Give me more
I need a paragraph
not a sentence
I need a sentence
not a word
I need some verbs
and no more nouns
I'll take an exclamation point
over a period
I'm not asking for literature
Give me more
you have a monopoly on my heart
I need your signature on the bottom line
I don't need collateral
or your ID
Just a promise you'll try your best
Late payments will sometimes happen
I do not repossess that which I give away
I'm not asking for your independence
If you hear me
please respond
An empty room does not cure my stage fright
My pulpit is at eye level
so I never speak down to you
If you notice me in yellow
do not say you are color blind
And if I happen to be cloaked in black
Please give me more
Give me more
As if you knew my expiration date
I am not soured milk
There is no placenta on my hands
yet
Give me more
As if your seldom spoken words were true
I'll trade you my poetic license
for your silence
I'm not asking for your pride
When I project myself
onto those walls
those walls you spent your life building high
Please cross our unburned bridge
to pay attention
Let me tear it down
brick by brick
And let's rebuild together
Give me more
I will give you most
It is not a battle of wits
or a battle of wills
I raise my white flag
If that's what you want
Just give me more.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Mistress
everybody's whore is in love again
the kind of love, you can not make
with a little dash of sugar
just call me cake
i'm holding my phone so tight
ring, ring for me
when this caged bird has its panic attacks
i sing, i sing so poorly
i'm just a puppet
please pull my strings
with a little tug
i'll have one of my mood swings
you're holding the needle so tight
inject, inject me
when this addict has his withdrawals
i just might kick your face in
respectfully
everyone's jesus is on the cross again
the kind of sacrifice i do willingly
that little dash of sugar
is killing me
i'm holding my phone so tight
ring, ring for me
when i answer
sing, sing for me
with a dash of sugar comes a shot of adrenaline
everyone's whore is in love again
Minus One
*written in 2008 in my head while driving home from work*
I was thinking about this world
without you
Six Billion Minus One
Like the summer
without the sun
I was thinking of you
Minus One
I was thinking of the future
without you
Endless possibilities Minus One
Like a math equation
without a sum
Without you,
the answer is Minus One
I was thinking of a miracle
without you
Blind faith Minus One
Like a father
without his son
His memories,
Minus One
I was walking a winding road
talking to myself
Like the summer
without the sun
I felt so empty
Minus One
I was thinking of a symphony
without you
An imperfect harmony
Minus One
I was asking too many questions
Where did I go wrong
Who have I become
I was thinking of this world
without you
Six Billion Minus One
I could cry
I could laugh
Thinking of my life
without you
Minus One half
Crazy Mom Stories Part I
One day, I will write a book about my mom and all the crazy things she's done. But I will wait until she's long gone.
She's about as funny as Bob Saget and her shame filter is non-existent. In other words, she's not funny and what most of us consider embarrassing, she considers it high art.
She's one of those women you love to hear stores about but not one of those women you want to have a starring role in one of her stories.
For example, a few years ago, mom decided to have a garage sale at my house. Her reasoning was that my neighborhood had more old people. Despite the fact she lived in a 65 and older community, she thought my neighborhood was more conducive for bargain shoppers.
It's important that I mention I had no say in her decision. It was when I came home from work on a Friday to find my garage filled with her belongings. The garage sale was the next morning.
With no say in the matter nor did my opinion matter to her, I decided to sleep in that Saturday. My hope was to wake up and find that her garage sale was over.
I woke up at around noon, stumbled into my living room and peaked outside. Yep, the garage sale was over. Mom was gone. The annoying garage sale groupies were nowhere to be found. All was back to normal.
But then I realized something....
MY DINING ROOM LOOKED DIFFERENT.
It was missing its dining room table.
Mom decided to sell MY table.
Angrily, I called her. "Where's my damn table?"
"I sold it. You never ate dinner on it, anyway," she replied without remorse.
Mom is always looking for new ways to make money or save money.
This Christmas, another bright idea entered my mom's crazy head.
She decided to have a Christmas dinner for some of her elderly widowed friends. After slightly over cooking the Butterball turkey and eating most of it, she decided to seek a refund from Costco.
The day after Christmas, she proudly walked up to the refund department and showed them her receipt. "I would like a full refund on the turkey I bought here. It was dry and didn't taste right."
The Costco employee politely told her they needed to see the evidence before issuing a refund.
Mom returned to her home, grabbed what little turkey she had left, threw it in a ziploc bag and headed back to Costco.
Now, I wasn't there but I can imagine how the conversation went.
"Maam, you bought a 20 pound turkey and you're trying to return barely enough turkey to make one sandwich for a full refund. How do you expect us to justify this?"
"I don't expect you to justify anything but I do expect a full refund." And then, I'm sure she argued long enough to annoy Costco to the point of giving her a refund just to shut her up.
That's how she operates. This is how her crazy mind works.
One day, I will write a book about her but it will be after she's gone so she doesn't sue me for book earnings.
