I was thinking about something the other day and I just wanted to share with anyone reading. We are heading into a very tough financial time in this world's history. Money is going to be tight. Our emotions and our spirits are going to be tested. We are going to have to struggle to prove to ourselves that we are capable of surviving this crisis (and we will prove it to ourselves.)
However, in times like this, appropriately, our survival mode goes into hyperactive. We start to worry about ourselves. We fight for more money (becuase we are in need of it for the bills), and we also want to make ourselves feel better so we try to take mini-vacations or we do activities that make us smile or laugh. These things are all important, there is no doubt, we should want to accomplish these goals. However, I don't necissarily agree that in times like these that this way of thinking should be our main focus.
I think that instead of taking more mentality, we should be giving more. I think that this is the time to show the deepness of the human spirit. See when we are looking out for numero uno then that is one person caring about one person. However, if people start trying to give more and looking out for others more, then what happens is that now we have many people looking out for us, as we are looking out for them. Our odds to succeed are better, we have more people in our corner. In return, they have more people in their corner.
Maybe it is a pipe dream to some people, but John Lennon said in Imagine, "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one." Here is the funny thing about pipe dreams; people all believe in pipe dreams. Everyone thinks pipe dreams are two things, amazing thoughts and unattainable thoughts. Isn't that funny? We all agree with them, but we don't think it will ever happen. So if we all agree then why is it an impossibility?
So here is my challenge to myself and to anyone reading this (even if we are 8 strong), when times get tough (and let's not kid ourselves, times are going to get tough) then we start giving more, we start thinking of others more, and we start providing more. The funny thing, no matter what you can to make you smile when times are tough, nothing goes as deep to the heart and soul as giving to those who are needing that protection. Not one thing is as permanant as that feeling.
Happy New Year, and I hope all your resolutions turn into realities. :)
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Emotional Food Groups Pt. 1
I have a theory about emotions. I believe that all emotions that we can feel fall under four major categories: Happiness, Sadness, Fear, and Anger. Every other feeling live under varying degrees of these four. For example, jealousy (anger), depression (sadness), paranoia (fear), etc. However with all the emotions in the world I think that there is only one that doesn't belong to any one category: Love.
Though some emotions may cross lines with one of the four emotions above (I.E. Greed: fear and happiness or jealousy: fear and anger), no single emotion is able to cross all four categories such as love. Love is all of those things, sometimes at once. (But we'll save that for another blog)
Imagine this: happiness, sadness, fear and anger are the four food groups. You need every single one of those in your life in order to challenge, develop, or even relax yourself.
Just like the food groups, you cannot be truly healthy by seperating them. For example, how can you truly know how thrilling that soccor game win is if you have never lost those four in a row? How can you know how beautiful life can really be, until you have touched the edge of death? How thrilling can that lottery win be, if you have never had a single day of struggle?
Just like the four food groups, if you have too much of one food, then you are not giving your body the nutrients it needs in order to sustain a healthy daily life. Have you ever notice how annoyed we get when we are around a person who feels only one of those emotions all the time? It grates our nerves. Think about people you know who are alwasys sad, always angry, always scared, or always happy even (sometimes they seem to be the most frustrating.)
However, on the opposite side of the token if we don't have enough of one emotion it can be detremental to our well being. Think about those people who hold in that anger (I tend to be this person) and they never let it out until something very small and tiny has happened and then it is turns into World War III? Holding that anger inside of you and not letting it out in small ammounts creates this well of anger that we usually let out in one inappropriate gesture.
What about holding in sadness? If we hang on to sadness we tend to cover it up with happiness. But then that moment comes when the straw breaks the camels back (and usually it is something tiny) and we just let it all out in one fell swoop, and it takes us by storm, and we delve into a depression.
I think it's funny that of these four emotions sadness and anger are similar, and happiness and fear tend to be similar.
