Every Change in Life Just Makes Room for Opportunity:

A veil of ignorance, or rather idealism, can end in disappointment. But, should you give up hope for fear of failure? Probably not. I know I keep myself guarded and closed off, because it's easier that way. But, do you realize how much you miss out on by taking the easy route?

If you want to do something, why don't you just do it? We let so many things get in the way & make so many excuses for our lives. Life is rather limited, but luckily it is composed of a multitude of our own personal decisions. So, we get to make the most of it, according to our own standards.

What are your standards? Do you let the current easily pull you along, or do you fight back trying to capture a beautiful shell? It's easy to float along the river of life, but it's much more of an adventure, much more worthwhile, making your own unique path. You'll find many beautiful things you may have missed going another way.

Every change, good or bad, defines us. It changes our lives. We can let those changes guide us or simply influence us. Choose to be different. Choose to learn. Choose to be stronger.

Sorry to interrupt! Not sorry enough to not do it:

Why does it seem we are always apologizing? We apologize for actions, appearances, thoughts... Why? After being brought to my attention, it really started to bother me. People apologize and make excuses frequently. Think before you act, and maybe you wouldn't need to apologize. What is the purpose of making an excuse for your actions? Just own up to them. I'm not going to apologize for who I am, and I'm not going to be someone I'm not. I shouldn't have to make excuses for myself. Io sono quello che sono: I am what I am. Why be anything else?

iCarly

Spencer: Sorry to interrupt!

Carly: Not sorry enough to not do it.

((Yeah, I totally just quoted iCarly!))

Live, Learn & Come to Your Senses:

I am a strong believer that being with someone does not mean changing yourself. You should still do the things you love and hang out with who you want. Granted everyone makes compromises, but they shouldn't manipulate your life. Girls seem to have an extremely hard time with this. No, I am not discounting the overly controlling, jealous type guys. However, we will focus on girls mainly because I am one of them :)

Back to what I was saying. Girls like to fix things. Not the way guys like to fix cars (hey, I'm a girl & I like that too!), but more along the lines of fixing guys they find to be "flawed" or "broken." These bad boys who are actually just misunderstood... right? Um... no. In high school, I was convinced I could help everyone, and my friends were certain I would become a psychologist. But, some people don't need or want help. They are who they are. And, I was never meant to do that as a living.

Eventually, everyone should realize they aren't going to change others, and you shouldn't want to change them. You shouldn't have to change anyone. You can actually find people who are already amazing & worthy of your time, effort, etc... Everyone changes with time, I certainly have. But, it can't be a forced process.

Not only do girls try to change these guys, but they also try to change themselves. Through all of the beauty magazines & movie stars, girls lose their self-esteem and confidence. They want so badly to be wanted, loved and considered beautiful. So, they have eating disorders & put on makeup. They change themselves to meet the standards of what they think guys want. So, not only have you lost your identity, you let some jerk treat you like dirt and use your body as a sex toy?

Most girls rarely learn. They use and abuse the nice guys so much that they usually end up becoming jerks in an attempt to get the girl who won't even give them the time of day otherwise. The thing is, if you can't see yourself as a beautiful and intelligent person, you can't convince yourself that you deserve better. So many people spend their time settling.

I have broken hearts of some great guys and some not so great guys. The latter I'm not going to feel badly about, they could have treated me the way I deserved but they didn't. However, the good guys... yeah, that sucks. But, you can't feel badly about being honest with yourself. You can't change the way you feel or force yourself to care about someone in that way.

So many people settle in life. But, at least I can somewhat respect the girls who settle for the nice guys. I can't respect the ones who stay with the pricks.

A Dream Within A Dream:

Take this kiss upon the brow!

And, in parting from you now,

Thus much let me avow-

You are not wrong, who deem

That my days have been a dream;

Yet if hope has flown away

In a night, or in a day,

In a vision, or in none,

Is it therefore the less gone?

All that we see or seem

Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar

Of a surf-tormented shore,

And I hold within my hand

Grains of the golden sand-

How few! yet how they creep

Through my fingers to the deep,

While I weep- while I weep!

O God! can I not grasp

Them with a tighter clasp?

O God! can I not save

One from the pitiless wave?

Is all that we see or seem

But a dream within a dream?

Edgar Allan Poe is certainly one of the authors I admire most. Ever since I first read Annabel Lee in junior high then wrote my senior thesis on the psychological processes of Edgar Allan Poe in high school, I have marveled at his writings.

Speaking of admiring talents, I have also consistently enjoyed Leonardo DiCaprio movies since I was eight years old. Yes, previously to Titanic. In fact, my favorites are The Man in the Iron Mask and Inception.

Combining the two along side the rather macabre elements, we can find a common denominator with Poe's A Dream Within A Dream and DiCaprio's Inception. Similar concepts with underlying masochism.

In a conversation I had recently, I mentioned how "everyone should have some sort of bucket list." To which I received the response, "making a list only leads to the possibility of disappointments." Grand. Considering my obsession with list making, I am constantly setting myself up for disappointments. I would have to be quite masochistic to purposely do this to myself.

Granted, to some degree that is true. In situations where you know better but you do (or don't do) something, anyway? Regardless of the most likely outcome or that things won't change, you continue to abuse yourself. And, everyone is probably guilty of that at one time or another. So, maybe we all have a bit of masochism in us. Yin & Yang.

