Let's Talk Some Writing

Since the very first time I read a book, I knew that I wanted to write. That book had made me so happy that I wanted at some point to be that happiness to someone else.

I got caught in between two languages and that slowed down the process. But all and all, I'm still writing.

I currently editing a screenplay, writing another one, working on a book (but this is the first time I ever mention it) and working on an article for my school paper.

It is so hard to write while doing all the other things that I do- specially because writing is picky and when I feel like writing, that's when I need to write. So how do I still try to do it? Because it is something I love. And even if that means writing from 2am til 4am, then sign me up for it.

Granted, I don't sleep much, but I'm constantly happy because I know I'm working towards my goal. So I forget about not sleeping much. I know it will take a lot of effort before I get published, but I'm willing to work hard because I know it will be worth it. Now the question is, ARE YOU?

Lake Martin

Family outing- you may call this a break from writing. Except for the fact that I'm still here, writing.

Nothing, and I mean, nothing, can replace the joy that comes from the family.

It is the most important foundation in society.

It should always comes first. Regardless.

Teacher's Pet

After you live for more than... 30 seconds in L.A. you will find out that there are some experiences in life that will test your "people skills." Ever heard of the saying "it's not what you know but who you know?" Well sadly, there's more truth to that saying that I'd like to admit.

Let's say you're a freshman in college. You're taking 4 classes in your first semester and you are so eager to learn from your classes that you never even learn the name of the girl sitting on your right. WAKE UP- for all you know she may be the one giving you a job once you get your bachelor's.

Make no mistake, I'm not saying that you should chat your way through college, I'm just saying college is the best place to build a strong network. The people sitting around you will enter the workforce before, after or with you. They may know the vice president of an advertisement firm. And even if they don't, it's always good to know more people and offer a smile (and hopefully get one back).

But wait, it gets better. Hopefully you're not the kind of person who's terrified of professors because you think if you talk to them, they'll know you didn't do that reading you were assigned last Thursday. Professors do have the ability to fail you, but they wouldn't do it if you do what you're supposed to.

Professors have another ability though, they can give you their backing word- Recommendation letters! If you're like me (and other millions of students with financial need), you'll probably wanna apply for scholarships and most require recommendation letters. Or maybe you wanna apply to a private school, to which you'll need some money, and yeah! Recommendation letters!

You don't have to be popular to say hi to someone and make a friend. Everyone sharing a classroom with you has already something in common with you- you're both in that school, in the same classroom, taking the same class.

Oh and you don't have to bring an apple to your professor on each class meeting, just try to visit them at least once throughout the semester in their office hours. Not only will that help them get to know you better (so they can say something real about you in a letter) but an office visit is usually a sign that you're interested in the class and your college success.

Media... Mediocre... Hmmm

As a foreword I should say that it is not my intent to judge anyone but rather try to lend you my point of view for the duration of your reading.

I was browsing through some channels the other day as I was holding my copy of Glenn Beck's Common Sense idly in my free hand. I'm not sure what sort of program I wanted to watch or if I wanted to watch anything at all. At some point I set the remote aside and went back to my reading while there were some commercials on the T.V. I had no idea what program was gonna come up next but honestly I cared little about it. After all I had a book to read.

When the commercials ceased, a Latin entertainment news show came up. The host began to mention how some Mexican actress was seen in some island by herself and therefore that must mean that she's divorcing her current husband- some famous Mexican singer. I reached out eagerly for the remote to change the channel because my ears were beginning to bleed!

But before I get to that glorious button that will make everything better for my ears, my mother leaves a burning pot on the kitchen to run to the T.V. and find everything about the gossip- she even asks me to turn the volume up!

I did turn it up out of respect but I just stared at her. Almost felt like I was facing my worst enemy. No, this has nothing to do with her cooking, it's the fact that we live in a media (entertainment) dominated world.

I mean, be honest with yourself, would you rather watch American Idol or a debate about global warming? Survivor or an explanation of what the proposed health care actually entails? If you preferred the second choice in the examples above, I applaud you, in fact, if I ever get to meet you in person, coffee is on me- but if you're part of the majority of Americans that spend 4 to 6 hours daily watching gossip shows like The Soup (Seriously??!?) then you may be part of the reason why we're headed towards a third-world-country economy.

Sure, maybe the finale of Real Housewives of Atlanta was far more important than paying attention to what our government was doing with our tax money but do you ever wonder why we're in a recession?

My mom finally caught up to the fear in my eyes and asked me what was wrong. All I could say was "I bet you wouldn't run like that to watch a session in the House of Representatives. She thought about it for a moment until she finally said "I probably wouldn't."

Again, I'm not judging her and I'm certainly not judging you- I just think it would be nice if you give up an hour (even just thirty minutes) of your T.V. time to get yourself informed about what's going on with the country. Sitting at a Starbucks to randomly say "so how about that economy" to quickly change the subject to "How about that party in Hollywood last Saturday night" doesn't count.

Maybe this is me asking for too much and maybe my voice will go unheard, but there's also the tiny chance that maybe today you'll watch CNN instead of keeping up with Kardashians... And I write here today to honor that tiny chance.

