his eyes
his eyes
green
like the grass of our native land
with a shade of grey
as the clouds roll across the moon on a clear October night
slightly hazel
dancing on the edges of the glass of our memories
and a hint of gold
like the sun setting on the horizon of the African pride lands
tell me so much
past, present, and future
–our first kiss
the warmth of his hand in mine
when we became one–
that words can’t express
dreams, ideas, stories
all told
through
his eyes
lost friends
first love
big hopes
even bigger aspirations
time lost
days spent
together
with me
with her
with them
with us
laughing, crying
fighting, forgiving
hating, loving
no words spoken
no sounds made
all told through
his eyes
The Work of Cassandra Clare
IF YOU HAVE NOT/ARE NOT CAUGHT UP IN EITHER OF CLARE’S SERIES (having finished reading City of Lost Souls and Clockwork Prince), THEN THIS POST WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
This is just one of those I’m in my feels kind of posts.
I was scrolling through tumblr when I saw this:
If this means nothing to you, it’s most likely because you don’t know the series.
Cassandra Clare is the New York Times bestselling author for The Mortal Instruments series as well as the prequel/sequel The Infernal Devices series . . . Not just scrolling through tumblr today, but over the last couple of weeks, Clare–or whoever runs her tumblr page–has been posting snippets from Clockwork Princess, the final book in The Infernal Devices trilogy and snippets from City of Heavenly Fire which is the final book in The Mortal Instruments series.
Where my feels come in:
- Apparently, the Sizzy ship is going to sink. Not that I’m a huge shipper of any couple, but really?? When Malec broke up, it was like the frickin Titanic crashed and sunk all over again. I don’t give a flying fetus about Clary and Jace. We all know it’s going to be happily ever after for them, so that’s why Clare’s gotta eff with our feelings when it comes to who actually matters.
- People keep saying Jem is going to die, and it’s like, deep down, I know it’s going to happen. There’s no way that he can survive without his “medication” and someone always dies in the conclusion, but I still have that sliver of hope because there are Carstairs in The Dark Artifices. Unless Tessa gets pregnant before Jem dies . . . I just don’t see Clare being that predictable.
- I don’t think Cassandra Clare is that mean. If she breaks up Sizzy, Malec doesn’t get back together, kills off Jem, and then makes us wait until 2015 (even though I’m pretty sure CoHF is set to come out sometime next year) for The Dark Artifices, I mean, that would just be cruel.
I wanna hope for the best, but then I don’t want to only to have my feels demolished when every predication the fandom has made and everything that Clare has hinted at comes true . . . I hate speculating. I’m so glad Clockwork Princess is out in 24 days. At least after having read that, I’ll know something.
Words, Words, Words
I have a bad habit of making up words, and not ridiculous words like (gnorker–combination of geek, nerd, and dork which I created to be my gmail account name), but words that seem like they should be words but aren’t actually words.
Therefore, I’m going to keep a list of all the words that aren’t actually words. I’ve come up with a few, but as of right now, I can only think of these two:
1. Conversate [kon-ver-seyt] (v.): the act of having a conversation: past tense → Origin: Janelle’s head
2. Mystificity [mis-tuh-fis-i-tee] (adj.): having an intense mystical quality
3. Confuzzled [kuhn-fuhz-zld] (v.): in a state of extreme confusion, sometimes mixed with minor irritation and/or agitation
More to come later!
My Book List (2013)
This is more for me than for anyone else . . . Back in May 2011, I started keeping the dates and times in which I started and finished a book. One of my friends said that she liked keeping records of things, and I asked her why. She said she likes knowing when she did thing and wonders that if she revisited the date in mind would she would be able to remember it (or something like that). That’s not why I started keeping track of the dates and times, but now that I have, it’s more to see how far I’ve come.
