I looked at the calendar today, and realised: my last class of highschool is next week.
MIND. BLOWN.
Not to be cliché, but... time really did pass quickly. (Except for during many of my classes. I'm pretty sure I could have skipped them without too many regrets... If only I went to a school with more students, wherein my absence would not be noticed. Or at least one at which my mother didn't teach.)
However, looking back, I noticed quite a few things I'd change. Unfortunately, as I do not have a Tardis, they'll remain regrets... but I thought I'd compile a list of advice I'd give my eighth-grade self, before coming to high school. Just in case.
1. Breathe. Ask yourself, "Is this really such a big deal? Will I remember this in a couple of years?" The answer is usually Yes... Yes, you'll remember it because you stressed way too much about it. Just chill out. (Picture your older self wearing hippie glasses and waving a palm leaf... for some reason that's the image that comes to mind when I say chill out. Who knows why.)
2. You don't have to get along with everyone. You know those people you think are mildly annoying but you think you should talk to because they're in your class? Don't bother. You can make better friends elsewhere.
3. But on that note, do actually try to make friends. Books are lovely, but socialising is important too! Just pick people you actually have interests in common with.
4. You have the power to change things. Mostly, this means: pluck your eyebrows. It is a Big Issue in your life, and it's not a big deal to change them, so DO IT.
Or in a more deep way: the world is yours, so go get it.
5. ...but if you can't change it, walk away. You know all those situations you felt really uncomfortable in? You're allowed to leave. Don't think you have to stay somewhere just because everyone else is.
6. Trust yourself. If you think you're going to hate something, assume that you're right and don't do it. (I'm thinking of all the 'school-bonding' activities that I attended. I can't think of one I enjoyed, and yet I went to quite a few... seriously, just don't do it.)
7. You are likeable. Don't assume that you're entirely forgettable. You're worth more than that. (You probably don't believe me, and I don't really believe myself in typing it, but I'm hoping that it'll come true by repetition.)
8. Don't allow your mother to buy you uniform shirts. She will buy you the wrong size, and the result will be that you're miserable for over a year. (They don't shrink that much, and I didn't grow that much. I am not an elephant.)
9. Keep in contact. You know those people you met, and liked, and... never talked to again? Yeah. Send them a message! A letter! A text! It's not that hard, and it might be awkward at first, but really, what do you have to lose? (Confession: I am so bad at this. Still. Which is why I'm putting it down in writing.)
10. Exercise is your friend. You know how you always think you're too klutzy to go running/dancing/move in general? Well, the more you work on it, the better you'll get. (You'll probably still fall down quite a lot, but you'll do it gracefully.)
11. Don't study so much. My studying schedule went like this.
Grade 9: "OMG if I don't study this for hours I will fail and my life will be forever ruined omg must spend hours doing this"
Grade 10: "Hmm I should probably write an intense study guide. I can use it to review next year!"
Grade 11: "Okay, I'll review and rewrite some notes..."
Grade 12: "I don't understand this and I really don't care. I'll still pass and get good grades."
...and every year I did almost equally well. (This goes well with no. 1- just chill out. The only important grades are some grade 11 ones and some grade 12 ones anyway... so really my schedule should have been reversed. Whoops.)
12. Do your own thing. So what if other people think it's lame? You'll have way more fun.
I wish I really did have a time machine so I could send this back to who I used to be- I think it would come in handy. Plus, some of these (especially nos. 1 and 9) are still things I need to remember. What's some advice you'd give your younger self? Do you have any university advice for me?
Showing posts with label confusion in general. Show all posts
Showing posts with label confusion in general. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Friday, May 24, 2013
my cat is a time traveller
I used to think that my cat was just clueless, but I have recently realised that there is a method to her madness other than pure stupidity. (Sad confession: she now looks at us when we say 'stupid' or 'dumb' because she knows we are most likely talking to her. And purrs. I'm not sure who this reflects worse on...) It's clear: she must be a time traveller!
