Happy whatever the heck you celebrate!

Happy holidays everybody!  Oh I'm sorry, did I offend you?
Yea... This irritates me.

December.  Home to many holidays!  Christmas, New years, *cough* my birthday *cough*, Kwanza, Hannukah, Ramadan, and many others.  This is a lot to keep track of, but what's even harder, is figuring out which holiday each individual on this earth celebrates.  But this predicament is easily solved with the simple phrase, "Happy Holidays!" or "Seasons Greetings!".  But, apparently, saying "happy holidays" is unChristian.  My question is, why?

Why does every obnoxious, hyper-conservative Christian find this phrase so appalling?

"Ary!  They're trying to take Christmas away from us!"
How?  "Happy Holidays" is just easier, and less rude than saying, "happy whatever the heck you celebrate!" to people you pass by on the street.  No one is trying to take Christmas away from anyone, if anything, you're trying to take the other holidays away from non-Christmas celebrators by saying Christmas is the only/ best holiday to celebrate this time of year.

"But Christmas is the most widely celebrated!"
In the US maybe.  But typically it's only Atheists, Christians, and some Messianic Jews that celebrate Christmas.  Most other religions don't.

"But Ary!  They're trying to take Christ out of Christmas!"
Oh please, Christmas celebrators have already done that.

Guys, "happy holidays" is an all-inclusive phrase, that happens to be easier than saying, "Happy Christmas, New year, Kwanza, Hannukah, Ramadan, or whatever other random holidays you can possibly celebrate!".  Now I'm not saying that saying "Merry Christmas" is bad, not at all.  It's just that not all people happen to celebrate Christmas.  You can say "Merry Christmas" as much as you want, as long as you don't get offended by people saying "Happy Hannukah" or "Joyful Kwanza" to you.

In case you haven't been paying attention in Sunday school, Christmas isn't about getting upset over stupid stuff like "Happy Holidays" or red Starbucks coffee cups, it's about, giving to others and of yourself.  it's about Christ, the savior of the universe, coming down to earth to redeem us from our sins, even though we did absolutely nothing to deserve it.  It's about loving one another as fellow humans and, more importantly, children of GOD and brothers in Christ.  GOD doesn't care what you say to others as you pass by them in the park, what he cares about is you loving Him and all others around you.  Chrismas has been diluted into this holiday of mass consumerism and greed, don't make it worse by placing it above all other holidays as the "all mighty alpha holiday".

Remember, we are celebrating Christ and his arrival on earth, not the day marked on the calendar.
Happy holidays everyone!
<3 Ary

Captain America: the lamest Avenger

IMPORTANT NOTE FROM ARY: I LOVE CAPTAIN AMERICA!!!  I just recently got into the MCU (Marvel cinematic universe) and I am absolutely in LOVE with it!  This is not me hating on Cap, his movies, or his comics!  It's just me putting our perspective of good ol' Cap into a new light.  I fully stand behind this argument, but again, this is not me hating on Cap; I'm simply putting my thoughts into writing.   Also, spoiler alert.


          Captain America: hero of WWII, leader of the Avengers, the perfect zero to hero story.  But is Steve Rogers really all he's cracked up to be?  As a superhero, I would have to say no.  Why?  Well, let me tell you.


          In order to become Captain America, Steve Rogers was injected with a super soldier serum to enhance his physical form.  Because of this serum, Steve was given the body of an Adonis, the strength of ten men, the ability to run twice as fast as the average man, enhanced physical endurance, and accelerated cell regeneration (he heals quickly).  This is all really cool!  But the problem is, it's all been done before in better ways!  Now I'm not saying that all superpowers should be exclusive to one superhero, what I'm saying is his powers are the same as other heros' powers but on a much tamer level.

          For example, his super strength.  Steve has the strength of ten men, but the problem is is that other heroes have the same thing, but they're much stronger.  Take Thor for example.  He's a lot stronger than Steve!  Maybe that's a bit of a harsh comparison, considering Thor isn't really human, but a god.  But what about Bruce?  He's also a lot stronger than Steve.


          Or what about Steve's increased running speed?  Quicksilver (aka Pietro Maximoff) had a speed that greatly surpassed Steve's!  Now maybe since Pietro is dead he doesn't count, but he was still much faster than Steve ever was.

          Next up, enhanced physical endurance.  Steve is able to fight harder for longer, run for greater distances and is able to take a few more punches than the other Avengers... Except for Thor... and Bruce... and Wolverine.  Yes, I know Wolverine's not an Avenger, but still, you get the point.  Wolverine is able to fully heal literally one second after getting wounded, to the point where he's almost immortal.  And Bruce once said that if he shot himself, the Hulk would come out and spit the bullet right back out.

          And finally, enhanced cell regeneration.  Now, with Dr. Cho's awesome medical technology, she can reproduce cell tissue right over a wound, like she did with Clint in Age of Ultron.  And Thor, being a god, can use magic to heal quickly.  Also, Barry Allen (aka the Flash.  And yes, I know he's from DC, but still) has accelerated cell regeneration and, of course, superhuman speed.  Both of which exceed Captain America's ability to do those things.  Not to mention Wolverine, once again.

          Now, I'm not saying Steve is useless as a superhero, not at all!  He's a great leader and understanding friend, not to mention he's the perfect counterbalance to Tony's reckless behavior.  As a writer and actor, I can greatly appreciate Steve's honorable character in the MCU.  We can really see Steve as a real human being because of his relatability and vulnerability.

         We first see Steve as a little guy who never backs down from a fight, even though his chances of winning are slim.  Then, we see him as the perfect soldier, ready and willing to use his skills for the good of his country only for him to be disappointed and paraded around as a showgirl.  But, he keeps going, determined to do prove himself.  He stands up for what he believes in, he always protects his friends, and even stays humble despite being the heartthrob of all America.  We even get to see how Steve expresses his emotions.  Just like me, he's an artist.  Even though the artistic side of Steve isn't really built upon or pointed out, we still get a glimpse into his heart and mind because of it.

          But as much we see Steve succeed, we still see him screw up every once in a while.  He regularly disobeys his orders, he foolishly tries to enlist even though his every single one of his ailments disqualifies him as a soldier, and he even lies on his enlistment form five times.

          But what really takes the cake, and what I think I like best about Steve, is that we get to see just how broken he is.  We see him cry, we see him go into fits of rage and frustration, we get to see his worst fears, his greatest regret, and even see him long for the life that he never got to live.  Heck, we even see him struggle with mental illness!

          Steve is a phenomenal character, one well worth adoring.  Steven Grant Rogers, Captain America, is a leader, an artist, trustworthy, determined, humble, willing to lay down his life for those he loves, but most of all, he's imperfect and broken, just like the rest of us.  Yes, as a hero, he's kinda lame, but what he lacks in the superhero department, he more than makes up for in character, charm, and story!

