"Patience is the companion of wisdom"

There are numerous people in my life who must live by experience; they must discover truths and endure life lessons first hand. I respect that. That is a quality that sometimes, I am far too cowardice to embrace. Instead, I protect myself. I see the world for what it is and make rational decisions based on facts, rather than feelings. For the most part that is. In doing so I am able to witness the paths of those I love, wether it be for better or worse. Watching all these events take place could by far be one of the hardest tasks that I have ever had to face. By nature, I not only aim to protect myself, but also those I care about. I hate to see these people hurting inside, knowing full well that I cant do anything to prevent it; knowing that they need to experience this for their own personal gain. 

How long can I remain just a bystander? How long should I wait? What if I wait too long? These thoughts often plague my mind. I do what I can to keep them at bay, solely for the good of everyone involved. Some would like to think that it gets easier with time. I beg to disagree. Although it is a hard task and it does not get easier, I feel that a certain level of strength is reached after every encounter. And I depend on that strength to carry me through tomorrow. 

I will not turn my back on my best friend

Ive made this mistake before, and I will never do it again. I do hear by swear, that I will not make that mistake twice. 

I feel like he needs me now more than ever. He has stood by me through my darkest hour. He has seen me at my most vulnerable point. He picked picked me up when I fell, and trust me, I fell fast and hard. There were some days when I thought I wouldnt make it to see the next, but he lifted me up and stood by my side when I needed him the most. When I thought that my life was over, he showed me a new path. He provided my strength. I cant imagine where I would be without him. He did all this for me, not because he thought it was the right thing to do, but because he cared about me. Because he saw a light inside of me that no one else could. Not even myself. And I will forever be grateful. I owe him so much.

And for that, I will not turn my back, not now, not ever. No matter what anyone else says. 

I love you Broha. Thank you. For everything. And Im going to be here for you. I know you need me now.

"I need your grace to remind me to find my own."

Progress

"They say that time changes things, but you 

actually have to change them yourself."

This is the best photograph from my first season as 

photographer for the Lady Mustangs:

This is the best photograph from my second season as 

photographer for the Lady Mustangs:

This is the best photograph from my third and most recent 

season as photographer for the Lady Mustangs:

The Twins

There's no weak sauce here.

Combined, these two are an unstoppable force of excitement, energy, and life. It can only be summarized by a constant whirlwind of teenage emotion exploding in your face. And that last sentence does not even begin to do these two justice. I cant recall a single day where the two of them were not smiling. The ambitions that they hold inside are big, bold, and brave. They intend to use every once of their abilities to accomplish the goals that they set for themselves. Everyday they push them selves to the limits, working towards becoming better and stronger. 

I met the two of them their 7th grade year, my junior year. Had someone told me back then that these two would end up meaning so much to me, I would have laughed in their face. Allow me to eat my own words. There is a fire inside both these girls, one unlike most other people that I have ever come in contact with. They have so much potential, and aim to make every bit of it count. It is inspiring to watch the two of them shoot for the stars day in, and day out 24/7. 

Im grateful that I am able to witness their journey and extend a helping hand along the way. We have so much to learn from each other. 

The Teacher

The teacher is one of the most outstanding people that I have met thus far. His eyes are comforting. His words are kind. He spends the majority of his free time providing kids with opportunities and outlets to develop his or her skills. In turn, kids can take these skills and develop a career with them. My teacher is providing kids with careers. He is providing them a future, a future that many of them had never previously considered. I know this first hand. I was one of these kids, lucky enough to be touched by this man's life. He took skills that I already had, and applied them to diferent situations, then helped me fine tune the adjustment. He has stood behind me, as both a teacher and as a friend, and supported me through thick and thin. I owe my passion for life to this man. He is a giver. He is selfless. Without him, I would never found my passion. I would not understand what it is like know my calling. 

The Siblings

One brother. One sister. Both younger. They are the light of my world. Hands down, no questions asked. After having watched both of them grow up, age, and mature, I can only imagine what the future holds for each of them. 

