Favorites Entry 1

   
     Today's the day. Today's the day I start this whole new series. Let's Roll.

     First of all, I'd like to add that the rules that have previously been posted will continue to be tweaked as this series finds it's place. In light of that, I'd like to do this every month. There's just no way I can do this every week.


     So, here goes, folks.


(1) My Typewriter

     Yes, folks, I have a typewriter. You probably know this because I'm sure I've mentioned it before...have I? I really can't remember. but anyway, here it is, my lovely typewriter...

     I usually just write poetry on it, because it's very tedious to write out much anything else. Poetry is fast and simple...and I love writing it. If I could make a living by being a poetess, I'd do it.



(2) Joel the Lump of Coal

     Guys, if you haven't seen this and loved it, then I don't know what to think about you. No, seriously. This is my new favorite Christmas song. My brother showed this to me and I pretty much just freaked out over how much I love it.

Click here for the direct link to the video...you know, in case the video above doesn't work...or another reasons?


(3) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

     I've read this book more than once, but amidst my my stack of books I have yet to read, I decided it was time to pull it out and read it one more time! This book really never gets old to me. If you've never read it, you really, really should.



(4) Square One by Coldplay

      I'm guessing that, unless you're a hardcore Coldplay fan (like myself), you've probably never even heard this song. I've probably heard it a million times, but last night I took the time to listen to the lyrics for a moment. This is just a song about truth, about wanting to have a voice, but sometimes we've got so much inside and nobody to listen...We're stuck on, well, we're stuck on square one.

"From the top of the first page,

To the end of the last day...

From the start in your own way,

You just want somebody 

listening to what you say.

It doesn't matter who you are,

It doesn't matter who you are."

     Some moments I feel exactly this way, and somehow it makes me feel better that somebody else also feels the same way. I am human after all. 

    Click here to give it a listen

    What are some of your favorite things as of late?!  

An Announcement of Sorts

    Hello, my 5.2 followers! I'm going to be doing a new thing, so brace yourselves.

    Each week, I'm planning to write a blog post about my favorite things of the week (Books, movies, any random item I find around the house, maybe a lost puppy abandoned on the street?). I might just end up doing it every other week, or even every month because, I mean, c'mon, this is me we're talking about after all. My life is rather mundane at the moment which means new favorites things are hard to come by...

   Here are the rules for myself...because rules for myself are so important to you, but also because it's kind of important that you do know the rules or else you might be confused...or maybe not...I really have no way of telling. (Aaaaaand my famous rambling continues.)
   
    Rule one--The "things" have to tangible things. I mean, I can't say "My favorite thing this week was hanging out with my bestie." because I want the "things" to be something that you can also acquire...if you desire. (Heyyyy, that kind rhymes! Excuse me while I high five myself...)

     Rule two--I cannot have more than six favorite things each week/other week/whenever, really. I'm not going to be all Maria Von Trapp and say "A few of my favorite things" when there are really more than just a few. I would, however like to remind you that I do love Maria...

     Rule three--"Things" cannot be repeated back to back. They can, however, be repeated because(let's be honest) we do enjoy a good book, movie, or whatever numerous times. At least, I do.

    That's right, three rules. I am just so organized.

    Anyway, I'm planning to start this sometime early next week (Monday or Tuesday?). I hope you're looking forward to this as much as I am! I can't wait to show you all of my favorite things!

New Look

    This is it.  My new blog look. I'm still kind of uneasy about it. I feel like I maybe chose it all too quickly, but it took around an hour to get everything perfect so I have no idea what I'm even saying.
     To be fair, I'm always a bit uneasy when I change  my entire look. But as I change as a person, so must my blog's look. 
     Quick note: The mobile template is a lot different from the desktop template. I like simple when it comes to mobile reading, so I chose I really simple mobile template. It might be bothersome to some of you guys, and I'm sorry for that. I just feel that when I'm on my phone reading a blog post is so hectic if a blogger's mobile template is set to match the desktop one. The blogs usually look lovely on the computer, but when I get on my phone and read the same blog...it often looks like the template threw up all over the place. 
       Yes, I did just waste time explaining that. I'm weird like that.
         On a completely unrelated, my computer thinks that "blog" isn't a word, and I really don't know how to feel about this...

Look at You

     My life's been kind of busy...as it always seems to be when I decide to write a blog post. Oh, well, that's life.

     Sometimes my life is so busy that I kind of forget to slow down. Of course this week there isn't a lot planned for me...in fact, I'm afraid I'm going to forget about the one thing I do have planned.

    Anyway, it's November.  
   What? 
    October was a whirlwind for me, and I'm kind of hoping that this month isn't  as hectic.
     I just realized that Thanksgiving is coming up! FOOD! PIE! FAMILY!
     Also, I bought a new dress! My mom and I went out shopping for clothes (something we both hate), and we were more successful that we could have ever dreamed possible. I have new clothes now, and I don't even know what I'm supposed to do with all of them! I feel weirdly empowered every time I acquire new items of clothing...I'm pretty sure I could rule the world or something.
    Anyway, my dress is red, and awesome, and I'm pretty sure Clara Oswald would be immensely proud of me right now! 
    I didn't go trick or treating this year...I haven't been in some years anyway, but I'm thinking of going next year...maybe I can drag my bestie into coming with me. 
    Just so you know, I'm writing this post as a product of procrastination...I don't want to do school, so I'm blogging. Seems logical, right? I thought so myself.
    I just want to write a bunch of nonsense for no reason because procrastination!

