A Million Pieces

Is it possible to break a heart that's already in shambles?
If it is my friend, you executed flawlessly.
A million pieces were scattered on the floor,
And you came along to hurt me more.
Naive little me knew your past history,
But gave you the benefit of the doubt.
I should have known better.
I should have known you were exactly the same,
And deep down inside of me I think that I did.
Now I'm stuck lying here with my heart on the ground,
Waiting for someone who can save me to come around.
Though I know deep down the only one who can save me is myself,
I still lie here waiting for somebody's help.

Sarah Palin's Alaska, a smart political move?

I can't believe that Sarah Palin, with as little political experience as she has, might possibly run for President of the United States in 2012. I'm sure I don't have to remind you that she didn't even complete one entire term as Governor of Alaska. The fact that John McCain chose her to be his running mate during the 2008 election has me in awe to this day. I understand his mindset at the time. He believed that people who would have voted for Hillary Clinton would vote for him because he had a woman candidate for his Vice President. He HONESTLY believed that strong, independent, women that would have voted for Clinton because of her political views would have switched parties during the election due to the fact that his running mate was a woman. Silly, silly McCain.

Although I don't necessarily agree with where Sarah Palin is going with her reality tv show, I do believe it is an attempt at a political movement; however, I don't believe she will become successful politically by doing the tv show. Will people watch the show? Of course they will. Will people who care enough about politics to inform themselves about people who have the potential to govern Americia watch the show? I highly doubt it. Having this show, "Sarah Palin's Alaska," will not urge people to go vote. Rather, it will urge people to change the channel to CNN, CSPAN, or (as much as I hate to admit it) Fox News. Many people that take politics seriously already take her as a joke because she appeared on Saturday Night Live. Having her own reality show and appearing on Entertainment Tonight will merely add to the joke that she has allowed herself to become.

You Should Never Step Out of the House In. . .

Some things you should never wear in public. I don't care who you are, or where you're headed. You could be going to the gas station or the city dump, but you should always do it looking halfway decent. These are some things that you shouldn't ever be caught dead in.


#1: Any type of shoe that makes you look absolutely ridiculous. You should NEVER spend money on Skechers Shape Ups, Crocs, Man Sandals, or Heelys. You look silly walking around in any of those. Crocs are probably some of the ugliest things that I have ever seen in my entire life. I remember when everyone I knew owned a pair. Heelys also make you look very, very silly. It is completely unnecessary to have wheels on the back of your shoes. I promise you that if I see you wearing Heelys and you go back on your heels to use them and you fall, I am pointing and laughing in your face.


#2: If you are a guy and you own a pair of jean shorts, it's probably because your mother got them for you. That's fine. However, if you faithfully wear jean shorts. . . there is an issue. Wearing jean shorts makes you look like a very trashy person. My personal favorite are the man capris that guys like to turn their shorts into. Just your ankles are showing. . . and those are supposed to be shorts? Um. . . that is NOT at all okay. Stick to khaki and basketball shorts. You look 987213 times better.


#3: Rainbow colored hair, whether it is real or weave, is the biggest no no in the book. Unfortunately, my school is infested with girls who think that their purple, red or yellow colored weaves are the shit. They're not. Your natural hair color would make you look like Tyra Banks in comparison to how you look now. You just look ghetto, and I don't know about you. . . but I don't think that's attractive at all.


#4: Long ghetto nails are not at all cute or stylish. It is not necessary for your nails to be five inches long with logos of fast food places, your name, or colorful designs of your favorite place to shop. How can you text, do your makeup, or wipe your ass with those damn nails in the way of things? You can't. Take them off, or at least get them a decent length with a solid color or a french manicure.


