Be Happy With What'cha Got

Sometimes, it's hard not to want more in your life. Not everything can be perfect, after all, but many people seem to want something else, something better than what they have (I myself am a victim of this). Maybe it's because we live in a world where everything changes each day, and today's tomorrow is the yesterday of today, but we as humans fail to realize sometimes is that you can't always have your cake and eat it too. One may simply stop to smell the roses, and get lost in the thorns. But if only we were to take our time and pace ourselves, we wouldn't be in such a hurry to get to the next big thing. I know it may seem like trying to hold oneself back from something is slightly contradictory from the advertisements and media pressure of today, but isn't most of that condensed truth-straying material anyway? So, I wonder sometimes if we the people (but not only America) could someday find a way to stop wanting what everyone else has (jealousy and envy) and start to realize what we've got. It's hard to see the beauty of something when one is blinded by the ugliness, so I believe we simply need to "slip on the glasses of reality," and finally see what we've been missing; that which is right in front of our noses.

Life Is But the Persuasion

Tired of this old junk? Want something new in your life? Well then, try this new thing that you should have!
It's funny that many advertisements persuade people to buy things that they most likely don't need, don't actually want, and wouldn't buy otherwise. It's been a marketing tool of businesses since the 1920s, and the advertisers know just what the average consumer wants to hear. Advertisements are comprised of flowery language, pictures that sell, and rhetoric. Good old fashioned, persuasive rhetoric. Rhetoric is that which we find in all arguments; in the words of my English teacher, "everything in life is an argument, and persuasion comes with argument." Every time I see an ad for a new machine that supposedly makes things easier tenfold, I find it rather funny that they all use the same rhetorical device: overexaggeration by showing the consumer the extreme limits of the product. This is ridiculous, because who is really going to experiment with things such as that? Consumers buy these things, and then get them in the mail, how do they know that the machine really isn't all that it's cracked up to be? I personally have been a victim of the persuasion, as much as I hate to admit, because when something looks interesting, fun, new, and advanced, the consumer (this situation being myself) swipes that card straightaway. Too bad there's not much truth in advertisements-condensing the information is just one of the many evils advertisers have. Mwahaha!

Kids At Play

Isn't it a precious sound, that of children laughing and playing serenely? Childhood may seem like simply the beginning stage of our lives, but is it really? We are all children at heart, even the most uptight, snub-nosed business corporate has a weak spot, a bit of child in them. That's what is so magnificent and powerful about children. We never truly grow up, but instead we become taller, our voices change, we gain knowledge, and we learn to do things on our own. But instinctually, we rely on others' knowledge and protection to feel safe, even those of us that say we can defend ourselves need help once in a while; we weren't made to be population:1. Man would not be here if there had been one self-sufficient person, for humans can only survive with BOTH female and male counterparts. So, therefore, our childhood instincts are to surround ourselves with people on one hand, or, in the case of some "adults," to shun everyone around us to create an aura of solitude. But, either, way we are similar to children: they either want to be held close, or set aside and left alone. Just like us. Similar to animals, who grow up to be bigger, stronger, and able to survive, we as humans adapt to conditions as they change. But, just like these same animals, we cannot adapt or grow unless we first are nourished and helped to stand up, until we can do it on our own. If only that could happen for every child in the human race. Yet, the sad truth remains: not every child can have that nourishment. So what should we as a people do about it? This remains the sad and difficult-to-solve question. The place to start must be the children themselves. "Ask not when you can do for your country, but what you can do for your country."

