I used to be a Model

Seriously.

Last year during Spring term at BYU, I needed a job. Nothing too intense, just a part-time job that could help pay for groceries/gas. While browsing on-campus jobs at BYU, I saw a posting for an "Male Model" for the fine arts department.

I immediately sent in my resume (yep, I had to send an official resume to be a model), and found out a few days later that I got the job.

If you attend virtually any other school in the world, models in fine arts departments pose naked. Not just kind of naked, but completely, not-a-thread-on-your-body naked. Fortunately I was modeling at BYU, so the university bought me a Speedo to wear when modeling (thank you tithing payers, for your tithing money may have helped purchase my Speedo).

Now I consider myself to be a fairly confident person. I've been on stage a decent amount over my lifetime and like to think I can hold my own in front of groups of people. However, few things challenge your confidence like posing in a Speedo in front of a group of strangers and letting them draw you.

An actual drawing of me from someone in the class.

I posed for a gesture drawing class taught by Ryan Woodward, meaning my poses were more dynamic poses for shorter periods of time (around 3 to 5 minutes). Specifically, the class was looking for the way certain muscles moved/looked when the body was doing some sort of action.

My modeling career was short-lived as I only did it for 6 weeks (FYI: I didn't wuss out, I quit because I moved), but I did learn some interesting things.

• It's incredibly difficult to hold your body completely still for 4 minutes when you're in an awkward position.
• Tanning beds aren't a bad idea when, after a long winter, you are going to display your body to a group of people.
• Speedos are surprisingly comfortable.
• I am really inflexible.
• People who can draw are amazing. I couldn't believe the pictures people drew in 4 minutes.

To illustrate (pun!) this last point, I've embedded an animation by Ryan Woodward. These are the types of drawings people did of me when I modeled, and Ryan illustrated a dance using these type of drawings. This video is astounding. I've watched it several times and am still blown away by the beauty of it. That's right. Beauty. I don't think I've ever described an animation with the word beauty before, but I think this is a case where it is entirely appropriate.

An animation by a BYU professor, Ryan Woodward. I modeled for his class.

And to those of you who wonder how someone could ever get up in front a group of people in a Speedo, my response is that I've never been more motivated to go to the gym than when I knew I would be practically naked, posing in front of a group of strangers.

And you've obviously never worn a Speedo.

Sometimes I act irrationally

A few weeks ago, I finished a book called "Predictably Irrational" by Dr. Dan Ariely, a professor at Duke University (a former professor at the Sloan School of Management at MIT; my brother-in-law took a class from him and recommended this book). This is a book focusing on behavioral economics and how in certain situations, we (people in general) ignore traditional economic theory and act in ways that are irrational.

In normal-people talk, this book is about how people often act in ways that don't make a lot of sense, and we act this way consistently. It's a fascinating read and I highly recommend it.

I learned something interesting about myself while reading this book. That is, I always want to keep doors open in my life.

Some might say that it isn't a bad thing to have options in your life; and I agree that the presence of options in one's life isn't bad. In fact, it's most likely positive. However, trouble arises when you start to act in ways that aren't in your best interest in order to keep options open.

Sometimes this happens in school. It took me a while to decide on my major. I didn't want to pigeon hole myself into a certain area of study because I'm interested in many different topics. Because I had so many options, it kept me from actually making a decision until I had spent 5 semesters at school. (I have finally decided to study Business Strategy; a major that I absolutely love). Simply because I didn't want to close any doors on any majors, it kept me from actually choosing a major.

Sometimes it happens in relationships. I consider myself to be a pretty easy-going guy who doesn't have too many enemies. This can create problems in the aftermath of relationships. Because I try hard not to offend anyone, I often try to keep in touch with ex-girlfriends because I always (in the back of my mind) think there might be an option there. Because of this, I probably spend too much time trying to keep my options open rather than just closing the door on these past relationships and fully invest myself into new relationships.

