Something Real-Please Read

I have noticed that I have only really talked about superficial things on this blog, so its time to talk about something real.

Last week I took part in a poll on facebook about Sarah Palin. It was extremely off putting how many of the comments below it were bashing President Obama. This was a poll on Palin yet the majority of the comments weren't even about her. I began to read the posts that people made and I heard the usual drone of people who are so negative about everything that Obama has done. It was not only distracting from the poll, but offensive.

I am in no way Republican. You can tell by taking one look at my backpack, with its many progressive buttons. But I feel as though in the course of the previous election and during Obama's presidency, the debate has turned from Republican vs. Democrat to a more racial and hateful tone. I firmly believe that Obama is the right man for the job of president right now. He is extremely intelligent, confident, isn't two faced, and frankly he won in a landslide which shows that many people voted for him! But now it seems as though people are turning on their vote and finding every little thing to nit pick him on. Give him a break people! So many people were accusing him of ruining the country the first few weeks he was in office. No matter who you are, you cannot turn our country around in 1 month, not with all the baggage the previous administration left him.

I think that the thing that Obama has shown all of America is that we are not over our racial prejudices and there still is a strong undercurrent of hate towards people who are unlike us, no matter their race, creed or sexual orientation. Hell, everyone was convinced that he was a terrorist because his middle name is the same as Saddam Hussein! That's probably a very common name, like Jones or Smith in the part of the country Obama's father was born! I hate to say it, but if Obama had all the same credentials but was white, there would not nearly be as many people threatening him, his family, or the administration.

I pray constantly for him and his family. I am scared to death that something bad will happen to them. If people would give him a chance, he could do amazing things as president. But everyone is so blinded in their own stereotypes and unwillingness to accept someone who is different from them that they wont give him that chance.

What kind of country is this that we say everyone has equal rights and opportunities yet when we elect a black man as our president, we expect him to be absolutely perfect and criticize him for every little thing he does that isn't?

I see it this way. By electing Obama as president, we prove to minorities everywhere that yes, even though you are a minority, you can do what ever you want and be who ever you want, even the President. Are you going to tell children at an early age that because they are in any way different from the "norm" that their dreams are limited??


Think about that before you criticize Obama.


If you have the urge to comment, feel free. But if you post something argueing with my thoughts without being open to what I -or anyone who opposes you- has to say, then I don't want to hear your arguement. I do not enjoy being hounded by people who are so pointed in their thoughts and are not open to maybe, possibly, being wrong or considering the opposite point of view.

Weather

I hate being cold. Its my biggest pet peeve. So living here, in Seattle, is really starting to get on my nerves. Too cold in the winter. Its gloomy for months, which makes me so bummed. Plus it snows. I like snow, for like a trip to the mountains, but not on my lawn or in the streets, or on the sidewalks. Just not fun to trudge through. So I have decided that I am going to move when I graduate. I don't quite know where yet. I want it to be warm, like lowest 50s/60s. Don't really like a lot of humidity, so Florida is out of the question. And since I am an art student, kinda needs to be a place that would have some jobs for me. I am thinkin Cali, probably northern Cali. Would suck to move away from my friends, but I really need to live in a place where I don't regret going out of the house.

American Vanity

So why don't people want to get old? So many commercial products these days are "anti-aging" or claim to erase the signs of aging. In the last century the huge boom in these products is probably more astounding than imaginable. I don't really understand why people are so ashamed of getting older. Years ago elderly people were held in high esteem and highly respected for their wisdom. Our industries are even promoting it. Roles on TV require actresses, mainly, to play roles younger than their age. And do you ever see models who are actually older than 24? Seriously, why do people see putting Botox, snake venom, into their face or elsewhere in order to get rid of wrinkles? Seriously, does a woman who cant raise her eyebrows look better than one with a few wrinkles? I would like to think that those wrinkles are not to be hated or covered up but to be looked back upon. They are there from years of laughing with friends, smiling at sunsets and spending countless days which gained wisdom that you shouldn't have the need to cover up.

