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Before I sit down to work on a new short story, I will break to promote a new book that just came out….no, I didn’t write it unfortunately. However, a good friend of mine, and fellow high school graduate whom I nearly crippled for life at our dress rehearsal for graduation, shot pictures for this cookbook that covers the history of some bakery I had never heard of…So why am I plugging it? Because my friend had a part in it and I want to support her. It’s what friends do I think. At any rate, I’d hope that my friends would do the same if I just published a book (which hopefully may come soon)…not that I’m doing this so she reciprocates the deed if/when I’m published…but anyways, my motives are pure and I really do want to help my friend out! (stop digging now) Besides if you like food, this has recipes in it. Anyways, here’s a link to buy the book on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1609491149
As for things in my writing world, I’m working on several projects (which probably isn’t wise…but I’m ADD when it comes to writing). As for this blog, I may have a new post in the pipeline that should be out this week sometime…so stay tuned!
“And sometimes working within me You open for me a door into a state of feeling which is quite unlike anything to which I am used–a kind of sweet delight which,if I could only remain permanently in that state, would be something not of this world,not of this life. But my sad weight makes me fall back again;I am swallowed up by normality;I am held fast and heavily do I weep,but heavily I am held. So much are we weighed down by the burden of custom! Here I have the power but not the wish to stay;there I wish to be but cannot;both ways, miserable.”-Augustine
This past weekend was better than most. I was able to spend it with 2 dear friends that I haven’t seen in a while and also see my home church down in Louisville which i also haven’t seen in a while. It was a good weekend, something I haven’t had in a while. Usually I’m just holed-up in my house for the weekend knocking out homework. It was refreshing to get a breath of fresh air.
But as I noted to my 2 aforementioned friends during a pleasure walk Sunday, while I feel I can be content with being either here or there, I am not satisfied. Here, I’m stuck in a cage of high school memories. I feel like i can’t grow. There I reel at “Boyce culture” and feel unsettled (not quite sure how to elaborate on that). Like Augustine, “both ways, miserable.”
Granted, that’s not what the Christian thinker is talking about. He’s alluding to a “mountaintop experience” (as we would term it) and how blissful it is compared to our meager earthly existence. I guess i had something of that this past weekend. Stretching my faith, being reminded of Christ’s sacrifice, having meaningful conversations with friends…and then back to work the day after. What cruelty! My heart “heavily weeps” to be with friends and yet I’m cornered in the local Wendy’s bending over a computer screen taking orders. “So much are we weighed down by the burden of custom!”
So in 2 ways I am “both ways,miserable.” What do i want you to do about it? nothing i suppose. I was just sharing thoughts. Maybe i’m just feeling worn and in need of a vacation. Maybe I should just go to bed now..
oh,don’t forget that songwriting competition: http://www.cmsongwriter.com/artist.php?id=89
“I no doubt deserved my enemies, but I don’t believe I deserved my friends.” -Walt Whitman
Well,that song competition I shamelessly plugged for last month is now over and I believe I’ve won (haven’t heard anything official from the people yet,but you would assume being 110 points ahead as clinching it). This is probably the first thing I’ve ever won. I’ve entered so many competitions before and only came out with “honorable mentions” or something like that..which is a sugary way of saying “thanks for giving us money, but you lose.” But this is indeed a first and I am quite happy.
But did I win on my own? Hardly. What propelled me to the top was my friends and family. Some were willing and eager to see me succeed, some were eager but didn’t want to take a minute to register or sign in everyday to cast a vote..I still love you. I ended the competition with 272 votes and over 1800 page views, both far outdoing the next place person. Now the page views I probably contributed to since I checked it so often, but the votes were wholly on the part of my friends and family.
As I mentioned in my “Shameless Plug” post,let me reitterate that I am so thankful for my friends and family for the support they’ve given me over this. I find that it is these two pillars plus God as the strongest, that “carry a man.” I have been blessed with a host of friends whom I am very grateful for. Without you all, I would only be a lonely boy sitting on a laptop writing blogs that no one read…thanks to you, I’m only partially that.
There comes a time in every man’s life when…he stands in front of a mirror wearing tight spandex…i haven’t hit that point yet. But there also comes a time in every man’s life when he must shamelessly give a plug for himself. I have hit this point. And this blog will expound on that.
Whether or not you know my life goals, the big one is to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ through music. Well a competition has arisen that opens an avenue into the tough Christian music industry (tough if you’re not fond of shallow, emotion-driven praise songs). The competition is on a site called cmsongwriter.com. I’ll post the link that directs you to my profile page. All you have to do is register (for free) and cast your vote. What’s great is you can vote once every day (which,if you’re voting for me, I’d highly encourage that). The competition runs til the end of November…i know,that’s a long time,but the way it’s looking with my competition,I’m gonna need a good amount of votes every day. Now here’s the link:
http://www.cmsongwriter.com/artist.php?id=89
While I have your rapt attention, I would like to note something this competition has brought to surface. Trying to be humble is one lesson,but even more so than that has been that of friendship. As I write this, I have 41 votes and roughly 365 profile views. The next person down (who ironically has entered a song that mostly fits my description of CCM songs in general..ok,ok,it’s not a bad song,the lyrics just need color) has 37 votes as of this writing and over 1200 profile views. I’m in the lead. I am only there because of my friends. Had I trusted on the song being “good enough” to wrangle in curious visiters to the site,I probably wouldn’t be in 1st place right now. So I owe much to my friends. Even though this competition is only a few days old (with many more to go), I have already seen the love,support, and enthusiasm of my friends.
Thank you..God has truly blessed me and I’m already ahead of Thanksgiving.
On a lesser note, my keyboard is acting up..this cannot be a good sign.
I was originally gonna discuss whether or not playing loud rock music in the car with the windows rolled down is cool anymore…I’ll save that for another day! Instead, on the eve of moving/returning to Boyce, I will blog about emotions in that realm….that was botched…we’ll leave it.
I kinda hit on this in the last post, about feelings on leaving and whatnot. And I suppose I’ll expound on it more now (not very decisive am I?). To say the least, my emotions are definately different from last summer when I first left. Last year I was more torn. This year, not so much. It’s really ironic actually. Last summer I was hesitant to leave behind high school friends and eager to leave behind Wendy’s. Now,since I’ve hardly hung out with friends all summer long, I’m not as sad. But Wendy’s has been the surprise..the darkhorse (whatever that means). It might actually be tough leaving them behind. Let me make this clearer..leaving the day crew behind will be harder..the night crew, not so much. In fact, the stereotypical view of fast food employees as slackers, derelicts, and hypocondriacs probably stems from the night crew. But i digress.When I go in to get my check tomorrow,I may not be so happy to leave. They actually bought me a card on Wednesday (which was my last working day till Octoberish) and wrote small notes on it. I will be man enough to admit I almost teared up. But I withheld myself since I was taking money at the back window and I’m sure it’d be awkward for someone to give money to a crying man when he’s not drunk or homeless.
Another odd thing that happened tonight was while I was packing some stuff. I was rolling some coins so i can get quarters for laundry and suddenly felt alone. I guess I reminisced somewhere in my brain about how i felt last summer. Not as emotional this time around. But it was a weird feeling. I mean,why did I feel alone? What caused that? Rolling coins? I’ll never do that again unless there’s a friend around!
All right,I’ll try and promise to not devote another post to feelings about returning to school, but I make no guarantees! Next time I’ll probably recap my summer…not that any of you care.Just act like you do.
