Friday, December 30, 2011

coffee and new beginnings.

Quote Love: "Hug the snow for me...yes I said hug."
-My friend, Emily, who loves the snow, but is currently in Israel so she cannot hug it herself. :]
Listening to: "Everything's Right" by Matt Wertz

Happy New Year! Yes, I am fully aware that I am about a week late on getting this post written, but my Astronomy class has kind of eaten my life. I wish I could say that I understand everything I am supposed to be learning in this class, but unfortunately, I'm not understanding much. This is probably because I am focusing on the mathematical problems and I have no ideas how to do any of those. 

Anyways, I am quite happy it is Friday! Class from 1-3:20 pm and Lab from 3:30-5:20 pm today, and then I'm done with my first week.

Speaking of Astronomy though, I was going to watch the Meteor shower the other night (yes at 3 am) but the cloud cover was too great and it would have been pointless to freeze out in the cold and not be able to see anything. I wish I had been able to see the shower though. The actual observation part of this class intrigues me. I cannot wait to spend time outside looking up at the stars at night, because I have to. Sometimes I forget how amazing the night sky is. God created more than just the galaxy I live in. He created thousands!


Each one of those bright spots is not a single star, but a galaxy! God created each of them uniquely. Just as He made us uniquely to proclaim His glory.

Now, my year in review.

I never realized how many good things happened within the bad in 2011. I have met some amazing people throughout the year of 2011 and I have found some pretty great friends.




I went to Haiti. I met the child I now sponsor in Haiti long before I even thought of sponsoring a child. It is a complete God thing that I am sponsoring her because I did not even request to sponsor her.




I just got this letter from her this week! :] She is absolutely precious!




I was able to go home with my roommate for Fall Break. And we brought along our wonderful "third roommate" with us (who wrote the wonderful quote from the beginning of this post).


I somehow conquered my fear of Ferris wheels... But only for the amount of time I was on it. I don't think I could ever go on one again.





I am beyond blessed for the amazing people God has placed in my life this past year. Without any of them, I have no idea where I would be.


And now on to the other topic of this post: coffee.




I absolutely love coffee. I am not addicted though, because I can drink it everyday, or not without having to worry about getting withdrawal headaches. 


I love Caribou Coffee. I brew it myself & go to the closest shop to me when I am home for breaks. Unfortunately, the closest Caribou to me here at school is 60 miles away on IU's campus. That is an hour away! So while I am at school, I am stuck with Starbucks. Unfortunately, I am a coffee snob and I don't like Starbucks. I will drink their froufrou drinks, but I am not a fan of their drip brew.  I will drink Caribou Coffee all day. I am in love with Mahogany, one of their dark roasts. For being a dark roast, it does not have a bitter aftertaste and it is smooth. I am in love with it. Unfortunately, when I go home now, my favorite barista  is no longer working at the shop by me. 


When I go to Starbucks here at school, I usually get a Caramel Macchiato, and then I wonder why I wasted my money on the drink. So much money for such a small amount of happiness in my life. Oh well...

At least it looks pretty, right?

Yesterday I splurged for a White Chocolate Mocha (with an extra shot of espresso, of course). 

I mean, coffee is always a good idea, right?


May this Saturday be a day of rest and peace as 2012 continues to roll right on in.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

a little Christmas cheer.

Quote Love: There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed. 
-Ernest Hemingway 






This past week has been quite crazy. From the Christmas pick-a-date to Christmas Open Houses to Silent Night (with a flash mob by MY residence hall... that Justin Bieber tweeted about!) to a night of caroling, ice skating (well, attempting to) and Ihop, it has been a crazy week. And now I have finals week!


One take-home final, 2 in-class finals (tomorrow), and 2 final projects in 2.5 days. I can do this, right?


Here's a little video (the one mentioned above. the one that J Biebs retweeted!) for a finals study break. Enjoy!



Monday, November 14, 2011

begging for a break.

Lyrical Love: "If you're partial to the night sky / If you're vaguely attracted to rooftops..." from "Hannah" by Freelance Whales


Today is the first day all semester that I get to go home. Thanksgiving break, you are much needed. I am ready to get out of Upland for a little while and be with my family (and go Black Friday shopping at my favorite mall).


I have been running on empty for a few days now so it is nice to finally have a break, even if it is just for a few days. 


So, Michigan, I'm coming! :]



Thursday, October 27, 2011

and then there are rainy days.

