Me and my little analogies: Dating...

Dating is like digging for gold...

Sometimes you dig, and you find a little gold nugget, you pick it up and enjoy it. And you dig the same spot again and get another golden nugget. And every time you dig you find another little nugget. You keep on finding a nugget every time you dig. Eventually, in the back of your mind, you hope that it's going to lead to the big piece of gold/treasure so you dig more and more. But sometimes the treasure is never there and all you get are these golden nuggets. And sometimes you dig so much that you just end up in a ditch that you have to get out of.

Sometimes there are signs saying "Dig Here" or "There's gold here", and sometimes other people are telling you, "Dig here, there's treasure here". So you dig... and sometimes you get a few nuggets here and there, but there really is nothing there. And the gold ends up being in someone else's shovel. And sometimes the person telling you where to dig, keeps telling you there's gold there, but the gold ends up being in their shovel. It can get frustrating.

Sometimes you dig deep holes because either you always find gold every time you dig, and eventually start looking for the treasure or sometimes you just dig and dig and dig hoping there's treasure right from the start. But you have to be careful not to dig so much where you just end up digging yourself a ditch that you cannot to get out of.

And sometimes you dig shallow holes, but wide. And you get several nuggets, but don't really get far. But the good thing about that is that you find an easy way out, since you don't create a big ditch for yourself.

Sometimes little pieces of gold end up in your shovel, but your digging for something else.

And sometimes there's a rock that presents itself to you... but everyone tells you, "There's gold in that rock." And your thinking, "Yeah, right. All I see is a rock." but you give it a try and figure there might be gold in that rock... but there's a special way to get the gold out. You can't really dig... you gotta chip away at the surface to reveal the gold inside. But it's hard, you have to have a lot of patience and be willing to get the gold in that manner if you enjoy that way of revealing the gold, or want that gold so much that you are willing to do it, because you feel it's more special than the rest. But sometimes, you just don't want to find that gold and in that particular way. It's just frustrating and takes too long, that you would rather dig where you want.

Then a question comes to mind... "Why are you even digging? You shouldn't be the one that's digging.".. or "Stop digging, sometimes you'll find gold when you least expect it."

My answer to that is... You're in a field of gold. You see other people with gold that makes them happy, and you want some gold too. You would be wasting your time in a field of gold just standing around thinking that it's just going to come to you. You might as well dig. At least you're looking, compared to wallowing around a gold field complaining that you don't have any gold.

Some people might say, "Who needs gold, you don't need gold to make you happy." But you see other people with their gold, and you already had some little nuggets of gold that already made you happy for the time being, that you know that is what you want. Plus, you need gold to make a charm bracelet ;) And you don't want to go around using your little different pieces of gold to put together a charm bracelet. It's more valuable to make a charm bracelet from that main piece of gold that your happy with... that special big piece of gold that makes you want to stop digging and stake your claim.

So my little conclusion, and my little method that I use is.... Enjoy the little pieces of gold that you find along the way. Big pieces, small pieces, rocks, pebbles, what-have-you. Sometimes you feel like digging, sometimes you don't. It's just an instinct that you feel and you want to keep digging. Sometimes you get a good spot that always shows gold, but it leads to nothing. But you dig in a way where you don't anticipate finding treasure (it might be in the back of your mind) but you dig carefully where you know you can get out. And maybe one day you'll find the gold that you want to keep for yourself and stop digging.

Some people are desperate for gold that they dig haphazardly and dig so deep that they end up getting hurt and stuck in a ditch... you don't want to do that. And sometimes people just dig for gold that's at the edge of a cliff. It may be a nice piece of gold, but you might just fall off that cliff.

And if two people are digging for the same piece of gold, I usually just let them have it. It's not worth causing a commotion when you can always dig somewhere else. And no one wants to see girls fight over gold, because it can and will get a little dirty. And for the fellas, usually the stronger more ambitious ones that REALLY want it, end up getting it. Depends on how much fight they put up.

Sometimes you get people that follow wherever you dig, which can get annoying... so, you either distract them with some other gold or just keep the digging to yourself.

Sometimes people have really big shovels where they get gold easy. And some people have some kind of magnetic shovels that just attract gold. Some don't even have to dig or feel that they shouldn't have to dig. And some people don't want to dig. And some people just walk around and are lucky to find gold without even looking.

Some people are skillful diggers, while others need a lot more practice. And you can have a really fancy shovel and not know how to dig. Or vice-versa, you can have a crappy shovel, but be an expert digger. It all depends.

And for those that don't know how to dig, they have little fenced-off areas where you are guaranteed gold, and they give you tips and tricks on how to dig. But the catch is that the gold you find may not be as valuable as the ones you find naturally, because they may be pre-selected or leftovers, you never know.

