Back from Neverland...

“Growing up is never easy. You hold on to things that were. You wonder what's to come...The thing is, we didn't have to have each other for getting older. We just had to forgive ourselves... for growing up." -The Wonder Years

Definitions of aging differ between biologists and behavioral scientists. For me? Aging is only change, and not always pleasant. Last night I ran into a friend whom I haven't seen in months. He seemed happy enough to see me, but he carried a new maturity I hadn't seen before. From his posture to the way he talked, he seemed older and more reserved. And very much above talking to me.

Perhaps my age is my burden. Although he's only older by a small amount, it's clear that I'm viewed as younger, and no matter what happens, he doesn't put me on the same level as he does himself. Maybe the time has come for me to grow up as well. To shed the remains of my childhood. But maybe not, for you see, when we grow up, we simply reach our own state of maturity. Being mature is simply full development of our judgment. It is, in fact, possible to do this and still hang on to childhood. It breaks my heart to see those who grow up too fast. I've watched young children, barely ten years old, sending texts on their cell phones, "dating", playing spin-the-bottle, swearing, and trying to hide all the fear of growing up they hold inside. What happened to building tree houses? To playing outside or holding lemonade stands? To teddy bears and games of fantastic imagination?

I ask all of you to hold onto your childhood. Hold onto your dignity. There's still so much time left, don't throw it away. Believe in fairy tales. Wish on stars. You'll know when your time comes. And please, never forget about your friends. Age creates no burden to love and friendship. Hold on to all this, and you will never be alone.

Keepin' it Sharp

“Passion is the element in which we live; without it, we hardly vegetate." -Lord Byron (English Romantic poet and satirist)

Passion is a powerful emotion, marking bountiful enthusiasm, and makes up the world we live in. Without passion, there is nothing. There is no color. There is no music. There is no life. Today, I was lucky enough to see passion in action. The singing group "The B-Sharps" put on a concert in Canton today, artfully titled "Keepin' it Sharp". I could go into detail about it, but to keep it short, I say simply, it moved me to tears. As a musician,I've attended countless recitals and concerts, but never have I seen such love, such enthusiasm, such talent as I did today. The singers truly loved being there, and their talent was astonishing. I believe that art is our purpose here on Earth. It's simply rare to find it displayed with such passion. When we hear music like this, or see breathtaking paintings, or great acting, we find another place on earth. We find our purpose, our being, our shared soul. Perhaps their director said it best. "Go on out there and enjoy it. Do what you love." Never be afraid to do what you love. It is through doing what we love that we find our places in the world. So follow your heart, and find your passion, and as for those who mind? They do not matter. And those who truly matter? They do not mind.

Come to the River

"And he showed me a pure River of Water of Life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb." Revelation 22:1


Today we visited the Farmington River as part of our ecology unit. In our daily life, we often forget the beauty of the everyday. Standing there on the bank was enlightening. The silver spay caress the rocks, the perfect crystal mirror and my heart quivering with the melody of peace. Perhaps the purpose of the life lies in the moments of every day. Heaven can be found on earth, in those perfect moments.
However, with every bit of beauty there lies an ugly underside. Here are the facts.

• 40% of America's rivers are too polluted for fishing, swimming, or aquatic life.
• 46% of America's lakes are too polluted for fishing, swimming, or aquatic life.
• 1.2 trillion gallons of untreated sewage, storm water, and industrial waste are discharged into US waters annually.
• Each year, plastic waste in water and coastal areas kills up to 100,000 marine mammals, 1 million sea birds, and countless fish.
• One billion people across the globe still lack safe drinking water

Why do we allow this? Why do we not stop it? This is our problem, because this is our now and this is our future. Don't convince yourself this doesn't matter. Look around. It might not matter today, or even tomorrow, but I know in the future, that I want to be able to take my daughter outside, to show to her the clear blue sky, to let her swim in the ocean, to let her play in the trees. I want her to know the African elephant, the blue whale, the gorilla, even the panda, and not because they've become extinct, but because she will have been able to see them. I want the same for my grandchildren, and for many generations to come.
Success is knowing that at least one life has breathed easier because you lived. So I encourage you, succeed! Baby steps are all we need. Save energy, use www.blackle.com instead of google. Check labels on hairspray and similar products. Conserve water. Try walking or biking. Try eating one meatless meal a week. Borrow, don't buy. And please, recycle. Then, will you succeed? That and much more. You'll help not only one of us, but all of us.
"Come to the water, the water will flow. Stand to the night, see the light, let it grow. Hold on, for hard winds are starting to blow –Stand up!Hold on! And swear you won't let go... "-Coming Together ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A200Yovf7g8)

Revival

"When you die, you lose a very important part of your life." -Brooke Shields


I realize that I've seemingly killed this blog. It lies motionless, with no views, and no posts. However, life takes crazy turns. We fall, and we rise again. So I bring back Organized Chaos with a more personal flair. Welcome back.

The Way You Wear Your Hat

“Insist upon yourself. Be original.”-Ralph Waldo Emerson- American Poet

I was shopping at the mall this weekend when I came across a black hat. Not just any hat, a big, floppy, 1930's style that looked like it was made of felt. Now when you see something out of the ordinary like that, how can you just walk by? I couldn't. So I put it on.

I admit that I felt very out of place, detached from reality, standing in the middle of a store with this big hat on, and standing between a tall girl trying on red stilettos and another checking a price tag on lingerie, but the hat was perfect. It reflected my personality, my soul, my being. Old-fashioned, out of style, falling about like it couldn't decide on what to be. Sort of a misfit. Especially being so modest and being between sexy shoes and lingerie.

