Pursuing Your Dreams

Today was a great day:) I got some news of the best kind. There is a marketing internship I really wanted and I was offered the position. I’m on cloud nine right now and I just wanted to share. Right before this post I published a quote I saw on Pinterest via mymodernmet.com about pursuing creative work but it’s really applicable to pursuing dreams in general.

Nobody tells you just how hard it’s going to be. You might get a glimpse or hear a bit about it, but going through it first hand you learn just how arduous it really is. If it were easy, everyone would do it. See there is THIS GAP, between when you are starting out and reaching your goal, and more often than not, it’s a BIG ONE.

The best thing I’ve learned is this: No matter how broke you are, or how many sacrifices you have to make, how little of a social life you have because of how hard you work, or how far away the end result seems, JUST KEEP GOING. Patience and perseverance will get you there every time.
If you are unconventional like myself then you probably take non-traditional routes in life. I traveled inside and outside the U.S. during my twenties before going to college. It was the best experience of my life but it has its price. Even still, I wouldn’t change things if I actually had the chance to. I have fantasized about it though, only because it might have made my life easier, but when it comes down to it, the reward for a big risk-doing things your way, is PRICELESS.

I have to tell myself to remember, it’s a process, and the best things in life are fought hard for. I also think about people I respect like Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan once said “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. AND THAT IS WHY I SUCCEED.” To this day Michael Jordan is known as the best NBA basketball player of all time.
So I will keep going, and I will focus on the prize because doing what you love in this life is a beautiful gift. This is my second marketing internship and my third job in social media and marketing. I love what I do, I have passion and determination, and that is why I will succeed.
And now to celebrate…DANCE TIME!!!!
   

FAme

What kind of effect does fame have on people? I’ve heard it said, “no one can prepare you for that kind of attention, what it does to your life.” I can only imagine but being under a microscope like that must be extremely difficult to say the least. Being interested in psychology I’m fascinated with the hold celebrities have on people, this celebrity obsession our society has. I’ve caught myself being captivated by certain celebrities because of how I perceive their beauty, lifestyle, talent, ect. I think it's mostly the characters actors play that people fall in love with. However, I believe typically actors have to pull from within to play a certain part, they have to “be” that person to play that character so it’s natural to find yourself intrigued by the actor as a person.

At this point in our celebrity fascination I think things have gone to far. The paparazzi, although I understand they are trying to make a living, play a role in a potentially dangerous game. In more extreme cases like Princess Diana, it’s evident the danger involved. We tend to brush off the everyday Hollywood photos that splash across the magazines on a regular basis.  However, photos from a recent scandal made me think about the reality of fame and it’s affect on celebrities as well as the people who pay attention to their every move.



Kristen Stewart has been thrust into the spotlight this past week for negative reasons amidst promoting new movies. I won’t discuss the reason in detail because I think doing so encourages more discussion about what should be a private issue. Under normal circumstances it might be but unfortunately for all involved, this is not a normal situation. It couldn’t have happened to a more famous young Hollywood couple.

The media, since the internet age began, has increasingly become a less credible source and more manipulative to gain ratings. They have far too much control over what people believe to be truth. I don’t believe the media takes the responsibility it should because we live in a capitalistic society where money is the main focus. All of this aside, pictures can be misleading but they do not lie. It is what it is and it will take it’s course. My question is, why are we so surprised when celebrities act, well, human? Why do we seem to hold them to a higher standard of morality? Why do we judge them harshly for their mistakes? We seem to have a need for them to live out our fairly tale fantasies and when they disappoint us we feel betrayed.

Snow Flower and The Secret Fan

Snow Flower and The Secret Fan is a 2005 novel by Lisa See set in nineteenth century China. It was made into a film in 2011. The premise of the movie is about two girls who are bonded together by a tradition known as laotong; a relationship that bonds them together as friends for life. They communicate by writing in a secret language called Nu shu on a white silk fan they deliver back and forth to each other. 

There are two stories in this film, that of the two girls in the 19th century and two of their descendants in present day Shanghai. Each set of girls endure pain and struggles. This is a story about real friendship between women.