1. Positively: Courtney Sheinmel
Started: May 24, 2011 12:47 am
Finished: May 25, 2011 9:04 pm
2. The Other Side of Dark: Sara Smith
Started: May 25, 2011 10:55 pm
Finished: May 29, 2011 2:58 am
3. The Sky is Everywhere: Jandy Nelson
Started: May 30, 2011 10:03 pm
Finished: June 01, 2011 11:21 pm
4. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: J. K. Rowling
Started: June 02, 2011 1:11 am
Finished: June 06, 2011 1:06 pm
5. Vanished: Kate Brian
Started: June 06, 2011 7:17 pm
Finished: June 07, 2011 7:54 pm
6. Ominous: Kate Brian
Started: June 07, 2011 11:48 pm
Finished: June 09, 2011 10:48 pm
7. Sing You Home: Jodi Picoult
Started: June 10, 2011 11:21 am
Finshed: June 15, 2011 6:36 pm
8. Bumped: Megan McCafferty
Started: June 19, 2011 1:00 am
Finished: June 25, 2011 2:44 pm
9. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: J. K. Rowling
Started: July 1, 2011 6:17 pm
Finished: July 17, 2011 1:03 pm
10. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: J. K. Rowling
Started: July 17, 2011 8:30 pm
Finished: July 31, 2011 2:19 pm
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: J. K. Rowling
Started: July 31, 2011 2:50 pm
Finished: August 8, 2011 11:14 pm
12. Twisted: Sara Shepard
Started: August 9, 2011 1:55 am
Finished: August 11, 2011 1:00 pm
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: J. K. Rowling
Started: August 11, 2011 6:45 pm
Finished: August 19, 2011 12:21 am
14. One Day: David Nicholls
Started: August 21, 2011 12:45 am
Finished: September 5, 2011 11:30 am
15. The Power of Six: Pittacus Lore
Started: September 5, 2011 1:50 pm
Finished: September 15, 2011 1:27 pm
16. Abandon: Meg Cabot
Started: September 16, 2011 6:30 pm
Finished: September 22, 2011 7:17 pm
17. It’s Kind of a Funny Story: Ned Vizzini
Started: September 23, 2011 12:00 pm
Finished: September 27, 2011 2:41 pm
18. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: J. K. Rowling
Started: October, 2011 12:30 am
Finished: October 14, 2011 1:08 pm
19. The Warrior Heir: Cinda Williams Chima
Started: October 15, 2011 1:22 am
Finished: October 22, 2011 2:24 pm
20. The Wizard Heir: Cinda Williams Chima
Started: October 23, 2011 1:53 am
Finished: October 28, 2011 1:08 am
21. The Dragon Heir: Cinda Williams Chima
Started: October 29, 2011 9:26 am
Finished: November 7, 2011 7:28 pm
22. Matched: Ally Condie
Started: November 10, 2011 8:04 pm
Finished: November 16, 2011 11:22 pm
23. The Demon King: Cinda Williams Chima
Started: November 16, 2011 11:41 pm
Finished: November 27, 2011 1:03 pm
24. The Queen Exiled: Cinda Williams Chima
Started: November 27, 2011 2:52 pm
Finished: December 10, 2011 10:01 pm
25. The Gray Wolf Throne: Cinda Williams Chima
Started: December 11, 2011 6:17 pm
Finished: December 18, 2011 6:42 pm
26. Awaken: Katie Kacvinsky
Started: December 18, 2011 7:04 pm
Finished: December 20, 2011 7:30 pm
27. The Mark: Jen Nadol
Started: December 20, 2011 9:44 pm
Finished: December 21, 2011 6:36 pm
28. The Vision: Jen Nadol
Started: December 21, 2011 7:38 pm
Finished: December 23, 2011 12:59 am
29. Ruby Red: Kerstin Gier
Started: December 24, 2011 11:38 am
Finished: December 27, 2011 12:11 am
30. Cycler: Lauren McLaughlin
Started: December 27, 2011
Finished: December 29, 2011 12:28 pm
31. Recycler: Lauren McLaughlin
Started: December 31, 2011
Finished: January 3, 2012 2:39 pm
32. My Name is Memory: Ann Brashares
Started: January 3, 2012 2:48 pm
Finished: January 4, 2012 9:07 pm
33. Destined: P.C and Kristin Cast
Started: January 5, 2012 12:45 am
Finished: January 10, 2012 1:35 am
34. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children: Ransom Riggs
Started: January 12, 2012 ??
Finished: January 31, 2012 11:59 pm
35. Hush, Hush: Becca Fitzgerald
Started: February 4, 2012 12:06 pm
Finished: February 8, 2012 6:46 pm
36. Crescendo: Becca Fitzpatrick
Started: February 9, 2012 12:39 am
Finished: March 8, 2012 10:06 pm
37. Silence: Becca Fitzpatrick
Started: March 10, 2012 4:53 pm
Finished: March 12, 2012 9:54 pm
38. Tangled: Carolyn Mackler
Started: March 9, 2012 c. 3:54 pm
Finished: July 14, 2012 3:33 pm
39. Songs of the Humpback Whale: Jodi Picoult
Started: April 3, 2012 11:15 pm
Finished: April 16, 2012 5:35 pm
40. The Lucky One: Nicholas Sparks
Started: April 17, 2012 10:53 am
Finished: April 20. 2012 11:23 am
41. Clockwork Angel: Cassandra Clare
Started: April 21, 2012 12:15 am
Finished: May 1, 2012 4:15 pm
42. Clockwork Prince: Cassandra Clare
Started: May 2, 2012 1:00 am
Finished: May 6, 2012 10:04 pm
43. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight: Jennifer Smith
Started: May 7, 2012 12:35 pm
Finished: May 10, 2012 2:59 pm
44. Tempest: Julie Crosss
Started: May 11, 2012 12:35 pm
Finished: May 14, 2012 1:07 am
45. Will Grayson, Will Grayson: John Green & David Levithan
Started: May 14, 2012 7:07 p.m.
