Wow, if my life stays this interesting maybe I'll blog everyday for the rest of forever! Okay, just kidding my life isn't that interesting but tonight it was.

I went and met Chris about 15 minutes from Salt Lake tonight. After a fun dinner and some random driving around including singing/car dancing, we decided to drive to Salt Lake and walk around. When we got downtown I noticed it was surprisingly busy for a non-holiday weekend but figured there was a Jazz game (which there was). As we drove up to Temple Square we were shocked to see people everywhere. Chris had mentioned earlier that there was a protest at Temple Square tonight because of the churches support of Proposition 8. We both kind of forgot about it, expecting that it wouldn't be that big of a deal. Which is why I was so surprised to see at least 1,000 people walking circles around Temple Square. Since I was driving I wasn't able to see a lot of the signs that people were holding (which I think I might be grateful for...) But the one that I saw said "Mormons breed hate". There were people everywhere, including the median & the middle of the road. Temple Square was closed and it was only 8:00. A man stood right in the middle of the street in front of the car next to us even after the light turned green and stared the people down when they tried to drive. I don't think I can explain the feeling I had and how relieved I was when we got away from Temple Square.

Now, please, don't get me wrong, these people have a right to express their beliefs. However, I disagree with how they approached it. I don't want to get into the politics of everything, but I have to say that even in my car, with my doors safely locked, I felt so unsafe and could feel the anger & hatred that the protesters had. It made me sad to see Temple Square, a place that I consider to be peaceful & beautiful no matter what your religion may be, surrounded by such anger. The church had as much right to speak out in support of Prop 8 as the men & women that surrounded the temple tonight had but the thing I don't understand is what good this protest will do. Chris made a good point, had it been months, weeks, days before Prop 8 was to be voted on it would make sense but what good will the protest do after Prop 8 was passed?

I hesitated to even bring these things up, knowing that the people that read my blog all have different opinions on this matter, but I also know that my friends & family that read this blog are kind, loving & accepting people. And I know that you will understand the sadness I felt this evening. We all want to live in a peaceful world, which isn't always easy to find.

Here is a link to an article I found on KSL.com http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=4728411

Speaking of finding peace in this world. I found some peace among all of the crazy-ness this evening. As I mentioned, I went to Salt Lake to hang out with Chris and it was a fabulously fun evening. We often plan ahead and stress about what we're going to do since we can never really go to either persons house without one of us having to drive for a nice long time. Tonight there wasn't much planning. We knew dinner would be involved and the rest just came. We didn't do anything outrageously exciting besides the things I mentioned above (singing/car dancing) and walking around The Gateway, eating ice cream and then getting stuck in traffic from the Jazz game while singing & car dancing some more. At one point during the evening we agreed that we have so much more fun when we don't plan anything. I'm not sure why that is but it worked quite well tonight. I loved hanging out with my best friend and feeling the most me that I have felt in a long time, at least around another person. I love that I could sing into the microphone aka my thumb, at the top of my lungs and not be afraid of what someone was going to think. I am quite grateful for that familiar, comfortable feeling I have on nights like this. Chris & I have been friends for several years now and over and over again I have been able to look at our friendship and without a doubt know that we are friends for a reason. Perhaps it is one-sided and I'm the one receiving all of the blessings from this friendship, whatever the case may be, I came home tonight feeling happier & lighter and more able to face the demands of this week because I got to have a relaxing night filled with a whole bunch of nothing and a whole lot of fun. Chris, Thanks for being the kind of person that I can be myself with and that sticks by me even though I've given you plenty of reasons not to.

I apologize if you all get sick of hearing me blabber on about how grateful I am for this person or that person, but I really have been given the best people in my life. I only know of a few of you that read my blog but I can think of at least one, most likely many more, times that I have been insanely grateful to have you in my life.