I'm going to do something different and critique a book that I just read.
I just finished "Quarterlife Crisis" which is a self-help books for those transitioning from "College" life to the "Real" world. It is a very helpful book full of great advice. It is full of experiences from many twentysomethings from all over the United States. I really liked the book, but as I continued to read the book the more depressed I got. Much of the advice they gave was blunt and to the point. I'm nervous about that transition, but after reading this book it has made me terrified. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is getting ready to graduate college because it shows you what to expect and doesn't leave you ignorant of how hard the transition from "College" life to "Real" life really is.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
A Day with Sam
It was a beautiful day in Southern Utah. They sky was clear and bright blue. It was a Saturday and I had had enough of school and work. I wanted a break; I wanted to go to my favorite place. I hadn’t been there in a long time. I put on my tennis shoes and put the leash on my dog Sam. We walked out of the yard and headed toward the big red mountain. We walked the half mile up to the dike; once we were on the dike we found the trail. I took Sam off of his leash and we began walking down the trail. We didn’t get far before Sam spotted a rabbit and decided to chase after it. I spent the next ten minutes calling out to him and when he wouldn’t come I had to run after him. After a few trips and one great tumble down a small hill Sam finally came back to me. I decided to put him back on his leash for a while, and we continued on the trail. Eventually I found the mouth of the canyon I had been looking for. We walked up the wash; I was anxiously looking for the whale and the rabbit. As soon as I saw them I knew that I was getting close to my favorite spot. I took Sam off of his leash again and we continued up the wash until we came to two rocks that leaned against each other and formed a tunnel. Sam wandered through the tunnel and I trailed behind him. When I stepped out of the tunnel there sat the flat sandstone stage. To the right was a large rock with many holes. We were here, my most favorite spot in the world. I climbed up the large rock and sat in a large crevice, I liked to call it box five because it had a perfect view of the stage. I pulled my backpack off of my shoulders and pulled out my notebook and pen. Sam explored the canyon for a while and eventually found a shady spot below a rock and laid down to rest. Then we both sat in peace enjoying this beautiful spot.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
A Story to Tell
At a table near the bar sat a woman about twenty-seven. She was sitting alone with an empty martini glass. She sat watching the bartender and thinking that he was really attractive. She was debating whether to write her name and number on a napkin for him, but she knew that he would never give her a call.
She was pretty, with long, dark brown hair and dark green eyes. She had a tall, curvy figure that would attract any man, but she was shy and afraid of rejection. She was dressed in jeans that hugged her figure, and a red, silk blouse. Her hair was hanging straight against her back, and her makeup was simple, but added to her features.
In the bar was a stage with a microphone. A man who had been telling his story finished and walked back to his seat. She had been listening to him tell his story about how his wife left him for a younger man. She decided that she would go up on stage and tell her story. She stood up and hesitantly walked toward the stage. Her shoulders were hunched and she looked at the floor. When she finally got on stage she continued to look at the floor.
“Hello,” she said her voice cracking. “My name is Breanne Leavey.” She stopped; she was nervous and unsure what to say. “I’m originally from Ireland, but my family moved to the United States when I was seven, after my father died of heart disease. My mother, younger brother, and I took a boat and travelled to New York. We were planning to move in with my father’s brother, but when we got to New York we couldn’t find him. We were living in an alley behind an Italian restaurant while my mother went out trying to find any kind of work. We lived in this alley for over a month when my mother finally found a housekeeping position in a hotel. They allowed us to live in a room until my mother could afford a little one room apartment in the ghetto. We had been living in this apartment for about six months and my mom had gone to work like any other day, but she never came back. About a week later they found her severed body in a dump. They never found out who murdered her. I was nine by the time this happened. We got kicked out of the apartment and were put into a foster home. We began to move from house to house. We were put in school. As soon as I was old enough I began to work, I saved every penny that I made. I worked hard in school and got accepted into NYU with a full ride scholarship. I went to school full time and worked full time. I took care of my brother and made sure that I would be able to pay for him to go to school. After his first semester in college he overdosed on cocaine. For that last three years I have been all alone. I have no family left. All I have is a Master degree in Journalism, and a job working for a small magazine company in New York. I’ve never had any sort of relationship and I’m so lonely. I go to a different bar every night in hopes of someday finding someone, anyone. Just so I don’t have to be alone anymore.”
