The time has come

I'm moving out. For almost a year, I've worked in North Van and lived at home in Coquitlam. The reason I work there is because all the guys in my band are in that area, and I wanted to be closer, to make band-related things more convenient, with the intention of eventually moving there. As of late, it's been more and more on my mind to actually move, and now I can finally (but barely) afford to.

It's tough when nearly your whole life happens in one place, and you sleep in another. You get tired, and lonely. I mean, I live with my family, so I'm never REALLY super lonely, but it's a different kind of lonely. That's why I wanted to go. And now I've signed a one-year lease on this little basement suite in North Vancouver near my friends and my workplace.

But now, I'm afraid. Afraid of what? I'm not sure. Perhaps ACTUALLY being alone for the first time. My brother won't be there to talk to every day. My folks won't be just upstairs watching the news. It'll be just me. By myself. And I don't know why this is so terrifying, but for some reason it is. Nearby friends aren't the same as live-in family. Yes, they love and care about me, but the built-in security that I've always knows will be absent, though it will be still a phone-call away.

I've wanted to move to make time for our music and the band, and I hope and pray that this truly is a step that so far I have believed is needed. I don't know a lot of people in North Van, but perhaps I will soon?

to join a craze...again

Yup. Random facts about myself...

1. I was in a bowling league when I was 14...10 pin. My average was 120 and it was the highest one! Yay me. I even won awards.

2. My favourite smell is when rain falls on dry pavement. For some reason, it smells sweet!

3. I can wiggle my ears.

4. I am only 3 degrees of separation from that kid who shot up a school on the east coast last month...why I know this I do not know.

5. If I read a book, it is always one of several that I'm reading. I can read one at a time, but I usually don't.

6. I actually wear less than half the clothes I own.

7. I have owned 8 different guitars in my lifetime, 5 of which I still do. Wait a second, I own 5 guitars!?

Thanks folks.

Yes, it's true.

I've returned from Mexico, and have been home a month now. Needless to say, I easily forget about my blog, since it seems to be just another thing to distract me from living my life (i.e. being with people, reading books, writing music etc.). If there is in fact a serious demand for all things Mike LaRoy, please by all means let me know, so that I might be more diligent in blogging for all you friends out there that care to know, yet aren't nearby enough to warrant a coffee conversation. Otherwise, odds are this thing here might just slip into oblivion...

Mexico, anyone?

In T-minus a couple days, I'm heading to Mexico for a week-long missions trip, on which I have been given the responsibility of being the worship leader, and all that such a responsibility entails. I'm only just starting to get excited, but the excitement grows with each passing hour. To all my friends, please pray that Christ will be proclaimed in all things, for safe travels etc., and that I will be used in ways beyond what I can imagine, despite my shortcomings, particularly as a leader!

Tips for the road

Never drive your car when you don't have brake fluid, you will not be able to stop. What is more, make sure that you check that you have brake fluid in your car every now and then. If you choose to drive in such conditions, make sure you do it at 1 in the morning when you won't smash someone else as you roll through the red light...

God only knows what I'd be....

It has been brought to my attention that I should blog more. To tell you the truth, my daily perusal of friends' blogs and friends' adjacent blogs has become my bi-weekly-or-so perusal of some blogs where people actually do post quite frequently. Or at least those who had such a track record before I made the transition to an infrequent blog-frequenter.

ANYways, all that is to say is that the subject of this particularly entry has unintentionally transformed into the subject of blogs. BORING! Why would anyone want me to blog more when this is all I can come up with?

Moving on... I'll do my best.

You know that time in your life where you meet someone special, in whom you have genuine interest, though not because they're gorgeous or something superficial as such, but because there's something about that person that is just so dang attractive? And even though that person may happen to be beautiful, but there's way more to it than that. Except that you don't have her number, but even if you did you can't call her because she's not really your friend yet, simply an acquaintance, but barely so? Ergo, you are completely and utterly dependant on your friends organizing events where you can get to know her a little more without the pressure of being on a date and with out any of the expectations that come with that, because there are other people there too. Which means, then, that you have little or no control over the situation, except to hope that some time soon you'll get to hang out with this person, and then hang out again, until you are well enough acquainted with her that it won't be a stretch to do it on your own without having to depend on friends bringing the two of you together. Meanwhile, there's no guarantee (not that there ever is when it comes to this sort of thing) that any of that will ever come to be, because that person might have forgotten about you even though you haven't forgotten about her, and so all the what-ifs and situation analysis is all in your head because you're helpless until those friend-planned-things happen, if they ever do?

I'm currently at that time in my life. Some people tell me to relish it, because you may never get it back. While that is the ultimate hope, it's easy for them to say!

Thoughts? Suggestions?

And for your viewing pleasure, may I present this:



Don't know why this video exists, I'm just so dang happy it does!

New look mike

I am turning over a new leaf. As of this year, and not because of the new year, I have a new approach to my life. I cut my hair, shaved my face (most of it), and have started to use cleaning supplies on my face that are actually designed for the face, not just soap.

Not only that, my spirituality is different. How, you ask? Well, perhaps I'm starting to take it a little more seriously. Not that I didn't before, but it seems more real now, in the post-school lifestyle. Everyday you have to choose Christ, rather than having him thrust onto you because you're at Bible school (no offence, fellow Bible students, but I'm sure you'd agree this is often the case).

Oh, and I took down the posters of bands I don't even listen to in my bedroom that I got when I was 15. Art has now been purchased. As have been picture frames. Photographs are next.

This is me, growing up. A little, anyway.