Saturday, October 30, 2010

Plotting.

It appears as though autumn has arrived.  The chilly nights have been accompanied by leaves that are slowly turning colors and gently letting go of their trees.  The need to wear a hoodie is apparent and soon the hot days of summer will be remembered only in the cups of cider that we drink (with, of course, some rum or other fabulous additions).

I went to smoke a cigarette earlier and I usually have my spots that I go to...either in the hallway by the staircase or upstairs by the drafting table...since those are the places that I feel the most comfortable and secure.  Today, I wandered all over the place. ...it was a new feeling, a feeling of being open with the entirety of the building...and with, well, everything.

I feel new today.  Not new in a cellophane-wrapped kind of way, just I feel open.  I went outside (while smoking) and as the autumn chill enveloped me I felt myself soften and just enjoy it.  I feel like life has been a lot of hiccups and I think that autumn is the perfect season to experience right now...I feel like things are beginning to settle down, and that I am starting to have the ability to focus on the things that I would like to pursue.  I've got a list of things that I want to do, and I'm excited for them all.

Also, to sort of update everyone on how life is going in a less amorphous and metaphorical way than I usually use to describe my life...

I have been working at Avante since October fourth, and am really enjoying it.  My accomplishments there so far (yes, I'm bragging...but it's cool):
1) I finished my training in three weeks instead of four.  Granted, I had previous experience with the system that is used...
2) Getting along with a lot of the people there, and getting to see people I used to talk to.  I feel like this is an accomplishment, so I'm putting it here
3)I sound awesome on the phone.  For those who aren't familiar with how working at a place where you call people or receive calls, they're all recorded, and someone listens to them to make sure that you're doing what you're supposed to.  I've been getting great scores.
4) I am one of two Spanish speakers in our office.  I literally DOUBLED the Spanish-speaking population there...and the other person is on leave right now, so I am the representative.  Also, I was told that i don't have a choice about whether or not to speak it.  I am being required to.
5) I was rewarded for the aforementioned.  I had helped someone else who was talking to someone else in Spanish, and I will reap the benefits of this reward for the next week in the form of a really comfortable chair.  hahaha, sounds ridiculous, but believe me, it's a nice change.

In the next few weeks I plan on baking some stuff...like maybe cookies or candy and some cinnamon rolls. ...cinnamon rolls for sure.  If you, reader, would like to have some of any of those (probably not the cinnamon rolls so much, but candy/cookies for sure), let me know and I will send some to you!

I am now off to practice my Spanish and maybe even to complete a painting or drawing...instead of just starting them all of the time!

Sunday, October 24, 2010

A reflection

I recently watched the Lion King.  No, this is not a confession, or a dark secret.  I would watch it anytime, with just about anyone.  Simba is the shit.  ..actually, Rafiki is.  Simba is kind of emo...I digress.

At one point in the Lion King, Simba is faced with his past and he must make a decision.  He must decide whether to keep living his carefree life or whether he will essentially "man up", if you will, and deal with his past in order to become the best, umm..."person" (lion) he can be.  ..also, he has to be a king because Scar sucks balls at doing it, and I'm fairly certain that he is gay. ...not that that matters...but he is.

My point is that I am going to compare myself to the Lion King.  ...in case you hadn't figured that out.  Also, (after this, I will get back to my point...) I feel as though my writing style is similar to every sermon that I've ever heard.  ...which is a LOT.  ...so I may have to work on that.  ...but at least I don't talk about Jesus.  Or Krishna.  ...although I'm not sure if Hindus have sermons...

I have been realizing that there are a lot of silly things and habits that I have.  I have realized that there are a lot of things that I need to get over...which I'm sure I've talked about before, but I am addressing it once more.  I feel like a stereotypical Jew (yeah, I said it) with all of the negations I experience in my daily life.  I can't do *this* because I'm afraid or I won't try *that* because it's...well, whatever it is, it's ME.  I officially have some goals that I'm going to work on...or just do at some point.

 I am going to get over my fear of water.  I have been trying desperately to figure out why I'm afraid to begin with, but I have no clue.  That's really the biggest one.  ...I am going to also attempt to be less socially awkward.  ...I have a self-appointed coach in this department.  ...and I really appreciate it.  More than a man with a mustache and clip board, this person has been supportive and patient with me in a lot of ways.  Also, this person has been very gracious.  So person, I would make a drink for you anytime.  ..and all sorts of other super sappy "thank you" things...in a little sister sort of way.