She stepped down from the stage and walked back to her chair with her head held high. She felt like a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She had kept these feeling hidden for so long. She felt completely alone, and she felt like others could finally understand how she felt all these years. She didn’t feel so alone anymore. She saw herself as a new person, more confident. She finally realized how strong she really was.
She was pretty, with long, dark brown hair and dark green eyes. She had a tall, curvy figure that would attract any man, but she was shy and afraid of rejection. She was dressed in jeans that hugged her figure, and a red, silk blouse. Her hair was hanging straight against her back, and her makeup was simple, but added to her features.
In the bar was a stage with a microphone. A man who had been telling his story finished and walked back to his seat. She had been listening to him tell his story about how his wife left him for a younger man. She decided that she would go up on stage and tell her story. She stood up and hesitantly walked toward the stage. Her shoulders were hunched and she looked at the floor. When she finally got on stage she continued to look at the floor.
“Hello,” she said her voice cracking. “My name is Breanne Leavey.” She stopped; she was nervous and unsure what to say. “I’m originally from Ireland, but my family moved to the United States when I was seven, after my father died of heart disease. My mother, younger brother, and I took a boat and travelled to New York. We were planning to move in with my father’s brother, but when we got to New York we couldn’t find him. We were living in an alley behind an Italian restaurant while my mother went out trying to find any kind of work. We lived in this alley for over a month when my mother finally found a housekeeping position in a hotel. They allowed us to live in a room until my mother could afford a little one room apartment in the ghetto. We had been living in this apartment for about six months and my mom had gone to work like any other day, but she never came back. About a week later they found her severed body in a dump. They never found out who murdered her. I was nine by the time this happened. We got kicked out of the apartment and were put into a foster home. We began to move from house to house. We were put in school. As soon as I was old enough I began to work, I saved every penny that I made. I worked hard in school and got accepted into NYU with a full ride scholarship. I went to school full time and worked full time. I took care of my brother and made sure that I would be able to pay for him to go to school. After his first semester in college he overdosed on cocaine. For that last three years I have been all alone. I have no family left. All I have is a Master degree in Journalism, and a job working for a small magazine company in New York. I’ve never had any sort of relationship and I’m so lonely. I go to a different bar every night in hopes of someday finding someone, anyone. Just so I don’t have to be alone anymore.”
She stepped down from the stage and walked back to her chair with her head held high. She felt like a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She had kept these feeling hidden for so long. She felt completely alone, and she felt like others could finally understand how she felt all these years. She didn’t feel so alone anymore. She saw herself as a new person, more confident. She finally realized how strong she really was.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Pantoum Poem
So before you read this poem I just want to explain it a little bit. This was an exercise we did in my creative writing class. What we did was take ten fortunes from fortune cookies and we had to follow a certain pattern. Anyway here is my poem. It doesn't make any sense, but it is kind of funny. Enjoy.
There are riches headed your way.
Our first choice is always wisest to follow.
You will be successful in your work.
Now it is best to take things just one step at a time.
Your first choice is always wisest to follow.
Your future looks bright.
Now it is best to take things just one step at a time.
Make your dreams a reality.
Your future looks bright.
Your charm and courtesy will be advantageous in goals.
Make your dreams a reality.
Today will be pleasant, your life will be prosperous.
Your charm and courtesy will be advantageous in goals.
You will soon take a very pleasant and successful trip.
Today will be pleasant, your life will be prosperous.
You will make a name for yourself.
There are riches headed your way.
Our first choice is always wisest to follow.
You will be successful in your work.
Now it is best to take things just one step at a time.
Your first choice is always wisest to follow.
Your future looks bright.
Now it is best to take things just one step at a time.
Make your dreams a reality.
Your future looks bright.
Your charm and courtesy will be advantageous in goals.
Make your dreams a reality.
Today will be pleasant, your life will be prosperous.
Your charm and courtesy will be advantageous in goals.
You will soon take a very pleasant and successful trip.
Today will be pleasant, your life will be prosperous.
You will make a name for yourself.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Leaves of Life
Suppose there are no returns
A simple life can disappear before our eyes.
We may not notice each person’s distinct life,
But each of our lives is like the life of a leaf.
At the beginning of spring our life begins like a bud on a tree.
Soon it blossoms and behold a new leaf appears.
The leaf grows and becomes a radiant green.
Through the summer it suffers fierce heats
And excruciating winds.
Then the weather begins to chill
And the end of life soon comes
With the changing weather.
The autumn turns the leaves to many beautiful colors,
But soon the winter arrives and each leaf falls gently to its death.