I came to this conclusion after observing her in her natural habitat (the kitchen, the living room, and the furry spot on my bed) for several mornings. Some days, she is affectionate... Too much so. In her haste to accost us, she often trips and runs into the door. (Like pet like owner...) This is probably because she has been away and misses us desperately.
Other days, she runs back and forth across the kitchen. Not just once: six or seven times in a row. (As you can imagine, this makes preparing food difficult and also provides an occasion for her to steal mango, arugula, and buns from our plates... snacks for her trip?) This is because she's trying to augment her speed enough to fly away... and when she subsequently disappears, she's not just in the darkest deepest corner under the bed: she's in another universe!
All this running also makes it puzzling that, some days, she seems plumper than others. While this could be ascribed to eating the houseplants, time travel seems a far more reasonable explanation. All those gravitational forces can't be good for a girl! (However, now that I think of it, neither can eating the plants. I think some of them are poisonous... which might also account for the brain damage...)
Seriously. It all makes sense now. She's the perfect example of a mad scientist, right down to the crazy hair! (She's so absorbed in time travel that our other cat has to bathe her.)
Happy Friday, blog ninjas! What are your odd pet theories?
I came to this conclusion after observing her in her natural habitat (the kitchen, the living room, and the furry spot on my bed) for several mornings. Some days, she is affectionate... Too much so. In her haste to accost us, she often trips and runs into the door. (Like pet like owner...) This is probably because she has been away and misses us desperately.
Other days, she runs back and forth across the kitchen. Not just once: six or seven times in a row. (As you can imagine, this makes preparing food difficult and also provides an occasion for her to steal mango, arugula, and buns from our plates... snacks for her trip?) This is because she's trying to augment her speed enough to fly away... and when she subsequently disappears, she's not just in the darkest deepest corner under the bed: she's in another universe!
All this running also makes it puzzling that, some days, she seems plumper than others. While this could be ascribed to eating the houseplants, time travel seems a far more reasonable explanation. All those gravitational forces can't be good for a girl! (However, now that I think of it, neither can eating the plants. I think some of them are poisonous... which might also account for the brain damage...)
Seriously. It all makes sense now. She's the perfect example of a mad scientist, right down to the crazy hair! (She's so absorbed in time travel that our other cat has to bathe her.)
Happy Friday, blog ninjas! What are your odd pet theories?
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
what I'd like to be known for
Do you ever see connections within the TV shows you're watching? Or the conversations you're having? Or the books you're reading? I don't mean just mentioning the same thing to several people, or watching only crime shows. The connections I'm thinking of are subtler, harder to trace. A character in one novel might prefer an orange dress; a friend will happen to mention that she's been buying a lot of orange clothes. At first it seems coincidental, but as the events keep piling up, they seem to be pointing you further and further in the same direction.
This is the way I've been feeling lately. This quote, and others like it, have been appearing in snippets everywhere:
― John Green
This terrifies me.
I feel like it's a warning: stop thinking you can plan anything. Stop thinking you have time to waste. (Which is a good thing... but I panic, and then can do nothing.) Do you ever have times when you feel paralysed, caught in time, waiting for something to happen? I feel as though my life has been put on pause, and I'm not quite sure why.
For this reason, this list, from Moorea Seal's list project, was surprisingly difficult for me to write, because I don't know what I want.
On the whole, this seems fairly comprehensive... it also makes me wonder, am I already some of these things? If people who know me read this, would they laugh at just how off the mark I am? (I hope not.)
One notable exception (in my mind, at least) to this list was smart. I have been known for being smart my entire life, and I'm so tired of it. Being known as 'the smart girl' is exhausting and, in a way, dehumanising. You're not supposed to have weaknesses. You're supposed to be the one who has the answers, who doesn't care what other people think of you because you're just the brain... but that is not all I am.
What about you? What do you want to be known for?
