Yoda Out

Let me ask you this question, when I say the words American idol who or what immediately comes to your mind? For if you have been living under a rock for the past 4 tears, American Idol has been and still is a proverbial monsterous phenomenon that every person anticipates to watch or audition for. Without a doubt, it makes stars out people who have the potential to become a great recording artist; but it also makes starsout of those that have horrible voices. Voices that would make your ears bleed and yet, we keep watching /listening because quite frankly we love a good train wreack, which has given us memorable people such as Leroy Wells and "Mr. She Bangs" himself William Hung.

So what makes American Idol such a popular show that it can litarlly bring families together or divide them apart, in a good way of course. For most people its the judges and its one judge in particular that we've all grown to like or at least tolerate and that than person is Simon Cowell. He's a man that has made critiquing/insulting people have little or no singing ability an absolute artform. Whether you agree or disagree with what he says, you have to admit he has the cahones to say it to your face and not get beat up for it. As egomaniacal as he is, the show wouldn't be the same without him or Randy "The Dawg" Jackson and Paula "Clap Happy" Abdul judging right along side him.

Most definitely, the contestants themselves unite complete strangers and form fan clubs for talents such as Kelly Clarkson, Tamyra Gray, Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken, George Huff, LaToya London, and for this season its Carrie Underwood and Bo Bice. If you think about it, every season there is that one guy or girl who stands out among the rest and we root for him or her until the end, which can oftentimes can label a person a fanatic or die hard fan. For me personally, I wasn't instantly hooked when the first season started and yes, I freely admit as a guy I watch American Idol. It wasn't until the second season that two people caught my attention, who were considered "average joes" and they were Ruben and Clay. Since then, I'm an avid watcher and every now and then vote for my favorites.

As many of you may or may not know, Carrie Underwood won the title of American Idol over Bo Bice. In my own mind, I wanted a guy to win to bring some continuity of a guy/girl winner. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be and despit the fact that Bo didn't win the title of American Idol he did the admiration of people all across the world. Inevitably, this year's competition has been deemed a Ruben Vs. Clay matchup, which everybody wanted. Like Clay, Carrie was never in the bottem 3 and gave strong performances throughout the entire season. Though Clay did not win, which is still debated to this day, he won in the long run. For Carrie, as well as for Bo, they both will have successful and bright futures ahead of them.

Ultimately, what makes American Idol such the juggernaut is due the support of the fans not just in the United States, but also around the world. Think about it, each and every person are part of something special when they vote for someone to be the new American Idol. In a sense, the heart of show are the cheering fans that scream and holler for their favorite contestants, which keeps the show beating every year despite the controversies. When or if, the the heartbeat starts to fade, that is when American Idol should ride off into the sunset, so to speak; but I don't see that coming any time soon. Well, until next season this has been another semi-daily Yodaism and in the end, all there is left to say is....Yoda Out!

Resistance Is Futile

Nicholas Follansbee once said, ~Collecting, like most other human activities has both very positive and, potentially, negative aspects. The latter may include obsession or over-involvement that leads to financial hardship or the neglect of responsibilities and loved ones. Many of us prefer to keep those who are nearest and dearest in the dark about the extent of our spending. And sometimes-friendly competition for treasures can turn not so friendly. I think we all sometimes feel deep down like our hobby is a guilty pleasure, and we may sometimes wonder at the madness of spending small (or maybe not so small) fortunes on pieces of colored paper or hunks of hardened mud.~ Let me ask you this question, do you collect certain kinds of things and if so, what are they?

Baseball cards are considered a piece of Americana that will always and forever be a part of every young child's life. Essentially, collecting baseball cards is generally done by guys and to be perfectly honest girls, mainly moms, thinks it's simply a waste of time and money. Anways, for some its a hobby that one will eventually grow out of, like myself, whose cards are now collecting dust under my bed and on top of my closet shelf. Yet, for other people collecting these seemingly worthless cards can oftentimes pay big dividends as he or she finds or buys one that can be considered a lucritive investment, which will be most definitely be protected to keep it in its perfect condition.