Left (original song)

Freedom

"True freedom doesn't come from a piece of paper, right or privilege, rather it's the understanding of your status = knowing who you truly are and who you are not, then being/living it " ~ Steven http://notapersonorcitizen.blogspot.com/

I have the utmost respect for July 4th and am grateful my independence. I saw this picture and quote above on a facebook page called Wave 11:11 that I really like. They post things like this all the time and this one really struck me. On a separate note I really love graphics design and this one is really well done, these are my favorite shades of blue. 

Psalm 68:13 King James Version

13 Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.14 When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was white as snow in Salmon. http://bible.us/Ps68.13.KJV


I love the Psalms, they were so eloquently written, they sound like poetry. Reading beautifully written words to me is like breathing in a wonderful scent. I think the Bible is to this day still one of the top pieces of literature ever to exist.

Love

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 () 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. #Bible http://j.mp/son5M2

RI YUE TANG - Sun Moon Lake

This is the first piece of art I ever purchased. I fell in love with it when I saw it. I was completely captivated and stared at it for hours fascinated. It was the first time art had moved me in this way. I found it when I was logged into a virtual reality program called Second Life. I bought it in a store for my home there. For a short time I had a home in Second Life on a sim that looked similar to Lake Tahoe in California. 

The reason I love this piece so much is because every time I look at it I see something different. I think the story behind Sun Moon Lake makes it even more interesting. I found the story on travel guide website for China.

"Sun Moon Lake is located in Nantou County, Taipei City. It is surrounded by Mount Shuishe and Mount Dajian. The lake covers an area of 7.7 square kilometers and has an average water depth of 40 meters. The lake is divided into northern and southern sections by an island called Guanghua. The lake gets its name because the northern section resembles a rhombus-shaped sun while the southern section looks like a crescent-shaped moon.

According to legend, a white deer contributed to the discovery of the lake. Three hundred years ago, a group of peasants were hunting when they discovered a large white deer running to the northwest. They followed this amazing creature for three days and nights, but it finally disappeared in the forest. On the fourth day, after they had moved through the forest, they came upon an impressive vista. They saw rolling verdant mountains and a shimmering lake shining brightly under the sun. A small round island covered with trees divided the lake into two parts. One part was like the sun and the other part was like the moon, so they called it Sun Moon Lake. Attracted by the fertile soil and beautiful scenery there, the peasants decided to settle down and began a new life.

Originally called Shui Shalian and Long Lake, the Sun Moon is the largest natural lake in Taiwan. The climate in this area is quite temperate with the highest summer temperature being less than 22C (71.6F) and the lowest winter temperature bottoming out at 15C (59F). With such a pleasant climate, it is a top choice as a summer resort. Besides the cool weather, visitors are drawn by the magnificent scenery. The beauty of the lake lies in its tranquil crystal water that clearly reflects the surrounding mountains. Rain or shine, winter or summer, the lake offers visitors a plethora of picturesque sights. If the scenery of the lake were a wall calendar amazing and breathtaking pictures would be found by turning over each page. The lake is extremely attractive at night. When the water is bathed in moonlight tinged with a layer of thin fog, it gives the appearance of a place existing only in legend.

Many places of interest are found around the lake. Wenwu Temple, located near the north shore of the lake, pays homage to Confucius (551-479 BC), the founder of Confucianism. It also honors General Yue Fei (1103-1142) of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) and Guan Yu, a great general of Shu States in the Three Kingdoms (221-263). The temple is tall and splendid and is designed according to the features of the surrounding mountains. Guanghua Island is the burial place of Xuan Zang (602-664), the monk who went to India on foot to seek the sutra. Finally, on the island, there is a pavilion named for Old Man under the Moon (the god of marriage)."

Pablo Neruda “The Sea”

Someone I know was rummaging around in old photos and found this, I think it’s lovely.

"I need an ocean to teach me: whatever it is that I learn - music or consciousness, the single wave in the sea, the abyss of my being, the guttural rasp of my voice, or the blazing presumption of fishes and navies - so much is certain: even in sleep, as if by a trick of a magnet, I spin on the circle of wave upon wave of the sea, the sea's university..." -Pablo Neruda "The Sea"

"I Think We're Alone Now" Song

I just used Shazam to find this song "Think We're Alone Now" by Tommy James And The Shondells. I heard on a comedy show: Colin Quinn Long Story Short; love this original version and even better Colin Quinn's stand up, excellent performance:)

Forced to Marry the Man that Sexually & Physically Assaulted Her; Moroccan 16 yr. old Amina Filali Committed Suicide

Saturday, March 10th, 16 yr. old Moroccan girl, Amina Filali, committed suicide after she was forced to marry a man that raped & beat her regularly for a year. This is lawful due to section 475 of the penal code. "In some cities, it is unacceptable for a woman to lose her virginity before marriage, even in cases of rape. Marriage is regularly used as a way to restore the honor of the rapist and the victim's family."