She's about as funny as Bob Saget and her shame filter is non-existent. In other words, she's not funny and what most of us consider embarrassing, she considers it high art.
She's one of those women you love to hear stores about but not one of those women you want to have a starring role in one of her stories.
For example, a few years ago, mom decided to have a garage sale at my house. Her reasoning was that my neighborhood had more old people. Despite the fact she lived in a 65 and older community, she thought my neighborhood was more conducive for bargain shoppers.
It's important that I mention I had no say in her decision. It was when I came home from work on a Friday to find my garage filled with her belongings. The garage sale was the next morning.
With no say in the matter nor did my opinion matter to her, I decided to sleep in that Saturday. My hope was to wake up and find that her garage sale was over.
I woke up at around noon, stumbled into my living room and peaked outside. Yep, the garage sale was over. Mom was gone. The annoying garage sale groupies were nowhere to be found. All was back to normal.
But then I realized something....
MY DINING ROOM LOOKED DIFFERENT.
It was missing its dining room table.
Mom decided to sell MY table.
Angrily, I called her. "Where's my damn table?"
"I sold it. You never ate dinner on it, anyway," she replied without remorse.
Mom is always looking for new ways to make money or save money.
This Christmas, another bright idea entered my mom's crazy head.
She decided to have a Christmas dinner for some of her elderly widowed friends. After slightly over cooking the Butterball turkey and eating most of it, she decided to seek a refund from Costco.
The day after Christmas, she proudly walked up to the refund department and showed them her receipt. "I would like a full refund on the turkey I bought here. It was dry and didn't taste right."
The Costco employee politely told her they needed to see the evidence before issuing a refund.
Mom returned to her home, grabbed what little turkey she had left, threw it in a ziploc bag and headed back to Costco.
Now, I wasn't there but I can imagine how the conversation went.
"Maam, you bought a 20 pound turkey and you're trying to return barely enough turkey to make one sandwich for a full refund. How do you expect us to justify this?"
"I don't expect you to justify anything but I do expect a full refund." And then, I'm sure she argued long enough to annoy Costco to the point of giving her a refund just to shut her up.
That's how she operates. This is how her crazy mind works.
One day, I will write a book about her but it will be after she's gone so she doesn't sue me for book earnings.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
A New Year
I don't subscribe to this belief that life is merely a series of meaningless accidents or coincidences. Nope. Rather, it's a tapestry of events that culminate in an exquisite, sublime plan.
I made it into the newspaper as a kid.
Age 5, as the ice cream truck made its way down our street, the temptation was too much.
Quarter in hand, I ran out the front door; ready to reward myself. As I hastily ran across the street to meet the ice cream man, a white van ran me over.
A trip in an ambulance ensued.
Here we are. At the end of another year. I suppose nothing of significance defined this year for me. My health is fine. No one I loved, died. I didn't gain weight or lose hair. I didn't buy any large ticket items. Nope. It was an ordinary year.
Each morning as I shower, I relive the same scene over and over. I grab the wet bar of soap, my mind wanders into the plans for the day, I squeeze the bar of soap too hard and it slips out of my hand.
I realize that it's a metaphor for my life. I tend to squeeze too hard when it comes to those I love.
We fell through the ice when we tried not to slip. That one line from the Verve Pipe from years ago still plays in my head. I suppose it's a warning. Take risks. Let go. Don't be so calculating.
I'm ending this year still madly in love. With her. I still get chills when I hear her voice.
Everyone has stories of unrequited love, dwindling passions, misplaced priorities and uncounted blessings. I suppose the new year is viewed as a new beginning for some. Maybe, a new opportunity for rebirth or just a do over.
Personally, I don't want a do over. There isn't a damn thing I would change. Certainly, I miss those friends I held onto so tightly that they slipped out of my life. And yes, I still ache for the loved ones whose lives ended well before their proverbial expiration dates. But since I believe life is a myriad of tragedies and miracles for a reason, I suppose I've come to terms with balance.
At the age of five, I was hit by a white van while chasing the ice cream truck. As I laid in my hospital bed with a fractured arm and various scrapes, the doctor repeatedly told me, I was lucky to be alive.
My reward for such luck was....
A bowl of ice cream.
Life is a tapestry of events that culminate into an exquisite, sublime plan. Anyone who tells you differently, fails to see the beauty in irony. But most importantly, fails to see the irony in beauty.
In 2 days, it will be a new year.
Thank God.
I made it into the newspaper as a kid.
Age 5, as the ice cream truck made its way down our street, the temptation was too much.
Quarter in hand, I ran out the front door; ready to reward myself. As I hastily ran across the street to meet the ice cream man, a white van ran me over.
A trip in an ambulance ensued.
Here we are. At the end of another year. I suppose nothing of significance defined this year for me. My health is fine. No one I loved, died. I didn't gain weight or lose hair. I didn't buy any large ticket items. Nope. It was an ordinary year.
Each morning as I shower, I relive the same scene over and over. I grab the wet bar of soap, my mind wanders into the plans for the day, I squeeze the bar of soap too hard and it slips out of my hand.
