And the followers will listen.
Tonight may very well be a good night. Or it could be terribly mediocre. We shall see.
Lots of good things waiting to happen. I hope they decide to do so soon..."Living on a Prayer" never seemed so valid a compilation of lyrics.
Nov 16, 2010
Nov 12, 2010
Holiday Wishes
So after my last post I went home and reflected on all my holidays past.
So far I've spent all my Thanksgivings and Christmases with my grandparents, my mom, my brother, my uncle, my stepdad and his family, and/or David and his family. Though we all live in the same town, I've never seen all of those people on the same holiday...
I've come to the conclusion that food, movies, TV, decorating, gifts, small and occasionally charming traditions, and lots of stress and arguing are the things that more or less sum up my holiday experiences in my nearly 19 years on earth...and a lot of those things are great. A few are aggravatingly commercialized, and the last few are infuriating and defeat the purpose of gathering together to celebrate in the first place.
So, I composed the following list of holiday wishes for the years to come, for however many I may have the liberty of celebrating:
1.) I want to celebrate with genuine people, people who love life, who appreciate it, and who know how to live it. I want to be surrounded with a small group of people that really cherish the point of it all.
2.) I want to cook holiday meals with good friends and family (whatever that may be...they tend to be one and the same for me), and enjoy food seasoned with good conversation, not just for the sake of eating it because it's the holidays.
3.) I want to look outside in the morning and see snow- legit snow. Not the occasional centimeter of cold, watery mush we get here.
4.) I want to do all the charming little traditions I've always done with someone special, somebody that appreciates and enjoys them...and to start new ones.
5.) I want to sit in front of a lit fireplace and talk about dreams and fears and memories with somebody that loves me, someone I don't have to be afraid of loving back...to share stories and make memories, to laugh and smile and reminisce late into the night.
6.) I want to do all the little things for whatever family I may have one day, to attend to the tiny details that make them smile.
7.) I want to walk along in a park and watch the sunset cuddled up on a park bench, then take shelter in some cozy little restaurant somewhere and celebrate how beautiful life can be.
8.) I want to actually talk about what we're thankful for, unashamedly.
9.) I want to build a snowman that can't be upended by a stiff breeze.
10.) I want the real gifts to be the ones in our hearts and minds, and the ones under the tree to be only mementos of them.
That is, in ten points, what I would love for at least one of my holiday seasons to be like. What this one will bring, who can say? I can't...but I have my hopes and I have my dreams, and maybe one day they'll be real.
"I like to compare the holiday season to the way a child listens to a favorite story. The pleasure is in the familiar way the story begins, the anticipation of familiar turns it takes, the familiar moments of suspense, and the familiar climax and ending."-Fred Rogers
"From too much love of living,
From hope and fear set free,
We thank with brief thanksgiving
Whatever gods may be
That no life lives forever,
That dead men rise up never;
That even the weariest river
Winds somewhere close to sea."-Algernon Charles Swinburne
"A lovely thing about Christmas is that it's compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together."-Garrison Keillor
So far I've spent all my Thanksgivings and Christmases with my grandparents, my mom, my brother, my uncle, my stepdad and his family, and/or David and his family. Though we all live in the same town, I've never seen all of those people on the same holiday...
I've come to the conclusion that food, movies, TV, decorating, gifts, small and occasionally charming traditions, and lots of stress and arguing are the things that more or less sum up my holiday experiences in my nearly 19 years on earth...and a lot of those things are great. A few are aggravatingly commercialized, and the last few are infuriating and defeat the purpose of gathering together to celebrate in the first place.
So, I composed the following list of holiday wishes for the years to come, for however many I may have the liberty of celebrating:
1.) I want to celebrate with genuine people, people who love life, who appreciate it, and who know how to live it. I want to be surrounded with a small group of people that really cherish the point of it all.
2.) I want to cook holiday meals with good friends and family (whatever that may be...they tend to be one and the same for me), and enjoy food seasoned with good conversation, not just for the sake of eating it because it's the holidays.
