Are You Happy Now ?

   We are always chasing something. Have you noticed? Nothing is ever enough for you. Nobody is ever enough. Nothing is ever perfect or how we expect it. Have you gotten what you have been waiting for and then started chasing something else? A girlfriend, a promotion, a child, a degree, etc.

   We think we will be happy when we get married. We think our life starts when we find “the one.” We are finally happy when we become the nurse or teacher we have spent the last four to eight years in school for. It is not true. We will never be fully satisfied. We may be in the moment when we eat a good meal or have a week off in Cancun, when we get pregnant with our first child, when the weather is nice outside, when we paid off our bills, when God gives us a job, or when the first date went really well.

   I feel as if America is the most spoiled, but also the most miserable! Why why why why why why why!? We have everything! We live in the golden age, or golden times, what’s the phrase again? We have the best food, the most successful people, microwaves, the best technology, hundreds of churches, the list never ends! I think what we want is what other people have. We see that someone is traveling, we are stuck at work. We see someone finished school and has a Bachelors, you are just beginning your junior year. People getting married left and right and we are left single.

   What are you chasing right now in this moment? Better days, better looking body, Monday to be over, someone to like you?  What if you had everything you wanted, would you be happy? Think about it. Would you truly and sincerely finally be happy. Would you stop chasing things? Do you think you will finally be happy when you are old and on retirement? Never will you be happy unless you choose to be content in every situation. That’s all I have for today, thanks for reading.

Gavin James- Nervous 

Compliments Are Nice

What’s today? March Madness ? Spring Break? Making a difference day? Spring Cleaning? Today is Wednesday! Today you were kind and you gave someone a compliment, right? I found out Wednesdays are the majority or people’s day off actually. I called in a few places to ask for the manager, and they were both off today! I get so off topic sometimes. Okay, let us talk about our subject.

When was the last time you gave someone a compliment that was not your friend? Just a minute ago I was ordering coffee, and to make things less awkward I gave the lady who was taking my order a compliment about her sweater. It was a big black sweater that said GIANTS in sparkly orange letters. I know I know, I should not be a GIANTS fan because Jason lives in Chicago, honestly, I just blurted out the compliment without thinking about it. And boy, did she light up! She went from mundane attitude to enthusiastic GIANTS fanatic. She began telling me how they playing today and other information I did not really know how to react to. I nodded my head, she “cooool” and smiled. Then I walked away. I know I sound like a people-person (sarcasm.)

Sometimes I really do not have interest in people I do not know because I think, “what’s the point? Why am I going to potentially waste my time to get to know someone who  I might never see again or won’t build a relationship with?” Then I think of my future sister-in-law Nelly and my friend Irene. These girls are those most interested in people than anyone I know, especially Nelly! What I love about her and something I want to work on myself is becoming interested in people and their lives. She asks you questions!

 

She makes you feel important and interesting. If you are struggling with any insecurities, she is there for you and will encourage you in any aspect of your life. Plus, she does not judge you! She will find out every detail about you and by the end of the day, you two will become best friends! What I love about Irene is that she listens and cares. Though sometimes it might seem as if she is not listening, but she does care. Some people will go “uh-huh, uh-huh” and be typing on their computers or texting and really, they are not listening. I did that to my mom today (sorry mom!) However, Irene can be driving, looking at directions, and still be listening to every word you are saying! Then she tries to relate to you in any way she can or says, “I understand.”

