Canterbury Cathedral - The Historical Building That Stole My Heart

Studies in architectural history have sparked my interest in architecture. My fascination with architectural history began when I was in seventh grade. For “art” I read a condensed book about world architectural history, which explained the most famous historical buildings in the world, such as the pyramids in Egypt, the Pantheon in Rome, and the cathedral at Pisa. Each building carried a story – one that opened a world of better understanding of history for me. Since I am an extremely visual learner, I have always found it difficult to grasp abstract concepts without drawing them out or seeing a picture. When I began to study architectural history, I gradually became aware that since architecture is built by people, then architecture also reflects the people and their societies, ideas, and values. Living in Houston, where the oldest buildings I have seen are perhaps one hundred years old, I found old buildings to be mysterious and in a way “other-worldly.” But I loved the details and beautiful craftsmanship I saw in pictures of those masterpieces, and I always hoped that I would be able to see in person historic buildings and be able to learn more about them.

In 2007 and 2013, I got the chance to take a pilgrimage to Canterbury with the children’s choir at my church. I was excited to be able to go overseas, but I was even more eager to see in person the historical buildings that defined England’s stories. To this day, Canterbury Cathedral is one of my favorite examples of historical architecture. When I visited in 2013, the cathedral was under the process of restoration. Scaffolding covered one entire side of the building, and experts in historical preservation were carefully attending the stones and detaching the huge panels of stained glass for cleaning. We later received a special tour on the scaffolding and in the adjoining stained glass workshop. What stands out most in my mind is seeing a young lady carefully cleaning one the panels of stained glass with a q-tip. To this day, I wonder how many hours it would take, at that pace, to clean the entire panel. And then I remembered how many panels were in the entire cathedral. I would not be surprised if she was still working on them today.

My heart still partially lives in Canterbury inside Canterbury Cathedral. Since my visits, my love for architectural history and historic preservation has greatly increased. Consequently, I have become involved in the historic preservation here at A&M, Preservation and Conservation Student Society (PACSS). Last semester we toured Calvert, Texas, and we documented the Parish Hall of Epiphany Episcopal Church. After some group designing, we gave the Rector at the church a proposal of interior redesign of the Parish Hall and a ramp addition that would respect the integrity of the historical aspects of the church. I thoroughly enjoyed this learning experience, as it increased my hope of someday being able to work with historic preservation in churches. 

The Amazing Goober

My family has a dog named Goober. Well… we think he is a dog. Goober came to us a few years ago after he was tragically dumped on a freeway in Louisiana. My grandparents owned some land there, and my dad was working on fixing up their house at the time. The neighbors across the road had rescued him and were taking care of him, but they already had multiple dogs and could not afford to take in another. So they offered the dog to my dad. I found out about Goober when I heard my mom talking to my dad on the phone. “Are you crazy? We already have three guinea pigs and a rabbit! We cannot take in a dog!” You know how it goes… Goober ended up coming back home with my dad.

Goober arrived in our house shaven, nervous, and covered in flees. We did not know how old he was, but he had horrible teeth and problems with heartworm, which were things that we needed to take care of pretty quickly. Fleas were also a constant battle for Goober. Goober hates baths. He is convinced the any tub filled with water is a torture chamber, and whoever is the bath-giver (often it is my dad) is his designated torturer. Goober’s hair is also very curly, so he is almost always in need of grooming.

At first, I was unsure about Goober. But in just a couple weeks, I became his favorite person. He is a poodle mix lap dog, weighs less than ten pounds, and resembles the same grey color as most streets are. We joke that Goober is actually a cat in disguise. We originally tried to get him to chase balls and squirrels, but he would only sit staring at us. His comprehension of normal dog activities seemed low.

Or perhaps he is a baby disguised in fur. You know, like the wolf in sheep’s clothing? “Hold me!” he says in his eyes and face. Goober has to be held all day in somebody’s arms. He also cannot sleep anywhere except in somebody’s bed. Of course, I am his favorite, and so is my bed.

We think Goober’s previous owner fed him food only from the table. During the first week, Goober refused to eat any dog food. Once his bowl was filled, he smelled it and looked at us, his face clearly showing disgust. He would wait for the smell of cooking meat, and then he became our own circus dog, dancing for food with his little jig, on hind legs and everything. He was pretty upset that we did not comply. He kept up his begging for some time, but after a week of self-starvation, Goober decided that dog food wasn’t so bad after all.

Goober is now an integrated member of the Wingate family. He is a delight to us, real dog or not. And I know that I love him, because I often think of him and miss him while in College Station. 

10 Tips for Happiness

Many people ask me why I am so happy all the time, so I compiled a list of ten ways to live a happier life.

 #1: Find purpose in life. I personally find my purpose in living for Christ. When I live for Christ, my other purposes naturally fall into place.

 #2: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." (Proverbs 3: 5-6) I have joy in knowing that God is leading me in His way, and that His will is being done!

#3: Be productive. It may be rough when there is so much on your plate, but persevere, and the end result is fantastic!

#4: Surround yourself with people who uplift you and recognize your special characteristics that make you ... YOU! People who see your uniqueness are the people who will know how to encourage you in your difficulties.

#5: Teach yourself to Love to Learn. In college, I often focus on making the grade I need. However, when I change my mentality and go to class TO LEARN, I find it satisfying.

#6: Smile often! Sometimes I find myself frowning at the ground when I walk to and from class. When I realize this, I start smiling, even if I'm not feeling great. People all around me start smiling back at me, and that brightens my day. If you don't feel like smiling, hold a pencil between your teeth. (I learned in psychology that if you do this, you'll be happier.)

#7: Learn to laugh at yourself. As a perfectionist, I've had to practice this. Whenever I laugh off something I might otherwise be bothered by, I feel so much better. I become not only happier, but also more self-confident.

#8: Get enough rest. I often hear this complaint: "I'm tired...." (I'm good at this complaint also.) I've been training myself to schedule my time well in order to get enough sleep and feel refreshed the next day. It's been (and still is) a struggle, but it is extremely rewarding when I am persistent.

#9: Find beauty in everyday life. For me, this usually comes through simple things like the colorful way light shines through leaves (when I have to get up early), or the fact that somebody smiled at me as I walked to class. It's best for me to remember to find beauty in the morning, because mornings are difficult for me.

#10: Find reasons to like traffic, and think about them every day. Here’s a starter list if you need help:

1. I have (lots of) time by myself when I can just think.

2. I can listen to my music as loudly as I want to, with nobody to tell me to turn it off/down.

3. I can sing as loudly as I want to without anybody to tell me to stop/be quieter.

4. I get friendly waves (often) from distressed people I can let over in front of me.