#5: Last, but certainly not least, is the mini denim skirt. It just looks trashy. It doesn't matter what you wear with it, it's not cute. Want to make your flared denim skirt look even more adorable than what it is? Wear it with a nice pair of leggings. You'll get all of the cute boys in that thing! Do me a favor, if you do own a denim skirt and you're still wearing it. . . take it to the Goodwill. Or the Salvation Army. Or throw it away. Yeah, throw it away. That would probably be best for everyone.

5 Reasons Why I Hate Facebook

I remember becoming a Facebook addict. I would stay up late at night IMing people and creeping on everyone's page, but I transitioned to Twitter and started to realize how annoying Facebook has become. Here are my top 5 reasons why I can hardly stand Facebook anymore.

#5: You can "poke" people on Facebook. I realize that you have been able to do that since Facebook was first launched, but it's creepy as hell. I'm sorry. . . but I don't want to be poked by strange old men who have nothing better to do than creep my Facebook page.

#4: People think that it's okay to put all of their business on Facebook. I've read statuses like "OMG, I like her soooo much," "Texting him <333," and "I finally have a boyfriend!!" I can assure you that NOBODY cares. They also think it's okay to update their statuses every 3 minutes. This is NOT Twitter. If you're going to do that, just create a Twitter account and tweet your little heart out.

#3: Facebook is just one big ego boost. People google Marilyn Monroe quotes and Lil Wayne lyrics and post them because they know a lot of people will "like" them. Does 30 "likes" on a status that says "If you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best" make you feel good about yourself? Oh it does. . . ? Goooood.

#2: I get Farmville request out the ass. As well as requests to be fans of all kinds of terrible, talentless rappers. No I will NOT be your neighbor on Farmville. No I will NOT become a fan of your whack music. You know what I will do though? I'll block you.

#1: Last, and certainly ont least. . . Facebook has been turned into an annoying place that ghetto people have ruined. For one, people edit their pictures. . . and I'm not talking about the subtle teeth whitening or blemish fix. . . I'm talking about adding text and turning their pictures purple for no reason. They replace g's with q's and e's with 3's. Fake Facebook names? Middle names imparticular? That's NOT attractive. . . and I promise you that you are not "Da Baddest" or "Jesse Minaj" Take your ass back to MySpace.

You're the reason people hate hip-hop

To all of the Soulja Boy's, Gucci Mane's, and Lil B's of the world. . . you are the reason people hate hip-hop.

It used to be that being an artist musically was something that was respected, but nowadays ANYONE can record a record and be called an artist. Hell, if I really wanted to I could write a song about animal crackers and have people swear up and down that it was the best thing that they've ever heard in their entire life. That is the most unfortunate thing. I'll admit that I listen to artists that I honestly wouldn't consider talented. Waka Flocka Flame, Travis Porter, and Gucci Mane are perfect examples. Their music IS fun; however, fun does NOT mean good. Nor does that mean they are talented.

I'll listen to your music, but that doesn't mean I will respect you as an artist. Shaking your dreads and screaming "FLOCKA!! FLOCKA!!" or "GUCCI! BURRR!" does not earn my respect musically. Sucks to be you if you assumed it would. Just to let you know, people do not take you seriously. You are a joke. You are not and will not ever be relevant or influential to the hip-hop game. I suggest you go get your GED and enroll into a community college so that you have some type of degree before reality hits, and people stop spending money on iTunes to hear you rap about doing a dance that makes you look ridiculous (Swizz Beatz voice)

One more thing, to all of the aspiring artists out there who believe that you can pursue rapping because your grades are awful and you don't apply yourself. . . let me be the first to tell you, you can't. If you want to try, by all means, go right ahead. . . but prepare yourself for the biggest rip session of your life from yours truly :)

Do us ALL a favor and stay in school, and stop trying to make it big. Don't quit your day job, because you'll regret it when you're collecting money from the government for Welfare and Food Stamps.