Why is that? Well, happiness and fear are emotions where if we live in them there is no way to grow. We don't become more complex or more intelligent people when we are feeling happy, if we are not careful we can become complacent. However, with fear, if all of you feel is fear then you never venture out into the world,and if you never venture you can't grow. The way you learn from fear is fighting to get out of it, after all that is how you begin to realize how strong you can actually be. On the same token, the way to overcome happiness is to not use it as a cover up for sadness and anger, you have to allow yourself to feel those two emotions.
With sadness and anger, they are similar because growth happens while you are in the midst of feeling those emotions. With sadness we learn as we are crying and feeling that pain in our heart. With anger, we are realize what we are willing to take while expressing ourselves through our voice, through our words, through our actions of dealing with that anger.
I think sometimes, the answer that seems the most practical isn't always the most obvious. We always want to cover the "bad" emotions with happiness. However, by not allowing ourselves to show that anger, sadness, or fear we are doing emotional damage to ourselves.
To go back to the four food groups: If we ignore fruit, we rob ourselves of the sugar our bodies need. If we ignore vegetables, we rob ourselves of the iron that our body needs. If we ignore meat, we rob ourselves of the protein that our body needs. If we ignore dairy, we rob ourselves of the calcium that our body needs.
When it comes to emotions we cannot deny ourselves a single one. They are vital to our emotional health. However, if those four emotions equal the four food groups then love is the chart that holds them all together.
I guess that must mean a Pt. II :)
Though some emotions may cross lines with one of the four emotions above (I.E. Greed: fear and happiness or jealousy: fear and anger), no single emotion is able to cross all four categories such as love. Love is all of those things, sometimes at once. (But we'll save that for another blog)
Imagine this: happiness, sadness, fear and anger are the four food groups. You need every single one of those in your life in order to challenge, develop, or even relax yourself.
Just like the food groups, you cannot be truly healthy by seperating them. For example, how can you truly know how thrilling that soccor game win is if you have never lost those four in a row? How can you know how beautiful life can really be, until you have touched the edge of death? How thrilling can that lottery win be, if you have never had a single day of struggle?
Just like the four food groups, if you have too much of one food, then you are not giving your body the nutrients it needs in order to sustain a healthy daily life. Have you ever notice how annoyed we get when we are around a person who feels only one of those emotions all the time? It grates our nerves. Think about people you know who are alwasys sad, always angry, always scared, or always happy even (sometimes they seem to be the most frustrating.)
However, on the opposite side of the token if we don't have enough of one emotion it can be detremental to our well being. Think about those people who hold in that anger (I tend to be this person) and they never let it out until something very small and tiny has happened and then it is turns into World War III? Holding that anger inside of you and not letting it out in small ammounts creates this well of anger that we usually let out in one inappropriate gesture.
What about holding in sadness? If we hang on to sadness we tend to cover it up with happiness. But then that moment comes when the straw breaks the camels back (and usually it is something tiny) and we just let it all out in one fell swoop, and it takes us by storm, and we delve into a depression.
I think it's funny that of these four emotions sadness and anger are similar, and happiness and fear tend to be similar.
Why is that? Well, happiness and fear are emotions where if we live in them there is no way to grow. We don't become more complex or more intelligent people when we are feeling happy, if we are not careful we can become complacent. However, with fear, if all of you feel is fear then you never venture out into the world,and if you never venture you can't grow. The way you learn from fear is fighting to get out of it, after all that is how you begin to realize how strong you can actually be. On the same token, the way to overcome happiness is to not use it as a cover up for sadness and anger, you have to allow yourself to feel those two emotions.
With sadness and anger, they are similar because growth happens while you are in the midst of feeling those emotions. With sadness we learn as we are crying and feeling that pain in our heart. With anger, we are realize what we are willing to take while expressing ourselves through our voice, through our words, through our actions of dealing with that anger.
I think sometimes, the answer that seems the most practical isn't always the most obvious. We always want to cover the "bad" emotions with happiness. However, by not allowing ourselves to show that anger, sadness, or fear we are doing emotional damage to ourselves.