Quote Love: "May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us."
-St. Thérèse de Lisieux

(This quote has been a great encouragement for me as I recently changed my major)


Since I am still playing catching up and trying to get all of my work done from when I was out of class with vertigo this fall, I do not have time for a full post. But I do have time to share a few videos from rainy days this fall and for you to watch on a rainy day while snuggled up in blankets, drinking hot tea, coffee, or cocoa. 


My new favorite music video, including one of my favorite redheads (Rupert Grint):


And then a few from Airband this year:

(The winners: 1WW with Revolution of Dance)

(3WO, 3WW, and Penthouse with Gold Dust)

(2nd East with Seize the Day... blast from the past: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFfOfM9Ht2c&feature=related)

(and my wing, 3EO, and 1EW - bro/sis love with Grace Kelly)

And a few Airband commercials from this year as well:

("Normal Activity")

And then there was the one I was almost a victim of...

(The Old Lick-The-Elbow Game) :]
well... that's all I have time for right now. Hopefully an actual post will be written soon...

Saturday, October 1, 2011

a new beginning.

Quote Love: "You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present."
-Jan Glidewell


This semester has already been super crazy. I have not had time to reflect on my life too much this year because of crazy circumstances and a ton of work I've needed to get done...


And all I want to do is anything but the work I need to do now. 


I have two papers to write, 2 tests to study for, a few other random assignments to catch up on, reading for classes... It's not fun, and I need to be sleeping more. 


The only reason I am behind on my work is because a little "friend" came to visit last week. A dizzy friend... one named Vertigo. 


I am glad I can stand up and walk on my own again without any fear of losing my balance.


Lately I have been a little caught up in the past. I've just been quite nostalgic. Being nostalgic is not all bad. I mean, it reminds me of where I have come from. It helps me not to be afraid of change. But when it starts to take over my life, I know I need to move on. 




I guess I just miss the way some things were last year. Some things have changed for the better this year, and some things I am not too sure about just yet. I know I am not supposed to dwell on the past, and the good times in life when I have a whole life ahead of me to live, but that is way easier said than done in many cases...




I am working on creating a list of goals for the semester/sophomore year. Some are quite trivial, but some are very important to me. Like: wanting to invest in others on my wing more, making time for my family and God, etc. This is going to be a crazy year (especially this semester), so I want to make sure I am making the most of my time. 


Some goals are going to be easier to complete than others. I have almost completed one goal many times this year (which is one of the more trivial... and girly ones). Almost. At this point, I think I have completed it, which is definitely going to help me move forward on in my life and not dwell on the past as much. I thank God for His help in completing this goal (finally?). I want to move forward and say:


Happy Sophomore Year! Gonna live it up! Moving on from the memories of last year that are holding me back and looking to what is ahead! 

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

living as a woman who puts God first.

Below is something a little different than I normally do. I have started blogging for WaterBrook Multnomah a little while ago, and here is the review for Every Single Woman's Battle by Shannon Ethridge.
___________________________________________________________

Shannon Ethridge does a fantastic job at combining excerpts from *Every Woman's Battle* and *Every Man's Battle* to create a new book for single women searching for the knowledge to be completely filled by the Spirit and not compromising emotional and sexual purity. She sets up this book in a workbook form in order to help the reader interact better with the book and to help the reader process what she is reading and learning throughout the course of this book. Ethridge uses stories from the other two books mentioned above to set the stage for what she wants her readers to get out of each chapter. Following each set of stories and analogies, there are questions to help process the previous information. 

Each chapter focuses on a new topic regarding intimacy and giving your heart fully to God in the process of being single. Some topics include taking thoughts captive, guarding your heart, being aware of yourself and emotional integrity, and surrendering yourself to God. 

Each chapter has a few different sections: planting good seeds (personally seeking God's truth), weeding out deception (recognizing the truth), harvesting fulfillment (applying the truth), and growing together (questions and answers you can share with a small group). This layout of the book helps the reader to take the time she needs to fully process what she is learning. This book is definitely worth the read if you want to focus on having healthy relationships and guarding your heart.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

the city without any good postcards.

Listening to: "Therapy" by Relient K

Quote love: "It just happened... I just woke up one day and I knew... I was sitting in a deli reading Dorian Gray and a guy comes up to me and asks me about it and now he's my husband..." -Zooey Deschanel as Summer in (500) Days of Summer



One week from today I will be moved back into the 347. My home away from home seems so far away, and yet in a week I will be living there for the school year.

