Defining Moments.

It's funny how some things you don't forget and some feelings you can hold onto no matter how significant or insignificant. If you let something impact your life enough, then it might help define how you see yourself. I still remember the day in Fourth Grade that I won Third Place in the Spelling Bee. I really did not think anything about being in the spelling bee, I did not study the words and I had not really given it much thought. I got up there to spell each word and before I knew it, I had made it to the bottom three. My teacher was very proud of me and I was also the only Fourth Grader to win. First and Second Place went to a Fifth Grader and a Sixth Grader. Our picture was taken for the yearbook and I received a HUGE trophy. I did not really know what to do, I was more on the shy side in Fourth Grade, although I talked to my friends and family plenty...I did not know how to go about carrying a huge trophy back with me to my classroom. I guess most kids would have bragged about it to the class or shown it off, but I think I just put it in my locker not wanting to cause a scene, then later putting it in my backpack or holding it in my lap on the bus ride home. But as soon as I got home with that trophy, I showed it off to my brother of course! He seemed impressed. My parents were really happy for me, and displayed my trophy on the mantel in the living room. The truth is I have always loved spelling. I always visualize words in my head and people often ask me how to spell things. It is fun to think back about taking that big trophy home with me and I still remember overhearing my fourth-grade teacher bragging to the fifth and sixth grade teachers how her young fourth grader placed Third. :)

YOLO.

The new slang word YOLO means "You only live once..." And while I am all for living each day to its fullest and making the best of your life, I can't help but wonder if people are using this term the wrong way. Youth are impressionable and pay attention to the media and are always looking for the new "it" thing to do or say. While I don't exactly hang out with today's youth, I do come in contact with youth & try to keep up on the trends or keep an eye out for what is really going on in high schools, peer groups, and so forth... Is saying "YOLO" a way to use peer pressure? If one teen offers another teen a cigarette, drugs, or alcohol and says "YOLO: You Only Live Once"...does it mean to forget all the rules and whether things are good or bad...and just do it because you think everyone else is or you think it is the cool thing to do. People do enjoy doing crazy or stupid things from time to time...but since we only live once, shouldn't we still be cautious and careful with the ONE life we have? I don't mean overly cautious and careful about every little thing. And it is not my job to dictate how people use their slang, but it takes a while for some people to gain the wisdom to make good choices. With today's youth, we see kids getting into things way more rapidly and thinking that there are not consequences to their actions. But they are not invincible...and sometimes the things we do today, we pay for tomorrow. Stay strong enough to say "no" and live your life according to your own goals and your own preferences. Don't do something just to impress the whims of others...anyone will use you or test just how far you are willing to go. Instead go the distance for yourself and in the end you will be thankful.

Life can be what you make it.

Quote: "I have many lives to live, and I have already spent too much time on this one."

This quote has stuck with me since I heard the exact context in college English Class when we were studying specific poets, authors. At that moment in college, I could relate to this quote because I believed in it and could see myself living a few different lives if I wanted to. But maybe that was all just an idea in my head and not reality. Now I realize the extent to which I might not actually believe in this quote at all...I now see that this quote is also a challenging one in the sense that there is more to the picture.  I am often drawn to the idea of "re-inventing" myself or finding new hobbies, new passions, new outlets for my curiosity and sense of self. But as much as people try new things or surround themselves with different people, some things always stay the same. There are good things about change and there are good things about kicking bad habits, and finding positive people to be around. In the end, sometimes the very thing that can make you self-destruct is perhaps yourself. Once we have gotten a good foundation to lean on and to learn from, much of life is in our own hands...and in our own grasp. The idea that life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you handle it...can be said. But the reality is...Everyone wants different things out of life, and the ideal picture of life for someone looks completely different from someone else's ideal dream. What one person thinks is the most horrible thing in the world, someone else might think of it in a completely different way.

Hindsight is 20/20...but would we be the people we are if we have not made the mistakes that got us where we are. Some mistakes are how we learn about ourselves and how we learn about the world around us. Those mistakes, misfortunes, and wrong turns are highly valuable in the end. A little bit of life experience can go a long way. Our society has come a long way from the old days where people were expected to go down a straight and narrow path without many choices along the way. Now there are many different career paths to choose if you want to work, many times to start a relationship with who you choose, and many different times to see your "life-plan" come together. And the good thing is, there is no deadline and there is no reason why your "dream" or "goals" cannot change over and over again. The funny thing is...while you think you are searching, improving, and reaching your destination...the whole time you are LIVING. Everything you do does not have to scream excitement and fireworks do not have to go off about every little thing. During the journey, things that give you comfort, happiness, and peace are all things worthwhile. When you can sit down and really be glad with who you are and what you are doing...and how you treat others...and think what you have given back...and what you have gained from your friendships, relationships, family...that is when you realize that you might not have anything to run from and you do not have anything that you have to prove. Relish the simple moments that bring about all the clarity in the world. When we look at the big picture, we realize that the little details that people worry about and fret over are not always that important. Life is beautiful. The more you learn about others, the more you appreciate people's differences. So instead of running from yourself and thinking you always have to keep things fresh or new, don't forget what is right in front of you. Bring in the new things, but don't forget to remember what has gotten you here and what will get you to an even brighter future. You have one life to live, so live it well.

Why Get Married?

