On Dying

I decided a few years ago that if I were to develop a terminal illness, I would not endure any sort of treatment meant to delay my death. I would simply let the illness run its course, slowly weakening my body until it was all over.

People talk about things they want to do before they die. Some people want to experience sky diving or travel the globe. Others want to enjoy a family of their own. The only thing I want to do before I die is to learn to accept myself as I am and be content with who that person is.

When I finally die, I would want my family to be with me. I would want them to sing to me and talk about all the happy things we'd done together in my lifetime.

On Money

Money is a very temporal thing that, I've discovered, only serves to make life miserable. When you are short on money, life is stressful because you cannot provide for the necessities of life. When you have money in abundance, life is... actually, I wouldn't know. But I doubt it's as good as it sounds.

I recently read a book by Deb Caletti entitled "The Fortunes of Indigo Skye." In the book, the main character is rather randomly given 2.5 million dollars. The story line is about how she learns to live her life for others instead of for herself. She ends up giving away a good fraction of the money.

Were I given 2.5 million dollars, I'm not entirely sure what I would do with it. I know a portion would pay for the remainder of my college career. A portion would go towards providing my parents with a new home that they desperately deserve. Another portion would pay for my siblings to attend college. After all that, I'd estimate only having spent $700,000.

In all honesty, and though it's unlikely anyway, I hope I'm never given any large amount of money. I want to be able to live my life so that I can adequately provide for my needs on my own.

On Tomorrow

Tomorrow is a question mark. You can't know what tomorrow will bring. It could be the greatest day of your life; it could be the last day of your life, which is sometimes the same thing.

"You have to count on living every single day in a way you believe will make you feel good about your life -- so that if it were over tomorrow, you'd be content with yourself."
--Jane Seymour

How do you become "content with yourself"? A contented person is probably optimistic and confident. He probably has found his purpose in life. He has his support system in place. He doesn't worry what tomorrow will bring.

What if tomorrow were the end? Would you have accomplished everything you needed to in this life? Would you say to yourself, "Self, you did well."?

If I were gone tomorrow, what would you say to me today?

Chicken Cordon Bleu

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast
4 slices Swiss cheese
4 thin sliced smoked ham
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
2 cups crushed frosted flakes

Place one chicken breast in a plastic bag. Using the flat side of a meat tenderizer or a rolling pin, pound chicken until about 1/2 inch thick. Repeat with all four breasts.

Lay one chicken breast on a piece of plastic wrap. Layer Swiss cheese, then ham. Roll up the chicken, then wrap in the plastic wrap. Repeat with all four breasts. Refrigerate one hour. This will help the chicken retain its shape.

Bring chicken to room temperature.

Pour flour into a bowl. In another bowl, beat egg with milk to make an egg wash. Place crushed frosted flakes in another bowl. Unwrap chicken. Cover in flour, then egg wash, then roll in frosted flakes. Place in a greased baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes or until juices run clear.