For my wing this year, I need to bring a postcard of my hometown. And guess what? The only postcard my city has is of the city hall. BORING!!!

I am excited to see a ton of people when I get back to school. Especially my roommate.

I expect a running and tackling hug from her. :]

I am spending one last night in Caribou tonight. I am going to miss the fantastic atmosphere here and the wonderful people who work here. I wish Indiana had more Caribou Coffee locations around me at school. That would make me a very happy girl.

So, I guess I will have to deal with Payne's and Starbucks coffee dates. And even a few in the Union with some drinks from the Jumping Bean (Frozen Chai with peanut butter anyone?) :]

As I pack up my room into bins, I am excited for the new year that is to come, I am also nervous. I want to see everyone. I am looking forward to many of my classes. Especially my History and Geography of Africa class... Even though it is an 8 am class... and 4 credit hours.

So... Here's to a new school year. May the memories fill the pages of my blog this coming year. :]

Stay tuned for some news from the wing. 3EO love. :]

Monday, August 1, 2011

the final rose.

Listening to: "Cosmic Love" by Florence and the Machine
Quote love: “When we are at our wits’ end for an answer, then the Holy Spirit can give us an answer. But how can He give us an answer when we are still well supplied with all sorts of answers of our own?” –Karl Barth
Before I dive into my main topic for this post, I wanted to spend a few seconds on the quote above.
I have been reading Francis Chan’s Forgotten God this summer for a book study with other college students, including some of my best friends. The book is about the nature of the Holy Spirit, the part of the trinity many people seem to overlook. Overlooking the Holy Spirit is a huge problem. The Spirit does many things for Christians that are often looked over and not made a big deal of in daily life, which is definitely a problem.
This quote is the opening to chapter 5. It is extremely relevant to me. I know I struggle with completely giving every situation in my life to God. I should let the Holy Spirit give me the answers I need from God instead of trying to find things out on my own and then running to God and then realizing in the end that He was there all along and I just never opened up to let Him and His spirit into my life for the better.
I would love it if you would dwell on this quote and its truth in your own life today before moving on to the rest of this post.
___________________________
Okay. So I promised in an earlier blog this summer that I would write about a certain rose I received this year at school.
May 6th, 2011.
I went to the Health Center in the afternoon that day. I still was struggling with vertigo.
When I got back on campus from the ER (long story... look at this blog post for explanation...) I found a red rose lying in front of my dorm room door.

I asked everyone on my wing where it came from, but no one confessed to knowing anything. It couldn't have been put there by a boy because it was not open house night.

The original owner of the rose still remains a mystery to this very day. I wish I knew who gave it to me, or at least who the messenger was. But I guess some mysteries are meant to be left unsolved.

I wish I knew why someone left it there.

I wish I knew why no one knows who left it there...

Oh well... The world may never know.

Final rose tonight... who will win Ashley's heart on the Bachelorette??? I'm saying JP...

Friday, July 8, 2011

the end.

The End.
Listening to: “Loving You Tonight” by Andrew Allen
Still wondering about: www.pottermore.com
Quote Love: “‘The little ball of light was hovering there, waiting for me, and when I came out it bobbed along a bit and I followed it behind the shed and then it . . . well, it went inside me.’ . . . ‘it sort of floated toward me,’ said Ron, illustrating the movement with his free index finger, ‘right to my chest, and then – it just went straight through. It was here,’ he touched a point close to his heart, ‘I could feel it, it was hot. And once it was inside me I knew what I was supposed to do, I knew it would take me where I needed to go...’” (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, pg. 348)
July 15th. I can’t wait and yet I can. I want to see the last movie, and yet I don’t want it to end. I started reading the Harry Potter series when I was in 6th grade. Here I sit, seven years later, waiting for it to all be over.
It is bittersweet. So very bittersweet.
Every part of me is anticipating the final movie to be the best there has been thus far, and yet there is a twinge of knowing the truth behind the meaning of the words “last” and “end.”
I have my ticket for the midnight showing. I still don’t know my work schedule for next week, so I am desperately hoping I do not have to work the night of the premier.
I would not be a happy camper.
Thanks to Natalie Lloyd I found this awesome shirt.
I love it!
I’m just not sure if I am willing to splurge on the purchase. But... it is a fantastic shirt. :]
Years after the first book came out I became an avid reader of Harry Potter. The plot excited me. I could not wait for the next book to come out once I finished the most recently published novel in the series. And now... The last movie is coming out in less than a week now. I am super excited and yet there is a piece of me that doesn’t want to let go just yet.
I know, it sounds kind of dumb that I am this attached to Harry Potter. But, when you realize how much time I spent reading those books and watching the movies and even just talking about them to my friends... A lot of my childhood included Harry and friends.
Now, the child stars that played my favorite characters are all grown up and look like this instead of this...
So, here's to all my fellow HP lovers: go to the midnight premier, love every second of it, and read the Harry Potter books to your kids some day.