          I love all of the Avengers (except for Vision, sorry not sorry), but I love Steve the most.  Yes, I know I just built up an entire argument saying that he was the lamest of all the Avengers, but notice I never said he was the lamest superhero.  Steve may not be a Norwegian god, a highly trained sharpshooter, or philanthropist billionaire, but he's definitely one of, if not the best, Avenger out there.  Steve is a kind-hearted man who is willing to fight for his beliefs, family, and country, and I definitely think that's what makes you a true superhero.  Not the strength of your muscles, but the strength of your heart, and Steve Rogers definitely has the strongest heart of all the Avengers.

This week in History:embalming a chicken

The following events took place on 11/2/2016

I shoved salt up a chicken's butt.

THIS WEEK IN HISTORY! *please read in announcer's voice*

TOPIC ONE:  The Ancient Egyptian mummification process is a very interesting subject.  Whilst most teachers would make a slide show or a handout to teach their students about this process, Dr. Parker took on a more hands-on approach.  We had already known that our class was going to mummify a chicken, the previous year's sophomore's told us and so did Dr. Parker at the beginning of the school year, but none of us expected it to be so... awkward.

When I walked into the classroom and saw that Dr. P brought a raw chicken from the grocery store into the class, my heart sunk, but at the same time became very elated.  Ever since I knew about this little demonstration, I was so excited about it!  Unlike the rest my class.

A fellow classmate, Lydia, and I were the one's who volunteered to do all the dirty work; no one else was willing to touch the chicken.  We had to massage perfume, alcohol, and almond milk into the raw chicken's body.  But there was a buttload (no pun intended) of salt and baking soda involved.  The purpose of the salt and baking powder was to dry out the chicken, so we had to stuff the chicken full of it!

We named out chicken Bobine and we buried her on 12/7/2016.  RIP Bobine.

Over and out!
<3 Ary

Jefferson; the Mad Hatter

NOTE: This entire post it about the tv show OUAT (Once Upon a Time) and does contain mild spoilers for both the tv show and the graphic novels.  So if you're not familiar with this show or don't watch it, I would suggest you skip this one.

Meet Jefferson.  Jefferson here is one of my favorite characters from one of my favorite shows; Once Upon a Time (we'll call it OUAT for short).  He may have only been in 4 episodes of the show, but he managed to steal the show.  He first appeared in the episode "Hat Trick" which aired around the beginning of 2012, so I would have just turned 11.  I was OBSESSED with Jefferson! I thought it was really cool that he was Jefferson and the Mad Hatter at the same time!  I also liked how his character starts as a selfish thief, then develops into a kind-hearted, loving father.  I was also very impressed at how the actor who portrayed him added more depth and emotion to such a classic character from such a classic book.  To my eleven-year-old self, he was just the coolest thing ever!  Then, in one of his last appearances, I found out that Jefferson had a daughter named Grace (in the real world she was called Paige).  So eleven-year-old me thought, 'how could he have a daughter without a wife?'.  Immediately, my little brain thought of Rapunzel.  You see, the Disney movie 'Tangled' had come out in December of the previous year and Rapunzel had become my  favorite Disney princess.  And as of then, Rapunzel had not yet been featured in OUAT.  So, naturally, I wanted my two favorite characters, Jefferson and Rapunzel to be a couple.

I had decided that it was a good idea to write a story featuring them together explaining how they met, how Rapunzel, Jefferson's wife, died, and how Grace, their daughter, handled growing up with only one parent.  I will admit, I was not the best writer at age 11, so this story was very poorly written.  I cringe every time I think of it.  But eventually, I had forgotten about my story, Jefferson, and my favorite fictional couple.

Earlier this year I had gotten interested in the Marvel cinematic universe.  One of my favorite characters was Bucky Barnes, who was played by Sebastian Stan.  Gradually, I had grown very fond of Sebastian Stan and his phenomenal acting ability!  So, I was looking up some Sebastian Stan stuff on social media when I come across this GIF set with the caption "does anyone remember when Seb played Jefferson/Mad Hatter on Once Upon a Time?  That was great!".  I was awestruck.  My favorite actor played one of my former favorite characters?!  Almost instantly, I remembered my old story idea and immediately started slaving over my keyboard, rewriting my old story.

Now, since it had been more than 5 years since I had watched Jefferson's episodes, I had to do a lot of research to make my story aligned properly with the plot of the show.  As I was reading about Jefferson on the OUAT wiki, I discovered that OUAT graphic novels were published in 2015.  One of them being "Out of the Past".  I got really excited and looked up the plot of the novel.  I found out that this book gave Jefferson some much-needed backstory about him and his wife!

Fast-forward to the first week of September.  This really nice librarian named Rebecca told me that our library had this book plus another OUAT graphic novel about a different minor character that I was/am very fond of.  So I checked them out and began reading.  The Sunday after I had checked the books out, I had read "Out of the Past".  I was quite enjoying it!  Jefferson's real wife, Priscilla, was a really awesome character that I ADOREh, even though she's not my beloved Rapunzel.  But, what surprised me was that the book almost completely ruined the, seemingly, kind, selfless, semi-respectable Jefferson for me.


"What happened?" you ask, well, in the one Jefferson-centric episode in the tv series, Jefferson says that the reason he doesn't go to Wonderland anymore is that his wife died during a thieving mission while they were there.  Now, in this episode, Jefferson hesitantly goes back to Wonderland on a mission with the Evil Queen after she offers him a great reward that he can support his daughter with if he helps her.  Jefferson does get stuck in Wonderland, unintentionally leaving his young daughter alone in the Enchanted forest.  In the show, this is depicted as a kind, selfless, strong, character being caught during a weak moment in which he makes a mistake.  But, in the book, he does almost the same exact thing!

In the book, Jefferson goes to Wonderland behind his wife and daughter's back to retrieve a rare and valuable object so he can sell it for a great price and support his family with the profit. While Jefferson is in Wonderland, he gets captured and Priscilla has to rescue him.  Priscilla dies before they can get back home to Grace, but before she dies she asks Jefferson to give up dangerous missions and stealing for good.  When Jefferson gets home he promises himself and his deceased wife that he'll never go on another mission and leave Grace alone ever again  Now this is all well and good but that book takes place before the tv show episode!  This means that Jefferson went back on his word and left Grace alone for a chance at great riches for the second time!

