What is that strange ticking noise?

In my wonderful English class (wonderful and English class are words I never thought I would use together, but I'm a-changing from my old self), Books We Read Too Early, we are reading my favorite book of all time, Harry Potter! I had to write a little response towards the book, and I had so much fun with it I decided to share it with all of you. Enjoy!

There are not many places you can go in the world where the name Harry Potter is not recognized. The boy wizard has literally captivated the entire world with his epic life and magical world that he calls home. But why? What makes Harry so different than Alice? Than Tom Sawyer? Than even Frodo? While some may say it was sheer luck, I think it was a combination of masterful writing, the foundation of old classics, and a mass media age, that allowed Harry Potter to become the most successful book series of all time.

As a HUGE Harry Potter fan, I have always been a diehard supporter of J.K. Rowling and think she is one wise lady. To come up with a world as elaborate and wonderfully cohesive as she did, you must be intelligent, borderline genius, and possibly a little crazy. What separates J.K. (I use her first name because Rowling is much too serious for a person I grew up with) from other creative geniuses though is that the woman can write. She was seamlessly able to write to an audience that contains elementary-aged schoolchildren, college students, and retired grandmothers, while captivating the imaginations of them all. She completely takes away the hindrance of written words and allows readers to step into a story that is so unrealistically real. And while trying to keep up with a plotline that involves horcruxes, hippogriffs, and Puking Pastilles, J.K. seamlessly intertwines it all together with few, if any, loopholes and nuances that the most esteemed readers applaud. J.K. may be a critically acclaimed children’s author, but her writing is no child’s play.

While she is surely a literary genius, J.K. did get some help from earlier writers. Perhaps the most closely related story and series is J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, which preceded Potter by 4o years. Like the vast world of Middle Earth, the magical world of Harry Potter is indeed apart from reality (although I still secretly like to think that I am just a poor Muggle blinded to the very real wizarding world), but vast enough for it to seem real. The magical world Harry lives in involves humans that have the same bodily needs and frailties that we do, characters that feel the same emotions and deal with the same problems, and even the same broader issues of racism, bureaucracy, and corruption. Although J.K. adds wonderful creatures and enhanced abilities to the characters, readers can very much relate to the characters in the novel and buy into this fictional world. By creating a world that is more exciting and colorful than reality but still rooted in fundamental reality like Tolkien did, J.K. captured readers’ attentions and paved the way to success.

What J.K. has that Tolkien did not however, is the vast, mind blazingly fast, and global tool of the Internet. This is what separated J.K.’s series from the other amazing books that came before. While the others had excellent writing and wonderful fictional worlds, they did not have the ability to reach across the globe almost instantly with translated copies of their book for anyone who wanted to read. Not only that, they did not have the social networking available through the Internet. In the 1950s, Lord of the Ring junkies would have to call each other up to sit down and discuss the book. In today’s world, a fan can connect online instantly with fans from all over the world to discuss hidden meanings, learn new information, and share their passion for the story. There are entire fan sites, Facebook groups, blogs, and chat rooms dedicated exclusively to Harry Potter. Just now I even found a Harry Potter Wiki that helped me spell ‘puking pastille’ and contained everything you would ever want to know about the Harry Potter world.

By connecting readers and helping them to truly immerse themselves entirely in a wonderful written story, J.K. was able to find greater success than ever before seen. With the multibillion dollar movies, recent opening of a theme park, and a generation of Potter-maniacs that will surely read the series to their children, it does not look like Harry Potter is going away any time soon. The world really is bewitched by the wonderful world of Harry Potter.

rambling in the good times

”Each person has inside a basic decency and goodness. If he listens to it and acts on it, he is giving a great deal of what it is the world needs most. It is not complicated but it takes courage. It takes courage for a person to listen to his own goodness and act on it.”


If you follow one rule in life, it should be to seek after goodness. Whatever shape or form it takes on, grab on to it and do your best to hold on to it. It is not naive or foolish to try and fill your mind with clean thoughts and your heart with pure feelings. By doing so you are not denying the fact that evil exists or being ignorant to it, you are simply choosing to avoid it and not let it into your body where it can spread and grow. We should daily strive to make the world a better place by spreading goodness. Spread whatever happiness or hope you have to others and try to brighten their day. You'd be surprised what a smile can do or a simple "How are you?" can do.

