Creating Wealth is MORE than just Money.

Creating Wealth is about CREATING it.
All around you.
All the time.

Wealth is more than money, it is about the things which fulfill you at a deep level. It could be friends, relationships, hobbies, art, work, or helping people. It is about drawing out the best gifts of those around you, to make this world a better place. And yes, sometimes those gifts also include MONEY. Because, let's face it, in general, when we don't have to worry about money, we are less stressed.

So.
Here we go.

My contribution.

I will. For 48 hours, give away my most popular book (in e-format), FREE.


How to Create Wealth

FREE

for 48 hours.


From 12am (PST) on March 22nd
(the New Moon),

until 11:59pm (PST) on March 24th,

you can receive "How to Create Wealth" as an E-Book from Amazon for FREE.

My gift to you. To help get your finances in order (and hopefully relieve some unneeded stress).

The Details:

When: Thursday, March 22, 2012 to Saturday, March 24, 2012

Where: How to Create Wealth on Amazon

Why: To cultivate and create wealth for everyone.

How: In the US, just click the link and download your free Kindle book from Amazon.

*Please confirm that the book price is listed as $0.00. Sometimes it takes Amazon an extra couple hours to complete the price adjustment. After these two days, this book will not be offered for free again. It will return to its regular price of $2.99 for an e-book. ALSO -> This promotion is for the e-book ONLY, the paperback price will not change and will still be offered at $9.95

What:


Summery: Ms. Jones humorously talks about finances and budgets like she talks about diets. Almost everyone needs to work on both, but prefers to avoid the topic if at all possible. This book is chock full of easy to read information, worksheets and baby steps for those who think budgets are too hard to follow. She emphasizes a spending plan, eliminating debt and her secret way to get almost $5k of free money and have close to $20k in your pocket in 10 years. This is a must-read book for anyone who’s looking for a little basic financial information and a whole lot of courage. The book is condensed, the points are concise and the reading is FUN. Highly recommend for anyone thinking (and/or stressing) about their money.

**Get one for yourself and gift as many as you like for your friends through the Amazon Gift button**

**Leave reviews, feedback and comments**

And please SHARE SHARE SHARE and spread the wealth!
(Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, etc, etc, etc - take to the Social Media Airwaves!)

Enjoy!
xoxo

On Twitter, I've created a Hashtag = #WealthIsMoreThanMoney

The Value of Passion

I will never forget a lesson I learned when I was young.

"Doing what is popular is not always right, and doing what is right is not always popular."

and reminded:


But, what is "RIGHT" when there is endless debate in politics and social media about everything from:

*The right for LGBT marriage,

*A woman's right for full health care coverage (or denial of such coverage until a government mandated invasive procedure is done) ,

*The #Occupy movement or the

*#Kony2012 awareness campaign.

Everyone has their own opinions, judgements, ideas and passionate displays. Each are controversial, each with passion supporters and detractors.

Is there a 'right' way?

We, as a society, need to stop criticizing each other for our passions, and start doing something productive. Something WE (as individuals) are passionate about. Something more than just sitting down and watching TV at the end of the night. There is so much going on the world, it is a shame to NOT get involved.

I believe:

*Deep down, each person wants to make their world a better place to be.

*Change starts small. It could be one small voice on a school yard that stands up to a bully.

*Everyone has the ability to be great catalyst for change and part of a solution.

My point:
Never stop learning.
Never stop being part of a solution.
Never stop pursuing your passion, dreams or desires.
Never stop doing what you love.
No matter what.

Yum yum, Lamb for Dinner.

Welcome to March.

The phrase 'In like a Lion, out like a Lamb' apparently has its origins with the constellations Leo, the Lion, and Aries, the ram or lamb. It has to do with the relative positions of these constellations in the sky at the beginning and end of the month. But don't take my word for it... check it here.

