A Lonely Road

So I've been having reoccurring conversations or debates what have you about what power would be better to have: invisibility, immortality, or telepathy. Most of my friends chose invisibility, but not I. I thought the ability to never age or die would be the greatest power ever like vampires. What would it be like to stay 18 forever? forever...

Greg is absolutely ecstatic that graduation was drawing closer, 2 days to be exact. He got into college and just can't wait to leave Long Island and start the new chapter to his life. He came back from orientation less than 2 weeks ago and has made some great friends whom Greg thinks will be in his life until the day they die. His mother is very sentimental about her "baby" leaving her and even though Greg has enjoyed his 13 years of school, he's ready to pack up and go. Time just can't go any faster for Greg.



June 25, 2009- GRADUATION! He's done it. Four years of this hellhole have ended. He wants nothing to do with end-of-the-year goodbyes, signing of yearbooks, sobbing due to the nostalgia and "heaviness" that is the completion of all these years with peers and faculty. Each year filled with memories just pleading to be forgotten until they are recalled again years later and appreciated ever more - not for him. Most of his friends are in college anyway.

















June 25, 2111- Greg has been 18 for 102 years. Technology has seen much success since the 21st century, but he is filled with lethargy to live another day. Everyone is gone. No friends, parents, cousins, aunts, or uncles - nobody. He didn't even have a lover because he never aged. He feels nothing but loneliness and emptiness. It's as if he's near extinction, but just can't bite the dust. He is isolated as he travels the new world because he has no one. To have to see all of his loved ones and friends pass on while he be given the "gift" of living forever was unbearable. He longs for his friends and family back the way deserts long for rain. Luckily for him an enormous asteroid crashes into the earth's core and saves him. "Nothing to live for...just not worth it," he whispers to himself as he prepares for impact and watches as it enters the atmosphere. It seemed like forever until impact, but he knows what that feels like...what's an extra few minutes?

If Only...

Good Night? How can you sleep knowing fare well what lies ahead tomorrow? You hope you have trained enough for this moment. Despite the overwhelming excitement, you reminisce about the car crash and curse being a paraplegic. You're excited for your new sports wheelchair that will arrive tomorrow morning. Your eyes get weary and you fall into a daze, but you quickly gain back your consciousness. Hope that the old blister on your right pointer finger won't open again. Mom knocks on your door and asks if you feel up to going to school tomorrow. You say, " I don't think I can bear it." She nods her head and goes back to her room.

The clock reads five in the morning, but you wouldn't know. You lay on your bed waiting for the sunrise until you finally see the tip of broad day light. Something is ...different. You can feel. You wiggle your toes unbelievably. Slowly, you start to move your right leg towards the end of the bed followed by your left leg until you're sitting on the side of the bed with a big smile no less. You now walk over, still in disbelief, to the opened window and inhale the fresh spring air.

One step after another you make your way downstairs and into the kitchen where your whole family has been waiting. You can tell all of them are overjoyed by the miracle that has taken place. Your Grandfather tells you to get going. As you near the front door you see a brand new mountain bike on the porch. You take off and go as fast as you can and as far as you can. You end up at the gates of the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadow in no time it seems. Your name is being cheered by hundreds of fans and you are taken to Arthur Ashe Stadium where you await your opponent. Who better to face than the tennis legend himself, who holds the most grand slam titles, "Pistol Pete" ? This is too much. Being able to play with your idol and favorite player of all time just defies description. The spotlight is on you and you can't help but to embrace it. You fail to remember what homework you have or what test you needed to be studying for because opportunities like this is almost never a frequent visitor especially for you.

The scene changes and you're back home in bed. You can't seem to wiggle your toes anymore, no feeling, just reality. You wake up to the sound of your alarm clock and as you wipe away the tears from your face, you whisper something. "If only they knew what it feels like..."

No Reservations Needed

Boy do I love an exceptionally cooked meal, who doesn't? Who wouldn't want to eat out at a four star restaurant? What person in their right mind wouldn't love to spend a romantic evening with their loved one in the Big Apple? Why not go out with friends to a hotspot after having a rough day at work on a Friday night? How could one not celebrate their birthday with family at a top notch restaurant with a marvelous view of the lighten up city? Location, location, location. How can you resist all those cuisines? Why so many questions?