To go back to the four food groups: If we ignore fruit, we rob ourselves of the sugar our bodies need. If we ignore vegetables, we rob ourselves of the iron that our body needs. If we ignore meat, we rob ourselves of the protein that our body needs. If we ignore dairy, we rob ourselves of the calcium that our body needs.
When it comes to emotions we cannot deny ourselves a single one. They are vital to our emotional health. However, if those four emotions equal the four food groups then love is the chart that holds them all together.
I guess that must mean a Pt. II :)
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Foundations
I was talking on facebook earlier today with a former journalism teacher of mine. I don't know how the subject was broached (with me, I rarely know how a subject comes up at all.) However, we began talking about blessings and how we tend to take them for granted a lot of the time. The word blessings has a religious conotation to it, but by blessings, I just mean the really heart enriching things in life.
I think what is going on in the world is that we are becoming a society obsessed with "things." We all want to spend money on things, and possess them either to say we have them or to show off. We don't really stop and think about the "THINGS" we have that actually do matter; the effects that make life truly enjoyable from its core.
You know when you build a house, you can't erect it if you don't have the foundation to do so; it would collapse in on itself. I have concluded that understanding our "blessings" follows the same concept. I think that people nowadays are building the house, but they have no idea what is holding the structure up.
We purchase the Wii (I want one), the ipod, or some new gadget that has just been created to make our life "so much simpler". (And to be honest, I don't know what I would do without the ipod). We are buying all these fancy "blessings" that are fashioning the house. However, the house is in danger of falling unless we understand the simple structure underneath that makes all those things worthwhile.
Things as simple as family; the ability to just talk and conversate and play around with your loved ones. Things as simple as time; the right to take that second or two and just appreciate the silence. Things as simple as breathing; how often do we underestimate the power of our chest moving in and out? Things as simple as thinking; the ability to dwell on ideas and then getting to express those ideas out loud.
The dilemma is complex, but the answer is simple. (Funny how often that is the case, isn't it.) I have seen the foundation of a house first hand (my father is a brick layer) and let me tell you something, there is nothing extraordinary about it. It is a bunch of blocks that are mudded together on a concrete slab. It is a very simplistic look with not much to it. However, what that "simplistic" foundation is capable of is impressive. That elementary foundation can hold up a house that shelters a family of four and keeps them safe from violent thunderstorms and tornadoes or from the churning wind that rattles windows, it provides a safe place from the outside world and burglers and people who want to destroy a person's self-pride. The list can go on and on with what a foundation can do, but without it, the house will fall and we will be left without all of those things, including the simple ones, becuase we never took the time to build that foundation.
So maybe we should all do that, sit down and make a list of the things that we truly own in life: the family, the time, the friends, the breath, etc. Nothing should involve money (that is what you use to make the house flashy). On that list place the things that make us feel good at our core. Those things in life that prove that if you took away every single possession away, life would still be worth living. It would still be worth it to get up every day, because we know the materials that make up our foundation.
Keep this in mind, when you see a tornado or a hurricane ravage a home and tear it up from the floor to the roof, what is the one thing that never blows away? For those of you who can't figure it out....it would be the foundation. Chew on that thought for a while.
I think what is going on in the world is that we are becoming a society obsessed with "things." We all want to spend money on things, and possess them either to say we have them or to show off. We don't really stop and think about the "THINGS" we have that actually do matter; the effects that make life truly enjoyable from its core.
You know when you build a house, you can't erect it if you don't have the foundation to do so; it would collapse in on itself. I have concluded that understanding our "blessings" follows the same concept. I think that people nowadays are building the house, but they have no idea what is holding the structure up.
We purchase the Wii (I want one), the ipod, or some new gadget that has just been created to make our life "so much simpler". (And to be honest, I don't know what I would do without the ipod). We are buying all these fancy "blessings" that are fashioning the house. However, the house is in danger of falling unless we understand the simple structure underneath that makes all those things worthwhile.