Top 5 MC's

Hip hop is my heart and soul. I think it. I dream it. I breathe it. I live for music itself actually. I can't believe that I haven't done this already, but here are my top 5 favorite rappers. Believe it or not my list doesn't consist of Jay Z, Tupac, or Lil Wayne. There are very few people who name their top 5 without at least one of those, and though all 3 have been influential to hip hop, none of them are personal favorites of mine. So. . . here goes nothing.

1) Eminem is without a doubt my favorite rapper. Everything that comes out of his mouth is so raw, and I love that about him. He doesn't sugarcoat things so that they sound better. He doesn't try to hide his past. He wants his fans to know who he is as a person, the good and the bad. Everything from Infinite to Recovery has been nothing less than amazing. . . though he has put out a few songs here and there that were BS. My favorite Eminem album is The Marshall Mathers LP by far. It's my favorite hip hop album of all time.

2) Number 2 on my list is a hip hop artist named Common, formerly known as Common Sense. There are few hip hop songs that I have listened to that compare to his "I Used To Love H.E.R.", a song about how hip hop as changed over the years. It is arguably one of the best hip hop songs of all times. He is a wonderful lyricist, and I love his flow. Though it seems that Common has lost himself with his most recent album, everything else has been dope. Be is in my top 10 hip hop albums of all time. . . and I believe it always will be.

3) Joe Budden is numero tres on my list. Unless you've already had a conversation with me about my favorite rappers. . . I bet you're shocked. Most people hear his name and automatically remember how terrible his single Pump It Up was. They overlook Mood Muzik 3, Padded Room, and Escape Route. If they actually listened to those albums they would know how dope Joey really is. He raps about real shit. Emotional shit. Relateable shit. If you haven't given him a fair chance, please do. Are you in that mood yetttt? No. . . ? Well you should be!

4) Andre Lauren Benjamin, better known as Andre 3000 of Outkast comes in at number four on my list. His style is just so fresh, and though that has nothing to do with his amazing ability to rap, it does help him a little. Lyrically he is one of the best in the game. No question about it. His voice is so unique, and I love it. He's been coming out with some new music lately, and I can't wait for his mixtape to drop!

5) Last, but certainly not least is Talib Kweli. I fell in love with him the moment I heard his poetry on Def Poetry Jam. He really opened my eyes about a lot of issues, especially religion. He performed a piece called Hell on Def Poetry that he later turned into a song that I feel everyone should listen to. We're going to see great things from him in the near future. Just wait and see.

Honorable mentions:
6)


7)


8)


9)


10)

Friends

"What are friends?
Friends are people that you think are your friends
But they're really your enemies with secret identities
And disguises to hide their true colors
So just when you think you're close enough to be brothers
They wanna come back and cut your throat when you ain't lookin'"
- If I Had, Eminem

In today's society it is difficult to recognize the difference between real and fake. When a person is real, they don't constantly feel the need to remind people that they are. Everyone already knows.

It is important to have a handful of real friends. Having a few real friends is way better than having tons of fake ones. Don't surround yourself with a bunch of Regina George's.

There are constantly going to be people coming and going from your life. There will be people that will want to surround you when you are at your highest, most successful point. . . but don't let them fool you. If they weren't there when you were at your lowest, they don't need to be there at your highest.

A real friend will remain in your life, regardless of the circumstances. Whether you are at your highest peak or your lowest point, they will not bail. Real friends will always be there to help you better yourself. They will help you in your time of need, no matter what. They are not worried about embarrassment because of the situation you are in. . . because they know that if they work hard enough and encourage you enough, you won't be in it for long. They will do whatever it takes to see that you are doing what you need to do in order to succeed. It's when you are going through a rough time that you see who your true friends are.

Try your best not to rely on other people, but remember that sometimes you need guidance. You will not always be strong. That is why it is necessary to have someone with strength to lean on when you're too weak to stand alone.

