2:15 PM - You must let your children get hurt
Current mood: busy
Category: Life

I know I haven't written a blog in an inexcusable amount of time (has it really been just shy of a year!?), but I finally have something I feel the need to say.

Parents, you have to let your children get hurt sometimes!

Why am I saying this now?  Well, ever since I changed careers and became a nanny last August, I have been to many places where children get to run free and play to their heart's content, or rather, I've been to many places where children are supposed to be able to run free and play to their heart's content.

More and more these days, when I am at a playground or play area (such as the kind in McDonald's, etc), I witness parents hovering over their children constantly barking commands at them, "Billy, you better not climb that high, you'll fall and get hurt", "Honey, don't run that fast, you'll fall and get hurt".  Usually the children reply that they won't, only to be told, "Yes, you will". 

I can understand that parents want to keep their kids safe and out of harm's way, but to stop them from doing things that may seem a little risky (I am not saying to let them play with a loaded gun or anything, of course) you really are doing them more of a disservice to them in the long run.  The more you coddle children and actively take a role in keeping them from harm, the fewer life lessons they will bring with them as they grow.

Sometimes you have to let them do unsafe things so they can learn for themselves from trial and error.  You can always tell the coddled children from the rest when you're in a playground because the ones who have helicopter parents are way more fearful of standard child's play:  they go from being curious about the cargo net to being scared of it because any time they went near it their parents told them they'd get hurt if they climbed too high, they don't run as fast, and they don't seem to be having as much fun in general.  Every time it seems they are beginning to have a good time, in comes the parent to rain on their parade.

The other day I even heard a mother tell her daughter that she couldn't go down a particular slide!  A slide!  I couldn't belive my ears, really.  The over-protectiveness is just going too far. 

Don't the parents understand that if they don't allow their children to learn for themselves that they will lack skills to function in the real world later in life when their parents won't be there to take control of their every move?

For the future's sake, I really hope these parents realize what they are doing and tone it down some, I know that is very wishful thinking, but really, it needs to be done.

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11:00 AM - Endless summers
Category: Life

I can't believe the end of August is approaching.  I feel like just yesterday it was mid-October and I was packing up the stuff in my New York apartment when I was getting ready to move.  The one-year mark is getting closer by the day and I just wonder where all the time has gone!

I feel like time, in general, just slips right through my fingertips before I can even stop to smell the roses - so to speak.  It disappears into some far-off void, never to be heard from again.

Why must it do that?  How can summer be ending already when it only just begun?  I don't want shorter days yet!  It just isn't fair.

It makes me think back to when I was in school, especially elementary school…I remember when summer vacation would finally arrive.  It was always so exciting because summers back then really felt endless.

 I miss those days.

Oh, to be a child again where innocence and living in the moment made time stand still.  We didn't stress about not having enough time in the day like adults usually do.  We are way too aware of time and its passing.

All we cared about as kids was summer showing up and opening its doors wide for us to escape into a new dimension where teachers and chalkboards didn't exist.

I'd love to revisit those days, if only for a moment...wouldn't you?

Edit:  Based on what many have responded to this with, I think I might have been unclear on what I really meant when I said "I'd love to revisit those days..." 

I didn't really mean I wanted to go back in time, I just meant I wish that I could have that feeling again of summer seeming to last a long time, carefree and such, that's all...sorry for the confusion! :)

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7:50 AM - What’s wrong with people?
Category: Life

People in general really suck, did you ever notice that? 

Of course there are exceptions to the rule - all the people I know, for example - but in a broader scope I think the majority of the population really needs to get their act together (not that I believe they ever will).

Why am I saying this now?  I'll tell you.

It seems that everywhere I go I am surrounded by rude, selfish, disrespectful savages.

Was society always this unpolished and uncivilized? 

I go out in crowds and get bumped into or pushed out of the way without so much as an "excuse me" or "I'm sorry".  Instead, they rush off without so much as a look in the eye, I guess because it is easier for them to live with their behaviour if they don't see who they've offended?  Or maybe they don't even think about their rudeness because it comes so naturally to them?

I get cut in line in stores and public restrooms and even when a big deal is made of it, the offender almost always gets their way in the end no matter what, because nothing stops them.  You can make a scene of it, try to make them feel embarrassed by calling them out on their wrong-doing but they are shameless.  All they care about is that they are going to get their way.  The bottom line is that they don't know me, or any of the other people in line, so it is inconsequential to them to treat us with disrespect.

