Books, Books, Books

I have found my new internet addiction. I'm over the Farmville thing, done with the Facebook junk (for the most part), and finished with online sudoku. My newest thrill is on a website called 'GoodReads', where you track your already read, currently reading, and want-to-read lists of books. For a bibliophile such as myself, it's an incredible treasure trove of undiscovered beauty. The concept is fantastic; you sign up (because who can into a website anywhere now without a username and password), then start browsing. There are options for searching for books you've already read to check them off of your list. There is an option for browsing lists of books people have put together with titles like, "Best Books Ever", "Best Books of the Decade", or even "The Wife Book". I can't begin to summarize the intricacies of this site, and the cornucopia of warm fuzzy feelings it evokes, but I have so much fun making lists of books I want to read, and rating books I've read. In fact, it, along with a recently watched movie, has inspired me to try my hand at book reviews on this site. So, look forward to reviews of books I'm reading on a regular basis...I haven't decided how many in a certain amount of time just yet (a la 'Julie and Julia), but I'll let you know.

Culturally Relevant Movies

Miss Carroll’s list of cultural relevance:

This list is in alphabetical order, not in order of importance. If you have arguments or corrections, please feel free to comment or add!

Movies/TV Shows:

2001: A Space Odyssey (“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Dave.”)
54 (it will SO make you want to go back to the 70s)
8 Seconds
A Beautiful Mind
A Few Good Men (“You want the truth?! You can’t handle the truth!”)
A River Runs Through It
Adventures in Babysitting
All 10 Seasons of Friends
Almost Famous
American Beauty
American Graffiti
American History X
An American Tail: Fievel Goes West
Anchorman (“Excuse me, everyone, I have an important announcement: CANNONBALL!!)
ANY Pixar film or short
Apollo 13
Armageddon
Avatar
Awakenings
Back to the Future - only the first one counts, in my opinion
Bad Santa
Bandits
BASEketball (“Steve Perry…STEVE PERRY!!”)
Beetlejuice
Being John Malkovich
Big
Billy Madison (“We are all now successfully dumber for having heard you speak. I award you no point, and may God have mercy on your soul.”)
Blades of Glory
Blue Collar Comedy Tour (“They call me…Tater Salad”)
Boiler Room
Boondock Saints
Braveheart
Breakfast Club
Caddyshack
Casablanca
Cats
Charlotte’s Web
Cheers (“Where everybody knows your name…”) See also, Music: Gary Portnoy – real song!!
City Slickers
Closer – If you’ve ever cheated or been cheated on. Hard to get through at some points, but a must watch
Clueless (“I totally paused!”)
Cocktail – because it made everyone want to bartend on an island
Contact
Crash
Cruel Intentions
Cry-Baby
Curly Sue
Darby O’Gill and the Little People
Daria
Dazed and Confused
Dead Poets Society – best Robin Williams movie – hands down.
Death to Smoochy
Deliverance
Dick Tracy
Die Hard
Dinosaurs (“I’m the baby! Not the mama!”)
Dirty Dancing (“Nobody puts baby in the corner.”)
Dodgeball (“If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball”)
Dogma - and anything Kevin Smith

