Where are my keys?

Every day. Every single day. I lose my keys. It happens every time, without fail. I am heading out the door. I close the door. I put my hand in my purse. Where are my keys? I fling open the door. I quickly run to my room and search everywhere. The desk. The table. The nightstand. The bed. Where is it? Eventually, I see a bit of brightness out of the corner of my eye. My keys!  Then I get the hell out of there.

A Mental Tattoo

A picture is worth a thousand words. I believe it. It's worth more, really. A photograph is like a mental tattoo. You'll have the moment forever, it's essence epitomized for eternity. There are a million details in one photo.

In class, I had to write a seven page paper analysing a photograph of George Bush. I didn't know it was possible to have so much to say on one picture, but it is. What did the photograph say? What was the message, the tone, the personal perspective, historical perspective, the context?

By looking at this photo I took, what do you see?


It is simple to say that there are flowers and a building. The focus is on the flower, but the architecture can easily be seen. There is a little bit of sky showing at the top of the photo.

This photo was taken in Vienna, Austria on July 5, 2010. This is a picture of St. Stephen's Cathedral, a grand, massive church. It is utterly gorgeous inside and out. It towers over you, overwhelms you really. I could not get the entire tower from top to bottom in the shot; it wasn't possible.

It was a hot summer's day. Tons of tourists were flocking to the church, taking photos and talking noisily. The sky was baby blue. The clouds were fluffy and white like an enormous cotton ball. The sky is more beautiful abroad. It's official. I've decided.

I had taken various shots of the amazing architecture, trying to take the experience all in. I took a couple of shots with the Barbie pink flowers and the Cathedral, but this one was the one that focused. I love flowers and I love churches. Both components of the photo were beautiful to me. Put the two together and I am in heaven.

What you see in this photograph is beauty. Pink flowers. A pretty church. What you can't see: me. You'll never know how happy I was, how fatigued I was, how my hair looked. But I will.

A photo is a less permanent tattoo. You don't have to look at it every day when you get dressed, but you can look at it whenever you want. In 10, 50, or 100 years from now, that moment will exist for others to witness. It is perplexing, the power of a picture.

Spread the Love

I believe in signs, now more than ever before. Sometimes a sign can point you in the right direction. Sometimes a sign can give you a little oomph or a simple pick me up. Sometimes a sign is too great to ignore.

For instance, I was eating candied ginger from Trader Joe's. As I was about to put a piece in my mouth, I opened up the page of a magazine. The magazine had 50 health tips and the first one I saw was about the health benefits of ginger. This particular occurrence was not sign-worthy to me. I wouldn't classify it as a sign from the gods telling me to eat ginger. However, it was a notable and funny event, which I shared with my roommate.

Later on, as I was about pop another ginger in my mouth, I saw a heart-shaped one. A glorious, pristine heart. I obviously had to photograph and share it with you. To me, this event was a small sign--a sign telling me that there is love everywhere, even in the most unexpected places.

I wasn't feeling upset or in need of comfort or love. I don't know what else I can do with the sign other than spread its message. By that, I mean: spread the love.

Do you believe in signs, coincidences, other, or none of the above?

Release Your Negative Energy

Ancient painting in a Greek church

 When I find myself troubled--the kind that twists my insides and gives me a quesy feeling in the pit of my stomach--I take a deep breath.

I try to remember: whatever is troubling me is not nearly as bad as what others are going through. Some people are homeless, hungry, and hoping for a different life.

I, however, am healthy and happy, along with those closest to me. It is human nature to become upset sometimes, but I try to release any negative energy as quickly as possible.

Jesus?

Dwelling on the past and bringing up negative times only depresses a person, so I prefer to think of the future and how bright it is. There are so many possibilities in this world and I am glad to be a part of it.

Technology and medicine is so advanced, people of my generation might easily live to be prosperous and healthy in our 100s.

A Journalist at Heart

Dreams of the future and 2011 ignite memories of the past. Many years have gone by. 

I remember:

high school, brain tumors, best friends who moved away, best friends who moved apart, best friends forever, best friends whom I ignored, best friends who wronged me, high school crushes, keeping secrets, traveling the world, cutting my hair, cutting my baggage, butterflies in my stomach, hours in the car, hours discussing issues, hours determining what to do, hours editing poorly written articles, a certain innocence, a certain romance, a trip to the mall to mend a broken friendship, a trip to a cat party, a trip to the zoo, just plain trippin, various clubs, various teachers, various days at lunch. 

There are no pictures to encapsulate the moment except for its memory in my brain. I try to grab on but sometimes they slip through my fingers. The time has passed and all that's left are memories. I can distinguish the changes in my personality from the high school version of myself to now. I am different. I changed. I aged. Yet I am the same. My core being, my deepest beliefs, my personality, remain the same, untouched. My self esteem, my face, my body, my habits, my friends changed considerably. Who can tell the difference?

"That part of me left yesterday

the heart of me is strong today

No regrets I'm blessed to say

the old me dead and gone away."

-aka Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr.

I must have always been a journalist at heart. Now I realize my favorite thing to write is a personality portrait. Every human, mammal, place has a story. Or a billion stories, really. Someone just needs to capture it. That person is me. My passion is the human next to me. That's one thing that hasn't changed since high school.  I've always been interested in others, constantly asking questions. What's your middle name? Ethnicity? Dream place to live?  If you died today, would you be happy? Or just content? Your secret? Ultimate wish?

When the same questions are directed at me, I hesitate and think in my head: Who would want to know about me, when I can write about you?

Bling in the New Year

Celebrating Christmas all year in 2011.

Well, well, well. Bring on the new year. Here it is. I am gonna milk this year for all it's got. I'm not going to allow this year to fly by without me noticing. This year, I'm keeping track.

I need to get my business in order this year. I'll have a lot on my plate. Luckily there are a couple more weeks before school starts back up. For now, I'll work, try to get writing jobs, and continue to have general good time before classes begin.

I had the luxury of celebrating the new year in a mansion, courtesy of a relative of a friend. It went something like this:

Who can resist petite pumpkin pie?

Bottoms up.

Bling in the new year: 2011.

2011: C'est La Vie

This post is pretty much for my own future reference, but feel free to keep tabs on your life too. I'll update this throughout the year.

Last year (aka 2010) went by way too fast. What did I do? What books did I read? What movies did I see? Who were my friends? What happened?!

This year, I am keeping track.

Films:

1. Going the Distance
2. G.I. Jane 
3. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest 
4. Waiting for Guffman 
5. Exit Through the Gift Shop 
6. The Pianist 
7. Nell 
8. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
9. Chaos Theory
10. La Vie En Rose 
11. The Queen of the Damned  
12. Kim Cattrall: Sexual Intelligence
13. Manhattan
14. Black Hawk Down
15. There's No Business Like Show Business
16. The Fountain
17. Beauty & the Briefcase

TV Series:

1. 17 Kids & Counting
2. 18 Kids & Counting
3. Dexter: Season 1

Literature:

1. The Teachings of Buddha *work in progress
   

Hours Slept:

97


Hours Worked:

40

last updated: Jan. 17, 2011 @ 12:49 p.m.