With the divorce rate so high...people sometimes question getting married these days. I only have my own marriage as experience, but I value my marriage and honestly it is a lot of fun...like one long extended sleepover. Lol...it's important to love your spouse as not only your partner in life but also as your friend. It is just as important to love them as it is to really like them...their personality will be there with you day after day. Is that person someone you mesh well with, someone that brings out the best qualities in you and vice versa. I don't think anyone should judge someone else's marriage, all marriages work differently...and the only people that truly know how things are going are the ones in the marriage. I was thinking the other day...people often say their spouse is their best friend. I can agree with that...but I got to thinking about how many best friends people might have throughout their life. Does marriage help you stay together longer than a regular friendship would last? If you're not married, is it easier to just pack up your bowling bag and leave whenever you like? Maybe there's something about standing in front of people, saying your vows, and signing your marriage license. However, some couples stay together for years without getting married. I think it is always an individual choice, a choice for couples to make together when they're both ready. People can jump all in and get married on a whim in Vegas...or you can think about it for years. Healthy relationships can lead to healthy loving marriages. And unhealthy bad relationships could lead to bad marriages...that is no big secret. The truth is that any marriage is going to be what you make it. Like a plant, it needs nourishment to grow. And the outcome can be a beautiful life with one another, but first you eventually have to take the chance, and jump right in and give it all you've got...because love is a wonderful thing...whether you get married or not. Don't let the divorce rate statistics scare you...they're only numbers after all.

Fill in the Blank Sunday.

1. A nervous habit I have is primping, if I am nervous about something I'll probably keep checking my hair and makeup, or something like that.

 

2. Something that makes me sad is people being mistreated or animals being mistreated. I don't like to see sad commercials about animals, I always flip the channel.

 

3. Today I am thankful for lazy days when there is nothing to do but relax and enjoy things!

4. My favorite room in my house is probably the living room because it's just a good place to watch TV, play on the computer, cook, or talk. My apartment isn't that big...so if I'm in the living room, it doesn't take much to get to any other room!

 

5. I can't stand being too cold or too hot, that is probably why I'm always changing the air cooler or turning it off. I haven't really had to use the heater yet since my apartment is so well insulated.

6. If I had an extra $100 to spend on whatever I wanted today I would maybe shop online. I really try not to shop much unless I just really need something.

 

7. The last person I hung out with was family for Thanksgiving, and now I'm back home with hubby relaxing and getting unpacked.

The sheet-rock is not your friend.

Everyone has a funny story that might not have been that funny at the time...Okay, so I have many stories that might fit this category. I remember the day I had climbed up into the attic to help my Nana get rid of most of her stuff before her big move. I was probably in sixth grade at the time. Not knowing any better, I decided to search for stuff and get ready to hand it down to the family members waiting below the ladder. While sprawled out, sitting on the SHEET-ROCK, things started to cave... Before I knew it, I was falling clear out of the attic, butt first! It happened so fast, I didn't know whether to scream or panic all together. But panicking would not have done any good anyway. My dad luckily saw what was happening, I'm sure it was pretty hard to miss! I was holding on for dear life, but I was slowly going to fall no matter what. My dad said later that he didn't know whether to climb up the ladder really quick and pull me back up or wait there below to make sure I didn't fall straight through to the ground. The ground must have been a good 9 feet down, but unfortunately I am not a cat and probably wouldn't have had the luxury of landing on my feet. Somehow I managed to disentangle myself enough to climb down my dad who was tall enough that I could feel his arms reach out for me, then I climbed down his shoulders. Thank goodness that I only got a minor scratch from the whole ordeal. We definitely need our daddies to catch us sometimes! For a stunt double in a movie...this wouldn't have been any big deal at all. Someone from a "Jackass" movie probably does this as a regular occurrence, to hop and flip out of attics. But this event has been enough for me to steer clear of my share of attics...and when I do venture up an attic, you can bet your bottom dollar that I stay far, far away from the sheet-rock!

Will Blog for Food.

When I titled this blog "Once in a While Ramblings"...it has proved to be just that! I'm lucky if I get a blog out once a month, sometimes there might be a three month time gap, oops! The trouble with blogging is...I do have different thoughts pretty much on any day, that may or may not could be turned into a blog, but sometimes it's just a little difficult to find an angle that I want to say something. I always try to think about who might be reading it, even if I don't have that many followers. I try to write stuff that will be fun for me to look back and read later on as well. If I was getting paid to blog, I'm sure I could find fifty different angles to say the exact same thing. But when I blog for my own enjoyment or to get something off my chest, I do my best to make sure it's a thought worth writing out for others to read. I have had moods where I could write every day and come up with poems/skits/short stories, etc. but those moods tend to self-destruct. I guess the truth is I'm most creative when I'm sleep-deprived...like a two week seasonal mania type thing, if that exists. But if I get too worked up and get all hyper, it's not really a great thing in the end...cause eventually I crash and it was like I was jumping from one thing to another so fast I couldn't really slow down to be my true self...although I have written some pretty thought-provoking interesting pieces during those times! And those times were really few and far between, but they did inspire a creative spark. My imagination is wild enough to take me any place I want to go. I don't have to be a crazy person to be creative, although many a great artist/poet/writer has been under the influence of who knows what! But I'd much rather just write from the soul...and get my ten plus hours of sleep a night! ;) Mellow is my hallmark.