Donnie Darko
Drop Dead Fred
Dumb and Dumber (“That John Denver is full of shit, man!”)
Elf (“SANTA’S COMING!! I KNOW HIM!!)
Emma
Fargo
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – who hasn’t wanted to skip school, not get caught and be in a parade?!
Fight Club (“First rule of Fight Club – you don’t talk about Fight Club”)
Flatliners
Flight of the Navigator
Footloose
Forest Gump
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Fraggle Rock
Free Willy
Fried Green Tomatoes
Ghost Rider - just for Sam Elliott
Ghostbusters
Gladiator
Gone with the Wind (“Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.”)
Good Will Hunting
Goodfellas
Goonies
Gran Torino
Gremlins - Don’t give them water after midnight…not so cute now, huh?
Groundhog Day
Guys and Dolls - Frank Sinatra AND Marlon Brando – HELLO!!
Hairspray (both the 1988 version and 2006) – you get to see John Travolta in drag dancing with Christopher Walken. ‘Nuff said.
Happy Gilmore
Hook (“Rufio, Ru-Fi-Oh!, RoofeeOhhhhh!!!!”)
Howard the Duck
I Know What You Did Last Summer
I Love You, Man
I, Robot
Identity
Idiocracy – so that you understand why some people should NEVER procreate.
Independence Day
Indiana Jones – yes, even the disappointing most recent one
Into the Wild
It
It’s a Wonderful Life
Jaws
Jeff Dunham
Joe Dirt
Jumanji
Jurassic Park – like socialism, sounds great in theory, but doesn’t translate well to actual life.
Kindergarten Cop (“It’s not a tooma”)
King Kong (newest version)
Kingpin – amish bowling. Need I say more?
K-Pax
Labyrinth – hello, David Bowie-with-more-makeup-than-usual. And Ludo – the creature, not the band.
Last Samurai
Legend
Legends of the Fall – Brad Pitt’s best movie. And cheesiest.
Life is Beautiful
Little Shop of Horrors (“FEEEED MEE!”)
Look Who’s Talking
Lord of the Rings trilogy - but read the books too – see Books list
Marie Antoinette
Mary Poppins
Mean Girls – totally clichéd high school – but so scarily accurate!
Men In Black
Metropolis - yes, the 1927 black and white
Minority Report
Momento
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Moulin Rouge – who knew Ewan McGregor could sing?!
Mystery Science Theater 3000 (any episode/movie)
Mystic River
Neverending Story I & II
Oceans 11, 12 and 13 - because everyone loves the Rat Pack – even the updated version with Clooney, Pitt, and Damon
Office Space – for when you get a case of the Mondays.
Old School
Out Cold
P.S. I Love You
Patch Adams -pay special attention to the scene where Williams recites the Pablo Neruda poem over her casket
Pay It Forward
Pearl Harbor
Pete’s Dragon
Pirates of the Caribbean - all three currently released – because Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Kiera Knightley, oh hell, the whole cast all kicks ass! And who DOESN’T wish they could be a pirate?
Pretty Woman
Princess Bride (“As You Wish!”)
Pulp Fiction - and any other Tarantino film, really: Reservoir Dogs, Boogie Nights, Kill Bill 1&2, Inglorious Basterds…
Radio
Rain Man
Rainbow Brite
Ray
Rent
Rocky - watch all 5, THEN decided which one is best
Rocky Horror Picture Show – you’ll tremble with antici---------------PATION!
Role Models
Romeo and Juliet - but only the Baz Luhrman one – with Leo DiCaprio and Claire Danes
Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion – she invented post-its
Rudy
Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary disc set - in particular, the Land Shark skit…
Saved
Scarface
Semi-Pro
Seven Pounds
Shakespeare in Love
Shaun of the Dead
Sideways
Silence of the Lambs - but not Red Dragon – maybe Hannibal
Sister Act I & II
Sixth Sense
Sleeping Beauty
Snow White
So I Married An Axe Murderer (“Woman. Whoa-man.”)
Sopranos
Stand By Me
Star Trek - the new movie AND the old series – but only the original with William Shatner and Star Trek: The Next Generation (Patrick Stewart) – the rest are just trying too hard
Star Wars - yes, all 6 – but in the order they were released – i.e., Episodes 4-6 THEN 1-3
Steel Magnolias – (“Don’t touch the drumset!”)
Step Brothers
Stranger Than Fiction
Streetcar Named Desire (“STELLLLA”)
Superbad
Supertroopers (“You boys like Mex-e-co?”)
Swingers
Talladega Nights
Terminator
The Big Lebowski
The Cell
The Craft
The Crow
The Dark Crystal
The Dark Night - and the entire Batman movement – live action only
The Exorcist - 1973 version – not the remake
The Godfather - only the first one
The Gods Must Be Crazy – unique perspective on the discussion of superficiality and consumerism
The Graduate
The Green Mile
The Karate Kid – look for my uncle’s name – Andy/Andrew Wiskas – he did the sound editing!
The Ladies Man
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
The Lost Boys
The Lost Boys
The Mummy
The Muppets - the classic versions – from the 70s
The Notebook - I know, it’s cheesy, but if you feel nothing while watching that movie, you have no heart – guys, you don’t have to admit you like it, but you know you do!
The Outsiders
The Patriot
The Phantom Tollbooth
The Planet Earth DVD Collection - how can we possibly believe we’re the most important things on this planet after watching this??
The Prestige
The Shining (“Heere’s Johnny!”)
The Skulls
The Smurfs
The Sweetest Thing - mostly for chicks – very funny and scary accurate portrayal of typical girl groups!
The Three Musketeers
The Truman Show
The Village - don’t spoil the ending – only watch it once Three Men and a Baby
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar - because Patrick Swayze, John Leguizamo, and Wesley Snipes are cross-dressers in the entire movie. Enough said.
Tombstone
Tommy Boy
Top Gun
Transformers - because Optimus Prime is the man, and everyone wants a car like Bumblebee!
Tropic Thunder
Troy
Tuck Everlasting
Turner and Hooch - the original Marley & Me – for anyone who even remotely likes dogs
Under the Tuscan Sun - best break-up movie – EVER! I mean, who doesn’t want to buy a house in Tuscany on a whim?
Varsity Blues (“I don’t want your life!”)
Waiting - for anyone who has ever even been in a restaurant, let alone worked in one
Wall-E
Wayne’s World - again, only the first one…
Wedding Crashers
What About Bob? (“I’m SAILING!!”)
When Harry Met Sally
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory - while the new one with Johnny Depp is ‘prettier’ and includes a little more of the book…you can’t beat Gene Wilder…
Wizard of Oz
You’ve Got Mail
Young Frankenstein
Zoolander