People with children are even worse, not only do they believe they and their kids are the almighty supreme beings who deserve to have the ground kissed beneath their feet, but they are teaching this behaviour to their children.  Instead of kids growing up learning that "please" , "thank you" and "excuse me" are necessary manners, they are taught to do whatever they can to get whatever they want. 

It's not a problem to the parents if their kid acts bratty and push and shove their way through a line in a park for a ride because it helps their parent wait less time too.  The whole thing is shrugged off as "kids being kids...what can you do?"...but the children are rewarded for this behaviour instead of corrected. 

Then, even worse is that the children who are just learning to be taught manners by the few exisiting people in the world who are decent and polite, see other kids all around them doing bad things and getting rewarded for it, making it harder for the parents to make their kids realize that doing things that way is wrong.

I was away with my family last weekend and we took my niece to Dutch Wonderland amusement park in Pennsylvania and when I say that the whole damn place was completely filled with obnoxious, uncivilized people it is no exaggeration. 

It got to the point where I was completely shocked and left in utter disbelief when a child of about eight or nine years old willingly gave up his spot in line and allowed my three year old niece ahead of him in a very long line for a water slide because he heard her talking so excitedly to me about getting closer to the front.

Another instance that left me astounded was when a little boy bumped into me as he was hurrying to keep up with his parents actually stopped and apologized for the offense.

I seriously wonder how we got to this point.  Why do people disrespect other people so much and not care?  Why don't people care about raising decent children anymore?

... ... ...

Am I just overly sensitive?  Is it not really as bad as it seems out there?  Do any of you notice the same trend as I do?  What's your opinion of it all?

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5:00 AM - Exclusive news coverage
Current mood: busy
Category: Jobs, Work, Careers

After a long absence,  I've  slowly started to get back into the swing of things here, keeping up with all your lives and also actually feeling words float up to the surface of my brain for me to dispense to you all.

It's a very refreshing feeling because I've had a nagging urge to come back to blogging for several months now and just couldn't think of a darn thing to say.  Pretty strange for someone who has a tendency to go on incessantly, huh?  ;)

Ok, back real topic though…

 I'll just spit it out:  I AM FINALLY EMPLOYED!  Yea, it might have taken me…*counts on fingers*…nine or ten months…but I do finally have gainful employment – well, I start on August 14^th ...close enough!

A few weeks ago my endless perusing of craigslist for any jobs that had nothing to do with paperwork or phone answering finally paid off as I happened upon a listing for a nanny being needed in the Derry area.  Bells rang in my head, "Derry!  I live in Derry!  That could SO be my job!" 

Granted, I don't have any professional experience caring for children but I've had enough hand in other people's children's care.  I also know that I'm responsible, and college educated, and all my references would say so if asked, so I figured I had a decent shot, and it sounded like my cup of tea.  Anyway, it couldn't hurt to at least inquire about it…so I did. 

I hit it off with the woman who posted the ad almost immediately.  After countless emails, two in-person interviews, and a few background and reference checks, the job became mine.  It's a pretty sweet deal too: Three days a week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday), from 7am-6:30pm and I'll actually be making more money than I was at my admin assistant job that I left when I moved from NY to NH back in October (Yes , I know you all are well aware of that move by now!). 

Needless to say, I am pretty excited and very relieved about this turn of events, as making no money was getting pretty old!

Along with accepting said job, I gave my word to my future employer that I would obtain certifications for First Aid and Child/Infant CPR before my starting job date, which of course I have no problem with at all – as I write this blog I have already completed the First Aid class successfully and probably will be in the CPR class at the very time you're reading it.  They are good skills to have anyway, so I'm glad to learn it all – plus my future boss has paid for my instruction, so it's definitely worth the time and money.

The child I'll be caring for is a three and a half year old boy who seems well-behaved so far, and shouldn't be a problem at all for me to handle.  He does have lots of energy and will probably run me ragged playing with him, but what three and a half year old wouldn't?  None that I can think of, that's for sure!  Plus, I'd definitely rather make good money playing with a child all day and doing a little cleaning than sitting behind a desk answering phones.

So, as you can see I am doing very well and things are getting better and falling into place more and more all the time.  Now all that's left is for me to start...it's less than a week away, wish me luck!

… … …

That wraps up my news coverage for now…are there any reports you guys want to fill me in on your own lives?

