Picture At The Top. 3.11.10

We take pictures at the top of the mountain. With our arms stretched out in the air and a big grin on our face. But we don't take any pictures along the way. And if we do, we definitely don't frame those. We don't take pictures of the grueling and painful trek to the top because we don't want to remember it. We don't want to see the pain we had on our faces; the blood and the sweat. We push ourselves as hard as we can, not because we want to, but because we have to. We do everything we can just to get to the top and take that picture.

But don't forget the journey. Don't forget how you got to the top. The steps we take up the mountain are more important than the single pose at the top. If anything, the picture at the top is only taken to cover up or justify the agony it took to get up there. So take pictures of the entire adventure; the good and the bad. Take as many as you can.

Glitter In The Air.

Have you ever fed a lover with just your hands?
Close your eyes and trust it, just trust it.
Have you ever thrown a fist full of glitter in the air?
Have you ever looked fear in the face and said I just don't care?

It's only half past the point of no return.
The tip of the iceberg. The sun before the burn.
The thunder before the lightning. The breath before the phrase.
Have you ever felt this way?

Have you ever hated yourself for staring at the phone?
Your whole life waiting on the ring to prove you're not alone.
Have you ever been touched so gently you had to cry?
Have you ever invited a stranger to come inside?

It's only half past the point of no return.
The hourglass on the table. The walk before the run.
The breath before the kiss and the fear before the flames.
Have you ever felt this way?

There you are, sitting in the garden.
Clutching my coffee, calling me sugar.
You called me sugar.

Have you ever wished for an endless night?
Lassoed the moon and the stars and pulled that rope tight.
Have you ever held your breath and asked yourself
will it ever get better than tonight?
Tonight.

Excuse Me.

Why do we make excuses for the ones we love? A better question, why do the ones we love do things that require excuses?

Cross The Line. 6.30.08

Why are we always so afraid to cross the line? It's an invisible line that only you can see. Yet we know as soon as we cross it we'll meet the unknown. And standing right next to the unknown could be rejection, humiliation, and hurt. Or, the unknown could be holding hands with the person we've had a secret crush on. So instead of crossing the line, we wait. We wait for nothing. We play our love songs and drink our tequila and we wait. We wait because we want the other side to cross first; to come after us. We want someone to erase the line. We want the lights turned on and we want the walls to be made of glass. We want to see the ground before we take the leap. And in time we learn nothing is going to happen. So cross the line as soon as you get there. Whether you walk, run, jump, or fly over the line, just make sure you get to the other side. Because no matter who or what meets you on the other side, you'll know you're a stronger person for crossing one more line in your life.

The Chase. 7.1.08

It's the chase. That's all we really want. It's all we really need. Sometimes, we don't even really want the prize; the person. What we really want is that marvelous feeling that comes along with the prize. The feeling you can get anything you want. So we do everything we can. We say the lines. We play the game. We work hard for it. And then, if we're lucky, we win. That person finally notices. You finally get that date, that kiss, that love you've been wanting so bad. And then it's over. There's nothing else to work for because the rest will just be handed to you in time. It's the chase. It's just the thrill of the damn chase.

Tic Toc. Tic Toc. 7.6.08

It will keep ticking, you can't stop it. Don't even try. Eventually it will end, but you definitely can't stop it. Time runs our lives. But it's not the five past nine or the half past noon, no; it's the sand in the hourglass of life. It's the sunny days and the rainy days. It's the moments we wish would speed past us into history and the others we wish we could freeze. But no matter what we want, we never get it. The bottom line is, there isn't enough and there never will be. We don't have time for everything we want to do. So pack your bags because you're already on board and we're not stopping. Choose wisely because you can't take everything. Pick the best of the best and bring the people who mean the most along too. We're already on the ride and it will be over all too soon.

Mum's The Word. 7.9.08

We all have them. Some of them are devious, most of them are dreadful. Some might be dark, others are just plain deep. We all have a handful of dorky ones and anyone who says they don't have a dirty one is just lying. The truth? We all have secrets. But it's not the secrets that spill out of the champagne bottles as we're sitting on the kitchen floor late at night with our best friends. It's not even the life changing ones that you need to be frightened of hearing. It's the secrets that stay sealed away and absent from our ears that do the most damage. It's the ones we have absolutely no idea about and will probably never get handed a clue or hint about. No matter how far we look into our lovers' eyes as they hold us close at night, most of us will never see them. Most of us will never get to hear them. The truth? We all have secrets. Don't you wonder who's not telling you?

Dream On. 8.15.08

It happens as soon as the clock strikes 6am and the alarm rings out. The music shakes the silence of the night away and along with it goes the scene in your head. That dream that felt so real is instantly erased. You lay there not wanting to accept reality or the sun light but you have to, and it sucks. How could it have been soo good, so life changing, yet so incredibly gone when you woke up? How could it have felt so real, so true and right, and then vanish with the seagulls into the morning mist? It was so there and now it's so gone. It's never going to be true. You were lied to; tricked. And the worst part? You still have the whole day in front of you until your next chance at that lie.