There has been an outrage on the internet over her story and this powerful photograph. It has sparked a debate over arranged marriages that allow this kind of cruelty. For me personally, I cannot get over the look in her eyes. I see sadness and pain there, and a look of resignment. Yet, there is a strength there that I cannot put my finger on. She was a beautiful young girl who had her entire life in front of her. How was this allowed to happen?

Who was protecting this girl? I hope this internet outrage continues and the debate spurs people into action. Where there is a girl like this, there are others, and more forced to do what their parents and judges tell them to do. That is not freedom, that is obedience. Smart, talented, beautiful, young girls are not given the choices they deserve to make the most of their lives with laws like this in place.

We are living in an age of internet and social media. We need to take advantage of the powerful voice that gives us. I think we owe that much to the Amina Filali’s of the world. Share on Twitter, FB, YouTube, Pinterest, StumbleUpon, Google+, wherever you can to spread the message that this is not okay and she did not die in vain. Please click on her picture for the full story.

A Lost Love

This sculpture means a lot to me. The picture was taken by an ex-boyfriend and I believe it is in Denmark or Sweden. I'm not sure which, if anyone knows please comment. It symbolizes our relationship and constant frustration to communicate and understand one another. Art is interpretive and I see in this sculpture, the woman trying to explain something to the man, or maybe she is giving him hard news, and he, his head in his hands, not understanding or dismayed by what she is saying.

When I reflect on that relationship I remember what I learned, what I enjoyed, and what I regret. I wrote several poems about it but the one I like most is one I wrote of a dream I had. When I write, I write with a fury to get it all out and when I am finished I read what I wrote to understand it. I look back and feel very differently now but I can appreciate the feelings behind this poem. Love can be bittersweet but it’s memory is still important.

The Dream of A Lost Love

You broke the window to my soul, and stole a piece that left a hole."I just feel like we were cheated, " I say to you, in a dream, where you offer me a warm embrace, knowingly and kind. We were flying and our bodies were moving at the speed of light, the only creation I could see were your eyes staring into mine; in them were forgiveness and peace so I smile and release.  Only a dream could produce you now in the deep recesses of my mind so patience is a virtue I must learn in time. but if only for a night  I saw a glimpse from his eyes to mine.

Snow Day!

Just a nice afternoon in winter and unexpectedly it started snowing. Where I live that rarely happens so I was pretty excited. You know that first day in winter when it snows. It might be just flurries or only last for 10 min. but it’s fun:)

Saturday afternoon in winter:)

Big fat snowflakes!

Poetry

RELEASE

Bathe me in warm light because I’m on my way to higher ground. Leave a seat open; reserve one, for my heart will soon be found. If troubled waters are shallow than I must be getting close. Patience and perseverance, I close my eyes and let go, the tide will bring me in.

Something I wrote about my journey in the last few years. Transformation and change is hard and overwhelming at times. Sometimes it is necessary to let go and be open and accepting to change. I am a bit stubborn and tend to resist unintentionally making it more difficult for myself. Like Philo of Alexandria said "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle." Some struggles are more internal than others. 

Roll The Dice...."Southern Youth" by Chris Cosby

‎"In the absence of a demanding grace.... I love this town, I love your face, and it won't last long ...you're here then you're gone....unless you roll the dice." Sweet song, love the lyrics:)

Why You Need A Personal Brand: Women's Forum: BraveHeart Women

Branding yourself: find your passion skills, marketplace. As a marketing student this is something I love. As these ladies put it; whether you're an executive in the corporate world or a stay at home mom for example, we all have our own personal brand, it has a purpose, allowing you to share your message. “If you don’t define your brand, the world will define it for you.” This is a great video to watch:) As we BraveHeart women say, “Be Inspiration in Action”

It doesn’t have to be something you get paid for, though it’s wonderful if you can find that. Having an avocation and a vocation is different but each are a way of expressing yourself. We all have something unique to offer the world. If you are feeling stuck, pursue what stimulates you and evokes passion.