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7:50 AM - "The book"
Current mood: contemplative
Category: Friends

Back when I was in school, and I am sure most of you will be able to relate, note passing between friends was something just about everyone did while in class.   Whether it was young, love-stricken couples, or members of the school's most popular clique, or two best friends, they were all slipping notes to their friends while the teacher's back was turned or in the hallways between classes.

When it came to me and my best friend, it was no different – not at first anyway.  We'd write little notes to each other all day long, or draw silly pictures to try and make the other laugh out loud at the most inopportune time.  Basically, we did anything to pass the hours of boredom we faced in most of our classes.

After a while I got tired of having little slips of paper littering my backpack (it was no secret to anyone who knew me that I was anal about cleanliness and order when it came to my school stuff).  Also, when you find a  note months after it has been passed, the context is typically lost completely  because it is just a little snippet in time captured on a slip of paper, meaningful in its own way, but it's still hard to decipher its original purpose.   Those were the reasons I decided to start the tradition of "The Book" (in quotes because that is what we wound up titling said book).

I bought a little red notebook at the drugstore one day and took it with me to school the following day with excitement.  I just knew my best friend would love the idea I had as much as I did.

When she got to school that day I explained to her that from that day forward instead of writing to one another on little bits of paper, that we'd write our thoughts in this notebook and leave the pages in the book, which we'd pass between each other.  I was right, she did love the idea.

That first book was one of many that we wound up filling up over time.  The pages of those books are filled with everything from typical  conversations about school woes, endless ramblings about boys and how much we loved them (or how much  we hated them), to silly pictures and inside jokes, there's even a section where we created, and then spoke in, our own made-up language.  We were pretty strange individuals – and still are!

The thing about those books, and why I am writing about them today is that, we predicted it back then and it held true:  to read what's written on those pages so many years later is just amazing and such a great way to reminisce back to those times. 

Sometimes I pick up one of the books that I have in my possession (we both have several of them and switch off sometimes if we feel like reading the other ones) and I'll find something my sixteen year old self had written and thing, "why didn't I follow that advice?" 

She and I went through so much together in the years we kept up with those books, they even followed us into college.  Those books saw us through so many ups and downs. They were the place where many great times were planned. They were the place where many good times that wound up to be bad times were planned. They were the place where all the good and bad times were then celebrated over, or lamented upon.  Those books hold everything that was important to us, everything that defined who we were and what our friendship was all about.

There is something magical I feel when I decide to read one of those books because they were, and always will be a special kind of connection that only she and I can truly feel and understand.  I never kept such a book with anyone else, and would never dreame of it; "The Book" is sacred in that regard.

Now it's many years after the creation of the first book, and I live many miles away from my best friend, and we've recently agreed that we needed to start a new version of "The book", one that will travel many miles to get into the hands of the other. 

It might not be quite the same, but it means a lot to us because we've been through a lot and have come a long way in the last year.  We don't see one another very often due to the distance, and we really aren't online at the same time as much as we'd like to be.  We cannot, and will not, allow out newly strengthened bond to crumble away.  "The book" never let us down in the past and could be just what we need right now to help keep us together even while apart.

… … …

Have any of you ever had something special like this that you and your best friend shared?  If so, what was it and how long did you do it for?  Would you ever start again many years later?

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9:25 PM - Not quite gone
Category: Life

Hey everyone, long time no see, I know!  I've really been MIA in the blogging world these days for the most part, only popping into blogs here and there, but not saying much of anything. 

All is well with me, I just haven't really been in the mood for blog-related stuff lately.  Actually, I haven't really been doing much at my computer in general...I've been doing other very important things...like playing video games...

A quick update for anyone who wants to know:

-  I've been in New Hampshire for a bit over SIX months already, can you believe that??  I like it here, and don't regret the move at all.

-  Still jobless, but I do have a possible opportunity to explore.  I don't know much about it at the moment, though.  I hope it winds up working out, but we'll see.

- In the last few months I have patched up two important relationships with friends I thought I had lost forever, and I am very happy about that; it's great to have them back in my life. :)

...and that's about it.  As you can see, there really isn't anything huge going on with me right now, but I am fine with that.  I just know I am feeling good, and happy, that's all that matters anyway, right?

I don't have much more to say but I just felt like popping in to let you all know what's up with me lately.  I hope you're all doing well!