This is the way I've been feeling lately. This quote, and others like it, have been appearing in snippets everywhere:
“One day, you’re seventeen and you’re planning for someday.
And then quietly, without you ever really noticing, someday is today.
And then someday is yesterday. And this is your life.”
― John Green
This terrifies me.
I feel like it's a warning: stop thinking you can plan anything. Stop thinking you have time to waste. (Which is a good thing... but I panic, and then can do nothing.) Do you ever have times when you feel paralysed, caught in time, waiting for something to happen? I feel as though my life has been put on pause, and I'm not quite sure why.
For this reason, this list, from Moorea Seal's list project, was surprisingly difficult for me to write, because I don't know what I want.
(is this clear enough? if not, please tell me so I can change it for next time)
On the whole, this seems fairly comprehensive... it also makes me wonder, am I already some of these things? If people who know me read this, would they laugh at just how off the mark I am? (I hope not.)
One notable exception (in my mind, at least) to this list was smart. I have been known for being smart my entire life, and I'm so tired of it. Being known as 'the smart girl' is exhausting and, in a way, dehumanising. You're not supposed to have weaknesses. You're supposed to be the one who has the answers, who doesn't care what other people think of you because you're just the brain... but that is not all I am.
What about you? What do you want to be known for?
Sunday, March 31, 2013
unfaithful
My confession for this week: I am a cheater.
I just can't help it. It's just too easy. It's not my fault- there are just too many temptations all around me. Why confine myself to one set of pages when I can so easily move on to another more exciting?
...by now you may have guessed that I'm talking about books.
Really, though. This is a serious problem, and one that should garner more support. I can't be the only one who finds it difficult to read one book at a time. There are just so many exciting ones out there that I can't wait to read! I can't help it if, sometimes,
And it's not only books, either. I also cheat on:
The worst part, though, is that I sometimes cheat on...writing?
How does this work, you might ask? How can you 'cheat on' an activity? It has no emotions... well, that's as may be. As anyone who has ever enjoyed a novel will tell you, books are very real indeed, and when you're actually beginning to write one, this problem (and oh yes it is a problem- there are voices in my head. No wonder writers are frequently considered mad... we have borderline multiple personality disorder) is magnified. When there are so many delectable new situations to write about, how can I pick just one? When my muse abandons me (probably to go eat chocolate. It is in my head, after all) is it so wrong to go explore a new story?
...judging by the piles of paper everywhere in my room, all relating to different storylines, I'd say yes.
What are some things you cheat on?
Oh, and to continue the literary mood, here's my current favourite song! (I might soon dump it, but for the moment we are deeply in love.)
Happy Easter, blog ninjas!
I just can't help it. It's just too easy. It's not my fault- there are just too many temptations all around me. Why confine myself to one set of pages when I can so easily move on to another more exciting?
...by now you may have guessed that I'm talking about books.
Really, though. This is a serious problem, and one that should garner more support. I can't be the only one who finds it difficult to read one book at a time. There are just so many exciting ones out there that I can't wait to read! I can't help it if, sometimes,
And it's not only books, either. I also cheat on:
- healthy eating (okay. It's Easter. If you haven't eaten too much chocolate, I will be both impressed and tempted to slap you)
- fashion (aka yes, I wear sweatpants in public sometimes... -hides in shame-)
- my favourite shows (I can never decide which one I prefer. They must all feel so slighted)
The worst part, though, is that I sometimes cheat on...writing?
How does this work, you might ask? How can you 'cheat on' an activity? It has no emotions... well, that's as may be. As anyone who has ever enjoyed a novel will tell you, books are very real indeed, and when you're actually beginning to write one, this problem (and oh yes it is a problem- there are voices in my head. No wonder writers are frequently considered mad... we have borderline multiple personality disorder) is magnified. When there are so many delectable new situations to write about, how can I pick just one? When my muse abandons me (probably to go eat chocolate. It is in my head, after all) is it so wrong to go explore a new story?