This was so heartbreakingly frustrating to me!  Jefferson was so beautifully depicted as a strong, loving, and selfless father who happened to make a mistake with the purpose of good intentions during a weak moment in his life.  But with the events of the book taken into mind, it's really Jefferson being swayed by his bad habit of valuing riches and objects over his own family and their wellbeing thus making the same mistake twice.  If anything, it seems he has the same problem as Rumpelstiltskin but a little tamer.  I feel that the writers of the book went against Jefferson's character and made him more like a foolish and selfish villain rather than the caring, slightly naive father he was meant to be.  Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz (creators of Once Upon a Time), if you're reading this, please tell me that this was a mistake and that Jefferson is still the wonderful and strong character that I fell in love with as a little kid.

Have a magical week!
<3 Ary

PS. Okay, I'm sorry that this was so long and pointless, but I just had to get this off my chest!  Anyway, thanks for sticking around and tolerating me and my long winded rant about a character that no one else cares about.  Hopefully, I'll see you next week with another, much more interesting, post!

We can still be thankful in 2016

Yeah, I know, 2016 has been a CRAZY year!  Trump is now president, gender fluidity has become a new symptom of Special Snowflake Syndrom, and many people are now fearing for their lives and livelihood.  But, despite all of this craziness, we can still be thankful in 2016.

The Cubs won a World Series

Even if you're not a Cubs fan, like me, you still have to marvel at the fact that you got to see them win after 108 years; you witnessed sports history go down.

We had the FREEDOM to vote for our leader

Instead of having it chosen for us, or having the position of President passed down through a lineage, we all got to participate in the choosing of our leader via voting.  Even if your favored candidate didn't win, you and many other people still had the privilege to vote for your favored candidate and give them the chance of winning. 

Leonardo DiCaprio won an Oscar

We've all been waiting for this moment!  Hollywood has finally recognized the amazing acting talent that DiCaprio was gifted with!

The ice bucket challenge helped with ALS research

Thanks to the ice bucket challenge, many donations were given to ALS research foundations.  Because of the extra funds, doctors were able to find the gene that causes ALS, which makes us one giant step closer to a cure!

We got more Harry Potter this year
I personally am not a Potterhead, but a lot of my friends are and they were all overjoyed at the news of another Harry Potter book/ screenplay being published and of having a new movie come out!  Even I enjoyed seeing Fantastic Beasts in theaters.

Toys "R" Us has instigated a "quiet hour"
Toys "R" Us has started a "quiet hour" in their stores where the lights are dimmed and the facility is cleared of all loud noises so children with Autism can shop there! (this one was my favorite!)

We got MORE Captain America this year
I am (very obviously) a Captain America fan, and so are a lot of my family and friends!  Captain America: Civil War may have crushed my soul and dried me of all my bitter tears, but it was so nice to see good ol' Cap, Bucky, Sam, and the rest of the Avengers in action again.

Christ is still in control and he always will be

All of the craziness is happening for a reason, GOD hasn't left us nor will he ever, so we have no reason to worry.  If we trust and rely on Christ, instead of our faulty government run by fallible man, we shall always come out on top.

See?  We can still be thankful in 2016 and every year after.

The case against Meghan Trainor

Meghan Trainor hit the mainstream radio in the summer of 2014 with her hit single "All About that Base"; a song all about body positivity... well, sort of... Here is my case against Meghan Trainor.

"All About that Base" is basically a shoutout to all the big girls out there, telling them that they're just a beautiful as those, quote unquote, "skinny bitches" (that is an actual lyric in the song).  Now, big body positivity is a great thing!  No one should be pressured to conform to an impossible standard of beauty!  Problem is, Meghan shames those who aren't big girls.  She throws a lot of mud at people who are skinny, which is the opposite of body positivity.  She's basically saying that if you're not a curvy girl, then you're a "silicone Barbie doll".  Big is beautiful, but saying that you absolutely have to be big in order to be beautiful is not a message we want to spread.  All bodies are beautiful, big or small.

Or what about the song "No"?  It's all about how to say "no" to any unwanted male company.  Again, this song does have a good-intentioned message; "no does not mean convince me" is a great message to spread!  But... the way Meghan tells girls how to do it is not.  "Lick your lips and swing your hips, girl all you have to say is'no'", I mean really?  Fist of all that extremely rude and provocative, second, that'll only piss the annoying guy off.  And if he's pissed off, you could get seriously hurt, or even worse.  Saying 'no' is great, but do so kindly.

Last, and certainly least, is "Dear Future Husband".  Today's culture is all about gender equality, which is great!  This song embodies this; not letting your husband walk all over you and expect you to act as his personal slave is great!  But, turning the tables and expecting the man to do all of the work and make all of the sacrifices is not equality!  Anyone in a semi-functioning relationship, romantic or not, knows that the hardships of relationships should be shared, not assigned.  Men, don't treat your spouse like a slave, and women, don't expect your spouse to carry the whole load.

Meghan Trainor seems to have good intentions when it comes to her song lyrics, but you know what they say about good intentions; they're the pavement on a road that no one wants to be on.

What's up with The Good Dinosaur? (SPOILER ALERT)

Pixar!  We know and we love 'em!  They gave us the blockbuster hits such as UP, the Toy Story trilogy, and the ever popular Inside Out!  But The Good Dinosaur?  Pixar what were you thinking?!  Well, they were thinking of a younger audience, that's what they were thinking.

The Good Dinosaur is thought to be one of the cheesiest and most childish Pixar movies of our age.  But I would have to disagree.  I can see why some people didn't like The Good Dinosaur (I'm getting tired of typing out the entire title so I'm just going to call it TGD from now on), it was clearly aimed at a much younger audience than usual.  But, that doesn't particularly mean it was a bad movie.

I went to see TGD pretty soon after it's premiere in November of 2015.  I went with my little cousins whose ages range anywhere from 3 to 9 and then there was me at 14 years old.  I absolutely loved this movie!  Dare I say it was better than Inside Out.  Now don't get me wrong, I love Inside Out as much as the next teenage blogger, but I just happen to love TGD more.  I laughed way more often and a lot louder at the jokes in TGD than at the ones in Inside out.  Not to mention, TGD dinosaur didn't have a character thrown in there solely for him to die and make the movie sad *cough* Bing Bong *cough*.  Yes, Arlo's dad did die, but he actually had a purpose in the movie and his death actually meant something to the story other than to make the movie sad or emotional.  TGD is a funny and cute story about love, loss, friendship, family, courage, determination, and understanding; exactly what we are to expect from Pixar.  Yes, TGD was aimed at a younger audience making it a little more cheesy than other Pixar movies, but this movie is DEFINITELY worth a watch

Over and out!
<3 Ary

This week in History: Breaking into his car?!

Okay so, this really happened on 9/21/2016, but I realized that if I posted a "This week in History" every time something weird happened in History class I might as well rename my blog "This week in History" (TWIH, I'm getting tired of typing out the entire title).  So I'll put the date that the events I tell you about at the beginning of each TWIH.