Join The Party. 9.10.08

Everyday we're told to live our lives and to not hold back. So what are you waiting for? Do it. Do the stupid things you never thought you'd do and act however the fuck you want while you're doing those things. Just remember to smile and love every second of it. Jump in the ocean at midnight and take your underwear off with your best friends. Put down your textbooks and pick up your purse. Sneak into clubs. Sneak out of class. Lift your shirt, drop your pants. Go home with new friends and make even more friends when you're walking home in the morning in the same clothes. Be safe, but be outrageous. Be courteous, but put yourself first. Be smart, but get dumb. Yell it. Sing it. Flaunt it. Live it.

Four Lips. 9.18.08

Since when did it become so difficult to hook up with someone? No, not the fact that for some of us getting drunk enough to make his glasses look hot or her hips look skinny we have to fill our cups over five times. No, it's the fact that as soon as our lips unlock and our tongues become ours again the relationship begins. It's not an official relationship. There's no Facebook status. But, it's a relationship nonetheless. We swapped spit and now we have to swap emotions. Why can't two people share a few good minutes, or perhaps a few great hours, of plain bliss and then end it? Why do we continue to add emotions and phone calls? Just because four lips touched doesn't mean our hearts have to next.

Inside & Out. 10.24.08

Whoever said "Never judge a book by its cover" obviously wasn't attractive. Because let's face it, the best books are going to have the best looking covers. Why would an author spend years writing an incredible book and then let the illustrator fuck up the entire thing by slapping an ordinary or ugly cover over it? The same goes for us. You might think because you have a super personality and you're a truly great individual on the inside that you're exceptional, but you're not. And I'm sorry; I am. The truly valuable people are the ones with the stories that everyone wants to read and be apart of and have the outside cover that everyone wants to open up in their own hands. Those books, those people, they're the ones you need to find. The thing is, those ones, they cost a lot and none of the libraries around here carry them.

Open Your Mind. 11.17.08

What a thing it would be to ring out our thoughts. Pick them up like dirty clothes off of our bedroom floor. Pile them high like raked leaves in the orange autumn breeze. Why do they fill me now and keep me so dark grey? Go thoughts, go; I wish I could stay. But here I am. It's me and them. My head's so full like the moon that shines on us now. Is your head full too? Full of me and you? Is your head real full or as empty as the Tinman's chest?

Best Friends. 1.12.09

An old friend once told me, "My dad said the friends you make in college are the friends you'll keep for life. The friends we have in high school are temporary and fake." And, as much as I didn't want to believe this four years ago, it seems now that this statement couldn't be more wrong. It wasn't the high school friends that were fake, it was us. You were fake, I was fake, we were fake together, side by side. Everything was temporary. Our style, our haircuts, our voices, our heights, and our dates. Our lives were temporary. But now, now we know who we really are. We've found ourselves and we've found each other. And now some of those old friends might not be in our lives, but it's not their fault, they didn't leave us on purpose. They grew up and realized who they really were and who they really wanted to become.

Breathe Out. 3.15.09

And for my usual advice, I say: breathe. Breathe, again. Let the air go. Let it all go. Let the past go, for there is absolutely no reason to dwell on something that will never change. It won't change. You know that right? Let your worries go too. If you let them go they won't torment you any longer. I promise. Let your stress go. I know you keep it in your back pocket, love. Open up. Release. And when you breathe, let the time leave too. Stand still; here, with me. Dream. Let's dream.

Ringleader, Calling The Shots. 5.22.09

She said it best when she sang, "There are two types of people in this world: the ones that entertain and the ones that observe." Be the entertainer. Make all the eyes focus on you and only you. Make it look like the music was written just for your moves. Make everyone forget they came in with someone else. And make everyone watching wish they were single. Because, when you're the ringleader, you call the shots. And we all know the one who's calling the shots is having the most fun in life.

52 Card Pick Up 5.27.09

There are 52 cards in a standard deck. And in every game you play, it's all about who has the best hand. Whether if's for money, clothes, or bragging rights, there will always be a winner at the end of every game. And in each deck we play with there are four face cards; the Jack, the Queen, the King, and of course the Joker. Wanna know a secret? The Joker is the only card in the deck who is always smiling. Don't believe me? Want to know another secret? Life is a big fucking card game. we're dealt cards every day of our lives. Some days we have bad hands, some days we have good ones. And on our lucky days, we have the winning hand and we're on top of the world. The secret about life though? Live life like the Joker! Wisely take all the cards you are dealt; the good and the bad, and strongly hold them close. Be the Joker of the deck. Because afterall, the Joker is the only card who's smiling no matter what hand he's apart of.

Sex Games 9.6.09

Grantland Rice once said, "It's not whether you won or lost but the fact that you played the game." I say, winning isn't the most important thing; it's the only thing. You can play the game as many times as you want, but in the end there will always be one loser and one winner. If telling yourself you're happy with second place because at least you competed helps you sleep at night, you're obviously sleeping alone. Everyone wants to sleep with the winner. Because everyone knows number one in the jersey is number one when the jersey's on the bedroom floor.