Do not waste your talents, keeping them hidden from the world to protect them is a mistake. I heard this in a sermon this last Sunday at my church but it doesn’t have to be a religious concept, it is a universal one. Share yourself with the world and you will get back what you give. As long you are constantly developing your brand and reinventing yourself you benefit from your own growth and evolve your message.

BraveHeartWomenTV's Channel – YouTube

Why You Need A Personal Brand: Women's Forum: BraveHeart Women

“Miss Representation” Film

According to the film’s website:http://missrepresentation.org/ “Miss Representation” “explores how the media’s misrepresentation of women has led to the underrepresentation of women in positions of power and influence.” I found it inspiring and enlightening. As a female it made me take a good hard look at my own life and the choices I have made as well as things in life I have accepted without question. I naturally chose role models for myself based on my own experiences in life. Luckily, it started with my mother. She is a strong female figure so I gravitated toward role models such as Diane Sawyer and Christiane Amanpour.
I see this as a must see film; written, directed, and produced by Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

Future generations will be impacted and already are by the media and how women are portrayed. From a young age it is made clear your attractiveness and your weight is what defines you. I found some of the statistics in this documentary surprising such as the rankings of other countries that have more females in government than the United States. We are “90th in terms of women in national legislatures”.

Reality TV is interested in female competition, confrontation, and the common phrase “cat fight” is of high priority to gain ratings. The same “cat fight” mentality has also been subjected to women in positions of power such as Katie Couric and Diane Sawyer. The media tried to pit them against each other. Photos from publications are being presented to highlight physical imperfections of women, or computerized to show us what the “perfect” woman should look like.

I watched another documentary last night called “The Price of Pleasure” focusing on the degradation of women in the adult entertainment industry and its affects on society’s view of the average woman. In the documentary, one female adult entertainer said in response to women being objectified by porn films, “How can a woman be an object?” I was dismayed by her lack of understanding and awareness. The negative impact of her actions and the influence they have on young girls had no meaning to her.

How can we as women expect our daughters to make changes in today’s world that would make women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton proud if we ourselves do not take a stand? This film explores this subject and it’s website is a good place to start for your own answers and resources. Inform yourself, and by doing so, you will empower yourself. Engage others in the subject matter through action; that can be sharing, taking part in the movement, however you feel you can act.

They have a listing of local screenings on their website but I have a feeling it will be available soon on demand on several websites. Maybe it’s time we look back at the women who made great sacrifices to make our lives better today. This was a very powerful, thought- provoking film that I do not think will go unnoticed. It certainly left a mark on me. For a final thought, remember their creed...

Educate. Engage. Empower.

What is Dionysus Beauty?

Dionysus is my pseudonym. I use it a lot in different profile accounts and my blogs. I often use the name Dionysus Beauty, it is also the name of my beauty blog. I decided to write something similar to a mission statement to explain what a Dionysus Beauty is and what that means to me.

My Mission is to…

Inspire  Empower  Inform  Challenge  Change

Embrace Beauty in all its varied forms

Celebrate liberation and support it

Encourage the end of care and worry

Express Love, Peace and Freedom

A Dionysus Beauty is anyone who is inspiring, empowered, educated, and strong. Those  who embrace their beauty and liberate themselves from society’s standards. I use the name Dionysus, the Greek God as my pseudonym, where my name originally comes from and because Dionysus represented liberation, freeing oneself, often through wine and artistic expression. He was also viewed as a lover of peace and on a mission to end care and worry. I am on a mission to do these very things and encourage hope. Express your creativity in whatever form that may be, give peace a chance, and always promote freedom. To me that is the true essence of beauty and its power.

Life, In the Pursuit of Happiness

I am still plugging away at my writing. I have been diligently working on my other blogs in marketing, beauty, and my new website. I do have one other website that is private and strictly a collection of all of my writings. So far I have 6 chapters in one sections of the site called “Life, In the Pursuit of Happiness. It’s an online book I’m writing, full of life lessons I have learned along the way. Who knows when I will finish it but I wanted to a put a teaser on my blog. I hope you like it….