...judging by the piles of paper everywhere in my room, all relating to different storylines, I'd say yes.
What are some things you cheat on?
Oh, and to continue the literary mood, here's my current favourite song! (I might soon dump it, but for the moment we are deeply in love.)
Happy Easter, blog ninjas!
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
happy blogiversary to me!
So... it's been a year. A year of...
-snow (because you haven't heard enough about this yet, right?)
-social awkwardness
-fashion and makeup (faux pas? hmmm)
-fangirling (mostly Doctor Who)
(why am I putting two of the same letter? I feel like I have to continue now, it's stressing me out)
-working myself into a coma (of boredom)
-food
-boys
(hahaha I broke the chain!)
-confusion
-(the joys of) science (also the hating of)
-friends
(if I forgot them they might beat me up! oh, and speaking of- have you been admiring my beauteous new header? All thanks go to Jess(i)e who is a wonderful person even when he can't decide how to spell his name...)
-tea
-rants (seriously I am proud of this post, if you click on no other links you should read this one!)
and really... thank you. I'm so thankful to all of you for reading, laughing (I hope) or maybe just shaking your head (that's a perfectly normal response too!) as you followed along with me on this crazy journey that is my life.
Finally, though, I have a confession to make.
My name isn't really Zia.
Are you surprised? Confused? Let me explain... I originally had a very different idea for this blog, one that revolved more around the idea of story-telling than of talking about my real life, and so it was easier to have a blog persona rather than use my real name. While I still enjoy the story-telling part of it, my style has evolved and I now find myself using far more of my actual life than invention... so using a false name no longer seems as appropriate. (Although I do love Zia. Sigh. This was a difficult decision.)
So what am I really called?
Tatiana. -takes a bow- (it means fairy princess, in case anyone's curious... so obviously it is appropriate)
Nice to meet you all... again! Let's hope this coming year is as lovely as the next, dearest ninjas.
-snow (because you haven't heard enough about this yet, right?)
-social awkwardness
-fashion and makeup (faux pas? hmmm)
-fangirling (mostly Doctor Who)
(why am I putting two of the same letter? I feel like I have to continue now, it's stressing me out)
-working myself into a coma (of boredom)
-food
-boys
(hahaha I broke the chain!)
-confusion
-(the joys of) science (also the hating of)
-friends
(if I forgot them they might beat me up! oh, and speaking of- have you been admiring my beauteous new header? All thanks go to Jess(i)e who is a wonderful person even when he can't decide how to spell his name...)
-tea
-rants (seriously I am proud of this post, if you click on no other links you should read this one!)
and really... thank you. I'm so thankful to all of you for reading, laughing (I hope) or maybe just shaking your head (that's a perfectly normal response too!) as you followed along with me on this crazy journey that is my life.
Finally, though, I have a confession to make.
My name isn't really Zia.
Are you surprised? Confused? Let me explain... I originally had a very different idea for this blog, one that revolved more around the idea of story-telling than of talking about my real life, and so it was easier to have a blog persona rather than use my real name. While I still enjoy the story-telling part of it, my style has evolved and I now find myself using far more of my actual life than invention... so using a false name no longer seems as appropriate. (Although I do love Zia. Sigh. This was a difficult decision.)
So what am I really called?
Tatiana. -takes a bow- (it means fairy princess, in case anyone's curious... so obviously it is appropriate)
Nice to meet you all... again! Let's hope this coming year is as lovely as the next, dearest ninjas.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
realities of my life
1) There is still no snow. (This deserves a sad post all on its own... but with the number of times I've ranted about it, I think I'll abstain for your sanity.) Seriously, this is Canada. In December. Did the sky not get the memo?
2) I am still socially awkward. Example of a conversation I had today with one of my coworkers:
Me: wait, so... that girl... what's her name... she was here like three seconds ago?
Him: -confused silence-
Me: you know, she's blonde? And works here?
Him: -still looking weirded out- Victoria?