Plus, who doesn't love Neville? :]


(love.)

Sunday, July 3, 2011

what I like about you.

Wondering: Why different regions of the US call pop “soda” and why all kinds of pop are called “Coke” in the south...
1. Girl’s Nights: Sitting in my friend’s basement with my besties, listening to my friend’s mom’s bunko group laugh and talk loudly, all the while promising to each other we will not end up like that in 30 years.
2. Clear Summer Nights: Catching fireflies without being eaten alive by mosquitos.

3. Furry Friends: Waiting patiently, while eating my lunch at the dining room table, for the cute little bunnies that live under my deck to come out and play in my yard.
4. People Watching: Sitting in a coffee shop for hours spending more time watching the people around me than actually getting work done.
5. Coffee Friends: Baristas who make an entire carafe of coffee for me because the coffee beans used to make the kind they already had out was not the one I wanted. (Thanks, Nate!)
6. DIY: Spending hours looking up crafts I could do on various blogs and websites.
7. Kate Voegele: Listening to the same album for hours straight.
8. Dances & Vertigo: Dried flowers (especially roses) that have stories and memories attached to their very petals. (Story to follow soon about this one...)
9. Babies Smiles: The daughter of my mentor and youth minister is going to be one-year-old in August. For the first few months she had this straight face. Constantly. Now that she is getting older, she has more of a personality (thank God!) and along with that personality has come many smiles. Cute baby smiles which now include a few teeth. :]
10. Blog Creepin’: I love reading blogs. I love finding inspiration to write about from someone else.
11. Love, Dove: I love reading the inside of Dove chocolate wrappers. A friend and I are constantly swapping them and relating them to our lives at present or reminiscing about the past. “Laugh until your heart overflows. -Dove”
12. “Cheese!”: My brother and I take webcam pictures all the time. Every few months my profile picture is likely to change and it is even more likely to change into a new one of my brother and I being ridiculous.
13. “I hope you get your first, real foot-poppin’ kiss.” –Ellen Thermopolis: The Princess Diaries. Best quotes ever. Okay, well, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but they are still great. “It’s a wango?”
14. “No post on Sundays...”: Getting mail. Yup. Except hospital bills… or just bills in general… :/
15. Pick of the Week: Discovering new music before everyone else does (and then hating when my new favorite song, that I FOUND 3 MONTHS AGO, is constantly being played on every station in metro Detroit every 10 minutes).
16. Demos: He Is We is amazing. I love whenever they have new demos on PureVolume. They currently have a new demo out called “Tell Me.” I am in love with it! I listened to it on repeat for hours today. Love, love, love!
(They’re some pretty cool cats! :] They didn’t smile in anyone’s pictures. It was great. :] And for all of you who were wondering, yes, Trevor does have a voice. I heard him speak myself. :] Now if only he would do more than just play guitar.)
17. SYTYCD: I watch So You Think You Can Dance every Wednesday and Thursday night. The show makes me miss dancing, but it makes me appreciate good dancing so much more. Melanie, I want you to win this season. You are an amazing dancer. What you do is beautiful.
Well, that is all for now. I promise to post my rose story soon (referring to #8 on my list).

Friday, June 24, 2011

Princess of...