    Insecure people will be the death of me! YOU ARE SO GREAT! STOP BEING SO INSECURE! LOOK AT YOU BEING ALL YOU! I kinda just want to punch everyone in the face...no, wait, that came out wrong...forget I said that. What I mean is, you are so wonderful, there's no need to be insecure about who you are, or what you look like, or whatever. You are you, and that's the only person you have to be.
    For a long time now, I found myself struggling to define myself...if I could just explain myself to myself then everything would make sense. But the truth is, you're not supposed to be definable. You're supposed to be confusing, and odd, and quirky, and you're supposed to have that hair, or that nose, or whatever...and don't ever apologize for thinking differently than everyone else. You are you, and thinking differently is one of the greatest gifts that will ever be given to you. 
     I just wish people weren't insecure about who they are, or about not being worthy of somebody, or other stuff. Life's too short to sit around and be insecure about everything. You have this beautiful life, and it's not worth making ugly with your insecurities. I suppose everybody's insecure about something, I know I am (I hate myself for it, but I am), and some might argue that insecurities are what make us human, but I feel like insecurities suck the humanity from us. So, please, get past the lies you're told, and the lies you tell yourself because lies aren't true. The truth is that you're wonderful in every single way, and if you don't jump off your ship of insecurity, you'll never be able to swim in the beautiful sea of life. 
   So, yea.


    
     

In My Own Way

     Well, I'm back. I'm going to get more than one post in for this month *high fives self*. I love to blog, I promise, but good blogging subjects, motivation, and time rarely come at the same time...or maybe I'm just making excuses.

      For as long as I can remember, I've always embraced being a little odd, a little bit too loud, and a tad too thoughtful some days...but I never thought that it would stand in my way.
      I guess for almost forever, I've been afraid that I was so odd, so different, so very inconsistent in vocal volume that I wasn't worth knowing...at least not to everyone. Now, I'm not saying that I dislike myself, because I love who I am. I just thought that I was too weird for most people, while, in truth, I'm not.
      To understand what exactly what I'm getting at here, we have to realize that everyone is a bit odd, a bit too loud, or a bit too quiet, or maybe they have a weird fetish for candles or something. Those little oddities are what makes all of awesome. The problem is that we believe we need to hide how odd we are, but why? What's the point, really?
      Now (on a note that may seem unrelated but I promise it isn't), I hate when my friendliness is mistaken for flirting, but I think I fear it more than I hate it. I fear that that's what any boy is going to think if I talk to him. It honestly drives me nuts. On the flip side though, I think what it was is that I was just telling myself that I was too odd for any guy to find interesting...even as a friend. I mean, I'm not talking forever alone, but sometimes boys my age are very confusing...and, I mean, let's face it, girls are always confusing, so boys should be able to confusing for at least one faze of their life, right? Back to the point, you should just throw the idea that you're not interesting to guys out the window, because you're probably really funny or something, and guys enjoy a good laugh, sooooooo...
       Anyway, I was afraid of me for so long, and it's time for me to suck it up and deal. If I can do it, so can you. We can't go our whole lives stuck in this hole of fear that our oddities aren't worth getting to know. Throw that idea out of the window, darling, because it's not going to get you anywhere important. 
      By the way, I'm 400% sure that I've made most to no sense here, but maybe someday it'll click with you. At least, I hope so.

I Wish I Could Write Longer Posts

     I'm not going to address the fact about how long I've been away, but yea, here goes my post.

     Lately, I've been noticing more and more that nothing, I mean nothing happens the way you think it's going to. Somehow, I've noticed this more and more in my life recently. It's as if when I think of how something will go in my head, God's like, "Nope." and he changes everything up.
     These things that don't happen the way I hope them to, are very minor, minor things, but somehow I feel silly for thinking up how they're going to be when there's really no point. Of course, all of the little days and events that I imagined up first seemed to all turn out for the better. It's just odd to realize how much thought I put into future events.
     For example, today I have to work, today is the only day that I'm scheduled to work this week because the season is coming to a fast close. I'm going to be honest with you and say that I'm dreading it. I know that everything will go fine though, because it always does, so really I need pull out my one of my favorite bible verses (Matthew 6:34) to remind myself that it's all quite pointless.
     This is one of those things that You've probably heard a gazillion times in your life, and, quite frankly, so have I...but somehow the things we hear over and over again don't really gain their meaning until the time is right.
     
     On a side note, I really wish I could write longer posts. 

Different Gifts

Hello, this is me feeling inspired to write a blog post. Seeing as I haven't done so in quite some time, I'll try to make this worth it, but no promises! :)

Last night I was just kinda flipping through Romans, and my favorite chapter appeared which is Romans 12. Romans 12 is definitely my favorite chapter of the bible right now, it's just so good. 

Romans 12:6-8 says, "(6) In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. (7) If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.(8) If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly."

I love this passage because it's so simple, but so encouraging. I believe that some of us have gifts that dominate our being. Maybe it's a sport, maybe it's doing crafts, maybe it's singing, or dancing...or writing? 
You see, maybe one of my gifts is writing, and maybe this is how I'm supposed to use it, you know? I mean, I've known this since I started this blog, but now it's sort of set in stone. I have a sort of proof that this is me, and this is how I be me. 

My favorite part of the verse is probably Romans 12:9-21 which is the rest of the verse. I really encourage you to pick up a bible and read the whole of Romans, or just Romans 12 if you're not feeling too ambitious, but please read some of it somewhere and sometime today. :)

On a side note, what's your favorite book/verse/passage of the bible and what is you gift or gifts that God had given you?