Me: yeah! Her! and... yeah... I can't remember the rest now... sorry, that was kinda pointless...
Him: -shakes head and walks away-
...what can I say, it takes time for me to grow on people. (Somewhat like moss.)
3) I can now drive! As in... by myself... WATCH OUT WORLD! (Actually, I'm not a bad driver. Just not skilled at parking. Or three-point turns. However, I do drive a huge van- think Mystery Machine, but less cool- so on the plus side, if I ever drive a car, I'll be amazingly skilled... or I'll just over-judge and run into more things... Hmm.)
4) Whine whine moan moan, I work too much.
5) I know there were other things I wanted to blog about, but I can't remember what they were. (This happens often. Is this a problem for anyone else?)
6) After seeing me with my enlarged cheeks and lost-a-fight bruises, my supervisor decided to refer to me as 'chipmunk", "rotten fruit", "unripe tomato" and "banana". All my self-esteem has now disappeared -sob- (Haha, kidding, it was actually pretty funny... and at least I've recovered now!)
7) I've been accepted at a university! (What were they thinking, right?) So basically... I'm assured of NOT being stuck here for another year! (Yes, that was the first thing that came to mind when I opened the email... a little sad.)
So that was my life, in a list! (Everything is better in list form. It's a fact.) How was your week?
2) I am still socially awkward. Example of a conversation I had today with one of my coworkers:
Me: wait, so... that girl... what's her name... she was here like three seconds ago?
Him: -confused silence-
Me: you know, she's blonde? And works here?
Him: -still looking weirded out- Victoria?
Me: yeah! Her! and... yeah... I can't remember the rest now... sorry, that was kinda pointless...
Him: -shakes head and walks away-
...what can I say, it takes time for me to grow on people. (Somewhat like moss.)
3) I can now drive! As in... by myself... WATCH OUT WORLD! (Actually, I'm not a bad driver. Just not skilled at parking. Or three-point turns. However, I do drive a huge van- think Mystery Machine, but less cool- so on the plus side, if I ever drive a car, I'll be amazingly skilled... or I'll just over-judge and run into more things... Hmm.)
4) Whine whine moan moan, I work too much.
5) I know there were other things I wanted to blog about, but I can't remember what they were. (This happens often. Is this a problem for anyone else?)
6) After seeing me with my enlarged cheeks and lost-a-fight bruises, my supervisor decided to refer to me as 'chipmunk", "rotten fruit", "unripe tomato" and "banana". All my self-esteem has now disappeared -sob- (Haha, kidding, it was actually pretty funny... and at least I've recovered now!)
7) I've been accepted at a university! (What were they thinking, right?) So basically... I'm assured of NOT being stuck here for another year! (Yes, that was the first thing that came to mind when I opened the email... a little sad.)
So that was my life, in a list! (Everything is better in list form. It's a fact.) How was your week?
Monday, November 5, 2012
"baby, baby, where'd you put the bagpipes?!"
Did that get your attention? (How could it not?) It certainly captured mine in the middle of the night as it was yelled outside my hotel room. For whatever reason (ok, the reason being that we are frugal, or cheap) we tend to stay in hotels that are just this side of sketchy... not quite in the bad area of town, but definitely in the weird one. (However, I am grateful for this, since it means I have money for tea and university!) Gotta love big cities, right?
The next morning, on we went to the university open house!
The one thing that would have made the exhibit better would have been if they had dinosaurs to sit on... I mean really, taking a ride on one of them would have made my day! (If you can have ride-on dinosaurs in playgrounds, why not in museums? I'm positive I wouldn't have been the only one pleased by this... so the remainder might have been under ten, but still.)
I love this city. For a small-town girl like myself, walking down the main street in the middle of the night (ok. So it was like nine. Whatever) filled me with such an energy and a feeling... I can't describe it. Do you city-dwellers know what I mean? (I figure that, for this, I could deal with the noise... let's see if I still feel that way when I have no money left for tea.)