Personally, I like March. The word just oozes springtime. The Sun starts it's annual courtship with everything green, and everything green responds.
Flowers start unfurling, trees begin to blossom, and the skies are a little less threatening and a little more flirtatious.
Everything 'march'es forward.
What I love the most is the people. Everyone is wide-eyed in wonder and admiration for the blooms, like it is the very first time they have ever smelled a Daphne, or seen the Sakurai. No one is immune to the beauty.
Hearts open, hugs abound and everyone ventures out of their winter caves to tease their skin to the sun. Even the people bloom in the spring. It is as though everything battles the elements all winter, then summons the courage, beauty and strength to show the fragile, graceful petals that have been hiding underground all winter.

So, to all those embodying the Lion's strength, grace and beauty in blooming this spring, three Rawr's for March-ing forward - oh and a little recipe for dinner, just in case you have the Lion's appetite too.

Rack of Lamb with Pecan Herb Crust


Ingredients:
1 rack of lamb, about 7 or 8 chops to each rack, olive oil,salt and pepper, Herb and pecan mixture (including but not limited to: Rosemary, oregano, parsley, mint, chives and 2/3c chopped/toasted pecans), and Dijon mustard (or bold'n spicy sauce)
Preparation:

Wash lamb and pat dry. Rub with olive oil and salt and pepper. Position meaty side up in roasting pan; roast at 400° for 12 minutes. Remove from oven; let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a mini food processor or chopper, combine herbs and pecans; process until finely chopped. Rub mustard over the lamb, then coat well with the pecan and herb mixture. Return to oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes longer, or to desired done-ness. Cozy up and share with the ones you love.

Rawr!

Thank you.

To those who have forgiven me, as I have forgiven myself.
To those with strength, and reflected to me my own.
To those who have struggled and fought and lashed out, and the single breath that has saved them.
To those that have remained calm in the face of adversary.
To those hero’s in every day life.

Thank you.

A Gift from the Sea

I sit, anxiously awaiting to hear back on a new abode. A new home. A place where I can see the ocean, a place where writing and coffee and eating and living will happen with a 180 degree view of waves and water and salt and infiniteness. It is the year of the Water Dragon, and with my newfound observation of productivity in writing in proximity to the ocean, I am excited about the possibilities. Stressed about the move and yet calm in the assurance of knowing that this just FEELS right.

So, I sit, patient.

In honor of this feeling, in honor of this next year's worth of gifts from the sea, in honor of 2012, the water dragon, the gratitude and everything about life which is enjoyed at a slower speed.... (It is Stress-Free Friday after all)

An excerpt:

A Gift From The Sea

"The beach is not the place to work, to read, write or think. I should have remembered that from other years. Too warm, too damp, too soft for any real mental discipline or sharp flights of spirit. One never learns. Hopefully, one carries down the faded straw bags, lumpy with books, clean paper, long over-due unanswered letters, freshly sharpened pencils, lists, and good intentions. The books remain unread, the pencils break their points, and the pads rest smooth and unblemished as the cloudless sky. No reading, no writing, no thoughts even - at least, not at first.

At first, the tired body takes over completely. As on shipboard, one descends into a deck-chair apathy. One is forced against one's mind, against all tidy resolutions, back into the primeval rhythms of the sea-shore, Rollers on the beach, wind in the pines, the slow flapping of herons across sand dunes, drown out the hectic rhythms of city and suburb, time tables and schedules. One falls under their spell, relaxes, stretches out prone. One becomes, in fact, like the element on which one lies, flattened by the sea, bare, open, empty as the beach, erased by today's tides of all yesterday's scribblings.

And then, some morning in the second week, the mind wakes, comes to life again. Not in a city sense - no - but beach-wise. it begins to drift, to play, to turn over in gentle careless rolls like those lazy waves on the beach. One never knows what change treasures these easy unconscious rollers may toss up, on the smooth white sand of the conscious mind, what perfectly rounded stone, what rare shell from the ocean floor. Perhaps a channelled whelk, a moon shell, or even an argonaut.

But it must not be sought for or - heaven forbid! - dug for. No, no dredging of the sea bottom here. That would defeat one's purpose. The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. To dig for treasures shows not only impatience and greed, but lack of faith. Patience, patience, patience, is what the sea teaches. Patience and faith. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach - waiting for a gift from the sea."