THIS WEEK IN HISTORY! *please read in an announcer's voice*


TOPIC ONE: Dr. Parker usually keeps a huge family sized bag of Smarties candy in the backseat of his car.  Once the Juniors of last year discovered this, they had this joke where they would try and break into Dr. Parker's car and get the candy.  They went all out for this joke!  They would bring wire hangers, lock-picking kits, anything that could possibly unlock a car.  I assumed Dr. Parker knew about this and it was just a huge joke that he had with the Juniors.  Turns out it wasn't a joke.  Before class started, my class and Dr. Parker were telling the new students about jokes we had the previous school year.  Eventually, the conversation turned to the fact that Dr. Parker keeps candy in his car, "I remember how the older kids would try and break into your car and get the Smarties in the backseat!" I laughed.  Dr. Parkers expression dropped,
"what?"
"Y'know, the joke you and the Juniors had where they would pretend to break into your car?"
"we didn't have a joke like that..."
"So, you didn't know about this?!"
"No!"
"So they were actually trying to break into your car?!"
"Apparently!"

So that was my week in History.  I shall come back soon with another crazy tale from my crazy class!

Over and out!
<3 Ary

No big deal

 You know those episodes of TV shows where a character loses one of their possessions?  Now I don't mean in the comedic way where the object they're looking for is in their pocket and they go on this wild goose chase for no reason.  No, I mean when they lose a special object.

Maybe it was a ring that looks like the ring their favorite character, whom they consider a friend and have a very deep connection with, wears.

Maybe it was a bracelet from their mentor, reminding them that they are a guardian angel to their friends and family.

 Maybe it was a handmade bracelet from their best friend reminding them that their friend loves them and is always thinking about them.






Maybe it was a gift from their sister that came during a rough patch in their life brightening their day just a little.







You know what I'm talking about.  The episode where they're frantically looking for that once special object that they lost or misplaced and everyone around them is like, "dude it's no big deal, we can just replace it," but they really can't because it won't have the sentimental value.   They can't replace it because the replacement will never have the same memories and emotions the original had within it.

Guardians of the what?

                 This is a totally unnecessary post but I just need to get this out of my system.

These tow movies have more in common than just similar titles.  I've noticed that when described vaguely, these movies are exactly the same.  Watch and you'll see what I mean.

The main character is a rebellious, sarcastic, and free-spirited young man who is somewhat self-centered and snarky.  He has no family so he lives alone and just wanders around causing trouble.

 There is also this very comedic quiet character.  He doesn't say much, but he's still lovable.  This is also the character that dies saving the other characters only to come back to life.

There is also the main female character!  She's kinda small but she's still kicks butt.  She might even be a little attracted to the main character, but we're never quite sure.

 Then there is the anthropomorphic animal character.  This character is not too fond of the main character but tolerates them anyway.  They have their classic weapon that they always use; other than their quick wit of course!

 Now we come to the big burly character with the awesome tattoos and cool swords.  They may not understand sarcasm too well but that makes them all the more comical.

The villain of the film is a dark and sinister character who wants to destroy our band of heroes and acquire a very valuable object to take over the world and gain ultimate power.






















See what I mean?  I would give more examples on how these movies are scarily similar, but this post is getting long.  Do you think these movies are the same?  If so, in what other ways are they parallel to each other?  Tell me in the comments!

Over and out mi Picassos!
<3 Ary

Apology

Sup Picassos!  So I have a confession to make.  I have not been putting my full effort into my blogs.  I have been going through some things and I'm getting busy now that the school year is starting; not to mention the One Week Writing Challenge kinda drained my creative juices.  I want to say I'm sorry.  I should be putting more effort into this blog!  I've decided to take a 1-2 week hiatus to recollect myself and write up a bunch of blog drafts and gain my composure back!  Then I'll return new and improved!  So, I'll see ya in a couple of weeks!

Over and Out!

<3 Ary

Longing....

Longing.  Reaching.  Yearning.  The intense desire that burns in your chest waiting to burst like a bubble of want.  It starts in your mind.  It’s the memories of peace, happiness, and laughter that flood the scene in front of your eyes that later splashes your heart.  As it touches your heart you realize the beauty of happiness you were experiencing were mere memories; no longer a reality.  Your heart slows, your face falls, and your body goes numb as your mind races.  The intense desire flows freely from you in the form of hot tears.  From there, it trickles into your soul.  The little splashes here and there sear themselves into the form of your immortal soul, leaving a deep, irremovable mark within you.  Once you think you can no longer carry on, you realize what you’re feeling can inspire determination.  You rise to your feet, slowly, almost like a newborn foal taking its first steps.  Your eyes are set on the one thing you want most; your feet are slowly but surely carrying you to your destination.  You bound, you run, you walk, you crawl, to where you wish to go.  You climb the mountain to reach its peak where you treasured possession lies.  Your libs may be aching, your breath may be ragged, but you don’t stop, you won’t stop!  You make that final lunge ‘til you’re finally at the top of the mountain.  You leap to your feet, grab your treasure, clutching it to your chest close to your heart.  You slide down the other side of the mountain until your feet hit the soft ground once again.  Your adrenalin is rushing, your heart is pounding, and your smile is shining like the stars!  You clutch your newly found treasure to your chest even more tightly as if that is the very thing that gives you life.  The beautiful memories from the adventure you just had flood the scene before you! That is until you realize… the beauty of happiness you were experiencing were mere memories; no longer a reality.  The whole cycle starts over and history repeats itself.  That my dear friend is longing.

The power of encouragement

Happy 7Eleven day everybody!  Did you get your free Slurpees?  I sure did.  But I got much more than a frozen, artificially flavored treat.  We all love receiving encouragement; whether it be from someone we know or not.  I don't know about you, but I think words are most powerful when they are unexpected.  Now you're probably wondering, "Ary?  What do nice words and compliments have to do with Slurpees?", well, while I was at the 7Eleven I saw this little boy and his mom.  You could tell that this boy had cancer by the way he looked and how his mom talked to him.  But on the way out I saw the little boy and his mom by their car when a man came up to the little boy and said, "you can get through this, you're like a superhero!  I'm a cancer survivor too and you're going to be just like me someday.  You can fight this little buddy,".  The smile on that boy's face could make flowers grow, I swear.  It was obvious that those words were a huge comfort to the boy and his mom; especially coming from a stranger.  It's so simple to make someone smile with words.  You may not realize it, but your words can stick with someone for their entire life, whether they be bitter or sweet.  So be like that man, encourage someone today, encourage someone every day!  Make someone smile and help flowers grow!