The next morning, on we went to the university open house!
Just a little advertising in the Science building. (If you're here from that, let me just say that I am amazed, and welcome! ...confession though, I am most definitely not into science.)
Of course there was a Tim Hortons! (I also managed to get in a visit to Starbucks- is anyone else in love with the Eggnog Latte?- and TWO to David's Tea, my dream place. Expect tea reviews soon!)
After many tours, we went to the... James Bond exhibit! (I found out that he wore aviator sunglasses in the movies too, just further proof that mine are the coolest things ever.)
My attempt at 'femme fatale'... might have been a little more successful had I not been wearing a plaid shirt. The exhibit was super cool though, I would definitely recommend it! OMG blinged-out dresses... every single one was dripping in glitter... my sort of clothes for sure.
Of course, they might not quite match my current object of desire...
I want one of these hats so badly, omg. Christmas is coming up, guys! -wink wink nudge nudge- (Because really, who doesn't want to look like their head is being eaten?)
Who doesn't love random rickshaws? (Alliteration is fun!) Seriously though, this was just sitting in the middle of the street... I have no idea what it was doing there... and it was gone when we walked there in the morning. Maybe the people looking for bagpipes decided to steal it instead?
Sometimes street signs express things that you could never have put into words yourself, but that are oddly appropriate.
The next day (which I somehow have no photos of, silly me) we toured another university (which was equally wonderful. Why are there so many that I have to love?) and bought... mittens? l,sjdkhgaiwehg it was COLD. Like, my fingers were nearly falling off.
You can see the faint purple tinge here. (I actually love this photo so much... I may not have been able to find glasses to try on, but at least I had a mask!)
...and nearly expired from hunger (okay, maybe that was just me. I think I have a problem...)
This is actually my mother's food... by the time she mentioned taking a photo, I had already inhaled more than half of mine. (Shh. It had been a long walk.) (Also, before you think she's a genius, let me just mention that she also talked about the 'warm womblike washroom' at the restaurant for quite a while... yeah...)
After eating, we waddled (what can I say, the food was REALLY GOOD) over to the museum to go see... DINOSAURS!
This is an actual dinosaur skull. Doesn't it look like a vaccum cleaner?
I thought my hoodie was quite appropriate! (For once. In what other situation is wearing a giant eel approriate anyway?)
The one thing that would have made the exhibit better would have been if they had dinosaurs to sit on... I mean really, taking a ride on one of them would have made my day! (If you can have ride-on dinosaurs in playgrounds, why not in museums? I'm positive I wouldn't have been the only one pleased by this... so the remainder might have been under ten, but still.)
I love this city. For a small-town girl like myself, walking down the main street in the middle of the night (ok. So it was like nine. Whatever) filled me with such an energy and a feeling... I can't describe it. Do you city-dwellers know what I mean? (I figure that, for this, I could deal with the noise... let's see if I still feel that way when I have no money left for tea.)
Sunday, August 26, 2012
a little story
Beware: this story may be confusing/odd/long/not really a story at all. Never combine writing with a longgg shift at work- you have been warned.
The soft shadows of dusk stretched their fingers across the playground, bathing the blue ground in a peaceful glow. Jenna closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Anything you can imagine is real. After reading the line on one of Tim's postcards- a generic, cheap one, to be found at any tourist trap, sent from India and Pakistan and Africa- she'd taken to believing it. What harm could it do, after all? In a worst-case scenario world like the one she so often found herself trapped in, she would simply remain on the ground. In the best case... well, she could fly.
And that was certainly something worth imagining.
Just visualise, her aunt's self-help books exhorted. Eyes still closed, she placed both feet squarely on the base of the... what was this, anyway? A swing? A ride? A....
Stop procrastinating and do it, she told herself firmly. She often found herself doing this, as though there were two parts to her personality, running on parallel railway lines inside her head. Jenna One was firm, driven; the kind of girl you wanted for a project, who could take charge of her own life.
