"Sweet Emotions"

Let's be honest, if you know me you are well aware that my emotions can range from low to high in just a few seconds. I'm a Capricorn, it's kind of what we do.

 The following is taken from Capricorn Personality and states:

                                                 On the OutsideThe Capricorn personality is very grounded in reality; it's the rock that everyone else loves to lean on. For the most part, Capricorns are:

• Quietly strong-willed

• Self-assured and truly know who they are

• Comfortable in any social situation they choose to participate in

On the InsideCaps are highly dependable, yet they can still suffer inwardly from mood swings that carry them from the heights of euphoria to bouts of depression. In most cases, they          are adept at concealing these conflicting moods in public. It is only their closest friends and family who are given a glimpse of this inner turmoil.

So there you have it... Do I believe it all? Well, yes and no. I don't fall into every single trait of a Capricorn but it's so much of looking into a mirror that it's hard not to. I guess I am one of those "kooks" who is into that 'weird' stuff. OKAY, back to being thankful for my emotions!

I am thankful for them. I am thankful for being able to feel, even if it's bad. I always watch these movies and see people who are just numb to everything and I wouldn't like that. I like being able to be happy, sad, and everything in between. I am thankful because when my nephew was born I got to share joy and excitement with my sister. I was also able to do this when both of my nieces were born; though more so with Hailey because I was in the delivery room. When I got accepted to college I got to experience nervousness but excitement. When I moved away for college I was able to know what being homesick was like, as I've never had that before. I'm thankful for my emotions - good and bad.

What does your heart say?

It seems that as this month moves on, this gets more and more difficult. Maybe I have lost inspiration, or maybe I just am not that great of a writer. However, I am trying to continue with this 30 Days of Thanks because I have never completed one of these things in  my life! I always get so far into it and then lose focus. So, it may take me some time to get to a point here, or stay on topic but we'll see how it goes...

My heart. Why am I thankful for it? Well this can depend if we're discussing anatomy or not. I'm thankful for the heart inside my chest because it keeps me alive. Doesn't our "heart", or drive/passion, keep us alive too? Is that why people use that as a synonym for such? Today I am thankful for my "heart" because it keeps me motivated and working.There's also the "heart" in which we talk about as being the container of our feelings. Sometimes I don't like that "heart" as it brings pain, though it is usually on the happier side.

So here are three videos I think that represent why I am thankful for my hearts:

 The heart: Anatomy

 Heart: Passion & Determination

 Heart: Container of feelings

Five Basics of Life

• Sight
• I'm thankful that I can see: family, friends, movies, beaches, mountains, fall foliage, snowflakes, stars in the night sky, animals, old architecture.... I don't think there's much better than that in the world. I am thankful that I know what it is to see, because I know what it's like to not be able to. Yes, I may not be completely blind, but without my glasses, I might as well be.
• Sound
• I'm thankful that I can hear and listen, as it's essential in good communication. Although I may not always hear something, and I may ask for you to repeat yourself - at least I am engaged enough to care that I missed what you had to say.
• Beyond just being able to hear and listen, I am thankful that this makes it possible to enjoy music. Without music I don't know how I would cope through life.
• Smell
• Actually sometimes I think i could do without this sense, but then there are other times where a hint of something takes me back to a great memory. I would miss having that happen. I am thankful for what a scent can reveal in my mind. I am thankful that I know what it is like to smell something bad, because it makes the good smells all the more better.
• Taste
• I'm a fat kid, there's no denying that! I love food. I love food that tastes great. I sometimes say if I had to get rid of a sense, it would be taste, but I would miss out on the joys of going home and enjoying family meals. We're Italian, our family gatherings are kind of epic. I'm thankful that I knwo what it's like to be full/stuffed, because I also know what it is to be hungry and starving.
• Touch
• I love soft things, but doesn't everyone? I enjoy basic fabrics that are comfortable. I like touching objects to see how they feel and find out the difference between them. I am thankful that I know what it is like to feel a hot surface, because I learned what danger was. I am thankful that I know what it is like to be extremely cold, because I learned what it meant to be warm. I am thankful that I know what something sharp feels like, because I learned what pain was. Are these simple things that people have forgotten we've learned in our lives? Do we forget how it was to discover and enjoy new things? As time passes on, technology progresses, and people fall out of touch - isn't this one sense we should be the most aware of?

LIFE

I'm thankful that I have mine...I can't really blog about this. I'm not sure why but I don't have much to say about it. Strange, right?

"Success without a passion, is empty."

A song that has always stuck out to me is, "Defined By Your Desire" by the band Don't Look Down because I believe they've stated it best:

"All the money in the world, don't mean a thing,
If this heart stops pounding.
Success without a passion, is empty."

Growing up children have dreams of being rich and famous, having a good life, or fulfilling it with items and things. However, what does being rich and famous mean? What is a good life? Of course, when it comes to being rich and famous people automatically think of celebrities or athletes  But what about the people who may not be financial rich, but have richness in their lives by what they do with their time and who they associate with? As a nation we're so obsessed with money and possessions  When these things go away, what are we left with? I miss the days when people focused more on their relationships then what they needed to buy someone to get their attention. I miss the connection you had with someone over the times you spent doing nothing together. We do not get to take possession or money with us when we die, so why are they/is it so important when we are alive? I know, I am guilty of it as well. I want to buy things. I want to have items that may be a bit expensive, but I would like to think that my life has a bit more balance to it. I hope I'm not one who ends up with having a lot of things in the end and no one there. As the song lyrics state, "success without a passion, is empty", I believe that. If people are just running for success to obtain the payout in the end - they're doing it for the wrong reasons.