I personally love the city and any restaurant inside the heart of New York. The bright lights, the loud beeping of cars, matinées on Broadway, the feeling of being cramped, the vast array of stores, and of course the constant life the city possesses does nothing but compel you to be there. I have to stop myself here before I digress and lose sight of what I'm actually writing about.

There have been few times in which I've walked into a four star, highly recommended, highly expensive restaurant, but i must say that that even after splitting a $250 check, I was impressed with more than just the food. The lighting can affect the mood and possibly the energy of a restaurant. Art or any type of gallery can intrigue customers or even strike up a conversation. I remember being in a French restaurant (I'm not really for French cuisine, but it was for a sweet 16) and there was this particular abstract art painting that must have started a thirty minute debate on what the artist was trying to portray. Now music either put people at ease or cause them to leave due to the overbearingness. Of course it depends on what type of feel the restaurant wants to give so it's kind of based on what's appropriate. That's not to say I wouldn't love "My Heart Will Go on" being blasted in the background, but sometimes the music, if there is any, just won't match the feel of a restaurant. As i said before, location, location, location can really be a bonus for attracting hungry customers. I ate at this Japanese place one time (yea, I'm sorry i don't know the names of these restaurants because it was a while ago) and it had a magnificent view of central park. This next part is pretty simplistic, but nonetheless it amazes me how each day hundreds of people dine at given restaurant and as you walk into a crowded place all you hear can hear are scattered words. Some people are there to talk about relationship problems, business, suicide, politics, sports and the list goes on. You look around and read body language and wonder what they must be thinking or feeling and make judgments on complete strangers to make yourself feel better, to make conversation or react to the wife who has just thrown a glass of wine at her soon to be ex-husband after finding out he cheated on her with her best friend and wants a divorce so he can get married to her now ex-best friend. There are just so many things going on in a restaurant that it makes it worth the while.

I know all of this sounds irresistible, right? Well, as tempting as all of that may be I would rather be home in a more personal setting with a loved one, friend, or family. Even though I'm far from being a cook, I'd rather attempt at cooking something resemblant of food and having a lot of laughs and have "quality time." Call me sentimental or what have you, but that's how i roll.

How Many Therapists Does It Take To Change a Light Bulb? None. The Light Bulb Has To Want To Change.

The Everything Psychology Book says it all. The "Everything" series helps you to you really understand whatever topic you may be interested in or perhaps studying for. This particular book explores the human mind and what it's capable of. I've been reading up on the complexities such as desires and the unconscious, perception and learning, and emotions and personality. Do we all have the same emotions? What are dreams? Why do we do the things we do? What is cognitive therapy? Cingulotomy? Both Doctor Lynda L. Warwick and Lesley Bolton have corroborated and produced a very entertaining and informative book to help expand the mind.

This is actually my second book that has to do with the field of Psychology; my first being Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy by Tao Lin. That book was a little confusing, but highly satisfying. It's a series of poems that Tao Lin attempts to explain the possible origins, ends, and cures of anger, worry, despair, obsession, and confusion, while concurrently experiencing those things in various contexts including a romantic relationship and the arbitrary nature of the universe. I'm going to be honest, I sort of copy and pasted that last part partly due to the fact that i just got home from my play rehearsal and the book is just too out there to explain at the moment, but nonetheless very creative.

Psychology may become a possible career choice down the road for it just perplexes me how we humans function. Apparently, I've heard that those who don't know what they want to major in or pursue they wind up taking psychology. I don't know whether that's true or false, but i know that it's definitely something i would consider. I've been enjoying this book a lot and it's great for anyone who would like to work in this field or who just wants to learn some new and interesting facts.

How to Become a Tennis Player

Backhand. Forehand. Serve. Mind.

These are the four main things needed to succeed and most of all have fun in the sport of tennis. You play soccer for 5 long years on a team that didn't speak to you for a week after failing to make a save as the goalie in one of the biggest games in your team's season. Having your father be one of the basketball coaches was not the greatest idea to begin with, but you endure 2 years with that. Karate was fun, however, and it taught you discipline as well as getting you into shape. So what's the problem? Desire. You are about to give hope on sports, but then your mom takes you to Sportime over in Roslyn to learn tennis. There is instant chemistry between you and the racquet. The instructor tells your mom, "they are made for each other."