If you're reading this: You look great today and you have great taste in blogs.
Over and out!
<3 Ary

Before he called himself Kylo (part 2)

 “They means nothing to me Master!” Ben screamed clutching tightly to his now broken lightsaber, “they’re your family, Ben!” Luke screamed back.  Ben’s eyes had a fiery hugh to them.  A sinister yellow with a ring of red circling the edge of his discolored irises.  They looked exactly like Anakin’s eyes as he battled Obi-Wan on the burning planet Endor.  “They abandoned me!  Why should I care about them when they never cared about me?!” Ben looked like a frightened cat!  With his black, curly hair all frazzled, his eyes yellow, and in battle-ready stance.  “Ben, how could you ever think they never cared about you?” Luke’s vice was now much softer and sympathetic but Ben’s wrathful look didn’t change, “you know what?  You’re just like your grandfather!”.  Ben just growled before snapping, “good,” he mumbled with gritted teeth, “that means I have the ability and power to defeat you!” Ben pounced towards Luke igniting the beam on his lightsaber.  Swiftly, Luke swerved out of the way just in time for Ben to slice a door in half.  Breathing heavily, Ben whipped around and used his strong powers of the Force to thrust Luke into the wall, knocking Luke out.  “That’s enough old man,” Ben chuckled evilly.

            Ben ran away.  He had taken as much food, water, and clothing as he could stuff into his satchel.  He tied his red blanket around his head so he wouldn’t burn up under Tattooine’s two scorching suns.  Ben’s heart was now stone and unbeating.  Hope was no longer running through his blood.  Only hate and bitterness.

~~~~~~~~~~

            After running and running for days on end.  After having run out of food weeks ago, with barely any water left, Ben collapsed into the sand.  As he lie there, waiting to die, a shadow swam across his back.  Ben was half unconscious so he had no strength or will to lift his eyes to see who it was, but he was able to hear his voice before he passed out.  It was low, muffled, and sounded like he was talking via radio broadcast.

            When Ben had awoken, he was obviously in a jail cell, but he wasn’t dead so that was nice.  “What’s your name, kid?” asked, no, demanded the same radio-like voice Ben heard earlier.  Ben looked up to see many of the infamous Stormtroopers standing just outside of the cell gate.

“my name is Ben.  Ben Solo,”

“Solo?  Any relation to the smuggler?”

“he’s… he’s my father,”

“perfect.  You’ll be of great use to the knights of Ren,”

“as what?”

“bait,”

“no, please!  Don’t return me to my father!”

“why not?  You’re not good for anything else other than blackmail,”

“I am the Padawan of Luke Skywalker!  I have mastered the Force like no other Jedi ever has!”

“you’re the son of a rebel who aided in the defeat of Darth Vader, why should we care?”

“because… because I have seen the power of the Dark Side.  I have disowned my family and the ways of the Light Side of the Force.  I wish to be like my grandfather, Vader.  Only more powerful,”

The Stormtrooper turned to his comrades, “take him to Snoke!”.  Ben was yanked and hauled out of his cell and down the cruiser’s many hallways, but he put up no resistance.  After what seemed like an eternity, Ben was shoved into a large dark room.  “Who are you?” questioned the massive hologram in front of him.  This must’ve been Snoke.  Ben scurried up to his feet, “I am Ben Solo, grandson of our former leader, Darth Vader!” Ben shouted confidently.  The hologram called Snoke seemed intrigued, “I see you have associated yourself with your grandfather in place of your mother, father, and uncle,” Snoke purred, “why is that?”.  Ben took a deep breath and puffed out his chest, “as I told the trooper, sir, I have left behind my family and the ways of the Light Side of the Force to join the more powerful Dark Side,” he shouted.  A mischievous smirk crawled across Snoke’s face, “you will be of great use to us, you will be the perfect leader for our new almighty army,” Snoke hummed, “you will need a bit of testing and possible training, but you will lead the Dark Side to victory!  But you will need to change your name,”.  Ben was slightly puzzled, “why, exactly?”, “so the rebels don’t track you down immediately!” Snoke barked, “we shall call you, ‘Kylo’”.  The name left a bitter-sweet taste in Ben’s mouth as he said it, “meaning ‘outcast’…” Ben sighed in disappointment, “no, it means ‘ruler’!” Snoke corrected.  A wicked grin was plastered into “Kylo’s” face, “ruler.  Just like my grandfather,”.  Kylo let out a loud evil guffaw as he let darkness consume his stone heart.

Before he called himself Kylo (part 1)

            His innocent hazel eyes opened up to catch their first glimpse at the world he had just entered.  He took his first breath to fill his lungs and get his heart pumping.  His parents looked down upon him with such love and adoration that you would think that he was the first person they’d ever laid eyes on.  He was swaddled in a beautiful red blanket that he would never let go of.  His mother gently kissed his fragile forehead before uttering his name.  “Ben,” his mother choked out holding back the sobs of overwhelming joy, “Ben Jarvin Solo,”.

            Ben Solo was the new addition to the Solo family.  His uncle, Luke, was very excited to be Ben’s mentor once he was to come of age.  Not to mention Chewy who was excited to have a new friend.  The whole galaxy was celebrating the birth of Ben Jarvin Solo.  But the one who was most excited about the new life was Han, Ben’s overjoyed father.  Han spent countless hours preparing for his child.  From building a room for his beloved son, to arranging the plans for his education and training, and everything in between.  The one thing Han didn’t account for, was his marriage to Leia.  They would always bicker and squabble during the night, assuming Ben was fast asleep.  But Ben heard every word, every insult, every slanderous statement that his parents threw at each other.  Even at a young age, Ben always felt alone without his parents.  With their constant arguing it was hard to believe that his parents loved him.  How could they love him when it appeared that they didn’t even love each other?

            After Ben turned ten, he was already showing signs that he had the Force within him.  But one night, his magnificent abilities came to the surface like a bright firework of power!  Though, you may think that was a joyous event that would be celebrated, it was anything but.

It all happened when Ben was cowering in the dark corner of his room with his red blanket.  He tried not to cry, but the fear and hopelessness had built up so much in his innocent heart that he couldn’t hold back the many tears that were waiting to be shed.  Han and Leia were full-on fighting.  Loud shouts of insults and the sounds of angry feet stomping on the hard floor echoed in Ben’s ears.  He was sick of it.  The constant bickering between his parents had to stop, but what could he do?  He was only ten.  In that instant, Ben’s innocence broke.  He stood up, tall and strong as he wiped the remaining tears away from his blood-shot eyes.  His fists were clenched at his sides, his eyes were stern, and his heart was empty.  Ben gently sprawled his red blanket over his bed then marched out of his cold, barren room.  He stormed over to his warring parents.  “That’s enough,” Ben snapped sharply, interrupting the hurtful conversation between Han and Leia.  Han turned his head and stared at his son with a roaring fire of rage.  Within a few seconds, Han’s body turned to face Ben as well.  “What did you say?” Han spat with gritted teeth, but Ben did not falter, he stood firm.  “I said; that’s enough,” Ben repeated.  Han looked as if he was ready to explode like a hydrogen bomb, “is that any way to speak to your father?”.  Before Ben could respond, Leia rolled her eyes and grumbled, “like father like son,”.  With that, all hell had broken loose between Han and Leia,

“so this is all my fault?!”

“well you are his father!”

“how could he have learned that from me when you’re the one hanging around him all the time?!”

“I’m around him all the time because you’re never around for your own son!  He’s your flesh and blood, Han!”

Ben couldn’t take it anymore!  He tried to stand in between his parents move them away from each other, but to no avail.  Finally, with one mighty shove, Ben channeled his powers and used the Force to fling his parents into the walls of the room opposite of each other.  “STOP IT!” Ben shouted as dust and rubble flitted about the air.  Ben looked to either side of him only to realize that he had flung his parents through the walls of the house!  Chunks of furniture, roof, and wall were scattered haphazardly around the area.  Either parent was sitting in a pile of dust and dirt with chunks of wood and metal surrounding their persons.  “That’s enough,” Ben breathed.

            Ben was now fifteen and old enough to be Luke’s Padawan.  The incident that occurred when Ben discovered his powers with the Force had not been forgotten.  In fact, because of that, Han and Leia were ready to ship him off so they wouldn’t have to deal with him and his destructive ways with the Force.  As you would expect, Ben felt increasingly weak, alone, and helpless as time went by.  The emotional weight on Ben’s heart was almost unbearable, but his heart managed to stay beating with hope. Ben hugged his mother tightly before he left.  She didn’t hug back nearly as tightly.  See, Ben was embracing his mother.  It was a silent “I love you” to his mother.  Leia’s hug was merely physical contact, but it still had love behind it.  Leia was only protecting her own heart so she wouldn’t be as crushed when her son left.  As Ben embraced his father goodbye, Han embraced back just as intimately.  Both Han and Leia were devastated to see their adored son leave to go to a completely different planet.  As soon as Ben got on that ship, Han and Leia regretted their decision.  They couldn’t abandon their son in his time of need!  But it was too late now, ben and Luke were already in the sky and leaving the atmosphere of Bespin.  At that moment, Han and Leia had lost their son.

