one time at bonaroo

It was raining hardcore and I had gotten split up from my friends but I was near enough to the stage that I could feel the music through the ground/mud and there were glowsticks flying everywhere and in everyones' hands and I was just lost in the music, when some girl whispered in my ear "don't forget to breathe." I turned around to try to see who it was but she had just become one with the crowd, but it was one of the most surreal experiences ive ever had and its one of the coolest things anyone has ever said to me. Cause it was so perfect and i was so into everything around me that it was the one thing anyone could have said to have brought me back into my body, back down to earth, and its such a simple phrase and could be taken in so many contexts, but the way she said it was what was perfect; somehow a whisper and yet perfectly clear over the deafening techno and with this overwhelming sense of importance that was still entirely playful. It's not something I'll ever forget.

And so I don't feel too bad about paying $40 for a tshirt.

home

Monster

are you willing to sacrifice your life?

religious studies.

me and school circa back in the freshman day. tripp york said religion is what you'd give up your child for. are you living by that? if not, does that make you a nonbeliever or are you finally willing to admit that religion is whatever you define it as being. #wwyd

back homeish

thanksgiving break has ended.

what a tease.

rest in peace

This is the caption I wrote to this picture on June 16, 2008:
"he thinks i take too many pictures, but really, why wouldn't you want to remember this moment?"

told ya.

it was a long day

grass meant moisture on my head and so I kissed the grass

Recreation Creation

what i would give.

Have Some Guts

and go with them.

if you need some support, you know the neo to call.

Frisky Headline

Airport body scans and pat-downs are making traveling a blush-inducing experience.

Cue the Sun

W e a c c e p t t h e r e a l i t y o f t h e w o r l d w i t h w h i c h w e a r e p r e s e n t e d

Call Yourself Out

We attach to feelings as if they define us.

A moment can't possibly radiate fully when you're suffocating it in familiarity.

Morality: Is It In You?

The Overcrowded Lifeboat
In 1842, a ship struck an iceberg and more than 30 survivors were crowded into a lifeboat intended to hold 7. As a storm threatened, it became obvious that the lifeboat would have to be lightened if anyone were to survive. The captain reasoned that the right thing to do in this situation was to force some individuals to go over the side and drown. Such an action, he reasoned, was not unjust to those thrown overboard, for they would have drowned anyway. If he did nothing, however, he would be responsible for the deaths of those whom he could have saved. Some people opposed the captain's decision. They claimed that if nothing were done and everyone died as a result, no one would be responsible for these deaths. On the other hand, if the captain attempted to save some, he could do so only by killing others and their deaths would be his responsibility; this would be worse than doing nothing and letting all die. The captain rejected this reasoning. Since the only possibility for rescue required great efforts of rowing, the captain decided that the weakest would have to be sacrificed. In this situation it would be absurd, he thought, to decide by drawing lots who should be thrown overboard. As it turned out, after days of hard rowing, the survivors were rescued and the captain was tried for his action. If you had been on the jury, how would you have decided?

A Father's Agonizing Choice

You are an inmate in a concentration camp. A sadistic guard is about to hang your son who tried to escape and wants you to pull the chair from underneath him. He says that if you don't he will not only kill your son but some other innocent inmate as well. You don't have any doubt that he means what he says. What should you do?

A Callous Passerby

Roger Smith, a quite competent swimmer, is out for a leisurely stroll. During the course of his walk he passes by a deserted pier from which a teenage boy who apparently cannot swim has fallen into the water. The boy is screaming for help. Smith recognizes that there is absolutely no danger to himself if he jumps in to save the boy; he could easily succeed if he tried. Nevertheless, he chooses to ignore the boy's cries. The water is cold and he is afraid of catching a cold -- he doesn't want to get his good clothes wet either. "Why should I inconvenience myself for this kid," Smith says to himself, and passes on. Does Smith have a moral obligation to save the boy? If so, should he have a legal obligation ["Good Samaritan" laws] as well?

Order's Up

While studying for biology:
"Through sexual selection, female peacocks select males with particular traits - usually the males with the longest tails. Do humans do this?"HA. Do they ever.

Pott on My Mind

AARRYY POTT-AH, that is.

‎"Youth cannot know how age thinks and feels. But old men are guilty if they forget what it was to be young."
- guess who.

Super, Super Yall

Facebook & Twatter

we're entitled to have all of these emotions and not only that, we're entitled for the world to care about them- thats what this generation is about

#waycoolerthanwewereexpecting

American

I totally get it, America.

not telling.

Ferrets

@Andrews Elementary, 2nd grade

ONE:

Math.

