Reality # 32- I’m Back

I have not posted in a while and the reason is because my mind has been off somewhere else the past two weeks.

Last week the daily grind just got to much for me. I felt like I was losing it a little bit. Then this past weekend I caught the flu so my luck has been going to well.

I realized that life is hard and life is going to knock you down. That’s life. There is nothing we can do it about it. We just have to get back up and keep on living. It’s the only thing we can do.

I’m going to be posting on the regular now and the blog will start to form an identity from Mary Beth and Me. We both want to make this blog better and something we are proud of and other people are proud of.

Thank you to everyone that has followed us and read our blogs. Thank you.

Jeremy

Reality #31: Improve Yourself, Improve Your World

There are a lot of things in this world that we would like to change...people living in poverty, war, federal spending.

There are also things we would like to change in the hustle and bustle of our every day lives...traffic jams, rude people, bill payments.

Unfortunately, while we cannot change all of these things, we can make improvements in our lives...and this world...by making a change within our own attitudes and actions.

So, as a tribute to not only myself but to you as well, take the time to read below the 7 ways to improve yourself, as well as ways to make the world a better place...

~Mj~

 

Reality #30: Love Is Taken Too Lightly

Love is taken too lightly these days...

I challenge anyone who disagrees with me.

Think about it. Every where I hear people - on television or on the radio or even in person - talking about all the things they love...clearance sales, rebates, a certain music artist, clothes, guns, even hair products...

But should we really use love to describe how we feel about these things? I mean...

We say we love those special people in our lives and then we turn around and say how much we love tacos. Is that really fair or accurate or sensible?

We, as humans, play with one another's emotions and dangle what we consider to be "love" by a string.

So what is love? I guess it depends on the individual's own personal definition through the experiences they have had.

Love can be hard work...really hard work sometimes. But...

If love really is unconditional, it will hold any weight, face any doubt, persist through hopelessness, and last any trial...

Perhaps love is best summed up by the one that brought love to this earth....

~Mj~

New Logo!!!

Reality #29: You Get What You Give

I've heard the phrase, "Everyone wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to go now."

I think it should actually be, "Everybody wants success, but no one wants to work at it."

There are a lot of areas in life in which hard work is a must in order to have success in that area...school, love, relationships, your job, sports, hobbies, and so forth.

And the reality?? Sometimes hard work really sucks. Sometimes it hurts. Sometimes it is stressful and time consuming and sometimes even emotionally and physically exhausting.

There are going to be days when you think you have had enough of working hard at improving your relationship or getting a promotion at work or acing that final test.

Personally, my hard work has come in the form of relationships. One thing I have learned lately is that love is hard work. And hard work sometimes sucks.

But what you must ask yourself is if it is worth it. And if it is, then never stop working at it.

We, as human beings, naturally work hard at something in order to get what we want...a lifelong partner, a raise in pay, an athletic honor.  But you also must realize that the highest reward you will receive for your hard work is not what you get for it, but rather what you become by it.

So, the next time you go to give up on something, ask yourself if you would rather give up or put in the extra work and get what you want....happiness, love, honor.

In life, you get what you give...

~Mj

Reality #28- My Love

This past Monday, was Valentines Day and for the past five years I have had nobody to spend Valentines Day with.

Now I have had dates for some of years but I really haven’t had anyone that I truly cared about. I haven’t been in a serious relationship since my senior year of high school. I have had one night stands, friends with benefits, and some causal relationships but never have found anyone to go to the next level with since my senior year of high school.

There are days when I love being single. Just the thought of going out and being able to do whatever I want just gets my blood pumping. I love the feeling of not being tied down and just living my life for me and no one else to take care of.

Then there are times when I get lonely. The single life is fun but coming home to an empty bed every night, it takes its toll on me. There are times when I am lying in bed and I just lay there thinking about what it would be like to have someone lying next to me that I am in love with.

Ever dream about being in love? I mean truly in love with someone. The love that feels so real. Its one of best  feeling’s in the world. Then I wake up and look over and see that no one is there. I slowly start to understand that it was all a dream. The true love feeling leaves my body and the dream slips from my memory.

Right now I am ok with being single. I know there are going to be times when I wish I was in a relationship but I am good for right now. I know one night I will roll over in the middle of the night and there will be the woman that I truly love.