Real Men

We all know someone who has been in a relationship with a bad guy. They've been either physically or emotionally attacked, sometimes even both. Many women refuse to leave the bad relationships that they are in because they're afraid, not necessarily of the man. . . but afraid of being alone. Relationships shouldn't consist of putdowns, beatings, and cheating. If they do, get out! It's as simple as that. Though I understand that's easier said than done. Find a real man! Someone who knows how to treat a woman the proper way.

Determining whether or not the guy you're interested in is a real man can be rather tricky. Being 20 years old, going to college and having a career paying job does NOT make him a man. . . as much as I hate to admit it. It's SO much more than that.

He's a real man if:
He can recognize when he's wrong, admit it, apologize, and move on without making a big deal about things.
He isn't afraid to show his emotions.
He doesn't try to hide you from his friends and family.
He tells you how much he appreciates you.
He is always honest! No matter what.
He can remain faithful without a second thought.
He doesn't pressure you into doing things that you don't want to do.
He can sympathize with you.
He shows focus and dedication in all that he does.
He wears pink.

Obviously I was kidding about the last one, but you get my point. He shows you how much he cares, and isn't afraid to tell others. If the guy you are in a relationship with fits the description above, he's a keeper. But if he doesn't, you might be dating a man child. How can you tell?

He's a boy if:
He puts you down.
He doesn't support your dreams.
He won't make things official.
He runs back to his ex, CONSTANTLY!
He puts his hands on you.
He cheats on you.
He lies.
He tells you the sweetest things, but pretends he doesn't know you in front of his friends.



If the guy you're interested in fits this description, the best advice I can give you is to drop him. He's not worth the time and effort, and sure as hell doesn't deserve you. Don't get a relationship with a guy who has the mindset of a child. Believing you can change a guy is the biggest mistake in the world. You aren't anything special to him, and he is guaranteed to hurt you hurt you!

The sad thing is, 45% of "boys" will never mature into men. Not really 45%, I just made that up. The percentage is probably higher actually. Anyway, they think having multiple females and treating them however they want will always get them somewhere, but eventually it'll catch up to them. Whether it's 10 years from now, or 40 years from now when they're all wrinkly and old, it will bite them in the ass.


Just refuse to worry about it! Plain and simple. Silly childish boys aren't worth getting emotional over. Drop them, and move on to a real man. You'll be 13820 times happier. Promise.

I Had No Time To Hate

I had no time to hate, because
The grave would hinder me,
And life was not so ample I
Could finish enmity.

Nor had I time to love, but since
Some industry must be,
The little toil of love, I thought,
Was large enough for me.

-Emily Dickinson

Same Girl?

I was inspired to write this blog after seeing Usher and R. Kelly's Same Girl video for the hundreth time. Everytime I see it, it pisses
me off. Not only is what happened in the music video highly unlikely, it's just dumb. But it's Usher and R. Kelly, so it doesn't have to make sense. . . right?

In the music video, Usher and R. Kelly are telling each other about the girls that they're seeing. After describing them to each other, they come to the conclusion that they're seeing the same girl. . . hence the title of the song. They decide to set the girl up. Usher calls the girl, and asked her to dinner. Instead of just Usher showing up, R. Kelly shows up to. The guys thought they were making the girl, dubbed "TT" in song, look dumb. . . but out of nowhere TT's identical twin shows up. And when I say identical, I'm not just talking about genetics.

The song makes perfect sense by itself, but the video messes everything up. For starters, everything about them is the EXACT same. They are both nicknamed TT. . . which I guess would make sense if they had parents that thought naming their twins similar names is an okay thing to do. Like Taneshia and Takeshia, or Tiana and Tajuana, or. . . well, you get the picture.


Not only are they both nicknamed "TT". . .they both drive black Durangos with a license plate that says "Angel." They share a car? Okay. They both live on Peace Street. They share a house? Okay. If "TT" is making pesos as the song claims, would they really need to share a vehicle and house? Probably not. And where in the hell are they living that they would be making pesos instead of US currency?