~~~~~~~~~~

            Years had passed by and Ben was at his full potential.  He had especially mastered Jedi mind tricks.  He had even figured out how to pull a person’s thoughts out of their heads to get information!  All at the age of twenty-three!  But still, Ben’s heart was empty.  He was now bitter and all hope had left his soul.  Ben had no more love in his heart.  He had disowned his family as they had abandoned him in his time of distress.  One night, as Ben lay awake in his bedroom, he was discovering who he had become.  “My father and mother have betrayed me,” Ben mumbled stroking his red baby blanket, “they have left me behind.  How could I be so foolish to think that they ever loved me?  They don’t even love each other!  I mean nothing to them.  So they mean nothing to me,”.  Ben sat up and lifted his lightsaber off of the shelf over his bed just above his head.  He turned it on and it emitted a bright, smooth, red glow.  A bubble of rage burst in Ben’s chest as he hurled his lightsaber across his room only for it to hit a wall.  Ben sighed in defeat then crawled over to his weapon leaving the red blanket of his bed.  He turned it on once again to make certain he didn’t bust it.  Instead of a smooth glow, it let out a beam of jagged, red light.  Almost like lightning.  Ben’s eyes widened but at the same time grew dark.  A wicked grin crept its way up Ben’s face before he muttered, “join the Dark side.  It’s where all of your power lies,”.

TO BE CONTINUED....

Day 7: I never thought blogging would...

I never thought blogging would help me solve my problems.

When I started this blog I thought is was going to be bubbly, lighthearted, and fun!  Boy, was I wrong.  This blog can be fun and giggly sometimes, but more often than not, it's kinda weighty.  Who knew I could be so thought provoking!  I never knew that I could solve my own problems just by angrily typing on my laptop.  Maybe being an angsty teen isn't that bad.  Guess that's why I make such a good blogger!  Even though all I do is rant to you about my problems.  But this red background reveals much.

Guys, I'd like to thank you for sticking around this long.  I know I can be really irritating and boring, yet you stick around.  Thank you so much!  I especially want to thank you for participating in my writing challenge this week!  It's been really fun!

Much more to come for years to come!
over and out!
<3 Ary

Day 6: My favorite quote and what it means to me.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that,"

- Martin Luther King Jr.

The year is 1963, the African Civil Rights Movement is in its prime.  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the biggest activists of this movement.  We all know about his famous "I have a dream..." speech, but to me, that long speech is nothing compared to the few words you see above.  Though this may not be the full quote, it sends the same message that the full quote does, only with fewer words.

This world is dark, and it's only getting darker.  People seem to think that fighting fire with fire will diminish the flame, but that only causes more destruction.  The same thing was going on back in the 60s.  People were causing riots and destroying towns, leaving a trail of bitterness behind them.  Dr. King recognized this and saw that their civil disobedience was getting them nowhere.  This quote says in 20 words what no one else could say with 1000.  Why fight hate with more hate?  Fight hate with love, and you will go far.  This applies to everyone in every situation, past, present, and future.  If there is a problem, fight it with love, not bitterness.  You don't light a room by bringing in more darkness.  You don't extinguish a fire by lighting another flame.  You don't combat hate with an even greater hate.  This quote is very meaningful to me because it reminds me that being bitter and hateful solves nothing.  If there is a problem, you solve it with love and patience.  Just like Jesus did.

Radio Rebel

So recently I have been watching those cheesy Disney channel original movies.  Yes, most of them have mediocre plots, acting that needs desperate improvement, graphics that look like a two-year-old's drawing, and predictable endings.  But a few of them are actually worth watching.  Like Cow Belles and Lemonade Mouth.  But another one that really stuck out to me was Radio Rebel.

Radio Rebel is about this girl named Tara.  She is shy and doesn't like attention, but she has this secret podcast called "Radio Rebel" where she gives teens in her area life advice based on her own life.  But, no one knows or even suspects that Tara is the famous and adored "Radio Rebel".  Now, I won't get too deep into the plot, but I will talk about the amazing messages that are taught throughout the movie.

