January

So we went to the mall the other day. Eric got a remote control helicopter. I got a job. We both like our acquisitions. We are well into our search for the proper living quarters. We'll be viewing places this weekend, and we have high hopes. Things shift.

Exercise Stocks Money Books

Beneath me Above me its all around me

Swing slow

sway gently

think fast

Think Clearly

Be smarter than you were

Be better than imagined

Childhood dreams forgotten

Angsty teenage dreams tossed away

Young adult dreams created

the Normative Behavior

Something I've been pondering. I think this might be a sensitive topic, but something I would like respectful help exploring. (we= American society, specifically midwest) When we think outside the box, are we really just thinking in a confine of some other sort? We're just in a different shape. When we're open are we open to all possibilities or just what we're told. If a gay person expects that everyone should be accepting of their lifestyle is it okay for them to judge someone who breaks a social norm of a different sort. The person who faces the wrong direction in the elevator or something similar. How can there be this demand for acceptance of something so big when there is a refuse to accept a social norm broken on a such a comparatively miniscule scale? I've seen this a lot in several people recently. I must admit I was surprised that someone I would have assumed to be so open be actually very judgemental and closed to strange human behavior. Perhaps they have not ever considered any of these ideas? How can I be mad at them when I am not sure if they even care whether or not anyone accepts them? Perhaps they expect me to consider them just as odd as they consider me? Our discrepencies with social normative behaviors veer in wildly different directions but perhaps neither of us care about the acceptance of others? Perhaps we both do and don't know how to express ourselves to that effect?

I know I judge people. This and the act of labeling and organizing people seem to be unavoidable. I try the best I can to avoid negative judgements and labels. When I consider people I never think "what a bad person!" I just admit that they're not appealing to me, and I don't want to associate with them. If I am not given the option of avoiding them, I try to use my interactions with them to widen my perspective. This usually leaves me pondering things like the above in an attempt to understand their way of life. I consider that there is no objective good or bad in the world. There are few social transgressions that are accepted world wide as bad, but even these are not unanimous through out human kind. What is right and wrong is subjective. I am not bold enough to say that my ideas regarding virtue and vice are the correct versions. I am content with my decisions and have no qualms with my actions. This hasn't always been true in my life, but I've taken the time to reflect on both my thoughts and actions and their incongruencies.

Anyways, you are welcome (nay encouraged!) to add comments, ideas, suggestions of directions in which to take this thought train, or anything else you can think of that may help me explore this topic more in depth.

xoxo Claire

Illiteracy

Hello,

I would like you to know that this year although I may from time to time still claim illiteracy in the vein of laziness I have already read two books! This may or may not top the number of whole books I read last year! and I am not even half way through january!

Tomorrow I am going to be hanging out places in the continued search for awesomeness.

Books I read:

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

The second book taught me that I need to be financially literate. Have I found a real form of illiteracy I exemplify?

Something New Everything New

Why I like you: I feel like we talk about things that are important. You don't always agree with me, but that makes it better. A challenge to my point of view demands that I think more on the subject. Is my argument strong? Can I defend it? Do you poke holes in it? I don't know, but we'll find out together! You do this both intelligently and respectfully. Your humility, curiosity and belief in yourself make our conversations great. Thank you.

quack quack quack

I don't want to be rash in my decisions, but bold and decisive is what has gotten me to where I am today. Should I learn a new vehicle for progress or should I retain the old? I like change. Should I change the way I cause change?

Can't I just stay in doors and read? Live a little without the constraints of the outside world, saturate myself with the knowledge sitting around my room in books. Create images with words, and ideas with images. I've been reading books. I'm inspired to be intelligent and make good decisions. Why do I have to wait to make them? I want to start now. I want to change now. I'm tired of my position in life, and I know I have every control over it. The world around me is what I make it and the only person holding me back is me. Once I decide I can do something I just need to figure out how, and its mine. How can I figure it out if I'm never given time to think? Must I take the time? Yes, I must take the time.

If it be not given, thus it must be taken.

Today I feel content as myself, longing only to be in a different place. It amazes me how much in life is a person's perception on what one thing or another means. Most things are concepts that can be so easily bent and molded into whatever shape best fits one's needs that its a wonder at all that people don't do just that.

The books I'm reading just in case you're interested!

Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the rich teach their kids about money- that the poor and middle class do not! by Robert T Kiyosaki

Word Origins: An exploration and History of Words and Language by Wilfred Funk, Litt. D.

New Year

Hi There!

The past three weeks have been super intense. I celebrated Christmas, New Year's Eve, and my Anniversary with Eric. I also got a different job and quit my old job!

I recall being sad when I told the manager I was putting in my two weeks notice. He told me I wasn't allowed to but I knew it was the right step for me. Since most of the employees who work there are students the winter break was filled with super busy days where the entire place was understaffed and I worked too many 12 hour days. I was very grateful and happy my last day. The more I was pressed about why I was quitting the more I thought about all the things I disliked about the place. I realize that it isn't just that place (although its worse than the average of its kind) I just didn't enjoy the job. Regardless of how good the money is, I'm not sure I can handle going back to that. The new job I got is basically the same at a slightly classier place down the street. I'm still on the fence about this one. I haven't gotten too far into the training and I'm not sure I want to waste either my time or their time. I want to go in a different direction with my life, but what? During these last three weeks I've been contemplating my future heavily, and reflecting on my current position in life. Interactions with Mine and Eric's family made me realize that I'm very lucky to have such caring people in my life. It also reinforced my understanding of what I don't want to be in life.

Christmas was lovely. I spent time with Eric and his family up North. There were lots of traditional meals and get-togethers. Eric and I also went to see Black Swan in theaters. I loved it! Eric gave his mom Just Dance for Wii for Christmas and I got to play that quite a bit too. It was a very fun visit with lots of great people, great food and great presents!

For New Year's Eve and our anniversary (Jan. 1) Eric came down here and we went to his friends party. It was a potluck fancy dress up party. I wore a spectacular sparkly red dress I got at a thrift store up near Eric for only $10, and brought boneless wings. Both were a smashing success! I was really happy with the evening as I did a wonderful job of mingling and enjoying myself. We ate some Steak and Shake at Eric's request and then went home. Eric got me several wonderful things for our anniversary including a necklace with a heart and dove pendant and my birthstones around the clasp. For our anniversary we stayed in, ate amazing food (Turkey with stuffing, sticky rice and mango, linguine and clam sauce >> all home made) and had a Star Wars marathon. We watched them in the order they were made and got through Episode I. It was so much fun!! but they are so long and we slept in so we ended at 2 in the morning.

I also started reading this book called Rich Dad Poor Dad. I know Dan's Dad gave him this book ages ago, and I never paid attention to it. Its sort of cheesy but I find it very intriguing. Thus far it seems to be saying that one's mental outlook on the world of money around them is pivotal in creating an atmosphere of successful or unsuccessful financial management. Its a comparison between the two father's words of advice and several stories about his learning the lessons from his Rich Dad. The book doesn't really seem to be teaching practical application of the lessons, but it is full of really interesting concepts to ponder!

Anyway I know that I've reached a point in my life that I have a lot to think about. I know what I want to do, but how to achieve financial stability while doing it is the part that I haven't yet worked out.