I could go on and on (if i haven't already ;P)... but I'll stop here. I had fun with this one.

Bottom line is: have fun, enjoy the pieces of gold that you find along the way.

When digging, you never know where you want to keep digging or stake your claim... you just gotta feel it. But don't stake your claim too fast because often, the best treasure is found in the deep spots, you just have to keep digging. It's a tricky field out there... Dig carefully ;)

Some last tips/one-liners:
-Watch out for fools-gold.
-Don't go diggin for someone else's gold.
-One man's trash, is another man's treasure/gold.
-Don't catch gold fever, or you may just catch something else ;P

Little Victories

Sometimes, it's just about the little victories. Don't let anyone take that away from you. Appreciate what you can.... No matter how big or how small. Sometimes it's the little things that count.

Prioritize

Nobody likes to feel forgotten..Despite our busy schedules, take the time to remember the people we care about and make them feel like a priority, no matter how small or infrequent the gesture. It may just make their day ;)

Wicked Love

Okay... piggy-backing off my last two posts about life..this blog is about the AMAZING musical WICKED. I absolutely LOVE this play!

But before diving in, I would like to acknowledge the talented actors/singers. They really are amazing and bring life to the story in their own special way. When I saw it in San Francisco, (*cough* four times *cough*) Eden Espinosa played Elphaba, Nicolas Dromard played Fiyero, Kendra Kassebaum played Glinda "The Good", Dee Dee Magno Hall played Nessarose, and Madame Morrible and Dr. Dillamond (sorry, I forgot their names)... But that, to me, was the most perfect cast! From the tone, to the acting, to the looks, facial expressions, giggles, etc. San Francisco couldn't have asked for a more perfect cast. The whole cast just embodied their characters to a tee. And Eden Espinosa was truely amazing. She looked the part, acted the part, sounded the part. It was as if I was really watching the young witch from the Wizard of Oz. A part of me might be a little bias, but I YouTube'd a bunch of Eden Espinosa and Wicked videos, and all I can say is they are the best!

Okay, now on to the story... Wicked is the prequel to the Wizard of Oz.. It is how the witch became "Wicked", when really, she was never truely "Wicked", just misunderstood. It is a story of adversity, strength, overcoming obstacles, appreciating what is real and choosing the hard path instead of the easy one. In the story, Elphaba is the "Wicked Witch"/the green girl. She demonstrates all that and more...Compassion, Integrity, Humility, Strength, and Triumph.

One of the first questions asked in the play: "Are people born Wicked?.. Or is Wickedness thrust upon them?" This play makes you think. It opens your mind to why people are the way they are.

Elphaba was not wicked at all, but her greenness made other people look at her weird and was disliked by mostly everyone she encountered, including her own father. Despite her green skin, she was a strong, smart, and caring girl who looked after her sister. She had strong ideals and was not afraid to voice them, but still, she was an outcast. A tad bit angry.. but can you blame the poor girl?--For a lifetime of wanting to be heard, and not seen as someone of lesser value.

But the few that saw her heart knew what was real... and she was betrayed by those that "acted" as if they saw her heart. They made her feel special for that moment, and ended up using her for their own profit. At a cross roads when she had the chance to be glorified, she took the hard road... the right road. No matter if everyone told her she was doing wrong, no matter how wicked she looked to everyone else, she knew what was right in her heart and stuck with it.

And for those that did see her heart and did care for her, at one point or another, were not there... they had their own things to deal with... their own agendas.. But the one that really did love her, was Fiyero, who stuck with her and searched everywhere to find her.

But beyond that, she did it on her own. The fight was hers, and she got through it. To say that she won the fight is questionable, for she was still considered "Wicked". But if living your life with the one you love, and you're values still in tact... then I say, she has won :) And that's what "Wicked" does. It makes you appreciate love and the things you hold dear to your heart that aren't superficial, or petty, or prideful.

All that depth wrapped up in a fun and fanciful play makes it AMAZING. And it makes you think twice about why people are the way they are; helps you keep an open mind to every story...... Every person has their story ;)

I would like to end it there, but I love "Wicked" so much, that I'll end it with a quote from the play ;P

"I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason, bringing something we must learn, and we are led to those who help us most to grow, if we let them, and if we help them in return."

Strength

Strength is not measured by how few times you get hurt, but rather, where you stand after getting hurt so much.

Some people define strong as never getting hurt... But getting hurt is a part of life. And getting hurt a lot does not mean you are weak, but to me it means you are willing to go there...It means you care enough to get hurt. And to me, that is admirable.

And it is where you stand after all that pain, that shows how strong you truly are. If your faith remains, values stay intact, and your care for others remains... after all that hurt, it means you are STRONG.

...And that my friends, is INTEGRITY.