Jeremy

Reality #27: The Fear

Nearly my entire life I have lived maturely. In high school I studied my butt off to get scholarships to attend college, and when I got to college I spent my time studying even more (even though at times I worked hard and played even harder).

I am now out of college and am in the work force. I am employed full-time at a newspaper, doing inside sales advertising.  It's a good job and pays the bills. I have a man that says he loves me. and a family that sometimes seems to think I hang the moon.

But for some reason now, at the age of almost 24, I feel like going back to college mode, or at least young adult/no responsibilities mode. I feel like going to parties, going to clubs on weekends, those kinds of things.

And the thing is, I never felt like going and partying it up before. So why now? Why do I have this sudden urge in me to do these things?

Is it the fear of growing up? Of settling down? Of feeling held back for some reason?

I mean, in reality, what I really want in life is to be happy, to love, to have children, to be successful.

So why now do I want to go back to what most would consider immature ways?

Is it just doubt running through my mind?  And if so, is this doubt that everyone unavoidably experiences at some point in their life??

Love.
Life.
Dreams.
Me.


I thought I knew once. Now I'm not so sure....

~Mj~

Reality # 26- The Dream Girl

I sit in the middle of the night staring at the computer screen. My eyes are getting heavy. My head starts to fall and hits the keyboard.

I open my eyes to find myself with a beautiful woman. This woman does not look familiar but I know her.

This is our first time meeting but everything feels right. We are just talking and having a good time.  

Her phone rings and I know it’s not a good phone call. She tells me that she has to go. I don’t want to her to go but I know she has to.

So she gets up and tells me that she has had a great time. I stand up and give her a hug. She starts to walk away. I want to stop her and ask for her phone number but I just watch her go.

My head pops up from the keyboard. I whip my eyes and see the computer screen still waiting for me.

I now know that I let the girl of my dreams just walk away without asking for her number. Who knows what could have been but I did nothing. I just stood and watched her walk away.

I know I may never dream of her again. I know that she is not real. I know she is just part of my imagination.

I just want one more night of her in dreams. I will not let her walk away. The dream would not end with her walking away.

“Dreams are like stars… you may never touch them, but if you follow them they will lead you to your destiny.” Unknown.

Jeremy

Reality #25: What Better Time Than Now?

Last week I visited the local library and checked out a book. It is probably almost 700 pages and has a full-list of contacts.

And I hope it changes my life.

For years now I have been planning to write a book. Now, I am finally going to try.

I know it won't be easy. It may never even be read or even published for that matter.

But if I have come to realize anything it is that there is no better time than the present to do the things you've always wanted to do. So, what better time than now?

While I can't give details of my idea away, I will say that it is going to be geared toward young children.  I don't know how it is going to turn out. I don't know who to send it to once it is written. I don't know who/how to get an illustrator. But what I do know is that I am going to take a leap of faith and try.

So, what is it that you are willing to take a leap for? What better time than now?

~Mj~

Reality #24: This Is Letting Go...

This thing called life is full of questions.

When your little, the questions range from "Why is the sky blue?" to "Where do babies come from?"

Eventually, the questions we have change with our age. We go from asking what may seem like petty questions to asking the more difficult questions that deal with topics like relationships, moving, and career choices.

But perhaps the most difficult questions of all time, in my opinion, are these: How long do you hold on? When do you let go? What do you fight for? What do you run away from?

To be honest, my mind is blank right now on what to write, puzzled by these questions as they deal with situations in my own life.

Why does it always seem easy to give someone else advice? To answer someone else's questions? And yet, I can't even answer my own.

Nevertheless, remember this:  you are the only one that can answer the questions to your own life.

Ask tough questions. The answers are simple.

~Mj~

Reality # 23- Lying in the Bed

I remember when I was kid, I would lay in my bed and stare at the stars. I had a roof over my head but I had little star stickers that I could stick to my ceiling. The stars would glow in the dark. So every night I would just lay in my bed and stare at the stars.

A couple of days ago, I was lying with this girl in her bed. The lights were off and I looked up at the ceiling and saw that she had some stickers that glowed in the dark.

Just looking at the stickers on the ceiling made me feel like I was a kid again, just laying in my bed staring at the stars. It made me really think about how much I have grown up. How much things have changed since I was a kid. 