Finished: May 21, 2012 9:06 am
46. Thirteen Reasons Why: Jay Asher
Started: May 17, 2012 c. 8:10 am
Finished: May 18, 2012 10:16 am
47. The Fault in Our Stars: John Green
Started: May 21, 2012 12:48 pm
Finished: May 24, 2012 9:06 am
48. Across the Universe: Beth Revis
Started: May 29, 2012 7:40 pm
Finished: June 1, 2012 9:41 am
49. A Million Suns: Beth Revis
Started: June 1, 2012 10:50 am
Finished: June 5, 2012 4:37 pm
50. City of Lost Souls: Cassandra Clare
Started: June 7, 2012 2:00 pm
Finished: June 11, 2012 3:22 pm
51. Eon: Alison Goodman
Started:
Finished:
52. Trafficked: Kim Purcell
Started: June 19, 2012 6:54 pm
Finished: June 22, 2012 9:38 am
53. Cinder: Marissa Meyer
Started: June 22, 2012 10:06 am
Finished: June 24, 2012 11:13 am
54. Shattered Souls: Mary Lindsey
Started: June 26, 2012 10:22 am
Finished: June 27, 2012 1:39 pm
55. Hate List: Jennifer Brown
Started: June 27, 2012 11:11 pm
Finished: July 2, 2012 3:39 pm
56. Cruel Love: Kate Brian
Started: July 1, 2012 3:08 am
Finished: July 3, 2012 8:18 am
57. Legend: Marie Lu
Started: July 9, 2012 7:47 am
Finished: July 10, 2012 9:25 am
58. The Time Traveler’s Wife: Audrey Niffenegger
Started: July 10, 2012 1:18 pm
Finished: July 13, 2012 2:40 pm
59. Daughter of Smoke & Bones: Laini Taylor
Started: July 14, 2012 6:23 pm
Finished: ??
60. The Letter Q: Sarah Moon
Started: July 19, 2012
Finished:
61. Fifty Shades of Grey: E. L. James
Started: July 22, 2012 10:52 am
Finished: July 24, 2012 4:23 pm
62. Fifty Shades Darker: E. L. James
Started: July 25, 2012 8:21 am
Finished: July 29, 2012 3:31 pm
63. Fifty Shades Freed: E. L. James
Started: July 29, 2012 11:21 pm
Finished: August 7, 2012 11:48 pm
64. The Rise of Nine: Pittacus Lore
Started: August 23, 2012 1:00 am
Finished: August 27, 2012
65. The Perks of Being a Wallflower: Stephen Chbosky
Started: August 28, 2012 8:00 am
Finished: September 1, 2012 1:03 pm
66. The Night Circus: Erin Morgenstern
Started: September 2, 2012 3:33 am
Finished: September 12, 2012 6:52 pm
67. City of Bones: Cassandra Clare
Started: September 30, 2012 10:40 am
Finished: October 19, 2012 1:50 am
68. Vengeance: Kate Brian
Started: October 5, 2012 6:08 pm
Finished:
69. The Crimson Crown: Cinda Williams Chima
Started: November 4, 2012 1:30 am
Finished: November 12, 2012 10:14 pm
70. Days of Blood & Starlight: Laini Taylor
Started: November 6, 2012 10:20 am
Finished: December 6, 2012 12:38 am
71. Beautiful Disaster: Jamie McGuire
Started: December 12, 2012 12:48 pm
Finished: December 14, 2012 1:46 am
72. Thumped: Megan McCafferty
Started: December 15, 2012 11:01 pm
Finished: December 16, 2012 9:33 pm
73. Captive in the Dark: CJ Roberts
Started: December 14, 2012 4:55 pm
Finished: December 17, 2012 6:36 pm
74. Seduced in the Dark: CJ Roberts
Started: December 17, 2012 10:33 pm
Finished:December 21, 2012 1:32 am
75. What’s Left of Me: Kat Zhang
Started: December 21, 2012 4:15 pm
Finished: December 28, 2012 12:34 am
76. City of Ashes: Cassandra Clare
Started: c. December 23, 2012
Finished: December 15, 2012 6:42 pm
77. Looking for Alaska: John Green
Started: December 28, 2012 2:05 am
Finished: January 01, 2013 7:55 pm
78. City of Glass: Cassandra Clare
Started: January 01, 2013 11:56 pm
Finished: January 04, 2013 3:47 am
79. City of Fallen Angels: Cassandra Clare
Started: January 04, 2013 2:19 pm
Finished: January 16, 2013 8:21 pm
80. Stolen: Lucy Christopher
Started: January 18, 2013 12:21 am
Finished: January 24, 2013 8:05 pm
81. Finale: Becca Fitzpatrick
Started: January 26, 2013 12:46 am
Finished: January 30, 2013 4:56 pm