There is no return for those leaves that break away,
But they make way for the new leaves
And give a new generation a chance to grow.
There may be no return for the leaves that fall each year,
But they are as generations passed.
People who have taught us much,
And allow us to gain our own knowledge
From new and challenging experiences.
Even though there may not be a physical return
The knowledge of our ancestors continues on and on.
A simple life can disappear before our eyes.
We may not notice each person’s distinct life,
But each of our lives is like the life of a leaf.
At the beginning of spring our life begins like a bud on a tree.
Soon it blossoms and behold a new leaf appears.
The leaf grows and becomes a radiant green.
Through the summer it suffers fierce heats
And excruciating winds.
Then the weather begins to chill
And the end of life soon comes
With the changing weather.
The autumn turns the leaves to many beautiful colors,
But soon the winter arrives and each leaf falls gently to its death.
There is no return for those leaves that break away,
But they make way for the new leaves
And give a new generation a chance to grow.
There may be no return for the leaves that fall each year,
But they are as generations passed.
People who have taught us much,
And allow us to gain our own knowledge
From new and challenging experiences.
Even though there may not be a physical return
The knowledge of our ancestors continues on and on.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Shades of the Soul
They’re like the clear Caribbean Sea, his eyes.
Transforming like the changing tides
Evolving from brilliant blues to glorious greens,
Eternally piercing my soul.
Those eyes that follow and admire me,
The amazing blues show no sadness or sorrow
They are calming like rain drops pattering;
His eyes that cannot tell a lie,
Show me all I need to know.
His sapphire vision is unclouded by the storms of today
He conceives the beauty hidden beneath my skin.
His azure gaze like the crystal clear sky
Comprehends the genuine beauty
Not the forgery the world wants us to believe is true.
His royal optic shows me as a Queen,
And as I look into these Prussian seas
I see the beauty he glimpses in me.
Transforming like the changing tides
Evolving from brilliant blues to glorious greens,
Eternally piercing my soul.
Those eyes that follow and admire me,
The amazing blues show no sadness or sorrow
They are calming like rain drops pattering;
His eyes that cannot tell a lie,
Show me all I need to know.
His sapphire vision is unclouded by the storms of today
He conceives the beauty hidden beneath my skin.
His azure gaze like the crystal clear sky
Comprehends the genuine beauty
Not the forgery the world wants us to believe is true.
His royal optic shows me as a Queen,
And as I look into these Prussian seas
I see the beauty he glimpses in me.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
My Chosen Escape
The mind is a wondrous thing,
It begins as a drop of rain,
And soon transforms into a waterfall.
I get lost in my own delusions
As the world pierces me like a sword.
I find myself on rolling hills,
And look up at the sky above,
And watch the gleaming stars.
Soon they fall like streams of fire,
Then out of the flames a bird appears.
A phoenix is born like a new apparition.
Then like the sting of a vampire’s bite,
The luxuries of reality settle in.
And a new day begins.
It begins as a drop of rain,
And soon transforms into a waterfall.
I get lost in my own delusions
As the world pierces me like a sword.
I find myself on rolling hills,
And look up at the sky above,
And watch the gleaming stars.
Soon they fall like streams of fire,
Then out of the flames a bird appears.
A phoenix is born like a new apparition.
Then like the sting of a vampire’s bite,
The luxuries of reality settle in.
And a new day begins.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Hidden Beauty
I hear the endless thrum of rain,
And begin to wonder why I’m here.
Hundreds of people I see each day,
But the knowledge of their names is faint.
They don’t know me and yet they judge
Because I’m different in their eyes.
But the eyes of God are clear.
He knows who I am inside.
He detects my beauty through the fog,
And discerns the shimmering light
That radiates from my soul within.
He understands what no person can,
That the true beauty lies within our souls.
And begin to wonder why I’m here.
Hundreds of people I see each day,
But the knowledge of their names is faint.
They don’t know me and yet they judge
Because I’m different in their eyes.
But the eyes of God are clear.
He knows who I am inside.
He detects my beauty through the fog,
And discerns the shimmering light
That radiates from my soul within.
He understands what no person can,
That the true beauty lies within our souls.
My new blog!
This blog is dedicated to my writing. I'm just beginning, but I feel that it is a way for me to get some feedback on what I write. Feel free to tell me what you think. You can criticize my work, or if you notice any spelling or grammar mistakes let me know. Most of what I will publish on here will be poetry, stories, and perhaps a little bit of photography. I hope that you all enjoy this as much as I do.
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