This side usually lost.
Jenna Two was softer. She followed the easier path, drifting through life lost in her imaginings and caught between the thin blue lines on her school papers. Somehow this very insouciance made it easier for her to conquer her more forceful half. Why bother trying when floating was so much easier?
Because the journey is the most important part. If her brother, whose head was filled with nothing but dollar signs and briefcases, could travel to such exotic places- and be so tightfisted as to send back only cheap postcards, filled with such preachy sayings as that- she should be able to accomplish this one dream.
"What are you doing?" Jenna opened her eyes. A little girl stood in front of her, arms folded squarely across her chest. She blew an orange-scented bubble, and said firmly, "Big people aren't allowed on the turny."
Jenna met her eyes, noting the obstinacy in her gaze, and said, "One spin?" shocked at her own daring. The girl continued to stare at her, before finally nodding and walking away. Jenna One smiled; Jenna Two sighed and slipped both feet back onto the turny before she could be pushed off. Anticipation filled her, shining like a soap bubble above her head. At last, she'd done something right.
Spin, spin, spin, until all your dreams blur to shadow. Spin, spin, spin...
This is also my contribution to the wonderful linkup over at City Girl Gone Country and A Beautiful Day!
The soft shadows of dusk stretched their fingers across the playground, bathing the blue ground in a peaceful glow. Jenna closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Anything you can imagine is real. After reading the line on one of Tim's postcards- a generic, cheap one, to be found at any tourist trap, sent from India and Pakistan and Africa- she'd taken to believing it. What harm could it do, after all? In a worst-case scenario world like the one she so often found herself trapped in, she would simply remain on the ground. In the best case... well, she could fly.
And that was certainly something worth imagining.
Just visualise, her aunt's self-help books exhorted. Eyes still closed, she placed both feet squarely on the base of the... what was this, anyway? A swing? A ride? A....
Stop procrastinating and do it, she told herself firmly. She often found herself doing this, as though there were two parts to her personality, running on parallel railway lines inside her head. Jenna One was firm, driven; the kind of girl you wanted for a project, who could take charge of her own life.
This side usually lost.
Jenna Two was softer. She followed the easier path, drifting through life lost in her imaginings and caught between the thin blue lines on her school papers. Somehow this very insouciance made it easier for her to conquer her more forceful half. Why bother trying when floating was so much easier?
Because the journey is the most important part. If her brother, whose head was filled with nothing but dollar signs and briefcases, could travel to such exotic places- and be so tightfisted as to send back only cheap postcards, filled with such preachy sayings as that- she should be able to accomplish this one dream.
"What are you doing?" Jenna opened her eyes. A little girl stood in front of her, arms folded squarely across her chest. She blew an orange-scented bubble, and said firmly, "Big people aren't allowed on the turny."
Jenna met her eyes, noting the obstinacy in her gaze, and said, "One spin?" shocked at her own daring. The girl continued to stare at her, before finally nodding and walking away. Jenna One smiled; Jenna Two sighed and slipped both feet back onto the turny before she could be pushed off. Anticipation filled her, shining like a soap bubble above her head. At last, she'd done something right.
Spin, spin, spin, until all your dreams blur to shadow. Spin, spin, spin...
This is also my contribution to the wonderful linkup over at City Girl Gone Country and A Beautiful Day!
Thursday, August 16, 2012
mystification and meat (also, the alphabet is confusing)
It is a sad and little-known fact that I am incapable of remembering the order of the alphabet.
Yes, you may laugh now.
I'm not completely hopeless. I can remember up to about D. If it's a good day, I can even sometimes get all the way to H... but after that, I'm lost and have to sing the alphabet under my breath. (This makes finding books in the library excessively difficult. Sometimes I get lost within the shelves, thinking, "But I'm SURE J came after L! Where'd it go?" until a librarian takes pity on me. And yes, they laugh too.)