You wouldn't think collecting toys would be considered a hobby, but it is and many collectable toy shops make a living buying and selling certain kinds of toys whether their borken or not. Classic toys such as Barbie, Star Wars, Care Bears, He-Man, Dukes of Hazard, and Gobots are just some of the valuable merchandise that certain people would give their right arm for, in a manner of speaking. Let me tell you something, if I knew now what I didn't know back then the toys that I grew up playing with, such as transformers, G.I. Joe, and M.A.S.K, would stay in better condition and not thrown against the wall, stepped on, buried in dirt, or given away when a person outgrows them.

When it comes to foot apparel women, as well as some guys, buy shoes to either show off to other people or to match the clothes that he or she is wearing or is going to wear. It can be a truly amazing sight indeed to see the average woman's shoe collection and then compare that to the collection of a sports figure, hollywood celebrity, and singers. Singers such as Mariah Carey, who has a room full of shoes that have their own shelf and I know this by watching MTV cribs. From a guy's point of view, we only need three pairs of reliable shoes that will sustain us throughout our own lifetime and they are a good pair of sneakers, durable yet comfortable work shoes, and dress shoes.

Personally speaking, I am person who collects two things which are hats and Yoda merchandise. The particular hats that I like to purchase are ballcaps and those fisherman type hats that have cool designs in the front or all around. With the Yoda merchandise, I basically started collecting them off and on over the years and as of right now the collection stands at 22, which will keep growing. Oh, if any of you guys out there come across some Yoda stuff would you be able to hook a brotha up? In retrospect, whether a person collects stamps, coins, cars, shot glasses from all fifty states, etc. a person won't be able to resist buying that particular item to add to one's own collection and a famous line from tv/movies says it best...resistance is futile."

You're Hired

Donald Trump said, ~Experience taught me a few things. One is to listen to you gut, no matter how good something sounds on paper. The second is that you generally better off with sticking with what you know. And the thri is that sometimes your best investments are the one's you don't make.~ In some aspect, whether its guys or girls, potential relationships are complicated to get off the ground, in a manner of speaking. One has to listen to your own instincts to figure out if that person meets the standards that you have set forth. In a funny and interesting kind of way, its like potential relationships are like going through a job interview somewhat compared to the popular show The Apprentice; but one doesn't receive a job at the end, on the contrary he or she receives that person's heart, which is the best prize one can ever be given.

If you think abou it each of us start out with anonymite as, in some as aspect, hide in the shadows and wait for the right tome to reveal ourselves. Its sort of like the dark side of the force finally overwhelming the Jedi in episode 3, which was an awesome movie and it answered many questions that star wars fans wanted to know; but I digress. In any case, a person steps out of the proverbial crowd and stands front and center hoping that particular person who has the so called power, either accepts you or denies you. Let me ask you this question, when you finally decided to step out of crowd and revealed yourself to that particular person was his or her reaction happiness, shock, or utter disappointment?

More often than not, what ever potenial "employer" looks at are our own individual resumes which determines if you fit some, most, or all of the qualifications that he or she is looking for. For women, there is an endless list of qualifications that they look for in a guy; but for guys, that list of qualifications can be counted on one hand, maybe two. Yet, when it comes to a potential relationship, there is an absolute unknown as to who that person will choose in the end because quite frankly the time spent proving and/or explaining why one should be accepted to the position that will hopfully have you side by side with him or her. Oftentimes it can work for you and unfortunately it also can work against you as well.

Without a doubt, a person can be considered "overqualified" for the position and that type of person I am speaking of is the supposed nice guy and/or nice girl. Its truly amazing when a seemingly qualified "applicant" gets turned down only to have a less qualified person be chosen, which can be a frustrating situation indeed. What's most undoubtedly frustratiing is that even though he or she has initially turned you down that person wants you at one's side, not in a personal way; but rather a "just friends" way. For its that all too familiar secondary position that guys, as well as girls, end up filling and to be perfectly honest nobody wants to ever be put in it; but one humbly accepts the job and does his or her duties as if one were chosen by him or her.