"I'm frustrated, my brains are fried" - Joan Jett

Seriously, I keep telling myself I love my job, but at one point, when does it cross the line from convincing myself to actually being true? Because right now, I feel like I keep saying it, but the meaning isn't there. How can I love what I do when I feel like what I'm doing is futile? I ask them to put their phones away, and not 5 minutes later, they have them out, texting. I ask them to work independently, and I find them talking during a quiz. Why not just take points off, or take phones away, or some other consequence, you ask? Because it just wouldn't work! I constantly feel like I make an announcement, or give makeup work, or offer help or suggestions on assignments and it's completely disregarded or ignored. I've taken phones, I've kicked kids out of class, I've yelled, I've begged, just about done it all to get them to care. But they don't. Is it that I'm not cut out for this? Is it the district I'm in? What the hell is the answer? I've applied for grad school - I'm really looking forward to that...is it the anticipation of not being here or doing this next year that has me so frustrated? But honestly, I think the questions I'm asking are more philosophical and concerning than just 'What do I do?'...I think I'm afraid of this movement of utter apathy I'm seeing across the board. I mean, I know people didn't care when I was in school, but now, it seems so widespread and almost expected that they just don't care what the outcome is. And it's not just limited to the students - I'm seeing parents take the defensive when I try to explain to them that their student is failing or has done something wrong in class. I'm seeing other teachers putting in half-ass effort in their daily assignments and grades. This whole thing is underscored by this awful 'NCLB' law, that doesn't leave children behind, but pushes them forward with no guarantee that they actually know the material and skills they are supposed to learn in order to progress to the next level. So then I'm forced to work with a majority of kids who quit trying in 4th or 5th grade, but have continued to be shuttled through the system in order to 'not leave anyone behind'. Which brings me to my next point; the district in which I currently work focuses so much more on 'results' and 'data-driven' pictures, that they completely miss the forest for the trees, as it were. All we talk about is how to measure x or y without ever USING this data for something important or to make a change. Also, if this 'reliable' data IS looked at and it's not the numbers the district wants to see, it's MY fault (as a teacher - not ME personally, necessarily...), rarely taking into account the performance or lack of caring from the students. I tried to have a conversation with my principal about the excessive amount of F's I had at one point last semester, and he replied with, "Well, what are YOU doing to help?" Seriously? I work my ass off making lists, making extra copies, handing out reminders, extending my late policy, calling parents, and zillions of other time-wasting things...and then he has the audacity to ask ME what I'M doing to motivate students. And on top of all that, he emails me about 12 different documents on 'Motivation in the Classroom'. At a staff meeting earlier in the year, he made the comment that our students' daily attendance is suffering. He asked us, as a staff, what we're doing in our classrooms to convince students that their attendance is 'worth coming to school for'. Seriously? I mean, for real? So I now almost literally have to create a 'dog and pony' show in order to convince some little apathetic shit that he or she needs to be here. As if I don't do enough. I had someone at a Holiday Party (because you sure as hell can't say 'Christmas', even though the words 'bitch', 'ass', and 'damn' have made their way onto REGULAR network TV...) ask me what I did. When I told him I was a HS English teacher, he gave me one of those disdainful looks up and down and said, "How cute." Cute? I'd hardly use that adjective to describe my job. And don't EVEN get me started on these ridiculous laptops we just HAD to have for every student in the school. 'So beneficial', they said. 'Great technology', they said. Time waster, I say. Access to dumb games and more distraction, I say. As if their cell phones weren't bad enough! Now I have to compete with iPod touch's (WITH text messaging), mP3 players (where they hide the headphones), cell phones (with internet), AND those cursed laptops. What can I possibly offer in the classroom to encourage them to pay attention and do their work? They've got all they need right there! I am so frustrated. I don't want to come to work. I hate the hours. I hope I get into grad school because I need to get away from this to see if it's really what I want to do with my life. Would teaching college be any better? Would it be worth the fight for tenure? Or should I go back into the business world and do PR? Or take the long shot and go into music, playing in piano bars? I wish I had the answer.