I Feel Different

     I know, we're all supposed to be different people with different ambitions, thoughts, ideas, and everything, but sometimes I feel so different that it's almost as if I'm not even a person at all. 
     I've always been an independent person. Not just generally, but with my thoughts as well. I like being independent. I like being me. I like it a lot, but the worst part is everyone isn't independent. 
     It seems like everybody's dependent on something or someone. Lately, I've seen people dependent on cultures, society, unreliable people, the ideas of their parents, the pressure of their peers...it's kind of sick. We depend on all of these things and people, but we don't stop for a moment and think that maybe, just maybe, we're letting the most unimportant and shallow things run our lives. It's just heartbreaking.
      The worst part is that we do it without even realizing it. We sit here and we depend on things that shouldn't matter.
       The most obviously example is girls who are literally perfect, but they sit there and they diet, and they exercise, and they essentially are killing themselves. It's sick. They sit there and they rely on what society says. I think it's important to stay healthy, but you don't stay healthy by starving yourself. How can something so simple be so freaking hard to get across to people?
       I think that the key to real individualism is being independent. I feel like I'm an outsider looking in because everyone around me seems to be so ridiculously dependent on something or someone. We're all our own people, we can be who we want, and we can make our own decisions. It's like the question my mom recently posed,"How many rebellious teens are really just independent? Think about it."
     ...
     If we should depend on anyone, let us depend on God. 


     It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. --Psalm 118:8
    

Random Update

     This is one of those posts that is just a bit of an update, I mean, I don't see it following any pattern
    
  I've been ridiculously busy...as always. In fact, I seem to be busier now than I was during the summer. Now I have school, (soon) choir, work, and soon I'm starting another job, and then there's other things that are bound to be added to my schedule. I'm practically craving winter about now. I enjoy being busy, but I don't want the things I do to run my life.
    
  First, if you want to read something that made my week, you should probably read this article about courtship and why it's flawed. Honestly, reading that was like reading my own thoughts. Somebody finally put it into words!
    
  Also, I watched the season premiere of Doctor Who, and it was awesome! I love the new doctor, I love it all! So, yea.
     
   My best friend, and I auditioned for a local honors choir. (Ha! Bet you didn't know I like sing--wait, yea, you did...nevermind)I hate being the center of attention, so singing a solo for just one person drew out my nerves. All went well though, at least it must have because both my bestie and I got in! Practice starts next month, so there's that. I'm super excited about singing in a choir again!
     
   This other job I'm starting is watching kids a few times a month, that'll be a nice break from the golf course.
      
   Oh, right, the golf course, it's being sold at the end of this season, and there are no promises that it'll remain a golf course, so that's sad. I mean, I'm really going to miss it...and I don't even golf.
     
  Also, all of my college age friends are gone for the year...well, most of them. It's going to be so weird going into work on Monday because my brother and I are the only people on the morning crew now. In fact, it's just us and one other guy on the grounds crew now. Weird, and scary.
      
   I was/am sick with a cold which doesn't make things very fun at all, to be honest. It started on Tuesday, I think, and on Thursday I worked and everything, I felt like I was getting better...then I woke up Friday morning and my cold was all, "Haha, nope, I'm just getting worse!" I feel better today though, so that's nice.
     
   I feel like I'm being such a pessimist which is not like me at all! WHAT IS HAPPENING?!
     
   I have a goal to build up what I like to call a skyscraper of courage. Courage is something I believe I need a little more of, so yea, I've decided to build a metaphorical skyscraper out of courage. BAM! Bet you didn't see that comin--actually, you probably did...

   Oh, I did the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge! It was quite chilling...
   
   Well, that's all, folks! Have a wonderful week!

    
    

Truly Know You

       I figured out. I figured out why people are so concerned about what other people think about us. It's because we don't truly know ourselves. We honestly count on other people to know us better than we know ourselves. This delves into what I've been talking about since I first started this blog! I've written about the unimportance of physical beauty, the importance of accepting your worth, the importance of being original in your own way, and I've talked about evaluating ourselves honestly...I think they've all been leading up to this post.

        The opinion of others doesn't matter when you truly know yourself. 
      We subconsciously pay attention to what other people think about us because we want to know who we are in their eyes...so we can worry about all of the faults they see. That's not how it's supposed to work.
       If you truly know who you are, then what does the opinion of others mean? What other people think of you doesn't say things about you, instead, it speaks volumes about them. We can't go about living to please other people, that's not how it works. 
       I came to such a conclusion because I seem to care less about what others think of me and what society says than other people do. I am passionate about being myself which is something everyone tries to do, but I believe that too many of them care what other people think. (I'm not trying to say I'm perfect here, I just seem to be on the outside looking into something that I can't quite grasp...if that makes sense?)
      I don't know a lot of people who are genuinely, 100 % comfortable in their own skin by just being who they are. It almost makes you wonder if people like that even exist, you know? (Think of Jennifer Lawrence, that girl don't care if the haters hate!) We all need to just be who we are by knowing who we are. We need to be open-minded, independent people and independent thinkers...I believe that's how people come to know who they really are, by opening their eyes.
  
     Sorry if this doesn't make a whole lot of sense, my thoughts are usually a jumble of nonsense that only makes sense to me...so...
     Also, this isn't very long...sorry. =)