Quote love: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
Princess. Crowns. Royalty. Weddings of the royal sort. William. Kate. Mia?
One of my favorite movies is The Princess Diaries. I am not sure what has always intrigued me, but I have a feeling it is the similarities I have found between the main character, Mia, and myself.
I grew up loving two movies in particular. Motocrossed, a Disney Channel Original Movie in which Andrea Carson takes her injured brother, Andrew’s, place in a motocross competition that was seen as a sport for guys (I am such a nerd for still loving this movie. It is super cheesy and I know every line and what is going to happen before it happens, but I still love it. My roommate, the doll that she is, got me this movie just because this past year because I was never able to get it on DVD.) The other movie was The Princess Diaries.
Mia Thermopolis grew up thinking she was just an ordinary girl with hopes and dreams but a huge uncertainty as to how she was going to achieve them. She “wasn’t pretty enough” for her crush, Josh, to like her. That was until she, and everyone else, found out she was a princess. Unfortunately, people wanted to be friends with Mia because of her status as Princess and heir to the Genovian throne.
No, I am not close to being royalty, but I do understand the meek Mia. She had a lack of confidence in herself and her own ability. She did not realize what she was capable of doing in the world. With the help of her grandmother and the voice of her father, she was able to realize her full potential and become Princess of Genovia because of this new strength and confidence in herself.
Many times I find myself in situations where I am afraid of what will happen because of the lack of confidence I have in myself. I forget the most important part of me: I have the Holy Spirit LIVING inside of me!
Why, then, should I be worried about anything? Why am I concerned about saying the right things? I have the Holy Spirit guiding me. I have asked Him for guidance, and though it is not easy to give up the reigns of my life, I have done so because I know that by the strength of the Holy Spirit I will be able to accomplish much more for God’s glory.

"It’s a wango?”
This life is not about me. This life is about what I can do for God and how I can serve His people!
“The Spirit is meant to lead us toward holiness. The Spirit is here with us to accomplish God’s purposes, not ours” (Forgotten God by Francis Chan pg. 93).
Whether I waltz or tango through this life, God can use me and I am confident that His plan can include both a waltz and a tango from me. If I live by His Spirit I am here to accomplish His plans for my life.
Take the life God has given you and live it to the fullest with the guidance of the Spirit. Serve with confidence that is not of you or me, but of God! Let’s wango through this life by the confidence of God!

Monday, June 6, 2011

creepy crawlies, names & last looks.

Listening to: “Electric Feel” - MGMT
The Little Things I love: Coffee dates that last hours. Catching up with old friends. Looking at journals and planners at Barnes & Noble. Dried roses with stories behind how I got them. Making my own jewelry and headbands. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup packs of 8 for ONE dollar. The summer sun. Filling up journals with memories and pictures.

Spider Kill Count of Summer 2011: Six... Seven, if you include the one I killed on my second to last day at school... at 3 AM... the one that was sitting next to me on my couch! UGH!

I hate spiders. I have been home for two weeks now and I have seen and killed (or have had my daddy kill) SIX spiders. SIX!!! 3 banana spiders, and 3 really creepy, big ones... Black furry ones with white stripes. I have no idea who let them into my house, but it wasn’t me! I do not appreciate their presence in my home.

(Note: my finger was on the inside... icky spider was on the outside.)
The one above is next to my pointer finger... it is about a centimeter and a half long! GROSS! I cannot handle spiders. I mean, the spiders in Haiti were bad. I had enough spider encounters in Haiti to last me the rest of the year. I think spiders are attracted to the people who hate them. One of the guys on my Haiti team, who hated spiders, and I had plenty of spider encounters while everyone else on our team never had to deal with them. Why us?


I mean, seriously? These bugs like those who hate them. They are like cats.
I strongly dislike cats. Most cats are selfish little brats, and I do not appreciate their sour attitudes.
Anyways, cats know the people that are allergic to them and don’t like them. They scout those people out like it’s their job. They rub their bodies against your leg as if saying “Love me!” and yet I am able to resist. Because they are rude. They are mean. They only think of their own interests. I hate cats.
And for the same reason, I hate spiders. They know the people who are afraid of them. They seek out those who are afraid of them and surprise him or her only to leave the victim peeing his or her pants, or running and screaming in fear (or doing “the spider dance,” as my friends call the jumping up and down while screaming that I do when I see a spider any bigger than half of my pinky nail).
Okay. Enough talking about spiders... Freaky little creatures...
Names.
Before college, I would hardly ever answer to my name except if it was a teacher. Everyone, including my parents, called me “Di.” I love my nickname. It can be comical at times. It never gets old hearing someone yell “Di” down a hallway and see everyone turn and look at the person trying to get my attention.
For the past year, it has been weird. People would introduce me to new people as Diana and I wouldn’t correct them because it is my name, it’s just something I’m not used to.
Now to most people (minus a few friends who I am very close to) I am Diana. I kind of wish more people called me “Di,” but I guess it is okay that they don’t since once I get into the real world I will be Diana forever.
I’ve never had anything against my name. I’ve always liked my name actually.
There is just something different about people looking you in the eye, and saying, “Hi [insert your name here]” and proceeding to ask you how you are sincerely, all the while maintaining eye contact. I don’t think I have loved my name as much as I have this past semester. I don’t think I have heard anyone say my name so genuinely in my entire life. It’s a beautiful thing. To hear your name spoken by someone who cares about you with the utmost sincerity.

