I know this thing has been a big mess. Completely random posts at completely random times. I intend to get back into blogging with the coming year. I do not only write/think about death even though it may seem like it from this blog. I have been writing a lot of poetry this year, and more so lately. That has been part of my reason for letting this go to waste.
I am alive and well and graduating from college in 2 weeks! I have many plans for the future so stay tuned.
One last note: Don't take your life or loved ones for granted. Cherish the days you have on this Earth and the people you have them will.
| c.l.s | 2013
Sunday, December 1, 2013
One loss is no more important than another
Something has been on my mind since the news of Paul Walker and his friend and driver of the vehicle, Roger Rodas. I have seen many posts in the social media world such as, "A celebrity dies and everyone makes such a big deal. What about all those children that die every day." Etc etc. I get what these people are trying to say... people die every day and no one talks about them or cares... soldiers, children, a mother, a father... but when a celebrity dies then it's national news and everyone in the world mourns. I get it.
First, I would like to say duh.
ce·leb·ri·ty
səˈlebrətē
noun
- a famous person.
fa·mous
ˈfāməs
adjective
- known about by many people.
A lot of people know of famous people. Of course, many people will have a reaction. That does NOT make their death any less important. A celebrity is a person too. They have family and loved ones just like each of you. Part of being famous means that you have an impact on others. Many people probably don't know Paul Walker (for example) personally; however, he might have impacted their lives in some way. I have many examples in my personal life (one that I'll share). There was a little boy by the name of Lane Goodwin. I never met this person, but his life impacted me in so many ways. The night he passed, I cried in bed, begging God for answers of why things like this happen. My heart ached. Death is sad for those left behind. People watch movies and celebrities and it feels like part of your life. You feel like you know them, even though you don't. It's part of it.
Second, (and I could be completely wrong about this) the people posting those things are probably trolls. I highly doubt you mourn the loss of every person on this planet that dies. It's impossible and you would be the most depressed person in this world if you did. We can't solve all of the problems in this world, nor can we stop death. There is still no cure for life, as far as I know. I think there are so many important issues out there with children being slaughtered and soldiers dying that have fought for their country. There are "regular" people that have died, and there could have been something extraordinary about them. It's awful. The media cannot report on everything (not that they always report on the important things either). Every time that I find something new about how someone is dying or has died, my heart aches for them.
People post and are so public about celebrities because people know them. People can "relate." Naturally, most people aren't going to read the news and then post about a little boy dying in Africa. It's not the popular thing among people. It's a sad fact. We live in a world filled with sheep. People are afraid to step out from the pack. People are afraid of their own voice. They are more comfortable speaking with the group. I know this does not hold true for every person, but you tell me that this does not hold true for the masses and I'll call you on your bluff.
If you want people to know about the little boy that died in Africa then speak up. Let your voice be heard. Tell people about the little boy. You take the step. Don't bash people for mourning the loss of a celebrity. It's wrong. Like I said, I know what you're really trying to say when you're doing it. However, do so in a positive way. Educate yourself. Educate the people.
| c.l.s | 2013
R.I.P. Paul Walker and Roger Rodas and Tyreece Jordan Naicker (little boy in Africa).
May your loved ones find the strength to cope. <3
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Happy Birthday Ashley
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| I got this picture off Ashley's Facebook. Her Mom shared it on her page and it's just a beautiful picture. Seeing her face and really looking at this picture, just made me want to write something about the beautiful person she was and continues to be in Heaven. |
I met Ashley through sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta. I always thought she was so pretty. She was always such a sweet person as well. When I learned that she battling cancer, my heart went out to her. During the time that I spent around Ashley and was graced with her presence, I became amazed. That girl was amazing. She had a heart kinder that most ever encounter. Ashley was 100 percent a fighter. This girl lived life and didn't let cancer bring her down. It was impossible to have a bad attitude with her around. Her kindness was contagious. She always did such a good job with whatever she was doing. Her sweets were some of the most delicious around. You are really missing out if you never got the chance to experience them.