I would also like to address the fast-approaching holidays.  I mean, the biggest one of all is almost upon us.  Halloween...the celebration of when Martin Luther spawned a new branch of a tree that should have been cut down or burned long before.  ...that one isn't a big deal.  Unless I dress up like someone who cares.  I'm actually referring to Thanksgiving and Christmas.  The big T & C.  ...and black Friday.

Thanksgiving used to be my favorite holiday.  Period.  Family used to be this pinnacle of joy in my life.  I felt like everything about the traditions, the joy, the warmth, everything was just our version of some sort of "Leave it to Beaver" day.  ...and the amount of people who participated slowly dwindled the older I got.  Outside I was all calm about it.  Inside, I wanted to just beg everyone to be there...to make it perfect.  It got to a point where one year, my brother, mother, grandmother and I were the only ones who were going to celebrate...and my grandmother decided that we were going to have some sort of turkey loaf and microwaveable stuffing and some other modern nonsense for this day that I coveted so much.  I'm going to be completely honest...I cried.  This day that had reminded me of perfection was shattered.  And I felt like I was in a dream, trying to piece together shattered glass, and every time I knelt to pick up a piece it cut me (I admit, that sounds very emo, but it's how I felt).  I feel as though I have become more callus since then.  I say that I don't care.  I do.  I care immensely.  And now, I will not be able to participate in this holiday.  I WILL have a Thanksgiving.  Even if I have it by myself.

Oh reader.  I wish you could see what I go through when I write some of these blogs.  Some of them are happy (in fact, I am happy probably more than 90% of the time) but I still have things to go through and work through and to deal with.  ...which is the purpose of this blog.  Sometimes I feel very fragile, and I hide away from everyone in every way...and sometimes (mostly when inebriated) I come out a little bit, but I remain silent with eyes wide for a lot.

Last night I went to a bar...and a boy there was trying to be like, "hey what's up" (this is my slang for...I'm not really sure how to say it in English...we were at a bar and he was trying to say hi? or something?  I'm not a member of the Audobon Society, I don't know these things.).  He kept telling me that he didn't get me, that I'm challenging and that he couldn't read me.  My responses?  I don't want to be had, I'm a challenge because I'm not easy and he can't read me because I'm not a book.  He wasn't a bad person...I mean, he told me that he goes to church, but nobody's perfect.  I did think about relationships today.  ...I thought about how it would might be nice to have a significant other, but there are a lot of people in my life who are significant.  ...and I feel like searching for a significant other or being open to one would be such a laborious, arduous task.  My reason for thinking this?  Well, because I'm probably at least a dash of psychotic. ...but not in a bad way...just in a...how I perceive relationships and how I interact with people to begin with.  ...so more like socially awkward and alien more than psychotic.  Of course, maybe that would make me more normal.  ...Regardless, it's not happening and I'm not searching for it.  If it happens, it happens.  ...but I'll probably freak out the whole time if this ever DOES.  I'm focusing on it too much.

I may visit a friend of mine in New York City over Christmas.  ...he keeps telling me that I should move there...and as nice as NYC might be, A) I don't want to move to a new city and start over so soon...B) I really DO like Cincinnati.  ...if at some point I feel like I have done all that this city has to offer, then I may decide to move again, but shit.  I've been here for two months.  I love Skyline and drive-thru convenience stores (they make me happy for some reason...though I just walk to the one that is close by) and I enjoy being able to drive.  This feeling that I have for *home* right now is new to me.  ...I don't mean to sound ungrateful to any place I've been before.  It feels like...being curled up next to a fire with a mug of hot chocolate (with cream and Kahla).  ...So in short, it feels like contentedness, warmth, and joy.

I imagine that more moments in life are going to feel like this.  I had one of those moments last night as well.  A man who was with our party said that my roommate and I acted like brother and sister.  I wanted to hug everyone at that moment (albeit I had imbibed a few as well...though I was becoming sober at this point).  I had fun.  I may be quiet a lot, and I may be shy about some things, but that doesn't mean that I'm not having fun, that I'm not content, or that I'm not happy.  I'm still working on things internally so I spend a lot of time in thought.  About the past, the present and sometimes about the future.  ...mostly about things I haven't properly sorted through about the past.  And someday I'm going to spew them all over a canvas and people will look and stare and go mad. ...I mean, if everything goes well.  ...no.  Not really.  I think that I have lost my train of thought, and this blog is very long.  I hope that you have enjoyed this opus, dear reader.  I am going to go watch a movie I have never seen (another goal of mine is to get caught up on at least some of popular culture so that I can relate to my peers).

With love,

-meah kai-