~Anne Morrow Lindbergh

A safe explosion.

There is a level of vulnerability when it comes to writing. A vulnerability that comes from the cracking open of one's soul to let the inner most, passionate creation out. In the last few months this observation has never been more keen.

When I was traveling, I wrote 5 books in a little over 4 months. Then, when I got back stateside I (and some friends) helped with editing, cover art, publishing and marketing. It was easy.
They were done.
(and you can get your copy today through my online shop)

Now I am looking at the 5 other books I started when I was on the road and have yet to finish with .... well, with exasperation.

I had such high hopes and expectations of myself to have gotten these done. and each day I look at the pile, those expectations just add a serving size amount of stress onto my poor little shoulders.

I ask: Why was it so easy to write when I was on the road, with no home, no job and no car, and it is so damn difficult now that I am back?

Then I realize....
It takes a huge amount of vulnerability to write. It takes a Universe-sized crack in your soul to open up and let the words flow. It is like the birth of a Universe exploding out of your chest.

For this level of creativity, the deep vulnerability, the passion and birth of something so wonderous, there is one secret little thing I've been missing. One thing I had when I was traveling, one little thing in which I soon hope to have again very soon.

Safety.

Not physical safety, but the emotional kind. The mental space and emotionally safe surroundings to crack through a hard candy shell and reach inside to pull out all the passionate, sticky, universe-exploding, deliciousness.

But don't worry, things are shifting changing and moving and I am too. Very soon, I will be all happy and settled and warm and safe and get back to my debaucherious rantings, writings and wriggly good times.

At 5'9", I'm .... like a Turtle, short and snappy.

It's Friday.
I should post something relevent, entertaining or educations. I should post something about how to manage your stress, get your finances in order or how to keep balance in your life.
I should.

But I'm not.
Not today.
I've been grumpy the last few days.
The grumpy-forever-kind-of-grumpy.
I've been short and snappy.

Like a turtle but human-sized.

I've been stressed.

And this little turtle just wants to crawl inside it's hard shell and live in the silent, warm, darkness forever.

It's been a tough couple of weeks.

But... there is a glimmer of hope, a ray of light, an escape in the near future. Tomorrow to be exact. It is a night of lights and dancing, and fantasmal costumes. Pumping and sexy beats.

Threshold: Enter the Dragon from daflew on Vimeo.

(Watch the video)
It is a night of dragons and dancing girls. Pretty lights and awesome music. A night to work out all the tension and stress in a glorious array of colors and hugs and friends and love. A night of unabashed, unhindered, open, free and accepting of everything crazy I could throw at it.

Including me.

It is a night to celebrate a new year.

Welcome 2012, the year of the Dragon.

People are Amazing.

People are amazing.
Amazing in the beautiful artistic way,



Amazing in the creative, imaginative way,



Amazing in the 'crazy new-age Woodstock Festival, Dr Seuss in the Desert' kind of way.



And resilient.

People are very very amazing in the resilient kind of way.
Like these people...

and you.

You are resilient.

You are amazingly, creatively, deliciously resilient.
...and if you aren't.... it's just because you haven't had an opportunity to stretch your resilient muscles. It's because, maybe, you forgot. Don't worry, I'm here to remind you.

Consider this your reminder.

2012 = The end of the world, Zombies and Never Giving Up.

Soooooo...... Happy 2012 to everyone.

Is it the end of the world yet?
(Click here if video doesn't load)



According to the video, it doesn't look like it (although I question what kind of Kool-Aid the guy was drinking when he made the video).

But.... either way, you should be prepared for a Zombie Apocolpse.... just in case.
(I want this... **click** for uhm, disaster preparedness (I wear size medium).... consider it a birthday present.)

Zombies are rascally little critters. Kind of like depression.
Depression is rascally...
...and will eat your brain.
Like a zombie.
Depression = Zombie

Recently, Jenny Lawson, a woman who I admire (not just for her writing, but also for her humor) 'came out' so to speak, about her secret battle with depression and self-harm.