All In Our Power

We as a race of humans act on instinct; it is simply our natural ability to do that which we are thinking at the very moment we are thinking it, (Especially America, not to just throw them under the bus), but Americans tend to have a systematic way of doing what they want when they want:now. Freedom may be a right of the American people, but it isn't necessarily a right to be abused, but humans, however, sometimes abuse that power we have of being free. "Free" is such a trivial word, stemming from the fact that is not only a word meaning "enjoying personal rights or liberty, as a person who is not in slavery" (Dictionary.com), but also an expression of who a person is; when an immigrant or foreigner earns the freedom America has to offer, they seem to all of a sudden become a whole new person. And if we are a free people, how is it that we are not freely accessing all of our own brain capacity? On average, humans use twenty percent of their brain, but, as a Hollywood film suggests, what would happen if we were able to use all of it? Five times as much as we do now could certainly solve world problems and issues in ourselves. Riddle me this, when is it desire, and when is it simply instinct? We've seen our elders buy that, or peer pressure gets to us, and we buy it simply because it seems like the right thing to do, or even just the smart thing to do. I sometimes wonder if humans could even handle themselves using 100% brain power. The privilege of power is already abused now, with dictators, terrorists, and the like, so what would it be like with those beings magnified by five? Would it in fact be worse than it is at present, or would it somehow mellow out and fix itself, because the people would have the knowledge and the way to get out of the present predicament?

The Ride

The breeze lifts the leaves from the trees and sways the branches gently, and the smell of fresh summer corn wafts through the air; the soft creak of a bike's drivetrain and wheels echoes over the asphault and up into the blue, blue sky. I love the feelings I get when I'm riding a bicycle. I finally feel like I'm totally in control; I know what I'm doing and have the skills to carry out the task, much like writing for me. Cycling is such an exhilarating and endorphin-raising experience, and is definitely a stress-relieving entourage. Cycling is a way to meet new people, see new places in ways that you can't in a car, and get wonderful cardiovascular excercise in a relatively easy way. One doesn't need to have huge muscles, strong legs, or a "fit" body, as just about anyone can get on a bicycle and ride. That's what interests me the most. It is a true people's activity, even if professional cycling and time trials are for the more experienced and trained riders. But cycling, while it helps to have a natural born talent, can also very much be learned. Courage is a big part of it as well, as you truly must trust yourself to be able to ride well. Every time winter comes around, I look forward to summertime, when I can finally get on my bike. It's the ride of a lifetime! :)

Ground into the Back

The feeling that one gets when they are shoved aside and made to be in the background is not one that have "warm and fuzzy" connotations. In fact, usually the person in the background feels overshadowed and unappreciated, and what's the fun in that? I can attest to the feeling of being left out, as often I am in the background. I've always wondered why people that are shy, quiet, and less talkative than most are pushed to the back. I find that people who don't talk often are actually more insightful and say what they need to say, rather than going on and on with insignificant details. Not to say that quiet people are the best people on the planet, but they definitely seem to have more weight to their words. For example, when a quiet person sits and does their own thing while others more talkative around them jabber on,the quiet person practically turns into a chameleon and blends into the area that they are seated at; forgotten until they speak again. I wish things didn't have to be this way, but it's just the way things go. So I guess, as for me, I'll just have to suck it up, deal with it, and try to figure out a way to get my voice heard and appreciated a bit more. But I'm not complaining, I'd rather have wonderful thoughts and be able to express them in what I love to do (writing), rather than be a good speaker (Even though I wish I could speak a bit better). So, my question of the day is what is the relevancy of being quiet or loud in this century?

The Written World

Books. Yes, they're quite an obvious subject of a bookworm like me, but I just had to write about something I knew very well. I believe that the written world, the places you can go and the characters you can meet through words and sentences, paragraphs and pages, are so beautiful, and immersive, that I can hardly pull my head up for air when I'm reading a good book. I believe that children, especially, should read and experience other worlds, not because their own reality isn't good enough, but because they can learn so much by delving into other, fantastical worlds. Besides, vocabulary and knowledge is really only increased by doing or reading, and reading isn't much harder than picking up a book and sounding out the words. But, I do have a certain problem with the way some people read nowadays. Ever heard of an eReader or a Nook or Kindle? Well, in my honest opinion, I quite hate them. I don't want this blog to be a review for them, but there are very few positive qualities they have! First off, the glare. Have you ever read a book where you can't see the page unless you tilt it at a certain angle, and then can't read in dim light because it reflects off the natural (or man-made) lighting? That seems very odd to me how you would not be able to read a book because the light is dim or the glare is too bright. Me, I prefer paperbacks and hardcovers, owing to the fact that I can take them anywhere, read them anytime (dim light or bright), and don't have to charge them to read them. (Yes, you actually have to charge the eReader to read it every once in a while)! If anyone reading this knows of the true positives of these electronic readers, please let me know, I'd love to hear about them. I just felt like venting my own opinion. The books still are basically the same, and you can change font size and turn pages relatively easily, but I still prefer ink on a page.