Now, this movie has many great messages but there was one in particular that really stuck out to me.  Tara talks about how people tend to behave differently around different people.  Maybe you act all studious and proper in front of your parents and act all dumb and ditzy around your crush just to get attention.  Or, maybe you act all rebellious and daring around your friends but turn very shy when you're in the presence of your teachers.  Maybe it's not even that dramatic of a difference!  Maybe you mention your love for Doctor Who all the freaking time in front of your BFF and then, in front of your sibling, you don't know what Doctor Who is.  Basically, you end up having like 17 different personalities.  Which is so true!  I know I act differently depending on who I'm around.  But Tara later says that we should be who we truly are, and if others don't like who we are, that's their problem.  You are a wonderful person with so many amazing qualities and beautiful blossoming talents!  You don't need to hide parts of your stunning and quirky personality just because you happen to be talking to your neighbor instead of your soccer team.  GOD has crafted you carefully and caringly and you should not be ashamed of that whatsoever!  Even though this movie never blatantly says anything about religion, it does have a similar message to that of the Bible's.  You are beautifully and wonderfully made by the uplifting hands of our heavenly father.  There is NO need to cover any part of his fantastic masterpiece.

Over and out!
<3 Ary

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IMPORTANT NOTE FROM ARY:  The votes are in!  The final subjects have been chosen by you the people!  The topics for my writing challenge will be... (drum roll please)... #5 three things about myself I am proud of, #6 a charcter sketch of... (BFF, dad, or teacher), #7 I never thought blogging would...,#8 letter to ten-year-old self, #9 life bucket list, #10 who's my hero and why?, and finally, #11 my favorite quote and what it means to me!!!  Yay!  These are very inspring topics and I can't wait to see the final drafts of all of them!  Thank you SO much for your imput!

I was wrong

Most people don’t like to be proved wrong.  Even if they are wrong, they deny the evidence and support their false opinion anyway.  I try not to be one of those people, though I do make a few slip-ups here and there.  One of the false opinions I had was that the people of the Catholic religion were stuck-up, hypocritical, and overall bullies!  Turns out I was wrong.  I was stereotyping them!  I always make this HUGE deal about how Christians are unjustly stereotyped based on the limited view on the media, but that was exactly what I was doing to the Catholics!

I went to this wedding in Wisconsin with my dad earlier this year.  It was for one of my dad’s friends and his fiancée.  What I didn’t realize was that the wedding was Catholic.  When I found out, my heart dropped down into my stomach.  I was afraid that the other girls there would “persecute” me for being Protestant!  I now see that thinking in that way was utterly stupid, but I didn’t see it then.  Anyway, during the service, I thought people were going to stare at and judge my dad and me when we didn’t exactly follow their traditions.  But they didn’t.  Not so much as a passing glance.  Later, during the reception, I thought the reception would be boring and flat.  Basically, I thought it was going to be a second sermon with food.  But, I was wrong.  The speakers at the table had a great sense of humor and made lots of jokes!  Of course, they mentioned GOD, Jesus, and the Bible a lot, but it felt natural and sincere, not forced.  Soon after, they cleared the dance floor!  I thought they were going to play classical dancing songs that would lull me to sleep.  Again, I was wrong.  They played fun, upbeat songs like “Shake It Off” and “Uptown Funk”!  I had a great time!  I was proved wrong by the Catholics.  They disproved the horrible stereotypes I believed about them.  I was wrong.  But now, I am in the right, and I can’t wait to see where that takes me.

Vote vote vote!

Hey guys!  As I said in yesterday’s post I am doing a one week daily writing challenge this summer on my blog and I wanted you guys to vote on the five articles you’d like to see me write (list of subjects down below).  Now you don’t have to rank them first choice, second choice, etc… you just tell me five of the following subjects you’d like me to write about!  You have until June 7^th to vote!

1. Weird things I do when alone

2. How have I changed in the past 2 years

3. What kind of person attracts me (both in friendships and in romantic relationships)

4. 5 things about other girls that annoy me

5. 3 things about myself that I am proud of (will include family and friends and what about themselves they’re proud of)

6. Character sketch of… (BFF, teacher, or parent)

7. I never thought blogging would…

8. Letter to 10-year-old me

9. Life bucket list

10. Who’s my hero and why?

11. My favorite quote and what it means to me

12. 3 phrases I hate to hear

13. My poetry

14. Why I doubt others’ love for me

15. Favorite character (of any show, book, movie, etc…) and why

Ps. Sorry I didn't upload this yesterday.  I completely forgot.  >~<

What to put on your Summer bucket list

Boo yah!  School is over and it's finally time for my epic Summer!  Unless you're like most teens and are mostly going to lay on your couch with the A/C set on full blast groaning "I'm bored!" the whole summer.  But you need not fear for Artsy Ary is here!  Last year I compiled a list of things I wanted to do over the summer.  I called it my "Summer bucket list".  Here's what's on my list.  Maybe you can snag a few ideas off of mine.

MOVIE UNDER THE STARS

Maybe you go to a drive-in theater or maybe you rent an outdoor movie screen and projector and watch a movie in your own backyard!

GO TO A WATER PARK WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Now you don't have to go to Wisconsin Dells (unless you really want to), you can just go to a local splash park or a smaller park!

SPEND A WHOLE DAY AT THE LIBRARY

Just sit, and read.  Maybe sip at some coffee or tea while you're at it.  Just sit back and unwind.

GO TO THE POPCORN SHOP

This only applies to you if you live in or around Wheaton Illinois.  But again, this is my bucket list.  you're only reading it.

VOLUNTEER AT A VBS

It stands for "vacation Bible school" also known as "neighborhood Bible club" or "NBC".  And it doesn't have to be a VBS it could be at a food bank or a fundraiser, just something that benefits someone other than yourself.

GO TO THE BEACH

Classic Summer activity.

WRITE A STORY

I'm currently writing a backstory to Kylo Ren.  It's going to be about how he discovered he had the Force and why he doesn't love his parents.  Maybe I'll post it up here when I'm done?

GO TO THE FRENCH MARKET

Again, classic.

Now go forth and have an epic Summer!  May you have many stories to tell when school starts up again!

Over and Out!

<3 Ary
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IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM ARY: This Summer I'me going to do a one week writing challenge on this blog starting June 19th!  And YOU get to help pick the subjects!  tomorrow on Saturday, May 28th, I will post the 20 subjects you can vote for!  You will vote for five different subjects in the comment section and the top 7 subjects will make it onto this blog!  But you have to vote before June 7th!  Can't wait!

The Chamber

I stared out one of the windows on my house waiting for my guest.  He’s a mysterious guest that I have never met before.  I hope he likes my house; it is an odd house.  It’s red with two cracked windows that I always keep dark with the green curtains drawn, and a pink door that stays open most of the time with a white, brick path leading up to my door.  My strange house also has a strange garden to match.  The garden is all in the front yard.  It has many flowers and bushes.  But my favorite part of my garden are the fruit trees.  I have a “patience” tree, a “kindness” tree, and a “generosity” tree.  But those are just a few that I have.  I have many more.  Sadly, my poor little fruit trees are all wilted.