The prompt: Make a subtraction story using the numbers "6" and "9."

His sentence: "There were 9 ferrets. 6 flew away. How many ferrets are left?"

TWO:

The prompt: To color and cut out a turkey. Write something you are thankful for on each feather of the turkey.

Her turkey:

"I am thankful for my friends"

"I am thankful for the world"

"I am thankful for myself"

"I am thankful for my teachers"

The Little Things

they say its the little things.
well if it is, i don't believe it... because i think this is pretty...

...big.

What Are You All? Horses?

because I'm surrounded by neigh sayers.

You're Welcome

GirlTalk: All Day free download

I'm Down For A Baldwin

"30 ROCK. If you look closely... behind him on the bed: MY SHEETS!" - Text from me to Mami

"is he in your bed?" - her response

a lot more boring...

but at least I have an orb

2nd Grade Not So Humor, But Humor

"Can anyone tell me why the Pilgrims came to America?

Yes, Lil' Bill"

"Because they didn't want to be slaves anymore... ?"

"Anyone else?"

This Paper Is Going Nowhere

How do I motivate myself to write a paper on ways to successfully motivate students?

...Am I at this point because my teachers failed at motivating me or am I at this point because I am indeed a rote memorizer? Should I care?

Yes. - the teacher inside me

No. - the student inside me

Which comes first?

Is it bad that I can't decide?

Am I supposed to grow up now?

Oh my God, I'm 21.

((also, WTH redskins))

^Aw man, that's probably why this paper is going nowhere.

ANDTHEYSTAYTHERE

Since I've been back, I've had "All I Do Is Win" by DJ Khaled stuck in my head.

A drinking school with a football problem, #Morgan and I were up for the challenge.

Morgan and I geared for the "i-have-so-much-work-to-do-that-I-probably-should-not-be-going-to-Auburn-but-screw-it" weekend by piling clothes and pillows and music into the car. Our start to the trip was enlightening. Placing my grapes on the top of my car for the trip, I forgot they were up there until a skaterdude stopped me at the light and handed them to me.

OOPS.

We finally got to Auburn late and we sure acted like it was late. Straight to bed after a few hits of some gregarious conversation, Morgan and I cuddle until we fell asleep. OK, we didn't.

The next day, not adjusted to the time difference, Morgan and I were up at 7AM. WAY UP. Back to bed for a few hours, soon enough, we found ourselves decked in Auburn pride at 1716. A bar named after a close game Auburn won against Alabama where the final score was 17-16, the bar was named. We were one of the first ones, so we got a seat at the bar and started proving we (and Katie Bradley) were 21 years old.

Long, crazy story short: Auburn won. We walked to a cafeteria to run some trains on some chicken fingers and later were driven back to Kellyn's house where my blink for a nap did enough to kinda-sorta wake me up.

A quick shower and it was time for round 2 of 1716. Between waking up at 7AM and this second bar round, I saw Danny, Anthony, Jackie, Jessica, randomly Vince (later Jay), and met the very cool Luke and Kelsey. Auburn is so nice. Round 2 came and we got in because Kelsey knew Mario Number21. We met some cool people and had a great time. That night really taught me a lot about where I am as a person and how I am with new and old friends.

We roadtripped back on Sunday. It didn't feel as long of a trip as going to Auburn- maybe because we were anticipating the arrival.

I know I'm going to look back on this experience and look at this post to remember the lessons I learned- especially those lessons I learned my last night at Auburn.

Thanks Kellyn and Alabama for a damn good time.

War Eagle!

The game and the experiences were all...

My Favorite Stories

Mine:

5th grade vitiligo. So unheard of, the computer's dictionary doesn't even recognize it. The best way to describe this vitiligo- sounds like vertiligo if vertiligo was a word is: Michael Jackson. Black to white. Then, in my case: kinda brown to white. Spots of depigmented skin nudged its way into my profile. Depression threw my mom into loops of uncertainty and an intense cleaning trip. As if a sparkling house would render a spectacular cure to my vitiligo, she cleaned every part of every room. An orange slip of paper on the floor she cleaned the night before led her to our new church on Backlick Road. Driving to this church, my mom's life was beginning. I guess we're destined to savagery when hopeless because my mom couldn't be understood and only Pastor Sammy could understand her 70 miles per second spanglish. Reassuring my mother everything was happening for a reason, Pastor Sammy, wearing one of her of 300 dress-suits took her to the lost-and-found section of the church. They started with the basics. Randomly picking a flamboyantly happy one, Pastor Sammy skimmed through the pages making sure it was free of insignificant papers and such. Finding a picture of a flower girl, a bridesmaid and a maid-of-honor stuck, loosely inside, Pastor Sammy placed this lost, almost found bible back on the shelf thinking someone in the picture might return to their prescribed book.