On one hand I was sad. I realized that growing up sucks. Being an adult means I have responsibility, I have bills to pay, I have to work, I have to take care of myself and there is no mom to come to the rescue anymore.I miss that. I miss not having a care in the world. I miss not having to worry about cooking dinner because I know my grandma is cooking it. I miss not having responsibility. When your a kid, the world is a giant playground. Everyday is playtime all day.Who doesn't want that? That sounds like the life.

Then on the other hand, I was happy to be where I am today. I have had great memories. I have made wonderful friends. I'm laying next to an attractive woman. I have the freedom to go out in the middle of the night and just walk around Wal Mart. I have the opportunity to turn my dreams to reality. I have the opportunity to fall in love.

What I'm trying to say is don't rush getting older because the older you get, the more you wish you were younger. It's the vicious circle called life.

Jeremy

Reality #22: Sometimes, The Storm Rages

 There are often times in my life when I feel like a storm is raging. The winds seem to be blowing so fast that I cannot hold my head straight. The sky seems to be so overtaken by clouds that I find light in nothing.

Lately, I seem to have storms in a variety of areas in my life....and it can be overwhelming sometimes. There are nights when I lay in bed emotionally exhausted. There are days when all I want to do is crawl back into bed.

I've always been told that the journey of life is not easy. Whoever first said that phrase was 100% correct.

In our lives, we have storms. We break down, wondering when our storm - our problem - will be solved. Many times the storm is calmed, the problem solved, the mistake forgotten about. Other times, however, the storm is rages for a very long time.

But the astonishing reality is that sometimes the storm never ceases. It may lose its strength, but sometimes it never goes away.

It is at this point when something else astonishing happens: we are the ones that are calmed. This doesn't mean that we accept the problem or overlook it or just learn to live or deal with it. Rather, it means that we become stronger than the storm. We learn, we adjust and through it all we keep our heads held high and we strive to make each day the best it can be. It won't always be easy, but it is possible to still have a sunny day through all the rain.

And if all else fails just say to your storm: "Be my guest. Rain on my parade. But I have the biggest freakin' umbrella you have ever seen."

~Mj~

Reality # 21- Seconds

Ever been in a room when everything got real quiet? Where the only thing you could hear was the seconds ticking away from the clock on the wall.

I used to think if I listen to second hand tick and tick, that I would go crazy. Then I started to think what if the clock just stops ticking? What if I could walk to the clock and turn back the minute hand? Would my life flash before my eyes?

What if my life did flash before my eyes? Would I like what I saw?

As I turned back the minute hand I started to see my past. I realized that there are times I would stop the minute hand so I could stay in that moment forever. Then there are times I would turn my head so I didn’t have to watch.

Overall my life has not been that bad. There has been good and bad times, but overall my life has been average. There is nothing wrong with average but average is not for me.

So I brought the minute hand back to present day. I started to walk away from the clock. As I was walking away I heard the second hand ticking my life away.

With every second that ticks away, is a second that I can’t get back. I want to use every second that I am given to make my life something more than average.

One day the clock will stop ticking and there’s no turning back the minute hand.

Jeremy

Reality # 20- The American Dream

I was watching the State of the Union tonight and I have to admit that I did not watch the whole thing. I caught the middle of the speech.

President Obama was talking about the American dream and how people from all over world come to our colleges to learn and start a new life.

Now I am not to big on politics or do I want to debate about politics. I just want to talk about the American dream.

The American dream brings millions of people to America to make a better life for them selves and their familes. But what is the American dream? To me the American dream is doing what you want to do with your life. You are living your life the way you want to live your life.

Who ever reads this blog post please know that you have the ability to take control of your life. Don't ever feel like its to late. As long as your breathing, you have control over your life.

What if your in prison or stuck in the hospital? We are not perfect and we are going to make mistakes. Sometimes things happen and we end up in the hospital. In these situations its easy to give up or put yourself down. In life your biggest enemy is yourself. If you can conquer yourself, then you can take on the world. No matter what is put in front of us, we have the ability to over come it.

We have only one life. Why waste it? We can take control of our lives and make our dreams a reality.

Jeremy

Reality #19: I Once Was Blind, But Now I See

I have been thinking a lot about God lately. Not whether or not He exists, because in my opinion He does. But more so, because of a friend of mine, I've been reading some Bible verses that have "re-opened" my eyes to some things.