My Future Plans Rant

     When I was little, all I ever dreamed of being was a singer. Really, it's a strange dream for someone who dislikes being the center of attention...but, alas, it twas my dream.
      Now, as life has moved on, I have my plans for the future somewhat mapped out. I'm going to be a cosmetologist, at least, that's the plan. Some people have asked me why I want to go into cosmetology, and I clumsily answer about how it just sort of happened. Somehow, when I answer, I always make it sound like I don't really want to do it, and it's just a career. At the core, maybe that's how I feel, but cosmetology genuinely interests me. Not only because it's definitely something I will surely be good at, but it's a great career field to be in, and the prospect excites me. 
     When I tell people that I'm going to be a cosmetologist, I think they half-expect me to go on a rant about how I love make-up, and painting nails, and cutting hair, and oh, I've always been such a girly-girl...but all they get is my ridiculous speech about how it's a career field that I believe I can excel in, blah, blah, blah.
      As far as academics go, things just sort of happen for me. It just sort of happened that I did Alegbra I in 8th grade, it just sort of happened that that is what led to my finishing high school in just 3 years, it just so happened that cosmetology seems interesting to me.
      I am not a girly-girl in any sense (as you probably gathered from earlier posts), so I suppose that it's kind of odd that I'm choosing a career that seems so unlike me. Yea, I wear make-up, yea, I paint my nails...I've never had my hair cut in a professional style though, so there's still that. On the other hand, I hardly ever wear make-up, and when I do, it's as little as possible, I paint my nails one in a awhile, and my hair...my mom trims the ends for me once in awhile. That's it. That's how girly I am. Now, I like the way I am, I like what I do, where I live, even what I look like (whoa, shocker, I know!), and it's going to stay that way.
      I'm becoming a cosmetologist because it interests me, and if I don't pick some career to go into now, I will drive myself crazy. There, the real reason comes out. I am a person who is all about doing what's best with my time in the long run. I look toward the future often--something I should probably stop doing so much--, and if I don't have a plan for what's ahead, I'll just drive myself insane. It isn't like I have to know what I'm doing in the future, I think it's more that I have to know that I'm not going to waste my time...which is weird because I'm a very spontaneous person, soooo....?
      Well, wasn't this a lovely rant about a bunch of nonsense?

Introvert Misconception

     I consider myself to be an introvert. At the end of the day, I just want to go up to my room and be by myself. It's hard for me to be around a lot of people all day. Like, honestly, I kind of just get really tired of people.
     Now, to clear things up. I love people. I see new people everyday, and I love them. I always smile as much as I possibly can. People are awesome, and they deserve to know it!

     Introverts, as far as I'm concerned, don't hate people, they just don't necessarily enjoy being surrounded by a lot of people. Personally, I feel that people invade the privacy of my mind. When I'm thinking, I always feel like the people around me can read my thoughts. I prefer to be alone while thinking. I can't really think while there is even one person in the same room. Obviously, I can function, but one of the luxuries of being who I am is that I just flat out enjoy thinking about everything. It's really a sort of entertainment for me. I literally could just think all day, you know?

     I love people(as I've previously stated). I always wonder to myself about who people are, what they think about, how they think, their story...because, after all, everybody is somebody, right? People, in fact, fascinate me. Everybody walks this earth with a different walk, and that just enthralls me. I believe that kind-hearted people understand this idea most of all because they take the time to know and love people who may not deserve to be known and loved. (I am, in no way trying to state that I am kind-hearted...because honestly, I don't know if I am or not.)

    Yes, perhaps I enjoy the company of those closest to me over the company of say...a co-worker, but don't we all? Maybe not. I don't know.


   Wow, this isn't very long at all...sorry. :)

    

 

I Have No Idea

     Yes, I'm here writing again...on my day off. I decided yesterday that I was going to write a blog post. Unfortunately I have no idea what the heck I'm going to talk about today.

     *searches internet frantically*

     Hmm, I'm finding nothing.
   
     I feel like I should just write a bunch of random stuff for no reason, but that wouldn't be very nice.

    *sips coffee*

     Well, my plans for the day include cleaning the house and  hopefully watching the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special. Yes, I know, greaaaat plans.

     Gosh, I feel awful writing nothing!

     I've been reading Romans lately, and it's great! Every time I read a new book of the bible, it turns into my new favorite, haha. Seriously, Romans has a lot of really good stuff in it.
     Somewhere in Romans, Paul talks about evaluating ourselves honestly, and never thinking of ourselves as greater than we are. That was really a nice reminder for me because for a good amount of time, I've been rying to convince people that I am, in no way, sweet. My friends always say I'm sweet. Sweet. SWEET. I am not sweet! 
     Perhaps, what my friends see as sweet is different what I see as sweet, or perhaps I really am sweet. 
     I'm pretty sure that the best people don't know how wonderful they really are. Do kind people realize how wonderful they are every time they put someone first? I honestly don't think they do, and that's part of the reason that they are so wonderful.
    I don't know, maybe we should tell people how much better they make the world. There are so many people that allow me personally to confirm that this world is brilliant, if only I had the guts to tell them so. I don't want to make their heads big, I just want them to realize that they are appreciated for who they are. I could never tell some people that, but with other people, it would be quite easy.
    So, I think you should tell somebody that they're brilliant, or awesome, or great, or fantastic, or Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, or wonderful, or appreciated, or admired...and you should really mean it. Find somebody who truly makes the world better, and tell them so. Maybe they'll laugh, maybe they'll cry, maybe they'll think you're crazy, but they probably will never forget your appreciation for them. Don't make they're head big, don't sugar-coat it, just tell the truth. 

    You make the world great too, but I know not how. I don't know you that well, so I can't say, but you make Earth the wonderful place that it is.

    Is that long enough for a post? 

    *feels remotely accomplished* 

Many Excuses that I Have No Excuse for

 Hello, blogosphere! I've missed you greatly!

First things first, I've been on vacation, so that is my first excuse. My second excuse is work...I work so much and I never seem to take the time to just sit down and write a blog post. My third excuse is that I don't really have anything to blog about.

Okay, let's move on.

I don't think I'm going to post the Character of the Week posts anymore, and that's because I don't like being under pressure to post on a certain day of the week. I might post one when I get bored here and there, but other than that...

I've also been reading a lot. Like seriously, it's an addiction!