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12:42 PM - Thinking is good (public now)
Current mood: thoughtful
Category: Blogging

Technorati Profile

Yesterday, as I was getting my daily recommended intake of blogs, I clicked over to one Suzanne had published.  As I typically do, I gave the blog an initial eyeballing, which is just to get a feel for what I am about to read.  That was when I saw…my photo.

My initial thought was, "Oh man, the evil tag monster struck me again!", and then scrolled back to the top to see what it was that had been pinned on me this time.

Well, after I saw what the blog was all about, I was no longer grumbling inside over being chosen again.  Why?  Because she had picked me as one of her five selections for this:

 
Apparently, the idea behind this activity originates in this blog entry at "The Thinking Blog".  It is basically an attempt to expose your blog readers to other blogs you enjoy that feature quality, thought-provoking content.

The participation "rules" are the following (as quoted from the site):

The Lindsay:

~Sonya~:

Sonya's blog is a fairly new one to me, but in the short time I have been subscribed to her, she's shown that she is very thoughtful woman, whose mind is constantly working and pondering.  She shares views and feelings on many topics that are always worth taking the time to read, so I hope you will do just that.

 
Lanie (Girl With A Pen):

Lanie's blog is a mixed bag of all the best elements you could want in a blog:  fun anecdotes, random humor, slices of life, ponderables, touching 'from the heart' accounts, and more.  She mixes it up and is always a great read no matter which angle she chooses to approach each blog.  Discovering her blog made my daily reading even more enjoyable, and I hope she'll have that effect on you as well.

… … …

Alright, there you have my five recommendations, I hope you enjoy them all as much as I do.  If I have not included you in this list, please do not take offense – I enjoy all of my subscriptions but obviously cannot feature them all here.

Lastly though, I don't want to make any of my included feel obligated to participate, so I am not labeling them "tagged";  I will leave it as optional for them to do if they feel they would like to do so.

...and that about does it!...

Here are those links again:

     1.  Andy Anonymous
2.  Wayno
3.  The Lindsay
4.  ~Sonya~
5.  Lanie (Girl With A Pen)

Enjoy reading!

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11:31 AM - Just a little monkey business (with answers)
Current mood: amused
Category: Games

Once again, this time thanks to everyone's favorite pen-wielding girl, Lanie, I have been the target in another game of tag.  This one requires telling sixteen facts - half of them being true, and half being false – about my life.  I am not going to count though, so you might get less than sixteen, and the split of true/false might not be even (I will tell at the end how many are true and how many are false though, just to be fair).

In order to preserve my typical deviant behavior when it comes to such activities, I am opting to deliver these facts in the form of an autobiographical story, instead of just listing them (which was tempting to do since you all know about the love and affection I have for lists).

The following story is true, and false.  Your job is to read it and try to figure out which elements of the tale are true events in my life, and which of them are fictitious.  I will bold-face and re-color all the facts you are to consider.  Sounds easy enough, right?  Let's see how you do.

I have a great love of animals, which is something that's been true for as long as I can remember.  To this day, I continue to love most animals, (yes, "most", since I have an unexplainable fear of hippos) even though they, unfortunately, don't always seem to love me.

First I am going back, way back, to when I just a wee tyke, in diapers.  My mother had a little West Highland Terrier, named Joshua.  This dog was her pride and joy, almost as much as my sister and I were…maybe even moreso!  No matter how nice I tried to be to this little devil, the damn thing would constantly chase me around the old apartment, nipping at my behind like he was out for blood!  What did I ever do to him anyway? 

Then of course there was the time that I somehow angered a local pigeon in the courtyard of our apartment complex.  There I was minding my own business, playing with my sister and a few little friends from the building, when this kamikaze pigeon swooped down and landed on my head, and got his feet tangled in my curly hair in the process.  What a nightmare that was!

Another not-so-fun time was when an entire colony of ants somehow managed to make their way to my second-floor bedroom when I lived in my parents' house, and proceeded to overtake my bed and bookcases.  I could not sleep for days even after annihilating them all;  I get itchy and squirmy now just thinking about it!

Additionally, family vacations never seemed to be complete without some Erika vs. Animal incident.  Let's see, there was the time I got butted from behind by a goat (and got my two bottom middle teeth knocked crooked as a result), and the time a monkey jumped out of his trainer's arms and onto my back during a demonstration at a zoo. 