Life Lesson #1: It’s the Journey
It's the journey, not the destination, life is in the details. One of the most important pieces of advice my father has ever given me is to enjoy the ride and not focus on the destination. He would compare life's journey to a train ride. Always encouraging me to enjoy the view, and not think about the stop ahead. I was always so anxious for the next stop. If  only I had this, if only I could do that...then I would be happy. I can still hear my dad's voice in my head "..don't rush it..." Happiness lies in the details of life. It is temporary, not permanent. 

9/11/11 “Too Deep For Tears”

9/11/11 Too Deep For Tears - Dionysus Beauty - (link to article on my website "Dionysus Beauty")

Today is a day of reflection for Americans. A day to mourn, to remember, to pay our respects. A time of prayer, healing, and forgiveness. We cannot undo the events of September 11th, 2001. We cannot unsee what transpired. But we can move forward stronger, carrying with us the dreams of those we lost. We can live our lives to the best of our ability, aspiring to be good people, and Americans that would make them proud; proud of their country's tenacity and resilience, so that their deaths would not be in vain.  You cannot fight fire with fire. You can protect yourself against it and fight back to keep it at bay. But hate will survive, as inevitably as love will prevail. Love and time are the best defense we have. So in remembrance of 9/11/01, let us stand united, giving back love, respect, and gratitude to one another. This is the greatest gift we can bestow to all those affected by the tragic events that took place that fateful day.

Below is one of my favorite poems from William Wordsworth's Ode: Intimations of Immortality. The following video is this poem in the movie "A River Runs Through It" directed and narrated by Robert Redford, one of my favorite actors, and based on the novel of the same name by Norman Mclean. This poem says so eloquently what I feel when I reflect on life's tragedies. I think it is particularly appropriate for this day.

"...Though nothing can bring back the hour of splendor in the grass,
of glory in the flower; we will grieve not, rather find
strength in what remains behind;
In the primal sympathy which having been must ever be;
In the soothing thoughts that spring out of human suffering;
... In the faith that looks through death...
Thanks to the human heart by which we live
Thanks to its tenderness, its joys, and fears
To me the meanest flower that blows, can give thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears.”

These photos below are from the 9/11 Memorial in New York City. They were taken during a ceremony on 9/11/11 honoring the fallen men and women who lost their lives to the terrorist attacks. The Memorial consists of a beautiful park where people can come and pay their respects. Diagonal from each other on both sides are two footprints of the Twin Towers. They are cascading, continuous waterfalls that seem to fall into a bottomless well. Lining each side of the memorial waterfalls are the names of those who lost their lives.  The flowing of water reminds us that the spirit of life is eternal and goes on. It is symbolic of strength, purity, and grace. NEVER FORGOTTEN.

New Website!! “Dionysus Beauty"; an online lifestyles magazine

A little less than a year ago I began writing blogs. At the time of summer I was writing up to four blogs. I realized it was going to be a bit difficult to consistently post in each one every week. So I decided to create a site where all of my blogs would be combined into one place. I’ll still keep this one as a personal blog about life observations but please visit me at my new site where most of my newer pieces will be. As I am pursuing my degree in marketing and media studies, which includes journalism, I hope to use this site as a resource for honing my writing skills and sharing my thoughts with the world. I write about everything from news articles, to fashion and beauty, to travel, healthy food, great deals, and life in general. My passion is writing and this is part of my path. Who knows, maybe it will turn into something more…

Dionysus Beauty: A Guide to an Inexpensive Health and Beauty Lifestyle

UPDATE 12.29.12:

I've made this website private while I focus on my studies and other blog I've created. It was a good learning experience, good for anyone who wants to play around with the design and layout of a website. I liked created images in Google drawings, very basic and easy to use resource. Dionysus Beauty was a fun concept to work on.

‎"Pearls II" by Diego Fernandez from Buenos Aires, Argentina

Beautiful piece. To me this has a very quiet, powerful presence about it. Her expression is full of emotion, it lies behind the eyes, in the shape of her mouth, and in what looks like a relaxed expression. There is a resigned look on her face but she also looks like she is thinking over some issue. There seems to be a secret of sadness in her eyes and a wisdom beyond her years. The use of color in her skin adds to the emotion being more of a bluish white. I love the light and dark, her hair blending into the background, and the elegance of pearls. She looks like a young woman contemplating life. I think it's a beautiful portrait. Click on the title of this post to see the artist's profile on artistaday.com

Running Down a Dream

I have a few favorite quotes that I live by and I think they give insight to who I am. The first quote is "Great Difficulties May Be Overcome by Patience and Perseverance." by Abigail Adams. The Second quote that I live by is “Give me the arrows of enthusiasm as opposed to the wisdom of complacency. It is unknown who said that, but a CNN reporter passed it along to me and I have been affected by it ever since. The third quote is by Maya Angelou "Human beings are more alike than unalike, and what is true anywhere is true everywhere, yet I encourage travel to as many destinations as possible for the sake of education as well as pleasure."