Pens, Paper and Bleeding Ink:

Feelings. Both a blessing and a curse, to be cliché. It is painful sometimes, feeling something you wish you did not or would be better off without. But, it is not that simple. You cannot always change the way you feel. Occasionally, I run head first into a brick wall with this one... at least it serves for some grand songwriting.

My least favorite lack of control revolves around my feelings toward others. Although this can be a broad topic, let's stick to the ever overly discussed... Relationships. I am quite opinionated and, furthermore, rather blunt about it. I don't usually put my heart out there, but it is completely yours once you receive it.

"Soul mate: two little words, one big concept. A belief that someone, somewhere, is holding the key to your heart." - Sex and the City

Luckily, you can make copies of keys: for emergencies, for backup, for loved ones. Apparently, I have made a few copies... or maybe there were a handful of original copies that landed in the right hands. I have the best friends in the entire world. If they were action figures, they would come equipped with hot glue guns, Ben & Jerry's and the keys to my heart.

"Maybe our girlfriends are our soulmates and guys are just people to have fun with." - Sex and the City

So, with all the ups & downs... bumps & bruises... tears & heart breaks... I know I will have them. My own personal brand of superheroes. The Justice League to my Batman. And, when the pens run out of ink... when the paper is all used up... when the songs play their last note... I'll still have them. To make it better. To fix the cracks or share the smiles.

Lenses of Limitation:

I hate being told that I cannot do something or that my expectations are unrealistic. Why do those with limitations impose them on others? The dreams of the world are destroyed by them.

What if Einstein was handed limitations? What about Steve Jobs, Bill Gates? Stephen Hawking? Alexander the Great? Benjamin Franklin? The list could extend longer than you can imagine.

Why must one's dream be another's disaster? Is it so wrong to want more than this provincial life? As children, we dream. The little mermaid finds her feet, the beauty gets her adventure, the street-rat becomes as rich as the sultan, a man becomes a god, a female warrior saves her country...

If you see a limit, you will never overcome it. I've been told we filter our lives through lenses created of the things that hold us back. Well, I'm sick of the lenses. I'm sick of being told I can't. Because, I can.

Doing Good... No, you're not.

Just having that title bothers me... Let's (contraction for "Let us") review why:

So, I was sitting in class today and another female student was wearing a shirt that said, "Doing Good since [insert year here]." I severely hope that the shirt implied "doing good deeds," however, I still find it unacceptable.

In high school, an English teacher handed me my report card and stated that I "did good." No, I did not. I did well. I had good grades. Luckily, I was in the honors English class and not a student in this individual's class.

It bothers me how Americans slaughter the ONE language they are supposedly required to master. Is it really that difficult?

Good and Well.

Well - an adverb that describes a verb

Good - an adjective that describes a noun

Now, we should all know the differences between a verb and a noun. However if this concept boggles your mind, PLEASE do yourself (and the English language) a favor and visit the following website:

http://thewritersbag.com/writing-rules/the-wellgood-conundrum

To, Two, Too

To - preposition

Too - adverb

Two - number

For more in-depth definitions and examples, please visit the following websites:

http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000258.htm

http://www.elearnenglishlanguage.com/difficulties/totootwo.html

Their, There, They're

Their - denotes possession

There - refers to a place

They're - contraction of "they are"

Again, feel free to learn more at the following websites:

http://www.wikihow.com/Use-There,-Their-and-They're

http://www.better-english.com/easier/theyre.htm

Y'all NOT Ya'll

Y'all - abbreviation for "You all"

Ya'll = abbreviation for "Ya will"

...Why? Because, an apostrophe is a substitute for missing letters.

Some try to argue that "ya'll" stands for "ya all." Well, ya is not a proper word to begin with. Not to mention, that specific contraction would alter the pronunciation.

Please, note the difference between the two and stop blaming your grammatical errors on your region of origin:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y'all

Also note, I am not perfect and do not pretend to be. I make mistakes like every other human being on this planet. However, I try to learn from my mistakes. If I have an inquiry about my own grammar, I will research and find the appropriate correction.

I will most likely continue this blog when I am in situations that slaughter our language.

Happy Holidays! ... No, I don't think so:

Someone please explain holidays to me. Please tell me why we must continue to create ways to self-indulge on the materialism of the world. Tell me why Christmas and Valentine's day (among others) mean anything. I'm waiting.

You can't, because they don't. The meanings behind them vaguely exist anymore. Even the "Christ" in Christmas is being replaced with a mere "x"... The result, x-mas. Nice. Anyone can feel free to refute this, but I guarantee your Christmas list isn't blank. You want something from someone, and even I am guilty of that.

I apologize if I seem harsh or heartless... Wait. No, I don't. I am not bitter, either. I have never had an outstanding New Year, regardless of whether midnight was welcomed by a kiss or not. But, am I complaining about that? No. Because, New Years is simply celebrating the upcoming year and reflecting on the past one. It isn't supposed to be dedicated to anything (or one) greater, and I am grateful for the recognition of those years.

My problem is that people are never satisfied. In an attempt to receive gratification, they create holidays to fill their needs. Forget what the holidays may have originally been designed for. Can you honestly say that they still embody those ideals?

Exercise and eating right are great ideas in theory, but if they are not practiced they do nothing for you. Well, society has grown obese.