In retrospect, you never really know who lies on their resume in order to get their proverbial foot in the door so to speak. Ultimately, its better to be honest from the beginning than to continually cover up lies and certain indescretions that will be eventually found it. for its just a matter of time. Essentially, its that arrogance or overconfidence which can bite a person in the butt and inevitably that person will hear the words that were made famous by Donald Trump with hand gesture included...You're Fired! In the end, whether it takes several interviews or just one interview, when you finally meet the perfect candidate for the job you can say this with an absolute smile on your face...You're Hired!

I Dare You

In some aspect, life can be compared to a playground, which was funnest part of being in school or for just recreational purposes. Personally speaking, I liked art class because the teachers were usually a little out there, but I digress. Whether or not one remembers your childhood, the playground can represent certain areas of life that each one of us tend to go through on a seemingly day to day basis. Think back to a time when you had no worries and all problems were simply left behind like articles of clothing or books at a school's lost and found. Let me ask you this question, what area of the playground did you like playing on and what area of life does it represent for you?

The merry-go-round, the bucking bronco for younger kids, somewhat represents our competitve spirit, depending if you have one or not. Each and every one of us grab hold or try to grab the handle bards of possible success as life itself spins us around as fast it can. Undoubtedly, there will be times where someone will try push, knock, or kick you off; but as long as you have that fighting spirit to hang on, then success will hopefully be in your grasp. Unfortunately, its every kids for himself or herself as one holds on for dear life trying to keep his or her hold onthe proverbial prize at the end, which is being the number one guy or girl left standing and/or sitting.

If you think about it, the monkey bars represent life in general as you swing from one rung to the next, not knowing what will happen next. Oftentimes, while swinging one decides to do something out of the ordinary such as hang upside down, which we all have done when we were kids. Its when we're looking at the world from a different vantage point that the best memories, as well as, experiences are made or shared either by yourself, with friends, family, or your significant other. Yet, its also on those rungs of life that a person can just hang there and completely decide to let go because life is just too difficult and/or unbearable to live through. For its a sad situation indeed when someone give up swinging to early and doesn't fight tooth and nail to get a better grip when or he she feels that one is slipping off.

Without question, the swings represent the one thing that each of us would swing high for and that is love. Initially, it takes a person to have momentum to get the desired height one wants, which is high as possible. In some ways, each of us are swinging to someone that is out of reach and hopefully with an added push by friends or family one will get to his or her intended destination. Without a doubt, jumping off the swings is considered mandatory. even though you may end up falling flat on your face, which happened to me last week. Unquestionably, that is how love is as a person risks inury to one's self to try to jump into the arms of that one person who may or may not catch you.

In retrospect, you are never really to young or too old to play on certain playground equipment, unless its the teeter totter because you'll feel not only awkward, you'll feel like a complete dork. In any case, when it comes to the playground of life do you see it with fresh eyes or have you become so jaded that it doesn't have that fun factor that it used to back in the day. Inevitbaly, we all grow up, but that doesn't mean we don't outgrow having fun once in a while. Ultimately, I am challenging you to have fun by going to a playground near you, to have fun, plus bring friends and family with you. In the end, I dare you...no I double dare you...actually scratch that I double dog dare you not to have fun because trust me on this, it will bring back great memories, as well as, create new ones for you.

As Days Go By

Erna Bornbeck once said, ~One thing they never tell about child raising is that for the reswt of your life, at a drop of a hat, you are expected to know your child's name and how he or she is.~ As a youth development specialist, which is better than saying counselor or recreational aide, you're always going to be remembered by the kids as an influential part of their lives even though you may forget who they are at times, especially former aslyum kids. It can be a truly embaressing situation when former asylum kids see you or walk up to you and say do you remember me? Let me tell you something, being put on the spot to try to remember one child out of hundreds can put any person in a toughs spot.

Working with kids for an extended period of time can really affect your mental status and attitude, which can rub off on the kids in the asylum. We've all had our bad days, we've all had our good days, and there are those particular days that are somewhere in between. Initially one's semminly good day can either turn weird or bad because quite frankly, working in the asylum as long as I have, you begin to have somewhat of a sixth sense as to what might be on the horizon, in a manner of speaking. Several factors can play into it such as the weather, how may employees have or haven't shown up for work, and with a doubt waking up on the wrong side of the bed.