Why am I mentioning this? No reason in particular. Mainly because I wanted to linkup to Jenny Matlock's Alpha-Thursday...and I had thought of this great N post... before looking at her blog, and realising we were only at M. (Sigh.) And to add insult to injury, I can't even remember what the N post was about, so I can't even post it next week. (Double sigh.)
Anyway, I will now get on with the photos for PDA! (The title of this post was supposed to be narcissim, as in I am too busy to post pictures and show all of you my wonderful life because I am lazy, and yes that's not really what narcissim means but it's my blog and I can be confusing and change the meanings of words if I choose!)
12- Maudlin clouds
This picture is actually the reason I've been procrastinating on this post. It's been super sunny and hot recently... the sky is completely blue... a bit difficult to take some pretty cloud pictures. Finally, I decided to, once again, simply use a picture I'd taken in Spain.
13- A mysterious sign
I went to Ribfest the other day... Yes, I'll just stop there and admit the inherent weirdness of that statement. There are 2 questions that have to be asked here: why would I, a militant vegetarian, go to Ribfest? And why would my town have a Ribfest?... because we're Hicksville, guys. EVERYONE shows up at Ribfest. It's literally the event of the year. (As my friend repeatedly told me: meat brings people together. Oh-kay.)
Anyway, the point of that paragraph was (as usual, close to non-existent) that, while browsing the booths, we saw this sign and it made me laugh:
Really, taking a ride in a police car might actually be one of this town's highlights, just saying.
14- Mischievous best friends
I think this picture basically speaks for itself. Aren't we cool?
This one's a little more demure.. but equally as gorgeous.
Yes, you may laugh now.
I'm not completely hopeless. I can remember up to about D. If it's a good day, I can even sometimes get all the way to H... but after that, I'm lost and have to sing the alphabet under my breath. (This makes finding books in the library excessively difficult. Sometimes I get lost within the shelves, thinking, "But I'm SURE J came after L! Where'd it go?" until a librarian takes pity on me. And yes, they laugh too.)
Why am I mentioning this? No reason in particular. Mainly because I wanted to linkup to Jenny Matlock's Alpha-Thursday...and I had thought of this great N post... before looking at her blog, and realising we were only at M. (Sigh.) And to add insult to injury, I can't even remember what the N post was about, so I can't even post it next week. (Double sigh.)
Anyway, I will now get on with the photos for PDA! (The title of this post was supposed to be narcissim, as in I am too busy to post pictures and show all of you my wonderful life because I am lazy, and yes that's not really what narcissim means but it's my blog and I can be confusing and change the meanings of words if I choose!)
12- Maudlin clouds
This picture is actually the reason I've been procrastinating on this post. It's been super sunny and hot recently... the sky is completely blue... a bit difficult to take some pretty cloud pictures. Finally, I decided to, once again, simply use a picture I'd taken in Spain.
Even in this picture, the focus isn't really on the clouds... but I thought they looked gorgeous and fluffy, the kind of clouds you might like to eat.
13- A mysterious sign
I went to Ribfest the other day... Yes, I'll just stop there and admit the inherent weirdness of that statement. There are 2 questions that have to be asked here: why would I, a militant vegetarian, go to Ribfest? And why would my town have a Ribfest?... because we're Hicksville, guys. EVERYONE shows up at Ribfest. It's literally the event of the year. (As my friend repeatedly told me: meat brings people together. Oh-kay.)
Anyway, the point of that paragraph was (as usual, close to non-existent) that, while browsing the booths, we saw this sign and it made me laugh:
Really, taking a ride in a police car might actually be one of this town's highlights, just saying.
14- Mischievous best friends
I think this picture basically speaks for itself. Aren't we cool?
This one's a little more demure.. but equally as gorgeous.
(Yes, these are two different people, not just one who underwent extensive plastic surgery!) Happy Thursday! I hope your week is going well. What do you think of Ribfest? How is the weather near you?
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