That's all, right?...sadly, no.  

While on vacations I've also:

-Had my duffel bag invaded by a snake while on a school camping trip

-Been chased by a badger through a parking lot in Colonial Williamsburg.

-Gotten stung by three jellyfish at one time in Florida

-Been bitten by a dolphin in an aquarium, also in Florida.

-Had twigs thrown at my head by a squirrel in a tree at some park in Vermont.

Needless to say, trips definitely were anything but dull if I was present, that's for sure!

…and there you have it, all the reasons why I should detest animals, or at least fear them a bit more, but don't!  (except the hippos!).

… … …

Truths:   6
Fallacies:  5

Have fun, and good luck guessing…I am not going to give the answers until most people have gotten a chance to guess.

As for tagging other people, I will have to tag my sister Jennifer, because apparently it is partly her fault that I got tagged in the first place.  I also will tag Troy, because it is payback time!  Also, one more for the hell of it, and because I think he'd want to play anyway, I tag my favorite Night Blogger, Deaner!

... ... ...

P.S:  Not that it really matters for anything but this is the 100th blog I've tortured you all with so far! ;)

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9:45 AM - Dating disaster number 1,432: The Faker
Category: Romance and Relationships

I was sifting through the memories I have of the last few years and randomly recalled a run-in with a particular guy who I think just might be one of the fakest people I ever met. 

Before I go on, I just want to point out that I am not bothered or upset by the memory at this point, at most it just baffles me for a moment when I recall the events that took place upon meeting him.  I can't even say it was humorous or anything, just strange mostly.  Maybe sharing it will provide some light or insight as to why this person acted as he did, given the circumstances and situation.

First, allow me to set the scene a little to give you an idea of where I was mentally and emotionally at the time:

I don't remember the exact date that this all happened, all I can really remember is that it was sometime in the summer of 2005.  At the time I was going though quite a bit of emotional turmoil because I was starting to feel very lonely.  I had been single for around two and a half years at that point, and all the dates I'd had up to that time resulted in more friendships than boyfriends. 

My self esteem was hitting bottom because I felt there had to be something wrong with me that made all the guys I met to just want to be friends and nothing more. 

I began talking to a lot of different men on the dating site that I was using at the time.  I'd give my attention to any guy who seemed even slightly interested in me as long as he didn't give me the creeps off the bat.

Now that you know the background that frames the whole thing, let me paint the rest of the picture for you as best I can, then you can decide what you think of the whole thing.

It was a Friday afternoon at work and I had finished my workload for the day.  All that was left to do was answer the phone if it happened to ring, and wait for five o'clock to roll around so I could go home.  I was browsing around the internet when I hopped onto the dating website to see if I had any new messages, which I did not. 

I was about to log off the site when I received an instant message within the website interface.  The person seemed friendly and not perverse (which was a very rare occurrence), so I clicked over to his profile to see what his story was.

He was a twenty-eight (or twenty-nine) year old lawyer who recently moved to the same city where I lived at the time.  He looked pretty good, a little lighter (weight-wise, not skin color) than I typically go for, but that was a minor thing so I didn't really care very much.  We exchanged a few messages and I felt he was safe enough to chat with on my regular messenger, so we traded handles and continued talking for the duration of the workday.

I was really excited by the time I went home.  I thought I actually may have met someone who was nice, and who seemed to like me, and actually lived only a few minutes away from me.  I was anxious to see what would happen with him.

I got home and hopped back onto the computer (which was typical for me just about any day of the week) and I saw that he was still online.  I messaged him and he seemed happy to see me on again so soon.  We began joking around about how we are both equally big losers for having no plans on a Friday night, but that we were okay with it since we had each other to keep us company.

We both logged off for a while to have dinner and such, and then returned later in the evening and continued chatting.

At some point around nine or ten that evening.  we somehow came to the conclusion that we really should have made plans for that night instead of just bumming around, because we were becoming a bored. 

He came up with the idea of meeting up and doing something, since it really wasn't all that late anyway.  I managed to agree to the suggestion, which shocked me because usually I am way too shy to meet people that soon after beginning to talk to them. 

The only thing left was to think of a plan, but really didn't know what we wanted to do.  We'd both eaten not long before and were not hungry for anything, and we didn't feel like going to the movies or to any bars or clubs.  That was when I got my bright idea.

I suggested that he could just come over and chill out at my place for a bit, maybe watch a movie or something like that. 

