Sunday, September 30, 2012

The Blogging Experience

I've never been one to really share my thoughts with anyone other than myself. I've always been very cautious about who gets to read my writing. In fact, I'd say the only human beings who have read my writing are my teachers, and the occasional close friend. 
When my creative writing teacher required that we must keep a blog for the class, I was pretty nervous. I didn't know if I was ready to put my thoughts out there for everyone to see. 

I was overwhelmed with the fact that I had to put down my notebook and pencil, and get on the computer to write. I'm so accustomed to writing things in a private journal for ME and only me. 


Now, a few weeks into this whole blogging experience, I can proudly say that I am an in-love blogger. It's awesome. I feel so free, like no one can tell me what to do. I'm more comfortable with letting strangers into my brain, allowing them to mingle with my thoughts. 


Maintaining an active blog is easier than I had imagined. 





My Real favorite blog

A while ago, I posted a link to a blog called the "To Don't List"
While I did found that blog pretty funny, I have to say that it is far from my favorite.
Whoever runs it is doing a terrible job, they update once every 2 years. (I'm exaggerating a little bit)

I am now following a different blog, one that is run by one of my favorite people on earth:
The one and only Jenna Marbles.
She has always been my favorite youtube-er, and I've always been loyal to watching her videos almost immediately after she posts them. I knew she had a blog, but I wasn't really motivated to follow it. Now that I have a blog, the situation has changed entirely. I love checking out her new posts. They're inappropriately HILARIOUS.
AND, she updates it pretty often. I don't think I'll ever get bored of the classic Jenna filled humor that is found on her wonderful blog.
Click the link on the side to witness the epicness.

Inspirational Story

When I was younger, one of my favorite books to read was "Where the Sidewalk Ends" by Shel Silverstein.
It's a book that consists of many poems; some short, some long, some funny, some random. I loved every single one of them.

but my absolutefavorite one was this one: 


Where the Sidewalk Ends


There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends. 





At a young age, I didn't look beyond the cool details and the awesome wording. Now that I'm a bit older, 
I think I've found the meaning behind it.

Shel Silverstein is telling his readers that there is a place better than the world we live in, and it lies in our
imagination.  To get there, we must get away from a world of corruption, and settle in a state of innocence.
He is telling us that everything comes to an end, and we shouldn't live our lives letting this affect us. We should
live with minds like children, and we should aim to reach our own state of happiness and relaxation.
 
Or something like that...

My interpretation has inspired me to write a poem. Please allow me to speak to your heart, open your mind, and 
hopefully reach your inner kid...


We're stuck in a rut of maniacal nonsense,
drifting away from our sense of perfection.
we're leaving our imagination small and rusty
while we dwell over our evil consciences. 

We're living apart from childhood fantasies
and grasping a state of bitter corruption.
If we can walk away from all of this chaos,
we can embrace the heaven that awaits us all.

A child can see that it is peaceful
in the place where innocence lies.
We must learn to follow the path of our minds
leading away from the dark forces holding us back.

There, in a world of free creativity,
where our inner child overcomes us,
we will find the answers to our misery
and live among the youthful magic.

Writing From a Word

"Kittens"


So cute, so tiny, so delicate. I miss staying up late at night, snuggling with a little furry feline. 


I've had several kittens in the past, and they all end up being taken away from me, for different reasons. It broke my heart every time. I just miss coming home, stepping on my porch, and noticing that there is a beautiful little fur ball waiting for me at the window. I miss watching my kitty go berserk when I shake the can of cat food. I miss having it fall asleep in my arms on long nights. 


One of the kittens I had was particularly strange. He would wake me up every morning, but not by meowing or scratching the door.. He would sit on my head. I'd be woken up by the lack of oxygen and a weird feeling of having a furry face.


I remember how funny it was to watch my mother run away from something so tiny. She'd climb random things, and occasionally lock the poor kitten in the bathroom. 

She'd never let me get another one, she doesn't want to take the chance of giving me another responsibility. I can barely handle my two parakeets.

But caring for a parakeet is not the same. With a kitten, I feel like I'm caring for my own child..a feeling that made me warm and fuzzy inside.

 Oh how I miss all of my kittens.




 I sound like a crazy cat lady.

"Isn't My Name Magical?"

The poem "Isn't My Name Magical?" by James Berry made me realize that a name is not just a form of identity, but it is a natural form of awakening an inner soul.
Hearing your name being called sparks a sense of curiosity, as Berry suggests in his poem.

"My sound switches me on to answer like it was my human electricity"

This makes me think of class. When a teacher says my name while talking, I automatically look up and pay attention, even if he/she was just using me as an example.
I don't know if this is weird, but whenever a teacher says words like "remember" or "remind," my senses strengthen. The beginning of these words sound like the beginning of my name, and they get my attention EVERY time. 