Undoubtedly there are days where you just feel like crap and coming to work can oftentimes raise one's "I've had it up to here level" to the breaking point. To be perfectly honest, I am a pacifist, which basically means that I'm a laid back dude; but if my buttons are pushed the wrong way expect to see another side of me noone has ever seen before. However, you have to admit when kids see or feel that something is wrong they will help you in some way, shape, or form. Perfect example, last year I had somewhat of a breakdown due to stress and the kids were so concerned that they hugged me, as well as, sat down to talk with me. I will forever be in debt for those specific kids who got me through that particular tough day for me.

Anyways, for the most part one can have a handle on the kids you know or are getting to know while on the job. Yet, its the kids that I don't know that for some reason I attract when I'm out and about. Let me ask you this question, have you ever felt like you were being watched or stared at? Whether I'm in line at Wal-Mart or just going out to eat kids come up to me, who I don't even know stare at me and usually its kids that are under the age of 5. So I do the most logical thing I can think of and that is smile, make faces, and hoping they smile rather than cry. For it can be a truly awkward moment to explain to a parent why I am made their child cry and have it all end up on me getting arrested, which hasn't happened yet. *knock on wood*

Last Friday, a birthday luncheon was held at Barnhills buffett, which is a home away from home for the asylum staff. At that birthday luncheon, a parent whose kids used to go to the asylum showed up, which was a nice suprise for all of us. After everybody ate, the traditional speeches were made to the birthday girl, who I considered my mentor for training me for the past 8 years. When it reached that particular parent, he said something that truly stuck in our minds and touched us to no end. He said the reason his kids are so well behaved and turned out so good was due to our inlfuence on them. In retrospect, as days go by many things have been said to us by kid's parents, whether it was good or bad, what was said by that particular parent made each of us proud to do what we love to do....most of the time.

Defy The Impossible

Someone once said, ~Love is a strong wind, easy to spell, difficult to define, impossible to live without.~ Oftentimes a person completely shuts love out of his or her life due the fact, that in one's own mind, its impossible to find or have it show up on one's doorstep, so to speak. Yet, no matter how many times one faces sorrow and/or utter disappointment, we continually put ourselves, as well as, our heart out there. Although the human heart is considered the most fragile part of the human body, in a emotional sense, it can most definitely withstand a lot of punishment. Essentially, there are so many impossibilities concerning love that it can make a person throw in the towel and remain single for the rest of his or her life.

For its impossible to verbally describe how a person feels for another because the words that you want to say come out all wrong and you wind up sounding and looking like a complete dork. For there is so much going on inside one's head that its hard to really focus on one thought which can cause a person to say things that he or she may regret or feel absolutely embarrassed about. We've all been in a situation whether alone with someone one is interested in or hanging with friends, we can be intensely focused trying to figure out what to say to that particular person. For its when a question is directed towards us by him or her, comedy will ensue as one will say the first thing that pops into his or her mind, which is usually something totally off the wall.

If you think about it, its impossible to love someone without first having love for yourself. Let me ask you this question, are you somewhat self-conscious about your appearance that it affects your self-esteem? Women, more so than guys, are caught in the appearance aspect of potential relationships, which unfortunately is caused by guys who soley base relationships on the superficial. Subsequently, it can cause women to wrap themselves in a metaphorical cocoon. In turn, if a guy, who is absolutely genuine tells her, she is absolutely beautiful she'll refuse to believe it. One life/love lesson is that if you like who you are and don't feel the need to change then that person will love you just the way you are.

You know, its most definitely impossible to trust your feelings for someone you have only met once and have only known for a short period of time; but one's heart skips a beat whenever you think of him or her. One can say its simply a phase that he or she is going through, an initial crush which will wear off as time passes on; but it doesn't. For the question can be asked do you trust your own feelings enough to tell that person how you feel and run the risk of being rejected, which is not a good feeling for anyone to go through; or do you hold back knowing that the chance to tell that person may never come again. Its a tough decision indeed as their is an inner struggle going between what one is thinking and what one is feeling.

