Validation

It's one thing to love what you do. It's another thing entirely to discover that you're actually good at what you do. It the most validating feeling in the world.

I have been loving my research job. Especially researching Ensign Peak. I've been hired to write a 15 page article on the history of Ensign Peak for one of my professors. Just go ahead and do a simple google search on the little mound and see what you come up with. It's not that easy. But luckily, my skills at searching things out on the internet (ok my skills at facebook stalking) have seem to come quite in handy. I have pages and pages of journal articles, newspaper articles, and even pictures!

Then came Thursday, I had to meet with my Professor and show him everything I've come up with the past couple of weeks. I was a bit scared. He is the associate dean of religion after all; which is quite intimidating I think. But not only was he pleased with everything I'd found, he was excited! He even said so himself! And here comes the best part! He said he was proud of me too! Towards the end of our meeting, he was talking about how it's always a little nerve wrecking for a professor to hire a new student because they don't know what to expect. He asked if I had been nervous to meet with him. And I answered yes because I hadn't been sure what he'd really been expecting from me either. And that's when he said the best thing of all! He said he was proud of me! The associate dean of religion said, "I'm proud of you Rebekah. You've done a lot of great work so far."
(insert huge Rebekah smile here)
maybe I think this is cooler than most people. But I'm proud of myself too. I'd been pleased with my work so far, but he actually got just as excited as I did about everything.

(I'm going to be a little snobby for the next bit, so just skip if you don't wish to read)
The stuff I have found is AMAZING! Ensign Peak has so much more significance not only in Utah's history, but also in church history than people realize. Ever wonder where people received their Endowments before the Endowment House was built. Thank you B.H. Roberts for that, with honorable mention to Addison Pratt. I probably shouldn't mention anything else since the article will be published.... (insert smug Rebekah look here).

By the next time I meet with my Professor I will have to:
1)Some how find my way up to EP (the peak and I are on a nick name basis, that's how tight we've become these past couple of weeks) to take pictures
2)I also need to get up to Salt Lake to make a visit to Church Archives.
3)I need to visit special collections here at the HBLL (where I spend most of my life these days).
4) Oh yeah, and I have to have the beginning portion of the article completed to present.

The pressure is on to write well. Good thing I write the best with things I'm passionate about. During these past couple of weeks, I've been have a steamy affair with Ensign Peak. Is it wrong to love a mountain?

I am beyond excited to start writing.

This how the writing process works for me: First, I just think about the topic. All the time. Ensign Peak will always been in the back of my mind for the next few days. Themes and ideas present themselves. And then sentences and phrases will begin to form. Then when I actually sit down to type, it's magic. The words will flow straight from my brain to the keyboard to the screen. By the end, I almost can't believe how well everything fits together.

I am a little nervous to begin writing this. The better I write, the more my work will actually be published, as opposed to the re-drafts that my professor will write. I need to write mind-blowingly well.

Wish me luck!