"You Make Me Want To Say I Do...."

 Well.... I don't do this very often (actually never really) but because not everyone has a Facebook and to have a universal announcement...here it goes.

How we met: 

 So my senior year of high school I had a Sunday School teacher in church that was named Scott Wilcken (see the connection?). He would tell me how much of a stud his little brother, Preston Wilcken, was/is and that I should go on a date with him when he got home from his mission. I would chuckle and say sure... but I didn't think that would ever happen because I was going to be in Utah. FYI I knew what he looked like and I always thought he was very handsome. Preston got home from his mission and decided to go up to Utah for school. Scott talked to my Dad and asked if he could give my number to Preston. My Dad said yes. Preston moved up to Utah but never called and/or texted because I was always dating someone.

(2012) 

In March, I finally got a text from Preston after he found out there was "a window" a.k.a. "availability". This is what he said. 

"Hey Sharon! How art thou?! This is Preston Wilcken, Scott Wilcken’s little brother. I was just wondering, what are you up to this weekend?....Now...hypothetically speaking. What if a girl was asked by a guy she hadn’t met to go get dinner and then go do something fun afterward…kinda like a date…obviously, this guy wouldn’t ask through texting, he would call her sometime and cordially invite her …if you were by some chance this girl would you like to be called this weekend or next weekend?"

Anyways, this intrigued me because sure enough he called, and I hadn't had a boy call me to ask me on a date in a while (they normally just texted me).

We went on our first date the beginning of March to Texas Roadhouse and went to the movie theater to see The Lorax

I was hooked. Preston took a little bit longer to catch up. 

Dating: 

We had been dating other people and each other until May 14 when we decided to date only each other. I was a happy girl. We have been dating since. :) 

Engaged: 

Preston Wilcken asked me to marry him on December 26th and I can't wait to marry my best friend. :) For those that want to know how he did it: 

He set the whole thing up very nonchalantly. He asked me on Christmas day what I wanted to do the next day and I said I didn't have any ideas. So he said that we could "go out to dinner or do lunch or something and then we could go see Les Miserables". Because we had talked about going to see that movie while we were down for Christmas, naturally I didn't expect anything. 

He picked me up at 3:30 to take me to an early dinner at Anzio's Landing, a nice Italian restaurant. On our way to dinner we drove by a hill that is known as "makeout point" in the Mesa area because it has a very pretty view and it is one of the few hills in Mesa that is close to the city. Preston said, "You know, that hill over there is actually known as makeout point..." So naturally I asked if he had been there before with someone. He said no but that if we had time we would go. 

After we ate, he said we had enough time and so we went to the hill and climbed to an area that overlooked the valley. We sat down and he said, "Pretty scenery and a pretty girl, what else could a guy ask for?" I was looking away and then he said, "Sharon, I love you and I'm grateful that you're a part of my life but I want to make that a more permanent thing." He got down on his knee and proposed! Needless to say, I am a very very happy girl. I love him so much and am excited to spend eternity with him. :) I can't wait for May 4th!

Let's talk Arms

“The chief foundations on which all states rest, whether they are new, old, or mixed, are good laws and good arms. And since there cannot be good laws where there are not good arms, and where there are good arms there are bound to be good laws, I shall set aside the topic of laws and talk about arms.” (The Prince pg. 34)

Well, Machiavelli certainly knew how to make something sound good on first glance. There are many good examples where this works. Take our own Armed Forces, for example. Even though our law isn’t perfect, it is still very good and we also have “good arms”. But it didn’t always start that way. When our country made a stand for itself, compared to England our “arms” were not the best, yet we were able to break apart and create our own government. This overrides Machiavelli’s statement that “there cannot be good laws where there are not good arms.”

Along with that, having “good arms” most definitely does not mean “there are bound to be good laws.” If we take a glance down history, we can see many wars that have occurred or that have almost occurred where there was “good arms” galore on both side. Yet, we would say that the laws of Russia were not “good” during the Cold War, the laws of the Middle East are not “good” and the laws of North Korea are not “good”. There are also plenty of areas with good “arms” which we would consider having bad laws.  But then you have to think about what “good law” is. We have been talking about perspective and law is one of those topics that could be very different to the eye of the beholder, so to speak. People whom we think have bad laws could very likely believe that we are the ones with bad laws, and that could spur a whole other discussion….