A name is just a word, and it's unbelievable how one specific word can have so much meaning to one specific person.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Little Nate Dog




While looking through some old photos, I came across this one.^
It's me and my younger brother, who I care for deeply. This picture gave me goosebumps. Even at a very young age, I felt the need to protect him and love him with all of my heart. These feelings will never change, no matter how old we get.





I know that I don't stress it enough, 
but I really do love you, brother.
Your complaining can make things really tough,
but I wouldn't settle for any other.

I will provide the best protection,
I will share with you my entire heart.
I will guide you into the right direction,
We will never be apart.

But now you're growing up you see,
and it's hard for me to bare.
seeing you on your own frightens me,
and it's all because I care.

I know that life is a brutal endeavor,
but remember I will be here forever. 

I love you Nate Dog.
                                                                                                                   

Finding Perfection

A green blanket of lively trees hover over the grass beneath me. It creates a wave of shade, with patches of sun creeping up at me. I can feel the cool, crisp air sail through my pores and provide me with surreal relaxation. 
I look up, and there it is.
It's not a building. It's a masterpiece.
It stands tall and firm, wearing light brown bricks and a smile.
It's beauty flows through the air, blending with the wind. I hear leaves. They're dancing. Dancing to the beat of beauty.

Then I look to my left. 
My ears surprise me with the sound of zipping engines.
My eyes betray me with the sight of a polluted atmosphere.
My nose punishes me with the smell of gasoline,
and my thoughts fill me with a feeling of despair.

The busy street is attracting the attention of curious human souls, but I will not fall victim. 
I will not let the beauty of nature stand overlooked. 
I quickly drift my senses back to where they belong. I cancel out all of the excess noise, and focus on the sound of silence. This is where perfection lies.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

My Guilty Pleasure

Every time I'm in a bad mood, I turn to one thing to cheer me up. 
It's not food,
it's not a song,
and it is not a person.


It's the Retarded Running Horse!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyMXYE_50Ts

I find it inappropriately hilarious. 

I don't know what it is about this video, but I can never get sick of it. I have a feeling that it might have to do with the song in the background. It sounds like a laughing donkey. Enjoy :D

Not Exactly Perfect

She walks in, and he's just sitting there. Two steps closer, he puts his book down, and just looks at her. There's something about his meaningful glare that gets the best of her. She wants to turn away and leave. But why? Why does she want to leave the only person who understands her, the only person who cares? 
He loves her. 
Everything is so perfect, yet so far from it. 
Why does she dislike the presence of him? 
She's afraid of his judgement, even though she knows that he would be the last to judge. 
All he wants is for it to work out between them. She says she does too, but deep down, there are doubts crawling inside her confused body. She has yet to find out what she is made of. 
He calls her beautiful. But only him, and she hates that. She doesn't want HIM to be the only one who cares, but he's all she has. 

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Looking for a laugh?

   http://todontlist.blog.com/ <------Okay. It's pretty easy to get me to laugh, but that doesn't change the fact that this blog is hysterical. I viewed it for five minutes and I've already decided that it was one of my new favorite things to read. I don't even know if the writer intended for it to be humorous, but regardless, it is. 


Check it out!

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Mirror Mirror

Look into the Mirror and what do I
Find in myself at a quarter past nine?
Is this really who I want to be?
Can this be the real me?
Can this be?

It's not the same
looking in the mirror.
I can't find the pieces 
That made me 
Into who I was before.
I'm looking for something more.
I need to see.
I need to be.
The girl that once was
looking back at me
In the mirror.

Trying to hide behind
Someone else's identity.
It's not mine.
I need to see,
I need to be,
The girl that once was
Looking back at me,
In the mirror.

Searching deep inside,
I need to let go
And let the truth break through the mirror
that's keeping everything inside.
I don't want to remain
So insane.

Mirror, Mirror.
Can you hear her?



I Want To Believe My Parents

    Almost every single time I meet someone new, the first thing  they notice is the fact that I have pretty big eyes. And while I usually just take their reactions as compliments, sometimes my train of thought whistles back to my roots. Starting with my name. Reema. My parents have always told me that the meaning of my name is "baby deer with beautiful eyes," in Arabic. I loved it! Come on, who wouldn't?
   Little did I know, my folks have been...stretching the meaning. I just looked up the actual Arabic definition of it, and it turns out that my name is just a version of the name "Reem," which means white antelope.

White antelope..
..Baby deer with beautiful eyes.
Close enough. 

Monday, September 10, 2012