Things as simple as family; the ability to just talk and conversate and play around with your loved ones. Things as simple as time; the right to take that second or two and just appreciate the silence. Things as simple as breathing; how often do we underestimate the power of our chest moving in and out? Things as simple as thinking; the ability to dwell on ideas and then getting to express those ideas out loud.
The dilemma is complex, but the answer is simple. (Funny how often that is the case, isn't it.) I have seen the foundation of a house first hand (my father is a brick layer) and let me tell you something, there is nothing extraordinary about it. It is a bunch of blocks that are mudded together on a concrete slab. It is a very simplistic look with not much to it. However, what that "simplistic" foundation is capable of is impressive. That elementary foundation can hold up a house that shelters a family of four and keeps them safe from violent thunderstorms and tornadoes or from the churning wind that rattles windows, it provides a safe place from the outside world and burglers and people who want to destroy a person's self-pride. The list can go on and on with what a foundation can do, but without it, the house will fall and we will be left without all of those things, including the simple ones, becuase we never took the time to build that foundation.
So maybe we should all do that, sit down and make a list of the things that we truly own in life: the family, the time, the friends, the breath, etc. Nothing should involve money (that is what you use to make the house flashy). On that list place the things that make us feel good at our core. Those things in life that prove that if you took away every single possession away, life would still be worth living. It would still be worth it to get up every day, because we know the materials that make up our foundation.
Keep this in mind, when you see a tornado or a hurricane ravage a home and tear it up from the floor to the roof, what is the one thing that never blows away? For those of you who can't figure it out....it would be the foundation. Chew on that thought for a while.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Hugs Vs. Kisses
Last night I had a very special discussion about the difference between hugs and kisses and which of the two hold the most power. Not like a "I have a power over you power" but a power that says which of the two ways of showing emotion is the most effective. I think I have come to the conclussion that the strength that a hug provides trumps that of kissing.
I don't mean to undermine the the beauty of a kiss. Let's face it, kissing is very calming and relaxing and it accompanies with it a sense of enjoyment and happiness. However, kisses don't always come frolicking hand-in-hand with safety.
Put yourself in this situation: Let's say that you have had a horrible day; almost to the point of tears...you come home and you there is a person you love (not necissarily a husband or a lover, maybe a friend or a family memeber). On days that are cold and bitter like that, we do not run up to that person and give them a huge kiss. At that moment, you don't want to engage in a kissing session; you want to be hugged! You want to be held! You want to know that you have someone there to connect with!
There is a reason for that! There is a safety in a hug that you don't get when you are kissed. There is an ability to know that the person holding you at that moment is on your side and going to stand with you through the tough time. A kiss just doesn't always provide that same potential. Do me a favor, go through your life and think about the times that you felt helpless, and what do you see you craved in that moment? (Other then chocolate, ice cream or clothes?) You wanted to be hugged or held or touched. Someone providing words just doesn't bestow the same well of feelings you get when you are held in a silent embrace.
When we are feeble babies, we are quieted knowing that we are in someone's arms. A mother or father can have their frustrations muted simply by picking up that baby and cradling it in their arms. A moment as simplistic as holding a baby, can make us feel like we can conquer the problems that plague us.
Now think back to when someone you love (relationship, friendship, family, etc.) is leaving from a vacation to see you, or they're heading out on a plane to go on a business trip, or maybe they're just heading home for the night. What, in that moment of departure, do we usually do as human beings? Well if it is a relationship or culturally acceptable, we can kiss them. However, even in that situation, the kiss is never the thing we leave doing. The kiss is the preemptive action to what? THE HUG!
Why do we do that? If you ask a million people they would tell you how much they love the kiss, and I could easily be counted in amongst those people. I love feeling that unparalelled enjoyment and pleasure that a kiss indulges. However, think of the emotions you have when you crave to be kissed.....now think of the emotions you have when you crave to be hugged.