I know, before anyone tells me how stupid a move that was, and how dangerous that could have been, I really do know - it was just that I couldn't think of anything else to do, and he definitely didn't seem like the rapist or serial killer type; I didn't see any problem with inviting him over, so that became the plan.

I told him my address and apartment number and he said he'd be there soon.  I cleaned up the place, and myself, a bit and waited for him to arrive; He was there within the half hour.

When he showed up, we exchanged a friendly hug, and he started glancing around the apartment.  I gave him the tour of the place which lasted all of a minute since it wasn't a very huge place.  

He was raving endlessly about how awesome my apartment was and joked that I better get used to him hanging around cause he loved the place so much he already wanted to come back even though he hadn't left yet.   It seemed very positive to me that he seemed to feel so happy about being there and meeting me.

We sat around chatting for a while. He was being so incredibly nice to me with every word he said.  He had many compliments for me about everything he knew of me so far.  He was polite, and he didn't try anything with me that would have made me uncomfortable at all.  I felt that he was a complete gentleman trying to make a good first impression, and he was doing a great job.

After a little more time passed, we decided to pick a movie from my DVD collection to watch.  I let him pick the movie since he was the guest, so he did that and we started to watch it. 

About halfway through the movie we asked me if I could pause it for a sec, so I did.  He then went on to tell me that he was sorry but he was feeling really tired and thought it best that he better get going.  He further explained how long his day was at work and that he's had trouble staying up as late as he used to ever since he started this new job.  

His sudden change of energy and enthusiasm threw me off a little, but it seemed understandable, so I told him it was fine and that we could finish watching the movie another time.  He agreed and felt that was a great idea, and even made a whole production of making sure to write down on a slip of paper in his wallet the scene number and chapter we were up to in the movie, so that we could start from that point when he came back another day. 

To make a long story slightly less long (since it's too late to make it short), I never did see this guy again.  In fact, I barely even got to speak to him again, not for lack of trying a few times. 

I am not one to persist on a guy once a point is clearly made - verbally or not - so I didn't allow myself to become one of those psycho chicks that won't go away.  I did try to talk to him a few times after that, but he always had an excuse as to why he was too busy to talk, or he'd make small talk for a few minutes and then take his leave from the conversation for one reason or another.

I don't really enjoy being rejected, hey who does, really?  However, I am aware that people have likes and dislikes, and I can't possibly fit every man's idea of date-worthy material. 

The thing that really bugged me at the time was, why did he make such a production of complimenting me and acting like we were definitely going to be really good friends, etc.?  He could have just played it cool, felt out the situation and not be so gung-ho about the whole thing, of course inflating me and my hopes for it to become something more at some future point. 

I did  form a few possible theories about the whole thing at the time – maybe he really had a girlfriend and was just alone that night and looking for some fun?  Maybe he thought by being overly nice to me he'd 'get some' (you know what) from me easily?  Perhaps he didn't like me so much from the start that he got nervous and transformed his disgust into being overly nice to try and hide his disappointment?  The list could go on and on and I'd never know the reason anyway, since he was never man enough to just tell me why he decided to avoid me like the plague after that night. 

The only good thing about what happened is, as disappointing as it was at the time, I didn't take long to get over it since I only knew him for a day the letdown of losing him wasn't very big. 

Besides, it was his loss anyway, right?

… … … 

Now it's your turn: 

What do you make of this story and the guy's actions?   

Have you ever had any experiences similar to this one?

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10:10 AM - Life-altering events
Current mood: thoughtful
Category: Life

Every day we wake up to start our days.  We follow our morning routines, and go about our usual daily activities.  For the most part, we never know for sure what each day will bring, but we still have a pretty good idea how the day will go - as long as nothing out of the ordinary occurs.  The day typically passes us by without incident, and we are left with the next day awaiting us so we can start anew.

Every so often, however, the day doesn't just pass by leaving us unscathed.  Unexpected occurrences pop up to shake things up and test us from time to time.  The severity of these happenings can range from the minor to the life-altering.

Something I read the other day reminded me of a day from my past when one of those life-altering moments fell upon me and my peers.

The day started like any other:  Kids were hanging out in the hallway around their lockers, socializing, cramming for exams they forgot about, and finishing incomplete homework assignments.  The homeroom bell rang and we all headed to our respective classrooms. 

