Happiness

I am once again on Stumble Upon and I came across a great quote. At the same time my room mate was listening to Nella Fantasia, also known as Gabriel's Oboe.

Take a listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxSjdetqtBY

The quote said...
"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have." -Frederick Keonig

This quote rings true for me. Right now I have been the happiest I have ever been. Everything is going right and even the things that are not panning out how I want them, I know that they are happening for a reason.

First, I have amazing friends. I am thankful to have a diverse and wide range of friends. I have a close group of friends that are still together since freshmen year of college. We lost some in our group, but we are still all close and I see all of them being very good friends for life.

Then how can I forget my friends from high school. Even though there are only a few of you, just know that I will always be there for you no matter what and that you bring happiness into my life. I am just a phone call or text message away from being there for you.

Next, there are my fellow public relations friends. I can not have picked a better major. Not only do I love what I do and what I will be doing, but you guys are great.. You guys make me laugh, feel as if we are all family and just the bond you can not describe about things.

Finally, there is that one certain person in my life that just makes me happy. Your truly bring happiness into my life and every moment we are together I filled with euphoria. There are many happy days filled ahead.

This is what I ask all of you... what is the thing that makes you happy? Dig deep down inside and I want you to think of something that brings happiness into your life. We all have something, but it is if we recognize it or not.

Class projects

So we all have those classes where you have class projects that you have to do. Some are group projects and others are individual. In my PR Design class we have been working on stuff all semester such as logos, post cards and we are finishing up on our website.

This website has been kicking everyones butt. Yes, we can all design and come up with ideas, but putting what we have in our head onto the screen is tough. Learning HTML and CSS is probably the most annoying things in the world. I guess in the end it is worth it because it is a skill I am going to have over people applying to the same job.

I ask you guys who read my blog to take a look at my site for my class. The site is, http://www.mdmackowiakpr368.com/. I would love any comments and suggestions about the site. It is due on Monday and any touch ups would be great. There are so edits going on, so bear with me on some parts. (For those reading this a month or so after I posted this, the site is no longer accessible because I only bought hosting for the class. There was no intention to keep it running)

People that come into your life.

I was on StumbleUpon today and came across this and had to repost it. It is so true and it like the motto I live life by: "All things happen for a reason."

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there, to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson, or to help you figure out who you are or who you want to become. You never know who these people may be (possibly your roommate, neighbor, co-worker, longest friend, lover, or even a complete stranger) but when you lock eyes with them, you know at that very moment that they will affect your life in some profound way.

 

Some people come into our lives and quickly go. 

Some people move our souls to dance.
They awaken us to new understanding with the passing whisper of their wisdom.
Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon.
They stay in our lives for awhile, leave footprints in our hearts,
and We are never, ever the same. 

And sometimes things happen to you that may seem horrible, painful, and unfair at first, but in reflection you find that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realised your potential, strength, willpower, or heart. Everything happens for a reason, nothing happens by chance or by means of luck. Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness, and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without these small tests, whatever they may be, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight flat road to nowhere. It would be safe and comfortable, but dull and utterly pointless. The people you meet who affect your life, and the success and downfalls you experience help to create who you become.

Even the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact, they are probably the most poignant and important ones.

If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks your heart, forgive them, for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious when you open your heart. If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because in a way, they are teaching you to love and how to open your heart and eyes to things.

Make every day count! Appreciate every moment and take from those moments everything that you possibly can for you may never be able to experience it again. Talk to people that you have never talked to before, and actually listen. Let yourself fall in love, break free, and set your sights high. Hold your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don't believe in yourself; it will be hard for others to believe in you.

You can make of your life anything you wish. Create your own life then go out and live it with absolutely no regrets.

 absolutely no regrets.

So it hit me... =(

Before you read put this clip from YouTube on to set the mood for reading the blog.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4huZYzOD8Q


So today reality just hit me... This summer I will NOT be marching drum corps, I will NOT  be aging out, I will NOT be marching with my "family", etc.

I know I realized this before, but after watching some YouTube clips just now I realize what I am truly going to miss. This might seem cliche, but I would give anything to march my last year! For those who are reading and asking why I don't just go out and do it, I need to fulfill a requirement for my major (an internship) to be able to graduate next spring.

It is like a weird circumstance that happens in a movie. Maybe I will have a happy ending. All I know is that this summer instead of being with a corps, spending countless hours in the sun running set after set, having bluster, bruises and bumps, sleeping on gym floors and buses and having the best summer of my life traveling the U.S. that I will be here in Indiana doing an internship.

However, I am not going to let this get me down. I may not be able to march my age out, but I am going to be a part of a corps, either through volunteering, working for one or my dream: to start my own corps here in Indiana. I just have to keep things positive and always know that I found my love and passion and it will never leave me.

WGI Review

Yes I know this is late, but I finally have some free time to write.


This past Saturday I had the chance to go to WGI World Class Finals and for those people who never been before, well you need to go! It is an amazing experience having thousands of screaming fans in the stands with you who appreciate the activity as much as you.


For this blog I am going to writing about some of my favorite shows from the weekend. First I am going to start in Scholastic World.


The first guard to really wow me was West Johnston HS from Benson, North Carolina. This was the first time ever I had experience a winterguard show in 3D! Even before the show started they had there "pre-show" going and it built up to their first hit in the show. Which I must say was pretty amazing. Not only was the show great, but it was a nice blend of music, which I recognized all the pieces. Ya, I know, I would know all of them. This was a high crowd pleasing show with a bunch of "Ooooo's and Ahhhh's". Overall, a very solid show.