For the past couple of months, I've experienced some rough patches in my life. They are patches that some may find to be a big deal and others may not, but ultimately they have caused me my fair share of dilemmas.

Anyways, the point is that through reading scripture I have learned that I have tried to play God for my own life. I have attempted to control every aspect of my life and have attempted to solve my own problems.

So what did these attempts get me? Nothing. Absolutely nothing...except emptiness.

I have ignored God, pushed Him to the side in order to make way for my own thoughts and judgements. And when I could not make my own decisions, I relied on advice of my friends. What I should have realized is that God has also always been my friend. He was just waiting on me to ask Him for His guidance.

So, I want to share with you some verses that have helped me to stay focused, stay level-headed and basically "let go and let God."

"Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." ~John 14:27~

"...I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do. I will not forsake them." ~Isaiah 42:16~

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel you and watch over you." ~Psalm 32:8~

"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." ~Romans 5:3-5~

I don't know what your beliefs are, what denomination you follow or even if you follow one at all. But what I do know is that life is hard. It is so easy for us to become jaded and exhausted with all of the problems that come our way. Or, in some cases, the problems of which we try to control.

We harbor hate and frustrations and indecisiveness and worry and pain and fear. But we also have within ourselves wisdom and hope and courage and love. We try to continuously control everything in our lives. But the reality is that we just can't.

What we can do, however, is open our ears to hear whispers of guidance, our mouths to speak words of kindness, our minds to new wisdom, and our eyes to what we were once blinded by. And sometimes just realize that while we cannot control the rain that falls on us, maybe there is someone who knows that the rain falls for a reason.

~Mj~

Reality #18- Memory Lane

Wednesday classes started for the last time in my college career. In most of my classes there are a lot of freshmen because I’m taking freshman level classes. The reason is because it’s my last semester and I want to take easy classes.

With all the freshmen in my classes, I started to think about when I was a freshman. I took the ride down memory lane and it brought back a lot of memories. Now that I think about, freshmen year was the best year of college for me.

I remember the excitement of starting over. This is my second chance to show people who I really am. Everything I did in high school doesn’t matter anymore. I am going to define me from here on out.

I remember meeting my roommate. Little did I know that he would become one of my two best friends! A friendship that will keep for the rest of my life!

I remember being foolish and making many mistakes. Thought I was an adult and ready to take on the world. The truth was, I was an 18 year old kid who knew nothing about being an adult.

I remember thinking hanging out with friends was more important than an education. I thought classes were just a joke. The only thing I wanted to do was party with my friends and hang out with some females.

I remember being scared to fall in love again. I thought if I never got close to someone, I would never be hurt. I soon found out that never taking a chance means I would never be happy.

I remember trying to act so cool. If I acted like I was the shit, then everybody would think I was the shit. I did not realize that acting like that turned me into a big jerk.

I remember freshman year ending and I was a different person than the person that started the school year. I was nowhere near being a mature adult but I was on my way.

Back to present day. Now I can say that I’m a mature adult that still needs to grow up. I hope I never stop growing up because the day I stop learning, will be the day that I’m dead.

Jeremy

Reality #17: No Time Is Wasted Time

I hear people talking a lot about time.

We need time to think. Time to speak our mind. Time to let go. Time to grow up. Time to move on. Time to heal. Time to just breathe.

A lot of people, myself included, have complained about wasting time on different people and events. We think going to a boring meeting is a waste of time. We think that when we get our heart broken then that person was a waste of time.

We say that we waste our time on things and people, and yet all we want is more time.

The reality is, time flies. It waits for no one. We complain and we hurt and we question why, but are those moments of time in our lives really wasted? Or is it those moments in time - the pain of heartache, the loss of someone, the boring, awful job - that allow us the opportunity to become a better person?

What we all should also learn is that time heals wounds. But we have to be the ones to not only allow them time to heal, but also allow ourselves the time and opportunity to step back and say that we will not let our time be wasted in vain, we will not let time hold us down. We will not let us hold our own selves down.

The time is there. The time is now. What will you do with yours?

~Mj~

Reality #16- On to the Next One

Tomorrow is the start of my last semester of college and I could care less about school anymore.

I’m just sick of school and I don’t want to be at college right now. I want to be home and starting my life after college.

All of my friends have graduate and moved on to better things. I feel like I’m the slacker trying to keep up with them.