None of our lives would be the same after that point.

One of the announcements over the loudspeaker informed us that a fellow member of our junior class had died during surgery the night before, after being in a brutal bus accident the previous morning.

What?!?

Our ears had to be deceiving us.  Elizabeth couldn't be dead.  She was only fifteen years old, after all, and she was our friend.  She was smart, and beautiful, and cheerful, and so many other things, but she just wasn't…she couldn't be…dead…could she?

Yes, she could.  And she was.

It was, for most of the classmen, the first time a peer had died.  It was so unreal to most of us that we didn't know how to react.  Most remained silent; some broke down instantly into a sea of tears. 

We were shocked, saddened, angry, depressed, and scared.  We knew we would never be quite the same again after this.

It was the first time, for most of us, that we had to face the fact that we were not invincible.  I mean, we all knew somewhere deep down that anything has the possibility of happening to anyone, regardless of age or any other factor - we knew it, but we didn't give it much thought.  We liked feeling fearless and invincible; it gave us power like nothing else. 

Now, however, one of our own was stolen from us - not just anyone either.  She was one of the smartest, prettiest, most talented rays of sunshine anyone could have been privileged to know.  If she, of all people, could have such an unfortunate demise, it could just as easily have been any one of us. 

After that day, things started changing a lot.  Fellow classmates were less abrasive to one another, the general level of rowdiness decreased greatly, and respect formed between even the most unlikely of groups.

Her death fed a healthy serving of reality to each one of us.  It reminded us that we cannot afford to take the people we see each day for granted because we never know if that day will be the last time we get see them.

I am not saying that this one event miraculously turned every single junior classman at St. John's Preparatory High School into saint-like companions, or even close to that, but it definitely did change people and the way they interacted.

To this day I still think of her from time to time and about how unfair and unfortunate it was for such tragedy to hit such a wonderful person.  It is a constant reminder that, although I cannot live in fear of something bad happening, that anything really can happen.  It makes me remember that I need to live my life so that the people close to me know how much I love them, so that is what I try to do, and only hope that I succeed. 

… … …

Have you ever had any single event that totally changed an aspect of your life completely and permanently?  What sort of event was it, and what changed after it occurred?

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10:25 AM - Proving my insanity one blog at a time
Current mood: curious
Category: Life

In my nearly twenty seven years of life I have changed my hobbies and/or interests more times than I can count.  For some reason I just can't seem to keep my focus on any of them for a longstanding amount of time.

I know some people who are quite contented in doing the same things they have been doing in their free time for years upon years, and never tiring or getting bored of their interests.  I wish I could figure out their secrets.

Even when the common theme stays the same, such as my enjoyment in spending time on the internet, the things I do to pass the time constantly change. 

I can't think of even one hobby or interest I have consistently kept up with for longer than a span of a few years.  Sometimes I leave something for a while and go back to it after time has passed, but more often than not, once I stop doing a particular thing I don't revisit it.

One of the reasons I can think of for this is that when I get interested in something I tend to get rather obsessive.  I think what might happen is I exhaust myself on it because, instead of a gradual involvement, I throw myself into the deep end right off the bat. 

If it was a hobby of collecting something, I'd spend countless amounts of money on the collection and soon have nothing possible left to add to it.  I didn't have the patience to acquire things over time, I needed it all yesterday.

When I got into learning how to code websites back in the early 90's, I didn't just make one personal site and slowly build It up over time, I made twenty websites about twenty different topics, sometimes even several about the same topic just for the sake of making lots and lots of sites.

All of this, I think, also goes back to my constant obsession with trying to reach (unattainable) perfection.  I want complete collections, and flawless hobbies.  When I realize there is something that is going to prevent perfect immersion in something, I give up. 

I know it doesn't really make sense on any rational level,  but I don't think rationality was something my mind wanted anything to do with in those situations.

There was a time when I was truly absorbed into a particular video game.  In this game there were actual days, in the same way we have calendar days that pass.  When it isn't played on a particular day, the game knows this, and after a while there are consequences if you neglect the it for too long.

Well, of course I had to make sure I played at least once a day from the very first day of owning the game.  I was determined to keep it completely perfect.  I did this for several months (I believe it was four or five), never losing a bit of interest in the game at all. 