Night Owl

So its the second post, and not many hits yet. So sad. Oh well, takes time I guess. Today's topic is my constant habit of staying up late. Like right now its Midnight, and its not even unusual for me to be up this late. I just don't get it. I get tired in the middle of the day a lot, and then later in the evening, like 8 o'clock, I just perk up. Its like I am meant to stay up late. I really don't get it. Its not like I can live off of no sleep tho. I sleep a lot! I seriously sleep in til 11 at least on the weekends or when I have nothing in the morning. It is not uncommon for me to sleep 12 hours if I get the chance. But its always between 12am and 12pm, sometimes later. Its like my internal clock is off from everyone else's by like 4 hours.

It really gets to be a problem during the week when I have to get up and go to school, since I don't get much sleep at night. Then, when I get home, I am often wiped out and take a nap for a few hours. Then of course this feeds on my not wanting to go to bed early. Its a vicious circle!! Right now, one of my personal goals is to go to bed by 11 each night. Its a great goal. I would get enough sleep each night. But as you can guess by what time it is when I am writing this, it is not going too well. I just cant bring myself to get to bed early. I have an alarm on my phone to start getting ready for bed even. But I guess I don't have the self discipline to tell myself, "Emily, stop what you are doing and go to bed NOW!" It usually comes out, "ok after this last post on your friend's facebook, let's go to bed" which turns out to be not the final task before I actually go to bed.

You would think for a person who loves to sleep so much, it wouldn't be so hard for me to actually go to bed.

Its probably a combination of procrastination, ease of being distracted, and that dang Facebook that get me so sidetracked at night that I stay up for way longer than I had planned to go to bed. I think I need an outside form of discipline to help me get on track. Like a drill sergeant, just for bed time (i wouldn't mind a few good workouts either, lol). Or all power goes out on my electronics (computer mainly) at 10:30 so that I go get ready at that time.

Well until I get some self discipline or just loose my need for sleep, I don't think I will meet my goal. And you probably will find me on facebook late at night. If so, just tell me to go to bed, you have my permission. If I give you any crap, just tell me that you are the Drill Sergeant.

The First Moment of Enlightenment

So I am guessing a lot of you reading this might think that due to the name of this blog that I am gonna write about how I have "seen the light" or spoken to God or something. Don't worry, I wont be writing much about that. No I was ultimately inspired to do this because I have always liked free writing and this is a great way to do so. Not to mention it seems to be all the rage on the virtual "runway" and "all the cool kids are doing it". Haha.

For all of my friends, or even just people that have talked to me much, you know I am totally random. I fully expect this blog to be random, maybe even somewhat eclectic. But hey, that makes for better reading, right? I am gonna stick with yes on that one.

So here, in this First Moment of Enlightenment, I would like to clear the air and talk about the current events in my life that have unfolded to me having a strong urge to start a blog. Granted, this isn't my first ever blog (I tried to start one earlier this year) but I think this time I might actually keep with it. Nevermind the constant reminder of having it posted on my Facebook homepage. But really, I feel like my life has more direction now and with that new found direction, more topics to write about in my blog. Its a win-win situation, new direction and blog topics!

Ok, so lets start from the beginning. So my mom and dad they fell in love right.....Oh no wait, thats a lil too far. Lol. (Lame and totally off subject but oh well, its my blog and I can write what I want!) Well the more important beginning is that when I started up at the Art Institute, my parents and I had an agreement that I would make school my #1 priority and that meant that I wouldn't be allowed to get below a B in my classes. So for a while that was working, but like we were trying to prevent, I slacked off and started to hang out with friends and lounge around more than do homework. This caused my grades to slip and the parents to lash out (my parents are very strict and some would say controlling). The punishment was along the lines of I need to get my act in gear, get a plan in place or else I would be forced to drop out.

This black and white agreement snapped me not only back to my original standing point when I started at AIS, but has given me a whole new look on my school career and life choices. Sadly, to put it bluntly, it made me wake up and accept the reality that I am no longer a child, but an adult and I need to start acting like it.

For those concerned about the outcome of my school future, I have a rough plan in place but more importantly the mind set that is needed to follow thru with it and to do these things because I want to, not because my parents want me to.


These bits of Enlightenment Brought to You By:

The Once Foolish Now Enlightened....... EMILY*



*I don't believe I am "holier than thou" I just really like how Enlightened starts with E, its my fav letter