I also think this is one of the big reasons I'm hesitant for marriage. It is definitely a closing of doors to all other possible relationships. I can't help but wonder how many people have put off marriage (myself included) simply because they think they might find someone better than the person they are already dating. Even though you have no idea what other options are out there, you don't commit yourself fully to the person you're with because you can't bear the thought of losing all your other options. And by the same token, you don't break up with the person because they might be one. Thus because you want to keep all your doors open, you never actually make a decision.

It's a rather interesting conundrum. I want to retain my ability to choose, but in order to ensure I can choose any of all possible choices, I prevent myself from making a decision.

Anyway, these are just some thoughts bouncing around in my brain.

Brigham City

I grew up in a small town in northern Utah called Brigham City (there aren't many towns with that Mormon of a name). It's a good place to call home and I have many fond memories.

However, there isn't much for me in Brigham City these days. Because it's a small town, there isn't much to do and because all my friends have moved on, BC is a pretty dull place nowadays. And unfortunately, I have to spend the entire month of May here. I have a break between school and when I head up to Alaska (and then Boston) so I've been here in BC. It's driving me bonkers.

So if you are ever bored, PLEASE email/call/flag semaphore/smoke signal/morse code/text me and you will make my day. I PROMISE I will promptly respond to any message you send.

Really one of the only things BC has going for it is that a Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is being built here!

I went and sat across the street from it the other day for about 40 minutes to watch the construction workers build and just thought about the wonderful blessings associated with the Temple. I'm very grateful to have one being built in my home town.

I also called and reserved the Temple for the first sealing after it opens, so I can be the first person married in it.

Now I just need to find someone to marry....

Musical Snapshots from my Past

I was going through my CD collection today, listening to some CDs I haven't listened to for quite a while, years in some cases. I was amazed by the vivid memories some of the CDs brought to my mind! I'm sure many of you have experienced this, but when I put on a certain song/CD, I was transported back to a specific time of my life. Not only did I remember it, but I felt the emotions associated with the certain memory: excitement, heartbreak, nervousness, etc. It was a very nostalgic experience for me. So I decided to list a few of the songs and the memories associated with them (this is also for me, so I can remember some of the songs that represent certain times of my life).

• The Proclaimers - I'm gonna be (500 Miles)

I remember being 5 or 6 years old and dancing/singing along to this song in the basement with my sister, Emily. I thought this song was phenomenal, probably because it was the only non-classical song I had ever heard. Also, I'm grateful for Emily introducing me to music written after the year 1900.

• You're a Good Man Charlie Brown - Broadway Musical

This was the CD of choice for many car trips when I was 10 or 11. I especially loved the songs about the book report on Peter Rabbit, and my new philosophy.

• Blink 182 - All the Small Things

This takes me to Adele C. Young Intermediate School in the 6th grade. This was also the first parental advisory CD I ever purchased. I got it from the Shopko in Brigham City. Looking back, I remember walking up to purchase it and wondering if the clerk would ask me for ID (I was 11)

but the clerk was some disgruntled teenager and apparently didn't care what type of music my youthful ears were exposed to.

• The Aquabats - Super Rad

I was introduced to the Aquabats by one of my best friends, Tom Brinton, when I was 13 or 14. This was also my first concert I ever attended. I'll never forget going to "In The Venue" in Salt Lake City to watch the Aquabats. Another vivid memory associated with the Aquabats is the first girl I ever kissed. We went to their concert with her when I was 15 and thought I was the bomb because I was there with a girl.

• Snow Patrol - Final Straw Album

This is pretty much my sophomore year of high school. I also bought this album for my girlfriend at the time, Kassie Sharp, the year before I went on my mission. I vividly remember sitting down with her in front of the stereo in her living room and listening to the entire album together.

• Dashboard Confessional - Hands Down

This song will forever remind me of perhaps the most traumatic experience of my life, when I got my skull crushed in at their concert and had to get some fairly intense surgery to repair it. I was in a mosh pit during their concert (technically during the opening band, but I still think of Dashboard because that's the band I was really there to see) when I got pushed from behind and my forehead hit the back of someone's head and crushed in the bone above my left eye. Anyway, after a bone graph from the other side of my skull, a dissolvable plate and screws, and a few hundred stitches, I was good to go. I wrote a letter to Dashboard explaining what happened to see if I could get some free stuff but they never responded.