There is no truth in the expression "too good to be true." It is just an excuse for people to settle for something less than the best. Why, if there is something better out there, would you want to accept something bad on the sole premise that that other thing is just too good? Doesn't make much sense does it? Yet we all fall into that trap throughout our lives, and it is important we recognize it and always seek after the best. Seek after the things that uplift, the things that bring hope, the things that bring happiness, and the things that are good. Don't let things that degrade you or others enter in because you just don't deserve it! You and everyone else on this earth is meant for greatness and deserves nothing less.

timing is everything

I wish I could write on this thing more often, but it always takes me so long and I try to make it too perfect (my version of "perfect" at least). So, if you see the grammar/English of my next few blog posts suffer, my apologies but this must be sacrificed for the sake new material. I also sometimes have trouble finding something to write about; topics will pop up in my brain all the time, but I often don't think I can elaborate on them or wonder if anyone would even care to read about that. Then I remember that the readers of this blog are made up of my mom, my best friend, a couple teammates, and the occasional friend who happens to stumble upon it. And most of the people in this small group don't even read it regularly. So after trimming down my pride a bit, I decided that this blog is for me! My thoughts, my opinions, my conversation topics, and my grammar rules.

This is meant as no disrespect towards my few faithful followers (I love you Mom, Kaley, Diz), and nothing will honestly change because I've been writing whatever I wanted to anyways, just a formal declaration of what I would like for this blog. It started one year ago as an assignment for my second semester English class where we were looking at how things are "mapped." For our final assignment the professor asked us to do an independent project that looked at how people map themselves. What better way to do this than start a blog? My thoughts exactly. Through this blog I am literally "mapping" my life on the invisible realm of the internet. I'm leaving a trail behind that helps show my journey through life with each post. I'm helping myself remember what I was thinking at a particular moment in time, what events were going on in my life, who I was with, how I felt, etc. I of course will remember most of these things in my memory (which is such a cool little device we all come with if you think about it-it's like a permanent video recorder in your head!), but I can never remember word for word or as well as I do in this moment here and now, and that's what this blog is for! To chart my course and help others see what direction I'm going in as well.

I suppose I could just talk with people close to me and tell them these things, and for some readers I probably will, but it's kind of funny how it is easier to write things than say things a lot of the time; forcing people to read what you have to say instead of you just telling them. After all, isn't it the same message in the end? I've always preferred writing: you are given more time to think through how you really feel and pose your message in the way you'd like so the reader will understand what you want to get across. I sometimes forget though that a reader cannot hear the inflection in your voice, see the expression on your face, or feel the intention of your heart (the smiley and winkey faces of texting would indeed come in handy here, maybe I'll start a new trend), and this is the only drawback I find to writing. Writing also takes a lot more time than talking, and since lack of time was what began this post, I will stop here because I love when things come full circle.

to act but not to be

How lonely the road is
That leads to somewhere you have never been.
Winding its way further into a mysterious Place,
A Place that begins and ends with one Face.

A Face that captivates. It mystifies.
Drawing the sight of unsuspecting eyes.
It seems so present, so tauntingly alive.
If only you could just let it be. Let it die.

But the image is burned in the back of your mind
No matter if it is something you should not try to find.
Heartache, emptiness, and shame
Must be the results of walking such a way.

So, naturally, you must continue on,
Trying to sing yourself a happier song.
Thoughtlessly you continue down the road
As it leads you farther and farther from home.

It is the Fireworks along the way
That keep your feet from turning astray.
Unrecognized and unsuspected
You go along without being detected.

There is a thought of being found
If only from your silent footprints on the ground.
It is a shame there is no real guarantee
In searching to act but not to be.

Idk, my bff rose

Blogging, texting, facebooking, or anything written through virtual means is funny business. It requires a certain rhetoric. I can not tell you how I have misinterpreted a text or had my own texts misinterpreted. For example, when I ask: "Yo Friend A what do you think about going to a movie tonight?" And they respond: "Ok." What am I to make of that? Are they excited, do they really want to go, when can they be there...I have no idea! Yes, girls analyze these things way too much (and boys are professionals at leaving vague texts or comments let me add), but come on people give me something to work with! That is why I insist on using winks, haha, jk's, lol's, or the lovable smiley face. Then people know exactly when you're coming, if something is meant to be a joke, or if you actually feel any sort of emotion about the topic you're talking about. It's just nice. Especially if it's a touchy subject or you aren't too close with the person and can't really ask for more clarification without sounding too desperate or needy. It's quite a tricky subject. So next time you text, do everyone a favor and add a little emotional abbreviation; it will make everyone happier :)