I am thankful that I am not always driven by money. I am thankful that I may not have many things, or the top of the line item, but I do have family, friends, and relationships that - to me - are worth more than any amount of money will ever be.

Working 9 to 5

I have known what it is like to be unemployed. I have known what it is like to hate your job. I have known what it is like to work hard. I have known what it is like to have a great supervisor and co-workers. I have known what it is like to have horrible supervisors and co-workers. Most people wouldn't even think about having the experiences that I have at my age, but they've all made me who I am today. I am thankful for the trials and tribulations, just as much as all the good. I have a job I enjoy and that's more than others can say.

"You've Got A Friend In Me"

Friends...well I've had some come and go in my life but as I've gotten older I have also found out who my true friends are. The one's who have been there in the worst of times and the best; those I will never forget nor would want to.

• My first friend -
• Raymond: I knew him when I was in Head Start. We were the best of friends. He lived in the same town as I did so that made it easier. However, he moved away one day and I haven't talked to him since. It's been over twenty years and I am still trying to find him. Unfortunately, it's been difficult because I don't know his last name. I have a few photos from when we were in HS together but that is about it. I just wonder what happened to him.
• My oldest friend -
• Nolan: We've known each other since kindergarten and are still in touch to this day. He's seen me at some pretty low spots and some high. Although we live miles apart our friendship is still pretty solid. 
• My newest friend -
• Scott: He knows just about everything about me. We are two peas in a pod and I wouldn't want it any other way. We've only known each other for a few years, but it's almost like we've known each other our whole lives. He's seen me at my lowest and has been there for me in some very rough times. I miss him a lot and it's not easy to keep in touch as we both work a lot. I do try though. We at least message on Facebook and text as often as possible. He's my rock. He's my favorite.
• My closest friend -
• Jeff: We met in college. He was actually one of the residents in my building my second year as an RA. We had an instant bond. He was one who could always make me laugh and kept me on my toes. I love that about him. We have a lot in common so it's easy for us to keep in touch. We're always texting each other of messaging on Facebook with some news about recent events in movies or music. We've also been there for each other through some very rough times. He is my FSB (Funshine Bear) and I am his LAB (Laugh-a-lot Bear). 
• My not-so-much-of-a-friend friend -
• Kaitlyn: We were inseparable in college. We had a lot in common and did almost everything together. She was a year ahead of me, but even after she graduated we kept in touch. However more recently we've lost our connection. We still talk from time to time but it's distant and not a solid connection as it once were. I do miss the friendship that we had, but I'm also okay with where things have gone. We're just two different people now.
• My sister -
• Samantha: When we were little we had a great friendship. Throughout adolescence it was horrible. Luckily it has been able to get better. We've become closer through the years and I am thankful for that. I'm glad that I have someone constant in my life who will always be there. We may not always get along now, but we love each other and know that we'll be able to work through whatever differences we have.

I am thankful for all of the people listed above and the experiences, as well as lessons that they've taught me. I am also thankful for the people who I have met in the past and who I continue to meet.

"Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto"

Oh technology...oh I have a love hate relationship with thee. It's interesting to think back to my childhood and what technology I had back then compared to what I have today. It's even weirder to think about my childhood and that of my nephew and nieces.

Born in the 80's, raised in the 90's vs. Born in the 00's, raised in the 00's

• 1980's - 1990's - A few items
• I grew up playing Atari. I'm aware that most of my peers had Nintendo/SEGA/Super Nintendo at some point, but not my family. We went from Atari -> NES 2 -> Playstation 1 and then in 2007 I bought myself an xbox 360. We still have the Atari in storage. The NES 2 and PS1 are at home & sometimes my nephew plays them. 



NES 2 - top loader

• One of out first TV's was a black and white one and I loved watching classic movies. The King and I was a favorite.
• The TV I loved that most and actually CRIED over when we got rid of it was one of those huge wood encased floor TV's. We had it for so long that we had to use pliers to turn it on and off when the knob broke. I don't know what it was about that TV, but I loved it.



This isn't the exact TV we had, but it was similar.

• Pocket Rockers



I had this design. The mini tapes came w/ two songs from one artist. I remember having a Tears for Fears tape, but I can't recall all the others.

• Computers



I remember playing Oregon Trail on this. I forget what class it was for, but it was sometime in Elementary school.

• 2000's - 2012
• Game consoles keep getting better...and smaller. I upgraded from my Xbox 360 to the new Xbox 360 slim in 2010. I don't regret that decision  although with my work schedule it doesn't get as much love as it could.
• TV's have also followed a similar trend, however instead of getting smaller their screen zises and resolutioins keep getting larger and improving. I bought a 40" flat screen LCD Samsung TV in 2008 on Black Friday. I still have it, and it's made 2 moves so far. I would love to upgrade to a larger (46") but this one does suite me fine for now. It's also pretty thin, but they keep improving that too. My nephew will have mamories of larger TV's as my parents house still has one of those large floor standing big screen TV's. However, there are not many children that will see them in their lifetime.
• Goodbye pocket rockers and hello Ipods! The amount of change that Apple has done over each year to release a new gadget is amazing. 
• Computers may be either Mac or PC, but they don't come like they used to. You won't find any computers sold today with a floppy disc drive, and even some are coming without CD drives included.

There are so many other differences, but these are ones that make me chuckle. Things have changed so much and the trip down memory lane sure does make me feel old. I know things will continue to change and evolve, but the nostalgia of this old stuff is great. I am grateful for what I had during my childhood and I am thankful that I can afford the items that I own by myself now. Technology can, at times, keep us secluded and away from human interactions, but for me being so far from home it allows me to stay in touch with family and friends. I am thankful for the opportunity to have those connections and the ability to hang on to them.