• Death Cab for Cutie - The New Year - from the album Transatlanticism

I bought this CD specifically for this song on New Year's Day of 2005. I then listened to this song non-stop for the next three days. Consequently, I discovered one of my favorite songs of all time, The Sound of Settling. I still play this song often on my stereo and on my guitar. Also, I still listen to this album on a regular basis.

• The Postal Service - Nothing Better

A girl I dated my junior year in high school, Jocelyn Sexton, loved this song and this band. We listened to it often together and I still often think of her when I hear this song.

• The Killers - All These Things that I've Done

I played in a band in high school called The Monikers with my best friends (Tom Brinton, Dallin Gunther, and Seth Durfee). We got to play some amazing shows and record a couple of CDs. We would play this song full blast in the car as we were unloading for shows and would sing along with the bridge, "I've got soul, but I'm not a soldier." It would pump us up for shows. Definitely some amazing memories with the band.

• Mindy Gledhill - Child of Light

Mindy's first album, Sum of All Grace, was a CD I could listen to while on my mission. It makes me think of Wasilla, Alaska in the middle of the winter. It was one of the only CDs me and my companion had so it got plenty of playing time in the car. I distinctly remember pulling out onto the Palmer-Wasilla Highway during a blizzard on the way to a district meeting.

• MGMT - Kids (The music video is really creepy. It's a bunch of monsters scaring a little kid. Sorry)

Perhaps my most recent musical memory, this song reminds me of a girl I dated after my mission, Emily Howe. We went to their concert on a whim when they came to Salt Lake City and were disappointed with their performance. They were OK, but this song (their most famous single) was basically recorded and the band just sang along. It was dumb.

Anyway, here are some musical snapshots from my past. What are some of yours??

Dating, Love, and Marriage

So dating, love, and marriage have been on my mind a lot lately. There are probably a lot of different reasons for this, but I'm going to talk about three.

1. My brother got married 10 days ago!

My brother, Nate Eaton, got married on April 23rd in the Salt Lake City, UT Temple! Elder Bednar from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles performed the sealing and it was an amazing experience. I've been fortunate enough to attend two sealing in the past 5 months performed by Apostles (Elder Bednar and Elder Nelson) and both have been astounding.

My entire family was able to come to Utah for the wedding. This was the first time we have all been together since I got home from my mission (June 2009).

I'm so happy for Nate and Erica! They are a wonderful couple and I wish them the very best! However; there is one aspect of this wedding business that I'm not so happy about.

Now that Nate is married, I am the only child left in the family that isn't married.

Uh oh.

The pressure's on.

2. Little old ladies can't believe I'm not married

I visited the Brigham City single's ward this past Sunday for testimony meeting. It was fun to see a few familiar faces but in general, I didn't know too many people there. Because of this I chose to sit in the back near a kind, elderly woman who is the wife of one of the members of the Bishopric.

After the meeting, she was chatting with me about my summer plans, my mission, my schooling, etc. Then she said with an incredulous look, "And you aren't engaged or married?!"

I laughed and said that I wasn't.

She followed up with the question, "And you've been home from your mission how long?"

I responded that I've been home for nearly two years.

She seemed flabbergasted and said, "Don't worry dear, you'll meet the right one eventually."

Now I'm sure that many people have had this exact same conversation but it still is a little bit disconcerting when it comes from a random woman you've just met.

3. I dreamt last night that I was engaged to Rapunzel from the movie, Tangled.

Yes, you read that correctly.

I dreamt that I was engaged to an animated princess from a Disney movie. She was a cartoon and I was not, but we loved each other and would make it work.

We were chasing each other through the forrest when I cut my arm on a tree branch.

Fortunately, her hair is magical and healed my arm.

It was fantastic.

So if anyone out there knows a princess with 30 feet of magic blonde hair that heals things when you sing, feel free to give her my number.