Life is a.....

To be honest this is probably my fifth or sixth time trying to write this particular blog so hopefully the right words come out this time. Truth be told I've known what I want to say but it never comes out right. The past few months I've really opened my eyes and tried to see the big picture. To see what this life is about. I've spent countless hours watching people or sitting in my car and watching the stars just thinking about life and this is what I came up with.

Life is a (insert word). Things happen and it sucks. It seems like everyone around us is either dying or sick or hurting and it sucks. It hurts more than anything else in this world in my opinion to see other people suffer.

Six years ago my life changed, as I've said over and over and over again. I've never told absolutely anyone what I went through emotionally, though. After I came out of my drugged out dream world, that I don't remember for the most part, I had to face reality. Everyone has always known me as a positive person and thought it was easy for me to go through what I did. That can't be anything but the farthest from the truth. I laid in bed every night for a month wondering what I was going to do with my life. It hurt to lay there, just fighting my emotions in an unknown world.

I can remember this day vividly. I was laying in bed thinking about why this had happened to me. Just watching the lines on the monitor go up and down. Watching the clouds pass slowly in front of the sun. Fading in and out of the dull, grey world I was drowning myself in. The pain I felt inside was indescribable. Then I thought, why does life have to be like this? Full of hurt. Full of pain. Then I realized, it doesn't. In a single thought my life change. My world became brighter.

When life throws you opportunity, grasp it. If you get the chance to do something that you think is crazy or you normally would never do something like that, why not do it? I'm not saying be stupid and ruin your life but do something positive and make your life worthwhile. Its scary to think how unbelievably fast life can be taken and you only get one shot at life so why not give it your best shot. Go new places and meet new people. Take that trip you've been meaning to take. Say hello to a stranger or stand up for something you never have. Don't miss the chance to just be yourself. Just stay positive and have fun. Try to do something different every single day of your life.

The Point-

If your hurting or are lost in life I know exactly what your going through. I've been there. Life is a (insert word), but don't drown yourself in the hurt and anger. Live life to the absolute fullest and chase your dreams. It doesn't matter how crazy they seem. If you don't and you let yourself, someone or something hold you back, you will regret every single day of your life after that. If your not happy then whats the point? Tomorrow do me a favor. Do something you've never done. Just say hello to a classmate you sit beside or go skydive or just take a walk under the stars and get back to being yourself.. Well, I think this is what I've been wanting to post so I hope everyone enjoys it! Have a awesome life and BE YOURSELF!

Thanks to the friend that talked with me. You know who you are.

Last Words

Well it's definitely summer time outside. I hope everyone is enjoying the heat, sunshine and the good times that come with it as much as I am. It seems I start my posts out the same way here lately and that's by apologizing for being late, once again. Well this time I'm not because well, it's summer and i'm a slacker and procrastinator just as much as the next person.

Anyway, awhile back I asked people on Facebook for feedback and suggestions and that's exactly what I got. I was overwhelmed with all the positive feedback and it's help push me toward great things. The few suggestions I got were really good ones and I've neglected them until now. So this one is dedicated to everyone who wrote me with feedback and suggestions and it's specially dedicated to the person who suggested this topic. I hope you know who you are.

The reason it took me so long to write about this is I usually like to have two stories with every post but I only have one for this one, so lets hope y'all enjoy it.

The Story-

When I was in the hospital, my days consisted of the same schedule everyday. Wake up, get dressed, hop in the chair, take meds, head to therapy, get my ass kicked, eat lunch, more therapy, spend the late afternoon/evening not doing anything, eat, sleep and repeat. After our therapy was over in the afternoon we had about 7 hours to literally sit around and do nothing. Well, most of us would spend our time outside simply because we were trapped inside for the other parts of the day. While we were sitting out there we tried not to get pooped on by pigeons(seriously this is the weirdest spelled word on planet earth), thought to ourselves about where our lives were to lead and lastly, we talked. We told stories from the day, stories from the past, how our accidents happened, and basically any kind of story you could think of just to pass the time.

During these hours of shooting the bull and story telling we gained knowledge that was just as important as the therapy we were in and most of all we made friends. Friends who we've never known before but trusted because we had nothing else.

-Before I tell the rest of the story you need to know a few things about the therapy place. It wasn't just for people like me. It was for stroke victims, the brain injured, people who had no idea what was wrong with them and just about anything you can think of. I've never told anyone this next part and I really don't know why but it's one that needs to be heard.