Kissing just doesn't offer the same safety that hugging offers. So here is my challenge to whoever is reading this blog. We are becoming a nation (or a world even) that is beginning to feel like we are out there alone, we are not feeling safe (despite that through the internet the world is getting smaller.) My challenge is that we try to hug more (not strangers of course that would be just weird....or maybe strangers, I don't know whatever is comfortable). Go out and when you see someone who is in pain or who is having a bad day or who just is a little down from the pressures of the world. Don't just talk to them. Words only have power when you have the ability to back them up with actions. You have to help people understand that you are going to be there for them through every step of that pain or bad day or sadness. Give them a hug! Help them feel safe, knowing that when it is your turn to need to feel sheltered, you are going to want that same safety that you get with a simple hug!
I don't mean to undermine the the beauty of a kiss. Let's face it, kissing is very calming and relaxing and it accompanies with it a sense of enjoyment and happiness. However, kisses don't always come frolicking hand-in-hand with safety.
Put yourself in this situation: Let's say that you have had a horrible day; almost to the point of tears...you come home and you there is a person you love (not necissarily a husband or a lover, maybe a friend or a family memeber). On days that are cold and bitter like that, we do not run up to that person and give them a huge kiss. At that moment, you don't want to engage in a kissing session; you want to be hugged! You want to be held! You want to know that you have someone there to connect with!
There is a reason for that! There is a safety in a hug that you don't get when you are kissed. There is an ability to know that the person holding you at that moment is on your side and going to stand with you through the tough time. A kiss just doesn't always provide that same potential. Do me a favor, go through your life and think about the times that you felt helpless, and what do you see you craved in that moment? (Other then chocolate, ice cream or clothes?) You wanted to be hugged or held or touched. Someone providing words just doesn't bestow the same well of feelings you get when you are held in a silent embrace.
When we are feeble babies, we are quieted knowing that we are in someone's arms. A mother or father can have their frustrations muted simply by picking up that baby and cradling it in their arms. A moment as simplistic as holding a baby, can make us feel like we can conquer the problems that plague us.
Now think back to when someone you love (relationship, friendship, family, etc.) is leaving from a vacation to see you, or they're heading out on a plane to go on a business trip, or maybe they're just heading home for the night. What, in that moment of departure, do we usually do as human beings? Well if it is a relationship or culturally acceptable, we can kiss them. However, even in that situation, the kiss is never the thing we leave doing. The kiss is the preemptive action to what? THE HUG!
Why do we do that? If you ask a million people they would tell you how much they love the kiss, and I could easily be counted in amongst those people. I love feeling that unparalelled enjoyment and pleasure that a kiss indulges. However, think of the emotions you have when you crave to be kissed.....now think of the emotions you have when you crave to be hugged.
Kissing just doesn't offer the same safety that hugging offers. So here is my challenge to whoever is reading this blog. We are becoming a nation (or a world even) that is beginning to feel like we are out there alone, we are not feeling safe (despite that through the internet the world is getting smaller.) My challenge is that we try to hug more (not strangers of course that would be just weird....or maybe strangers, I don't know whatever is comfortable). Go out and when you see someone who is in pain or who is having a bad day or who just is a little down from the pressures of the world. Don't just talk to them. Words only have power when you have the ability to back them up with actions. You have to help people understand that you are going to be there for them through every step of that pain or bad day or sadness. Give them a hug! Help them feel safe, knowing that when it is your turn to need to feel sheltered, you are going to want that same safety that you get with a simple hug!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
ALL ABOUT ME
A while ago I wrote a poem to help people understand my way of thinking. Following my thoughts is not always an easy thing to do if I am not editing my thoughts. The poem tells you a lot about who I am as a person and the background I come from. I am not going to use this blog to post nothing but poems. However, I figured there would be nothing better as a first blog post then to tell a bit about me, and what you can expect from Thinking Sideways.
ALL ABOUT ME
So you want to know
All about me
Well, in brief
Here is a list of pointless facts about me:
I've got blue eyes
I've got ghetto lips
I've got a receding hairline.
