New Year's Greetings

I apologize for not updating as I should've. I was on a much needed break for the holidays. In fact the holidays are a good time to take a break from life. Many things have happened during this interval and my thoughts are now focused on my goals in life. I am lucky, in fact we all are to have new year's coming. For next year, I think I'm going to change a lot of things or I hope to at least. I want to have less stress and that can be achieved by changing my habits. It won't be easy by any far cry, but it is possible. For 2011, I will change my work ethic. Discouragement comes easy, so I will try and fix this. It's not going to be a complete reformation, but rather a subtle change in habits. That is how all change takes place, not by gigantic steps, but by small adjustments. So I wish you the best New Year's and hope to be different by the next one.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

Vanity, is the plague that has spread through all mankind. It is the single greatest act, that opposes everything selfless. Any action, any hint of kindness may easily be diluted by an act of greed. The most precious children's story of fighting egotism to me is Edward Tulane. Edward is a rabbit, the poster child for all dearly loved stories. Edward is vain and egotistic, and only lives for himself. His owner Emily, is the opposite of everything that he has become. She is an adoring little girl who esteems him as her love. There are some instances, where for a slight moment, Edward can feel the tenderness between them. Just as quickly as it was there, it is soon gone from his mind. 

Made of china and velveteen, he is soft and radiant. For him, his temporal value is worth more than any emotion or fondness. At many times, he grunts in disgust at the thought of such feelings. The world is his to command, and to him, Emily is his servant. For him, she is merely there to serve his needs. Mr. Tulane has little realization of the rarity of his connection with his lover. With such ignorance, what was his is taken away as Emily loses him to the world. 

Edward plunges into turmoil without his owner. As life often does, he is thrown around a few times. His love is gone, forever it seems. He is neglected many times, and others, shown intense compassion. His heart, breaking just as his velveteen body, finds no refuge in the cold world. Slowly, he comes to learn the value of compassion, love, loss, and happiness. Edward the Velveteen Rabbit, becomes more than just an item, he finds the human essence. He finds the highest form of affection. He realizes what love is. 

Now, I did not just tell this story without cause. As in all great stories, there are lessons to be learned. If not the most important is the degrading effects of vanity. Edward Tulane is made of glass; a fairly durable substance. Even with his strong exterior, he was not able to withstand the cruel environment. In reality, the most beautiful people may be the most conceited. With this disease comes consequences. The love that they might have dissipates and is swept away. It is corroded by the world they have embraced. The highest beauty, the strongest love cannot exist with vanity. Being said, they simply fade. 

Another lesson to be learned is the lesson of the worth of endearment. It is not simply an emotion, but an act. Edward had love, he had happiness. To his ruin, he did not see this. He did not notice the powerful emotions. Emily did give him this. She made an action. In return, our character acted out. He ignored these sentiments. This was his action. The point of this lesson is to help us to strengthen our lives. We can improve ourselves by seeing the love that we possess. We can see that we have been given so much and be grateful. The consequences for ignoring our gifts of charity are to have them stripped away. This is another thing that Edward depicts in our book. 

The last, and ultimately most momentous lesson can be found all throughout the book. It is that life will do everything it can to rob us of happiness. Edward encounters harsh weather, melancholy, loss, and regret. The parallel to this is that we happen upon these same things everyday. Life wasn't meant to be easy, I am sure of this. It was meant to be as challenging as possible. The extremities that Edward finds aren't new, they've existed forever. We can't let these things get in the way of our contentedness. The most rigorous trials are not impossible to survive. This is the crucial lesson the author is teaching. Most of all, learn that the rain falls, but you just have to dance in it.

Surviving Highschool

The hardest thing about being a dude is the pressure you are under. There is pressure from all places and people. Parents and teachers are probably the most sinister in this case.

I don't know if it is a thing with every school but my teachers are convinced that their single class is my whole life. News flash I have tons of other things to do besides the fact! I don't sit at home wondering what assignment you are making or what you are doing. I'm not sorry, and I don't like you that much so chill.

Id say parents are the next source of stress. My parents are pretty good about it but I know others aren't. In the minds of most moms and dads, their child is a machine who can work unceasingly. A "B" is a failure and means that the child needs social correctment classes. Anything less than a 4.0 is their idea of an idiot. It's one of my pet peeves to see a parent do this to their kid. Getting a b means that you are a good student who is doing well.