I realize that it's a metaphor for my life. I tend to squeeze too hard when it comes to those I love.
We fell through the ice when we tried not to slip. That one line from the Verve Pipe from years ago still plays in my head. I suppose it's a warning. Take risks. Let go. Don't be so calculating.
I'm ending this year still madly in love. With her. I still get chills when I hear her voice.
Everyone has stories of unrequited love, dwindling passions, misplaced priorities and uncounted blessings. I suppose the new year is viewed as a new beginning for some. Maybe, a new opportunity for rebirth or just a do over.
Personally, I don't want a do over. There isn't a damn thing I would change. Certainly, I miss those friends I held onto so tightly that they slipped out of my life. And yes, I still ache for the loved ones whose lives ended well before their proverbial expiration dates. But since I believe life is a myriad of tragedies and miracles for a reason, I suppose I've come to terms with balance.
At the age of five, I was hit by a white van while chasing the ice cream truck. As I laid in my hospital bed with a fractured arm and various scrapes, the doctor repeatedly told me, I was lucky to be alive.
My reward for such luck was....
A bowl of ice cream.
Life is a tapestry of events that culminate into an exquisite, sublime plan. Anyone who tells you differently, fails to see the beauty in irony. But most importantly, fails to see the irony in beauty.
In 2 days, it will be a new year.
Thank God.
Monday, December 24, 2012
The Christmas Stapler
I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It's not bad at all, really. Maybe it just needs a little love.- Charlie Brown's Christmas.
The moment I realized Santa did not exist was the exact moment when I realized how much my mom loved me.
Really, nothing epitomizes love more than putting someone's happiness or joy above your own need for recognition.
All those years I spent thinking Santa was the kindest man alive; turns out those thoughts belonged to her.
Mom has never been affectionate. I love you isn't in her vocabulary. She was raised in an abusive home.
Her childhood Christmases were an illusion. Her stepmother made sure their house was decorated with lights and a manger scene every December. But it was for the neighbors. For the mere sake of creating the perception that mom and her family were festive. Even the Christmas tree they had was simply nothing more than a large house plant for friends and other family to admire. There weren't presents underneath. It was just a tree with ornaments and an angel on top.
Her home was not a house of love.
When God dreamed up this idea of creating people in His own image, He did a miraculous thing. He gave women the maternal instinct. No matter how a woman is raised or the cruelty inflicted upon her, when she has kids, she will protect them and love them. At all costs.
Mom may not say she loves me. She may never tell me she is proud of me. But I have childhood Christmas memories that prove she does and is.
I hold onto that this time of year.
Around the age of nine, I really wanted to repay my mom for all the presents she ever bought me. I was starting to realize that Christmas really never fit into the budget but she always found a way to squeeze a few things in.
A few days before Christmas as she was at work, I rummaged through her desk. Buried underneath some papers was a stapler. Because I have always desperately sought approval from her, really from everyone, I thought it would be a great Christmas present.
I grabbed her own stapler; wrapped it in newspaper and put it under our humble Christmas tree.
I was proud to be finally giving her a gift instead of the usual handmade Christmas cards. Sure, it was her own stapler but it never occurred to me she would recognize it.
That rush of giving was quite intoxicating; which led me to buying her my first Christmas gift. A bottle of Charlie perfume. Collecting aluminum cans and washing the neighbor's car in the middle of winter allowed nine year old me to pay for it.
Mom was getting TWO presents from me. I had never felt more proud and excited.
Christmas morning came. I wanted her to open my presents first.
First, she opened the perfume.
And then, the stapler.
Mom loved the perfume. She immediately sprayed some on; just to show me she loved it.
Then came time for the stapler. I swear a tear, maybe a few, swelled in her eyes.
"How did you know I needed a stapler?"
I don't really remember my answer but I was damn proud of myself. That maternal instinct must have kicked in because all she did was talk about how thoughtful it was. It was the best present she ever received she told me repeatedly.
The idea that the stapler I stole from her meant more to her than the $10 bottle of perfume I bought her with my own money fascinated me at the time. Little did I know, she was teaching me a lesson. Maybe, she didn't know it, either.
A few years ago, I helped her pack up some boxes so she could store things at my house. As we were going through some old relics and assorted items she had collected through the years, I stumbled upon that stapler.
"I can't believe you still have this", I curiously stated.
"Of course I do. It's the stapler you took from me and then gave back to me as a Christmas present. How could I ever lose the most thoughtful present I have ever received?", she stated without a single ounce of sarcasm. She meant it.
I suppose presents come and go. They are short lived; used and then discarded at a later date for something better. But those things that come from the heart wrapped in good intentions and selflessness never perish.
Mom will never say she loves me.
She doesn't have to.
And I don't have to tell her, either.
There's a stapler from 1981 that says it better than either of us.
The moment I realized Santa did not exist was the exact moment when I realized how much my mom loved me.
Really, nothing epitomizes love more than putting someone's happiness or joy above your own need for recognition.