I'm not small.
I'm not big.
In fact, I'm rather hot.
I've got a ten-and-a-half size shoe
I wear elevens because ingrown toenails run in my family
And I hear that bigger shoes prevent that.
I've had one ingrown toenail in my life.
I've had surgery on that toe so that it wouldn't grow back.
My brother watched as they performed the surgery,
He said it "was cool".
He's weird.
My cousin has had sixteen ingrown toenails.
His shoes fit perfectly.
I'll stick to the bigger shoes.
I have fifteen first cousins,
Fourteen boys and one girl.
She's a tomboy.
I have a brother.
I have a sister-in-law.
I like her, she's alright.
I tell her she made the wrong choice of brother,
And in her words she says, "I know, but you wouldn't do me much good."
I have a dad.
He's from Lubbock, Texas.
I have a mother.
She's from Cleveland, Ohio.
They've been married over thirty years.
They are old, but I love them.
My dad's family is Irish.
My mom's family is Canadian.
They all now live in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Don't ask, long story.
So that would make me part Irish and part Canadian.
Therefore, I was doomed to be a very, very, very pale person.
I also was doomed to be a very witty drunk.
I have my dad's Irish alcoholic love,
And my mother's Canadian alcoholic tolerance.
I begin floating at about two drinks.
My dad's family says words like, "ya'll" and "ain't"
My mother's family says words like "eh" and "aboot."
They make for very interesting conversations.
I have one Mexican uncle.
I have one ex-Mexican uncles.
And when I say Mexican I mean they are from Mexico...
And not Puerto Rico, Cuba, El Salvador, or Nicaragua
Or any other country south of Texas -
Except the country of Mexico.
I have on Asian uncle.
I had one black uncle ( may he rest in peace.)
I have one half-Mexican cousin.
One half-black cousin.
And three half-Asian cousins.
So needless to say at family reunions my family is like a package of Skittles.
Taste the rainbow.
In conclusion, I love my family.
And in a poem about me
They need mentioning.
They made me.
They are me.
They're everything to me.
But this isn't their poem
So let's get back to me.
I like writing.
Duh! Why would I be writing this?
I love words.
My favorite words are
Kumquat
And
Toilet.
I think they're funny.
I do not like the words
Duty
Or
Masticate.
I think they're dirty.
I love rhyming words
This poem, however, doesn't rhyme.
Don't ask!
I don't know why it doesn't!
If I could explain me I would.
I can't so I won't.
I'm inexplainable
Or unexplainable
I don't know which - I'll look it up later!
Or I'll probably just say I will
And won't.
I can procrastinate sometimes
"Why put off till tomorrow what you can do today?"
Because I can do it - tomorrow.
I love board games.
I love Scatagories, Taboo, Monopoly
But my favorite,
My tip-top, number one
Favorite game of all time is:
SCRABBLE!
That's right - Scrabble!
And I'm still in my 20's.
I'm competitive!
I want to win!
I won't spell the word "seize"
When I can wait for the word "seizure."
I spelled that word once
On a triple word score;
While using the "s" to spell another word across.
That's right1
I'm good!
I'm damn good!
I'm a gracious loser!
I'm a sore winner!
I adore crossword puzzles!
I also like prunes!
I really don't know why those two words remind me of each other.
I got problems.
You know what!?!
Sometimes I eat prunes WHILE i do crossword puzzles.
I think prunes taste good!
As do brussel sprouts
And rice cakes
And tofu
And sunflower seeds.
Sometimes I can be lazy
I eat the sunflower shell because I don't want to have to separate
The shell from the seed.
I don't eat crabs, lobster, or crawfish:
It's just too much work for the meat I get.
It's a waste of my time.
Kind of like T.V.
Good TV doesn't exist anymore.
And if it does they take it off the air.
My favorite show is ALL IN THE FAMILY.
No, I wasn't alive when it was on.
I love ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, 30 ROCK, THE OFFICE
And LOST!