During my months I was in this place, I noticed everyone who was in there. There was was a certain guy, who was from the 3rd floor(Brain injury floor) who I kept noticing but never really met because he was never outside. Along with this guy, was another guy who was at his side all the time and never left, so I figured he was a helper of some sort. One day, while I was sitting outside by myself, waiting on everyone to come out at join me, an unfamiliar voice asked me if he could join me for awhile. I turned and look to see who it was and saw the face of the "helper" I had never met before. I introduce myself, as did he and he said his name was John. After a few minutes of talking I finally got the nerve to ask what happened to the guy he was taking care of. He chuckled brokenly and said "well, it's a long story." I said "I have as much time as you do so tell if you want to."

A troubled look came over John's face and I told him he didn't have to and he replied with no, he's been needing to talk about it. The following was his story:

"You know, it's funny how life works sometimes. You know that guy I'm always with? That's my best frie.... Well, was my best friend. I've known him since I was 5 years old and we grew up together. We did everything you can possibly imagine together. About a month before he was injured we got in a huge fight over the stupidest thing you could ever imagine. I ended up punching him, telling him I hated his guts and to never talk to me again. Well, I haven't spoken to him since that day. You see my friend has a brain injury and he can't really think, act or talk by himself so I'm here learning how to take care of him and what not." I said "well that's great you were able to put the past behind you and help him." He continued "Yah but the thing is, my friend is brain dead now and the last memory he has is of my hating his guts over something stupid."

The Point-

This was probably one of the most heartbreaking stories I've ever hear in my life but I'm glad he told me. You see, we all have family, friends, colleagues and even enemies that we take advantage of. We go to sleep at night knowing that they'll be there the next day. But what if they're not? If you woke up in the morning and something happened to someone you loved, would you be content with how you last left them? My answer to that is no and I'm pretty sure yours is probably the same. Don't ever take for granted that your loved ones will always be there, because they won't. Let them know how much they mean to you in any way possible. If you do this, it will hurt when they leave but I can promise you it won't hurt nearly as bad. If your not as good with talking to people and telling them how you feel, write them a letter or simply just tell them to read this. They'll get the message, I promise.

Well, until next time, stay safe and I love you all.

Rich

Gah, it seems like forever since I've written anything, well, probably because it has been forever. I know it seems like my last few posts have all started this same way but the truth is I'm working on a bigger project right now. So, once again I sincerely apologize for neglecting this blog and all my readers but I will try my hardest to write more often. Also, for those of us in school or have kids college that are now out and home for summer, I hope your enjoying every second of it as much as I am.

With it being summer, I've had the privileged to see all of my friends once again and catch up. One night I was hanging out with a friend and we were discussing our semesters and school in general when we came across the topics of where our lives were going or where we wanted them to go. Things lead to other things and we started to discuss the meaning of being rich.

The King-

There once was a boy who was fascinated with building things. He would spend every day of his childhood gathering materials to build miniature palaces and kingdoms. Soon the boy grew older and eventually ruled over a huge kingdom that was passed down from his father. The king had everything you could possibly imagine. Everything from gold to all the wives he wanted to exotic animals from all over the world and a huge palace to put all his riches in. He spent his days scheming and plotting new ways to gather new riches and expand his kingdom further and further until it eventually became the largest kingdom in history. Over time the king grew ill. He became sicker and sicker as he grew older and older. One night while on his death bed, the kings oldest son, who was due to inherent the kingdom, came to visit the king. The son noticed the the king looked unhappy and asked what was wrong. The king replied "Son, I have a heart of greed that's filled with nothing but loneliness."

The Beach Bum-

There one lived a boy who loved to play in the ocean. He would spend his days playing in the waves and eventually developed a passion for surfing. As the boy grew up into an adult, he began entering surf competitions. For the first 5 or 6 years the man was broke. He lived in a shack near the beach, drove a old rusty car and spent his days perfecting his surfing techniques and enter more and more competitions. The man was insanely good and had multiple sponsorships. As the man grew older, he eventually married and had a son. They still lived in the shack, drove the old, rusty car and spent their days surfing. This is what amazed the other local people. They all talked behind his back, saying he had a drug problem and this is where all his money went. One day, the locals found the man laying on his surf board on the beach. One of the men searched the body and found a note and map reading: "Half goes to my family and the other half goes to charity." After following the map to the mans house, the found a chest with millions of dollars stashed away.

