Bring On a New Day

It’s late, but there’s life in these homes yet.
People are still awake
and I’m on the outside.
Yes I’m on the outside looking in,
wondering if they’re happy
and if so,
can I be happy like them?

See my life is not so bad,
but I can’t shake this feeling of sad
and I don’t know why,
so I just cry.

I don’t want to think,
don't want to think this way.

So bring on a new day.
Bring on tomorrow.
Bring on a new day
and let go of this sorrow.

Because in order to be held,
I have to let go of myself.
In order to be held,
I have to let go.

It’s just that this hurt
wears a different kind of shirt,
it’s yellow in my mind,
but it’s not mine.

I don’t want to think,
don't want to think this way.

So bring on a new day.
Bring on a true peace.
Bring on a new day
and bring on the release.

Because in order to be held,
I have to let go of myself.
In order to be held,
I have to let go.

It’s late, but there’s life in my head yet.
Thoughts are still awake
and I’m sitting inside.
Yes I’m sitting inside looking out,
wondering if they’re happy
and if so,
what is happy all about?

Bring on a new day,
bring on a new day
and let go.
Bring on a new day
and embrace my soul.

Questions to ponder...

• Why does Carson Daly have a late night talk show? He’s not funny.
• When teams play in championships, shirts and hats are made in advance for them and should they win they get to sport them on the field or on the court. But what about the losing team? "Champions" shirts and hats were made for them as well, so what happens to those shirts and hats?
  
• Who turns on city street lights? I’m sure there is a timer set to turn the lights on at night or something like that, but what about when it's foggy in the middle of the day? Someone has to turn on the lights then. I’d also like to know if there is a giant light switch.
• Why do celebrities, who have the means to purchase pretty much whatever they want, receive oodles of free stuff? I’m not hate’n, I just find it ironic.
• Why do characters on TV and in the movies wear backpacks on one shoulder? No one has done that for real since the 90s and besides, it’s not good for your back. If they want to hang a bag on one shoulder why not use a one strap backpack or a messenger bag?
• Who thought of Hypercolor shirts and why did they stop making them? I so wish that I still had my pink and purple Hypercolor shirt. There's nothing so glamorous as to feel like a chameleon.
  
• If you're from North Dakota, as I am, how can you think you're a gangsta? A former classmate of mine is attempting to make it as a rapper and I admit that she's not bad, she can flow. But she makes repeated claims of her gangsta status all the while denying her NoDak roots; she does this, I would imagine, so people will not question her being a gangsta. North Dakota has farmers, business people, some pretty good athletes, Josh Duhamel, and hella fabulous teachers, but we do not have gangstas.
• Who gave Carson Daly a contract for a late night talk show? Is Ashton punking us?

Bottomless Beverage of Goodness

Why is bad news pretty much the only news? Why do we need a “spotlight” on good news or good people? Shouldn't good news dominate the airwaves, and newspaper and magazine pages?

Okay, okay so I guess there's more than just bad news in the media. After all, celebrity sightings and gossip also rule the headlines. Oh, and sports and the weather too. And then, as I previously mentioned, there's the occasional "feel good" story. But honestly, our media seems to be drinking from a glass that is half empty because every day I only learn about all things negative. In fact, there is so much emphasis on hurt, crime, and violence that I'm thinking the media's glass must just contain a couple of sips worth of a beverage.

And on a side note, I truly hope that their beverage of choice is water and not some other clear liquid... Sometimes I wonder.

While it is no doubt important to bring these negative sorts of matters to our attention, I feel that it is equally important to bring positive energy to the lives of people. I know that we live in a violent society; really, I'm not naive enough to believe that we live in a fairy tale sort of land or utopia. And I understand that because we live in an imperfect world the media has a duty to report on our imperfections. By no means can we ignore injustices and pretend that everything is fine and dandy, but to use a classic phrase: “violence begets violence.” If all we see, read, and hear is bad news then isn't it likely that we will continue to produce bad news?

Maybe, just maybe if we paid more attention to the good in and around us it would inspire others to do good. Maybe if we had more of a “pay it forward” attitude rather than a “pay back” mentality we might find ourselves in a more positive state. Maybe...

I know this is sensitive and complicated and I do not presume to have the answers in regards to stopping the violence and hurt, but I prefer to believe that there is more good than bad in the world. So instead of just spotlighting the good, let's make the good shine. Let's fill our glasses to the brim and even order a bottomless beverage of goodness. And you know what? Let's order a round of bottomless goodness for the media as well! They certainly can use a refill.

Cheers!

“So let us not become tired of doing good;
for if we do not give up,
the time will come when we will reap the harvest.”
-Galations 6:9-

“My dear friend, do not imitate what is bad,
but imitate what is good.
Whoever does good belongs to God;
whoever does what is bad has not seen God.”
-3 John 11-

“Let us be concerned for one another,
to help one another to show and to do good.”
-Hebrews 10:24-

Crazy-Pee-In-Your-Pants-Funny

Please, please, puh-lease Google the funniest person alive: Amy Sedaris.

I'm telling you there's good wholesome funny (think Ellen DeGeneres) and spastic funny (a la Mario Cantone) and plain old inappropriate funny (who else but Kathy Griffin). And then... AND THEN there's crazy funny, a kind of funny that embodies all funnies and that, my friends, is Amy Sedaris. Amy is ADD, talented, witty, beautiful, bizarre, crafty, genius, and potentially on crack. All that adds up to one brilliantly hilarious pint sized funny lady. Not to mention that she is a best-selling author for her fabulous book I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence.

If you are unfamiliar with Amy Sedaris do as I said before, Google her, and then search for some fantastically funny video clips of her on YouTube. I assure you, you will not be disappointed. In fact, if you are sad or upset or depressed I am prescribing a healthy dosage of Amy Sedaris. Hell, if you're as happy as a Lutheran at a pot luck (a.k.a. blissful) I still prescribe Amy. She always makes me laugh and I guaran-f'en-tee that she'll make you nearly pee your pants. It doesn't get any better or funnier than that folks.

I have a dream...?

People often say to believe in your dreams. But then when you share your dream you’re told, “Well that’s unrealistic.”

Excuse me for the lack of better words here… Umm, duh. It’s a dream.

Dreams are supposed to be unrealistic and seemingly unattainable. That’s the beauty of it. That’s the magic. And that’s what makes dreams work. That sense of impossibility is precisely what motivates the dreamer to do what people so foolishly declare cannot be done.

Dreams are your heart’s desires and if you feed those desires there is a satisfaction that cannot be adequately articulated other than to say that there is a sincere feeling of a roaring peace. It’s something of an oxymoron. I guess this feeling is present because the process of attaining a dream brings focus to your life and purpose.

Purpose, meaning to intend. Living life intentionally. Purpose.

The antonym of “purpose” is “indifference,” showing neither interest nor dislike. So to me that means that a life lived without a dream or dreams is a life lived indifferently and that essentially means that you’re not living, but merely existing.

And sadly, that’s me. I do not know what it is I dream of and what it is that my heart desires, what it is yearning for and since I cannot feed it, my heart aches. It’s starving and, currently, I’m wasting away.

When I graduated this past May a General in the United States Air Force delivered a brief, but poignant commencement address. One particular quote stood out to me. He said, “If you don’t dream, you can’t have a dream come true.” At the time I thought I knew me and I thought I knew my dreams. But now not only am I confused, I’m doubtful and I’m becoming one of those fools—one of those people who are dubious of what can be done.

Why? Why can I not will myself to believe and to see the future? Why?

Only I can answer that question and that seriously scares me.