My fear for you

What are you doing? Don't you realize that you only have a short amount of time? And still, as the mountain of time caves in around you, you are oddly pulled to those things that just don't seem to matter. You always say that you aspire for higher than mediocre. But to be exceptional you have to move. An apathetic person goes no where, they just don't care. But you would never be fine with just mediocre or stagnation. So why? Why are you doing nothing today?



I wish I could say these things to you today, and as a friend I know I need to. But this is your undertaking and I want so badly for this to be your success. But how do I tell a friend who is so incredibly important to me that they are being lazy?

Grit

Dirt between your finger nails,
grinding underneath.
Scraping and scratching.
Grit between your teeth,
the taste of hot earth in your mouth.
Not a drop of water in sight to wash it all away.
Sand between your toes,
skin crackling from heat and raw dust.
A footprint left behind.

YEATS!!!

I love Yeats more than you can imagine. The way he works with words astounds me. My souls gets fed by him. I have to thank my dear friend Arri for showing me this brilliant man.

"The hour of the waning of love has beset us,
And weary and worn are our sad souls now;
Let us part, ere the season of passion forget us,
With a kiss and a tear on thy drooping brow."
W.B.Yeats

Starless Summer Night

In this place you are incubated,
growing into some kind of wonderful the world knows not yet.
There are two pools of mystery sitting stagnant in front of you.
They are your moat, you are guarded here.
Outside, you passed your friends cycling through your home, your neighborhood.
Lights glittered on their porches, casting diamonds across their skin as they warmly laughed.
What a comfort to know they exist on.
What a comfort to know that those you love with every cell in your body laugh together.
Trees overwhelm you in fantastic joy, stretching their branches underneath to carry you.
Water pours out in the distance, trickling on its journey. Its destination unknown even to itself.
The smell of freshness surrounds you and life fills you.
Words of a deeper wisdom than your own fill not only your mind, but your heart.
Go on, walk across that tiny concrete bridge.
You can always come back to this place.
And when you leave, know that you are being a gift to the world itself.

Pledge

Here's my pledge: (it's stupid, but it's really on my heart to say something)

I pledge to be a better employee. I pledge to do less tasks for myself on their time. I pledge to think of them more than I think of myself. I pledge to do my hardest work as fast as I can. I pledge to be a better employee.

A few Beautiful Things People should know

I want so badly to share with everyone some beautiful things that I really support and love. Some organizations are community based and other are international. I just felt it extremely important to spread the word on some of the most important projects (that I know of at least) that are happening around us.

And if any of you lovely readers have a program that you think is super awesome, please share! I would love to share it with you!

ONE Campaign



This is an amazing campaign to make extreme poverty history. I deeply support and believe in its actions. It primarily tries to capture the attention of those in power to truly make a difference. That meaning people in legislative and representative positions. But, that does not mean that an individual person like yourself does not matter, in fact, we are the most important part. It's an organization that needs the voice of every single person to say in one large voice the changes we think should happen in the world. It seeks to aid those in need (primarily in Africa) by giving them the tools needed to cycle themselves out of poverty. It also provides health campaigns to bring preventive measures to the people affected by AIDS/HIV and provide the opportunity for them to heal. They are currently going through a vaccine campaign meant to aid in bringing over simple vaccines for children that could save their lives. A big victory for ONE recently was this campaign they conducted to make sure that President Obama kept funding for international aid in legislation cuts. It was so very successful!

There are a lot of things that ONE is trying to do to make this world a better place. I believe in it so much because it has a higher purpose of compassion and humanity. It is seeking to take the resources that a country like the United States doesn't need anymore and trying to distribute it to people in desparate need for it. It's a beautiful depiction of love in action.

http://www.one.org/us/

Bead for Life



Bead for Life does a lot of work with ONE. It's a beautiful program that employs Ugandan women (at fair and resonable wages) to create unique beads and jewelry. It is programs like these that promote self-suffiency for nations and populations struggling to get out of poverty. This program prevents these women from reverting to harmful lifestyles to support their families. Not only is the jewelry beautiful, it's saved someone's life.

http://www.beadforlife.org/

TOMS



This is starting to get big and I am so glad it is! I just recently bought my own pair. It is a campaign called One for One, which seeks to provide shoes (and now eye-wear) to those who don't have their own. For every pair of TOMS bought they donate a pair to a child that does not have their own. It's a company that was the dream child of just one person. This inspires me to no end. If one person can make such a difference, we know it can be possible for all of us to do the same.

http://www.toms.com/
The A 21 Campaign



Sex-trafficking is one of the most disgusting forms of injustice that exists in this modern world. It ruins lives of thousands of women, men, children and families all over the world. It leads to total disregard of human rights and other forms of enslavement. It breaks my heart to think that a person would wake up any day and feel like the are a commodity. It reminds me to fight for the rights of others and respect their integrity as a fellow human being. Through this organization is a really cool internship where I could go to Moldova, Mumbai or Greece to support coping sex-trafficking victims. You have no idea how much I want to support this cause.

http://www.thea21campaign.org/

The Peace Corps



Before I took this Cold War history class I believed in the purpose of the Peace Corps. And after taking this class I still do. I don't care what politics or rumors surround this organization it still upholds humanity and compassion. It's about bringing better lives to those that our capitalistic system has disenfranchised enough that they will never get out themselves. It's an organization I hope and pray to be a part of.

http://www.peacecorps.gov/

Compassion International



I used to sponsor a child myself, but he moved out of the Compassion zones and I no longer had the opportunity to sponsor him. I haven't had the financial opportunity to sponsor another child, but the second I do I will sign up full-heartedly again. This is a beautiful organization that seeks to provide education and compassion to international children whose families cannot provide that opportunity for them. Education is vital to bringing people to a higher life. I was given the chance to learn, I believe every child should too.

http://www.compassion.com/

Charity: Water



This is a really cool program that raises money to bring clean water to people that do not have access to clean and healthy water. Clean water is crucial to making sure that people can lead healthier and

http://www.charitywater.org/

Atlas Theater

This is my home. It's hard to find the words to describe something that has been so very life-changing to me. Atlas is so much more than just a group of people. It's a community, it's a family, it's a lifestyle. Their mission is to bring light into dark places. They do that and so much more. They have brought me art, color, vibrancy, passion, and most importantly, love. Everyone should have a community like Atlas. It was here where I found my family, my love, myself and my life.

http://www.whatisatlas.com/

So these are just a few of the things I love and support. If any of you have something you support, please share! I'm dying to know!

Deer Crossing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBcMKwbMEcQ

The flashing lights blinded and distorted what little was left to see.
All there needed to be known was the deer carcass pillowed in white fluorescents at the front of the stage.
It's body lay there lifeless and broken.
Degraded to the point that no one felt it worthwhile enough to move it away from the speeding coffins.
And it passed with a slow and silent gasp of pain.
But if deer could scream, it would have been the most agonizing and chilling cry.