Adele was a normal little girl with a normal Mom and Dad. They taught her kindness and love, peace and charity. They took her to church every Sunday and let her listen to the stories of Jesus. At eight years old she only vaguely knew what these things meant. She brushed her teeth like her Mom told her to, and usually shared her toys with her twin brothers. She cried if she skinned her knees, and she laughed at the funny voices her Daddy could make.
The only thing that set little Adele apart from other kids her age was what she did every day during play time. Adele never played puppets or built block towers with the other children in her 3rd grade class during her play time. Adele always ventured away from the other children to a quiet corner where she'd sit talking to someone. Her chatter was unceasing and her demeanor was that of pure joy. Miss Washington, her teacher, noticed this odd habitat and at first she attributed it to an imaginary friend. Every child has an imaginary friend at some point during their childhood. When months passed and this behavior persisted Miss Washington became worried.
Adele's parents were called in to talk with Miss Washington and they too were concerned. Mostly, because Adele never did this at home. Why wasn't she fitting in with the other kids? That just had to be it. Why else wouldn't she play with them? Miss Washington suggested that they get Adele involved in outside activities and they obliged. And so began Adele's soccer playing days.
Adele played for the Grasshoppers and she loved being the goalie. She made friends and had sleepovers with the latest Miley Cyrus video and homemade brownies, but her strange behavior at school continued. It followed her into the fourth grade. Adele's parents never asked her about it because they had hopes of it just disappearing. Finally, they seemed to realize that Adele was not going through a phase and that it was time to talk to her about removing herself from the other children during playtime.
Adele's Mom and Dad sat her down in their cozy living room one day after soccer practice. She was beyond a chatter box, giving them every detail of the day's practice. When they finally got her quiet they asked her why she never played during play time. Adele's answer was far from what either of them expected. She told her parents that she was doing what her Sunday school teacher told her to do. Adele's parents were confused, but Adele went on to explain that in Sunday school almost a year ago she learned that she should spend time with God every day just like she spends time with her friends. This prompted Adele to take her play time to sit and talk with God. She told her parents that he knew everything about her like her favorite color and what books she liked and which swing took her the highest on the playground.
Little Adele did not have a problem instead she had a friend that no one could see but she could feel him in her heart and that's what mattered the most.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Dare to Know Your Footprint
The daily buzz always seems to be about the weather and the environment. One day it's 75 outside and the next you're pulling your heavy coat and gloves back out of the closet. What's all this about? Well of course it's global warming. Now I realize that there are people out there who just don't believe in this complete breakdown of the climate, but really, let's face the facts. Whether you believe it or not any average Joe with a thermometer knows that the weather has been in a spiral for quite awhile.
We all know that there are only a handful of scientists and environmentalist out that, but the masses can help with this problem, too. Everyday we all leave behind our footprints. Some are physical and others are emotional. Your footprints can be found on beaches in the warm sand and on the hearts of your friends and loved ones, but they can also be found etched deeply into the environment around you. These footprints are your carbon footprints, and it's essential for each and every one of us to minimize that footprint because unlike those warm imprints we leave on the hearts of others, this footprint is burned into the world leaving a mark that cannot be erased.
The definition of a carbon footprint is something along the lines of the amount of carbon emission released by one person. These emissions are the ultimate cause of global warming and with a few simple steps anyone can reduce their so called footprint. One of the easiest ways to reduce this footprint is to cut back on the amount of meat you eat. Now by no means I am telling anybody to go out and become a vegetarian, but every now and then order a veggie dish at a restaurant where you frequently go. You've most likely tried all the dishes they serve expect the ones in the veggie section so branch out and save the environment while you're at it.
So you may not like the vegetarian kick, but no fear there are many other things you can do to reduce, reuse, and recycle ( Haha, Just needed to add that slogan in somewhere). Make sure you turn the lights off when you leave a room. Try to unplug your appliances when you're not using them. Not only will these simple steps leave you with a less noticeable footprint, but your electric bill should start to decrease, and everybody likes to save money unless you're Lindsay Lohan.
I'm probably going to sound like an environmental freak, but in all seriousness we need to take care of what we have. It's like a new car. You clean it and polish the outside. You put the right oil and gas in it and have it checked regularly at the local mechanic. Just do the same thing with the Earth. It's everybody's dream car with the ultimate amount of space! Cherish it.
We all know that there are only a handful of scientists and environmentalist out that, but the masses can help with this problem, too. Everyday we all leave behind our footprints. Some are physical and others are emotional. Your footprints can be found on beaches in the warm sand and on the hearts of your friends and loved ones, but they can also be found etched deeply into the environment around you. These footprints are your carbon footprints, and it's essential for each and every one of us to minimize that footprint because unlike those warm imprints we leave on the hearts of others, this footprint is burned into the world leaving a mark that cannot be erased.
The definition of a carbon footprint is something along the lines of the amount of carbon emission released by one person. These emissions are the ultimate cause of global warming and with a few simple steps anyone can reduce their so called footprint. One of the easiest ways to reduce this footprint is to cut back on the amount of meat you eat. Now by no means I am telling anybody to go out and become a vegetarian, but every now and then order a veggie dish at a restaurant where you frequently go. You've most likely tried all the dishes they serve expect the ones in the veggie section so branch out and save the environment while you're at it.