Read it here: The Fight Goes on.

Since she has posted, she has received thousands of comments and messages in support of her, her battle and her bravery. She had letters come in from family members of people who suffer from depression and even a woman who was going to commit suicide and decided against it because of her bravery in her post. *Read Here* Not just bravery, but also her strength in NEVER GIVING UP.

Since then, she has started the Silver Ribbon Project.
Twitter has exploded with the hashtag #silverribbon
You can support all those who fight in silence by wearing, *painting*, pinning or gluing a silver ribbon to yourself.... and we will know.
(You can also go *here* or *here* to buy one and support the Traveling Red Dress Project).

Until then:
Be kind, everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle....
...... especially against Zombies.

... and the days will now get longer.

O’ GREAT SPIRIT,
Whose voice I hear in the winds,
And whose breath gives life to all the world,
hear me! I am small and weak, I need your
strength and wisdom.

Let Me Walk In Beauty, and make my eyes
ever behold the red and purple sunset.

Make My Hands Respect the things you have
made and my ears sharp to hear your voice.

Make Me Wise so that I may understand the
things you have taught my people.

Let Me Learn the lessons you have hidden
in every leaf and rock.

I Seek Strength, not to be greater than my
brother, but to fight my greatest
enemy…myself.

Make Me Always Ready to come to you with
clean hands and straight eyes.

So When Life Fades, as the fading sunset,
my spirit may come to you
without shame.

(translated by Lakota Sioux Chief Yellow Lark in 1887)

Transformation is coming.

2012 is just a few short weeks away.

If you haven't heard about the evolutional-world-ending-neo-hippy-woo-woo-conspiracy theories on 2012... just type it into Google and lose yourself, or you can cheat and just click here to read a great article USA Today published.

In part, Journalist Lawrence Joseph is quoted in the article to say, "Part of the 2012 mystique stems from the stars. On the winter solstice in 2012, the sun will be aligned with the center of the Milky Way for the first time in about 26,000 years. This means that "whatever energy typically streams to Earth from the center of the Milky Way will indeed be disrupted on 12/21/12 at 11:11 p.m. Universal Time," In short, 2012 seems to be a big deal.

The most significant about this whole 2012 debate (in my little world) is, I turn 33 years old just 2 short weeks into 2012.

33 is a Master Number (according to numerology). "It is the most influential of all numbers. It is the Master Teacher. The 33 combines the Master Numbers 11 and the 22 and brings their potential to another level. When expressed to the fullest, the 33 lacks all personal ambition, and instead focuses its considerable abilities toward the spiritual uplifting of mankind. What makes the 33 especially impressive, is the high level of sincere devotion. This is shown in its determination to seek understanding and wisdom before preaching to others. The 33 in full force is extremely rare. 33 is the Master Teacher. This individual's focus is on reaching the world and uplifting the loving energy of mankind. They are not concerned with personal ambition, and have great devotion to cause."

So to prepare for this 'sacrifice of self and great devotion of the cause', to celebrate a Master birthday on a apocalyptic year, and to forever document the transformations in my life that got me to this point, I am getting Tattooed. Not a dolphin-on-the-ankle variety, but an intense design I have been working on for well over 3 years. It incorporates the elements of earth, water, air and fire. It embodies death, transformation and rebirth. It will be an initiation done in ceremonial fashion and it is a living tribute to ... well... living. In essence, it will be an artistic masterpiece. I have already completed the first stage, the second stage is scheduled, and the third and final piece (for my 33rd birthday) needs your help.
(Are you catching the theme of 3's here?).

What can you do? Please chip in! Consider it an early birthday present. Consider it a donation to the luck of a Master number, or just do it because it feels good. BUT, there is one catch. A caveat perhaps. Please donate with the number 3. $.03, $.33, $3, $33 or $333. Keep the energy alive and pass it forward as we enter into 2012.
I created a chip-in account to help keep track.