I know that I need to finish to school and get my degree. So I will take one day at time because that is all I can do. I can’t predict future and who knows if tomorrow will ever come but today is now. I can control what happens today and I can make my own future.

So everyday I wake up and I will find a reason to smile. I will find a reason to be happy. I will find a reason to laugh. Nothing is going to keep me down because I control my life.

Jeremy

Reality #15: Everyone Has A Story To Tell

Everyone in this world has a story to tell. That is one thing I have learned as a journalist.

The homeless man on the street. The WWII veteran. The mom pushing the cart in the grocery store. The alcoholic that has overcome addiction.

I think a lot of times we do not take into consideration what other people that we come into contact with in our daily lives is feeling. I don't think we, including myself, realize that other people experience a lot of the same things we do.

People put homeless people down, saying that they brought their current situation on themselves. But what do we know unless we are that homeless person? What do we know unless we are the war veterans? The moms in the stores? The recovering alcoholic?

I guess what I am trying to say is that we shouldn't judge people based on their outward appearances, their status in life, or their personality of that day.

Everyone has a story. Everyone has experiences. Everyone, in all actuality, have more in common than we think.

So, the next time you start to judge someone, just try to see their point of view, or at least take the time to let them tell you their story.

You may just learn more than you think.

~Mj~

Reality #14: Look At Life Through The Windshield, Not the Rear View Mirror

Joey:  "You never look back, do you?"

Pacey:  "Why would you look back? The future's out there. And whatever it is, it's gonna be great."

Growing up with older sisters, I usually managed to watch shows that they watched. My older middle sister got me into watching a show with her called Dawson's Creek. To date, this is my favorite show of all time.

The quote at the beginning of this post came from that show, and even though it stopped airing years ago, I believe that a lot of the things the characters said then makes more sense to me now that I am older.

If you are anything like me, or the character Joey on Dawson's Creek, you may spend a lot of time looking back in the past. I always think back to what if it would have happened differently, what if I would have went here, said this, done that. Dwelling on the past is like a never-ending circle of doubt.

And let me tell you something I've learned about and doubt: It will make you sick. It will keep you up at night. It will break you down.

What I am also beginning to learn, however, is that doubt is the rust of life. Doubt will paralyze you, causing you to stay landlocked in one place, in one frame of mind. The time that you spend doubting is time that will slip from your hands, time that you will never get back, time when you are not truly living.

Part of the quote at the beginning of this post not only recognizes Joey looking into the past, but also Pacey recognizing that one must look to the future. I mean, of course he future is scary. And yes, no matter what we will most certainly have doubts creep back into our lives...we're human, aren't we?

But the thing is that if we can only look into the past less and begin taking steps toward the future, then maybe this thing we call life wouldn't be so bad after all.

I mean, the future is out there, right? Then make it what you want it to be. No one is stopping you but yourself...

"Come to the edge," he said.

They said, "We are afraid."

"Come to the edge," he said.

They came. He pushed them. And they flew.

Quote by Guillaume Apollinaire

~Mj~

Reality # 13- Home

All week I have been working out trying to get into shape for my first MMA fight this year. As result of working out, I have been sore and missing home.

School starts this coming Wednesday and I really don’t have to be down at school right now. I could be home with my family and friends but school has a gym and I can work out for free. So I made the choice to go to school and work out.

I know I’m missing some good times with friends but no one said chasing your dreams would be easy.

I get to go home for a couple of days today. As I was driving home today I started to think to myself what makes a home. Is a home a house? Is a home neighborhood? Is a home a city?

We say we are going home to our house, neighborhood, and city but what makes those places a home.

If you look up the meaning of home, there are many definitions for the word. For me there is only one. A home to me is where my family and love ones are. A home can be a house, apartment, cabin, neighborhood, city, or even a country.

A home has no boundaries. A home can be anywhere at any time. Where ever my family and love ones are, then there’s my home.

I don’t know where your home is but where ever it is, let it be a place filled with love and happiness because if there’s only place where you can be yourself. Let it be your home.

Jeremy

Reality #12- What to Say?

This has been a pretty boring week for me. I went to back down to school this week to start my workout and diet program. The plan was only to stay to Thursday then head back home to Louisville Ky. We all know how life is; hardly anything goes according to plan.