Amongst the book reading, I've also been doing a lot of thinking, whether it be creating a poem about the mountains, or a complicated mental analysis of what I prefer in a guy, or perhaps I ask myself really deep question like, "Why do we have special clothes just to sleep in?"...yep, I did a lot of thinking.

While at work this morning, I realized that people who blindly put others first is just enchanting...especially when I'm the person they're putting first(Just to clarify, I am in no way saying that I put myself first. I simply mean that it feels good when people care to put you first without having a good reason to put you first. It feels right). You cannot deny a genuinely good heart, you can deny somebody who forces themselves to be good, but a genuinely good, kind, generous heart is undeniable.

Maybe I should just start writing up posts of nonsense like this one...never mind, I've suddenly come up with like 500 ways that could go wrong.

Well, I'm sorry I don't have more to say. I'll try to blog more, but subject matter is scarce as of late. Perhaps, in a violent fit of uncontrollable rage, I'll rant about something. Ranting is my favorite, but only because it provides for a quick blog post. Is that awful? Probably.

What have you 3.6 of you been up to?

I Hope I Made Sense

     For a long while, I couldn't figure out what bothered me so much about the "modesty culture". Maybe it was the fact that I just couldn't grasp the idea of spending that much time worrying about your clothes. I mean, I hate shopping, and the idea of trying to find something that fits in a narrow span of "modesty" is just crazy. There are so many modest clothes out there, you don't even have to put any thought into it.  

After much contemplation, I have come to a few conclusion as to why the "modesty culture" really irks me.

    Reason #1: The "modesty culture" forces girls into modesty. Pretty much every girl ever has her own sense of modesty, and the only reason any girl would dress provocatively is to draw attention to herself. I believe that girls (especially of our culture) know what is and isn't appropriate, and they all make a choice. They make a choice to be their version of modest. Now, with the "modesty culture" girls are forced into a definition of what modesty is without being able to define what modesty is for themselves. That, in turn, allows girls to be very curious about wearing things that are "immodest" by their standards. Like, say, a strapless dress, or shorts, or a dress that comes above the knee, or a tank top. (So, essentially, the plan backfires.) Instead of being comfortable in their own skin, girls in the "modesty culture" are trapped in a jail of modesty sins. Personally, my version of modesty involves no low-cut tops. That's it. As a person who doesn't look attractive in super short shorts, I don't really even have to put that up as a caution. Shorts aren't really all that provocative to me anyway, but, yea...

    Reason #2: (This one irks me the most of all!) The whole purpose of the "modesty culture" is to protect girls from drawing attention to themselves. Attention from boys. Well, I don't care what you wear, boys are still going to look at you. You can't just magically prevent boys from looking at you the wrong way, THAT'S NOT EVEN YOUR JOB! If boys are going to be boys, that's their problem, not the girls'. Like, what the heck?! When did it become a girl's responsibility to make sure that boys control themselves? WHAT?!  Life is just too short to try to solve everybody's problems, you know? Especially making up a culture that acts like they know how to prevent a boy from looking at you. This is going to sound really wrong, but who cares if boys look at you or don't look at you? Boys aren't even important until you're an adult. Seriously. (As a side fact, I'd like to say that not all boys are pigs. Like seriously, there are so many really nice guys out there, and it's like this culture is telling girls otherwise, it's really annoying.)

  Reason #3: What is so immodest about wearing a tank top? What, you're showing your arms and shoulders off, so? BLAH.

   I don't even know what my conclusion to all of this is...

  I hope I made sense. 

August Rush

Fictional Character(s) of the week: August Rush
 

Freddie Highmore as August Rush

Where he's found: August Rush film

Why I love him: Well, I don't know. I've always loved the movie since I first saw it. I just love how the music connected everything and everyone in the movie, and August's determination to find his parents is so heartwarming and adorable. Also, he's like a freakin' musical prodigy, and I've always wanted to kind of be of musical talent, so I kind of admire his awesomeness.

 

Johnathan Rhys Meyers and Keri Russell as the parents of August Rush

Other Notes: If you love music, you need to watch this film. If you don't love music, you need to watch this film. If you don't like it, then fine, but you should give it a chance. If you don't give it a chance, oh, well, I'll get over it. :)


All photos credit of Google Images

The Blog Award Revisted

     I was nominated by Mary Jane for the Liebster blog award, and even though I've already done it before, I thought that I'd answer Mary Jane's questions and even post 11 new facts about myself. 
   First of all, thank you, Mary Jane for nominating me, this is really too much being nominated once, and now a second time! I feel like my blog is well-loved.

   Second, the 11 new facts about myself *deep breath* this is going to be hard...

Fact numero uno: This is probably the absolute busiest summer I've ever had, and I love it, but I hate it.

Fact numero dos: I have found that when you have your own amount of money, it's not so easy to save. Seriously, I have always saved or given away the money that I got (as a gift or whatever) before my job. Naturally, I supposed that saving my money would be the absolute easiest thing to do, I mean, there was nothing I wanted to spend my money on anyway---but oh my goodness look there's a Wreck This Journal, I must have it!

Fact numero tres: I'm going to be a cosmetologist. Maybe later I'll get a degree in writing or something (Not that I really need a degree to be a writer, but it would be cool to have an academic college degree next to the beauty college degree).

Fact numero cuatro: Man, this is so hard...I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ME!

Fact Numero cinco: I'm obsessed with going to the bookstore and spending all of my money there because it's a bookstore and I need books and books are essential to life!

Fact numero seis: I'm not really a full-fledged girly-girl, and I probably never will be. I mean, I have girly-girl tendencies, but books over looks, people!