82. Consequences: Aleatha Romig (This book took me longer than usual to get through because of school, but also because I was just trying to get to the end. I bought the book because it was $1.03, and it also had a 4 – 4.5 – 5 star ratings with reviews saying, “OMG!! THE END OF THIS BOOK WAS JUST (insert words)!” Which I agree. The way that Romig built the book up to the conclusion, you probably wouldn’t have been able to guess how it was gonna end. I surely couldn’t, but the build up to the end was, for lack of a better word, tedious. I understand why she did, but if I had just bought this book without knowing that the end was gonna be like BAM! I probably would have not finished it.)
Started: February 01, 2013 12:05 pm
Finished: February 22, 2013 2:25 pm
83. Pantomime: Laura Lam
Started: February 24, 2013 5:44 pm
Finished: March 10, 2013 2:50 pm
84. Scarlet: Marissa Meyer
Started: March 11, 2013 2:21 pm
Finished: March 17, 2013 10:48 am
85. Clockwork Princess: Cassandra Clare
Started: March 19, 2013 7:45 pm
Finished: March 28, 2013 7:08 pm
86. Walking Disaster: Jamie McGuire
Started: April 02, 2013 12:57 am
Finished: April 05, 2013 7:29 pm
87. The Lightning Thief: Rick Riordan
Started: April 07, 2013 12:51 am
Finished: April 16, 2013 12:30 am
88. The Sea of Monsters: Rick Riordan
Started: April 17, 2013 1:16 pm
Finished: April 20, 2013 9:04 pm
89. The Titan’s Curse: Rick Riordan
Started: April 23, 2013 1:07 am
Finished: April 27, 2013 8:18 pm
90. The Battle of the Labyrinth: Rick Riordan
Started: April 28, 2013 3:08 am
Finished:
91. The Last Olympian: Rick Riordan
Started: May 03, 2013 12:54 pm
Finished: May 06, 2013 11:12 pm
92. Feed: M. T. Anderson
Started: May 08, 2013 11:29 pm
Finished: May 16, 2013 11:14 am
93. The Lost Hero: Rick Riordan
Started: May 11, 2013 2:32 am
Finished: May 16, 2013 4:25 pm
94. The Taker: Alma Katsu
Started: May 16, 2013 12:20pm
Finished: May 19, 2013 2:09 am
One of the reviews on the cover of this book was “Readers won’t be able to take their eyes away from Katsu’s mesmerizing tale” and how very true that was (for me at least) … I read the majority of this book in about a day and a half, most of that reading which I did while at work, but that’s not relevant.
This book was described as historical fiction (historical in the sense that it was chronological over the course of two centuries) … Pretty much, this book was unlike many books in the sense that it didn’t really have a rising conflict, a climax, and falling action. It was just kind of a story, 400 pages worth of story; it was being narrated that way too: first person account for most of the book. I’m not being very articulate, but it was just one of those books that once you start, you HAVE to finish. Not because you have to find out what happened in the end (the whole plot is practically revealed in the blurb), but because you want to find out what transpired in between. I give it two thumbs up.
95. The Reckoning: Alma Katsu
Started: May 19, 2013 c. 11:00 am
Finished: May 22, 2013 11:42 pm
96. The Son of Neptune: Rick Riordan
Started: May 22, 2013 2:48 pm
Finished: May 27, 2013 10:06 pm
ALL I’M SAYING is that I was reading to the end because I was hoping to get a little Percabeth before the book ended, but NO. I can’t imagine how those who have kept up with the series felt because I don’t have to wait for The Mark of Athena. I can buy it right now. However, I think I am gonna wait since The House of Hades doesn’t come out until October. I know my self-constraint isn’t gonna last long, but I’m gonna try my hardest.
