Trying To Start A New Chapter

I always find myself giddy at the prospect of snow.

This is despite having the past five winters yield snowfall and now even attending a college in a location which typically yields a heavier snowfall, as of which is currently going strong outside my dorm. Even if I wasn't going to venture out into this snowstorm, I still can't help but smile.

With all the snowboarding I do during the season, there is no way I have a lack of seeing snow or experiencing it. I simply can not get enough snow.

About four weeks ago, while snowboarding with some friends, I took a pretty rough fall. Taking a cross trail pretty fast between two black diamond trails, I caught an edge. All it took was half a second of not paying attention on a flat area to come crashing down onto the hard packed snow. Thinking it was merely dislocated, I rode on my heels the rest of way down to where I was supposed to me my friends at the end of the run. After unzipping my jacket, my friend noticed a pretty bad bump along my clavicle. After getting my arm in a good splint, my friends drove me to an ER off the mountain.

There it is, in approximately five pieces according to the surgery document. The interesting part was how I felt no need for pain medication for at least four to five hours later. By that point while not bad at any point, simply just became too much to bare.

Then a week later with thirteen screws and two plates holding it all together, after the anesthesia and nerve block wore off was when I was in the most pain. But now after three weeks, I feel no pain and see the start of a very long scar. As the healing process seems to be going without a hitch, I already look forward to next winter so I can get back out on the slopes. 

It's definitely one thing to fall, its another to not get back up. 

Z is for Zeus

When I was a kid I read whatever I could get my hands on. I still do, but back then I had plenty of time. Not having very much to do while my mom was at work at school, I would have to sit around for hours. And since she worked at my school, I could spend plenty of time in the library.

And that I did, with whatever books would interest me. I would scan the titles of the books and pull the ones that I thought might be good. After reading the book cover I would choose read it if it still held my attention.

And in the third grade I was introduced to Greek mythology. The stories of the gods, and their children who would go on these impressive adventures. And all of these stories were so old, ones that were retold and retold until they eventually found themselves written out.

But it grew from there, first venturing into its roman counterparts. Although very similar, each myth could be very different all at the same time. Then I found myself reading myths from other countries, whatever was the next book over.

But no matter what, I would find a commonality between them all, and it was in regards to their god of the sky. It would always seem to be a man, one who was always all powerful and very arrogant. This personality which might be able to describe the sky, would always occur. So maybe these myths would build upon the first ones ever told, or maybe it just shows that no matter how different we are, people can see the same things in the world around them.

Z is for Zero - Hawk Nelson

Y is for YouTube

My first interaction with online videos were these music videos I use to watch. All I remember was how I would select a genre that I fancied and it show suggested music videos. And that is where I found music I would come to enjoy. These songs are ones that I have yet to see a large presence on the radio and otherwise may never have discovered those bands.

But that was all the online videos I would experience at the time. Then along came YouTube. At first I would come to use it to listen to music videos. It was free and I had the power over what I would watch.

Then I discovered content creators. The people that would bring out there own material created from places as simple as their living room. Especially the musicians, the ones who introduced me to both covers, parodies and mash-ups. These people put themselves out there to take something already established, yet put their own spin on the music. And all the time I find better and better content, that shows the strength of YouTube.

Y is for You and I - Anarbor

X is for Xylophones

It was third grade when I got my first real interaction with music. The class pretty much boiled down to two parts. First off there was singing and then there was the instrument part.

Simple enough, two crucial parts to music in a very basic form. Thing was, I couldn't sing, and I still can't. No matter how much I love to belt out when driving, I have definitely not improved.

Then there was the instrumental portion of the class. And the instrument of instruction, the xylophone. It was easy enough, cause all we were thought was when to hit which notes at what time, even removing the bars not needed for song.

I still had a problem with that. I would rush through the notes, going way beyond the tempo. I needed something more challenging to play, to try, but simplicity was the order for the class.

Beyond those elementary classes, I never had any hands on experience with instruments. And then there was senior year. I finally got the opportunity to play the guitar. And that was a great experience, finally learning to read music, understand how things go together, and even a little bit of theory. And maybe my improvement was small, but it was something. And I hope that I will be able to find the time to continue to work on it, and improve a lot more.

X is for XO - Fall Out Boy

W is for Waiting

Practically all gratification is instant. The movie you wanted to watch, quick download online. That item you wanted to buy, two days later at your doorstep. Even my phone can do most things that I would used to have to wait till I had access to a computer and an internet connection.

Our world is so high speed, waiting has become more and more unlikely. But that also means things are rushed. In exchange for quality, it just seems easier to have the quicker route taken.

I know it would be better to appreciate life at a good normal pace. To simple take the time to sniff the proverbial flowers would be wonderful. But truth is, I'm impatient and I look forward to certain things, and can't wait till they finally surface rather than to wait.

W is for Wavin' Flag by K'naan

V is for Vendetta

Sometimes there are just people who rub you the wrong way. And when someone wrongs you, it would be easy to hold a grudge. And from then on whenever you might happen to see this person, you become unkind. Turn a cold shoulder. Shrug off any sort of kindness they might throw your way.

It is easier to just hold this person out of your life as much as possible. And whenever you're expected to cooperate, it seems worthwhile to be as unhelpful if not a destructive factor in whatever process you're taking a part in.

But is it really worth the time to hold on to this vendetta? Wouldn't life simply be better if we let go of that sort of long term anger? I feel that moving pass whatever bad blood there might be is the way to seeing happiness much sooner. 

V is for Vertigo - U2

U is for Universe

Looking out at the night sky, there are so many stars. And each one is an unfathomable distance away. Yet these are only the stars we can see. The universe is beyond just huge, it feels infinite.

What freaks me out is the fact that there is the possibility of other life in the universe. With these other planets that have the ability to support life, how many do? And of those who do, how many have sentient life? Lastly, how many of those have the ability to travel the universe, or at the very least send some sort of object to our planet?

I think these intelligent beings are just so smart that they feel no need to fear monger themselves into believing they need to invade or attack us. That they know it serves no purpose to make their existence known to us.

Despite this vast universe that exists, our daily lives pertain to our own little worlds. Not the planet as a whole, which has no much possibility, but our own special universe that revolves around the daily things we do.

I love exploring and trying new things, but my universe contains the important things to me. Things like schools, my friends, sailing. All these things are what make me happy, and despite the difficulty that comes with balancing them all, I wouldn't trade them for the world.

Also, in my universe, there is this girl. I've known her ever since that day I've asked her dad for a candy bar some six or so years ago. I'm so happy to have Robyn back in my life, and she makes such an amazing girlfriend. I want to thank her being so understanding, and forgiving me for being so busy with all the other things in my hectic little universe.

U is  Untitled - Simple Plan