"Can I see that picture?,” my mother asked.

This question ends one of my favorite stories.

The picture...

Girl in pink dress looking to the side carrying a white basket: my sister.

Girl in white dress with white tiara and veil: me.

Woman on far right with short, straight hair: my mom.

Photo taken years before we found it.

Photo and bible had no name.

We had never been to that church on Backlick Road.

Who knew.

Danny's:

Born an entertainer, Danny has always been funny. His charm and energy were always there. Even during the hardest time of his life: charming and energetic Danny was there. Ryan died in April 2009. Don't let the date throw you off, it still hurts. Danny and Ryan were best friends: Thelma and Louis, if you're a bird I'm a bird kind of friends (or something more masculine...).

It/ is/ was/ havehadshouldmaybebeingbeendodiddoes a hard year and when Danny told me this story, everything became awesome.

At every Robinson alumni's favorite go-to restaurant for horrible Mexican food, I joined Danny and Kellyn (my go-to Auburn best friends) at La Tolteca. Danny talked about his ride to school. It was raining and he was going a long way. As we all find ourselves doing, he started thinking about Ryan and "not to test the impossible or anything like that," Danny told me and Kellyn, he told Ryan it would be really nice if the rain stopped.

Just then, Danny went under a bridge and the rain stopped.

It wasn't a test of the impossible or anything like that... it just happened and it just happened to be awesome.

(+Mandy's story. See "Planted" post).

War Damn

one hour. see you thurr.

102

12: 51AM screaming from room 102

"what am i even doing here?"

"why don't i just drop out of school?"

"what the f^*k am i doing with my LIFE"

thump.

well alright then... night.

Scratchy Throat

philosophy is more successful than truth

... talking about the day, shooting the breeze... that's not good enough. we must originally speak because if we don't, we're not brilliant

What?

Do You See What I See?

A full moon hike.

click moon to travel.

#39 #40 #41

39. Do a Strike- Out. No not that kind, the fun kind.
40. Walk Up or Down the Escalators In the Opposition Direction of Intention. It's not only childish, only immature or only dangerous... its all of those three at once. You know its always been tempting... it's time to give in.

41. Reenact a Photo. One from your parents or childhood, go to the same place during the same time you took a photo of in past years.

Counterfeit Attempt for a Rebelution

Last night: Morgan, Jasmine and I kept driving.

"Just keep going..."

ambition, purple jesus night, ambition, this is what I'm talking about

"Alright, alright guys..."

upbringing, college, religion, relationships

"... maybe we should turn around"

reality trumps

ToK Lesson:

In eleventh grade, we tailored our schedule to include ToK: Theory of Knowledge.

We learned upbringing, college, religion and relationships are filters to justified true belief, so upbringing, college, religion and relationships make us who we are.

But are these elements holding us back from the thrill?

Planted

Mandy found a journal in a parking lot.

We had lunch plans. Meet at Elon, go to Panera. Leah, Mandy and I sit down to eat.

"Guys, you're gonna think I'm such a dork because of where I just came from." Mandy had just gone to Barnes & Noble to buy a journal. Inspired by the one she found in a parking lot, Mandy plans to write just as interestingly witty entries as the ones told in the journal she found. This prescribed journal had stories that echoed many years. Details of relationships, emotions and life, this journal represents nothing short of the proof of the wisdom of the bumper sticker: everything happens for a reason.

Was the journal planted? Lets go with yes (remember the bumper sticker).

Start a journal, be natural. Plant it later for someone else to grow.

Right Now

is the youngest you'll ever be ever again.

Second Grade History

A new take on zee tomahhh-to

binrightsince

i haven't been the same since... but its not that i haven't been right since because i don't feel like i've been wrong since.

milf island

keep thinking

beat these, i dare you

here comes the bride

peter boyle, john lennon relationship
noooooooooooooooooo waaayyyyyyy

Sorry Kyle

Not sorry.
Welcome to Elon!

Siturday

Sitting. With tripleXtina.
Me: blogging
Her: denying purse/ boot prices

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/the-100-best-signs-at-the-rally-to-restore-sanity

Super Visits

Granos

Reading a book during MIRP time, blank read, "Adults look in the mirror all the time"

Blank's commentary, "It's true. My parents look in the mirror up close all the time, especially to pop their granos"

I was going to add a picture of someone popping a pimple, but I'd rather put out a campfire with my face.

dear, please