All those years I spent thinking Santa was the kindest man alive; turns out those thoughts belonged to her.
Mom has never been affectionate. I love you isn't in her vocabulary. She was raised in an abusive home.
Her childhood Christmases were an illusion. Her stepmother made sure their house was decorated with lights and a manger scene every December. But it was for the neighbors. For the mere sake of creating the perception that mom and her family were festive. Even the Christmas tree they had was simply nothing more than a large house plant for friends and other family to admire. There weren't presents underneath. It was just a tree with ornaments and an angel on top.
Her home was not a house of love.
When God dreamed up this idea of creating people in His own image, He did a miraculous thing. He gave women the maternal instinct. No matter how a woman is raised or the cruelty inflicted upon her, when she has kids, she will protect them and love them. At all costs.
Mom may not say she loves me. She may never tell me she is proud of me. But I have childhood Christmas memories that prove she does and is.
I hold onto that this time of year.
Around the age of nine, I really wanted to repay my mom for all the presents she ever bought me. I was starting to realize that Christmas really never fit into the budget but she always found a way to squeeze a few things in.
A few days before Christmas as she was at work, I rummaged through her desk. Buried underneath some papers was a stapler. Because I have always desperately sought approval from her, really from everyone, I thought it would be a great Christmas present.
I grabbed her own stapler; wrapped it in newspaper and put it under our humble Christmas tree.
I was proud to be finally giving her a gift instead of the usual handmade Christmas cards. Sure, it was her own stapler but it never occurred to me she would recognize it.
That rush of giving was quite intoxicating; which led me to buying her my first Christmas gift. A bottle of Charlie perfume. Collecting aluminum cans and washing the neighbor's car in the middle of winter allowed nine year old me to pay for it.
Mom was getting TWO presents from me. I had never felt more proud and excited.
Christmas morning came. I wanted her to open my presents first.
First, she opened the perfume.
And then, the stapler.
Mom loved the perfume. She immediately sprayed some on; just to show me she loved it.
Then came time for the stapler. I swear a tear, maybe a few, swelled in her eyes.
"How did you know I needed a stapler?"
I don't really remember my answer but I was damn proud of myself. That maternal instinct must have kicked in because all she did was talk about how thoughtful it was. It was the best present she ever received she told me repeatedly.
The idea that the stapler I stole from her meant more to her than the $10 bottle of perfume I bought her with my own money fascinated me at the time. Little did I know, she was teaching me a lesson. Maybe, she didn't know it, either.
A few years ago, I helped her pack up some boxes so she could store things at my house. As we were going through some old relics and assorted items she had collected through the years, I stumbled upon that stapler.
"I can't believe you still have this", I curiously stated.
"Of course I do. It's the stapler you took from me and then gave back to me as a Christmas present. How could I ever lose the most thoughtful present I have ever received?", she stated without a single ounce of sarcasm. She meant it.
I suppose presents come and go. They are short lived; used and then discarded at a later date for something better. But those things that come from the heart wrapped in good intentions and selflessness never perish.
Mom will never say she loves me.
She doesn't have to.
And I don't have to tell her, either.
There's a stapler from 1981 that says it better than either of us.
Friday, December 21, 2012
The Better Half
So, half were left to drown.
Half were saved.
The better half, according to the movie. The wealthy and powerful. The elite.
I watched the movie last night. Maybe, it was the fourth time I've seen it but it was definitely the first time, I enjoyed it.
It's an ironic movie depicting an ironic tragic event IF you realize it's just a three hour metaphor.
In the last 20 years, we've had a few tragic events. The oklahoma city bombing, 9/11, Columbine, Hurricane Katrina, the BP Oil Spill and the recent Sandy Hook shooting.
All of these events were immediately followed by....
FEAR.
Knee jerk reactions.
The passengers of the Titanic immediately begged for solutions. Who did they beg to? The better half sitting in their life boats.
"They hate us for our freedoms", President Bush quipped. Immediately, our freedoms were handed over.
Hello Patriot Act. Goodbye 4th Amendment.
Hello NDAA. Goodbye 5th Amendment.
Our constitution was written by the better half but these weren't men who saved themselves as their ship was sinking. These were men who grabbed muskets and fought battles against tyranny. It was their first hand knowledge of the dangers of tyranny that resulted in our Bill of Rights.
The better half back then truly were better. It's because they used their power and influence to save US. You and me. And those before us and those who come after US.
In 2018, 15,000 drones will be patrolling our skies; watching us.
The better half has a new pair of binoculars so they can keep an eye on us from the safety of their life boats.
It's for our own good, they say.
Freedom is dangerous. It's a fact. But I will counter that argument with another fact: an unchecked government is more dangerous. The ashes of history prove that.
Do I want to live in a country where only the cops and government have guns?
In the last 20 years, we've had a few tragic events. The oklahoma city bombing, 9/11, Columbine, Hurricane Katrina, the BP Oil Spill and the recent Sandy Hook shooting.