In retrospect, when it comes to potential relationships, its impossible to know how that person may or may not react. For it one's of those unknowns that a person will never be prepared for as the decision rests in his or her hands. Initially, there are so many impossibilities that are associated with love, there is one absolute possibility a person can rely on and that is the love you have for a person will never fade even though he or she may never love you back. Ultimately, when it comes to love, falling love, or figuring out the love you have for a person, you just have to defy the impossible and a song that best reflects this sentiment is The Look by Ryan Tedder.

The Perfect Wave

Someone once said, ~I have seen and felt all sides of it. I've been on the top of it and had the best feeling of my life. Been thrown down by it and been crushed on the bottom. Love is like the ocean. No matter what you do, the waves keep coming in. You can ride them, enjoy them, duck under them, go over them..their big or small..sometimes one right after another..sometimes you have to wait for a good one. If you dont keep your eyes open and your lungs full of air then any one of those waves will crush you..just like in love. Its not up to you whether you sink or swim. It depends on the wave. But all I can say is..never get out of the water...you might drown but its better than never gettin wet at all.~

Let me ask you this question, what is the one activity you love to do at the beach that thrills you to no end and can give you an adrenaline rush? If you hopefully answered surfing, you are absolutely right. For if you really think about it, surfing and love can parallel each other. Stay with me on this because the more I thought about it, the more it made sense to me and it will surely make sense to you...I hope. Essentially, the thrill of surfing and love coincide as you feel so excited to embrace, both metaphorically and literally, something that makes you feel good inside. Its that feeling every person has felt, as well as, experienced and we absolutely never want it to go away.

As it has been previously said, love is like the ocean and each of us are like surfers surfing the unpredictable waves that will keep a person guessing as to who, when, and where the waves will lead you. Without a doubt, we've all metaphorically stood and gazed at the majestic beauty that is the clear blue ocean. An ocean that has swallowed and spit out surfers that have tried to surfer those waves, but end up continually wiping out. For its within the ocean of love that even though relationships have been badly broken apart, kept people apart for reasons known and unknown; but it most definitely has brought two people together to where they both surfed off into the sunset hand in hand.

If you think about it, whether its a person's 1st time or 101st time, he or she will get swept into the unpredictable waves which will cause a person to be utterly confused as one tries not to freak out. Its a scary situation indeed when you have no idea where you are at first, and when one thinks your swimming towards the surface your actually swimming to the bottom. Let me tell you something, nobody is ever prepared for that feeling of drowning when you might not know if one will get his or her head above water to get some much need air. Undeniably, that's alot like love or falling in love because someone will come along that completely knock you off your surfboard and all you want to do when you resurface is find out who that person was.

Baroness Orczy said, ~It is only when we are very happy that we can bear to gaze merrily upon the vast and limitless expanse of water, rolling on and on with such persistent, irritating monotony, to the accompaniment of our thoughts, whether grave or gay. When they are gay, the waves echo their gaiety; but when they are sad, then every breaker, as it rolls, seems to bring additional sadness, and to speak to us of hopelessness and of the pettiness of all our joys.~ In retrospect, as "surfers" each of us are waiting for that one wave which represents that guy or girl to take us somewhere new. In the end, the question can be asked are you still waiting for the perfect wave or have you already found him or her?

Heart Of The Matter

John Dewey once said, ~Every closure is an awakening, and every awakening settles something.~ We all can agree that breaking up with someone is never really easy and undeniably the heardest its thing a person can do or try do. Essentially, the feelings that you, as well as, that particular person shared for each other were strong, however, feelings fade at some point; but not entirely. For a piece of you still feels for that person and yet one wants to move on with his or her life without deliberately hurting that person causing him or her bitterness and.or utter resentment. Subsequently, one must go about in an entirely mature manner rather than an immature manner, which brings not only closure for you; but closure for that person as well, if any.

Let me ask you this question, how many of you have gone through a a really bad break up where it left you with unanswered questions and a feeling that certain areas of the relationships were'nt handled properly by either you or that guy or girl? Unquestionably, the blame game can come into play; but blaming each other for the faults and mistakes basically solves nothing in a relationship that was once based on trust and dependability. Its within that proverbial he said/she said conference style atmostphere that hurtful words may or may not be said, which is never a good thing when trying to end a relationship on preferably good terms with that person who you have spent considerable amount of time with.