Fact numero siete: I am currently listening to a Pandora shuffle that I'm calling my "Saturday morning Jam", but it's not different from when I shuffle it all the other times, so...

Fact numero ocho: I got poison ivy at work, and I wish that it'd just GO AWAY!

Fact numero nueve: I'm home alone right now.

Fact numero dies: (ONLY TWO MORE!) I don't know anything about me, I'm just not that interesting...well, I don't know about that, but I don't know...

Fact numero once:  I just skipped a Taylor Swift song and now a one direction song is on, yep, I made it to 11. 

Well, I made it through 11 more facts about me. That was weirdly hard. Anyway, on to Mary Jane's questions!

1. Who is your favorite psychopath? 

    Well, probably Sherlock Holmes as he's portrayed in Sherlock BBC, but technically he's a sociopath, and I'm not familiar with a lot of psychopaths, so I'm not really sure, you know?

2. What is the first genre you really got into? (sci-fi, mystery, fantasty, etc.)

    I guess the "poofy dress" genre because the first series I ever read and loved was The Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. :)

 

3. Who/what are your favorite songs/music artists/albums currently?

    I will always be a big fan of Coldplay, I just really, really love their music. Other than that, I don't really have a favorite song right now, I've almost been too busy to listen to new music, haha!

    

4. What was the first online account you got?

    That would be my e-mail. Man, I was so cool!

5. What are a few of your favorite superheroes?

    Um, all of the Avengers...at least the ones in the Marvel Movie. I also really like the new Spiderman, and I've always enjoyed Superman, but I wasn't really a fan of his newest movie.

6. What is your favorite accent?

    Hmm...great question! Due to my life-long goal of visiting Ireland someday, I would have to say Irish. :)

 

7. Who would you prefer more? Mr. Thornton from North and South, Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Knightley from Emma, or Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre?

    Right now, I'm only familiar with Darcy and Knightley, but I just picked up North and South and I cannot wait to finish it! I honestly love them both so much, but I have to say the most obvious, Mr. Darcy himself. Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite books hands down. 

8. Why did you decide to start blogging?

    I had this thought, this idea that I simply had to share, you can find it here.

9. What are you currently reading?

    North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

10. Would you share a few lines of your [current] favorite lyrics?

       Sure I will! (They're Coldplay, not surprisingly)

      I'd rather be a comma than a full stop~Coldplay "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall"

      When you're still waitin' for the snow to fall, it doesn't really feel like Christmas at all~ Coldplay 

 Sorry, I can't think of any others right now...

      

11. Are you more interested in science or history?

     Most definitely History, I'm not very good at science, so...

What I've Been Up To

First of all, I haven't abandoned you. I've just been busy working, and reading, and totally forgetting about my character post yesterday. I would just put it up now, buuuut I'll just do it next week because I can't handle the idea of having a scheduled post a whole day late. Just the thought of it cringed me.

Well, to start things off, I went to the book store last week, and I've already read my books I bought. One was amazing and one was a pretty so-so read. 

The amazing one:

I'd heard of this book, and it looked different enough to get my attention. Behold, it was full of twists and turns that kept me on my toes, but it was also full of awesome characters that made me want to jump in the story and be a part of their world. I finished this book on the day I got it. It was just that good! I can't wait to get the next in the series!

The so-so one:
Please don't banish me from your life for this...
 

 This book was just what I expected it to be. It's your typical Young-Adult thriller. It was interesting, and it did have its own share of twists and turns, but none of the characters really stood out with their own distinct personality...Well, except for Chuck. Not surprisingly, Chuck was my favorite character...and also not surprisingly(*SPOILER ALERT*) he died. *Deep sigh of sadness and despair* I mean, I suppose I'll pick up the next one, but you know...

Other than that, I've just been busy working at the good ol' golf course. 

Forgiveness and Struggles

     One time when I was younger, my mom presented me with a question of sorts. She asked me,"You have two sisters who grew up with a deadbeat father and careless mother. After the sisters are all grown up, one blames her parents for everything, but the other insists that her parents didn't know any better and that they loved them. In one word, what is the difference between the sisters?"
     The answer may seem obvious to you, but my younger self didn't really quite understand. I threw out about 15 different words, but none of them were the answer. 
     My mom shook her head with a slight smile, "Forgiveness." She said, "You can go your whole life and never forgive your parents for their mistakes, or you can choose to hold on to the pain they caused you." 

     This was often something my mother taught me, she wanted me to understand that if she made any mistakes, she was sorry. She didn't want me(and still doesn't want me) to look back at the way I was/am raised and see her and my dad as the "bad guys". To be honest, all of things I've ever blamed my parents for were stupid things that have since made a lot of sense. It's funny how children think they know what's best for them.
       Anyway, I've gotten way off track. I started writing this post with the intention of getting to here. Don't let the things that you have been through become who you are. You cannot go your entire life blaming other people or God for what others have done to you. You need to get out of your little universe and realize that the world doesn't revolve around your struggles and problems. Forgiveness is key when you let go of your struggles of the past, or even the struggles of now. Struggles make us who we are, but struggles are not who we are. We are not our struggles. We are not our struggles. There is going to be pain, that's life. If you have a good and forgiving attitude, then the struggle won't be nearly as bad and won't last nearly as long. 
     Which sister are you? The blamer or the blameless? 
     

Just a side note: No, I didn't forget about my character on Monday, the internet was really slow, and nothing was working, so I'll publish it next week!