They both love them some Waffle House. I have this is common with "TT". I love Waffle House as much as anyone else. I can't even blame her, or them. . . depending on whether you're going along with what the song says, or what the video shows.

Anyway, back to the video not making any sense. They both have identical tattoos on their ankles. They both have beauty marks on the same side of their mouths. The left side to be exact. . . which is the best side. Just thought I'd throw that out there. They went to Georgia Tech together, and both work for TBS. They're doing a little too much. I for one would be sick of my sister if we did everything together.

I'll break it down for you. R. Kelly and Usher were both seeing girls named TT that love waffle house, live on Peace Street, drive black durangos with the same license plate, have the same tattoo and beauty mark, went to the same school, and work at the same place. Sure, they can still be twins. That's fine.

The thing is, Usher calls TT and tells her to meet him for dinner. R. Kelly doesn't call TT at all, because they're trying to set her up. How would his TT know to show up at dinner?

In the song, R. Kelly and Usher are trying to make TT look stupid. At the end of the video, they're left looking stupid. . . but really, the only person that's looking stupid is the director of this video. Lil X.

He's looking like. . .

Just kidding. This is what he looks like. . .

No wonder the video turned out the way it did.

Alexis Marie

I remember waking up to a phone call on June 26, 2009 . . . and being extremely pissed about it. I answered, but my calls kept dropping because of the hotel I was at. The next thing I know, I get a text message from your mom that said this:

"Loren, Alexis got hit by a truck last night. She's bleeding internally, and there's nothing they can do about it. They've already given her two pints of bloods. It doesn't look like she's going to make it."

I was in disbelief. I thought you two were playing some type of sick prank on me to be honest. I called her back, shitty. I remember saying:

"Regina, you're joking. It's really not funny."

But it wasn't a joke. At that point I started to hyperventilate, told her I was on my way to the hospital, and hung up. I told my mom what happened and we immediately started our four hour trip back to Evansville.

The next four hours were the longest four hours of my entire life. It was a combination of praying, outburts, tears, and loud music that drowned out my screams. I blamed myself most of the way there, thinking that if I had been in town I could have given you a ride to where you needed to go. . . then you wouldn't have been in the situation you were in.

I wouldn't have gotten through that four hours and kept my right mind had it not been for three important people. My mom, Andrew, and Iman. . . and even though I'm really not close with any of them anymore it's important that they know they're appreciated for trying to help me stay positive. I couldn't give the three of them enough thanks for the hope that they gave me.

After what had seemed like days on the road, we pulled up at the hospital. I ran in the entrance, turning into one hallway after the other trying to find where you were. In front of the hospital's chapel I received a text informing me that you passed. I fell to my knees and screamed. Never in my life have I cried as much as I did that day.

I walked into the room where all of your family was, and gave your brother the biggest hug in the entire world. I quickly found Shelby. . . and we began crying in each others arms. From that point on, everything that took place in the hospital is a blur.

That night, I spent the night at your house with Bria and Abbey. Bria and I slept in your bed. . . that is the hardest and stupidest thing that I think I have ever done. I woke up the next morning looking for you, and felt like dying when I remembered that you weren't there to look for.


Alexis, I constantly think about you. I miss you more than ever. The hardest part about you being gone is knowing that even if you could come back, you wouldn't. I know that I'm selfish in saying that I wish you were still here. . . but isn't everyone a little selfish? We always had fun together, even in the most boring situations. You did a lot for me that no one else did, and I thank you for that. You were probably my truest friend. I was reading the note you wrote me in my yearbook last year and part of it says:

"I don't know what I would ever do without you, and I hope I never have to find out."

I break down every single time I read that. You never had to find out sweetie, but I did. . . and it's the hardest thing that I have ever been through in my seventeen years of life. I love you and I miss you more than anything in the whole world. I can't wait to see you someday, hopefully sooner rather than later. . . but until then, rest easy.