All of these events were immediately followed by....
FEAR.
Knee jerk reactions.
The passengers of the Titanic immediately begged for solutions. Who did they beg to? The better half sitting in their life boats.
"They hate us for our freedoms", President Bush quipped. Immediately, our freedoms were handed over.
Hello Patriot Act. Goodbye 4th Amendment.
Hello NDAA. Goodbye 5th Amendment.
Our constitution was written by the better half but these weren't men who saved themselves as their ship was sinking. These were men who grabbed muskets and fought battles against tyranny. It was their first hand knowledge of the dangers of tyranny that resulted in our Bill of Rights.
The better half back then truly were better. It's because they used their power and influence to save US. You and me. And those before us and those who come after US.
In 2018, 15,000 drones will be patrolling our skies; watching us.
The better half has a new pair of binoculars so they can keep an eye on us from the safety of their life boats.
It's for our own good, they say.
Freedom is dangerous. It's a fact. But I will counter that argument with another fact: an unchecked government is more dangerous. The ashes of history prove that.
Do I want to live in a country where only the cops and government have guns?
You tell me.
Right now, we are being told that the current administration is looking into ways to curb gun violence. The better half, the wealthy who have armed bodyguards by their side at all times, are looking for ways to ensure you and I can't protect our families. From them. From anyone.
They will protect us. From their life boats.
After a few weeks of sound bites, we will be told that no freedom loving American needs a semi-automatic weapon. The masses will find common sense in that misleading statement.
They will tell us that the 2nd amendment didn't intend for us to have heavy weaponry.
Of course, the first amendment never mentioned the internet in regards to freedom of speech. But don't worry, the better half will be using that argument later.
The Hegelian Principle:
1. Govt creates a crisis
2. The masses react with anger and outrage. FEAR.
3. The masses then demand a solution to the crisis.
4. Govt swoops in with a solution to the very crisis they created.
It's how the better half governs.
Our constitution is on life support.
It's up to us to revive it.
You and me.
The better half.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Beyond Words
Life isn't fair.
Says who?
What makes anyone believe we deserve good fortune? Or complete happiness? Where do these entitlement issues derive from? Who decides the definition of fair?
I have my own thumbprint.
So do you.
It's all mine. Never to be replicated again. Nobody has or ever will have my thumbprint.
I am unique.
So are you.
Yesterday was a bad day. Ask those 20 parents in Connecticut.
Everyday is a bad day. For someone.
I spoke to a friend yesterday. Very briefly.
"Just heard from a close friend. Her 6 year old was killed today." That's what she told me.
"I'm sorry." It's all I ever say when confronted with tragic news.
"Beyond words," she responded.
Conversation was over.
Beyond words.
She's exactly right. People talk too much. Especially, after bad news.
So, you wear your heart on your sleeve. So, what? Shut up.
Compassion, empathy, whatever we call it. It's not unique to mankind. It's expected. It's inborn.
Unless, you are the man gunning down children in a supposed sterile environment like an elementary school. But he is uncommon. He doesn't represent humanity.
But he has his own thumbprint.
Like you. Like me.
Broken crayons. On a blood soaked canvas. Yellow suns blackened. Mommy and daddy, smiles gone. Stick figures come to life.
Small town USA, awake.
Christmas is coming. Wrapped presents now cause a stir. A dilemma. Do they return them? Do they save them as a reminder of what should have been?
Guns. Security. More laws.
Everyone has an opinion.
Nobody has a solution. Because there isn't one.
In a school where God is no longer allowed, huddled teachers cried His name.
America, land of the free and home of the brave.
Freedom is dangerous. Bravery is its best defense.
Let's put a name and a face to the tragedy. Let's make it come to life. Beyond words.
Victoria hid her students in cabinets and closets as the gunshots echoed in the hallways. When the gunman entered her classroom, she told him the children were in the gymnasium. He callously shot and killed her. Then, off he went.
Children saved at her expense.
She had a black lab named Roxie. She loved flamingos and the Yankees.
She had her own thumbprint.
She was more than that.
Beyond words.
Says who?
What makes anyone believe we deserve good fortune? Or complete happiness? Where do these entitlement issues derive from? Who decides the definition of fair?
I have my own thumbprint.
So do you.
It's all mine. Never to be replicated again. Nobody has or ever will have my thumbprint.
I am unique.
So are you.
Yesterday was a bad day. Ask those 20 parents in Connecticut.
Everyday is a bad day. For someone.
I spoke to a friend yesterday. Very briefly.
"Just heard from a close friend. Her 6 year old was killed today." That's what she told me.
"I'm sorry." It's all I ever say when confronted with tragic news.
"Beyond words," she responded.
Conversation was over.
Beyond words.
She's exactly right. People talk too much. Especially, after bad news.
So, you wear your heart on your sleeve. So, what? Shut up.
Compassion, empathy, whatever we call it. It's not unique to mankind. It's expected. It's inborn.
Unless, you are the man gunning down children in a supposed sterile environment like an elementary school. But he is uncommon. He doesn't represent humanity.