97. Every Day: David Levithan
Started: May 22, 2013 8:27 pm
Finished: May 24, 2013 9:26 am
98. The Mark of Athena: Rick Riordan
Started: May 30, 2013 11:57 am
Finished: June 9, 2013 1:38 pm
99. Wake: Abria Mattina
Started: June 12, 2013 6:58 pm
Finished: June 22, 2013 4:23 am
100. Little Bee: Chris Cleave
Started: June 17, 2013 12:44 am
Finished: June 29, 2013 4:41 pm
101. Eragon: Christopher Paolini
Started: June 23, 2013 3:56 am
Finished: July 15, 2023 2:00 am
102. Eleanor & Park: Rainbow Rowell
Started: July 1, 2013
Finished: July 4, 2013 3:50 am
103. The Promise of Stardust: Priscille Sibley
Started: July 10, 2013
Finished: July 27, 2013 5:09 pm
104. Eldest: Christopher Paolini
Started: July 27, 2013
Finished:
105: I Am Number Four: Pittacus Lore
Started: July 31, 2013
Finished:
106: The Power of Six: Pittacus Lore
Started: August 15, 2013 2:30 pm
Finished: August 24, 2013 1:36 pm
107. The Rise of Nine: Pittacus Lore
Started: August 29, 2013 8:53 pm
Finished: September 03, 2013 8:10 pm
108. The Fall of Five: Pittacus Lore
Started: September 04, 2013 1:08 am
Finished: September 08, 2013 8:46 pm
109. Orphan Train: Christina Klein
Started: September 2013
Finished: October 04, 2013 8:30 pm
110.
Started:
Finished:
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
I did not proofread this, so if it’s rough, my apologies.
I’m one those people who always reads the book before I see the movie, unless I don’t know the movie was a film adaptation of a book. (Though, over Christmas break, a friend of mine and I continued our reoccurring argument came up that reading a book before seeing the movie ruins the movie. You could probably guess that I’m on Team Gotta Read The Book, but I see his point. Reading the book before you see the movie gives you certain expectations that more times than not aren’t always lived up to, so I wouldn’t say never read the book first. However, I think I’m going to try reading the book after I see the movie next time. Beautiful Creatures is coming out pretty soon and shows promise.) So, when I heard that Perks was being released, I bought the nookbook and I read it.
If you haven’t read The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, I won’t say that you’re missing out. Not to say that it’s a bad book. (I don’t think I actually rated it on Goodreads, but if I would have, I probably would have given it 3.5 out of 5 stars.) Perks is a heavy book, and while I’ve been feeling like most of the books I’ve recently read have been disappointing, all having the same base plot (boy meets girl; girl meets boy, all the in between, yadda yadda yadda), Perks doesn’t fall into that category.
Besides having some fantastic quotes, Perks flirts with a range of controversial issues such as depression, physical abuse, pregnancy and abortion, infidelity, mental and emotional breakdowns, homosexuality, personal acceptance, molestation, relationships, and the trials and tribulations of being a teenager in high school. On the other hand, there are some good themes, like self-discovery, communication, friendship, and finding people who accept you for who you are. Even though the book was relatively short (it can’t be more than 220 pages), it’s very deep and well written. With this detailed list of heavy topics laid out for you, it might make you think that Chbosky just shoves it all in your face, but as I was reading the book, I was taking in all that was happening but didn’t realize all that had happened until after I had finished the book.
The reason I chose to write about this is because I watched the movie a few weeks ago and it was good. It was, what I consider to be, a good film adaptation and had a pretty epic all star cast that wasn’t all in your face. (For example, Valentine’s Day with Julia Roberts, Bradley Cooper, Kathy Bates, Anne Hathaway, George Lopez, etc.) The book is written in the letter format, with Charlie, the main character (portrayed by Logan Lerman) writing letters to his friend, who Charlie places in real life settings (like at party), but who is never identified. Charlie starts his story off basically saying that he is both happy and sad at the same time at the same time, and he’s trying to figure out how that could be. It’s the summer before Charlie is to start his freshmen year of high school; his best friend has recently committed suicide, and he’s trying to figure out his life and run away from it at the same time.
Charlie begins high school. The people he was friends with in middle school have moved on, and Charlie’s left alone. His older sister (Nina Dobrev) has a new boyfriend and doesn’t want to be seen with her kid brother, so Charlie is left to navigate the waters of high school on his own. That is until he meets Nothing, also known as Patrick (Ezra Miller) and his stepsister Sam (Emma Watson), two seniors looking to make the most of their senior year. Patrick and Sam take Charlie under their wings, introducing him to their friends, helping him experiences many firsts—his first kiss, accidentally getting him high, taking him to his first Rocky Horror Picture Show, etc.—eventually dubbing him a wallflower, Patrick saying to him, “You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand.”