Lastly in the order, but definitely not least are the "popular" kids who sell themselves out for recognition. They are the worst part of being a teenager these days. If you ask me, doing anything to get attention is crap. Its like selling your soul to the devil. The cool crowd consists of a handful of kids, who i believe have done this. They treat the other 95% of the population like slaves. Their tirade of cruelty extends to the beginning of time. (compare them to the egyptians in the bible) When they victimize you, it feels like you might shrivel into dust. They are the epitome of terror for some kids. This is the pressure I'm trying to explain. The stress of not belonging in school is the single most frightening worry.

Sure grown ups have to pay bills, but the weight of having to make choices that'll effect your futures bears a heavier burden. The scars you get in high school will never leave and don't you doubt it.

Honoring Pearl Harbor

Dec. 7th 1941- A day for all the world to remember. It was a day that Japanese forces raided a U.S. base stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. It was a solemn day from sea to sea, many Americans were shocked to wake up and hear FDR's address. For the men who lost their lives and families of the soldiers on both sides, my heart goes out to you.
To remember the day properly, you have to take another perspective. Native people from Japan attacked and yet Japanese-Americans also were punished by the United States. It was decreed that anyone of Japanese descent was to report to an internment camp. Anyone who looked it or had it in their bloodline was immediately shipped off.
Imagine this; you are planning for the day. You are getting dressed and hear a knock at the door. There is a man with a rifle that orders you and your family to drop everything and come to internment. This means that you have to give up your house, say goodbye to friends and leave in a truck with a stranger. Many families encountered this insanity and many heard President Roosevelt's firm declaration. The prisoners were split from their families in most cases, and sent to live in an insanitary 'relocation' camp for years. Thousands of citizens of the U.S. were outcast merely because where there ancestors came from. For those that didn't, they were treated with hate and opposition. For the victims of such outrageous behavior the scars can still be seen in their memory and in their children. This was a time in America where freedom was paled by the calls of war. This was a time where hate and racism was again born on our soil and has remained there since. The footprint left by the mistreatment of these people is evident in the stories that are still told. They are grim tales of fear and abuse. Although it wasn't the holocaust, it was an unjust solution to a nonexistent problem. The ignorance that results in war always leaves its mark in both peoples and it will always be there. I tremble at the thought that if any of this happened today, my family and I might be placed in these prisons.
But it isn't just a tragedy, it is much more. Remembering Pearl Harbor in the proper manner takes more than thinking about the misdeeds. It is a time to honor the victims and families that will forever be effected. It is a time to reflect on mistakes and move forward. It is a time to forgive and forget our differences. This day isn't a time to mourn, it is a day that began a new era in America. By honoring the people who came before me in my culture and the people whose lives were ultimately given up, you truly recognize December 7th, 1941. It was a day that Americans turned on their own citizens and a day that will live in infamy.

A Small Smile

Sometimes I wonder why I am here, or even what I'm worth. In fact today, I thought this several times. In my melancholy, my friend came to me and made the hurt feel alright. With a smile, my doubt was washed away. It is a smile that is the human expression of love and tenderness. The simple, thoughtless action of a smile can turn the worst of days into a good day.
For me, true and pure happiness comes from anything that is pure itself.  Thus, any benevolent deed that results in a smile must be of good itself. It is true happiness that emanates inside of us when we choose to serve. Because this emotion gave me so much calm inside, I am sure that serving others will cheer me up when I am down.

A Little Guilty Pleasure

As a writer, it's hard to come by new and creative sayings or ideas. Writing is one of my guilty pleasures and I freely admit it. At the moment I have to stories in very slow progress. It's hard to balance all the stuff I have goin on. For me, writing a story is like creating another part of yourself. I put my heart and soul into the characters and in result, they share my personalities, subtle habits and fears. Their world is influenced by my world. I am fascinated by the human mind, and it's ability to perceive different emotions. For instance, in my story dreams give the reader an idea of what the character is thinking. I feel that cooking and writing are interconnected in the way they are produced. I take new thoughts and ideas and let them sit in my mind. I mix them with an array of creative plots and twists. My final ingredients are the emotions and thoughts of the characters. I sprinkle it with a little bit of opinion and it is cooked. I now have my story.