The brother is currently a sophomore in high school. Since he was little he has always been his own person. He has kept a small amount of close friends and spent much of his time learning new things. He is musically gifted, and has mastered multiple instruments, including the trumpet, french horn, keyboard, and piano. He has also spent time working with the accordion, harmonica, and guitar. He has even been able to use his skills in video games such as rock band and guitar hero. My friends and I always joke about how we should enter him in a contest or hustle unsuspecting people at Best Buy. When not surrounded by musical instruments, my brother spends his time with his computer and has conquered multiple video games and even learned the more technical side of the CPU. He can build a computer if given the proper hardware, and has even learned to write small programs and html. I am convinced that he is a genius. And his grades further reflect that assumption. Ever since I can remember he has been a straight A student. My brother is a strong person. He is not swayed by the thoughts and ideas of his fellow classmates. My brother is an independent thinker. My brother is loyal. He has taught me to take every day slow, to take each day one at a time. I have learned that life is full of ups and downs, and you never know what tomorrow with bring. He showed me that it is never too late to try something new. Through his independence, I have also paved my own path. Life is not defined by what I am doing, but instead is defined by who I am. And because of my brother, I will never forget who I am. 

The sister is currently a junior in high school. My sister is, and has been, my best friend. She is very stubborn yet level headed, much like myself. I owe my sister everything. She is wise beyond her yeas (in certain circumstances) and played a huge roll in developing my current morals and values. When I hit a rough spot in life a few years back, she relentlessly attempted to guide me back to the path that made me who I am today. Without her by my side, I would have most certainly fallen deeper into a dark place. But because she is my younger sister, my baby sister if you will, I have dedicated my life to protecting her. No matter what. Because of this I have kind of made a name for myself, a "hard ass" of sorts. And as a result pushed her away. Today I realized that no matter how old we get, she will always be my baby sister, but there comes a time when I cant be over bearing any more. I have to let her go. I have to let her make her own choices, be they mistakes or opportunities. I have to be willing to let her fall, but also stand by her side and help her through those times. My sister has shown me that I dont need to be a hard ass all the time and also that it is okay to have a sensitive side. She has allowed me to see this side of myself, that I wasnt aware of, but she saw the entire time. Thank you. Im sorry it took me this long to see it. 

The Roommate

This past fall marked the beginning of my college career. And of all the things for me to be worried about, I lost sleep thinking about my housing situation. I was scared to death thinking that I was going to get stuck for an entire year with a mean, prude, whore, or insane person. Instead, I lucked out.

My roommate it unlike any other person that I have met. She is the epitome of the term "free spirit." She is what she is, and does what she does regardless of what others may think. From what I understand, she has always been artistically driven, but over the past few years, art has taken control of her life, in a positive way. Actually, she is strongly considering a career path involving art. A few weeks ago I had the opportunity, nay, the privilege, to photograph her work for her portfolio. In order to do so we transformed our small dorm room into a make shift studio of sorts, using white sheets, multiple light fixtures, white paper, and masking tape. The over all experience is one that I am bound to remember for the rest of my life. The connection that we had that night was indescribable. But then again, such is also true of our friendship in general. She is very laid back, caring, and knowledgeable. Together we mesh so well. There have been multiple days (and nights) where I have been able to depend on her for a listening ear and strong shoulder. And I for her as well. The passion she carries for her desires and aspirations is incredible, and incidentally inspiring. Although we have our ups and downs, I cant imagine feeling this at peace with another person. Thank you, for showing me another side of myself, one that I had long forgotten about.  

"The absence of judgement allows us to appreciate reality"

So I've always really hated blogs. I'm not exactly sure for what reason. And I'm also not aware of what inspired me to begin one in the first place. As of late, I've found myself surrounded by individuals who have touched my life. My roommate, my siblings, a teacher, a set of twins, and a handful of friends. Because of them, I've been able to open my eyes to a whole different world. A world full of hope and aspirations. One that I never thought that I would be able to see, much less become a part of. As a result of my relationships with these people, I'm beginning to understand that I play a larger role in this world than I had previously thought. A role that allows me inspire others in return. We are all connected in one way or another. We owe it to each other, as human beings, to support each other. To help one another find his or her place in the world. 

I guess I know what inspired my new found appreciation for blogging after all.