But he has his own thumbprint.
Like you. Like me.
Broken crayons. On a blood soaked canvas. Yellow suns blackened. Mommy and daddy, smiles gone. Stick figures come to life.
Small town USA, awake.
Christmas is coming. Wrapped presents now cause a stir. A dilemma. Do they return them? Do they save them as a reminder of what should have been?
Guns. Security. More laws.
Everyone has an opinion.
Nobody has a solution. Because there isn't one.
In a school where God is no longer allowed, huddled teachers cried His name.
America, land of the free and home of the brave.
Freedom is dangerous. Bravery is its best defense.
Let's put a name and a face to the tragedy. Let's make it come to life. Beyond words.
Victoria hid her students in cabinets and closets as the gunshots echoed in the hallways. When the gunman entered her classroom, she told him the children were in the gymnasium. He callously shot and killed her. Then, off he went.
Children saved at her expense.
She had a black lab named Roxie. She loved flamingos and the Yankees.
She had her own thumbprint.
She was more than that.
Beyond words.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Slightly drunk Bad Boys Rant
Just a quick semi-drunk rant...
So, tonight I had a conversation with someone about how women like bad boys. It's one of those topics everyone has discussed at some point. Either, some dudes will say they can never get the pretty girl because she is only interested in the bad boys or some dudes just use the "nice guys finish last" excuse.
So, after a few beers, it dawned on me how stupid this argument is....
Back in the early 90's, there was this tennis player that sounded like a chick when he talked but he had a mullet. He was dubbed "the bad boy of tennis". His name was Andre Agassi.
First of all, his name is Andre. Never in the history of bad boys has there been an Andre. But let's ignore that stupid fact.
I always wondered how anyone could be called "the bad boy of tennis". It's like saying some gay dude performing in Rent is the "bad boy of Broadway". You play TENNIS, Andre. You're not a bad boy.
But still I wondered why he got this dubious title.
After long consideration, I concluded it could only be the mullet. It certainly wasn't because of his dating life. He dated and/or married Brooke Shields for God's sake. She was a virgin until she was like 35. He certainly wasn't a bad boy just because he had his ear pierced. My middle aged mail man has his pierced. Maybe, my mailman is the bad boy of mailmen. I don't actually know.
Anyway, there really was nothing "bad" about Mr. Agassi, yet he had this stupid title of being a bad boy.
So, this whole notion that women like bad boys is all based on a loose definition of "bad".
Hell, Michael Jackson sang a song called "Bad". Yeah, he was quite intimidating.
Andre Agassi did these commercials back in the early 90's for Canon. The slogan was "Image is Everything". It was intended to play on his bad boy image. A tennis star with a bad haircut and an earring was synonymous with "rebel". Tennis is supposed to be a gentleman's sport and he wasn't quite the image you would expect to see on the grass courts of Wimbledon.
So, somehow this automatically made him a bad boy. Women supposedly flocked to him because of this image. I am pretty certain if you had drained his bank account and took away his fame, women would not have considered him a bad boy.
But that's beside the point.
Okay, so, where I think this whole stupid debate about bad boys and women being attracted to them is flawed is in our definition of what a bad boy is.
My roommate, for example, tells me she only dates bad boys that ride Harleys. She is under the impression that anyone that owns a Harley is a bad boy. I think a Harley is just a slightly elevated version of a ten speed which means that bikers are only slightly more "bad" than Mormons.
A motorcycle does not make a bad boy.
Fonzi rode a motorcycle. Have you seen him now? He's more mild tempered than Mr. Rogers ever was.
Gary Busey rode a motorcycle. He got in a wreck and is now slightly retarded. He was never a bad boy.
Harleys create a false image. If I drive a low rider, it doesn't make me a Mexican gangsta. It makes me a white guy driving a stupid looking car. This holds true when it comes to riding a Harley. It's just a damn means of transportation. Nothing less. Nothing more.
Look at the "bad boys" of pop culture. Luke Perry in 90210; just because he had sideburns and had abandonment issues. Donnie Wahlburg, with his scowl on his face and bad facial hair, was the bad boy of New Kids on the Block. Seriously, a dude in a boy band was called a bad boy. That's like saying the fat kid that sings tenor in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is the bad boy of church music just because he looks angry half the time.
Other bad boys of pop culture.... Fonzi; a 5'5 Jewish man that was dating high school girls on Happy Days was a bad boy just because he wore a leather jacket and rode a motorcycle. Nick on Family Ties just because he said "Yo Mallory" all the time.
The list goes on. We've been programmed to label men "bad boys" if they meet certain criteria.
And this is where I think we are wrong. I do not believe women seek bad boys. I believe they seek what they've been programmed to believe a bad boy is.
If women really liked true bad boys, they would be dating the likes of Mike Tyson. Here's a man that bit a dude's ear off once. Or they would be masturbating to old speeches from Hitler. No one is more of a bad boy than Adolph.