Come to find out, one of my friends is having a wedding this weekend. So instead of going home, I had to stay down at school, in the small town of Columbia, Ky. where there is nothing to do

Since Monday, my days have gone like this. I wake up around 10 in the morning. Catch a small breakfast and watch some TV to wake up. So around 1130 or noon, I head to the gym to start my workout. After the workout, I head back to the apartment, take a shower and watch more TV. I can safely say, nothing is exciting is happening in my life right now.

So I was thinking, what I’m going to write about for my post today. Well to be honest, I don’t have anything. So I decided to take the cheap the way out. I wrote an article for my school paper last year. I hit the tough subject about how to get rid of someone that likes you but you don’t like them. So if there is anybody out in the world right now, that has this problem. I give you the answer.

“Everyone wants to be loved, it’s a natural desire,” said Jenny Summerford, a Lindsey Wilson College (LWC) Alumnus. “Some people, probably most, just don’t fulfill this need.”

Sometimes the desire a person has for someone can go a bit too far. The desire can become over-bearing and begin to smother someone to the point that they no longer want to be with that person in a relationship. Sometimes this is done by accident, and never really meant to be done. Then there are other times where this is meant to be done and you just have a crazy person on your hands.

Everybody has the need to be with someone in their life. Some people will spend their whole lives searching for that right person that will fill the need. What is the need or why can’t we be lonely?

“We are social animals,” said Jeff Crane, Director of Counseling and Human Development. “We find meaning in relationships. We prefer to be with other people, it is just who we are.”

Search for a whole lifetime and finally found that one person that fills the need. What if that person was there one day and the next day they checked out. Everybody handles lost in a different way. Some might accept it and others might deny.

“If anybody has ever lost something, they’re going to search for whatever it is they lost,” Crane said. “People in relationships are the same way; they are going to search for what they lost.”

So now you need to end a relationship. Here are 10 plans that will guarantee that he or she will leave you alone for good.

Stinky Pitts- Get sweaty at least three times a day, and stop taking showers completely. After a couple of days of not showering you will start to get a nice smell going on. Once you have achieved smelling like a skunk, your partner will be keeping a good distance so they do not have to put-up with the smell.

Now, if they are still hanging around you and acting like you do not stink at all even though you can still smell yourself, that is when you need to go to plan B.

Excuse Me- Take your special someone out on a fancy date. Go to a really nice restaurant and let them think you are trying to be romantic. Once you have sat down and your food is on the table, burping and farting as much and as loud as you can.

Your goal is to get everyone in the restaurant to stare at your table. Once you have everyone’s attention, start blaming your boyfriend or girlfriend for the farts and burps.

Ten out of 10 times, they will get upset with you. Just hope that you can get them mad enough to break- up with you.

If somehow they forgive you for embarrassing them in the restaurant, that just means you need to go to the next plan.

* * * * * * *

Most people want to be in a relationship and have someone that will love them, but it seems to never work out.

“I would hope someone gets into a relationship because they want to be with that person but I think we all know that’s not always the case,” Summerford said. “I have several friends who can’t stand to be alone and they will jump from relationship to relationship whether they actually like a person or not.”

Whatever the reason is, in today’s times we are a generation that has a problem finding true love. We think we find it, and then it all falls apart. Sometimes it falls apart when we do not want it to, but other times it cannot fall apart when we truly want it to fall apart. That is why there is a plan C.

Drop and Run- Try to get your boyfriend or girlfriend to forgive you for embarrassing them in the restaurant. You might be wondering why you would ever do this, but just hear it out.
Ask them out on a date and tell them it is surprise where you all are going. Take them out for a picnic somewhere far away from where you live.

When you arrive at the place that is far away from where you live, get out and walk a good distance away from your car. When you have gone far enough, act like you forgot something in the car. Tell them to start getting stuff ready for the picnic while you go back to the car. Once you get back to the car, drive away fast and go back home.

By some kind of miracle that they make it home and they forgive you for leaving them out there with no ride, then you might need to pray, but don’t worry. We have a plan D.

Classy Lady- Hire an escort with a feather boa and pink crocs. This plan really might sound stupid, but if you bring the escort around your crazy partner, and let them know that it is an escort with a feather boa and pink crocs, it might just be crazy enough to work. They should break up with you for cheating on them, but if they say that you are just going through a phase (a very weird phase) and you will just get over it, then might as well go to plan E.