Next we had Arcadia. I do not know why I loved this show so much, but I just did. As soon as they came on to the floor I knew I was going to like it. Must of been the uniforms... With beautiful music and memories of a past love, this color guard conveys pure emotion. I just connected with them as they were performing to me.


Following them it was Ssssssnake time! Gosh, I am in love with Northview's show this year, Ouroboros. As soon as they walked onto the floor everyone there knew they meant business. I can go on and on about their show. It was one of those shows that you were excited about from the beginning to the end. Even when finished you were n the edge of your seat wanting more. This group came far this year placing 6th, which is amazing because the past two years they have not even made Finals. I also have a special connection with Northview as my roommate went to Northview and his sister was the main soloist for them. 

Then there is Flanagan, who ended up with the bronze medal. When people here Flanagan you know you are in for a treat when the flag feature happens. They are probably the best when it comes to them and this year was just jaw dropping. This show was extremely clean and well thought out. When I first saw the show online I did not care for it, but seeing it live at Finals made me switch my thoughts about them.


And finally we have Carmel, the 2011 Scholastic World Champions! Performing their show entitled Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish,  Carmel was by far the best group of the night. They ended up winning over James Logan by 1.7 points!!! The show concept was flawless and I loved it. The idea is that you have to love what you are doing in life is the emotional and heartwarming concept presented throughout the show. The performers are the definition of perfection, and their technique is so great it’s almost surreal. And then the music, ugh... love love love it!

Now we are shifting to Independent World Class...


I LOVE BLACK WATCH! There show this year was so unique and probably had the most stunning visual effect of the night. So much went on with this show and come on, who wouldn't want LED lights all over their uniform?


Next we had the "Bad Guys" of Zydeco. Not only were they one of my favorites, but they ended up winning Fan Favorite voted on by everyone. I loved how each members had a different uniform, which they were in red and black and dressed up as villains from cinema and comic books. Loved it! The show was pure energy and I will more than likely watch this show over and over again on the WGI Fan Network.

Then there was Corona. I knew this was going to be a great show because of Michael Shapiro and the amazing talent he has. The work that Corona did was just as I thought, UNBELIEVABLE! However, it was a type of show I was not expecting... a show about paper? However, it was still amazing and loved it.

And finally we have THE Santa Clara Vanguard, which ended up winning the Independent World class! This is now the second title in three years for SCV and they are setting the standard for excellence.  There show was quite different as it had an unusual twist for the modern WGI era, there was no tarp (only a streetlamp), and no elaborate costuming as the members were dressed as ordinary city dwellers. All I can say that this show was just jaw dropping good. 

It was another awesome year at WGI and I can't wait for 2012 to get here!

From stress to the reward!

So this week has been hectic. Every college student has that week that bogs them down with work, projects and events. For me that is this week. Normally people stress out and complain about how they have too much to do or they wish they could not have as much.

This week was probably the busiest I have ever been. I had a ton of reading to do for my Religious Studies class, I started working on and actually completed my part in a group project in Branding, in my PR Design class I have been working on my client website. I had to find a new theme and make a bunch of edits to it. For my Marketing class I finished three chapters worth of worksheets in preparation for next weeks test. Then finally in my Media Law & Ethics class I turned in my Case Brief and tomorrow my group is meeting to get things wrapped up on final project. Pheww...

Sounds intesne, right? Well it doesn't end there. This Friday is PRSSA's RED HOT Cardinal Chili Challenge. I had the honor of being the co-chair of recruitment and I have been working my butt off the past month and a half getting teams interested and signed up. The thing that is stressing me out about the Chili Challenge is that mother nature can't make her mind up on what she wants to do. There is a slight chance of rain Friday. Fingers are crossed things stay dry and the event goes without any hiccups.

On top of all of that I am still figuring out my internship situation. Drum Corps International should be in contact with me any day now to either tell me I have a phone interview or I do not move on. Will my dream internship become a reality? We will soon find out. They will make an official announcement in mid-April.

O ya, one more thing to add to this non-sense, Britny Hinsberger and I will be representing PRSSA as we run for homecoming royalty!

However, all of this work, assignments, events and stress will not get me down. It may seem weird, but being super busy and stress gets me motivated to do stuff. I enjoy having stuff to do and being able to cross it off my to-do list gives me this sense of power.

Also, I would not be able to get through this week without my amazing friends/classmate her at school. They are going through the same thing as me and together we are getting through these last few weeks of school.

And after this busy week is over I have an amazing weekend ahead of me in Cincinnati and Dayton! IT IS WGI WEEKEND BABY! I am so pumped to see the best 15 Scholastic and Independent World guards. Plus the rest of the weekend will sure be worth it too. I may be bogged down with work, but I sure do get my reward in the end.

Define a drum corps classic

How do you define a classic?

It is a standard of excellence. Memorable, even joyful. It is enduring and timeless. It is a connection between audience and performer.

PAST, 

 PRESENT,

 AND FUTURE.

It has never been the notes on the page, the scores or placements that make a drum corps classic. It is a magical spirit the breaths into us that moment of time.A moment and the life today as that one night in August.

Drum corps season is almost upon us. As we all anticipate the upcoming season the questions everyone is asking: "Who will have THE show of the summer?" Will it be as moving and entergentic as SCV's 1989 "Phantom of the Opera" show? Maybe it will be just pure raw power like the Cavaliers 2004 "007" show. Or maybe someone will have an even more themed and story told show than Phantom Regiment's 2008 "Spartacus". What if a corps breaks a new wave of innovation just like the Star of Indiana's 1993 show.

We can guess for now. Not every corps has their show announced and even then we won't know. We will have to wait til the season starts and slowly unfolds. We might be in for a great surprise this summer. Only a few months away!