As Charlie’s relationship with Sam and Patrick grows, he develops feelings for Sam who is in a relationship with an older guy. Not knowing what to do, Charlie starts dating Mary Elizabeth (Mae Whitman), but during a game of truth or dare, when dared to kiss the prettiest girl in the room, he kisses Sam instead of Mary Elizabeth causing some tension between him and the group.
Even after repeatedly apologizing, Charlie is told to lay low while this blows over. Thrust out on his own again, Charlie starts spiraling. Forced back into the experiences of the beginning of his freshmen year—eating lunch alone with his only friend being his English teacher, Mr. Anderson (Paul Rudd)—Charlie starts going through the motions of his everyday life without really acknowledging what’s going on. Until one day, a fight breaks out between Patrick and a few members of the football team. Not realizing what he’s doing, Charlie intervenes, knocking one of the football players out and breaking one’s nose. Later that day, Sam approaches Charlie and thanks him for saving her stepbrother.
As Charlie and his friends catch up, he learns that Sam has broken up with her boyfriend, who had been cheating on her, and as the end of the school year approaches, it begins to dawn on Charlie that all of his friends and his sister will be graduating and going to school. After graduation, but before Sam leaves for college, Charlie and Sam have an intimate encounter, in which Sam triggers a memory Charlie, at that moment, can’t comprehend. He later comes to realize that his Aunt Helen has molested him as child. Not being able to handle that, Charlie mentally shuts down and is hospitalized for about two months. During his stay in the hospital, Charlie had a lot of time to talk and reflect on things that had happened to him as well as the things he thought and felt. He eventually came to the conclusion that “it’s okay to feel things. And be who you are about them.”
I wrote this piece in part because I enjoyed the book and the movie, but also because I think The Perks of Being a Wallflower portrays the turbulence of adolescence pretty accurately.
Adolescence is this transitory stage in a person’s life where they’re going though physical, social, emotional, and mental changes as well as trying to figure out who they are in relation to who society is telling them they need to be. Often times, as teens are going through these changes, they’re not taught an appropriate way to express themselves, sometimes resulting in extreme situations, like Charlie and his friend Michael. Granted, from an outsider’s perspective, Charlie’s situation may seem a little exaggerated, but not living Charlie’s life, I don’t think it’s fair to jump to that conclusion. Despite how much an open book someone may be, there’s always a message behind the words that may not be caught.
Personal experiences have taught be me to always be kind, even when I may not want to be, because everyone is fighting a battle that I know nothing about or has a story that would probably break my heart. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story that will take you from standing on the fringes of life to seeing what it looks like from the dance floor.
Is it just me?
I love to read. As a college student, when I find the time to read (for enjoyment), it’s my escape, but lately, I feel like I’ve been too judgmental of the books I’ve read as well as the movies I’ve watched.
Here’s the thing: I am so tired of the same old story. Girl meets boy (or boy meets girl), girl and boy start to fall for each other, but uh oh! Something happens but they still and up living happily ever after. It seems that EVERYTHING that I’ve read or watched lately has had that same outcome, and I’m just like, “Grrrr!!” But here’s the other thing, when it seems like the couple isn’t going to get back together, I start freaking out. When I watches The Vow, I was like, “No no no no no! She HAS to remember him! It canNOT end like that!” but I think that was more because it was based on real events and it’s nice to are happy endings in real life and not just in fiction. Anyway, yeah. I’m wishy-washy. Sue me!
With the way I’m feeling, I’m skeptical of everything that gets good reviews (on Goodreads) and I’m just kind of stuck–mainly, I just don’t know what book to read next. There are so many options, you know, and Idk even where to start looking. I just know that whatever I read next, I want it to be different, unlike anything I’ve ever read before that makes me wanna throw the book at the wall as well as never read another book (by that author) again. (When I read My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult, that was my exact reaction. I told my mom I was never gonna read another book again, but I picked up Vanishing Acts a day and a half later. I torture myself.)
So I’m wondering: is it just me?
Why care?
(I started this post nearly two weeks ago. I just couldn’t find the right words to finish it.)
One of the books I’m reading for class is called One Nation, Underprivileged: Why American Poverty Affects Us All by Mark Robert Rank, and one of the questions he posed in the book is: Why care? Why should we, as possible working lower-middle class people all the way up capitalists, care about the impoverished? Why should we care about people in poverty when ” it’s their fault they’re there anyway”?