So does having a strong military presence with good weaponry always means there are good laws present ? I would have to say no because of examples of the past and examples that are fairly current. I will say though,  Machiavelli was right when he later talked about how having a good military can help in position. It definitely helps, and I by no means want to put down military because I believe the United States Armed Forces do an incredible job and give up so much for our country.  I am a proud supporter of our troops and men like my brother-in-law that serve the United States and create an environment where “good law” can take place. 

"Bare Necessities"

Let's start with the bare facts. In order to have complete appreciation for a Civilization, especially one such as Ancient Rome, it is imperative to have a knowledge of all the aspects of that civilization. For example, the art of Rome can oftentimes be of a questionable nature. But, it is important to have a full exposure (no pun intended) of the various styles and forms of expression.

In 1998, President Bateman prohibited the display of Rodin's The Kiss in which Rodin represents the story of the lustful Francesca and Paolo. This story which is found in Dante's The Inferno is a prominent story that explains the “rules” of love and courtship for the Romans. The controversy enveloping the statue was that of nudity and portraying and sending sexual messages.

Because of this, one of the main reasons that The Kiss was banned, was for the benefit of children who may have entered into the exhibit with their families. Although this presented a good case, there were a few options that could have been taken to still allow the statue to be shown. There could have most definitely been warnings prior for families entering into the exhibit stating that some depictions could leave things up to the imagination and were therefore unsuitable for children. This would have left it up to the parents to decide whether or not to expose their children to nude artwork. It's not like people didn't know what they were getting into; Roman art is well known for nudity.

The Kiss should have been displayed, if for no other reason, in order to depict the master skill of Rodin and what he made with his hands, which was the theme of the exhibit anyways. By exposing people to all forms of art, one is able to learn and understand culture and explain customs and beliefs that different society contains. You can not ever please everyone and sometimes when the educational aspect is threatened, the verdict, even if it seems offensive, ought to be in favor with the opposed

*disclaimer: This was extremely difficult, because I agreed with President Bateman's argument in the first place. * 

5 Social-Problems of U.S.

1. censorship

2. welfare

3. media (value demoralization)

4. same-sex marriage

5. health-care reform

“I Heard it Through the Grapevine”

Can you believe what Dido did with Aeneas? Holy smokes, I thought she was supposed to be some independent woman that said no to every guy that came her way…

Rumors…. Well, I’m pretty sure that everyone has heard one form or another of gossip in their time. In fact, I’m pretty sure that we hear rumors almost every single day. Whether it be the latest news in celebrities, or the backgrounds of politicians; it could even be a comment on someone’s choice of outfit for the day.  Needless to say, our culture almost thrives on rumors. It’s how we ‘learn’ of things even if they are completely false.

I guess way back in the day rumors were pretty common too because Virgil gives an intriguing description of “Rumour” in his work The Aeneid . This description takes up 25 lines and is so condensed with description that it really caught my eye. First and foremost, “Rumour” is personified, but that’s not why it is interesting. “Rumour” is a woman.  At first this made me a think, “well that’s a little harsh” but in all actuality, women are experts at feeding gossip and soaking it in as well.  Just to clarify, I’m not saying all women enjoy this, but truth is, when was the last time you heard a guy say, “Dude, did you hear about…” unless it has to do with sports that’s factual information? Even then, that could be considered a very benign form of gossip. But more commonly, when girls catch up somewhere in the conversation gossip occurs, even if it is harmless gossip. And that’s the thing, gossip and rumors can be “fact and fiction mixed in equal parts” (The Aeneid, book 1, ln 191-192).

Another thing that stood out was that apparently Virgil understood and perhaps even ran into rumors that were malignant. He describes “Rumour” being a “foul goddess” and being “quick of foot and swift on the wing, a huge and horrible monster”, someone who delights in fuel anger and “thrives on movement and gathers strength as she goes”. (The Aeneid; lns. 176-177, 182-3, 196) I think it’s really amazing how Virgil was able to create an image of rumors in a way that is perfectly correct. Rumors that we know now-a-days can be interspersed with truth and can cause fear and never rests. Virgil paints the image as “Rumour….never lowers her eyelids in sweet sleep…..causes fear in great cities, holding fast to her lies and distortions as often as she tells the truth” (The Aeneid; lns. 187, 189-190).