Cultural Relevance

I am constantly quoting movies in my classroom. Or referencing books or music to provide examples that my students can connect with. They, however, don't always get the joke or reference. So, jokingly one day, I mentioned that instead of a summer reading list, I should assign any students who will be taking my class "Miss Carroll's List for Cultural Relevance" including any books, movies and music that I could possibly reference during a class period. A couple of my students thought it was a great idea, and challenged me to actually create this list. I am currently working on the movie list, with some annotations defending my choices. I will be posting these lists separately in different blogs (one for movies, one for books, and a third for music). Stay tuned for updates.

Dog Owners - Take a Class

Seriously, most other dog owners in this city piss me off. My dog is extremely well trained. He follows commands and heels without my having to remind him. He really doesn't even need a leash. But, for one thing, it's a LAW that dogs in parks (unless it's a specially designated dog-park) MUST be on leashes. Second, I own a boxer. He's almost 80 pounds of muscular, 5-year-old dog. Pretty big dog. Ergo, with all the prissy little shitzu's, pugs, and poms running around everywhere in bite-size form, I put my dog on a leash. Which brings me to my point: I HATE it when I see other dog owners in a large, very public park allowing their over-exuberant dogs to have the run of the park with no reprimand. One of these out of control canines made a rush for me and my well-behaved puppy. And here's where it gets complicated. Cassius is a great dog - with humans and other dogs, but he's pretty over-zealous and could be considered aggressive (but not in a mean, attack-dog type of way). But seriously, when a lab, blue heeler, sheep dog or other similarly sized animal comes charging at the two of us when trying to enjoy a nice afternoon in the park (with Cassius securely on his leash), who's fault is it going to be when Cassius misinterprets the approaching dog's advances as dangerous and a fight ensues? Mine, of course, since I have the bigger dog - even though mine is on a SHORT leash -WHERE HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE!! So anyway, we were in a local park the other evening on a run, which got interrupted not once, but TWICE to mongrels whose owners didn't have the decency to follow the rules or have respect for others by having their dogs on leashes. If you want space for your dog to run freely, get a bigger back yard, douche. Geez.

Goat Cheese, Goat Girl

I wrote this piece for our 'Eat Your Words' brunch in my master's class this summer. We were to bring in a food that possessed a story about us.

I could easily have written an anecdote about a family holiday tradition or a dish that stirs up nostalgic feelings of my grandparents, but I didn't think any of those stories would have helped you understand who I am. So I offer a simple serving of cheese and crackers. Yes, both are easily purchased at your local Hyvee (where I hear there's a friendly smile in every aisle, but not between 3-6 am or on Sundays). But it is not the style of the dish nor its simplicity that are unique. The cheese I offer is that of the dairy goat, not cow. How many of you are now looking for a napkin to spit that in? Or turning your nose up, even after you've had a couple bites and enjoyed it? Too late. I already know you like it. Do you know these facts about dairy?
-Humans are the only species who voluntarily drink the milk of other species on a regular basis.
-Worldwide, dairy goats' milk is drank more than any other animal - even cows.
-Goats' milk has a lower fat content and higher protein content than cow's milk, which means that those of you allergic to cow's milk are able to consume goat's milk.
-You can make all of the same products out of goat's milk as cow's milk.
-Goats' milk is whiter than cows' milk.

So what? You ask. What does that have to do with you? Well, here's the deal - my family has raised dairy goats since I was 10 years old. I joined 4-H (because I grew up in a small town in Missouri, that's just what we did).