Thank you!
As soon as I get the three pieces done, I will be sure to post pictures.

p.s. A special Shout-out to Miss Endi Clark for her inspiration to not only go public with this observation of turning 33 in 2012, but also for her encouragement to set up a Chip-in account and get others involved! Thank you!

Update: I just got the design back from Nina (who is doing all my work) and I have to say - WOW! I can't wait for it to be on my body.

Courage comes in many forms.

Courage.
One word can evoke a thousand images in the mind.
One word. Whose connotation evokes the ideals and ability to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty or intimidation. To act rightly in the face of popular opposition, shame, scandal or discouragement.
Courage.

When I was in grade-school, we put on a performance of the Wizard of Oz and I had a starring role as the Cowardly Lion. Perhaps it was that moment of being cast, or the lines, or perhaps the dozens of shows we did over the school year. But there was something I took away from that experience that has shaped me.

I have never thought of myself as particularly courageous. Adventurous? Yes. Brave? No. Yet, as I get older I find that just taking a small step outside of one's comfort zone takes courage. Courage whispers in your ear when you are busy paying attention to other things in 'life'.

It takes courage to live. It takes courage to stand up for what is right. It takes courage.
Every day is an opportunity to start a new adventure, to live with courage.

Thus the reason for my blog name: Begin an Adventure.

Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature,
nor do the children of men
as a whole experience it.
Avoiding danger is no safer
in the long run than outright exposure.
Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.
--Helen Keller

What is your adventure?
Muster the courage to take one small baby step outside your comfort zone and begin it today.

(Here is a very long winded but good article on the Courage to Live Consciously)

I've been triggered with ..... Get a JOB!

So, apparently one of the latest trends is to tell 'people' to 'Get a job'. The'People' I refer to are people such as: Occupy Protestors, People on unemployment/welfare/food stamps, recent college grads and .... ME!

You see, I have this friend. A friend I have had for the last 20+ years. This particular friend and I have been through a lot. Our lives, friendship and love for each other has ebbed and flowed. I have known this person since I was 8 years old. Over the years we have stayed in touch and I have watched this friend accumulate the 'perfect' life. Which includes the perfect career, the perfect house, the perfect spouse, the perfect car, with the perfect 2.5 kids.

And we had lunch not too long ago, to catch up. I will skip the boring part of the 'catching up' and head straight to the meat.

As we were chatting about life, and I stated that money had been tight, they said:
"You should just get a job"
I responded with, "you could hire me" to which they backpedaled.... quickly. I quickly followed up with:
'You know I have been writing and currently have 6 books published, right?' and
'Money is tight, self-publishing is expensive and book sales have been slow, I am undeterred. I love what I do and I'm going to just keep working as hard as I have been and things will turn around.'

Their response:
"You could be so awesome if...."
My. Jaw. Dropped. I didn't hear anything after that.
I was silently raging.
I had nothing else to say.
I kindly finished my meal and said my good-byes.
Still shocked.
After 20 years of knowing this person, of being friends for so long.... I was stunned. It took me a while and a very long walk home to come to the following conclusion.
My value, and the value of my brothers and sisters with college degrees and no 'job' isn't based on some arbitrary idea of:
'what I can do for someone else' or 'what someone will pay for me.'
My value is ME.
Just living, breathing and existing has value.
Not to mention my ideas, passions, educated opinions and connections. I am not going to just go out on the job market to pimp myself out to the highest bidder. I am worth more than that and refuse to de-value myself.

Take note: You are worth more than that, do not devalue yourself. EVER.

I say NEVER get a JOB!

p.s. For those of you that love numbers as much as I do, HERE is a great report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and US Department of Labor about the status of the 'job' market in the USA today.

"Kids need Jobs" - No, actually we don't.