3.) I want to look outside in the morning and see snow- legit snow. Not the occasional centimeter of cold, watery mush we get here.
4.) I want to do all the charming little traditions I've always done with someone special, somebody that appreciates and enjoys them...and to start new ones.
5.) I want to sit in front of a lit fireplace and talk about dreams and fears and memories with somebody that loves me, someone I don't have to be afraid of loving back...to share stories and make memories, to laugh and smile and reminisce late into the night.
6.) I want to do all the little things for whatever family I may have one day, to attend to the tiny details that make them smile.
7.) I want to walk along in a park and watch the sunset cuddled up on a park bench, then take shelter in some cozy little restaurant somewhere and celebrate how beautiful life can be.
8.) I want to actually talk about what we're thankful for, unashamedly.
9.) I want to build a snowman that can't be upended by a stiff breeze.
10.) I want the real gifts to be the ones in our hearts and minds, and the ones under the tree to be only mementos of them.
That is, in ten points, what I would love for at least one of my holiday seasons to be like. What this one will bring, who can say? I can't...but I have my hopes and I have my dreams, and maybe one day they'll be real.
"I like to compare the holiday season to the way a child listens to a favorite story. The pleasure is in the familiar way the story begins, the anticipation of familiar turns it takes, the familiar moments of suspense, and the familiar climax and ending."-Fred Rogers
"From too much love of living,
From hope and fear set free,
We thank with brief thanksgiving
Whatever gods may be
That no life lives forever,
That dead men rise up never;
That even the weariest river
Winds somewhere close to sea."-Algernon Charles Swinburne
"A lovely thing about Christmas is that it's compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together."-Garrison Keillor
Nov 9, 2010
Getting Back Around to Christmas
It's getting nearer and nearer to the holidays, and I find myself sitting on the porch and pouring a little or my drink (*wink wink*) into the dirt and thinking about an old friend. December 28th, 2008...I wonder how many people that he touched even remember the date of his death? I celebrate this Christmas in an entirely new way...with not a single blood relative, not a single old friend or classmate. The tail end of this year marks the very beginning or what I believe will be the life I have longed for all along, only not recognized. But, as I celebrate in whatever way I will, I will remember to be thankful for my very life, and to remember its losses...
R.I.P D.C.
You are missed, and our memories of you bless us every day
I've never quite been in the housing/financial situation I am in right now. Never was injured and had to worry about how to clean the wounds or was sick and couldn't take some cough syrup...life is funny that way. Just as we overlook nature, we tend to take the smallest modern conveniences for granted just as often. I wonder sometimes whether anyone ever legitimately finds a proper balance of respect and appreciation for their lives? That would be a feat to be marveled at...
I keep thinking back to past holiday seasons and means by which they were celebrated...where I spent them, who I spent them with, what I did, what I didn't do, what I liked and disliked most. I believe I will go home shortly (after walking to buy some groceries; I am currently on a computer at the public library and am in something of a rush) and make a list on paper of the things I like, dislike, and remember about the holidays. I think I'll make a list of things I look forward to in future seasons, also.
Have a great night, guys. Much love,
~W.V.~
R.I.P D.C.
You are missed, and our memories of you bless us every day
I've never quite been in the housing/financial situation I am in right now. Never was injured and had to worry about how to clean the wounds or was sick and couldn't take some cough syrup...life is funny that way. Just as we overlook nature, we tend to take the smallest modern conveniences for granted just as often. I wonder sometimes whether anyone ever legitimately finds a proper balance of respect and appreciation for their lives? That would be a feat to be marveled at...
I keep thinking back to past holiday seasons and means by which they were celebrated...where I spent them, who I spent them with, what I did, what I didn't do, what I liked and disliked most. I believe I will go home shortly (after walking to buy some groceries; I am currently on a computer at the public library and am in something of a rush) and make a list on paper of the things I like, dislike, and remember about the holidays. I think I'll make a list of things I look forward to in future seasons, also.
Have a great night, guys. Much love,
~W.V.~
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