Words from Elizabethtown movie
Not far off, someone gave me this look. It’s quite sad, really.
College degrees and not enough financial aid. That is how I lose people in my life these days. Luckily, I have not had to say goodbye to too many people this year. Most of them will be back at Taylor next year, leaving me nothing to worry about. But there have been a few. One from one of my newest and closest friends at Taylor. I know she isn’t coming back next year and it’s really hard to imagine life at Taylor without her craziness all the time. Parting ways with her in the DC was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I know I have an okay chance of seeing her this summer, but what if I don’t? What if we never actually see each other again in person for the rest of our lives? It’s hard. The uncertainty...
I’ve acquired a few last looks in my life. Most of them have been from friends on my first missions trip. I remember parting from each of them. Saying goodbye with hugs and tears as they made their way to their terminals to their flights. To be frank: Goodbyes suck. And they really suck when they involve last looks.
Well, all sadness aside...
Here’s to a fun filled summer. One with plenty of spider dances, star gazing, coffee dates, and hopefully a job for the girl who wants to continue to go to school in the cornfields of Indiana. :]
“‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.’” -1 Chronicles 32:7-8

a girl who reads.


Date A Girl Who Reads 
by Rosemarie Urquico
Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes. She has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve.

Find a girl who reads. You’ll know that she does because she will always have an unread book in her bag. She’s the one lovingly looking over the shelves in the bookstore, the one who quietly cries out when she finds the book she wants. You see the weird chick sniffing the pages of an old book in a second hand book shop? That’s the reader. They can never resist smelling the pages, especially when they are yellow.

She’s the girl reading while waiting in that coffee shop down the street. If you take a peek at her mug, the non-dairy creamer is floating on top because she’s kind of engrossed already. Lost in a world of the author’s making. Sit down. She might give you a glare, as most girls who read do not like to be interrupted. Ask her if she likes the book.

Buy her another cup of coffee.

Let her know what you really think of Murakami. See if she got through the first chapter of Fellowship. Understand that if she says she understood James Joyce’s Ulysses she’s just saying that to sound intelligent. Ask her if she loves Alice or she would like to be Alice.

It’s easy to date a girl who reads. Give her books for her birthday, for Christmas and for anniversaries. Give her the gift of words, in poetry, in song. Give her Neruda, Pound, Sexton, Cummings. Let her know that you understand that words are love. Understand that she knows the difference between books and reality but by god, she’s going to try to make her life a little like her favorite book. It will never be your fault if she does.

She has to give it a shot somehow.

Lie to her. If she understands syntax, she will understand your need to lie. Behind words are other things: motivation, value, nuance, dialogue. It will not be the end of the world.

Fail her. Because a girl who reads knows that failure always leads up to the climax. Because girls who read understand that all things will come to end. That you can always write a sequel. That you can begin again and again and still be the hero. That life is meant to have a villain or two.

Why be frightened of everything that you are not? Girls who read understand that people, like characters, develop. Except in the Twilight series.

If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her. You may lose her for a couple of hours but she will always come back to you. She’ll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are.

You will propose on a hot air balloon. Or during a rock concert. Or very casually next time she’s sick. Over Skype.

You will smile so hard you will wonder why your heart hasn’t burst and bled out all over your chest yet. You will write the story of your lives, have kids with strange names and even stranger tastes. She will introduce your children to the Cat in the Hat and Aslan, maybe in the same day. You will walk the winters of your old age together and she will recite Keats under her breath while you shake the snow off your boots.

Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours and half-baked proposals, then you’re better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads.

Or better yet, date a girl who writes.
A girl who reads is probably a girl who writes . . . a lot. How else do writers get inspiration? I mean, there is much in life to get inspiration from, but there is a whole new world in books. How else do writers take a break and get lost in something other than their work. They read. Well . . . I do.
I have hated not being able to read books for pleasure this year. I am glad I got some pretty good books for book reviews, but I am also glad to have the summer to allow myself to be wrapped up in a good book, drinking plenty of coffee, and blocking out the rest of the world.
Summer Reading List:
*A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers
*Paperdoll by Natalie Lloyd
*When God Writes Your Love Story by Eric & Leslie Ludy
*[The controversial] Love Wins by Rob Bell
*The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
And if I have time...
*Maybe Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights again. :]
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