Tagged: writing

Storytime Saturday, featuring an excerpt from an upcoming untitled piece.

Read on if you'd like; if so, thank you for taking the time to do so. Best of days to all.

The bus veered around a series of winding corners, and they slowly and methodically snaked their way deep into the trees. He surprisingly managed to drift in and out of sleep periodically with each bump and sway of the ancient machine as it rocked him to sleep. The old driver tamed the turns like a seasoned pro, and managed to swerve deftly around each craggy bend; any driver with normal nerves would surely not have attempted that type of road with the type of speed that this guy was able to conjure up. It was actually quite a shock that the old scrap heap was able to generate any speed at all, he mused. One look at that thing and you’d think it must’ve been George Washington’s motor coach. That fucker had to have been at Valley Forge. A good jolt jarred him from his sleep, and he sat up wide-eyed in the seat. He gave a quick, slumber induced glance around the bus in order to get his bearings, and noticed that her eyes had closed and her head was tilted back against the seat. Her head shifted gently from side to side with each curve of the road, and she looked so peaceful like that, he thought, her head dancing along with the movement of the bus. The breeze forced its way in and caught fragile tufts of her hair in its grasp, and sent it flying rapidly in front of her face. She was beautiful.

Success Lives in Every Single One of Us.

The Academy Awards came on recently, and though I tend to avoid awards shows these days, it was interesting to see the various actors and actresses put on their masks and play the role of glittering ‘stars’ for the world to admire and emulate and dissect.  The globe is indeed obsessed with the concept of celebrity, and people will do seemingly anything to get a piece of their favorites.  Their every move is followed, scrutinized, critiqued, and discussed, and as a result, they develop a god-like persona that keeps them posted up and unattainable atop a sky high pedestal.  At any rate, I don’t buy into the celebrity hocus pocus, don’t glorify them ad infinitum, and don’t succumb to the idolatrous hero worship, but watching the Oscars does remind me that dreams and goals are attainable.

Above all, those actors honored with nominations and those that won silverware were people that sought to become what they wanted to be.  That much is true.  Underneath it all, and before they were ‘stars’, they were just regular folk armed with a dream and some balls…balls enough to take a solid crack at an elusive goal.  Whether they became actors, animators, writers, directors, sound editors, or some random and nameless dude behind the scenes, they made it to the Everest of award shows and were recognized for their achievements by the highest organization in their field.  They started out just like the rest of us (albeit with a bit more luck in many cases no doubt), and made it to the top.  It’s a frank reminder that not only do dreams exist, but they can be had and are there for the taking for those courageous enough to set out and go get them.

Success is a beautiful thing.  It’s wonderful witnessing the manifestation of a goal, of a work recognized, and the satisfaction of a job well done.  How many of us get to not only see the end product of our work, but to do it in style, in front of our peers and a few hundred million admirers?  They are artists at the pinnacle of their craft, artists that have displayed their true A-game; in my opinion, it’s a great reminder that if you want something, no matter how big or unrealistic it seems, you can have it if you’re willing to go the distance.  If you’re willing to work for it, sweat for it, and keep on going when it seems like all is lost and that your destination is an impossibility.  Those folks that graced the stage started just where the rest of us are now, but they made it to the top.  Luck, fate, determination, courage, grit, and all the rest came into play, but they made it.  That says something.

Story Time Saturday – Random story excerpts.

Just a random excerpt from an as yet untitled story. Kick back and enjoy, and thank you for reading.

The phone's ringing jarred him unpleasantly from his daydreams, and he carelessly decided against answering it. His thoughts were much more interesting than any words on the other end of the line. He looked over his shoulder at her, and watched as her hair fell gently over her eyes, and he longingly watched as she guided the strands softly behind her ear. He drank the image of her in like water, and silently admired her beauty. She was the stuff of his daydreams, and he watched her fingers delicately glide across the keys on her keyboard, beautiful hands that were very much a major player in his thoughts. Her eyes were so welcoming…the kind that you want to lose yourself in. The kind that make you want to say “to hell with the world”, and remain in forever. They were a world in themselves, a secret refuge. She caught him staring at her at that moment, and flashed him the loveliest of smiles, so inviting, so genuine, a smile that opened the door to her own secret world.

Quotes from the Vault – Inner Peace.

My father often reminds me, "it's always something." Life does indeed tend to throw some curveballs, fastballs, and pretty much everything else at us; we can either get slammed in the face with those pitches, or we can try our best to swing hard and knock them out of the park. How we respond to adversity matters greatly. Best of luck to all, and thanks for reading.