um, how are women ignoring the prophet when they decide to go on missions? If the prophet didn't want any young women to go, he could, you know, stop giving them mission calls.

Kelly said... [reply]

Ioan Gruffudd

I just discovered him. Swoon.

Kelly said... [reply]

I totally want to have a Fascinating Womanhood book club! That book makes me laugh and laugh.

However, have you seen the website? www.fascinatingwomanhood.net. Very scary.

Nemesis said... [reply]

Chris, dearest, I promise that no one here wants to bash you. We think you are a paragon of proactive manliness. Or something.

And I'm going to pretend you didn't just compare violent video games to scrapbooking. ;-)

Sorry you have to have a DTR, though. The girl is lucky to have a friend who will be honest and considerate with her. Good luck!

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