Rank went on to give his answers as to why he thinks we should care, but before I tell you what he said, think about it yourself. If you’re lucky enough to be living a comfortable life, only sometimes struggling to pay bills on time, but otherwise don’t really have any issues (economically), then why should you care about people who struggle to make ends meet when it doesn’t interfere with your life any?
For me, it just seems like the right thing to do. I can’t say that I’ve been raised to be the next Mother Theresa, but I can say that I was raised to treat all human beings with respect (even if I may not think they deserve it). With that comes The Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would want others to do unto you.” Think about it. If you were down on your luck, working a job that paid less than minimum having to take care of yourself and maybe someone else, would you want someone to kick dirt in your face or lend a helping hand?
Now you may be thinking, “Well, that’s never going to happen to me,” and/or, “Most people are poor because of their own doing,” both which are not necessarily true. According to Rank, for the majority of American adults, the question is not whether they will experience poverty, but when. It may be short lived, but it happens, and it’s a likely possibility that one may slip into poverty again throughout their adulthood if they’ve already experienced poverty. And as far as people being poor because of something they have personally done, what about those born into poverty? 35% of the poor in America are under the age of 18, and they generally stay poor because they don’t know any other way and they’re not given the opportunity to take themselves out of that situation.
We say that the United States is the, “Land of the American Dream,” but how realistic is that? When you look at the stories of people who say that are the epitome of the American Dream, they often didn’t start from absolutely nothing. The American Dream is appealing to almost anyone trying to make something of themselves, but more times than not, diligence and perseverance isn’t enough. You also have to have the resources, but adding that last little detail makes the American Dream more unrealistic and less appealing, and as an opportunistic country, we can’t have that.
But back to what Rank was saying. According to Rank, the nonpoor should care about the poor out of self-interest, because it follows from Judeo-Christian values, and it is a shared responsibility. Examples? It’s in the nonpoor’s self-interest to care about the poor because the nonpoor often have to compensate for what the poor can’t afford. Take, for example, healthcare. Most poor people don’t have healthcare because they can’t afford it, and the US doesn’t provide universal healthcare. Patterns have shown that when a poor person has a medical problem, they often turn towards the emergency room, but because they don’t have the insurance to pay, the cost is absorbed by hiking up healthcare premiums which those who can afford it, end up paying. Also, children from poor homes don’t have the same educational opportunities as children from higher income families, and as a result of the lack of resources, most students won’t have the skills required to enter the workforce as an efficient employee, being their primary option seeing as they don’t have the money and/or meet the requirements to attend college. However, while the evidence presented makes a persuasive case, there are qualified workers somewhere to fill positions and resources available to help poor mothers, so the self-interest argument doesn’t have a strong standing.
Rank continues on to argue that many Americans believe in the Judeo-Christian ethic, much of which advocates in helping thy neighbor. A number of reoccurring themes appear throughout the Old Testament which encourage us to give and assist the poor, additionally stating that those who are neglectful towards the poor will suffer God’s wrath. Proverbs 21.13 states, “If you close your ear to the cry of the poor, you will cry out and not be heard.” The New Testament reflects many of the same views of the Old Testament, telling the story of Jesus Christ, a humble carpenter, which further emphasizes the message that the poor are blessed in the eyes of the Lord. This also makes a pretty convincing argument to Christians and others who are religiously affiliated, but with more than 15% of the US population not religiously associated, why should they care?
Lastly, Rank argues that poverty is a shared responsibility of all US citizens, saying that poverty is not the outcome of one individual’s behavior but rather “the result of structural failings within the US economic and political systems.” With nearly 50% of the current poor in America being either under the age of eighteen or sixty-five or older, it’s easy to see that poverty isn’t the sole result of an individual’s doing or lack thereof. We can see this in the case of unemployment. The United States, obviously, doesn’t want its unemployment to get too high—the result being lower production rates, little to no income for individuals, therefore less spending and less revenue for the country. On the other hand, the US doesn’t want unemployment to get too low, to fall below a “natural unemployment rate.” If that were to occur, employers would no longer be able to hire your average Jane or Joe; they would need to attract and hire qualified workers by offering more benefits, consequently resulting in inflation—the more an employer has to spend, the more an employer needs to make. It is a win-lose situation for some people. If consumers are to reap the benefit of low prices, a certain percentage of people need to remain unemployed as well as work for low wages. In this case, it may not necessarily be the fault of the individual if they aren’t working or if they aren’t making the kind of money they need to support themselves and their family.