New Obsession

    I was drawn to the book section at Walmart the other day. I don't usually shop for books at Walmart of all places, but books + me = unavoidable meeting. Anyway, I was just browsing the very slim selection of books that Walmart so generously offers, and BAM! a special book catches my eye.
     A black paperback book that's just nestled between all of the other "Teen" books. It looked so frighteningly out of place with it's simple cover and it's bold title. 
     Wreck This Journal

     If you don't think dreams come true, then this will change your beliefs completely(or maybe not, but whatever). I snatched the book from the shelf, quickly leafed through it, and I was in love.  I had a bit of extra cash with me, and the book was on sale anyway, so, yea, meant to be.
      I've hoped that I would be able to obtain a Wreck This Journal someday, but I never gave it too much thought. Then it was there, and it was suddenly mine.
    Here I am a few days later and I just can't stop flipping through and filling out page after page. If you do not have a Wreck This Journal, you need one. I mean, this thing has blown my mind. I am so freaking obsessed with it! I want to savor it, but I just can't! I want to do all of the pages now!
    So, yea, this is my new obsession, and it should be yours too. I mean seriously, you need one, I know you do. This is like The Book Thief level of mind blown-ness. This is epic at its most epic.

Accept Your Worth

     I think that everyone just needs to realize how important they really are to the people around them. I mean, you're loved, so get out there and feel the love.

     I am not a good example of someone who accepts that I am as appreciated as I am. This is a struggle I have faced quite recently. For me, it's hard to be okay with the idea that people really go through a lot of trouble to do all of these things for me, and it's hard to realize that I'm worth that. Like, seriously, guys, this is a  real problem of mine.

  

     I think that my biggest issue in this situation is that I'm afraid that if I give into the idea that I am really worth that much, I'll develop a really big ego. 
     Developing a big ego is a fear of mine. I never want to think of myself as better than others because everyone is equal on this earth, and it's not my job to look down on people.

     Do I keep denying my worth or do I accept my worth?

     I am loved. I am enjoyed. I am important to people. I am worthy. 
Yet, I still ask myself what I can do to deserve the love and appreciation I am given from the people around me. The answer?

      Nothing.

    They love me for who I am. Even if I think I'm pretty worthless and stupid at times. I may not be worthless, but I'm pretty stupid for not realizing how worthy I am. Everyone is worthy. Even if all humans have abandoned them, God will not abandon them. 

     The way to stay humble, I think, is to realize that you're worthy of the love you're given, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to improve who you are(and I don't mean physically). When I say "improve who you are", I mean you improve who you are. Don't go asking people what's wrong with you because the ones who love you won't see your faults, and all the others will exaggerate your faults. Of course, your favorite people are always there for love and support. Improvement happens slowly, so be patient. Nobody's perfect, so don't strive for perfection, it isn't worth it. If you like who you are, then stay that way. If you feel like you need to change, then change.

     It's kind of funny that this type of thing has happened to me because it is a situation I have tried to avoid. I have always taught myself that I am enough, but I apparently never listened because here I am. Maybe I'm enough to others, but not enough to myself. That's it. That's the problem.

Monday Sunrise: Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson

Fictional Character(s) of the week: Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson

Sherlock(Benedict Cumberbatch) and Watson(Martin Freeman) on BBC's Sherlock

Where they're found: The classic Sherlock Holmes books and stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as well as many film and TV adaptions(Most notably the British-American films[pictured below], and the BBC drama [pictured above]).

Why I love them: First and foremost, I love the relationship that Holmes and Watson share. Their relationship is one of the most unique aspects of the characters, and it always warms my heart. Secondly, Sherlock's excellent deductions skills mixed with doctor Watson's no-nonsense attitude is quite captivating. 

Watson(Jude Law) and Sherlock(Robert Downey Jr) in the 2009 film Sherlock Holmes

 Other Notes: I personally love both the films and the BBC show. There are obviously a lot of adaptions, but I have only seen and loved those two. I saw a trailer for Elementary on CBS, but the idea of Watson as a girl just makes me cringe.

Tidbits

     So, my head has been full of a lot of nonsense, so here they are: the thoughts that wander about my head. Literally, this post has no organization. I just kind of threw it together...

     As I pulled weeds at work today, I took some time to decide whether I am a leader or a follower in life. I mused over this question for a quick moment before I decided that I am neither. 
     I am not a leader.
     I am not a follower. 
     I do not lead people while I'm with them, I don't have the mental mindset to lead people. I don't really follow what others around me do either, I'll follow if it's practical, but I'll leave if it's impractical. I am independent of being a leader or a follower.
    I guess I could potentially be both, or more of a follower, but truth be told that's the easy way out. For now, I'm neither.

Something somewhat inspiring

      I think it's silly that some women want to be like men so badly. You're a woman, and by trying so hard to do the things men do, you're unconsciously making your own sex seem degrading and useless. You're basically making it look like being a women isn't even admirable.
     Uh, sorry, not true! 
     You aren't giving women more power, you're not making them equal to men, you're making them look like the only way they can be anything is to be like men. Women can't be men because they're women. You can do what a man does, I don't care, but don't do it to be a message to other women, do it because it's something you like to do. It works the other way around too. Don't let people tell you that doing something like being a make-up artist is too girly. That's ridiculous. You do what you enjoy, don't let other people decide for you.

A random picture I like

      Being independent when forming an opinion is important. When I was younger, I used to hate when other peoples' opinions got in the way of letting me make my own opinion. Ever since then, I have tried to form my own opinions through mental rebellion. I reject the opinion of others until I am able to form my own. At least, that's how I try to work. Sometimes it doesn't work. 

Monday Sunrise: Elizabeth and Darcy

Fictional Character(s) of the week: Elizabeth Bennet and Mr.(Fitzwilliam)Darcy

Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth as Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy(1995)

Where they're found: The classic Pride & Prejudice novel by Jane Austen, and there are also several different adaptions.