Dreams are seriously the best. There is nothing better than curling up in your bed (I could stop right there and the sentence would be true), closing your eyes, and entering into the wonderful world of your dreams. I usually have no particular path I want my dreams to take, I just hope they're interesting and that I can remember them. On average we have 4-6 dreams per night (got that from a USC website so I'd question it's legitimacy; USC is no Cal). Per night! If only I could remember each of these jewels... Although I love all dreams, flying dreams are by far my favorite. On a side note, something to know about me, if I could choose any superpower I would hands down choose to fly. First of all, I would be AMAZING at basketball because I could kind of hide it and "run" really fast down the court while really just gliding, I'd get every rebound and block every shot (just like usual (;), and maybe I could convince everyone that I can dunk just with my own mad hops. Second, I don't really want to hear other peoples thoughts, be a creepy invisible person, look at people with x-ray vision, take all the fun out of the future by being able to tell the future, I already have super strength, and why get super speed if I could have that already by flying? Third, just imagine standing on the ground and just being able to blast up into the air! Enough said. Flying is the greatest. SO, whenever I dream about flying, which is sadly a very rare occurrence, it is a GOOD night. Every time though towards the end of the dream, I start to lose my powers! It's absolutely awful and I wake up dejected and ashamed.

If flying is my favorite, my least favorite dreams are definitely those ones when you have to/want to run away from impending doom or just to start running and you just can't. You all know what I'm talking about. It's the most excruciating pain for my dreamself when she's trying to get those legs moving and they won't budge. I also have the same problem at times when I try to open my eyes in a dream, but they just won't open and I'm blind throughout the whole dream even though I still know subconsciously know what's going on. Not everyone may share that dream, but let me tell you it's just as bad as the running one. I don't even mind the dreams where you fall off something and wake up before you hit the ground because at least those are a rush. By the way, I heard from someone once (I think I know who it was, but I'll leave them out to save them the embarrassment (:) that if you actually hit the ground in your dream after you fall off of something that you die in real life. Now clearly this is foolishness. How could you prove something like that? Go question the dead man in his bed? No no.

No matter what dream I have, even those agonizing running ones, it is usually a good time and I can't wait to fall asleep every night. This is why I think alarm clocks are such devilish devices; the nerve of them to wake you up from this imaginative paradise! I suppose you have to go snap back to reality at some point, but it's nonetheless a cruel cruel little machine. To wrap up my rant on dreams, I leave you with this wonderful quote by the geniuses at Disney. Good night.

"A dream is a wish your heart makes when you're fast asleep. In dreams you will lose your heartaches. Whatever you wish for, you keep. Have faith in your dreams, and someday, your rainbow will come smiling through. No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dreams that you wish will come true."

P.S. Do not be a fool like me and take a nap from 715-930 PM. It is currently 150 AM and I am not even remotely tired. Oh dear. "Good night!"

Transcendentalist Geniuses

Junior year of high school I was first introduced to a movement called the Transcendentalist movement. If you've never heard of it, look it up. It's amazing. Emerson, Thoreau, Dickinson, and Fuller were all Transcendentalists and man did they have good ideas. I'm a little bit of a dork (I have no problem admitting it), and I sometimes like to just ponder about life and talk about, think about, or write about deep things. It's really fun and soothing. Whenever I come across big concepts that make you think and where deeper meaning lies, I soak it up. Hence, my love for the transcendentalists. These people stepped outside the materialist lifestyle they found around them in the mid 1800s, and looked for deeper meaning and purpose in life. They were indeed spiritual, but didn't associate with particular religious groups or organized religions. Instead, they went out into nature and away from the hustle and bustle of the common world, and used the quiet bliss that surrounded them to just listen. Listen for something more. Listen for a deeper spirit that connects the world and all the things in it. In doing so, transcendentalists were looking to find themselves. They believed that within each of us is a soul that is close to a Deity and that the ideal spiritual state is realized only through one's own intuition; how we feel and think within ourselves without being influenced by outside forces. God gave humans the gifts of intuition, insight, and inspiration, so we should use them for ourselves to find truth in the world. All humans have access to this vast cove of spiritual enlightenment because it lies within their own soul. That is why many of the transcendentalists tried to completely escape society and plunge into nature alone or create utopias conducive to allowing for this type of isolation and ability to tap into their inner soul.