Alexis Marie Stewart (3.3.1993-6.26.2009)

Hip-hop vs Rap

What is the difference between hip-hop and rap?

To put as simply as KRS-One did. . . "Rap is something you do, but hip-hop is something you live." The thing is, hip-hop is so much more than a lifestyle. There is a beauty in hip-hop music that many fail to recognize because they believe that hip-hop and rap are one in the same. They aren't though.

"So what's the difference between rap and hip-hop? It's simple. It's like saying you love somebody and being IN love with somebody. Rap is just a word." -Brown Sugar

Hip-hop actually tells a story.

Hip-hop artist don't care about selling a million units the first week. They aren't about club bangers or radio play. They don't care about fortune and fame.

Hip-hop artists have a message that they want to get across. That's what makes them so respectable. You will NEVER see true hip-hop artists sell out.

Rap on the other hand is completely different. Rap artists are all about the money, the drugs, and the hoes. Most of the time that's what they're talking about in their music. And if they aren't talking about one of those things, guaranteed they're rapping about a ridiculous dance they made up.

Take the beat from your favorite Flocka, Gucci, or OJ Da Juiceman song and I guarantee you that you couldn't read that like a poem. I promise it wouldn't speak to you like Common's Retrospect For Life would.

Earlier as I was tweeting I made the mistake of putting Lil Wayne in the same category as Flocka, Jeezy, and OJ. . . and I admit that I was wrong for that. Lil Wayne does have some decent stuff. Drop The World is a dope hip-hop song, I must admit. However, Lil Wayne falls under the rap category in my book. Try reading a majority of Lil Wayne's lyrics without the beats. Most of them don't make sense. . . and even if they do, are they telling a story? No, they aren't.

Take lyrics from A Milli for example:

"I'm a millionaire, I'm a young money millionaire. Tougher than Nigerian hair. My criteria compared to your career just isn't fair. I'm a venereal disease, like a menstrual bleed. . ."

If that is what you want to call hip-hop after reading this, you must not have been reading close enough.

Hip-hop is not Soulja Boy. It's not Gucci Mane. It's not Lil Wayne.

Hip-hop is Nas. Hip-hop is Common. Lupe. Talib Kweli. Andre 3000. Eminem. KRS-One. Immortal Technique.

Hip-hop is a story. Hip-hop is beauty. Hip-hop is life.

Risk

Why fight for something that you could possibly lose?

Someone asked me this question today, and I think that I gave him a pretty good response.

The first thing I thought was "Why not?" but knew that wasn't a good enough answer for his stubborn butt, so I elaborated. If you don't fight, you automatically lose that thing (or person in this case) that you desire. It's not guaranteed that you're going to lose if you try, but it is guaranteed if you don't try.

The problem we tend to have is that once there is a possibility that we may fail, we give up. We tend to have a "What's the point?" type of attitude. . . which will get you no where FAST, if you haven't discovered that already.

It is vital that we risk in order to gain (even though sometimes we may lose), because by not risking we risk even more. Risk is something that many fear. That's why it is important to be courageous. Risk in order to flourish. . . and even if you don't benefit the first time around, eventually you will. I promise.

My man Andre Gide once said "Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore."

Next time you find yourself reluctant to do something, remember this quote. Remember to be courageous. Remember to risk.

It will be worth it.

Thank You

So, I wrote this a little over a year ago. I decided that it was more of a thank you note, rather than a poem. Either way, it's me. . . doing what I do best. Writing.

To my father who walked out when I was 5 years old, thank you. . . for coming back. If it weren't for you, I would be just like her. . .

And ever since I was a little girl, that has been my biggest fear.

She always cussed me out, told me I was no good, and fed me this bullshit about how I wasn't going to make it in this world.

And I heard it so many times that I started believing it.

At one point I remember thinking to myself "If this is what it will take for her to stop all this, then I'm all for it."

