Nostalgia

Hammock - Breathturn from David Altobelli on Vimeo from the soon to be released album "Chasing After Shadows...Living with the Ghosts"

There is just something about this video. It makes me nostalgic about my childhood. You know, those days where you could do whatever you wanted without a care about what the future had in store. Sometimes, I wish I could do that, but perhaps it is a sign of maturity.

At any rate, I enjoyed watching this. Perhaps, you will too!

Comics

Lately, I've taken a liking to graphic novels, comics, things with pictures. One of my favorites is the series of the Green Lantern. It is about a society of green lanterns as they are called who are chosen to govern the universe with their rings. They act as the "policemen" of the universe. The most intriguing part about them is the rings that each of them have. The rings are powered by the will power of the bearer. These are sometimes described as the strongest devices in the universe. If fear is found in their hearts, it will not be as powerful as it could be. This reminds me of myself and everything I do. The outcome of everything I do - whether that is work, hobbies, or anything - is a product of the effort I pour into it.

Coming to college, I've realized that it doesn't matter how smart/stupid you are. What does matter is the amount of effort, and how much I actually care about something. This is what sets everyone apart. Sure, the background which you come from may set you apart from the get-go, but you can still catch up or fall behind. Not all hope is lost just because you've done something stupid. As one of my professors has said, "Tenacity is the most important part of becoming successful".

Appreciation

Having just come back from Spring Break, my brain is currently on a hiatus from all this school work. It seems to bring up every possible excuse when I attempt to do work. That's how we (college students - maybe even people in general) are. I am blessed with so much more than so many people, yet complain about how I have to do this assignment or that assignment. I'm given the chance to go to college, so I can be more knowledgeable. I'm given so many more opportunities to do things with my life and I treat it as just another task I'm called to do.

As Spring break has reminded me, there are people out there who aren't given the same opportunities that I have. After all, how many people have traveled to so many countries, lived in so many places, met so many great people in 19 years. I should take advantage of what I have and appreciate the fact that I am given this opportunity. I should do things that are given me and do them to the best of my abilities; however, more than this, I am to appreciate the fact that I do have the chance to be here, to learn. Otherwise, there would be no point for me being here in college and the sacrifice my family - especially my parents - made for me to be here would be for nothing. In the end, it would be a waste, not only for myself, but also for the people that care for me if I do not learn to appreciate it.

Professors and Jobs

One thing I hope everyone else will do is that they will do something they enjoy. As a college student, I enjoy class. Yes, I do enjoy class, especially the good ones. I mean I pay like a couple hundred for every hour I spend in class. However, the thing that makes me angry is when I get professors that not only suck, but hate their job. It sometimes makes me wonder why they are still teaching for their profession if they dislike it. I sit in their class, endure their monotonous groans about what the subject is about. They waste their time, and I waste mine. It's just annoying.

Sometimes, however, it's alright if they are bad at teaching, but enjoy it. They seem more approachable and want to help you. They aren't there in this case just for the sake of money, and attempt to get by through as little work as possible. Instead, they are there cause they genuinely care. One of my professors is like that. Every class, his class is just so bad; so I sit myself down in the classroom and proceed to sleep through to the end of the class. It's a pretty terrible class. However, it is good to know that the professor genuinely cares about how you're doing in his class. Every class, he reminds us that he's there to help. That makes his class so much less painful.

Of course, being proficient at what you do is important. However, whether you are or not, at the very least, for the sake of the people around you, enjoy it. So my lesson for myself is to find something you want to do; it makes everything so much better for yourself and the people around you. Don't do it for the money, don't do it for anything else. Do something that you would enjoy and find fulfillment from.

A Bargain

Life is just a giant game of monopoly. We go around and around the board till we become bankrupt. Then it's all over. Some people lose, some people win. The question is how do we win?

For me, winning would be considered knowing that others know I'm a real people. There are a lot of people in this world who have led lives and were just false people. They weren't real, legitimate people. I don't necessarily mean that they were frauds. More so, they weren't personal people. They were just sort of in people's lives but they weren't a part of them - much like a drive-thru. [You drive in to grab what you need and you leave.] However, I suppose that's what I don't want to be. I want to be able to say that I have influenced people for the better, I have been able to help those around me. When I die, I want to be able to know that I wasn't a mere wanderer in the lives of others, but a support. I want to be able to say that I've truly done something with my life. Sure, this is idealistic, but I hope I can do it. I hope people will look beyond my short comings and allow me to be this person. After all, it's not a one way thing. We've got to give to receive.

Blemishes

Each and every one of us has characteristics that we're ashamed of. We all want to remove these and somehow make them leave us. Some of them are more obvious than others. Some of us suffer from being selfish, heartless people, while others from being inconsiderate and inattentive. Other people are stubborn, prideful people. Of course, there are so many different unwanted personality characteristics that we may have. It's difficult to get around these personality traits. Our natural tendencies - our behavior - naturally pushes us in that direction to be... well, what's natural to us. We don't notice it, or rather by the time we do - the chance to redeem ourselves has already passed. Each of us has our own problems.

However, I do not think it's something that we should have to suffer. It is something that we, as individuals, must learn to live with. Just because it is something that is natural to us doesn't mean that it is something that we must hold onto. We should attempt to accept it, cope with it, and attempt to fix it. We must avoid striving for perfection, because this will only lead to failure... ultimately to self-destruction. Knowing that it is a problem and recognizing it is the best cure for such things. It may not be easy, but it is something that we should do - if not for ourselves, but for the people around us.

Genuine Love?

Just this last week, I realized that the people I was with were those that I cared the most about. If I was to make a list of people that I cared about most important to least, I have no doubt these people would be at the very top of my list. It's strange really. These are the people that probably cause the most conflict in my life, but I really think that I genuinely care for them. I mean I genuinely care about a lot of people, but I would do anything for these people in particular. It's funny.

Although these people piss me off the most - it generally takes a lot to get me angry I think/hope - I still care about them the most. They may piss me off, but, in the end, I just get over it and it's as if from that experience we've grown. Is this what genuine love is? It never gives into the problems that arise and is selfless. Sometimes, I think that I may never be able to forgive them for what they've done, but, in the end, I learn to come to terms with it and it's back to normal.

I wonder if this love is just reciprocated because they loved me first. On the other hand, relationships are a two way thing. So perhaps, it isn't the case. Maybe, it's because I look up to these people and seek their advice. Or perhaps it really is this selfless love that we all strive to give to others. One day, hopefully, I'll be able to extend a love like this to everyone around me.

I think love should really be an unconditional overflowing of forgiveness and wisdom. Forgiveness that is willing to accept anything that has happened. However, wisdom is present to understand what is the appropriate response to everything is. This is what we should all strive to attain. Unfortunately, wisdom comes with time. Hopefully I won't be too old to really understand what love is before I begin to truly extend this love to the people around me.