It all sounds maybe a little too deep, but I think these people were really getting at something. Humans all have the a certain sense of right and wrong and a compassion for one another (even if this fails from time to time) no matter what culture or area of the world they live in. There seems to be something connecting us all and I think it lies within us and that once we tap into that little soul within us we can discover who we truly are, what we are to do in this life, and really do good in the world. Although you may believe a different Deity provides this soul to us all than I do, I think if we all strive to find out more about this spirit if you will we will arrive at the same end. Even if we use different means to get there. Self-actualization is the first step, and, if this were to occur with us all, as Emerson writes: "We will walk on our own feet; we will work with our own hands; we will speak our own minds...A nation of men will for the first time exist, because each believes himself inspired by the Divine Soul which also inspires all men." So ladies and gentlemen, run out into nature and get to thinking!

I Never Want to Grow Up...

In the spirit of my birthday and all, I thought I'd blog about growing up. Doesn't it kind of stink? I totally know why Peter Pan decided to stay in Neverland forever and spend his days aimlessly flying around. Don't get me wrong there are a bunch of positives, but it's kind of sad to leave your childhood. Senior year of high school was probably the best year of my life thus far and now it's all over. Hanging out with your friends every day in school, seeing people you've grown up with in class every day, feeling a deep bond with your school through sports or whatever you were involved in, hanging out on weekends and throwing parties, prom, homecoming...it was all so fun! Then all of a sudden you're thrown into college where nobody knows your name, professors and classmates rarely know who you are, it takes a while to find friends and a place where you belong and it's just not the same as high school, you move out of the house and to a foreign place where you have to live on your own and find your way...what a shocker! I mean heck, I go from having my laundry done for me and lunches packed and ready for me every morning (thanks mom) to living on my own! Although those luxuries are missed, it's really just being away from my family and friends that stinks the most. Even though I still get to go home for summers (no other breaks really-stupid basketball), it just isn't the same because I'll never get to see these people every day really in the same intimate setting. Even living in my house is a little different because I'm living out of a suitcase now. What the heck??

All of that said (I like to focus on the positives, I swear, even when I rant about negatives like that), growing up has also been pretty cool. Being independent, having to find your own way, choose who you want to be and become, picking your path in life, and gaining new experiences and friends along the way has been an amazing time. Also having new perspective on things and seeing things outside the little realm of a high schooler. The world just opens up and it's cool to experience and think about things that are bigger than yourself. The world is filled with billions of other people in places and situations that you can't even imagine, and to be selfish or think you know a lot is just foolish. I'm still working on both of those things and have a ways to go, but just recognizing that fact is a huge step in itself. Although high school is behind me and it's time for me to learn how to be an adult, I'm really excited for the ride; my whole LIFE is ahead of me! I wonder what will happen...

Key to Success

(I thought this picture was clever, considering the title (:)

In the spirit of my last post and with my general excitement in picking classes, thinking about careers, and dreaming about my future, today I'm talking about reading personalities and profitable skills. Sounds boring, yes, but it isn't trust me. I was talking to one of my friends yesterday and we started talking about how you don't have to be a genius to get a ton of money in this world, you just need certain skills. If you are sociable and able to make connections with people, get a big client base or network yourself correctly, you'll go far. It's a little unfair that it works out that way, but that's the way it is unless you're a Bill Gates genius who can revolutionize the world with a new product/technology. Since I have not thought of an ingenious invention yet (my brain is searching for ideas daily though don't you worry), it looks like I need to work on my people skills. Starting off as a shy, awkward girl who slumped down at the restaurant table when a group of waiters sang happy birthday to me attracting the eyes of the entire restaurant and drawing much too much attention (honestly family did you really have to put me through that torture??), I was slightly disadvantaged but have no fear, I'm making strides! Once I realized people aren't judging me and that I should just be comfortable with me and do my thing, it all went down hill from there. Ellen Degeneres talks about this in one of her stand-up skits (which you should DEFINITELY watch because it is absolutely hilarious! Ellen Degeneres: Here and Now, check it out on YouTube) where she says that people are so busy worrying about what everyone else is thinking that they have no time to think about and judge others. Totally true.

Other skills that are important to have are financial skills. These are the most under-taught skills! I got a financial aid packet that I had to fill out the other day and I took one look at it and couldn't decipher any of the acronyms or big words that stand for various forms and other things. Are we supposed to just know these things? Thank goodness we have dads to just hand these things over to and get them back magically filled out. And I haven't even begun to think about paying taxes, starting a 401k, choosing a mortgage, paying bills...mind boggling. That's how people get into trouble financially. They don't understand these things well enough and buy things on credit thinking everything will just work itself out and make risky decisions and just ruin themselves. If you master the system though and know how it works, you can be well off without too much work. And that's why I'm going into Finance! Well, not completely, but heck money doesn't hurt now does it?