Then one day, I had to disconnect the television in my bedroom because I was getting some new furniture delivered.  I was annoyed that I was going to miss a day because there was nowhere I could play, but I wanted the furniture real badly too so I wasn't going to allow it to bug me too much.  "One day wasn't that big of a deal", is what I kept telling myself.

However, one day turned into over a week when the delivery kept getting delayed.  Sure, I could have gone through the trouble of bringing the television back to my room until I knew for sure the furniture was going to arrive, but the company kept saying it was going to be the next day, so I really didn't know when to believe them.

By the time I got the television hooked up after the delivery, I didn't touch my beloved game for months and months, even though I was anxiously awaiting a chance to play again only days before that. 

Why did I not resume my game?  I felt like it was completely ruined for me.  It was no longer perfect; I missed too many days, so I gave up completely.

That instance from my past really depicts the whole story of my life when it comes to just about anything I have gotten involved with over time. 

I've even noticed this happen to a degree with myspace. 

A few times I almost decided that I'd missed too many blogs when my page was completely filled from top to bottom with "NEW!" next to every item listed.  I felt like I somehow messed up my whole blogging existence by falling so far behind, so I almost quit altogether. 

Luckily I quickly realized how silly that would be, and just did the best I could with catching up with everything and it was ok…so you people are stuck with me! ;)

Has anyone else have this kind of thing happen to their hobbies or interests? 

If you're someone who's able to keep up with something for the long haul, how do you do it? 

...OR maybe I am just completely insane??  (Wait, I don't think I want to know the answer to that last one…).

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6:53 AM - Downward spiral in advertising?
Current mood: confused
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

Within the last few years I have started to watch more television than I have in a long time.  It started with a few online friends telling me to start watching American Idol back in early 2005.  Later, thanks to Andy, I was introduced to a whole host of shows that have me completely hooked (LOST, Battlestar Galactica, and Doctor Who, just to name a few). 

Since I am typically watching these shows when they first air, and not via a TiVO or DVR recording - like so many people do these days – I am subject to commercials…lots and lots of commercials.

Here is my thought for the day though, keeping the idea of commercials in mind:  Has anyone else noticed how much commercials have changed from the way they used to be?

When I was younger and had a few shows I liked to watch, I remember commercials actually doing what they were intended to do: entice and suggest in such a way to make the advertised product or service seem like something to be desired.   I am not saying this was true for ALL commercials, but I would say a good percent of them really did make me think, "Wow! I wish I could afford one of those" or "Man, that made me really hungry!", etc.

Also, in the past if a commercial didn't make me want to buy the product it at least entertained to some degree, even if just a little (though there really were some great commercials that used to crack me up every time). 

Now though, there are only a few select commercials that entertain, and hardly any that ever make me want what's being offered.  Most commercials I see these days don't even make apparent what they are even trying to sell me, let alone make me want to buy it.  Also, most are completely idiotic, and not in a humorous way.

Sure I have my exceptions to this rule.  I do like a few of the commercials I see in daytime television, like during The Price Is Right (a luxury only available to me because I am still currently unemployed...).  Sure, I might not be in the market to buy any of these things, but how could I not be entertained by a bunch of elderly people 'dancing' to the Beach Boys in Hoveround scooters, or a group of old men nearly killing each other with golf balls as they attempt to play golf while their hearing is impaired? (Mind you, I am not making fun of old people but if you see the commercials they are pretty hilariously put together).  There are a few other exceptions to the rule as well, but I think you get the idea.

With so many commercials out there in rotation, how can it be that less than a dozen of them really entertain or entice?  The majority of them just make me groan in an "Oh man I can't believe they actually think this will work" kind of way.   I'd give specific examples but honestly there are just too many of them to even try to single out a few.

I see everything from very obnoxious music playing for the length of the commercial while I am supposed to magically know what the commercial is advertising, to horribly thought out attempts at humor that come off as flat out stupidity of the worst degree possible, with laugh factors of zero. 

There are no longer many silly catchphrases or jingles getting stuck in my head, and way too few laughs to be had from watching.  The only good thing to come of this is I save money because they make me want to avoid their products rather than buy them!

What happened to advertising?  Are they so wrapped up in trying to be hip (and failing, in my opinion) with their funky music and imagery, and dumb humor that they lose sight of what they are supposed to be trying to do?  Or maybe I am just not in the grouping of people that they are aiming their marketing at?

What do you think? Do you agree or disagree about television advertising in this day and age?  Am I missing something here? (if I am, please fill me in!).

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