I left it on, and continued shopping. Right before I checked out, I passed the hat rack. In a sudden change of heart, I threw the hat back on the rack, embarrassed. What was I thinking? The 1930's were over.Where would I ever had worn it? I couldn't believe I'd let myself even try it on. I set the shirt I was buying on the counter, and the boy behind the register stared at me. "You're not getting the hat? It looked great on you. And that style doesn't look good on just anyone." His face was teasing, but in his eyes was something else. Disappointment? Suddenly, I felt the same. Disappointed in myself. And I learned something most people never seem to learn. Not to be afraid to be yourself. Sounds simple. But it's never easy. We're always afraid of being judged. So I ask you all. Be yourself.

Needless to say, I bought the hat.

Love Me, Don't Eat Me

"The time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look upon the murder of men."
-Leonardo Da Vinci

PETA's new ad—featuring sexy women who are powerless to resist the temptation of veggie love—was deemed too hot for Super Bowl XLIII. That's right, apparently, NBC has something against girls who love their veggies. They said it"depicts a level of sexuality exceeding our standards." Their least favorite scenes were the following :licking pumpkin, touching breast while eating broccoli, pumpkin from behind between legs, touching pelvic region with pumpkin, aparagus on her lap, licking eggplant, and rubbing asparagus on breast. This is directly from their email.

Um, wow. This is a girl licking a pumpkin. If licking a pumpkin is "exceeding their standards", then, just, wow. Watch it for yourself at ttp://www.peta.org/content/standalone/VeggieLove/Default.aspx . The ad says "studies show vegetarians have better sex. go veg". Which is obvious. Vegetarians are healthier.

We've all heard horror stories about the meat industry, but they're not just horror stories. They're real. Don't believe me? Here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIjanhKqVC4 . *warning* not for people with weak stomachs.

Go Veg.

"The animals share with us the privilege of having a soul."
-Pythagoras

Birthday Gift

“Wish on everything. Pink cars are good, especially old ones. And stars of course, first stars and shooting stars. Planes will do if they are the first light in the sky and look like stars. Wish in tunnels, holding your breath and lifting your feet off the ground. Birthday candles. Baby teeth.”
-Francesca Lia Block - American Author




Perhaps there is still some happiness in the world. Six-year-old Gabriel Hurles found it wrapped in a birthday present. The kindergartner was eating cupcakes his mother had brought to his class on Wednesday so he didn't even notice an enormous wrapped box off to the side.
"That's one big, giant present," a classmate told him. "See what you got, Gabriel."




What did he find inside? His father, an Army mechanic back on leave from his second tour in Iraq. "It's my dad!" he screamed, "Hi daddy!" His father,Casey Hurles, 23, hadn't Gabriel since leaving in June. When he learned he would be back just before his son's birthday, he came up with a plan to hide in the 4-foot-tall present. "It was such a rush of emotion," he said. The teacher, Ms. Dawn VanSickle was glad to be a part of the reunion. ""One of the first things Gabriel shared about himself was that his dad was in Iraq and that he was waiting for his dad to come home," she said. "He talks about his dad all the time."

There is definitely happiness in this world. We just have to find it. So please, don't be afraid to dream. Don't be afraid to wish. And please, please don't be afraid to make a wish come true.

Sexism, Androcentrism, and Feminism

"I hope people realize that there is a brain under neath the hair and a heart underneath the boobs." - Dolly Parton

Sexism. Discrimination based on gender, especially discrimination against women. Androcentrism. Centered on, emphasizing, or dominated by males.

Feminism. Belief in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes.

As a woman living in a androcentric and sexist world, I know how it feels. I know how it feels to be judged by the size of your behind. I know how it feels to talk to someone who remains focused on your chest, no matter how many times you remind them that your face is higher. However, whenever I feel that no more humiliation can come of it, someone invents something like "iBoobs".

iBoobs, an application for the iPhone that consists of a virtual large chested woman. Shake the screen and her breasts jiggle. I didn't believe this when I first heard it. Honestly? Has the image of women been degraded to virtual breasts jiggling all over some one's phone? Is that all we are? Is that all we can be? Thankfully, Apple has said no because of its "objectionable content".

So, there is still some decency left. Right? Wrong. Although "iBoobs" has been rejected, a newer application, dubbed "Wobble", was approved.

Very much the same concept, Wobble creates a "3-D jigglefest". The difference? "Wobble" allows the user to add the jiggle to real photos. On a Kenzins article about the iPhone, the description was ,"Jiggle your way to happiness as Wobble, the latest iPhone app, enables you to make anything..well… wobble." Jiggle your way to happiness?

Of course, in Apple's defense, "Wobble" isn't only for breasts. You can make a puppy tail wobble, or a bunny nose. However, go on YouTube and search "iPhone Wobble app". You tell me how many jiggling females pop up, versus how many wobbling puppy tails pop up.

It's time to end this post, so I leave you with some of the most sexist jokes I've ever heard.

"What would men do without women? They would train another animal."

"Why haven't any women ever gone to the moon? It doesn't need cleaning yet"

"Why don't women wear watches? There's a clock on the stove."

"How do you get a woman dizzy?Put her in a circular room and tell her to go to a corner."

On the other end of the spectrum, here's my favorite.

"You always make a rough draft before a masterpiece. That's why God made man before he made woman."

First Words

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."
-Seneca (Roman philosopher, mid-1st century AD)

Begin. To take the first step. To start. To come into being. When do we begin? When does a person begin? Is it every morning? After the haze of sleep is cleared from out eyes? Is it only once? When we take our first breath? Perhaps not. Perhaps our "beginnings" come from words. Perhaps we begin to come into being when we begin to express ourselves.

With that, I welcome you to the first words of Organized Chaos. It's beginning. My beginning. Our beginning.