There is beauty in giving people compliments, but not everyone appreciates them. I have a friend who told me that “If I like something on someone, I’m going to compliment them!” However, she says that people will give her a look or tell her “why do you like that?” Honestly these days people do not appreciate compliments as much as they should. Not necessarily they do not appreciate them, I feel as if they do not believe them. My sibling told me the other day how they were complimented on their makeup at a Dental office. They mentioned to me how they had little makeup on that day, when they usually wear a lot of dark makeup. They told me they felt so special, even though they did not believe the compliment, but it made their day. Even though you feel as if someone will not appreciate your compliment or they look too “bad ass” to receive a compliment, give it to them anyways. There is this women I used to work with and it would be so funny to watch her give compliments sometimes. I would walk in to work and she would look at my outfit or hair, and go, “I like your- so how are you?” She was so close to telling me something nice, but she held it in. She was reserved in her compliments. Maybe it was because she thought I already knew that my hair was cute or my outfit was nice or maybe she did not want me to feel goo about myself because she had her own insecurities. I will always remember her. Never give reserved compliments.

 

 

 

 

 

2nd of March, 2016

Tell me the waiting is almost over

tell me it is soon to come

How can I count the days

to make them go faster?

What can you say

to make me feel your love across the country?

I am at home when I am with you

So without you, I can’t find the door

You have the key

How can I feel safe without you?

Tell me not to miss you and my heart bursts into a million pieces

I gather those pieces and put them in a jar

I hide them away

But the jar breaks

when our song comes on

or when I see your face over the phone

In this waiting I am dreaming

but one day

reality will be

YOU.

Song- Darling I do by Landon Pigg

Visitation Hours

She looked through her closet and picked out grey sweats, black shirt, and black socks. Her clothes had to be approved. She knew all the dress code rules from last time when she got kicked out for wearing leather pants. She ran downstairs, quickly slipped on her sneakers, and jumped in the car. She could not be even one minute late. She had memorized the road now, since she has been seeing him for a weeks already. She drives up to the castle-looking building and walks out of her car. It is a slow walk to the waiting bench, where everyone sits. On her first time a few weeks ago, she came early and did not know what to do. She knocked on the door, an officer had come out. He told her to wait, then closed the door on her. Eventually, someone came early too and had told her how the doors open at the specific time, not one minute soon
er or later. If you are late, they will not let you in.

An officer came out, called out each name, pronouncing her last name wrong. Like always. She waited in line, showed her ID. Then again, she had to sit down and wait till a different officer called her name up. After five minutes, everyone’s names were called up. They were told to wait outside to be walked to the hundred year-old gates. After the minute walk down the hill, their names were called out again. They had their left hands stamped, showing their IDs along with it. Then their was security check. Taking off her jacket, shoes, and belt, she walked through the security. Putting everything back on, she began waiting for the other visitors to go through as well. She was always the first one done. All she had to do was wait a few more minutes, have them open the iron gate, walked down another hill and wait. Waiting was the hardest part, but she got used to it.

She was finally in what looked like her elementary school cafeteria from years ago. In the “cafeteria” there was a tv, board games, vending machines, and people everywhere. Mostly men dress in denim pants and jackets. They had their friends, preachers, lovers, and kids. Even infants were allowed. A girlfriend making her man a salad with avocado, using the plastic knife and fork she had available to her. An inmate husband playing with his kid, not knowing what it is like for the single mom wife living desperately alone. And then the girlfriend who is arguing with her lover about her other “someone.”

The food from the machines weren’t so bad. There was cheese sticks, rockstars, chocolate milk, and chicken sandwiches. Of course all packaged, but not bad for a prison. Some people were here as charity work. Some did not know who they married. Some got pregnant with the wrong guy. However, she was here for him only because she loved him. She was here because he needed her. All his friends left him. She was all he had.

As she waited and waited, staring at the door with each inmate popping out. One guy after another. Is it him? A Mexican came out greeting his wife. Is it him? An African-American with dreads came out greeting his girlfriend. Is it him? An older white man came out, greeting his broth- oh…. Is it- dark skinned, slicked back hair, and that smile came out from the door. She looked for a second, caught his smile, and ran up to him. He grabbed his little sister, swung her up in the air so everyone could see, and kiss her on the cheek. Finally. (Video attached if you click the word “finally”)

They bought a burrito, some orange juice, and began talking.