In the past few months, I have been asked, "What are you doing?" and have been told, "You need to get a job."
Really?
A Job?
Ok.
Sure.
Let's see.... with an MBA, I'm sure there are plenty of 'jobs' out there for me that I am qualified for that will pay a living wage ....
Here are (in no particular order) the most popular Help Wanted ads currently listed AND as a bonus... what they pay (with the caveat that all listings and pay depend on experience):

Caregiver (In home healthcare) - $15/hr
Mechanical Engineer - (not listed)
Software Engineer - (not listed)
Childcare Assistant - ($8-$10/hr)
Sales Associate - ($8-$10/hr)
Service Industry (Waitress/Bartender/Hostess) - ($8-$10/hr)
Administrative/Office Assistant - ($10-15/hr)
Massage Therapist - This one is tricky, but appx 20-30% of total of massage, plus commission on sales of products.

Anything look appealing to you?

What happened to the ideal of doing a job you are passionate about? What happened to the encouragement we got as kids to 'be anything you want to be'? Instead, now, we are pressured to 'get a job', 'get a house', 'get married', 'have kids', work work work work.

Yeah, thanks, but no thanks. Most of the people my age (including myself) are done believing the lies. We are done being Zombies. If that means we have regressed back into our own personal 6 year olds, to dream and do what we love, then so be it.

Frankly, not 'getting a job' is much more satisfying. It encourages personal empowerment, choice, cooperation and community building. It puts human interaction and connection above a bottom line. It supports an idea that everyone is responsible for not only themselves, but also for their brothers, neighbors and friends. It encourages sustainable thinking, problem solving, inclusivity, and eliminates unnecessary waste.

Bottom line: I would rather write than do any of the 'jobs' listed above to increase the bottom line for someone else. I would rather go without the luxuries in life (a car, a home, healthcare, retirement) so I can live passionately doing what I love.
For me, every day is an Adventure.
Every day is a choice.
And that.... the ability to choose, is POWER.

Have you ever stopped for two minutes and really thought about what you are doing and why?
Did you consciously make the decisions that have brought you to this point in your life?
Or did you make them in a 'zombie state' because that is what you were 'supposed to do'?

You know, it's not too late.
Begin your Adventure.

NANOWRIMO - No big change, just more snippits.

No big update or big word numbers to add today, but here is another snippit I was working on.
Enjoy.

*************************

She didn’t understand what he meant, and as she was gasping for air her movements were becoming less violent. Her body was jerking and trembling. She heard the blood pounding in her ears. Her lungs were on fire. Her head was splitting. Tiny little flash bulbs began popping in front of her eyes.

and he kept squeezing.

She thought,

This is it.

More flashes, brighter, growing in size, filling her vision. And then, between the flashes, blackness. Small patches of blackness between the flashes of light. The blackness grew. It slowly overwhelmed the flashes of light, slowly replaced them. The darkness grew until it was all that was left. Darkness. Pure blackness.

And silence.
Total, complete silence. She was enveloped in blackness. Soft. Velvety. Black. She was floating in it. Floating free with no pain, no fear. Just silence, stillness and total blackness.

Death was deliciously welcomed

NANOWRIMO - The Adventure begins.

This year, a big ADVENTUROUS year, I have decided to participate in NANOWRIMO. What is NANOWRIMO you ask? It is National Novel Writing Month.

and I thought to myself, what better way to hold myself accountable for my writing than to take my find Blog readers along for the Adventure with me!

Well, today is the end of day 2, and I have good news. I have written 10,722 words (which does not include Blog posts, Facebook posts or Twitter updates). Which translates into about 35 pages. WHEW! It has been a very busy busy two days. I'm not sure I can keep up the pace (considering there is *life* that happens, and not just me sitting at my computer day in and day out).

At this pace I will not only finish my novel, but the three other books I have on the 'pending' shelf before Christmas! YAAAAY

But I can only do it with your love, well-wishes and support!
Specifically:
Leave me a comment.
Shoot me an email or note,
Buy a Book or support with an Advertising pledge.
Or even a Donation (so I can continue to write and still have food to eat and a roof over my head) would go a long way!

