happier things.

a day has to be about more than work and studying...

people & poems

"Franny to Lane: "If you're a poet, you do something beautiful. I mean you're supposed to leave something beautiful after you get off the page and everything."" ~Franny Glass (Franny & Zooey by J.D. Salinger)

"We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman, "O me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless... of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?" Answer. That you are here - that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play *goes on* and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?"
~John Keating (played by Robin Williams in Dead Poet's Society)

it's so enjoyable to meet new people and connect with them because of a common interest. it's so lovely to talk all night with a good friend. it's so wonderful to read a book, or watch a movie and become intimately involved with the characters, to hear their voice, to know their person.

we can learn so much from each other, gain so much insight, laugh and cry...really experience something beautiful.

words offer us something beautiful. words can create the basis of our connections to each other.

inspire me.

Birds pass by to tell me that I'm not alone
Well, I'm pushing myself to finish this part, I can handle a lot
But one thing I'm missing is in your eyes

~rogue wave(s)

inspiration.

random, nonsensical, meaningless, or meaningful?

being outside inspires me.

sun, rain, clouds, wind, night, day, dark, cool, bright, warm, whatever it may be... it all serves to inspire...to provoke thought and wonder, to cause feelings that could never begin to brew had i stayed inside.

books inspire me.

there are so many good books just waiting to be devoured and so little time. here are the new and old things i love about reading:

i love that it introduces you to worlds you've never known before. i love that reading takes you into other people's lives and you get to feel with them.

if we are brave enough to go there, there are so many worlds we can come to know and better understand through reading a book.

i'm not putting limits on what i read any more. i have been conditioned to judge a book by its cover, or to steer clear of books that really delve into "real" life stuff.

but i find when i read those books...my eyes are opened, my heart is changed, and i am a more empathetic being. a lot can happen when acting and praying in and with empathy.

what else inspires?

growing globally minded.

i've been thinking about things bigger than me, places i've never been, people i don't know, and the things i have yet to learn.

it's really easy to get stuck inside me-ness. especially when things aren't going according to my plans. before 2010 rolled around i had blogged about this desire of moving from selfishness to selflessness.

it's still something i am fighting for, and this constant battle has made me think about myself a lot;) but also about others more. as i work toward my teaching credential my vision of how i will use it is growing.

i've only really imagined myself teaching here in the states.

BUT, lately my heart is burdened with the thought of going somewhere else, of dreaming bigger, and doing something more than I have imagined for myself in a reeeaaaallllly long time.

before i graduated from high school i was full of ideas of traveling the world, and bringing grand things (like love, hope, resources, knowledge) to places in the world that don't have those things.

i don't want to lose sight of that just because the world is a shaky place, or i'm scared, or i have other dreams i think are more important that keep me here.

we never know how God will shake up our lives, mess up our plans (for the better), and change our hearts.

i'm open...

today love is found

and here.