I believe that rumors are as old as there have been humans on Earth and it truly will never “lower her eyelids” (ln. 187) but I also believe that we can prevent it from overcoming our lives and we can all be a little better in watching what we say and also what we believe. Virgil wasn’t too far off base giving “Rumour” her own section, because it really is a big part of life and could be argued and dissected much more than this post gives it justice.  So, the next time someone asks you if you’ve heard about such and such thing, I hope you remember good ol’ Virgil was warning you about that very thing that seems to never end. 

"Would ya look at that?"

The good ol' Romans and U.S. have some striking parallels in many different ways. Here are a few that I have discovered. 


1. "Cities, they argued, as well as all other things, take their rise from the lowliest beginnings" (an excerpt from T.Livius) Rome much like the U.S. didn't start out being a super power. As Livy wrote about the founding of Rome, it came from multiple little steps and multiple generations in order for it to become the Rome we think about today. The U.S. in a very similar way has grown to become how it is today. It started out small and then after multiple generations and little steps we generated our freedom.


2. Going along with the founding, the Romans celebrated their founding day, April 21, yearly calling it Lupercalia (Roman Art slide*). We just celebrated the 4th of July! For the United States this is "Independence Day" and the day we say we founded our own nation apart from other influences. The Romans apparently deemed their founding as important as we do ours!




 3. S.P.Q.R* vs. J.E.L.
Well the Romans established a Republic and had a system of ruling where the people had a say in decisions and whatnot. Even though there was usually a head-honcho, for example Caesar Augustus, they did not call themselves kings. This reminds me a lot of our 3 branches of government today. The Judicial, Executive, and Legislative branches creates our type of republic were we have a say in matters too, and although J.E.L isn't found on many things literally, most things in our life have been influenced by those three branches. 

U.S. Road 

Roman Road

4. Well if you refer to the picture above, you can see that the Romans believed in safety as they obviously had sidewalks too! Well, that may or may not be true but the Romans did have quite the road system. Many of their ancient roads were the basis of many roads now in that area*.  They were designed much like ours for the purpose of getting from one place to the next the most conveniently. 


5. One thing I am grateful for is our sewage and plumbing systems in the U.S. Although it sounds like a strange thing to be grateful for, I have been to places where it was next to non-existent and well it made the living conditions not as comfortable. I feel as if the Romans also appreciated their sewage systems, because they put in a lot of effort in building aqueducts to provide running water in order to fulfill that purpose along with many others.*


*Source: Sister Insalaco's Roman Art slideshow

Separate but Equal...

No, this blog post has nothing to do with the segregation laws and the Civil Rights movement, although, that is a fascinating time period. The phrase though, separate but equal, can be used to explain the role of women in Early Greek History. With the tales of the heroes and the glory of war, oftentimes we forget to look at what role the women had. Therefore, they are usually left in the background, yet they are mentioned often enough that they must have had some role in society.  

I mean, let’s take a look at Penelope, Odysseus wife. She must have been something special and important to Odysseus if he spent ten years trying to get back to her. When he finally returns to Ithaca, poor Penelope fearing a trick asks Odysseus a question which would prove his true identity. She states to the servant, “move the sturdy bedstead out of our bridal chamber –/that room the master built with own hands.” (the Odyssey, book 23, lns 198-99) She says this knowing that the true Odysseus would know that there was no way you could move the bed he built. She shows her wit is comparable to Odysseus’ who is known as being extremely clever (i.e, my name is Nothing).

Not only do we see that Greek women were comparable in smarts, we also read of their beauty. I mean, seriously, the Gods oftentimes “fell” for mortal women that were beautiful, Zeus, God of Gods, probably the most. In times of war, once one side conquered they would plunder and divide gifts of which women would be considered a prize with the most beautiful usually going to the Commander. They were considered great “gifts” as we learn when Achilles’ honor is wounded when he has to give up his girl (Iliad)

Then of course we learn that even though they were fairly equal they still carried a very domestic role. The princess of Phaeacia, Nausicaa, was at the river doing laundry. (Odyssey)  I mean, you have someone that is royalty that is cleaning clothes. Also, in the Underworld all the women introduced themselves as “I am…mother of….”  The role of child-bearing and nurturing was also an apparent important role to the Greeks when it came to women.  There were obvious distinguishing duties of men and women.

