Gratification

Sometimes accomplishing something, no matter how small, can make your day seem worthwhile. 

-L

Mind Control

I am the third of four children, my sister and I are very close in age, and our brother is only 5 years older than me, my other brother is 6 years younger than I am.  All four of us were homeschooled, in a very unscheduled environment.  My mother is the first to admit she used the TV as a babysitter.
This has clearly carried through my life; when I wake up in the morning I will 9 times out of 10 watch TV while I drink my coffee.  I don't think of myself as a couch potato, and sure I watch crappy TV possibly more than quality TV, but I like to think that I appreciate television.  I realize my addiction to cheesy reality shows and bad sit-coms.  But I also recognize timeless, all-around-good-time TV shows.  You can't argue with Friends and the Cosby Show.

There are a lot of cartoons and other shows from my childhood that I really want to see again.  Reading Rainbow was one of my favorite shows as a kid.  LeVar Burton pretty much kicked ass, and this was before I knew he was on Star Trek!
Television is part of my life, I embrace it fully and accept it in all its terrible advertising.  I trash talk behind its back, I yell at my huge, blocky TV set, and I admit that occasionally I am ashamed of certain shows or movies that I'm watching.  Those are the times that I stay up after everybody has gone to bed and watch whatever I want.  Sometimes I'm awake at such times regardless, and if I can't fall asleep, why not watch some Late Night TV?

Talk shows are good for the media-addicted soul.
You get a little of everything.  Movie reviews, actors and writers, book reviews, human conflict, world news.  It's got some of everything, you can't go wrong.  For reasons like this, I respect Oprah, she may not be my favorite talk show host, but she's got a good thing going.  She made it for herself and gives back in more ways than just giving people houses and $2000 blenders.  She provides a variety of entertainment on a daily basis.  Honestly I will be kind of sad when her show is no longer airing new every single day.  But I don't fear for the talk show industry, you can watch any day-time talk shows, or any late-night talk shows you want, or you could watch repeats of the Oprah show.  Hey it's old news but if that floats your boat, who am I to hold you back?

I could go on about my love of reality and competition shows, but I won't because I have something else I want to bring up.  But I will say this: Reality shows (The Kardashians, Teen Mom, etc.) and competition shows (Project Runway, American Idol, etc.) provide an observation of people.  Sure it's a eunique situation, I don't act the same when I'm at home with my family as I do when I'm at home with my family with a video crew(not that that's happened).  But I think that's part of the appeal, it's watching a different way for people to live.  Competition shows are also very interesting because you're putting these people in a situation that they're clearly passionate about, and expecting them to perform at their best and then be judged on it.

The point I really wanted to bring up, however, was about books vs television.
Books have been a constant through my life for forever.  My parents read to me as a child and my love of literature of many kinds has only grown since then.  I know this is an issue in society nowadays, but I believe there can be a good balance of TV and Books.  I read every day, but I also watch TV every day.  They're such different ways of telling a story, that they almost can't be compared.  They obviously are compared, but unless you're exposed to both I don't know if you can truly appreciate them equally.  Often I think I'm more on the Books Rock, TV is melting your brain side, but actually I think I want people to be able to recognize books as being as important as TV and movies.  I also want people to realize that you don't have to turn every single best-selling book into a movie.  Much less a 3-D movie.  This new wave of Every Movie Is 3-D really frustrates me.  I don't particularly love 3-D, it kind of freaks me out and I only half of the time wear my 3-D glasses when I'm in the dark movie theater.
But anyways, just because I think I know better than a lot of people doesn't mean I want to tell them what to do.  I just want them to already be doing it the way I want it done.  That makes me sound full of myself, but isn't it the truth?  Don't you want people to do things the way you want them done?

I've said what I came to say, and this is now a very long blog.
xxx,
L

Making it Happen

So about a week ago I had a major change of course.  My plans for the upcoming year could not be followed through with, and I had to re-navigate what I was going to do.  I was very down-and-out at first, but after a talk with my brother, and a weekend where I didn't have to think about it, I believe I have a better perspective on what I will be doing with my next year of life.

Instead of worrying about growing up and getting a job and going to school, I'm going to live in the moment.  I try to live by this philosophy, but for the next 12 months I'm really going to embrace it.  My new-year's resolution starts now.  I don't want to set myself up for failure in thinking this, but I would like to start making things happen.  I want to be realistic about my goals, but I want to dream big.  Almost all the cliche's come into play right now, and I want to make them work.  I may not have a concrete plan just yet, but I think I'm going to start figuring this stuff out.  I will get to a point where these thoughts will become actions that I can carry through.  I don't want these opportunities to slip through my fingers, I don't want to be bogged down by real-world responsibilities just yet.

Plan A fell through, but Plan B is being formed and put into play.

I'm feeling optimistic about this, but I need to check myself.  I don't want to be so absorbed with the idea that I fall back to my roots and end up disappointing myself by not carrying through.

My first step will be to have a steady form of documentation.  Be it this blog, or a personal journal, maybe I can photograph my day-to-day ventures.  This is the age of communication, why not realize that and use it to my advantage?

Step 1 of Plan B:

Find a notebook

I left my notebook at my brothers house recently, but it was almost full anyways.  This is actually one of my favorite times of year because every school or office supply you could possibly think of is at a ridiculously low price.  Staples here I come!

Much Love,
L