I have always tried to use travel as an opportunity to meet people from all walks of life. I believe you can learn a great deal from being surrounded by diversity. I first decided to travel and live different places on my own because of this very reason. Travel is part of who I am. I did this for several years before returning home to finish school. It was an invaluable education that changed me as an individual.

Since I have gone back to school in the last few years I have undergone a significant transformation. Just like the first quote I listed, I believe in never giving up. With patience and perseverance, all things can be accomplished. Even when I feel like giving in or taking the easy way, I remind myself that the best things in life are fought hard for. It is my firm belief that if you have enthusiasm for life you can expand your horizons and avoid becoming complacent. You’ll be able to reinvent yourself over and over again. When I have a day like today where I feel insecure, or somehow unworthy, or not good enough, unsure of my decisions, or maybe I don’t belong, I remind myself that everything in my life has led me to this point and that I am exactly where I need to be so I can do what I was meant to do.

Dionysus In Pursuit

Dionysus In Pursuit
"Give me the arrows of enthusiasm as opposed to the wisdom of complacency" –Unknown
Above is a link to my google website where I store all of my writings. Writing is what heals me, teaches me, it is how I grow, and learn from life lessons.

I am currently a student. It has changed my perspective, opened my mind, and is helping me fulfill my potential. I want to incorporate writing into whatever job I pursue. The degree I'm pursuing is Marketing and Media Studies. I want to be involved on the creative end but also understand the quantitative side. I will be taking courses in internet marketing, social media, product innovation and branding, creative writing, journalism, and anything else I fancy. I’m using blogs as a forum to hone my writing skills and share my life with the world.

"Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire" -St. Catherine of Siena

The ECOCLUB Interview: Louis D'Amore, International Institute of Peace through Tourism

Incredible piece on Louis D’Amore, one of my role models. I believe his vision will help the world build peace by connecting people through travel. What better way to help people appreciate each other’s differences than by travel and tourism.
The ECOCLUB Interview: Louis D'Amore, International Institute of Peace through Tourism

Dionysus In Pursuit - My entertainment blog

Dionysus In Pursuit - An entertainment blog on everything from movies to photography to my virtual second life and anything else I fancy;)
Just a quick post about my new blog dedicated to entertainment. I post movie reviews, articles on my second life; a virtual reality program, concerts, artists I like, and pictures I take. Check it out and tell me what you think, hope you like it!

Ch. 1 Passion and Angst

“Ever notice how quiet it gets right before you’re about to kiss someone?” Cindy mused staring up at the night sky.

“No…don’t really think about that kind of thing.” David shrugged, shuffling his feet back and forth.

“You know, the first time, that first kiss. There’s a moment, right before, when everything gets really still, and all you can feel is each other’s heat and breath and everything kind of slows down.” She stared at the sky, lost in her words.

David looked over at her, all pale and moonlight dancing off her face. Her blonde hair was down and blowing in the light breeze, held up only on the left side by a single barrette that showed her small little ear. He wondered what made her think of this and if maybe she was giving him some kind of signal or something.

“Anyway…” she broke her train of thought with a sigh and a smile as she turned back around to face him. “C’mon, let’s go back.” she said. David knew the moment was gone as she playfully pushed him and starting walking back to the party.

“So what are you thinking of doing this summer with all the free time you’ll have?” She smirked back at him.

“I don’t know….think I might take it easy for a bit, do a little fishing, camping, maybe write some..” David grinned broadly, his hands stuck firmly in his pockets, “ Why, what are you doing, any big plans?”

Cindy paused for a second, thinking about her upcoming move. She hadn’t mentioned it to David yet, too worried it would change things between them. He was her best friend, her sole confident. He should have been the first person she told, but for some reason she had been putting it off, not sure how to say it.

