The Love of My Life

Television shows. I am definitely a fan girl and have many fandoms. I am not afraid to say it. I have an obsession.

Right now is the worst part- hiatus.

I am going through withdrawal symptoms. I am frantically rewatching old episodes trying to keep my mind off of the fact that my favorite show Heartland has a 6 month break (4 months to go-128 days). They have started filming and are giving cryptic statements about the new season (season 9).

I am trying not to fantasize too much of what the season will bring for I don’t want to be let down. But as a fangirl, I can’t help it. I can’t help but think of what being on set is like. What the scripts are. The atmosphere.

Remember When?

“I don’t want to just remember the major events I’ve had with you, birthdays, last days of schools… I want to remember when we walked to Starbucks, when you gulp really loudly, or even smaller things of life”

My childhood was… an adventure

My childhood was an adventure. There isn’t really any other word to describe it. It involved broken bones, bruises, and spills; but it also involved a lot of hugs, kisses, and family-time. I know that there are a lot of people who say that their childhood was crazy, and I’m not trying to claim that mine was crazier, but it was crazy in a different way.

Photo ©2009 by Rantes (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

The Struggles are Real

Just the other day, I was joking about how my iPhone 6 was just too big to fit into my pocket. My cousin replied, “Well, I don’t pity you when your problems involve an iPhone. That’s nothing. SO good luck with your problem.”

Photo ©2014 by
download.net.pl [CC BY-ND 2.0]

That had me thinking. I subconsciously complain about the littlest things.

Honestly, I know how lucky I am, but sometimes it gets lost in my expectations. There are others who have to deal with much worse, like no food, shelter, or water, or 3rd world problems. Problems that originate from countries that aren’t fully developed and are many times corrupt.

My problem is labeled a 1st world problem. It’s commonly associated with unappreciative people who complain about their luxuries. When comparing the two, the 1st world problem is reduced to nothing.

Whether you believe this or not, most of what we have are luxuries. We don’t need all this technology to live, but we have it because we’re privileged with all the advancements. The computer you’re using to read this? The internet that you complain about constantly because it always seems to break down at the worst times? The phone you have, no matter what brand or model it is? All luxuries.

We consider them basic necessities because we’ve always had them. They’re integrated into our lifestyle, so we don’t think much of them. We just have to have them. Just in case we need to look something up when we’re not at home. Or when we need to call someone to pick us up. Or just take pictures of those special moments you want to keep and remember forever.

We take them for granted, but back around the 1920s, food and water were scarce, nevertheless, technology and luxuries.

Photo ©2008 by
drmvm1 [CC BY-ND 2.0]

Grapes of Wrath is a prime example of how the bare necessities are sometimes not even available. Although it’s not a 1st world problem because it takes place in America, the Joad family still faces problems with food, water, shelter, and even family.

Food is often insufficient in filling up the family. Fried dough is a common source of food for the desperate Joads while meat seemed to be a luxury because of its pricing.

Drinking water wasn’t abundant while on the road, nevertheless, the usage toilets and showers for hygiene. The Joads have lived a while without these hygienic stations, which is seen when Ruthie and Winfield are bewildered by a flushing toilet at a camp on the side of the road. Can you image never going without showering or flushing toilets? Everywhere we go, from public institutions to home, there is a bathroom waiting for us.

Photo ©2011 by
U.S. Department of Agriculture [CC BY 2.0]

Shelter wise, the Joads often pulled over on the side of the road and slept in tents and on the mattresses they hauled all the way from Oklahoma. There wasn’t air conditioning for those hot nights, or heat for those bitter cold ones. Instead, the families endured all they could with just blankets, a couple mattresses, and a tent. We come home to a nice clean mattress within an insulated house that protects us from nature’s elements.

When you don’t have the necessities, you at least have family. But for the Joads, their family started slowly falling apart. Grandpa and Grandma die on the trip. Casey protects the Joads by taking the blame for a fight. Connie leaves to pursue his career, leaving behind his pregnant wife and his family. Tom reluctantly leaves to avoid complications that would endanger his family. Al leaves his family for a girl. Slowly, the family was whittled down, and not many were left by the end of the novel. Sad how they seemed so readily able to leave their family for a future they perceived to be better. These are the times where I feel like I should go out and thank my family and friends for always being there to support me and help me through everything. I wouldn’t be where I was without my family and friends and I wouldn’t be the same person.

So despite living in America, the country of freedom, the Joads live a poor life on the road. So, try and be more appreciative and positive about what you have! Sometimes, it’s hard to remember, I know I find it hard to remember. But if you can, be positive because positivity is contagious. And who knows, maybe you’ll make someone’s day better by being positive! My goal as of late is to spread positivity because it is better for me and those around me!

-Mary

Do you believe in magic?

Someone once said, “There’s no magic in the world”

And maybe there isn’t.

Or maybe you just don’t want there to be.

If you don’t want to see it.

I read today “The magic in the world never left, we only forget to believe in it. It’s still there and all we have to do is let it show itself.”

The magic isn’t hiding. We are.

There doesn’t have to be 27 dresses

As a little girl I always dreamt of the day that I would get married. I still do. Going to all of my cousins weddings and see this perfect day that all your friends and family can come together and witness just how much you love a person is magical.

To have a wedding you need five key things.

The resting face

Photo ©2007 by Buster Benson (CC BY-SA 2.0)

You know that face that you revert back to whenever you stop thinking about your expression? It might not even reflect what you are feeling, but you just relax your face and that’s what you look like.

Jigsaw Pieces of My Life

I sat here for the last hour attempting to write a decent blog post, and I have nothing. My half attempts at writing have been utter fails and my inspiration meter is running low. I want to talk about a lot of little things, but it doesn’t fall under one topics.  Dogs. School. Failure. My head is jumbled with a bunch of small topics that don’t amount to anything. So this week, I have a bit of a mosh pit. 

Talk to Me

Let’s talk about cats, baklava, Pinterest, 8-notes, Wikipedia, World War 2, the florescent color of a yellow highlighter. 

The Big Bad Future

Photo by: Steven S. (cc)

The dreaded junior year has come. It is more than half way over and soon I will have to start applying for colleges. I am growing up but I don’t want to. I am driving, will have to get a job soon, and am getting closer and closer to being on my own.

As a little kid playing with bartz with my firends I couldn’t wait to grow up. Being seven in Vegas I was planning to what it would be like in 14 years when I come back and could actually enjoy Vegas is now less than five years away. Being 12 and planning on what I was going to do and where I would go is now becoming reality.