I don't like it when people (now, I can't remember who said this, I just remember my reaction to it) say that a person's personality is basically a reaction to their environment. I believe we are innately one personality or another - born, not bred. Environment (family, friends, circumstances, etc.), in my opinion, can act more like roadblocks to being your true self, than the things that shape it.
I hate Justin Bieber. Not because he has a tenth of the amount of talent I do and that he hasn't worked half as hard as I have to develop it (oh wait...), but because of what he represents: a decay in the arena of pop music. He looks like he's ten years old, dresses like Justin Timberlake (who is... what, 30??), and has the intellect as deep as a teacup. And he sings about love - as though he would know Anything about love at his age, except the most idiotic and naive forms of infatuation in existence. Everything about him rubs me the wrong way. I mean, *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys could at least sing, and sing great melodies. Oh, and they were legal age, too. Seriously. I can't dig on a pop star that looks prepubescent. Just can't do it.
I don't want kids. Ever. Please don't give me the 'oh, you'll change your mind someday' spiel. I've heard it a million times, and no, I won't change my mind. Nothing about hearing someone address me as 'mommy' is appealing. Respect to all the women out there who are mothers, and love that. Just not my thing.
I hate that almost every character on TV avoids their feelings, Except when they want to jump in bed together. I mean, HELLO - it should be the opposite! No matter what trauma they just went through, they tell all their co-workers they're 'fine', like Nothing happened. Except they're Not fine. They're seriously messed up because they're running from dealing with the pain. Seriously. Just suck it up and deal with what happened to you like the rest of us. As though running from your problems is Cool or something? I don't get it. And as for the amount of sex on TV? I guess it's 'realistic', but not in terms of mental and emotional consequences. What happened to girls being awesome Without sleeping with guys before marriage? One of my favorite characters on TV is The Avengers' Emma Peel, circa 1960s. She is modest, yet sexy and kicks some serious butt! But you don't see her in bed having sex with anyone. It doesn't matter that it was the 60s and TV standards were different then. My point is, I want women (and men!!) on TV I can respect - starting with a little more modesty and discipline when it comes to their sex drives! Why are people surprised that kids younger and younger are sexually experimental, when no one on TV bothers to restrain themselves?? There is such a beauty in Not sleeping around. Too bad for us modest ones, sex really does sell.
I liked it when Mark O'Connor Just did fiddle. Not classical. I mean, he's got the most awesome songs EVER. Fifteen, twenty years later, this stuff is Still winning fiddle contests. I'll make a mental note, for the benefit of my fans, to stick to my roots - even if I do venture out into unknown genre territory...
It's all in the eyes. Whenever I look at a painting of a person, I look at the eyes first. They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul - and I believe they are. A painting whose character has true emotion in their eyes - not simply beauty, but a soul beneath it - has captured the essence of what it means to be an artist: to bring to life that which is not living. And when I interact with people, I look them in the eye. I allow my eyes to tell my story - and the ones who read what's written there will always know the truth, no matter what my mouth says...
Has anyone else noticed that, in Star Wars I: Phantom Menace, Padme looks a Lot like Anakin's mother? Helloooo, Oedipus complex! It's just weird. Seriously. I can't believe I never noticed it until, like, the 20th time I watched the movie. In my defense, Ewan McGregor is quite (handsomely) distracting...
I may be the only woman in the world who doesn't think James Franco is attractive.
I constantly fantasize about being either a warrior woman or an Emma Peel-ish secret agent. That, and falling in love with Prince Charming, who shows up every time in different costumes and looks. Seriously. It's the same guy, I Know it is...
I'm obsessed with soundtracks. I think, by the time I die, I may have the largest soundtrack collection in the world. Life Goal No. 143...
I named my car, Emma, and tell her I love her. In fact, I have conversations with her. And I touch her lovingly from time to time. And... I think she likes it...
Monday, February 27, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Take It Or Leave It
I can't even pretend I understand people who don't work out, and make excuses for it. I get up every day, and I look in the mirror. Whether I think it looks good or bad, I have incentive to keep working out. I mean, maybe I'm just a hard worker by nature, but if I see something I don't like, I do whatever I have to do to change it for the better. And if I like something, I figure out exactly what I can do to keep it that way. Call it micro-managing, if you like. But I call it a healthy lifestyle.
I honestly can't stand it when people say they just don't have time to work out, or something like that. Seriously. I work out anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, six days a week. Most people spend at Least that amount of time doing waste of time stuff on the computer or on their iPhones. It's a small price to pay for how good I feel about my body, and myself, as a result.
Maybe inadvertently I make people feel guilty for Not working out, when they know they could, when I talk about it. I don't know. I've never been on the other side of that equation. And I'm not talking about people who have disabilities and/or health conditions that prohibit them from working out. I'm talking about people who are perfectly capable, don't, and make excuses for it. Maybe I'm a 'no excuses' kind of person, and maybe that's partially my upbringing, but I personally don't believe there are any excuses for not living a healthy life. There are a million ways to work out these days - gym or no gym, yoga, pilates, running, weight training, heck there's even stuff like Zumba for people who absolutely can't stand doing something more conventional (and that's not a bashing against Zumba or the people who enjoy it).