I was never super good friends with Ashley, and we didn't really hang out or anything like that. Every time that I was around her though, she was just so nice to me. There is one moment that really sticks out when I think of Ashley. It was during Relay for Life 2011. Our sorority set up a booth, like most organizations in town. Ashley was mostly in charge of ours. Our theme was 'Curing cancer one CUPCAKE at a time.' We usually take shifts for selling the cupcakes and such. That night I spent pretty much the entire night at the stand selling. A lot of the time, I ran it almost by myself. Of course, there were others that helped at points and some volunteered to help but I was more than content selling them. I didn't want to leave the stand. I stayed there and didn't give my shift up. I actually stayed until we took everything down. If I remember correctly it was around 11 p.m. or midnight when we finished. I had one of the best times that night. I felt so accomplished. I also felt very proud. Ashley complimented me a few times on how good of a job I was doing, and honestly, it was the highlight of that night for me. I felt like I had made her proud. I don't know why I felt like that or why her being proud of me was even important to me, but it was and it's a memory that I'll always have. I never told anyone that or even told her. It has been something that has just stuck with me. I've decided to share that moment today since it's her birthday. Sadly, Ashley will never know the impact she has had on me, but the rest of you will. Maybe she is able to read this from Heaven. I sure hope she can.
Ashley was loved by so, so many people. The magnitude of people is just crazy to even think about. She impacted so many. I sure hope she knows how much of a blessing she was in the lives of so many. I wish I understood why people are taken from this Earth so soon, especially the good ones. I do believe that everything happens for a reason though, and she is no longer in pain. She has, once and for all, kicked cancer's ass. I'm sure she makes a beautiful angel.
Dust off that piggy bank
Americans, for the most part, do not save. We are more familiar with accumulating debt. Can't afford something? No worries, just put it on credit. I'm not saying this is a bad thing. It has its pros and cons, like anything else. I'm just stating that generally Americans are spenders, not savers. Growing up in a family of spenders, I've always been told to save my money by people like my Pawpaw. "You better make sure you're saving your money. You don't want to be like me one day having to dig change out of a bucket for gas." Okay those aren't exact quotes, but they are pretty accurate.
At the beginning of this year I made a New Year's resolution. Well I made a few (that I have actually been doing since the beginning of the year still... crazy right?!), but there was one in particular that pertains to finance... save at least $1 per day for the year. Well I tweaked this a little bit into the year. I decided to do something in addition to the $1 per day, called the 52-week money challenge. This is how it goes:
There are 52 weeks in a year. So, whatever week you are on, that is how much money you save for that week. For example:
Week 1 - Save $1
Week 2 - Save $2
Week 3 - Save $3
...
Week 52 - Save $52
At the end of the year, you would end up with $1,378. Crazy right?!
So if I'm already doing the $1 per day (365 days) and then I do the 52 week challenge as well, that would give me a total of $1,743 at the end of the year. That's almost $2,000 in one year!!! I am working really hard to save the designated amount of money for each day/week. So far I have done well.
Okay, I got off on a tangent a little bit. The point is I started saving my money for once. That came in handy today. I've had a gas leak in my car for a while... yikes, I know. A little bit of laziness on my part for not getting it checked out sooner. I also didn't realize the seriousness of it. Well I took it to a mechanic today and turns out, my fuel pump needs to be replaced. Ugh almost $400. Well since I have been saving my money, I can actually afford to replace it. There is no added stress about what I'm going to do. It also feels good to be able to afford to pay for it and not have to ask my Dad for the money. Aw... I'm growing up, slowly. ha. It does suck that I have to take that money out of my savings since I planned on not touching it, BUT isn't that the point of a savings? Having money set aside for an emergency or for retirement and things of that nature. Well I consider this an emergency since my car could easily blow up.
I encourage everyone to start saving their money, even if it is something as small as $1 a day or having a change jar. It could make life easier and less stressful.
I am definitely not a money expert, but if you have any questions about saving or would like some tips and additional information, then please ask away. I'll do the best to answer your questions.
Strive to live debt free.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Big News!
I have been working on something for the past week and I'm super excited because I just "released" it today... well technically yesterday since it is now past midnight. The name of my big news is 'Our Extraordinary Love'! I have created an e-mail, Facebook, and Blogger account. This all came about when I was having lunch with my Aunt on Mar 16, 2013. We were celebrating her birthday. This idea came out of nowhere and I told her... "how awesome would it be if I could travel the world, learning about people's love stories - real love stories, and share them with the rest of the world. that would be the ultimate job." It all spurred from there. Since then I have been working on this in every spare moment I get.