Unwanted Friend- If they do not break up with you for the escort with a feather boa and pink crocs, then it is time to lie. Take them to the side and act like you are devastated about something. You will get their attention because they will think something is wrong.

This is when you drop the bombshell. Let the words come out slow and stutter a little. Get the point across that you have an STD- and it can never be cured.

At this point, if they forgive you for cheating on them and catching an STD, you should not be surprised. Who in their right mind would still keep you around? You know the answer to that question, so the only thing to do is to move on to plan F.

* * * * * * *

How should a person go about handling a boyfriend or girlfriend that has become obsessive and crazy?

“Just keep moving forward,” said Laura Smith, an alumnus of LWC. “If you don’t want them to be part of your life, don’t give them a place. You don’t have to be rude, but just move on and let time move on, too.”

That is a very good approach to take on the situation. It is very settle and mature. You are taking the higher road and just letting things work out on its own, but some have a different approach.

“I would probably completely avoid him at first,” said LWC senior Kristi Apple. “If that did not work, then I would just get a boyfriend that was a lot stronger than my ex.”

This is also a very good approach to take. That will definitely get the point across that you are serious about not being with that person.

No matter if you go the high road and just walk away or you have someone beat them up, you will always have plan F right around the corner….

Tardy Time- Plan a bunch of dates and make almost all of them romantic. The catch? Be late for every single date.

The goal is to keep them waiting at least 45 minutes to an hour. You want them to be furious with you for being later to a date that you planned.

Now, if they do not break up with you, then you have an all new kind of stalker on your hands. There is a plan G, but at this point, who knows if it will work.

Hide and …. Hide?- Give some kind of speech about how you just want to act like you are a kid again. Tell your Boyfriend or Girlfriend that you want to play a little game called hide and seek.

Tell them to hide while you start counting down til you are supposed to go and find them. Once you stop counting, just leave and never go look for them.

Eventually your crazy partner will find you and yell at you for leaving and not looking for them. That is when you just laugh at them for playing childish games.

You hope and pray that this is the last straw and they can not take anymore. But, you clearly know, you can not get rid of them that easily.

You may begin to feel like this is a lost clause. You may think that there is no way to get rid of them. You might be right, but there are still a couple of more plans.

The Herd- This approach is different. Your goal is to only hang out with them when it is with their friends. You want to avoid them at all cost and make it obvious. They are going to get annoyed at you, but the next step is should push them over the edge.

You want to flirt with their friends right in front of them. You might be thinking that this plan will only make them jealous and want be around you even more, but we are running out of ideas.

This plan will more than likely fail, but of course there is a plan I. You always need a plan I, just in case the eight plans before this failed…

Just Keep Running- Just run away whenever you see them. If they yell your name to get your attention, just start running. If they walk up to you, run the other way.

This plan is not a good one, but if you just run away every time you see them, then eventually they have to get the picture.

Now if you really don’t like to run, you might want to just throw in the towel. But, if you have not lost faith and you believe you can get them out of your life. Keep going.

When all else fails, turn to plan J.

Witness Protection- This is the last plan. This has to work or you just might want to face the facts and marry them.

Pack up all your stuff and drive somewhere far, far away from them. Do not tell anyone that you are leaving or where you are going. As a matter fact, you should not even know where you are going.

Once you feel like you have gone far enough, just keep going. Once you have finally reached your new home, you need to change everything. Change your name, phone number, social security number, hair color, eye color, skin color, and even your shoe size. Do whatever it takes.

If they find you, then you need to drop everything and run until you can no longer run.. At this point you, know they will still find you. The only option now is to get a restraining order.

Stay on move until the restraining order is placed into effect. The next time you see them you can just call the police and have them thrown into jail.

Then you finally can have peace and mind, and move on with your life.. which is till they break out of jail.

Jeremy

Reality #11: I Will Accomplish These Things

When the New Year began, I realized that I had made no resolutions. Not to say that there isn't something I would like to change about myself or in my life, but to be honest I cannot remember a single resolution that I was able to keep.

So, this year, instead of making resolutions, I have made a list of things I hope to do this year. Here it goes:

1.  See the ocean. - At 23+ years old, I have yet to see the ocean. I don't want to go somewhere crowded or go to party. I just want to be able to feel the ocean water, write my name in the sand, and for once watch the sun rise and set against the ocean.