And finally, everyone's favorite bad boy would be every woman's dream: O.J. Simpson.
A dude who killed two people and got away with it. Plus, he played football.
Now, that's a real bad boy.
Okay, this is just a theory and I'm slightly drunk like a bad ass.
Am I wrong?
Would you really be afraid of Fonzi if he wanted to fight you?
Do women really like bad boys or do they like who the rest of us perceive as bad based on a false premise?
Is writing the smartest blog in history make me the "bad boy of blogging on Facebook"?
How come men don't like bad girls or do they?
So, tonight I had a conversation with someone about how women like bad boys. It's one of those topics everyone has discussed at some point. Either, some dudes will say they can never get the pretty girl because she is only interested in the bad boys or some dudes just use the "nice guys finish last" excuse.
So, after a few beers, it dawned on me how stupid this argument is....
Back in the early 90's, there was this tennis player that sounded like a chick when he talked but he had a mullet. He was dubbed "the bad boy of tennis". His name was Andre Agassi.
First of all, his name is Andre. Never in the history of bad boys has there been an Andre. But let's ignore that stupid fact.
I always wondered how anyone could be called "the bad boy of tennis". It's like saying some gay dude performing in Rent is the "bad boy of Broadway". You play TENNIS, Andre. You're not a bad boy.
But still I wondered why he got this dubious title.
After long consideration, I concluded it could only be the mullet. It certainly wasn't because of his dating life. He dated and/or married Brooke Shields for God's sake. She was a virgin until she was like 35. He certainly wasn't a bad boy just because he had his ear pierced. My middle aged mail man has his pierced. Maybe, my mailman is the bad boy of mailmen. I don't actually know.
Anyway, there really was nothing "bad" about Mr. Agassi, yet he had this stupid title of being a bad boy.
So, this whole notion that women like bad boys is all based on a loose definition of "bad".
Hell, Michael Jackson sang a song called "Bad". Yeah, he was quite intimidating.
Andre Agassi did these commercials back in the early 90's for Canon. The slogan was "Image is Everything". It was intended to play on his bad boy image. A tennis star with a bad haircut and an earring was synonymous with "rebel". Tennis is supposed to be a gentleman's sport and he wasn't quite the image you would expect to see on the grass courts of Wimbledon.
So, somehow this automatically made him a bad boy. Women supposedly flocked to him because of this image. I am pretty certain if you had drained his bank account and took away his fame, women would not have considered him a bad boy.
But that's beside the point.
Okay, so, where I think this whole stupid debate about bad boys and women being attracted to them is flawed is in our definition of what a bad boy is.
My roommate, for example, tells me she only dates bad boys that ride Harleys. She is under the impression that anyone that owns a Harley is a bad boy. I think a Harley is just a slightly elevated version of a ten speed which means that bikers are only slightly more "bad" than Mormons.
A motorcycle does not make a bad boy.
Fonzi rode a motorcycle. Have you seen him now? He's more mild tempered than Mr. Rogers ever was.
Gary Busey rode a motorcycle. He got in a wreck and is now slightly retarded. He was never a bad boy.
Harleys create a false image. If I drive a low rider, it doesn't make me a Mexican gangsta. It makes me a white guy driving a stupid looking car. This holds true when it comes to riding a Harley. It's just a damn means of transportation. Nothing less. Nothing more.
Look at the "bad boys" of pop culture. Luke Perry in 90210; just because he had sideburns and had abandonment issues. Donnie Wahlburg, with his scowl on his face and bad facial hair, was the bad boy of New Kids on the Block. Seriously, a dude in a boy band was called a bad boy. That's like saying the fat kid that sings tenor in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is the bad boy of church music just because he looks angry half the time.
Other bad boys of pop culture.... Fonzi; a 5'5 Jewish man that was dating high school girls on Happy Days was a bad boy just because he wore a leather jacket and rode a motorcycle. Nick on Family Ties just because he said "Yo Mallory" all the time.
The list goes on. We've been programmed to label men "bad boys" if they meet certain criteria.
And this is where I think we are wrong. I do not believe women seek bad boys. I believe they seek what they've been programmed to believe a bad boy is.
If women really liked true bad boys, they would be dating the likes of Mike Tyson. Here's a man that bit a dude's ear off once. Or they would be masturbating to old speeches from Hitler. No one is more of a bad boy than Adolph.
And finally, everyone's favorite bad boy would be every woman's dream: O.J. Simpson.
A dude who killed two people and got away with it. Plus, he played football.
Now, that's a real bad boy.
Okay, this is just a theory and I'm slightly drunk like a bad ass.
Am I wrong?
Would you really be afraid of Fonzi if he wanted to fight you?
Do women really like bad boys or do they like who the rest of us perceive as bad based on a false premise?
Is writing the smartest blog in history make me the "bad boy of blogging on Facebook"?
How come men don't like bad girls or do they?
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Uninvited.
Christmas 2002:
Everyone knew it was his last Christmas. Thirty two years old. Still young. Nowhere near his prime.