Country Music Love

Growing up in the bay area, California... you don't get too much exposure to country music. But once I started listening to it, I grew to LOVE it.

I've heard people say, "I love all types of music; classical to rock, and everything in between... except country." Country was like a dorky, embarrassing thing to like. But the more I hear it, the more I love and appreciate it... and here's why:

HEART... Country music has heart. It focuses more on the lyrics than the beat. When I listen to country music, it brings out emotion. It makes you say, "I know what that guy was feeling." Now, I'm not an expert on music -- just a fan. A fan of music, a fan of singing, a fan of emotion, and a fan of life. Country music is deep, it's real, it's honest, and it is good... it's intentions are good. It restores my faith that people are good.

I first started listening to the crossover music that they play on the radio. Ie. Shania Twain, Dixie Chicks, Carrie Underwood, etc. I bought their albums and loved em'. Then I started watching the country music videos on CMT because they were the only channel that really played music videos. MTV, VH1, and BET had stopped playing music videos (y'all know what I'm talking about). And from those country music videos I loved how the videos actually related to the songs, and how the songs actually related to people. I used to love listening to the 80s -90s jams I grew up on because it used to capture that... but then lately that style just disappeared. I got tired of listening to the current popular music, that I would just listen to old school jams all the time................ Then today's country music brought that authenticity back :)

Before country music, the types of music I listened to were Slow jams, 80's-90's, R&B, Pop, and Rap. And I noticed how I gravitated to two elements... lyrics and catchiness. Country music has both... and here's the thing... I love to think. I like to dig...deep; explore ideas. And there would be times where I would think too much and it would just make things complicated or turn negative. I learned I needed to simplify.. not by dumbing-down or thinking less.. but changing the direction, and changing the manner. Country music does that for me. It's SIMPLE yet DEEP... and it is GOOD. When I say GOOD, I mean positive.. appreciative..... It has substance.

There are so many songs I would like to reference to, but I will only pick one. Now, I don't know a ton of country songs; I still consider myself a new fan, so there may be greater songs out there to reference to. But this song to me shows the greatness, humility, simplicity, compassion, and integrity of what is great about life. And that song is "Chicken Fried" by Zac Brown Band. It goes deep, but is still overall a FUN song. My favorite line "There's no dollar sign on a piece of mind, this I've come to know."

And country music can do that... they can take something deep and turn it into something fun. At the same time, they can take something fun and turn it into something deep....Okay, I said I was only going to reference one song, but I lied ;P ...I just thought of a few good little examples, we'll stick to 3 this time:

- Make a drunken booty-call sound romantic: Lady Antebellum - "Need You Now"

- Make a fun and sentimental song about something simple like water: Brad Paisley - "Water"

- Make a song about something sad, like breaking-up, sound fun and happy: Jerrod Niemann - "Lover, Lover"

Of course, other genres can do the same thing, but maybe every once in a while... All these songs mentioned above, came out within the past two years! I'm thinking, if all this great music is coming out now, what more of all those years before. Imagine all of the other topics that were touched on.

I could go in depth and compare country to other types of music, but I won't. I like to keep the "haterade" down and just appreciate... and country music seems to do that for me, without being too righteous or deep that could make people feel alienated or think an opposing view is lesser. The great thing about, not just country, but music in general is that it can be fun, silly, stupid, deep, romantic, sad, and whatever it may be. What ties it all together is that people have fun with it, and can relate to it. And if it makes a difference in your life and the way you think, even better!

What do I want people to get out of this blog?... Maybe start an interest in country music. (Come-on, give it a chance ;)).... But more-so to get people thinking. Think about life and the things you value. The greatest things in life aren't things. Be thankful for the people in your life, the relationships you've had, and the experiences you've made. That's what makes memories. Everything else is replaceable. Remember what's important. That's what country music does for me ;)


Til' next time.

I'm back babydolls!

Wow, it's been over 2 years since my last blog post!... And I've only posted twice! lol...I think at the time I started it, I was really just experimenting with having my own site, putting adds up, and seeing how the whole thing works....then I got side tracked... and well, you know... life happens.

But now, I am back... opinionated and have this weird urge to blog! The popularity of the facebook updates, made me want to start this back up... because I would do the status updates and realize: "I have so much more to say"....so I'll say it here :)

I have written a couple of blogs in the past, that I shared with family and friends. I'll try to dig those out... I kept a journal recently and thought I wrote some pretty darn good thoughts... but what sucks is that my computer broke, and I never backed up my journal file :( But I'll try to dig those out from memory.

I'm not sure what I'm going to write about next, and not sure where I'm going to take this... but that's what's fun about a blog-- it's random, and can go anywhere! ;)

Til' next time!

(I just realized, I sounded like Levar Burton's "I'll see you next time!" -Gotta love Reading Rainbow <3)