The Point-

In my first story the king had everything that he thought would make him happy but then realized when he was dying that he was unhappy. In my second story the bum followed what his heart desired and what made him happy. He could of used all the money he won to buy everything he ever wanted but he realized that he didn't need these things to be happy. His happiness came from following what his heart desired.  When I was discussing what our futures hold with my friend, we both realized we were going to school for the wrong reason. We were both going to school to hopefully get rich. That's when I realized that having money and other riches doesn't define happiness. Being rich means following your heart and doing what makes you internally happy. So if you love to sing, sing. If you like to help people progress, become a therapist. But whatever you do, do it because you love doing it. If you don't you will never be happy with what you are doing.

Meanings

Ok, I guess I've been neglecting this long enough but for us college kids the past few weeks have been quite hectic. That's right, we spent countless hours burying our faces in books trying to learn a semesters worth of knowledge in just a short time. So congratulations to everyone who has made it through another dreadful few months and double gratz to those who have made all the way through and finished up their last semester ever!

So last night I sent a post out on FB to see what my next topic would be and it seemed everyone wanted me to talk about "Plan B" or "Friends." Well I woke this morning after spend a majority of last night thinking about what to write in these and was preparing to write when I noticed I had a message from a friend I had not heard from in quite awhile. She is a reader of my stuff and had very sincere message giving feedback as I asked in the previous blog. So I know I promised to write what y'all demanded but this seemed more meaningful. I'll get to the others, just not today. Sorry if your disappointed and if y'all really want I'll write another one within the next few days. Just let me know.

Story 1-

This is a story of a girl who grew up living life as a normal kid(We'll call her Sam). Sam went to school everyday just like everyone else and was one of the more popular kids in school. She liked to have a good time so she didn't pay much attention to her actions or the things she said. Growing up in a small town, her family was close to each other, always being there and supporting each other through the thick and thin. On July 21, 2004 a young boy was born into Sam's family. Not knowing yet but this young boy would have an impact on the her life forever. The boy was diagnosed with Mytochondria and was told he wouldn't live passed the age of One. He can't see, talk, walk or eat on his own and has severe seizures. Sam became very close to the boy by learning how to care for him and eventually created an emotional connection with him. One day Sam went to the grocery store to get a few items and ran into a friend so they decided to shop together. While shopping they noticed a lady and her son who had a mental handicap. The friend saw the boy do something and said "Hahaha, Sam, did you just see what that retard did?"

Story 2-

I was with one of my friends that I had not seen in awhile due to college and we were getting ready to go out and have a night on the town. After we were ready, we hopped in the car and went to the bar where we were meeting a group of others. Upon arriving, we go in and start shaking everyone's hand and telling everyone hello. One of my more crazy friends came up and said "TK, whats up my crippled friend?" I replied with my normal "not much dude, how have you been?" After we caught up, I introduced him to the friend I came with, who had had a disgruntled look on his face. As the night went on I could still tell there was still tension between to the two, so after we left I asked my friend what was the matter. He said "Did you hear what that guy called you? That didn't bother you?"

The Point-

In theses two stories, there are words used that are offending. These are words that we use in every day situations without even realizing what the true meaning of the word is. These words don't just effect the person they're directed to but others connected to this person too. In story 1, Sam's family member is not only highly offended by this word but Sam is also. Sam hates hearing these words because despite of the boy's disabilities, he has fought and proven against the odds. The boy is now 8 years old even though he's a "retard" he's done more in his life than any of us have. In story 2 my friend called me crippled. This had absolutely no effect on me because I could care less what people call me. On the other hand, my friend was highly upset by the gesture and would of probably fought the guy if I would have let him. So when you go out these next few days pay attention to the words you say. You may not mean anything by it but to others words DO hurt, not only the directly affected but those around them too.

Poker

Well its been awhile so sorry to the people who actually read these things. The good news is that school is almost over so i'll have time to post more(eh, maybe, depending on how my laziness is going) but i will be continuing these until i feel people no longer read them. Now, with that said, after you read this i want you to do a favor for me. Drop by my Facebook page and drop some constructive criticism in my inbox(both good and bad.)  Tell me what you like, dont like and anything you want my to write about. This will help me improve my writing skills and it will also give me ideas of what ya'll want as readers. Please don't be scared as this will help both you and me. Even if you don't know me well, DO IT! =]

Anyways, enough rambling.