I could have chosen something normal like cows, horses, pigs, or even dogs to show. But not me. I had to do something different. I always have to be the one to stand out. So what did I choose? Dairy goats.

How does one get into the business of showing and raising dairy goats to begin with? you ask.

I have no idea how it’s usually done because I WON my first goat – in an essay contest through the local 4-H extension program.

I didn’t find out until years later that I was the only one entered in that particular contest…

I can’t imagine why…

I mean, really – I was SURE when I entered that I’d have NO chance to win because EVERY 4-Her in Randolph County would be scrambling to get MY goat…wouldn’t you?

I had no idea what kind of journey I would be taken on when I wrote that fateful essay. Who knew what kind of effect that one paper would have on the rest of my life. There were good and bad times at shows, funny and sad times with the animals, and lots of responsibility and hard work and plenty of new experiences and things to learn along the way.

I won a 4 month old kid - that's what they call a young goat - through the essay contest. In June of 1993, I took Snowball, an adorable BLACK and WHITE kid home with me. Why I would name a black and white animal Snowball, I have no clue, but come on, I was 10.

My first year of showing was pretty pitiful. Snowball was small, and not a very nice looking goat, so I usually stood at the end of the line in shows. But I kept going.

In August of that year, my mom and I took Snowball to the Missouri State Fair. Again, I stood at the end of the line in most of the classes. It was time to try something new. Mom decided that I should get another goat for my birthday. Some of the other exhibitors there had animals for sale, so we started asking around about other kids that were available. And we found Eider.

Eider was a 5 month old tan and brown kid and very obnoxious. I had to have her. She was the most hyper kid in the pens. Jumping, running, always having to have attention – we’d get along just fine. So we took her home.

When we got home, we realized we had forgotten one minor detail…my dad came outside to help us unload the truck and saw that somehow over the weekend, our one goat we took to the fair had somehow become two... But we convinced dad that I desperately needed that second animal, so he let me keep her.

About a month later, I went out to the pen to feed my pets. Before I went, my parents warned me not to go into the pen or open the gate because Eider was still a little nervous at our place and getting used to her surroundings. But I knew my pets – they weren’t going anywhere. I walked out with the bucket of grain in my hand, opened the gate, and there went Eider, sprinting into the deep, dark forest surrounding our house.

We called in all the experts – my 4-H leader, my family, our neighbors, even Eider’s previous owner came in to be part of the Operation Eider Search party. About 3 days later, after combing the woods around my house and yelling “EI-DERRR” for hours (because we all know goats come when they’re called, right?) the poor, starving little imp came trotting up to the fence to get some grain. Luckily, I was outside and able to catch her. She was home safe and sound – just before deer season started, I may add.

We kept our herd to just two does for another year, but then in the fall of 1994, it was time to think about expanding our herd. After October, both of my girls were expecting kids, due to come in about February or early March. My first kidding season was interesting. Snowball had kids first.

If anyone has witnessed a live birth of any kind, it’s a shock to see your first one. Especially for an 11 year old. My mom was amazed and so excited – I was freaked out and grossed out. I tried to just let her take care of it, but she was adamant about my taking care of my animals. As I walked away, drying off the first kid, thinking that was it, I heard, “Gretchen, get back over here, there’s another kid!” All I could think was YUCK.

But after it was all over, there were two adorable little kids on wobbly legs, looking so darn cute I couldn’t stand it. I was hooked for life.

I didn’t realize that because of those cute little kids I would have to get up at 5:30 with my mom every morning to milk and bottle feed. What I wouldn’t give to go back to two does to milk – 14 years later, my mom is up to almost 10 does to milk and close to 20 kids to bottle feed twice a day!

As I got older, the showing part got a lot better. I started winning classes here and there, improving my showmanship ability and improving our herd quality over the years. As I got into high school, I was getting to be known in my county and surrounding counties at the fairs for my goats. I was winning all the shows and taking all the trophies. We decided it was time to go to the National show.

In July of 2000, we went to Springfield, Illinois, for a week to show among the best of the best around the country. We had a decent sized herd – about 6 milkers and 5 or 6 kids. We got to the barns, unloaded, set up camp, and started looking around. We were in over our head before the showing even began. These animals were big, gorgeous, and amazing. Had we mistakenly made it to a cattle show and not known? That’s how out of our league we were. Oh well, we had a good experience, anyway. They had youth activities, and that was what I was good at. I took 2nd in judging and 10th in my showmanship class that year. We left knowing that we had a long way to go as far as herd quality and improvement.