So here I am, 7 years old. . . ode to the future me:

Dropping out of high school, having 2 kids, food stamps, and a job that makes me less than $15,000 a year.

The person that she is, is the EXACT person I refuse to become.

Thank you for waking me up, and helping me realize that I have potential. . .
For telling me that as soon as I can, I need to get out of this town, because if I stay here I'll be settling. . . and I'm too good to settle.

I refuse to be like the rest of my family.

I refuse to break my back and get absolutely nothing in return.

Thank you for helping me realize that I should worry about myself, and no one else. . . because in that search to help others, I will lose myself.

Cheating

Why be in a relationship if you're going to cheat?

This is a question that I have asked too many times to count. . . and the answer is always the same. It's always "Because it's easy" or "I don't know" or even "Because my significant other won't leave me".

It's a shame that we have gotten to the point where cheating is an expected part of the relationships we're in. And the only thing worse is that a majority of people who are cheated on, remain with their partners. Wake up and realize this:

You are being cheated on because you allow yourself to be.

Put your foot down! If you don't, you will continue to get walked all over.

While I'm on the subject of cheating, here's a little something else. . .

G I R L S . . . you need to realize something. Just because a guy cheats with you, doesn't mean he will leave his girl for you. Don't think that you're bigger and better than his girl, because you aren't. If you were, he wouldn't be with his girl. . . he would be with you. There's something about her that's keeping him with her, even if he is cheating. . . at the end of the day he ALWAYS goes back to her. Remember that the next time you start to bash his girl.

If a guy does leave his girl for you, don't forget this:

If he cheats WITH you, he'll cheat ON you.

If you're going to hoe around, don't hoe around while you're in a relationship. . . and don't hoe around with someone who is in a relationship.

Happiness

It's crazy how in our desperate attempts to fill a void that someone else caused by walking out of our lives, we lose ourselves. . .

At least, I know that I did. We turn to sex, drugs, or (pick your poison) in search of this happiness that in all honesty, we can only find from within. The reason why so many of us aren't happy isn't solely because we're with someone we should have let go a long time ago. . . or solely because our "friends" are shady. The real reason we aren't happy is because we've lost ourselves.

That void that I mentioned above shouldn't be filled by another human being, but instead with yourself and what you're passionate about. Fill it with poetry, fill it with music, fill it with your higher power.

Remember not to be foolish and fill it with a person who can walk out of your life, just as easily as they walked in. As soon as another person completes you, or makes you happy. . . you're in trouble. From that point on they have total control over your emotions. Yes, they can make you happy; however, because of this they can also make you other emotions. Angry, envious, depressed, suicidal. You name it.

In order to be happy, you must search from within. Then, and only then, can you truly live a life filled with joy.

Love

I have seen nearly everyone around me claim that they "love" their significant other, but when I ask them what the word means to them. . . they're hesitant. It's sad that this word has been watered down throughout time. I hear people say that they love music, they love food, and they love ponies. . . but they don't. The feeling of love is different than having a passion, and that is something that people fail to realize.

One of the definitions that Merriam-Webster's Online dictionary gives it is this:

attraction based on sexual desire

As much as I hate to admit it, it seems like that's how most people think nowadays. Having sex shouldn't make you LOVE someone, because it's so much more than that.

The P E R F E C T definition of love comes from 1 Corinthians 13:

Love is patient and kind; it does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love does not end. . .

It is absolutely impossible to love material things. Yes, you may be infatuated. . . you may have a passion, but neither of those equal love.

You love people. But remember that you don't love everyone, so it's best not to throw the word around like a baseball.

I'm a blogger now?

I tweeted a few months ago about making a blog, and I thought that Summer Break would be the perfect opportunity. So here I am, creating this blog. . . and I have absolutely no idea what to talk about. I'll probably do most of my blogging about music, love, and Alexis. In no way does that mean that's what I'm limiting myself to; however, that's what I'm about. Without those things, my God, and poetry. . . I am nothing.