I have two stories for today's blog and one is a little embarrassing because as a guy i don't have emotions right? hah.

After my accident, I went threw multiple hospitals for medical care and therapy both. In the beginning I was at Memorial Herman hospital for my intense medical care but after this I was transferred to TIRR. This is where I was forced to retrain my thinking both mentally and physically. I was admitted here 3 times throughout 2ish years i think. on my third trip there my routine consisted of therapy from 8am til 4pm on and off. Then we had the rest of the day to be insanely bored and were left alone to waste the day any way we could find how too. So I spent them roaming the halls or sitting outside trying not to get crapped on by birds.

During all this free time i had i was forced to think, whether i wanted to or not. Although i didn't want it to, my mind was insistent on pondering a few things. 1) where was my life going? 2) how am i going to do all the things i used too? 3) why does my life suck so bad, why me?

Story 1.

Sometime during this 3rd trip, I had a life opening moment. One day I was sitting in my room eating lunch and watching re-runs of the Simpsons. After i finished my lunch it was time to head back downstairs for my afternoon therapy that started in 15 mins or so. I proceeded out of my room to the nurses station to ask for my meds and had to wait for her to get them. While waiting I was spying through the open door of another patient. He was laying in bed motionless. He couldnt move any part of his body. Had to breathe with the assistance of a tube going through his neck. While he laid there motionlessly sleeping, his wife, a middle-age Indian woman, was crying at his side.

Story 2.

It was a great time of the year for Wharton County. That's right, the smell of cotton candy, funnel cakes and cow crap filled the air. It was fair time. This means for the next week we had nothing to do but watch the rodeo, ride the rides, enjoy the shows and watch the bands preform. One night I went out with a good friend of mine to watch a band preform and dance the night away. Everyone seemed to be having a good time laughing and dancing to the tunes the band screamed out. Everyone that is, except for me. I sat in the corner watching my friends have fun because i couldnt dance due to the dirt floor. The dance ended and my buddy and I proceeded to the truck and started to drive off. Then it hit me. I started balling my eyes out. My buddy asked what wrong so I told him how bad it made me feel to not be able to do something. We both continued to cry our eyes out until we got to my house.

The Point-

What I want you to gain from these stories is not how bad life sucks, but how amazing your life is. When I was sitting there watching everyone laugh, dance and enjoy themselves it sucked. A week later I was thinking about this happening and i remembered the guy from story 1. Then thoughts jumped in my head. TK that guy would have done anything to be able to get out and and away from the bed he was trapped in. To hold his wife in his arms and never let go. And your crying about not being able to dance? This is when I realized my life is awesome. Everyone is dealt a hand in life and you get the cards you get. You cant change the cards but you can change how you look at them. So what my hand may not be awesome but its the only hand I have. I'm going to throw all of my chips in and live my life to its absolute fullest. No matter how bad you may think your life is, I can promise you that somewhere out there, someone has it 10 times worse and feeling down about your situation won't make it any better. So now its time for you to decide, how are you going to play your hand?

Don't forget to drop by my FB!!

Masks

As you all have seen I've been on a rampage about this stop bullying stuff. It's actually had a big impact on Facebook so I'm really glad people are standing up for things that have no concern for themselves. Following what you believe in is one of my main goals for this blog AND its actually working. So thank you to all my readers and people who have thrown me encouraging shout-outs.

While reading the stories and watching all the videos on bullying, which had to be at least 100 total documents, I developed my next idea for the blog. I asked my self one simple question. "Why do certain people get bullied and others don't?"

Well the answer was simple. It's because they don't fit in with the norm and are different in some shape, form or fashion.

But wait TK, in your blog "Definitions" you pointed out that no one is normal.This is correct. The reason people fit into a crowd and aren't different is because they mask who they are. People would rather be someone fake and fit in than be who they really are and stand out from the crowd. That's why being smart or  being the good girl instead of being dumb or a slut makes you uncool. When did this world become reversed of how it should be?

With all this being said, I decided to try a little experiment. Lets all unmask our lives. By showing who we really are there won't be "normal" people anymore, just a bunch of outstanding individuals. Awesome idea right?

Well since it's my blog and my idea to do this I figured I'll be the big guy hand go first. I'll share things that almost no one knows about me.