So you may not like the vegetarian kick, but no fear there are many other things you can do to reduce, reuse, and recycle ( Haha, Just needed to add that slogan in somewhere). Make sure you turn the lights off when you leave a room. Try to unplug your appliances when you're not using them. Not only will these simple steps leave you with a less noticeable footprint, but your electric bill should start to decrease, and everybody likes to save money unless you're Lindsay Lohan.
I'm probably going to sound like an environmental freak, but in all seriousness we need to take care of what we have. It's like a new car. You clean it and polish the outside. You put the right oil and gas in it and have it checked regularly at the local mechanic. Just do the same thing with the Earth. It's everybody's dream car with the ultimate amount of space! Cherish it.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Dare to Know the Simple Life
So when I was eight years old a new Burger King opened up in my town and this was big news for all of us, and of course I had to have my birthday party there. I mean really who wouldn't wanna have their birthday party in a massive ball pit where you could easily loose anything you may have had in your pocket. This year I was so excited because I was turning nine and nine is one year before to big one zero. Hello double digits!
Now the only downfall to this whole wonderful birthday party deal was that my dad, my hero, the only man in my life at the time was out of town on business and wouldn't be able to make it or so I was told. Well I'm not going to lie. I wanted my Dad to be there but I was about to be nine years old and there were presents. You could say that I got over my heartbreak very quickly.
And then my Dad surprised us all like he always does and showed up right at the end of the party. I was opening a gift from my favorite auntie that happened to be a massive bag of pre popped popcorn when in walks my dad. We have this picture of me in his arms that day and that's the best way to explain how happy I was. Now here's where the story gets better. He didn't just bring himself, he definitely had a present. He pulled out a zip lock baggy and gave it to me. When I dumped the contents out I saw that I have several dollar bills folded into all kinds of different things. I had one shaped like a turkey, a frog, a t-shirt, a necktie, and several other odds and ends.
I'm twenty years old and every year on my birthday I pull those little origami pieces out that my Dad gave me and cherish each one. I'm not sure why they are so important to me. Maybe it's because I never received a gift so simple but so full of love before. I doubt my Dad has the faintest idea of how special they are to me or even that I still have them. They remind me every time I pull them out how something simple can mean the world to someone. I always want to have those simple things in my life because those are the things that matter the most in the end. Your $1,000 macbook won't last a lifetime, neither will your nice car or that hair style you paid $200 for. What will last a lifetime? The simple things that you tuck away into the back of the closet and forget for weeks, months, even years, but the key is when you pull them out again you'll always have a rush of memories that matter more than anything.
Now the only downfall to this whole wonderful birthday party deal was that my dad, my hero, the only man in my life at the time was out of town on business and wouldn't be able to make it or so I was told. Well I'm not going to lie. I wanted my Dad to be there but I was about to be nine years old and there were presents. You could say that I got over my heartbreak very quickly.
And then my Dad surprised us all like he always does and showed up right at the end of the party. I was opening a gift from my favorite auntie that happened to be a massive bag of pre popped popcorn when in walks my dad. We have this picture of me in his arms that day and that's the best way to explain how happy I was. Now here's where the story gets better. He didn't just bring himself, he definitely had a present. He pulled out a zip lock baggy and gave it to me. When I dumped the contents out I saw that I have several dollar bills folded into all kinds of different things. I had one shaped like a turkey, a frog, a t-shirt, a necktie, and several other odds and ends.
I'm twenty years old and every year on my birthday I pull those little origami pieces out that my Dad gave me and cherish each one. I'm not sure why they are so important to me. Maybe it's because I never received a gift so simple but so full of love before. I doubt my Dad has the faintest idea of how special they are to me or even that I still have them. They remind me every time I pull them out how something simple can mean the world to someone. I always want to have those simple things in my life because those are the things that matter the most in the end. Your $1,000 macbook won't last a lifetime, neither will your nice car or that hair style you paid $200 for. What will last a lifetime? The simple things that you tuck away into the back of the closet and forget for weeks, months, even years, but the key is when you pull them out again you'll always have a rush of memories that matter more than anything.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Ha, Dare to Know Me
Introductions are always the worst part of writing. I always start in the middle, but I tend to jump right into things completely skipping the normal introduction. So if there is somebody who cares to read this you should probably know some things about me. I am NOT a jersey shore character. Unfortunately, none of my relatives are famous, although if any celebrities excluding Paris Hilton and Tom Cruise want to claim me then that is perfectly fine by me. I will not be recounting wild nights of passion or mornings spent hung over a dorm room toilet. I can't tell you anything about having a pretend job fabricated by MTV producers. I am not a beauty queen, but I am not morbidly obese. Hoarding animals or worthless junk will never be my forte. I have only mild addictions to crazy things like string cheese and the TV show Criminal Minds, no heroin or crack. My ass will never look like Kim K's and I'm past the point of becoming a teen mom. I'm a real live person. Not a reality show star or a celebrity. Sometimes I think we all forget what real people are like with all the scripted reality shows on TV. Especially real live young adults. I'm a college student. I'll probably make a lot of jokes about a lot of people but that doesn't mean I hate them or anything harsh. Everybody needs a good laugh. I actually watch the news and care. Although, if I ran my own news broadcasting station I would definitely only report the good things that happen in the world because we have plenty of stations that cover the bad. Seriously, the weather would always be 72 according to my weather guy. I enjoy knowing what other people think, but I rarely let that affect my own opinion. Sillyness is my number one hobby. It's fun and growing up is not that fun so I have to have that balance. I really haven't got a clue about what I'm going to write on a daily basis but I'm sure it will come to me.
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