Thought I'd take a new spin and write something a little more familiar to me: a short narrative. (Even though I normally write long narratives). Don't forget to read my "Abstract Distraction" post, I've gotten no comments yet! Okay, here goes...
Brown wilderness surrounded the small, fluttering silhouette. Raising its arm, it cast an eerie, branch-like, black shape amongst the millions of other branches, real or imaginary. The figure looked around; clods of dirt stuck to trunks and a very morbid looking vine clung to the cluttered forest-floor, but not a sound or living thing lay in sight (besides the trees). Revealing herself to what she now realized was a miniscule beam of light coming from the canopy, her features became clear: dark, chiseled facial features, large, bulbous nose, short black hair that hung scraggly and rather messy, and a sharp, jutting jaw, that looked like it would fit Judge Judy and her speaking persona better than this measly, ill-cared-for young girl. A sound emerged from the right, startling her, causing the poor girl to lose her already too loose pants, and quickly, she rushes to snatch them up and prepare for the source of the noise, whatever it may be. But, it never comes. She swivels several unproductive times, but finds nothing, save a few more clumps of dirt on her blackened feet.
A scream ricochets from above to the ground, and back up again, and some sort of winged creature swoops down. The girl is out for the count, but it hadn't been the bird that took her over...

People, Just People

Just recently, I was invited to an event on Facebook called, "You're Beautiful." It was an event that called for women (and men) to see themselves and others as beautiful, and not to degrade themselves as they may from day to day. I don't mean to seem cliche when I say this, but I see people as just what they are: people. Race, religion, so-called "social status," or even personality type, people are just people to me. Shy is my dispostion, and therefore people in general intimidate me because I feel as though I may screw up my first impression, but yet they are all people to me. I believe in equality, despite the fact that this world may never know true equality among the human race. So my question for this week (for myself and few readers) is how do you view yourself and others? Do you seem them as below you, above you, or just merely equal? Have we not all come to this earth in the same way, for similar (if not the same) purposes, and shouldn't we all have the same opportunity as everyone else? Take some time to think about the phrase "you're beautiful." What exactly does that mean? It entails some hardy concepts; much to swallow if one really thinks about it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and is more than skin deep; it's everything we see in this world; it is a rose in full bloom, a rainbow in full brilliance, a smile at full power. Beautiful is not just a word, it is an abstract concept that take much thought and true devotion to truly understand.

Destraction with Abstract

I believe I identify best with abstract concepts sometimes better than tangible, palpable concepts. I understand what it means to love much better than what being a politician entails. Mundane concepts don't really resonate with me very well, but fantastical elements, such as love and emotion, and imagination are very much my strong suit. Being a writer, I suppose I'm considered one of the few that do understand this concept better than most, but I also consider children to be one of those few as well. When a child runs to his mother and doesn't care about another thing in the world, has only eyes for her, that is true love. When a child cries out for something they want, that is true devotion and sheer want, but a kind of unadulterated want, the underlying concept of who we really are as a people, deep down. So who should say that we aren't allowed to love, aren't allowed to imagine, aren't allowed to see things in a different way, just because we don't have a true definition for them? The abstract doesn't take a rocket scientist to wrap your head around, it just takes some imagination and faith, perseverance and trust. Oh, but wait, those aren't things I can identify for you...