1. I'm a closet nerd. Not the kind that buries themselves in books but the geeky, gamer type. I absolutely love playing video games on the PC but I never really told anyone because I didn't wanna be called a nerd or geek.
2. I love classical music. It relaxes me and helps me open my mind. In fact, im listening to it right now. So if you don't like this blog, maybe I listened to the wrong song or something.
3. I am absolutely terrified of letting anyone get close to me emotionally. Everytime I try and let someone into my life, I push them right back out when they get to close. I'm a working progress though.
4. I can't stand to let people down. If I fail them, I've failed myself.
5. I would much rather have a good girl than a slut any day. I can't stand to see someone who is beautiful on the outside but on the inside is rotten to the core.

Well thats all I can think of right now but if you ask me a question i'll be happy to answer it 100 percent truthfully.

OK, now that Ive done it, it your turn. Post one thing that no one knows about you on Facebook. If you don't, your hurting no one but yourself. Don't be scared, people are going to judge you either way so why not give them the truth.

The Point-

People get bullied for actually being themselves and the bullies are usually the ones with the masks on. Am I the only one who thinks that backwards? Lets take the first step together on getting things back to how they should be. Who knows, maybe we'll save someone from getting picked on or beat up. Unmask yourself so we can see the beauty underneath.

Dead Tree Theory

Well this past week has been rather relaxing. I hope all of you had a fun and safe spring break. I also may have some big news for the blog in the future so lets keep those fingers crossed and hope everything turns out. If it does I'll be going in the direction I've always wanted!

Dead Tree Theory-

One thing I've found myself enjoying is driving. I like to just drive to clear my mind and let my mind wander. One day I was taking my 20 mile voyage back from the prestigious grounds of the WCJC campus, looking at all the unplowed fields and pastures filled with cows when I noticed a dead oak tree. I know what your thinking. What in the world can you get out of a dead tree?!? Well what I got out of this dead tree was life. It symbolizes our life as a whole.

All deep thinking aside for a second. What are the parts of a tree? Roots, a trunk, branches and the top of the tree. Ok, now back to thinking deep. How could this symbolize out live?

The Roots-

The roots represent everything that has came before us. These are things we cannot change but will someday influence who we will become. These are things such as our family, our heritage and all the things that will touch our lives from the moment we are born.

The Trunk-

The trunk represents our life from when we are just born until we become adults. This is a time when our friends and family will make or help us make most of the decisions that are necessary to get through life in the direction we are supposed go in. This will also influence our lifestyles greatly but for the most part you life will be pointed in the direction for success.

The Branches-

The branches make up most of the tree splitting in all different directions. This section of the tree will symbolize your adult life, where you make the choices the will set the path you decide to go in. Right from the beginning the branches split. This represents your first choice or decision that will majorly effect your life. From that split the branches take two or more directions. Then, from these branches there is another split representing another choice and so on.

The Tree Top-

This will be the end of life. This is where everything you have done in the past has led you too. You can't go back and change it, where you are now is where you're stuck at. All the past decision have led you to this final spot.

The Point-

Your life is a dead tree. Like I said earlier your parents will start you off in the general direction needed for success. Once you become an adult you will be forced to make choices and decisions that will have effect on your life. Every thing you do sets you on a new path of direction and there are only a few paths that will lead you to the top of the tree. Are you on this path? or will you be at the bottom of the tree. Every decision is yours to make and only you can decide where you will be at the end of your journey. And remember you will be someones roots one day.

 "You don't set out to build a huge, perfectly sculptured wall. Instead you lay each individual brick as perfectly as it can be laid. This will eventually lead to the most perfectly built wall. Now apply this to your life." -- Will Smith

Stand. Fight. Conquer.

I was sitting in class today and received a text from my aunt. She asked how I've been and blah blah blah. She also heard about my blog and asked for how to get to it so i'll be putting a link on the "info" page of my Facebook. Anyways, after talking to here I realized how long its been since I've posted, so here I am. It was encouraging to learn that these things are actually making an impact, so thank all of you for spreading my page around :)

Also, while talking to my aunt(who is originally from Ohio), I learn a terrifying fact. I'm sure that most of you heard of the shooting at Ohio st., if not look it up.http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57385711/1-dead-in-ohio-school-shooting-suspect-detained/ Well, from what i gained, the shooter fired ten shots. 5 of which ended up hitting one person who survived from a teacher pulling him into the hall. This person happened to be my Aunt's cousin. From what I know, he is now out of ICU but will probably be paralyzed. So send out that prayer chain for him.