2.  Learn to drive a stick. - For some off reason or another, I want to learn to drive a straight shift. I just got to find someone who is willing, brave enough, to let me try it in their vehicle. Let's just hope they still have a clutch when I am finished.

3.  Go to a UofL's Men's Basketball game. - I'm sure that most of you that may read this are probably UK fans, which is perfectly fine by me. I've just always loved college basketball, basketball period really. And I've always wanted to go to a Louisville Men's game, so maybe that will happen this year.

4.  Learn about football. - I didn't grow up in a family that watched football. Therefore, I know almost nothing on the sport. I mean, I know the basics of offense, defense, the quarterback, touchdowns, but as far as the calls, I know nothing. So, my goal for 2011 is to learn about football so that maybe I can actually understand it for once, and also pick up another sport to keep up with.

5.  Compete in a bow tournament. - I have always been somewhat of an outdoorsy person, whether it be going outside to just relax or get in a run. But this year, I want to do something new: I want to compete in bow tourney. I have no rhyme or reason behind it except that I shot a bow once at a camp I worked at a few years ago and I enjoyed it.

6.  Write a book. - For a couple of years now I have wanted to write a book. I have a lot of ideas going. Now I just got to get the time and motivation. Any suggestions?

Now that you know what I want to accomplish this year, the question is:  What will you do in 2011?

~Mj~

Reality #10- Finish Strong

The 400 meter semi final race in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona is a moment that should never be forgotten.

The moment centers on Derek Redmond. Derek showed the world when the things get bad, when you want to quit, you have two options. You can just give up and say I’m done or you can stand up and keep fighting.

 I could tell you Derek Redmond story of the 1992 Olympic Games, but I don’t want to. Watch the video below and you make the choice. Give up or Finish strong. 

Jeremy

Reality #9: Things Are Not Always Set In Stone

I was driving along the Cumberland Parkway one day, heading back to college after a long morning at work. My eyes were heavy with fatigue and the music from my speakers were blaring the latest hits in order to keep me awake. I peered straight ahead at the open road, my mind a blank canvas. No thoughts of family or friends, of work or school, of relationships or the future. My mind was empty of all thought and reason until something suddenly caught my attention along the right side of the parkway: a pile of fallen rock.

It may seem odd that a simple pile of rock would catch my attention so quickly or even catch my attention at all, but it did. I stared at the pile of rock for what seemed like an eternity. Then, out of nowhere, my blank canvas was filled with all kinds of memories and thoughts. The one that seemed to stand out the most, however, was a phrase that I have heard throughout my entire life. Things are not always set in stone.

I laughed to myself a bit when that phrase came to mind because it was one that I had not thought about in a very long time. As I turned my radio off, I spoke the phrase aloud to the emptiness of my car. The long road before me, I began to ponder all the things in life that, much like the fallen rock, are not set in stone. These things–people, places, relationships, love–are not promised to stay the same forever.


People leave. Places burn. Relationships crumble. Love fades. Often times, you blame yourself for such occurrences. You constantly beat yourself up with thoughts of how you should have said or done things differently. You should have spent more time with your grandfather before he passed away. You should have traveled the extra distance to visit your childhood home before it was torn down. You should have let your pride go and told someone you were sorry while you had the chance. You should have given more and blamed less. These mistakes that are made in life can break a person down. They can wake you in the latest of hour, torment every corner of your mind, and tear apart your soul until it seems like you will never be able to overcome that which you cannot change. You reach the edge of insanity and come to the conclusion that you will never be able to forgive yourself for the mistakes you have made in life...

As I continued to drive along the parkway and as the sun began to shine through the clouds, I realized that although the good things in life are not set in stone, neither are the bad things. The bad things in your life, the mistakes you make, are not 100% permanent. While you can’t go back and change the past or use a giant eraser to remove your regrets, you can learn from your actions and try your best not to make the same mistakes twice. It is once you realize this that you can then begin your journey down the long and difficult road of forgiving yourself. It isn’t easy, but it is possible.


Remember that when you are at your lowest of lows, there is someone who will always be there to bring you out of the darkness and into the light. God can and will forgive you. You just have to learn to not only ask for His forgiveness, but also forgive yourself.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9


~Mj~