I LOVE LOST!
Although I admit I've been lost sometimes while watching it.
I love good writing.
I love bad writing.
So then I guess I just love writing.
My favorite books are "Catcher in the Rye"
"The Giving Tree" and
"Oh, the Places You'll Go!"
I love Dr. Seuss!
My favorite movies are
Forest Gump
Almost Famous
Adventures in Babysitting
Clue and
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
(The old one - the new one just creeped me out)
And then there is music.
Music is everything to me.
It is what I listen to no matter my mood.
Stevie Wonder is my favorite.
Billy Joel is my favorite.
I also like Elton John, Sheryl Crow,
Alanis Morisette, Tina Turner, Santana,
Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Cyndi Lauper
Madonna, Meatloaf
And the Spice Girls.
It's true!
I really, really, really wanna Zig-a-zia-ah!
I love Harry Potter.
But then again, so does everyone else.
I love the theater.
I love plays!
I love musicals!
I love Shakespeare!
You get the point1
I'm intelligent!
I know how to express myself!
I have soap boxes!
Some are really, really, really, really, really high!
I'll try not to step on any of those in this poem.
I think in very odd ways.
My dad says that I THINK SIDEWAYS.
He says some people think towards the future.
Some people dwell on the past.
And then there is me,
I see an object and morph it into a million different things.
Therefore, I think sideways.
I love the teaching part of my job!
I put smiles on a face that didn't want to!
I put hope in kids that felt they had none!
I put fun in learning about writing!
I make kids come out of shells made of steel!
I learn from them more then they learn from me!
I go home tired,
But I go home happy:
Extremely happy!
As I read through this poem I realize
That there is no way to sum me up completely:
But I can do my best summation of me by saying this:
I am intelligent!
I am fun!
I am funny!
I am loveable!
I am adorable!
I am crazy!
I am random!
I am unique!
I am me!
And I like me!
ALL ABOUT ME
So you want to know
All about me
Well, in brief
Here is a list of pointless facts about me:
I've got blue eyes
I've got ghetto lips
I've got a receding hairline.
I'm not small.
I'm not big.
In fact, I'm rather hot.
I've got a ten-and-a-half size shoe
I wear elevens because ingrown toenails run in my family
And I hear that bigger shoes prevent that.
I've had one ingrown toenail in my life.
I've had surgery on that toe so that it wouldn't grow back.
My brother watched as they performed the surgery,
He said it "was cool".
He's weird.
My cousin has had sixteen ingrown toenails.
His shoes fit perfectly.
I'll stick to the bigger shoes.
I have fifteen first cousins,
Fourteen boys and one girl.
She's a tomboy.
I have a brother.
I have a sister-in-law.
I like her, she's alright.
I tell her she made the wrong choice of brother,
And in her words she says, "I know, but you wouldn't do me much good."
I have a dad.
He's from Lubbock, Texas.
I have a mother.
She's from Cleveland, Ohio.
They've been married over thirty years.
They are old, but I love them.
My dad's family is Irish.
My mom's family is Canadian.
They all now live in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Don't ask, long story.
So that would make me part Irish and part Canadian.
Therefore, I was doomed to be a very, very, very pale person.
I also was doomed to be a very witty drunk.
I have my dad's Irish alcoholic love,
And my mother's Canadian alcoholic tolerance.
I begin floating at about two drinks.
My dad's family says words like, "ya'll" and "ain't"
My mother's family says words like "eh" and "aboot."
They make for very interesting conversations.
I have one Mexican uncle.
I have one ex-Mexican uncles.
And when I say Mexican I mean they are from Mexico...
And not Puerto Rico, Cuba, El Salvador, or Nicaragua
Or any other country south of Texas -
Except the country of Mexico.
I have on Asian uncle.
I had one black uncle ( may he rest in peace.)
I have one half-Mexican cousin.
One half-black cousin.
And three half-Asian cousins.
So needless to say at family reunions my family is like a package of Skittles.