Undeniably, Rank has made some great points, but it doesn’t really mean much if his message is only reaching a limited audience. If I wasn’t reading this book for class, I’m not going to say that I would have never picked up this book, but there’s a really good chance that I wouldn’t have. It seems to be that today we live in a country where people care more about their cars and their cell phones than they do about the life of another human being. Most people tend to be so caught up in the “me”, they forget to care about the “we”, and in that we’ve lost our compassion for others, if we ever had any at all.
So Rank said gave his reason. I gave my piece, so now I’m asking you: Why care?
NBC’s “Smash”
NBC’s Smash is like an adult version of Glee because singing and dancing is apparently what people like these days. Glee has been fairly successful since it premiered in 2009/2010. ABC just introduced Nashville which I heard is a hit, and then there are all these reality TV shows like So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing with the Stars, Dance Moms, The X Factor, etc. With the success of most of these shows, it is no surprise that NBC would pick up a musical of their own.
Season 1 of Smash follows the life of newcomer and waitress Karen Cartwright (Katherine McPhee) on her quest to make a name for herself on the New York Broadway scene. She auditions for a work in progress of a Broadway show about the life of Marilyn Monroe, gets a callback, and so it all begins. The rest of show follows Karen and her relationships between her boyfriend Dev Sundaram (Raza Jaffery) and her competition Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty) who also got a callback for Marilyn and has the experience on the Broadway show as a member of the chorus/ensemble of Heaven on Earth. The show also follows the lives of Julia Houston (Debra Messing) and Tom Levitt (Christian Borle), the writer and songwriter of the Marilyn production, as well as Eileen Rand (Anjelica Huston), the producer, and director Derek Wills (Jack Davenport) with celebrity guest appearances from Nick Jonas, Ryan Tedder, and Uma Thurman. (I believe Jennifer Hudson is joining the show for season two).
I watched the first season, which was fifteen episodes, in the last three days, and I kind of loved it. I think I fell in love a little bit with Debra Messing . . . As the show unfolded, you keep seeing all these good things happen to/for Karen and all these not so good things happen to Ivy, and that’s really the point of this post. Karen Cartwright is the definition of a sweetheart. She is SUCH a nice person, and that’s not something you see often on TV anymore. Even Ms. Rachel Berry pulled out her claws a few times before going off to New York to ensure that she stayed on top, but Karen (aka Iowa) is SO genuine. I don’t know if that’s the way the character was purposefully written or because she hasn’t been in New York long enough to let it corrupt her, but whatever the reason, Iowa seems to be the epitome of Good things happen to good people. And the opposite can be applied to Ivy. She tried to sleep and connive her way to the top and ended up not getting what she truly wanted.
I’ll admit, Karen’s character does get a little annoying from time to time, mainly because she is so sweet. She never sticks up for herself, but that seems to be changing in season 2 (premiering on February 5th). Needless to say, I am excited! We’ll see if Little Miss Iowa has what it takes to survive the catty, ruthless, and vindictive competition of New York Broadway.
New Semester, New Beginnings
Two days into the semester and I’ve already partially changed my major and kind of broke my computer. It’s off to a good start!
As it is, I’ve never really know what I’ve wanted to do with my life. Of course, when we’re younger we all want to do everything; we have big dreams and aspirations–PotUS, doctor, firefighter, astronaut, police(wo)man, etc. I think that when I was in first grade I just wanted to be a stay-at-home mom/wife. My teacher had gotten pregnant when I was in first grade, and from then on.out, I just wanted a baby. That lasted all of five minutes; you know how kids have that natural ADD …
Anyhow, when I was in the fifth grade, I wanted to be a rocket scientist. (Needless to say, I watched waaayy too much Jimmy Neutron.) When I was in seventh grade, I wanted to be a fashion designer (though most people would say that I had/have no fashion sense). In tenth grade, I wanted to be a chemical engineer, but then I took AP Chemistry. Before I graduated, I wanted to go to college to major in Creative Writing, but my dad kept talking in that tone that indicated that he was going to respect my wishes but wouldn’t be happy about it.
But, as usual, that’s not the point. As of right now, I am taking three classes (a total of 1.5 credits) because I dropped my two math classes because I’m dropping my specification (math) and becoming solely an Education Studies major, and if I have enough time, possibly pick up a Sociology or Child & Family Studies minor, possibly. I did want to be a math teacher, but 1. I just couldn’t keep up, and 2. It got to the point where I was taking these classes because it was what I had to do and not what I wanted to do. So, I think I’m in a good place, but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
Just Janelle 