Long Way Down

So here is the thing. Every year we go through so much, our lives change, our views change. We change. We become closer to the people that we will become, maybe we are getting closer to being the person we want to be. Or maybe we have turned into exactly who we don't want to be.
Either way, it's a new year. It feels like a fresh start, a new beginning, and maybe it is. Maybe the only way that we can make this year our new beginning is by placing obstacles in front of ourselves that fear has kept us from leaping over. In the end, each and every one of us will have to take some figurative leap of faith, maybe for love, or a career, or maybe even friendship. The question is will you take your leap this year?

Swift Realities (fiction)

The footsteps behind me became evident just seconds ago, but its obvious they are pointed. I pick up my pace and so do the steps, my mind begins to race and steam puffs out of my mouth with every breath. My palm is sweaty now, gripping this briefcase that is my sisters only chance for survival, buying stolen medicine on the black market isn't ideal, but I promised I would keep her alive, so here I am.

I am sprinting now, the buildings rush past. I rush up some stairs into a long railed roof, my pursuer follows. My heart races as I try to catch my balance on the slick Ice, gripping the briefcase with my sisters life inside of it. I just gain my balance when I feel two hands on my shoulders, the man lifts me up making me drop the briefcase, with a look in his eyes. Sadness? Sorrow? I don't know, i didn't have time to identify it when his foot slipped and he hurled forward sending me straight over the railing. I manage to grab the ledge before falling to my death, he steps towards me arms extended, why is he helping me? I think as I shift my hands and reach to his, just before our hands touch his eyes flicker to the briefcase. He immediately retracts, his eyes turn to ice and he backs to the briefcase and picks it up and sprints down the stairs just as the police sirens blare below me. I can hear the thump of the policeman's boots as they rush towards me, but its too late. My hand slips.

Dance With a Stranger (New Beginning)

"Ladies choice", the DJ says as the slow song begins to play. I look around and make eye contact with the boy I've been wanting to dance with all night. He I tall and handsome is his formal attire. I make my way to him and extend my hand. He takes it and pulls me to him placing his hand on my hip.
"I love your dress", He says flashing his perfect teeth. I smile and concentrate in my movement.
"You want to spin?" he asks me, and before I can even nod he grips my hand and spins me around our feet move effortlessly and I spin into him and back out as he runs his hand across my waist and bare back, causing shivers to run up my spine. Two songs later we break apart, dizzy from the movement, and we go our separate ways, after the dance of a lifetime.

A Secret Forever Kept

The old woman had abandoned her scooter-cart to retrieve a can of green beans from the top shelf. She had stretched her 4foot 9inch frame as far as possible in order to grab the very last one, though her fingers barely grazed it. I shifted nervously from one foot to the other, unsure of what to do.

Finally I make the decision to help her, so I step twards her as she still teeters on her toes reaching for that can. I notice her cart is filled to the brim with items, a whole feast just waiting to be whipped up. I then reach up to grab the can, but she pushes me away with such force that I am startled backwards.
"I had it" she says with ice in her voice. I put my hands up in defeat and walk to the next isle.

As I walk though I can still see her struggling figure through the shelves still reaching for that can. I glance around, when she steps away to catch her breath I reach over and scoot the can an inch closer to her isle. She then stands straight and stretches as far as she can, and finally wraps her fingers around the green beans and pulls it off the shelf. I watch as she smiles at her victory. I smile too.

Ultimate Annoyance (please ignore spelling errors)

There are few things in this world that can irritate the majority of people. Especially when today's society harbors an anything goes attitude. People are far more accepting of outrageous or uncommonly accepted things now, but there is one thing that i know not only irritates me, but the majority of people. Obnoxious know-it-alls.