Taste the rainbow.
In conclusion, I love my family.
And in a poem about me
They need mentioning.
They made me.
They are me.
They're everything to me.
But this isn't their poem
So let's get back to me.
I like writing.
Duh! Why would I be writing this?
I love words.
My favorite words are
Kumquat
And
Toilet.
I think they're funny.
I do not like the words
Duty
Or
Masticate.
I think they're dirty.
I love rhyming words
This poem, however, doesn't rhyme.
Don't ask!
I don't know why it doesn't!
If I could explain me I would.
I can't so I won't.
I'm inexplainable
Or unexplainable
I don't know which - I'll look it up later!
Or I'll probably just say I will
And won't.
I can procrastinate sometimes
"Why put off till tomorrow what you can do today?"
Because I can do it - tomorrow.
I love board games.
I love Scatagories, Taboo, Monopoly
But my favorite,
My tip-top, number one
Favorite game of all time is:
SCRABBLE!
That's right - Scrabble!
And I'm still in my 20's.
I'm competitive!
I want to win!
I won't spell the word "seize"
When I can wait for the word "seizure."
I spelled that word once
On a triple word score;
While using the "s" to spell another word across.
That's right1
I'm good!
I'm damn good!
I'm a gracious loser!
I'm a sore winner!
I adore crossword puzzles!
I also like prunes!
I really don't know why those two words remind me of each other.
I got problems.
You know what!?!
Sometimes I eat prunes WHILE i do crossword puzzles.
I think prunes taste good!
As do brussel sprouts
And rice cakes
And tofu
And sunflower seeds.
Sometimes I can be lazy
I eat the sunflower shell because I don't want to have to separate
The shell from the seed.
I don't eat crabs, lobster, or crawfish:
It's just too much work for the meat I get.
It's a waste of my time.
Kind of like T.V.
Good TV doesn't exist anymore.
And if it does they take it off the air.
My favorite show is ALL IN THE FAMILY.
No, I wasn't alive when it was on.
I love ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, 30 ROCK, THE OFFICE
And LOST!
I LOVE LOST!
Although I admit I've been lost sometimes while watching it.
I love good writing.
I love bad writing.
So then I guess I just love writing.
My favorite books are "Catcher in the Rye"
"The Giving Tree" and
"Oh, the Places You'll Go!"
I love Dr. Seuss!
My favorite movies are
Forest Gump
Almost Famous
Adventures in Babysitting
Clue and
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
(The old one - the new one just creeped me out)
And then there is music.
Music is everything to me.
It is what I listen to no matter my mood.
Stevie Wonder is my favorite.
Billy Joel is my favorite.
I also like Elton John, Sheryl Crow,
Alanis Morisette, Tina Turner, Santana,
Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Cyndi Lauper
Madonna, Meatloaf
And the Spice Girls.
It's true!
I really, really, really wanna Zig-a-zia-ah!
I love Harry Potter.
But then again, so does everyone else.
I love the theater.
I love plays!
I love musicals!
I love Shakespeare!
You get the point1
I'm intelligent!
I know how to express myself!
I have soap boxes!
Some are really, really, really, really, really high!
I'll try not to step on any of those in this poem.
I think in very odd ways.
My dad says that I THINK SIDEWAYS.
He says some people think towards the future.
Some people dwell on the past.
And then there is me,
I see an object and morph it into a million different things.
Therefore, I think sideways.
I love the teaching part of my job!
I put smiles on a face that didn't want to!
I put hope in kids that felt they had none!
I put fun in learning about writing!
I make kids come out of shells made of steel!
I learn from them more then they learn from me!
I go home tired,
But I go home happy:
Extremely happy!
As I read through this poem I realize
That there is no way to sum me up completely:
But I can do my best summation of me by saying this:
I am intelligent!
I am fun!
I am funny!
I am loveable!
I am adorable!
I am crazy!
I am random!
I am unique!
I am me!
And I like me!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