I think these roles of Greek women are still very relevant in society today. Women can be comparable to men intelligence-wise. There are many women that are equal in the work force and oftentimes even excel. But, even in the home, many people I know that are dating and then eventually married usually are with a partner that they are compatible with. Most times you can just look at them or listen to them and think, “Oh, that’s why you two are together. You just fit.” Then beauty is still an important cultural item. There is such a push and expectation for women to be beautiful. Thank goodness we are all beautiful in different ways and to different people. Then most important, mothers are still an essential role in today’s society. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. (The Family: Proclamation to the World) Basically I think the Greeks weren’t too far off from what we think and see women as today. We can be considered separate because we have different roles but they are still equal in importance to men.  Besides, we hold our own pretty well I’d say. :) 

"...Now don't start that again!"

         Choices happen to be a huge part of life. Everyday you have to decide to wake up. You decide what clothes to wear, whether or not to smile to a stranger or say hello. You can decide or have trouble deciding, like the vultures in the movie the Jungle Book, what to do next. You can be faced with small choices, silly choices, or life-changing choices (like reading the rest of this blog). Well maybe not that, but in all actuality the concept of agency is one that is as worth pondering now as it obviously was for the ancient Greeks. 

         Coming from an LDS perspective, we believe that God is Omniscient. He knows, hears, sees, all things and because of this he knows what happens in the future. The Greeks very similarly believed that their Gods knew all things and because of this they developed the concept of fate. Could you/can you escape your fate? If God knows all when something bad happens is there or was there anything you could have done to escape that punishment?

         Many heroes and characters of Greek tragedies would tell you "Yeah right! Go ahead and try. We sure did and we failed miserably." Take ill-fated Oedipus for an example. Doomed to kill his father and marry his mother, he ran away from what he thought were his parents only to find out that he did exactly what the Gods prophesied he was to do. He couldn't out-run his fate. 

        But if you ask Zeus, well, he made it very clear, "Ah how shameless-- the way these mortals blame the gods./From us alone, they say, come all their miseries, yes,/but they themselves, with their own reckless ways,/ compound their pains beyond their proper share." (The Odyssey, Book 1 lns 36-39)  He tells us that we can choose to escape the miseries of fate. He gave the option of choice. Man could escape the follies of destiny but we often follow our foolishness rather than our reasonableness.  

       So who do you believe man or God? In my own opinion, I think that we are very much accountable for how we choose but Homer certainly evokes quite the philosophical 'what if' which could certainly make this blog post go on and on.... Personally, I think I'm going to choose to cease my musings.

Epithets for Civ.

Four Epithets

Well hey all y'all, this is a new thing for me because I am not a blogger by any means. Anyways, here are four epithets to describe me!

Beastly-baller

Anyone who knows me well knows that the place I feel the most comfortable is on a basketball court. I've been playing basketball since junior high and I have height and determination which comes to my advantage. I was on the Arizona State Champion team in High school. No, I don't play on the collegiate level mainly because I have work and therefore no time, but you can generally find me in the RB playing with the boys :) 

Lover of Family

My family is one of the most important parts of my life. I am the second oldest of four kids. My parents have taught me how to make friends of my siblings and we as an entire family sure do have a lot of adventures. My mom is from Guatemala and was the first of her family to come to the U.S. so, culturally I have grown up learning in a very different way. My family has been there for me through my ups and downs. I am so grateful for all of our differences that have helped us grow closer together and know how to interact with each other. 

Musical Ear

Ever since I was a little girl I have been exposed to all sorts of music. I prefer more classical which I include as being Josh Groban, piano music, Celine Dion etc. I've played the piano since I was six but really can't claim that as my supreme talent. I do love to sing though and although I'm not amazing, I feel I can hold my own. Music in general though has driven me in many things in my life. 

Connoisseur of Food

I love food! I love trying new types of foods and sticking to the basics as well. My favorite dish would probably depend on my mood but I have a soft spot for Italian food. I am a firm believer of finishing everything on your plate and if you can't, then you save it for later. Also dessert first is another good rule of thumb.)