I graduate from college in December and have had no idea what I wanted to do with my life... until now. I think this would be super awesome. Granted, I have no idea how much this will take off or how I'm even going to do it, but I'm running with it and doing the best I can right now. I obviously can't afford to do the traveling part at the moment. So, in the mean time, I just want to get these love stories and share them on the blog and Facebook. Once things get up and going then I want to start a 'couple of the month' or something of that nature. I think that would be cool. Someone could get their love story featured for the world, hopefully, to see. My whole life, the only thing I have been sure of is my love for love. I've always felt like it was my passion, but I was always like "how can your passion be love... that doesn't even make sense." So I've just let it be and expressed myself by poetry, writing, buying little heart and love decor, taking pictures of anything that resembled love and hearts, etc. Like I mentioned earlier... when someone asked me what my dream job was, I couldn't give them an answer because I never had anything that I just felt so strongly / passionately about. My answer was always, "I just want to be rich." This [Our Extraordinary Love :-P] is something I feel strongly about. I don't care if someone doesn't like my idea. I don't care if people think it is stupid. I don't care if it doesn't make me rich. To me, it is important and it matters.
Love is such an important thing. I really do believe it is the foundation of happiness. You must love yourself and realize you are worth something extraordinary. You deserve to be loved in the most extraordinary way and that is what this is all about. I want to take these stories / pictures / videos and let the world see them. I want people to know that real love exists. It's still out there. People don't have to settle because they don't think they are worthy. People don't have to settle because they don't think there is such a love out there. In today's society, all we ever hear about is the negative side of things. Very rarely do we hear of those uplifting stories. It's sad that we get caught up in the drama and that's what people want to hear about and watch. I admit, I am guilty of that as well. I just want to bring some happiness into this world. I'm hoping that by hearing and sharing these stories, people will see that love needs to be nurtured. I want people to see that there are real people out there that go through trials and triumphs, and have stuck it out and are happy together. I realize I'm just one person with a dream; however, I am quite determined. I hope to inspire you to love more and then I hope you inspire someone else to love more and it just keeps on spreading like wildfire. Live an extraordinary life and not just a mediocre one. Out of all those sperm, you were the one that got 1st place. Don't waste your life. Do something extraordinary. Love in an extraordinary way.
If you have an extraordinary love story that you want to share... or you know someone that has one then please e-mail me at ourextraordinarylove@gmail.com.
*Disclaimer: If you send me your story, I will assume that I have permission to share it
You can also check out the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ourextraordinarylove.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Manti Te'o - Not so Important News
We live in a world where people care more about fake girlfriends and celebrity slip-ups than real life problems such as poverty and starvation. A story has recently come out that involves Manti Te'o, linebacker for Notre Dame's football team. He is 21 years old and going on 22 in a couple days. Apparently he developed an online relationship with a girl by the name of Lennay Kekua, whom he never actually met in person. He was told that Kekua died of cancer on September 12, 2012. His grandmother had also died not long before Kekua was presumed to be dead. He publicly dedicated and played his games for the two women. So, his story began to gain public attention. On December 6, 2012, Te'o got a phone call stating that Kekua was alive. During this time Te'o was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, an award that an individual receives for being the best football player.
So Te'o found out on December 6 that the situation was a hoax, but continued to go along with his story. I, personally, can completely understand what Te'o was going through. This star football player, who has been dating a made-up person, is about to go on national television and doesn't want to be embarrassed in front of the entire world. The whole situation has to be completely humiliating. Sure, he lied when he said that he had met her, but he didn't think people would understand his love for a women that he had actually never met. I am in no way condoning his lies; however, I can understand why he did it. Give the guy a break. Many people speculate whether Te'o actually planned the whole hoax and was part of it. Let me ask this, WHY DOES IT MATTER? Who cares if he did make it up? He's just a 21 year old guy in college that plays football. It has nothing to do with the fact that he was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. That award is based on showing excellence in the skills as a football player, not whether or not this guy has a fake girlfriend. That is something called, HIS PERSONAL LIFE. This story wouldn't matter so much if everyone wasn't so worried about everyone else's life.
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