Here is a sneak peak of a little bit of what I wrote today, Chapter 1 of the new novel:

October 22, 1994
12:17pm

It was a perfect fall day. The smell of crisp leaves, crinkling and dancing down the street with the breeze. It is football season, high school dances and dress-up. Faces of created and hollowed out ghouls await with heavy anticipation of dusk and the lighting of a fire in their bellies to beacon forth those masked and caped in nearly a week. The small town is abuzz, the local high school hosts a homecoming dance tonight. Flowers shops are busy with corsage’s, boutonnieres, bouquets and balloons. Car washes are packed with young boys taking their dad’s car to get washed before the prince and his chariot will pick up his princess of the night. Last night the football team lost the homecoming game, but this is nothing new to this small town of farm-boys and 4-H’ers. They haven’t won a single game in three years. No matter, there was still plenty of screaming and excitement when the Homecoming court was announced at half-time. A ritual repeated thousands of times across the country, to the same excited screams.

In 2 days, I'll have 30 days. Sounds like a bad math problem to me.

Excuse me while I have a mild heart attack.

Excuse me while I say... 'oh yeah, that tree branch waaaaaay out there, yeah, I'll go and stand on it."

Excuse me.
For just a moment.

I did something ..... scary.
I signed up for NANWRIMO.

Check it here:

UPDATE:
In addition to.... I have also signed up for the Richard Hugo House's New Works Competition....

(slight panic)

Breathe....
Breathe....
No pressure.

Life is Messy

Messy and non-linear.
Like memories splashed against a canvas, plucking faces and events out of the mess that remains in our minds of time.
and I write....

The pen is heavy, yet comforting.
The black and white on paper.
I know it will never go away. The black will never leave. The darkness will never say, ‘you are not welcome here’ the brutal suffocating inkiness will never mutter ‘please go away’.
It will stay.
Forever.
It will love.
Forever.
It will be.
Immortalized.
Forever.

Trapped between the indescribable highs and the debilitating lows. And in the midst of it all..... a breath. With a pen.
A breath like the moment between in and out.
Suspended.
In my hand.
The light. The brightest most brilliant light found in the darkest of blackest of nights.
The words.
Poetic and tragic was how it went.

Back in the arms of an old lover...

You know those times when you and your significant other get in a fight? A full-on, heated, melt-down kind of fight? The kind that you swear if you ever saw them again it would be too soon?
The kind where you pack up your bags and leave.
and you don't say goodbye.
and you don't look back.
then...
as more time passes,
the hurt fades
and fades
and fades
and the fond memories return.

Until one day, years later, you run into that old lover and they swoop you up in their arms, and you squeal and wiggle and the happiness bursts from where it hid deep within every pore.
The old lover knows you. Knows how to hold you, and you feel safe, they know how to stroke your hair and touch your skin, and you feel loved. They almost know you better than you know yourself. They welcome you back with open arms, because they love you. They always loved you.
And deep down, you love them too.
Passionately.

But, the reasons you left the first time are still there. Still haunting you in the back of your mind. Those reasons left your heart broken and bleeding and no matter how much time has passed you can still feel the scars.

I got in a fight like that recently.
Only it wasn't perhaps really with the person I was seeing, but more of the city I was living in.
And that city welcomed me back.
And we danced and danced and danced and danced. Danced until I was sweaty and exhausted. Danced until I collapsed into its arms for a night of warmth, safety and love.
But in the morning....
I remembered.
I remembered the hurt, pain and heartbreak.
I remembered when my heart bled.

And...
I remembered why I left in the first place.
and yet...
Scared, wounded and cautious...
I'm still willing to give this city another chance.

The very best of....

I was thinking today about how there are some blog posts I've written that have gotten buried. They have been funny, informative, inspirational or whatever. Perhaps it was my own desire to read the brilliance that has poured forth from my brain, or perhaps I was just reminiscing. Either way, I wanted to put together an all time 'best of' blog post page.
These are some of my very favorites, Enjoy.

Best Transportation Adventure

Best Self Observation

Best Zombie vs Vampire war

Best Dirty Post

Best Rant

Best 'Out of the Office'

Best Secret

Best ever

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