Immortal? Not as I once saw him.
Elevated in my eyes? Sadly, no longer.
Loved? Absolutely.
A few weeks earlier, the doctor warned him. "Drink ever again and this will be your last Christmas. No more birthdays. Drink ever again, you won't survive."
I always say I can't talk about it. But I always do. In bits and pieces. Because I feel guilty. I feel anger. I feel human.
I'm not good at being human. Nor was he.
He was larger than life. Ask anyone.
I never did tell him. Nor did I tell his family. But they saved my life. They welcomed me as if I was one of their own. He was my brother. Sometimes, even my dad. Always, my best friend.
I don't think I ever mentioned any of that to him. I'm sure he knew. Maybe, not.
He was the loneliest person I have ever known. Loved, admired, idolized, imitated and lonely.
Christmas Day, I came over uninvited. No big deal. They welcomed me as one of their own. I walked into their home. He was in his room.
I have no idea what we did that night. What words were said.
But I remember how he looked. I recall his warmth.
I will never forget wanting to cry....
because I knew this was his last Christmas.
Christmas 2003:
Fuck it. It was the worst Christmas of my life.
He left this world three months before. Two weeks before his 33rd birthday, to be exact.
His doctor was right.
It really wasn't about me that day. It was about them. The living. His family.
I should have called. Maybe, showed up uninvited. I was one of their own. They would have have welcomed me, as always.
Thank God I had a dog that day. I had to cry to someone; someone who wouldn't tell anyone. He never cried and he would have punched me if he knew I did. If he was still with us, of course.
Christmas 2012:
I still think about him all of the time. So many things I would tell him. So many things I would do over. I would have done better. I know it.
At 17, I was a little awkward. I had no specific social circle that suited me. He welcomed me into his. He demanded we be friends and friends, we became.
Great friends. Almost inseparable.
He invited me into his life which resulted in me becoming a part of his family. Family was what I had always craved.
He invited me to share the best 15 years of my life with him and them. And everyone he knew.
I never felt unwelcome.
I could walk into wherever he lived uninvited.
He was never unloved or unappreciated. I don't think I ever told him. I am sure he knew.
Maybe, not.
Some people come into our lives and change us for the better. And then they're gone.
Merry Christmas, old friend.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Dear Santa, You're fat
A few years ago, Christmas Eve, the two grandkids of my next door neighbor were sitting on the curb in front of grandma's house.
"Why are you two out here so late on Christmas Eve?", I asked.
"We are waiting for Santa's sleigh to fly over the city?", they each replied.
So, I sat down next to them. In complete silence, we just stared straight into the sky for what felt like hours.
Every airplane, every falling star, any object in the sky that night potentially was Santa. For a few minutes, I forgot my age. I lost sight of the reality of Old Saint Nick. As they oohed and awed at anything bright in that sky, I joined in their excitement. I believed again.
Maybe, it was a mere twenty minutes we sat there. It felt like hours.
Grandma opened her screen door and gently asked the kids to come inside. They jumped up, waved goodbye to me and skipped to the house.
As I headed back into my home, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around. It was the grandson.
"Sir, are you leaving milk and cookies out for Santa, too?", he asked.
"I will if you will", I replied.
"No wonder he's so fat", the precocious kid stated; as if he was setting me up for his great punchline.
"Indeed, son". Then I headed back into my warn house.
It was a typical Christmas Eve for me. Alone, some sappy Christmas movie on TV and an inner debate whether I should buy a ham or just make cheeseburgers for my Christmas meal the next day.
I was feeling a little sorry for myself. It's what I tend to do on holidays.
As I laid in my bed that night, I couldn't stop thinking about those minutes I spent on that curb with those kids. I was fascinated with the fact that for one brief moment, I believed again. I considered how contagious Christmas really is; how children can remind us of those simple joys in life.
It was a much needed reality check.
Christmas came and went.
A few days later as I was setting the trash can on the curb, the grandma next door approached me.
She handed me a paper plate with carefully wrapped Christmas cookies. Appreciative of her kindness, I thanked her.
"You know, Zach and Ali spent Christmas with me this year. Their father is in the military and currently overseas. And as you know, I lost my husband, Roger, earlier in the summer. If this is my last Christmas, I am thankful to God that I was able to spend it with them."
That was her story. Those were her words.
I really had nothing to say so I simply thanked her for the cookies and told her I was happy she had a great holiday.
A few months later, Lois passed away.
My mom has this old box of all my childhood memories. A lock of hair from my first haircut. My report cards. My creative writing assignments. Pictures. And maybe my favorite thing, a letter I wrote to Santa when I was probably around eight years old.
Dear Santa,
My mommy works a lot and is never home. She's tired. Can you bring her money and can I have an Air Jammer Road Rammer?
your friend.
Mom saved it because she loved the part where I wanted her to have money so she could be home with me more.
Be it kids or a widowed grandmother or simply anyone any age in between, Christmas is about family and loved ones.
Nothing less.
Nothing more.
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