OK, onward with this post.

I've been wanting to put this topic in my blog chain but needed a story to go along with it. Well, the past week has brought me 2 stories. See if you can pick to the subliminal message before you read "The Point."

Kony2012-

This is a story about a group who went to Africa almost ten years and learned that this part of Africa was being run by a terrible man named Joseph Kony. Kony captures kids and tortures them, forces them into sex slaves and forces them to fight. After the group learned of this terrible happening, he returned to America determined to make a difference. He started a program called Invisible Children inc. This program set out to aide the helpless in Africa and has the ultimate goal of justice against Kony, who is the most wanted international criminal. On March 5th Invisible Children inc. launched Kony2012 to spread awareness of the event. That was two days ago. The Youtube video now has over 7.3 million views. 7.3 million views in TWO days. Click to watch. It takes 30 mins but its worth every second. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc

School Happening-

I was at school a while back when i just got out of class and was heading back to my car. If you've ever been to WCJC you know that they banned smoking on campus so this means all the smokers crowd in a circle in the parking lot. Well on this particular day they where out there and talking obnoxiously to each other.

 There is this guy I see every day going to class. Anyone can pick him out of a crowd because he walks with a limp and has a scar on him head from brain surgery(we'll call him B ob.) I've met him before and he's an awesome guy. Has a wife, little girl and lives his life as normal as possible. We'll I proceed down the ramp and pass Bob, giving a quick hello and keep going to my car. This is when I heard the most obnoxious of the smokers start making fun of how Bob walks and making derogatory statements about his mental state. Now if you know me, I usually don't get mad at anything but this absolutely set me off. The next few lines is how the conversation went between me and ol' smokey. WARNING: There are words that may offend some so don't read if you are easily offended.

Me: (in a calm voice) Excuse me sir.
Ol' Smokey: yes?
Me: WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?
(all 5 of them look at me like im some kind of ghost)
Ol Smokey: huh?
Me: I heard you making fun of that man and frankly i don't appreciate it
Ol smokey: I'm sorry man, I didn't mean anything by it
Me: if you have one/ ounce of respect in your body you would never ever do anything like that. And for your gah damn information, the person you make fun of every day served in the Army, fighting for ignorant ass and this is how you choose to repay him?
Ol' smokey: I'm, I'm sorry, I didn't know.
Me: Next time you even consider making fun of someone remember what I just told you. Also, Next time you see Bob I want you to apologize because he knows you've been doing this. 
I turned to see Bob watching through the door. He smiles and I wave him goodbye.

The next day I talked to Bob and Ol' Smokey did apologize. He even apologized to me when I was leaving later that day and still to this day he says hello to me.

The Point-

The point behind both of theses stories is that we both stood up for something that was greater than us. When is the last time you stood up for something besides yourself? If you truly believe in something you need to STAND up for it. If you continue to FIGHT and fight and fight for something you believe is right then you will eventually CONQUER your goal. It might take a long time such as Kony2012 or it could happen in a few seconds like my example.

During the next week I want everyone to just take a look at what is happening in there environment. Find something you believe in and stand up it. Nothing is ever going to get accomplished by just sitting back and doing nothing. In fact, I think that not doing anything is the easy way out. Try and get others in on this too. Repost my blog, write your own or anyway possible. Today is the day for you. It's your turn to Stand. Fight. Conquer.

Simplicity

As many of you know I've faced many challenges in my life. Going through these experiences you realize it's really easy to get down. After coming to terms that getting down and depressed won't get you anywhere I created a short list of rules.

I've I live by 3 rules:

1. The Golden Rule
2. Never forget your dreams
3. Revel in Simplicity

The "Golden Rule"

Treat others as you would like to be treated. There isn't any excuse not to. I find to often that people are selfish and think no farther than what benefits themselves. I try to follow this but I know everyone slips every once in awhile, I'm guilty of it myself.

Never forget your dreams

As you've all read previously my blog about dreams. People often forget their dreams and stray from the path they originally set out to pursue. Just keep those dreams rattling around in your head and you'll be just fine.

Revel in simplicity

This is my absolute favorite rule of the three. People often tend to live life in a rush. I can understand how its easy to get caught up in everything because life has a funny way of throwing everything at us at once. Being in a rush we often overlook the beauty that come in the simplest things. One of my favorite thing to do is drive to my grandpa's house and just sit. Most people would look at this and see a old, run-down house surrounded by fields. I see many things.

