What a Break

Sorry I didn't warn you all about my self-appointed Christmas break last week. I was sick last monday and still had tons of stuff to get done, so I'm sorry if you missed me! If you didn't... yeah, you did. :) Hope you all enjoyed Christmas!

I met up with a friend earlier this week and we talked about all the kids we used to hang out with. I still see a lot of them, or they find their way into my life somehow. I don't know that I would call myself friends with most of them anymore, even. I don't know much about most of them anymore. But I can just look at them and know who's growing older.. and who's growing up. It's a huge difference. There are those with goals, and priorities, and those who are just treading water waiting for a boat. Sometimes you can't help it, but most of the time it's fear of failing. And in being afraid to fail, they aren't trying. And in not trying.. that makes it a fail, doesn't it? It's so sad to see some of these kids who actually have real dreams just clinging on because they don't think their dreams can be goals.

I guess looking back at this last year, I'm not sure exactly what I've been doing either. But I'm starting to figure out where I'm going. That's all that really matters. Maybe we're all figuring out where we're going.

Enjoy the last few hours of 2012, I hope it's with people you love. May 2013 make your dreams come true. xo

In beautiful memory

Newtown, Connecticut and the rest of the world lost 26 irreplaceable lives last Friday. 20 children and 6 adults were killed by a sick and misguided man.

When I heard, I was 2 hours into my trip home. I always try to beat the little prince home from school if I've been gone for a while. And my first thought was that I couldn't wait to see him, so I hit the rise on my cruise control. And then it hit me that 20 6-year-olds wouldn't be coming home from school. And I broke.

I don't know how to fix this problem but it seems like everyone and their mom has an opinion. I don't know. I don't think guns are the problem, I think bad, sick people are. I think evil is the problem.

But all I can do is  pray. I offer my prayers and condolences to the families who have suffered and anyone who was hurt by this tragedy.

Keep your loved ones close and remember the names of the lost. Blessings and have a safe happy holidays, love you all!

SANTA'S COMING!

I'll warn you right now that this is a big kid's blog today and I hope you are not reading this if you are a kid, because I will feel sooo guilty. I should be studying but I am not doing well today.

So the thing that is seriously angering me most lately is about my ALL-TIME FAVORITE HOLIDAY. And if people don't quit trying to ruin it, I am going to go live in a forest home with my adopted children and we will have vivid imaginations and eat homemade candy whenever we want. 

The stores are going to keep opening earlier on Thanksgiving. and They're going to start decorating for Christmas over like labor day weekend pretty soon. And  Starbucks is going to charge me 50 cents more for anything with a Christmas-y name next year or something. But honestly, I can live with all of that. It pisses me off, but i can live with it. BUT. Ohhohohoh BUT I have to draw the line.

At these parents who refuse to let their kids believe in Santa. to those parents: I'm hearing your points all being shouted at me right now, and my response is this: BULLSHIT. Oh, is it selfish to lie to your kids? You think they won't trust you? He's too commercial? It distracts from the true meaning of Christmas?

It's selfish to rob them from the excitement and imagination they get from Santa. It's selfish to steal their imaginations, the little bit of magic this world has left. Everyone I know believed in Santa at some point. My parents never even outright told me that Santa wasn't real, and for this reason I know that there is a part of Santa that is as real as you and me. The magic of Santa and the generosity of Santa brings the magic of the season to me. And I trust and love my parents just as much if not more than some of my peers. YOU believed in Santa, didn't you? I even know Jewish kids who believed in Santa because their parents thought it taught generosity. and are you a worse person for it? If you're a stripper or a pimp then maybe you have a case against my arguments, I dunno.
Santa is too commercial, and doesn't teach kids the real meaning of Christmas? Saint Nicholas of Bari is the patron saint of Russia(and serfdom I guess?). He was known for his generosity, faith in humanity, and kindness to children. I don't know about you, but I was taught that the meaning of Christmas is giving and generosity. We celebrate the birth of Christ, and God giving us his only Son to save us. Santa gives to those all over the world and receives nothing in return, save for about a billion cookies. Our blind faith in Santa Claus reflects that seeing is not believing, and there is a greater power. 

I used to stare out my window late on Christmas Eve looking and listening for Santa's sleigh. and then I would find the brightest star in the sky and imagine that Santa was visiting baby Jesus somewhere by it and say a prayer that he'd make it to my house so that I could play with my brothers in the morning. 

I don't usually use this as a place to discuss my faith, but I just think this is insane and I had to vent. I don't want to be offensive, but I am honestly offended by the idea that Santa is somehow "wrong." There are so many ways to use Santa to teach your children the real Christmas stories and the true meaning of the season. Give them their youth, and stay safe. Happy Holidays!

What your clothes say about you

Okay so everyone knows that I dress like a bum 4...5 days a week. Pretty much. 6 days some weeks, get off my back.

Anyways, by not worrying about my own wardrobe choices I have found the time to evaluate what other's pieces of clothing are saying about them. For Example:

Jeans are not casual. They are an effort.
Scarves can either say "I'm trying to look cute today" or they can say "It's freezing balls outside."
Tights are a classy addition to any outfit. If you're going out and you throw on some tights or pantyhose, you go from skanky to classy. No one has ever said "I'm trying to get in that girls's tights tonight!"
Joke t-shirts say "I'm a fat guy with a terrible sense of humor." Usually.
Crocs still SCREAM "I'm never gettin' any."
Hats say something along the lines of "I haven't washed my hair this week" or even, "I'm balding but shhh."

Pretty much anything I wear says either "I'm super comfy." or "I like this outfit." So I guess just go with your gut. But remember. Don't wear crocs.

This might be the worst blog I've written yet. It's dead week. I promise I'll do better.