an evening in August

Today I sat out in my backyard

Facing the lake and enjoying the patio set 

Coffee in hand

I made sure to choose one of my nice mugs

Mind you, the coffee tastes the same in any mug

But I thought the picture will just look nicer

So I sat there trying to find the best angle to capture it with the background

The best filter

A clever caption

But then I thought, why am I working so damn hard to share this simple moment?

It’s just another day and another cup of coffee.

So I deleted everything and put my phone down

This moment isn’t for social media

It’s my moment

Just me and the view

No music. Just the sound of the breeze

And all the birds and the bees

I haven’t felt this serene in so long

As if time stood still just for me

Just so I can catch my breath 

And be still in this ever hasty world

I wanted to keep that moment to myself

And yet here I am sharing it with you
I guess this is why we're called social creatures.

les yeux

She couldn't pretend anymore,

There was something there and she knew it,

Something about his eyes when he spoke to her,

It's as if he was falling in love, slowly and silently

She looked away every time

He knew she could never love him the same,

So their conversations kept going,

But their eyes did all the talking

12:00 AM

Wake up,
wash up
make coffee
head to class
use your brain and make small talk
drive home
shuffle music while stuck in traffic
make food
study
work out
shower
sleep
repeat

Wake up,
snooze alarm

Wake up,
study for that exam

Wake up,
buy groceries

Wake up,
rush to work

Wake up,
daydream

Wake up,
do house chores

Repeat, repeat, repeat
...
Wake up,
make someone's day
smile a little more
make time for a hobby
call someone you miss and tell them you miss them
bake cookies
drink more water
treat yourself
treat someone else
go dancing
watch an old movie
read a book
take a walk or
make a list just like this
feel blessed
sleep
repeat.

Revelations

One day you will wake up and find that the demons you fight so desperately are standing before you in the mirror.
You will find that the cage surrounding you was built with your own bare hands.
Nothing is stopping you from opening that rusty door but you.
The thousand voices in your head, the insecurities, the fear.
All the ways to chain yourself in memories of what was and never able to look into what could be.
You are your own bully.
Don't damage yourself any further.
Find a reason to wake up in the morning and actually get up and look yourself in the mirror and find beauty where you once saw flaws.
Realize that you can change perceptions.
You can be yourself and love it too.
That's all it takes for others to embrace who you are as well.
And if they don't, well who the hell cares?
You will reach a point in your life where things don't matter anymore.
People, objects, places. All temporary in this enormous universe we live in.
Don't waste 12 hours out of your day upset over a 2 minute mishap.
Shit happens. Then we move on.
Don't be a hippy and be one with the earth either. Take action. You don't want to look back at your life and only remember yourself moping around.
Set goals. Set dreams. Set standards. And try to meet them. But do not set yourself up for failure. Give yourself time to heal and space to breathe.
Explore the world. Explore yourself. Take risks. Lead by example. Don't give up before saying you actually tried, at whatever it may be.
Learn to be positive and find the strength within you. That kind of strength that was always there during those tough and lonely times as a kid. 
Be wise. Be smart with your decisions. Be patient. But mostly, just be.
Shatter the mirrors where the demons still linger. Break the cage and set yourself free.
You deserve this chance
Only you can finish what you started.

quote unquote, #2

-Why is this your favorite spot in the city?

-Because you can see everything from here.  It's like you're isolated where you are, frozen in time, but the city is always moving...