“Umm, well…actually I am thinking of moving…" she started fidgeting with her hands, suddenly very aware of her fingers and how humid the night air was, that it made them a little damp with moisture. "Okay, I am moving, I’m going back home.” She held her breath for a minute, there it was.

“What?? Since when are you moving?” He scrunched his face up confused. He was used to her impulsivity and spontaneity but this was extreme even for her.

Cindy looked over seeming distracted; he looks so cute, she thought, all bewildered with her news. His dark, furrowed brow showing his concern. She was really going to miss that.

“This is a little out of the blue,” he muttered when she didn’t say anything.

Cindy stopped and turned to look at him, a sad resigned look on her face.

“I’m going back, it’s been too long, eight years is a really long time to be away from your family, I miss them David.”

“Sure you do, but isn’t this kind of sudden?” He stood looking puzzled, secretly thinking in the back of his mind he’d always known this moment was coming, dreading it more like.

“Been thinking about it for awhile…..this place isn’t right for me anymore, it’s time to go I think. I need to finish school, I need a change.”

“Yea…..I know you do.” David looked down at his feet, pushing the sand around with his right foot, looking up he said “It’s not going to be the same without you here.”

She grinned and laughed, “Yea right, you’ve been waiting to get rid of me.” Her eyes twinkled in the moonlight and she flashed that big smile of hers, ear to ear, the one that made her eyes sparkle and the small dimple in her right cheek show. She had seven smiles and this was one of his favorites. She used it anytime she was either trying to get something or looking to downplay the situation. This time was obviously the latter.
_________________________________________________________________________
This is a rough draft of a short story I’m working on, maybe it will turn into something more, but for now it’s just the beginning of something I was inspired to write.

Graduation:)

Another invitation by Smilebox

I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always

I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be.

Youtube video of speech in "Le Dictateur" film by Charlie Chaplin

This is one of my favorite speeches of all time. I think it is eloquent and beautifully written. The words in this speech say what my heart wishes it could. I pay homage to the great Charlie Chaplin and his creative genius. Oh what a world it would be if we could all heed these words:)

‎"Hope......I'm sorry but I don't want to be an Emperor, that's not my business. I don't want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone if possible, Jew, Gentile, Black man, White. We all want to help one another; human beings are like that. We want to live by each other's happiness, not by each other's misery. We don't want to hate and despise one another. In this world there's room for everyone and the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful. But we have lost the way.

Greed has poisoned men's souls, has barricaded the world with hate; has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed but we have shut ourselves in: machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical, our cleverness hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little; more than machinery we need humanity; more than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost.

The aero plane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men, cries out for universal brotherhood for the unity of us all. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world, millions of despairing men, women and little children, victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people. To those who can hear me I say "Do not despair”. The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed, the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass and dictators die and the power they took from the people will return to the people, and so long as men die, liberty will never perish.

Soldiers, don't give yourselves to brutes, men who despise you and enslave you, who regiment your lives, tell you what to do, what to think and what to feel, who drill you, diet you, treat you like cattle, use you as cannon fodder. Don't give yourselves to these unnatural men, machine men, with machine minds and machine hearts! You are not machines! You are not cattle! You are men! You have the love of humanity in your hearts. You don't hate, only the unloved hate, the unloved and the unnatural. Soldiers, don't fight for slavery, fight for liberty. In the seventeenth chapter of Saint Luke it is written “the kingdom of God is within man”, not one man, nor a group of men - but in all men - in you!

You the people have the power, the power to create machines, the power to create happiness. You the people have the power to make life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure. Then in the name of democracy let us use that power - let us all unite. Let us fight for a new world, a decent world that will give men a chance to work that will give you the future and old age a security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power, but they lie. They do not fulfill their promise, they never will.

Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people. Now let us fight to fulfill that promise. Let us fight to free the world, to do away with national barriers, to do away with greed, with hate and intolerance. Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men's happiness. Soldiers - in the name of democracy, let us all unite!"

-Charlie Chaplin, "The Great Dictator"(Below are a few more excerpts from the movie)

"Look up! Look up! The clouds are lifting - the sun is breaking through. We are coming out of the darkness into the light. We are coming into a new world, a kind new world where men will rise above their hate and brutality.”

“The soul of man has been given wings - and at last he is beginning to fly. He is flying into the rainbow - into the light of hope - into the future, that glorious future that belongs to you, to me and to all of us. Look up. Look up."