One of the saddest days in my career was during the Missouri State Fair in 2002. Eider and I had a very special relationship – she was the animal I used in showmanship. The animal a showman chooses for showmanship has to be the best behaved and most well trained because that is the class where you as the showman are being judged instead of the animal. The judge looks at your ability to handle an animal in the ring and your maneuvers and ability to prepare your animal for show. Eider and I had shown that morning and I won Expert showmanship for the first time. The afternoon was the senior show, and Eider was up for the aged doe class. I went to the pen to check on her, and there she was – lifeless. I felt like I had lost my best friend. It was the end of an era for me. And still very hard to remember. We had been through so many shows together. I found another animal to use in showmanship after that, but it wasn’t ever quite the same.

One of the hardest parts of going off to college and moving away from was not being able to be there in the everyday decisions of the herd. Since I have been gone for so long now, my mom has taken over and done a lot of improvements on the old herd as well as add a few new faces to the group. So when I go home, I don’t recognize a lot of the animals anymore. In fact, all the animals I used to show are long gone, and she even started a completely different breed and line of animals than what I had worked with.

My showing days may be over, but I’ve started a new path in this field. I got my ADGA judge’s license two years ago and judge small shows around a five state area over the summer. I had been judging county fairs and doing youth showmanship clinics for a few years before that, and it was one of my favorite things to do. I got to work with young showmen and teach them techniques and remember how I felt those first few years of showing.

Like writing, cheese making is about the process. Choosing the type of cheese you want to make is like choosing the genre of writing you want to pursue. Do you want soft cheese or short stories? Tangy feta or mild poetry? I have so many stories about my career in goats that it was really hard for me to write this and choose only a few. Owning animals like this has taught me so much. Goats are funny, quirky and loveable animals with distinct personalities and tastes. They certainly don't eat trash - in fact, they can be quite picky eaters! I could talk all day about my hobby. I have had to work hard, learn to lose gracefully, be patient for improvement, be responsible for my pets, and let go of favorites. There have been proud moments, like winning at Nationals or State Fair, or being known for my showing abilities when someone just knows my name; fun moments, like getting to be there when my best does have kids (which I now think is a fun and amazing experience, gross) and goofing off in the barns with people I’ve made friends with over the years; sad moments like losing my favorite animal, selling kids that I wanted to keep but couldn’t, and losing a class I had my heart set on. The people we've shown with are now close family friends - there at funerals, births, weddings, and everything in between. My life has been defined by this seemingly strange and simple project I took on almost 16 years ago. I’ve been so lucky to have done all the things that I got to do with these wonderful animals. Goat showing may not be for everyone, nor may be goat cheese, but it’s something I’m immensely proud of and would do all over again.

This I Believe...

This is an assignment from the class I'm taking right now. To add a qualifier, I'm not sure this is where I wanted this to go - the words didn't come easily for this one, though I mean them just as much as if they had been written other ways.

This I Believe...
Happiness comes in small packages; in a thank you card from a friend, in a smile from a stranger on the street, or in an encouraging email from my mom. Happiness comes in moments; in stunning sunrises, in my dog greeting me excitedly at the door, or in quiet observation on a Missouri River bluff. Happiness comes in giving to others; in seeing a student have that ‘a-ha moment’, in helping a colleague carry a heavy load of books, and in donating what I have to others who have none.

In this society of speed, greed and the desperation to exceed, it’s not hard to forget the basic ability to make myself happy. Getting caught up in the go, go, go lifestyle prevents me from being able to stop and look around to appreciate everything I have. It seems that it’s popular to let myself be negative and pessimistic, and if I don’t feel that way, I feel guilty. I’m supposed to want more, want to BE more or bemoan the cards that life has dealt me.

I believe I create my own happiness and it is available to me easily, if I don’t try to search it out in the wrong places. Taking small joys in the everyday things is the root of contentment. So many people overlook the most simplistic pictures of beauty and pleasure because they distract themselves with a synthetic replacement. Feeling blessed to greet each day is the consequence of personal effort. In this world of instant gratification, most of us miss the awe-inspiring images and events right under our noses if it’s not pointed out to us. Slowing down and ‘smelling the roses’ shouldn’t just be a cliché, but a common practice.