Without a doubt, there is only one way to break up with a person which is face to face and if done cleanly it will not come back to haunt you in a future relationship. Oftentimes, a person makes the mistake of breaking up with someone through email, a Dear John/Jane letter, though a friend, and more often that not through a phone call, which is unfair either for you or that person because one is absolutely thrown off guard. In my opinion, doing it face to face shows that you were willing to sit down and explain why the relationship didn't work hopefully in a calm, rational, and civilized manner. In other words, an amicable split on both sides where each still remain friends as you and that person emotionally go your separate ways.

If you think about it, closure doesn't always necessarily have to deal with an ending of a relationship, but rather the beginning of one where a person has to make things right with himself or herself than with someone else. We've all known someone or are that person who finds excuses and/or reasons to break up with someone which leads people to believe that you are either indecisive about you want to be with or you just don't want to get too close to anyone emotionally. For is he or she does get too close, one instigates a break up; but what a person ends up doing is hurting himself or herself because you never really find out if he or she was truly the one who is worth going the distance for.

Tigress Luv said, ~When we live resentment towards another our hearts close down. Letting go of our resentment frees us from placing blame on them and allows us to look towards oursevles for peace.~ In retrospect, its all about forgiveness even if that person doesn't want to forgive you or be forgiven, at least one knows you can live without that person. Ultimately, in order to move foward with a present relationship a person must first make things right with a past relationship, which can be a tough task indeed. In the end, once you get to the heart of the matter with that person and lay it all on the table, one won't feel things are unfinished or have any regrets whatsoever as you move into a new relationship.

The Next Best Thing

Charlotte Davis Kasl once said, ~Whether or not you have children yourself, you are a parent to the next generation. If we can stop thinking of children as individual property and think of them as the next generation, then we can realize we all have a role to play.~ One the greatest responsibilities in life for a person is the rearing, well-being, and safety of a child or children. Whether its your own or someone elses, people will undeniably take stock in one's own social interaction, temperment, and disciplinary action which gives people a preconceived perception of the type of parent you are or potential parent you might become one day. Let me ask you those that don't have kids yet, do you think you would make a great mother or father?

In some apsect, depending on one's own upbringing, each of us want to someday be the parent who wants to be either close or at least the same level of one's own parents. Yet, one can never match the skills one's own parents attained; you just have to live and learn like they did with their own parents who, like us, made them crazy, anfry, and frustrated to the point they too pulled out their own hair. If you think about it, anybody can have kids; but it takes two special people to be a mother and a father. For its those qualities that aren't really revealed at first but as time moves on friends, family, and possibly co-workers will see the hidden potential slowly rise to the surface.

In any case, we've all hear or seen stories of deadbeat dads, as well as, moms that don't care about their family, For its a sad situation indeed when a father and a mother walks away from one's family and refuses to take responsibility for the life or lives he or she has helped bring into the world. Much can be said for a person who is a single father or mother as the added pressure of providing for them as he or she is also trying to spend as much time with them as possible. One can give thanks to him or her for with what one had and hopefully you grew up to be well adjusted kid(s). Essentially, the question can be asked are you a part of a single parent household or did you have both parents firmly in your corner?

Ultimately, if you take a step back and looks at what one's parents have done for us over the years which shows how they truly love us. Despite the punishments, which were either deserved or undeserved, it helped us become the well adjusted, respectful, polite, and well mannered adults we are today. Now a days, you can't even punish your kids in public. For its truly amazing to witness when a child, not a parent, is in control of the situation at hand and all she does is let him, her, or them express themselves. Let me tell you something, I had everything thrown at me except the kitchen sink whenever I acted up and to be perfectly honest, I'm glad they did it when I was young age because it knocked some sense into me.

In a past yodaism, I said I believed I have the potential to be a father and I still stand by that statement. Yet, to become a father would mean I have to get married first, which I hope to one day, but in the mean time I'm at least a father figure to "my kids" in the asylum where I work at, but I digress. Over the past couple of months, I've been bonding with a friend of mine's baby son. The parents, over those couple of months, apprently saw how that bond grow and last Sunday, I was given a possible offer that I couldn't refuse. Undoudbtedly, its an honor and privilege just to be asked and this past Sunday I was officially made Godfather and even though I may or may not be a father one day, being Godfather is the next best thing.