I really don't understand the whole 'New Years Resolutions' phenomenon. For me, it seems insanely Stupid to wait an entire year just so I can feel I have a clean start at something! If I want a fresh start, I go to sleep at night, and get up in the morning. Simple as that. There is something so ingenious about that part of our design. But I digress. My point is, why do people feel they need a special holiday - or a new year - to begin anew? There's one thing in life you can't procrastinate: health. Because eventually, it Will catch up to you. Oh, that steak you had? Don't worry about that. After having eaten about 4,000 more cows, though, I gotta tell you - I can't believe you're Surprised you had a heart attack. I wonder why meat eaters don't just walk around with an ER staff in tow for that reason; but I'll save my meat-eating attacks for another day.
And another thing I hate: when people come to other people's defense. Seriously. I'm going to state for the record that I don't understand certain people. That is Not an open invitation for you to continue to Explain that kind of person/thinking/etc. to me, then proceed to make me feel like a dis-compassionate, cold-hearted asshole. When I say I don't understand something, it's not because I want it explained to me, or that I actually Want to understand this type of person. I am simply stating that it is out of the range of my Imagination that there would be people like this on the planet, Surviving somehow. And believe me, I have quite an imagination. So it's rather an insult, and no, I don't want you to 'soften the blow' or try and make others (including yourself, perhaps) feel less guilty for choosing a lesser lifestyle. Take what I say for what it is: a slap across the face. Because let me tell you something: me pointing out your unhealthy lifestyle now is a lot less painful than the repercussions you'll face down the road.
But, then again, if guilt isn't enough to motivate someone, why would me saying anything change them? So, suffice it to say, I don't care if anyone takes this advice. And I also don't care what they think of me. Trust me, I'm a compassionate person. If you know me well, then you know this to be true and I don't have to convince you. But in the end, we are all as compassionate as how much we understand; and I just don't understand people choosing a consistently bad lifestyle.
I honestly can't stand it when people say they just don't have time to work out, or something like that. Seriously. I work out anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, six days a week. Most people spend at Least that amount of time doing waste of time stuff on the computer or on their iPhones. It's a small price to pay for how good I feel about my body, and myself, as a result.
Maybe inadvertently I make people feel guilty for Not working out, when they know they could, when I talk about it. I don't know. I've never been on the other side of that equation. And I'm not talking about people who have disabilities and/or health conditions that prohibit them from working out. I'm talking about people who are perfectly capable, don't, and make excuses for it. Maybe I'm a 'no excuses' kind of person, and maybe that's partially my upbringing, but I personally don't believe there are any excuses for not living a healthy life. There are a million ways to work out these days - gym or no gym, yoga, pilates, running, weight training, heck there's even stuff like Zumba for people who absolutely can't stand doing something more conventional (and that's not a bashing against Zumba or the people who enjoy it).
I really don't understand the whole 'New Years Resolutions' phenomenon. For me, it seems insanely Stupid to wait an entire year just so I can feel I have a clean start at something! If I want a fresh start, I go to sleep at night, and get up in the morning. Simple as that. There is something so ingenious about that part of our design. But I digress. My point is, why do people feel they need a special holiday - or a new year - to begin anew? There's one thing in life you can't procrastinate: health. Because eventually, it Will catch up to you. Oh, that steak you had? Don't worry about that. After having eaten about 4,000 more cows, though, I gotta tell you - I can't believe you're Surprised you had a heart attack. I wonder why meat eaters don't just walk around with an ER staff in tow for that reason; but I'll save my meat-eating attacks for another day.
And another thing I hate: when people come to other people's defense. Seriously. I'm going to state for the record that I don't understand certain people. That is Not an open invitation for you to continue to Explain that kind of person/thinking/etc. to me, then proceed to make me feel like a dis-compassionate, cold-hearted asshole. When I say I don't understand something, it's not because I want it explained to me, or that I actually Want to understand this type of person. I am simply stating that it is out of the range of my Imagination that there would be people like this on the planet, Surviving somehow. And believe me, I have quite an imagination. So it's rather an insult, and no, I don't want you to 'soften the blow' or try and make others (including yourself, perhaps) feel less guilty for choosing a lesser lifestyle. Take what I say for what it is: a slap across the face. Because let me tell you something: me pointing out your unhealthy lifestyle now is a lot less painful than the repercussions you'll face down the road.
But, then again, if guilt isn't enough to motivate someone, why would me saying anything change them? So, suffice it to say, I don't care if anyone takes this advice. And I also don't care what they think of me. Trust me, I'm a compassionate person. If you know me well, then you know this to be true and I don't have to convince you. But in the end, we are all as compassionate as how much we understand; and I just don't understand people choosing a consistently bad lifestyle.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
New Year's Resolutions
It's my belief that it's never too late for New Year's resolutions. I think after all is said and done, a sunset, hours of rest, and a sunrise make all the difference in starting anew. That said, here are some new rules I'm vowing to live by:
1. I am no one's backup plan. I don't know what it is, but it must be that I haven't met the right man yet. Guys seem to only come back to me after another girl has broken their heart. (Some trend, right?) I will never, ever give a guy a chance if he doesn't go for me first. Because every woman is worth being the leading lady - not the afterthought.
