Jeremy's Blog

I first heard about the James Kim story a few days ago. I’ve been following along with it, since I heard about it, and it’s proven to be quite a display of the will of the human spirit and the ability people have to care for one another. No one ever expects these things to happen, but what is it that gives us the will to push forward after such a tragedy occurs in our lives? For the Kim family, I’m sure it’s all of their friends and relatives offering their support during their time of need.

I’ve only lost one really good friend in the nineteen years I’ve been around. And she wasn’t as close to me as she was to another friend of mine, who was absolutely devastated by it. I’ve also never lost an immediately family member since I’ve been old enough to know what it means. When someone in my family dies, it’s going to hit me really hard, because I’ve never had to experience it before now.

What I think is the most sad about death and other tragedies is the fact that it takes something remarkable to get a lot of people to really show their good sides. There’s just not enough people in the world who are eternally loving just for the sake of being that way. Not enough people in the world who generally care about each and every person around them, regardless of what that person thinks of them, regardless of whether or not they know that person. I’m not exempt from this, in any way. I care about people a lot more now than I ever did before. It’s got a lot to do with the teachings offered by being a Boy Scout, and even more to do with being around influential people who really do care about people. I’ve learned a lot from these people, and I’ll continue to learn from them, in the years to come.

I’ve always considered myself to be a good judge of character and potential. And there’s a lot of people that I’ve stuck with or have stuck with me over the course of the years who’ve become some really remarkable people. Brice, I’m talking about you. Shawn, same goes to you. And others out there, you know who you are. I think this has a lot to do with how easily I fell in love with Ruzena … She’s got it all. A genuine love and care for people, a wonderful attitude towards life and everything else, a charming character that just screams happiness. And to top it all off, she’s just an amazing person to talk to, funny, and I can share some of my deepest thoughts and feelings that I just can’t share with anyone else. You can’t find that just lying around, and I think it’s funny how we just kind of bumped into each other. I wasn’t looking for anyone at the time. She’s nothing short of a blessing, and it’s been one of the best things that’s ever happened to me that she’s become such an important part of my life.

You just don’t find people like this everywhere. I’ll continue to strive to better myself … to get to the point I want to be at. It’s been a long road, and there’s still a ways to go. It’s going to be tough, I know. I’ll encounter a lot of hardships along the way, but knowing that I’ve got the support of my friends, family, and a certain beautiful lady, I know I can make it. Besides …

Giving up just isn’t an option.