Yes that guy in class who insist on starting a debate on even the smallest subject, or the person who comments on your facebook status telling you that you spelled a word wrong. That person is who most people would not miss if they happened to hop on a bus and never come back. When i come into contact with people like this my first reaction is to just ignore them and hope they get the point that i don't care about what they think. But lately i have noticed what other people do while in the mist of the all knowing. Such as the "eye-roller" who simply brushes them off there shoulder but visibly rejects them. Then there is the person who argues with them, but no matter what there is no winning against the know-it-all, and ultimately there challenger fails. My personal favorite though, is the know-it-all on know-it-all battles, because there is no end to the arguments, and its obvious that both parties don't know that they are just as obnoxious as the person they are challenging.

Either way nobody wins when there is a know-it-all in the room, because the collective groan of a room cant even silence the smartest of the know-it-alls. Therefore they must not be as smart as they think.

Changes

Every morning i ever remember I sing. I wake up singing, wailing my lungs out not caring if I sound like a dying whale. In my life I have found just a few true loves God, music, and photography. My first love was music, ever since I picked up a guitar I knew I would be playing and singing till the day I die,but relationships change people. They say it can be in good or bad ways, but is that the truth? If a relationship is going to change you doesn't that go against every belief the human race has about love as of today? Take me for instance, I found a guy. He was amazing everything I ever wanted, he was sweet, kind, smart. I was in love with him, but everyday I grew closer to him something was changing in me. At first glance I thought it was good, I believed I was becoming a better person because of this one man that had entered my life. I followed him around and made googley eyes at him, I let my life be changed by him. Did my life need to be changed though? One day while blow drying my hair I realized something, I wasn't even singing. This was odd for me because this was the best time for me to belt out a few notes. Slowly I began noticing other things too, I realized I had not picked up my guitar in days, and I barely turned my iPod on anymore. I thought about this, but pushed it into the back of my mind. I told myself I was busy, but busy with what? A few months later Mr. Notsoperfect and I decided to take a break. While shuffling sadly around the house I found myself singing Adele songs to myself. Maybe they were sad songs but music is music, I picked up my guitar and played my feelings. I realized that my boyfriend had changed me in a way I couldn't even fathom. He took away music, not intentionally of course but because of his lack of musical ability I pushed mine to the side. I let the thing I had swore to love my whole life slip to the back burners for a boy.
So yes relationships can change us. But if someone truly loves us and if we love them we won't be afraid to be ourselves. We will be assured they will love us no matter what, even if it means putting up with the flaws we may even hide from ourselves. Love doesn't change a person, but the wrong relationship sure can.

Chasing Shadows

As I pulled my car around the circle drive I gauge the position of the sun. Not too high, not too low. I hope. It's always incredibly difficult to know if the sun is in the perfect spot for exactly the kind of photo you want. I step out of the car grabbing my camera bag, being careful not to bump it as I lift it over the center console. The camera is my baby, a Canon Rebel. Ever since I first held one I knew I had to have it, photography is the love of my life, and I am basically married to my Rebel. The photos we make together, sometimes horrible, sometimes magical, are like our babies. So today I am on a high speed chase, and shadows are what I'm pursuing.
A shadow is not an easy thing to catch. Though they seem so slow shadows move very fast, they also weaken, darken and change with the movement of the sun. Today I want a dark shadow, one that catches your eye and moves it along it's curve. I walk to the playground of the elementary school, looking at the brightly colored jungle gyms for a good subject. The monkey bars have a nice edge to them, but the shadow is too long taking the focal point away. I wonder the place for 30 min taking photos that I like but don't love. Often this happens, I will find concepts that spark my interest but never give way to flame. The flame is what I need to create a photo that I will love and cherish. After wondering almost aimlessly I see a glimmer of hope, a piece of metal. It is curved and sticking out of the ground, with a small slab of concrete around it. The shadow cast dark, but not back, almost menacing. The curve of the object give the shadow a need ending feeling, but it arches high in the sun. Time is running out though, the sun is still moving and I need this photo. I take my camera and remove the lens cap, I adjust the zoom and focus. *Click*. No that's not what I want, I shift slightly changing the angle. *Click*. No, still no. What am I missing? Then I realize, I must get a good angle. So I squat down and position the camera in my hands. Playing with the focus and lens. Perfect. *Click*