My odd little house, that matches my odd little garden, has many rooms all with different purposes.  There’s the front hall known as “acquaintance”, which is just inside of the pink door.  Many people have been in this hall, but few go beyond it into the other rooms.  Then there is the living room I call “friendship”.  Many people have been in this room, but some decide they don’t like it and leave.  It’s quite rude.  Then there is the dining room/ kitchen called “brotherhood”.  Few people have been in there, but, typically, they always stay and some even get to explore the next room!  “Family” is what I call it.  It’s a lounge where even fewer people have been.  It is decorated with many of my works of art, with many stories and books written by me placed on the shelves, and the many ribbons and trophies I have acquired called “qualities”.  There is a gold vase with the word “intelligent” carved onto it and a colorful plaque with the word “creative” written on it in gold ink.  But my favorite, is my big, blue sapphire heart with “compassion” etched onto it.  But, those are just a few of my “qualities”.  I have many more.  Unfortunately, my trophies called “qualities” are all dusty and grimy.

Then there is my bedroom I call “soul”.  It is the room upstairs where the two cracked windows lead.  I always keep this room dark so no one can see inside.  Even when I’m in the room, I never turn the lights on.  Only three people have seen it.  And they’ve only caught a glimpse inside when I forget to close the door on my way out.  So no one, except me, has ever actually set foot in that room.

    But then there is the basement I call “secrets”.  It’s deep deep below the surface, where it’s dark and hidden.  It’s the only place I can hide my annoying roommates.  I don’t let them out, but sometimes they climb up the mountain of stairs, pick the lock to the door and wander about the house.  Luckily, I always catch them before anyone else sees them.  Who are my roommates?  Well, there is Sadness, who is really irritating!  She always tells me what’s wrong with my house, she especially likes to point out the broken windows.  There is also Fear.  He always tells me what can go wrong.  He makes me doubt the people who reside in the rooms known as “family” and “brotherhood”.  I have to mention Anger.  He likes to mess with my fruit trees.  I don’t like him very much.  There is also Regret, Fear’s twin sister.  She tells me what I did wrong, (while Fear tells me what can go wrong).  She tells me how I screwed everything up and why I don’t deserve my “qualities”.  And I can’t forget Pride.  Pride is the worst of them all!  He’s loud, obnoxious, belittling, and chases people away with his poisonous words and enormous ego!  But, I always lock him and my other roommates in the basement, where no one can find them!  No one is allowed in the basement I call “secrets”.  Not even I go down there.  Now, back to the guest.

    I was staring out of the cracked windows down onto the path that leads to the ever-open door.  On the horizon, I could see him!  My guest!  I rushed downstairs and double-checked the lock on the door that leads down to “secrets” to make sure it was shut properly.  It was so tight that my obnoxious roommates would never get out!  I skipped over to the open door to greet my guest.  I waved excitedly as He waved back.  “Welcome to my home!” I greeted maybe a little too loudly.  My guest smiled and stepped in.

    

My guest stayed in my house for a very long time, he swept through the various rooms quickly.  He was a very nice guest.  He tended to my garden so now my fruit trees now bare the most decadent fruits I’ve ever tasted!  He also polished my trophies and now they have more shine and luster than ever before!  He even repaired my broken windows for me, though he did pierce both of his wrists while doing so.  I don’t know how he repaired those windows, because I didn’t tell him where “soul” was, and He certainly couldn’t have been in there if I didn’t let him in.

One day as I was peacefully reading under my perfectly tended “patience” tree I saw Sadness moping out of the house onto the brick path that leads up to my door.  “I’ll go.  You obviously don’t want me here,” Sadness whined as she drudged down the path away from my house.  Next, Fear and Regret were thrown out into the mud, “hey!  What was that for?!” They shouted in unison, “get out!  You don’t belong here!” my guest shouted from the open door.  As Fear and Regret scurried away from the booming voice of my guest, Anger hobbled down my porch steps mumbling and grumbling profanities under his breath.  He too headed away from my house down the path.  And finally, Pride was stomping out.  “Fine!  Fine!  I’m going!  Geez!” Pride grumbled stomping down the path like an angry two-year-old.  A wide smile shone brightly on my face.  I dropped my book onto the lush grass and rushed up to my guest to embrace him in a grateful hug.  “Thank you, thank you thank you thank you!” I muttered over and over.  My guest looked me in the eyes as I let go, “anything for my best friend,” He smiled.  I could not stop smiling!  I was so happy!  My stupid roommates were gone for good!  “How could I ever thank you?!” I shouted.  My guest looked back into the house through the open door, then back at me, “you could thank me by letting me stay?” He suggested, “oh yes!  Yes yes yes!” I chanted jumping up and down.  I took my guest by the hand, being careful not to touch the holes in his wrist he acquired whilst repairing my windows, and lead him into my house.

He and I happily reside there together with the many other guests that pass through my house.  The only difference between Him and my other guests is that my guest never, ever leaves, and I don’t think he ever will.  But– I don’t think I want him to.

The loud and lonely

          Now-a-days everybody is talking about introverts.  You see all these articles and YouTube videos titled “10 reasons it’s better to be introverted” and “misconceptions about introverts” or “why introverts make better friends”.  But, when people do talk about extroverts it’s usually in a bad way, “10 things extroverts do that people find annoying” and “why extroverts should be quiet”.  But ya know, extroverts have struggles too!  Extroverts always feel left out because no one recognizes them and their struggles.  We get shy too.  Don’t think that because we’re talkative that means we’re comfortable in social situations 100% of the time. We may be outgoing and loud, but we feel insecure too.  We always feel like we’re being loud and obnoxious.  And by what you say about them, they think that’s true!  They feel that they talk too much and that no one’s listening to them.  They feel that just because they’re talkative, they have nothing important to say.

          Even though we are surrounded by people most of the time, we get lonely too.  We feel like all of our friends are sticking with us out of pity, or that they don’t want to hurt our feelings by breaking off the relationship.  Extroverts feel like they’re pressured to be the conversation driver because it seems no one wants to talk to them.  They feel as if they have no value just because they happen to like talking.  They feel like they’re just a nuisance.  They feel that if they don’t talk, all their friends will leave them.

          I’ve been called things like “loud mouth” and “obnoxious twit”.  I’ve had things like “you don’t get lonely, you’re an extrovert” and “you don’t understand social awkwardness, you’re an extrovert!” said to me (even though I am an ambivert, not an extrovert). 

          Don’t call extroverts mean names and think that they’ll just '"brush it off" as if it’s nothing.  Don’t put them in awkward or difficult situations thinking they can “handle it”.  Don’t expect them to talk if we don’t want to.  Extroverts have struggles too.  They’re human too, after all.  We all are.