One Of A kind

Washington Irving once said, ~A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.~ One of the greatest joys in life, next to being a father is being a mother. A mother's love will always be shown even when her child or children are all grown up and have kids of their own. Let me ask you this question, what do the three individual letters in M-O-M mean to you on this special day? For me personally, they mean this:

M - is for Multitasking: Being a mom means juggling several things and situations at one time. Its truly amazing the drive and focus that mothers have when things tend to turn chaotic and she is pulled in so be several different types of people. Essentially, she has a plethora of qualifications that make her the proverbial jack of all trades in a manner of speaking. Qualifications such as medical technician when you get hurt; police officer when you are not telling the whole story, superhero when you are in trouble she always seems to know when to call or arrive to save the day, and much more. In some aspect, moms embody parts of skilled professions that pay a substantial amount of money, except for superheroes; but when you're a mom, you do the job for free and the love you get back is payment enough.

O - is for Organized: ~A place for everything and everything in its place~ is a motto that all moms, in my opinion, live by. Each of us has a mom that always wants things in order and its a distinguishable quality that all mothers share. It's basically an inherited gene that is passed down from mother to daughter; but also could be passed down from mother to son as well. Moms undeniably hate an unorganized room, especially if it's a child's room. For it looks like a grenade was thrown in there and she has witnessed the aftermath of its handywork. Whether its merely putting clothes in one's closet and/or drawer for keeping one's room clean a mother just wants order in a room that is oftentimes considered a pig stye.

M - is for Muse: Without a doubt, all moms are a source of inspiration in their child's life as she uses her infinite wisdom to teach us what's morally right and wrong. In all aspects of life, there will be situations in life where someone will say to you what would your own mother think of you doing this? If you think about it, moms have this innate ability to be a guiding spirit even when they are not physically with us. We've all felt that feeling of trying to make the best decisions one possibly can and its those decisions that would make not only your father proud, but most all would make your mom proud. In a way, it's like she's the voice of our inner conscience and no matter how hard we try not to listen, it will be heard loud and clear.

In retrospect, you will never feel grown up when you are around your mom because she will always see you as her baby boy and/or baby girl, especially if you are her first born male son. It's extremely hard for a mother to let go of her child and/or children because she has always been there for the first 18 years of one's life. For one's life afterwards, that she has helped mold, is now being molded by us as we live our own lives, make decisions on our own, and possibly raise a family on our own and yet, she will always be there for us as our greatest supporter and biggest fan to the end. Ultimately, all mothers as a collective whole give the same love to their kids and it never changes; but when you look at each mom individually, they are truly one of a kind.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Go The Distance

Someone once said, ~Distance never separates two hearts that really care, for our memories span the miles and in seconds we are there. But whenever I start feeling sad, because I miss you, I remind myself how lucky I am to have someone so special to miss.~ Let me ask you this question, do you believe in long distance relationships and whether or not it has longevity between two people? Without a doubt, being in a long distance relationship is the hardest thing for people to be in because you're miles away from the one you love. For the temptations of straying to someone other than one's significant other tend to show itself; but not succumbing to those temptations make the relationship two people have stronger.

Trust, above all else, is the most important thing between two people who are head over heels for each other. Though oceans or states separate you physically, which can be a painful feeling, it can't separate the emotional bond you have and feel for that particular person. For no matter how hard you try not to think about him or her, you end up thinking about that person even more and that can tear you up inside. But the question can be asked , if it hurts so bad, why does it feel so good? If you think about it, it doesn't make any sense at all, but in all honesty nothing absolutely nothing about love makes sense. A person can try to understand it all he or she likes, but in the long run, one will just get more and more confused.

I once said that it's a simple thing such as love that every person wants and yet its the most complicated thing to come one's way; but once you truly experience it, you never want it to end. Undeniably, you know how you feel for that person and have no doubts that he or she is the one you have been waiting your whole life for. Yet, it's easy to say you want to be with that person but when you can't physically be there next to him or her, it can be a frustrating situation indeed. Life would be great if we simply had the ability to think about that person or wish for that person to be at your side and within a blink of an eye, he or she appears in front of you. Initially, one just has to be there for him or her in spirit and as the saying goes, distance makes the heart grow fonder.