Why I love them: Well, honestly, I love them because they start out blind about each other. Obviously, in the end the end up together, but there is so much drama, so much depth, so much story. There's actually a lot more to the book than just Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, but they're my two favorite characters. Elizabeth is so different form other heroines of her time, and really she's a breed all her own. Her personality is so realistic, I think that's what I love about her the most. Even way back when, Jane Austen wrote a real character. Darcy starts out as a bit of a jerk, but he gets his stuff right...eventually. 

The Lizzie Bennet Diary's Lizzie(Ashley Clements) and Darcy (Daniel Vincent Gordh) 

Other Notes: I haven't seen the newer film, so I cannot give my full opinion on it, but I've heard that it's not as good as the older one. People will like what they like, however, and if they like the less accurate version, then so be it.

Audience of One

You're on stage. 
So many eyes watching your every step. 
You're trying your best, but you keep messing up. 
There's taunting giggles from somewhere in the back. They said they were your friends, but there they are laughing instead of holding their breaths. 
Your parents are somewhere out there too, or maybe they're not, you're not entirely sure if they were able to make it tonight. 
You try again. You just want to get it right.
This time you get it right, but nobody seems to care.
The play goes on, and on, and you keep messing up. 
People start walking out.
The audience dwindles down to a select few.
You notice your parents still watching you with encouraging eyes. 
There's another noticeable face. In the center of the audience, there's a man. You can't explain him or how he's different from everyone else. He just watches you perform with proud and encouraging eyes. 
Does he know me? You wonder, but you have no idea who he is or where he came from. 
Thinking back, he was there before anyone else, he was always watching, always encouraging, always caring. Yet, you only notice him now. 
You realize that he's the one you've been performing for this whole time, and you were worried about everyone else. 
You mess up again. 
This is going a lot worse than you had ever imagined it could have.
How could you have been so blind? How could you not understand that that man is the only one that's worth it all? How could you miss seeing him walk in?
For a moment, you wish that he'd leave. 
You're crying now. You can't help it.
You're doing awful, it's hard to believe that your parents have stayed this long. They know you're doing awful, why haven't they left yet? And what about the man in the center? Why is he still here?

The play drags on, and on, and on...years and years. 
Your parents fade away, and there's only the man in the center still watching intently. 
You have learned to live for him. His opinion somehow becomes everything to you.
You start messing up less and less, and pretty soon more people start appearing in the audience with him. They're all smiles, all cheers. 
Still, you live for the man in the center of all them. You keep your eyes fixed on him, and he seems to help you through it all. 
You cannot wait to meet him when you get off this stage.

This is an entirely different take on blogging for me, but I felt like the only way I could convey what I wanted to was to tell it like a story. In case you don't understand, the man in the center is God, and the stage is your life. The main idea of this post is to remind you that the most important audience in life is the audience of one. 

1 Corinthians 6:19: For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. (KJV)

Mark 12:30: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. (KJV)

Life is Built on Originality

     So, I decided to just write whenever I want without just being Wednesdays or Saturdays. I will, however, still have Mondays for fictional characters of my fancy. This may also mean that I'll post more often because sometimes I have stuff written a week ahead of time, and that's why I'm changing it up! (Also, I'm a lot busier as of late, so I don't know when I will and will not have time to write stuff up...so...yea.)

   When you do what you love, there really is no wrong way to do it. You can write any way you want to write, you can set up your blog any way you want to set it up, you can sing anyway you prefer to sing, you can paint anything you desire to paint, et cetera, et cetera. 
As a writer who doesn't really plan on pursuing my writing career, I still want to have an identity as a writer. I still want to branch out and do what I want(Maybe this comes from the idea that I'll never be a writer professionally, maybe that's what drives me to branch out: the knowledge that nobody will ever know about what sort of ways I "branch/ed out"). Despite my notions to be different, the rules say otherwise.
Well, the rules of writing are just plain silly. The fact is, aside from the grammar nonsense, there aren't any rules to writing. I mean, if your book has a plot, then cool. If your book doesn't have a plot, then cool. I mean, a book is a book, so it's going to have a plot. Even if it seems like a silly plot to you, it's a plot.

   Plot (As defined by Dictionary.com): The main events of a play, novel, movie, or similar work, devised and presented by the writer as an interrelated sequence.

   It's all about having a plot, isn't it? Not just any plot, an original plot.

   Originality (As defined by Dictionary.com): The ability to think independently and creatively and/or the quality of being novel or unusual.

   Well, my attitude about originality is actually quite simple: If you made it, then it's original to you. It doesn't even matter that other people have done "the same thing", your piece of work is original to you. You created it, then it's original. It's *insert your name here* original. 

   Life is built on originality. If you do what everyone else is doing, then, yea, you're not gonna get anywhere. Don't let that bring you down, don't let people tell you that your work isn't original enough. If there's enough you in it, then it's original. No work of any kind is unoriginal if you let it display who you are.

(These words inspired this post, actually)

   The ideas that people put into your head about having to write a certain way, or paint a certain way, or sing a certain way, or whatever--you can break those rules. It's been done before, and it will be done again and again.

   One of the most notable people to break away from traditional writing was Emily Dickinson. She wrote poetry that broke the rules of poetry. And guess what? That's just her being original. If that's her original...what's yours?

   What's your original?

   Maybe you think that your original isn't original at all. It's too cliche, It's been done before...You might think to yourself. Blah. Blah. Blah.
Uh, helllllooooo! Who cares? I mean, if it's *insert your name here* original, then it's original. Deal. With. It.

   You can't not be original. 

   I know, I know, I have blamed many a things in my life for being unoriginal. I'll admit to that. But that's just my personal opinion about certain works of literature and such. My opinion is stupid, ignore it. 

This post is Sunshyne original