Do It All

I've always been told that in order to be a "blogger," I'm supposed to blog about one subject. A sports team, a political issue, dining- to name a few. That will always disqualify me from being a blogger. I can't stay on one subject to save my life. I like variety.

I could eat a steak with fish and eggs- just to please that love for variety. I've also realized lately that I read more often if I'm reading several books at the time. Maybe it's not wise to spread my attention but somehow it seems to work better that way.

It works the same way with my life. I'm a Political Science major, hoping to go to Law School afterwards, yet I wanna be a published writer. But I'm also learning Italian, and want go learn Russian and German once I'm fluent enough in Italian.

By now you may think that I have too much free time in my hands- and maybe I do, but who's to say that I can only do one thing with my life? Has someone said that to you?

We own our lives and we choose what we do with them, so why not do it all? You really wanna wake up at 60 knowing that all you ever did was watch TV?

Done With Stress?

Summer semester is over and finally I get some sort of vacations. Maybe you've already had your fun and stuff but I have not. Spring and Summer were pretty hardcore on my (school and work) but they're way behind now.

I've always been pretty good at holding on to the past but I think that the more I live the more I realize that there is a present to live for.

Sure, you've heard this before. Maybe from me, maybe from someone else but is it true? Think about it, how many time have you done something and you didn't fully enjoy it because you were thinking about something that happened before?

I have been there and done that. More times that I can count.

I'm going to visit my family in four days. And for the first time ever, I'm not going back to my past but rather to live my present.

It's easier said than done. I get that. And perhaps something happened to you that screwed you enough and you feel like there's nothing left to live for but I'll tell you something I learned the hard way that I need to move on, for myself and for what's next.

Think about it. Really think about it.

Home Sweet Home?

Last week I was thinking about so many things I wanted to write here. I organized my thoughts as the night would surround me at work and thinking about writing was my outlet from all the work-related stress. But then I'd get home so tired that writing was the last thing in my mind, and laying back with the book I'm reading (Born in Death by JD Robb) seemed like a better choice to spend my evening.

Days went by and I kept getting new ideas for something to write. It started with this thing about homeless people, then how I don't feel writing does portray writers faithfully. But it didn't stop there. It also turned into what could be a good reason to move somewhere else, or how the fact that we love someone won't always mean that we'd always want to be with that person or how adapting to new environments can make your life easier but the feeling of not belonging remains with you.

As you can imagine, by the time I got here and sat in front of this familiar screen, I had no idea what I wanted to talk about. So after a minute or two of thinking (My thinking time is limited these days), I figured I might as well just pick one, talk about it, and whenever I could get to it, do the same with the other ones. So that I'll do and hopefully tiredness won't catch up enough to me to keep from discussing the other ones.

Home Sweet Home.

I go to school during the day and usually go to work at night (Not every night though, sometimes school work or social life take over my nights). I leave my house at around seven and on a good night, come back home at eleven. It's something we all take for granted, coming home to a family, a dog (or cat), a bed or whatever it is that you go home to.

While I rest in bed with my book in my lap, I sometimes forget that there are (millions of) other people that lay on the street (or some park or some shelter). I forget about them because I don't see them. Because me and my friends don't talk about them. Because the media would never dream to put them on the screen (unless it's totally necessary). But when three homeless people walked into the place where I work, reality hit me hard enough to understand that there are things we need to talk about- even if society would rather make such things invisible.

I should address now the fact that I don't know for sure that these three gentlemen were homeless. But if I follow social rules and look at their attire, their appearance, their bag full with stuff I'd never understand where they get from, and for the purpose of this entry, I can assume that they were indeed homeless.

I work in a movie theater. Actually, not just any movie theater. The theater where I work is extremely fancy- to the point that we have theaters that are filled with couches (yes couches! It's like watching a movie from your living room... but with better couches than yours!). Diane Keaton, Tom Hanks, Kyle Chandler, Ray Liotta, Helen Hunt and Catherine Keener are just a short list of the people I've personally seen coming to where I work.

Hopefully you get the idea by now, and perhaps why when three men that didn't fit the stereotype of socially acceptance, managers and security were suddenly in the lookout. They did get tickets for a (sold out) movie and even packed up with popcorn and sodas, and waited in line like everyone else. Granted they reeked of so many things I couldn't quite pick one and I'm sure someone other than me also wonder where on earth they thought they could place their big bags.

At the end (but before the movie even started), enough people complained of "their noise, their smell, their bags" that they had to be escorted out just to keep 297 people content (The theater holds 300 people). Something in my stomach felt wrong. It was very simple, if I didn't have my parents' help, if I get into an accident (I don't have insurance- God bless our government), if I get too depressed to go on with life- that could have been me. I know you may be thinking that is a LONG shot but reality is that no one is far from it- we just ignore it as much as possible.

I wanted to say something but as a simple employee my opinion doesn't really count. And even then, I imagined sitting next to them and the way the reeked of alcohol (among other things) and knew that I couldn't have stood that for the two hours and twenty minutes that Public Enemies would play for. It was a lose-lose situation.

I know I can't do much (on my own), but maybe some awareness may help.