Essentially, the key factor and most important aspect in long distance relationships is communication. However, one of the biggest mistakes guys, as well as girls, make in a long distance relationship is usually not communicating with the one he or she supposedly loves and is committed to wholeheartedly. For it doesn't necessarily mean contacting him or her every single day of the week, but rather on a semi-daily basis which in my opinion is every 2 or 3 days. Staying in contact with that someone special shows that you truly value the loving relationship that is shared between each other, which shows a level of progression that could possibly lead into the next level of one's relationship whatever that level may be.

Someone once said, ~Though the miles between us are many, the heart is a bridge that can span the largest oceans. Thus, we shall always be close, as long as we are in each other's hearts."~ I started this thought by asking the question, do you believe in long distance relationships and does it have longevity between two people. In my opinion, if it is built on faithfulness, trust, honesty, and communication I would say yes; but for some people if it isn't, then you and that person will have to re-evaluate the relationship at hand. In the end, when it comes to keeping a long distance relationship between you and the one you love that stands the test of time, are you willing to go the distance?

The One

Nancy Reagan once said, ~Love means giving one's self to another person fully, not just physically. When two people really love each other, this helps them to stay alive and grow. One must really be loved to grow. Love's such a precious and fragile thing that when it comes we have to hold on tightly. And when it comes we're very lucky because for some it never comes at all. If you have love, you're wealthy in a way that can never be measured. Cherish it.~ There comes a point where a person just gets tired of the dating scene which can oftentimes be considered a lost cause. We all want to find or already have found that one person who brings one's soul to life. For it's that person who makes you want to keep reaching higher and without a doubt gives you peace of mind when things just don't make any sense.

Undeniably, whether it's guys or girls, a person eventually wants more substance rather than style in a significant other. Most certainly, each of us have fallen into the pitfalls of falling for someone based on the way he or she looks. For its that outer beauty that makes him or her, in one's own words, "HOT", which can have you absolutely spellbound. However, it can get pretty old pretty quickly as you find yourself in unfulfilling relationships that made you happy in the beginning; but you still find yourself feeling empty in your soul, as well as, in your heart. It's that mistake that one doesn't realize until the end when the love you give to that person isn't fully reciprocated back which is a sure sign that you deserve better than him or her.

For the most part, one just has to keep in mind that love is faith and you have faith in that person who truly knows what love is all about. In some ways, it's like planting flowers; for it takes time and patience for the love between two people to grow. Essentially, you can't make it grow to where you want something to happen right here and right now which isn't the way love goes. You primarily have to let it grow on its own by just being there as a friend, even though you so desperately want to be in his or her arms. Whether or not you know the person you want to be with, there can be circumstances that tend to prevent you from being with him or her. Circumstances such as death, distance, and/or working through feelings for someone else.

Speaking of feelings for someone else, both guys and girls will get into a situation where one's heart will be in a proverbial tug-of-war between a person who makes one feel good inside and one who also makes you feel good inside; but tends to disappoint you when you need him or her the most. It can be a tough situation indeed as the decision to who one wants to be with comes down to several different factors. Factors that can cause a person to go through an emotional rollercoaster as he or she tries to figure out which path to take on the road to only his or her happiness but that person's happiness as well. Even though the decision is squarely on one's shoulders, it doesn't hurt to seek guidance every now and then from someone you know and trust.

Garman Wold said, ~When love is your greatest weakness, you will be the strongest person in the world.~ If you think about it, it's not everyday that a person steps into your life who is absolutely genuine and worth crying over. Though you may have reservations about taking that next step, that person doesn't and is willing to be there for you no matter what unlike others before him or her. Initially, a person can have the mindset that maybe he or she isn't strong enough to put one's heart out there because you are scared of getting hurt; but guess what that person is scared as well. Ultimately, you just want to take him or her by the hand and simply say from the heart, Let me be the one to give you strength because you make me stronger each and every time I'm around you.