The fields- a bunch of rows of cotton? Not at all. You start with a seed. The simplest and smallest of things. You throw dirty on it and give it water every once in awhile and the seed turns into cotton. This one cotton plant will keep someone warm from the cold of winter. How badass is that?

The house- It may be old and run down, yes. But what are houses for? They house families and families make memories. There are so many memories that happened in this house, most we will never know but that doesn't mean they don't exsist. Some good, some bad, who knows, but thats what the house represents. All the memories that were shared in it.

Its amazing to sit on the porch of the house and watch the sun turn the sky into a thousand different colors as it sets behind the field of white. This is enjoying simplicity, or at least, it's how I enjoy it. All these simple things come together and form life. Most people just haven't slowed down to enjoy it lately.

The point-

As humans we get so caught up in the tasks we do every day. Its not our fault, it just happens. Whens the last time you took a step back from life in the fast lane to slow down and just enjoy the simple things? I find simplicity in everything; a beautiful view, a pretty smile, good news, a hobby, a cold beer. Why don't you try it? Take a step back and just enjoy the simple things that come together to form the crazy thing we call life. Well I guess I've rambled on enough. That's all folks!

Change

More often than not people ask me questions about my life. Some pertaining to how I live it, why I do things, blah blah blah. There are 3 questions that I get asked way more often than the others, that is if people actually have the courage to ask them. I'll be addressing all three questions at one point or another but i figured I'd start with this one first:

"If you could go back to that day and stop yourself, would you?"

The first time I was asked this my immediate answer was yes, of course I would. Since that day i've spent alot of time pondering this question and this is the conclusion i've come up with. Lets suppose you sat down one day to read a book. You start the storyline not knowing whats before you, but after awhile you find yourself engulfed in whats happening. You can't get enough of it, you think it's the most badass thing you've ever laid eyes on. All of a sudden the you notice the ending chapters are ripped out.

This is what its like for me.Yes it absolutely sucks to not knowing what would of happened but i think I'm more caught up in how the story would of ended rather than wanting to go back and stop myself so I could actually live my life the way it would of turned out. I dream of going back and becoming a professional athlete with a rockstar life but in all reality I know it wouldn't of turned out like that. That's all just some fantasy that I wanted to live.

That's why my answer is, now, is no. I wouldn't trade a day of my life now for a hundred the other way because I know that everything that has happened to me is what make me the person I am. I'm everything I want to be and am headed in the direction i want to be headed in. In my eyes i AM the pro athlete with a rockstar life.

The point-

 The thing about the book ending short might suck right at first but it gives you the chance to do something else. It gives the chance to re-write the ending and make it how you want it too. Everyone has something they think they messed up on and probably wish they could go back and change. But do you really want to? Just think about it.  Everything that has happened to you has gotten you where you are. Maybe it's where you wanna be, maybe its not. If its not the good news is it's not too late. Rip the last few pages out of your book and grab a pen.

Curiosity

What is curiosity? Does it simply mean you are interested in something? or does it touch deeper than that? This post was generated from a memory awhile back. Funny what our minds choose to remember.


This took place a summer 2 or 3 years ago, although i remember it like it was yesterday.

I was at my sister's summer league softball game, and to anyone who's ever been to one, it usually consists of a few events. Of course there is the softball game that attracts the the parents who usually bring along their kids. With the kids around it usually mean they're running around play wallball or some other made up game that we all loved at one point or another.

Anyways, it was after the game was over and i was waiting for my sister and mom to get through conversing with the other parents/team mates when i noticed this little kid out of the corner of my eye. He's wasn't running around with the rest of the kids, in fact, h wasn't doing anything at all.

He was just standing there, staring at me. I looked around, wondering where his parents where. Noone was in sight. That's when I looked into his eyes. You could see it, he was in deep thought. What was this that stood before him? I was foreign to him. He comes up and starts playing with my tires. Testing them out, seeing how they work. He proceeds to touch my gloves tryin to figure out what they are. He looks up at me and there it was again. That look in his eye. Curiosity. "Tyler! Get away from there, thats not nice." The lady proceeds to apologize and scold the kid as she walks away with a death grip on his arm.

