Life Lessons from "Pride and Prejudice"

I have a confession: I will never get tired of Pride and Prejudice.


Not because I'm a Meg Ryan-wannabe circa You've Got Mail. Or because I love the male lead character Mr. Darcy (actually, I don't think a personality like his would work for me). And definitely not because I completely identify with Elizabeth Bennet (sort of...sort of Jane...sort of neither).


I think I love Pride and Prejudice (and always will) because it's timeless. And it's funny. Jane Austen writes about characters that seem strangely like people I've actually met. And the book raises themes and issues that still ring true in 2007. Here are a few examples:

• Family matters. P&P covers a lot of interesting family dynamics--the close bond of sisters Elizabeth and Jane, the domino effects of choices within a family (e.g. Lydia and Kitty's behavior toward military officers, Mrs. Bennet's lack of tact), family expectations (Lady Catherine's hopes for Mr. Darcy's marriage, Caroline Bingley's "protection" of her brother), and more.
  



• (Written) words are powerful. Throughout the book, letters prove to be a significant communication tool that shape peoples' attitudes and reveal their true nature. (I won't give away anything in case you haven't read it yet.) But as a writer myself, it's interesting to think about how careful phrasing is important, how people read (and re-read) written pieces and how much written words can have an impact.
  
  How many of us have read (or re-read) significant notes, cards or letters in our lives? There's something cool about looking at an old high school yearbook, a birthday card from a friend or an encouraging note from a leader ... they can help us remember a moment in our lives and speak to us long after their original delivery.
  


• First impressions are important ... but not always accurate. Throughout the book, first impressions shape "prejudices" and preferences that don't always turn out right. Repeatedly the characters have to overcome their initial impressions of others.
  



• People need an appropriate balance between self-awareness and consideration of others. Mr. Collins never ceases to crack me up ... he's sort of a mix between Michael and Dwight from "The Office". I think it's because of how unaware he is of himself and how people perceive him--and also because of how much he overflatters (and basically, kisses up non-stop) to people undeserving of such admiration. By no means does the book endorse disrespect--but more genuine human respect, grace and kindness for everyone (versus for example, Mr. Collins' favoritism toward those in high society).

Pride and Prejudice is fun, but it also makes me think about these issues (and more) in my own life. And I'm not an expert--but I think the best things in life--the best people in life--are those that are fun and at the same time, challenge me to be better.

Fun New Restaurant: Jimmy Mac's Roadhouse

It's Saturday night. I order a steak and a dessert with absolutely no guilt because of the prices. Hot date? Nope...dinner with my family at a restaurant pre-opening.

For some reason, my family has all these odd connections to random free stuff ... and this was no exception. We were invited to a pre-opening night party for Jimmy Mac's Roadhouse in Federal Way. We could order anything we wanted off the menu and only had to pay for our soft drinks--cool, huh?

"You're supposed to throw stuff on the floor?!?"

Jimmy Mac's is not fancy, but it's fun. The atmosphere is designed to be like a Texas roadhouse--complete with loud country music and peanut shells on the floor. (I swear that my Dad got so into throwing shells on the floor that he once hit a fellow guest! :) My Mom couldn't bring herself to throw her shells on the floor, so the waiter would sweep them off the table for her.)

The food is BBQ style but much better than Famous Dave's (sorry if you're a superfan!). They also have some healthier options that are really good--I tried some salmon and veggies. But the steak is fantastic...even my Dad (a self-proclaimed steak expert) was impressed. And the prices aren't bad either, especially for lunch.

We had a great time--and so I thought I'd give them some free advertising. :) Jimmy Mac's definitely has a cool casual vibe...and CLG hosts, it might be a fun place to go for a fun night out with your group.

Group activity ideas?

As a "Big Sister" and small group leader, I try to think of fun things to do around the Seattle/Tacoma area. Here are a few ideas I've come up with ... but let me know if you have more. For any G2 leaders out reading this, I'm trying to think of fun stuff we could do as a young adults' group (yeah, all 100+ of us...) or individual CLGs. I'm especially looking for stuff that's somewhat interactive and (relatively) inexpensive for a group:

• Visit the EMP (Experience Music Project) at Seattle Centre.



• Go on a team photo scavenger hunt with a digital/disposable camera (you need a big group to do this one) in a fun area (Pike Place Market, downtown Tacoma, Ruston Way).
  


• Bowling
  


• Laser tag
  


• Pt. Defiance Zoo
  
  
• Miniature golf



• BBQ and bonfire
  


• Game day - Volleyball, bocce ball, Bunko, and/or Frisbee golf
  


• Progressive dinner - A few G2 girls planned one of these a few years ago--really fun. It was cool because we were divided into small groups (about 6 people). But at the first location, all the groups were together (maybe about 25 of us) for salad/drinks. At the second place (appetizers), I think two groups were together at each location. At the third location, each small group was on its own for dinner (hosted by parents/church members). And at the last stop, everyone was together again for a bonfire and smores. In one night, you got to hang out in bigger and smaller groups and interact with different people.
  
  
• Rollerblading/rollerskating/ice skating
  


• Movie night with some kind of interactive twist (like when we hosted a "Napoleon Dynamite" with a photo booth, costume contest, trivia, etc.)
  
  
• Fundraiser/group mixer: I've gone to things like this for Project U--basically, there's a $5 cover that benefits a non-profit (e.g. Champions Foundation) at a cool restaurant (Melting Pot, Indochine, etc.). Project U will usually reserve a big room or area of the restaurant and people will just hang out for dinner or appetizers.
  
  If we did something like this for G2, it would be good to have some kind of game (not too cheesy) where people are encouraged to interact with others they don't know.
  
  
• Volunteer or service project: At TWU, all of our small groups had a volunteer day (at least once a year) where we got involved in some kind of service project for the community ... painting a room at a church, helping an elderly person with yardwork, singing at a retirement center, etc. What's cool is that by doing something together, we bonded more as a group and also helped our community.
  
  With G2 or CLGs, we could potentially do something as a big group or individual small groups--either for ministries at Champions Centre or community organizations.

Any other ideas? Please feel free to comment ...