2. I am not always available whenever it's convenient for him to meet up. As in, I have other things in my life but you, boy. I've always been pretty good at this, but I'm redrawing the line. The less I settle now, the happier I'll be in the future. (And in the future, I'll be pretty busy, too, so he'd better get used to it.)
3. Take me as I am, or hit the road. I've been pretty good with this one, too, but it can't be said enough. I don't try and pretend my faults don't exist, and I don't try and 'tone down' my personality so I'm not too much for a man to handle. If he's intimidated by me, that's his problem - not mine!
4. A dream is only as impossible as I think it is. I am capable of so much more than I know - of this I am sure. I'm challenging myself to be more creative, and to try things that I was too afraid to do before. I'm not going to miss an amazing life because I was 'too afraid'. That's the worst reason of all to fail - because you never tried at all.
5. It's okay to be weak sometimes. Strangely enough, I've found that when I least expect it, people will reach out to defend me or help me when something bad happens in my life. So many years went by in my childhood when I wished someone would protect me. I tried to always be strong, and it's hard to allow myself to be so vulnerable even now. I want to come to terms with my humanity; my imperfect being... To come to terms with feeling like I'm not at my best. After all, "only the mediocre are always at their best". (Jean Giraudoux)
6. It's okay to change my mind. And it's okay to change my heart, and my desires. It's okay to not be the same person I was five or ten years ago. (In fact, I'd really rather not be the person I was five or ten years ago in some regards!) The things I was passionate about then are not all the same now (though many remain the same). And that's okay! I want to come to terms with my own changing. How silly it was, to think I 'had it all figured out' - to any degree... Nothing good can come of closed-mindedness.
7. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice... Well, you know the rest. If a guy breaks my heart once, he was the fool. But if I allow him to break my heart twice, then it was I who played the fool. Just not going to do that anymore. If a guy wants to be in my life, he's going to have to Earn his way back in!
8. No man, no person, no opinion, no certain day, week, month or year, no broken dream, unfulfilled hope or disappointment, no one action or mistake (or even great achievement) is the verdict on me. Not one of those things decides, once and for all, who I am or how much I am worth. Life does not begin and/or end with any one of these. There is so much more to life than taking everything personally. It's such a selfish way to live, and I'm bigger than that.
1. I am no one's backup plan. I don't know what it is, but it must be that I haven't met the right man yet. Guys seem to only come back to me after another girl has broken their heart. (Some trend, right?) I will never, ever give a guy a chance if he doesn't go for me first. Because every woman is worth being the leading lady - not the afterthought.
2. I am not always available whenever it's convenient for him to meet up. As in, I have other things in my life but you, boy. I've always been pretty good at this, but I'm redrawing the line. The less I settle now, the happier I'll be in the future. (And in the future, I'll be pretty busy, too, so he'd better get used to it.)
3. Take me as I am, or hit the road. I've been pretty good with this one, too, but it can't be said enough. I don't try and pretend my faults don't exist, and I don't try and 'tone down' my personality so I'm not too much for a man to handle. If he's intimidated by me, that's his problem - not mine!
4. A dream is only as impossible as I think it is. I am capable of so much more than I know - of this I am sure. I'm challenging myself to be more creative, and to try things that I was too afraid to do before. I'm not going to miss an amazing life because I was 'too afraid'. That's the worst reason of all to fail - because you never tried at all.
5. It's okay to be weak sometimes. Strangely enough, I've found that when I least expect it, people will reach out to defend me or help me when something bad happens in my life. So many years went by in my childhood when I wished someone would protect me. I tried to always be strong, and it's hard to allow myself to be so vulnerable even now. I want to come to terms with my humanity; my imperfect being... To come to terms with feeling like I'm not at my best. After all, "only the mediocre are always at their best". (Jean Giraudoux)
6. It's okay to change my mind. And it's okay to change my heart, and my desires. It's okay to not be the same person I was five or ten years ago. (In fact, I'd really rather not be the person I was five or ten years ago in some regards!) The things I was passionate about then are not all the same now (though many remain the same). And that's okay! I want to come to terms with my own changing. How silly it was, to think I 'had it all figured out' - to any degree... Nothing good can come of closed-mindedness.
7. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice... Well, you know the rest. If a guy breaks my heart once, he was the fool. But if I allow him to break my heart twice, then it was I who played the fool. Just not going to do that anymore. If a guy wants to be in my life, he's going to have to Earn his way back in!
8. No man, no person, no opinion, no certain day, week, month or year, no broken dream, unfulfilled hope or disappointment, no one action or mistake (or even great achievement) is the verdict on me. Not one of those things decides, once and for all, who I am or how much I am worth. Life does not begin and/or end with any one of these. There is so much more to life than taking everything personally. It's such a selfish way to live, and I'm bigger than that.
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