I think the lady was wrong for this. The boy was curious. curiosity is what makes the world go round. Without curiosity where would we be? We would still be cave people sitting around, scratching our asses wondering what everything was and how it worked. If I could go back to that day and stop that lady. it might of made a huge difference it the kids life. Now he'll probably be scared of ever confronting anyone thats different or having an open mind to new things in general.

The Point-

Curiosity is the wonder that bestows in our minds. We wonder about things that are unknown and foreign to us and its OK to be curious about things we don't know. Just because we were taught to shy away from things that were out of the average when we were younger doesn't mean we have to go our whole lives living in unknown. Let curiosity lead your mind and you'll be amazed at the things you learn.  Well i guess it adios untill next time, and remember be CURIOUS!

Dreams

I originally planned for this to be about something different but was inspired by a video and a song. I actually have no idea what is gonna be said during this as I usually think of things to write before I crash and burn at night but like I said this just came up.

This one is about dreams. Not the dreams you have when your sleeping or when your in class tuning your teacher out during some boring election, but your life dreams, goals and ambitions. What are yours? Do you have any? Just take a minute to think about what they might be.

If I had to guess i would hope EVERYONE had dreams even if it consists of the simplest things ever. When you really think about it, what would life be without dreams? My guess is just an aimless wander in no direction at all. The dreams you have make you the person you are. They're what make you get up and do the things you do.

My first inspiration to write this blog came about 2 weeks ago. I dont know if any of you have heard of someone named Ben Breedlove but its a story worth finding on youtube. He was in high school and soon to be in college. All of his friends and family adored him because he always had a smile on his face, treated people with respect and people loved to listen to him because, due to certain circumstances, he was matured beyond his years and had the wisdom most will never have. He started a youtube channel because his life dream was to go into media and be a broadcaster. Sadly, these dreams never came true. Ben pasted away on December 25, 2011. Even though Ben was diagnosed with a heart condition when he was a young boy he still had dreams. Even though life pushed him down he still got up everyday and new that life wasn't worth living without having a reason to live.

The song "Even if it breaks your heart" by Will Hoge/Eli Young Band also inspired me to post this. Its an amazing video that has a one-liner that I love. "Keep on dreaming even if it breaks your heart." That one line says what took me a whole blog to do. To me this means that even if it take you forever or something delays you, you should still continue to chase your dreams. No matter what.

The point-

Even when life kicks you down to the lowest of lows you'll always have your dreams. In my opinion this alone should be what you need to get back up and kick-start your life back in the direction you want it going. They don't have to be some big elaborate plan to take over the world, even the simplest of dreams will do. Well i guess thats enough rambling for one sitting. Until next time, keep on dreamin' even if it breaks your heart. RIP Ben Breedlove

Definitions

One night i was laying in bed just letting my mind wander aimlessly and i stumbled on to this phrase. After thinking about this for awhile i really began to try and figure out what fits in the definition of this phrase, as we use it often in everyday speech. If you use this phrase what would you actually be describing?

"Oh, they're just a normal guy/girl."

 Normal- usual: conforming to the usual standard, type, or custom.

When i was thinking about the definition of this word i realized that there is absolutely no one in this world that is normal. Everyone is different in they're own way, but people have put this image of the "normal" person in our head so we can single people out for being "different."

As i kept thinking i realized that i'm nowhere close to normal due to my obvious handicap. Which brings me to my next definition.

 Handicap- something that hinders or is a disadvantage to somebody or something.

When i was thinking about what this word means i came to realize that this applies to EVERYONE. Mine happens to be physical so it can be spotted right away, but what about other more simplistic things? Like a star athlete at your school. Sure they may appear to not have anything wrong with them but they could be having terrible family problems or just had a tragic event happen to them. Maybe the beauty queen has skin problems that she spends hundreds of dollars on to fix so she can stay beautiful.

The point-

The point of this post is for people to realize that is no such thing as a "normal" person and that everyone in this world has some type of "handicap" that puts them in a disadvantage in one situation or another. Just because you can see that one person is handicap doesn't mean you should label them as different. On the other hand, why would you want to be normal? Being different is what makes you the person you are and if people don't accept that then screw them. They don't deserve to be in your life if they're treat you wrongly just because your being yourself.

Ya i'm different but do i care? Absolutely not. The people I have in my life are there because I want them there and because they accept me for who I am. So until next time, be as un-normal as possible and enjoy being the way YOU want to be and not the way others want you to be.