A few weeks later, you are introduced to your first coach, Ralph. He makes you laugh uncontrollably and has a certain quality that puts you at ease and makes you tense simultaneously. He's a devoted individual who loves what he does. On occasion, your personalities clash and you go through your ups and downs throughout the years together. Fast forward over a decade later and you've grown so much as both a tennis player as well as a human being. At 37, Ralph still has a certain youthful energy about him and as you've grown older the conversations have become more mature and personal. He's not just a coach, he's a brother, a father and you are so better off from having him in your life. He tells you what you don't want to hear because he cares. He's a loyal, strong, and true individual.

You're past the point of grip changes, tinkering, how high your toss should be, how high the ball should be over the net and so on. The games stops becoming one of mechanics, but rather a game of minds. It's inevitable that you face pressure in a match, or in any sport for that matter, but it's what separates the legends from the amateurs on how one deals with it. Do you choke or crack under pressure? Or do you believe in yourself and your game to produce the goods? Emotions are illogical quite frankly and so when we are able to control our mental and emotional state and we possess confidence then beautiful things can happen. You still struggle with this for you expect too much of yourself. You briefly saw yourself on lawns of Wimbledon competing for the championship or at the U.S. Open being given a 5 minute standing ovation for all your years of service to the fans like Andre Agassi, but that dream has died unfortunately. However, the game will always be a part of your life because you love it. You are very cautious with that word "love" but you don't hesitate when it comes to tennis. Keep on playing.

It Comes From Within

Why do we read? Does it serve a purpose in life? If you've seen The Matrix Reloaded, Agent Smith constantly emphasized purpose and how everything was about him because he was just so special. Seriously, how narcissistic can one get? Anyways, there was a particular scene that i was reminded of while pondering why we read. Right before all the Smiths and Neo have that ridiculously hour long fight, Smith goes on to say," We're not here because we're free. We're here because we're not free. There is no escaping reason; no denying purpose. Because as we both know, without purpose, we would not exist. It is purpose that created us. Purpose that connects us. Purpose that pulls us. That guides us. That drives us. It is purpose that defines us. Purpose that binds us" So back to these things that, to many, seem as if they're being shoved down our throats: books. Why would one be so inclined to pick up a book and read word after word? Purpose. What kind of purpose may differ with each individual. Some people read just so that they can fall asleep quicker (guilty), some are actually entertained and enjoy opening their minds, some are forced and some do it in order to escape this cruel, cruel world by using their imagination.

Some are turned off by the thought of reading and i have to say that at times i understand why. Reading can be rather time consuming...actually that's probably the only real reason why i understand. For all those who complain about how boring their book is, that's something you can change and is just a waste of an excuse. And don't get me wrong, I'm not saying everyone has to read because some just weren't born to get lost in a book. However, there are a lot of benefits to be gained from challenging yourself. There is a lot to be learned just by living life so it's not like we need to be in school in order to expand our minds and gain knowledge. We don't need our Board of Ed making up the curriculum for us and choosing our chore books for English. We can just go out and see for ourselves what kind of books interest us. What's the worst that could happen? Absolutely nothing my friend! Keep in mind, however, that it's probably in your best interest that you actually sit down and read or skim a potential purchase. I've made that mistake once or twice and that'll won't be my last. I don't know how many times I've had to prioritize and cut down my choices of books so that i'm not broke as i walk out of Barnes and Noble. I want all of you who love Barnes and Noble to put ya hands up! Anyone? Alright, so that wasn't as smooth as i wanted, but i guess it's just being a newcomer to this blog thingymabober. Oh and my grammar is horrible. Yes, i am quite aware so just disregard all my mistakes because for the most part you know what I'm saying.

So where was I? Ah yes, I'm definitely not saying that those who read are better than those who don't, i'm just saying that it wouldn't hurt. Personally, i feel more confident, smarter, creative and open minded after each book i read. I like how i can connect to a particular character or situation. Sometimes it takes that one book to make the difference. I was never enthusiastic about reading because i was sort of a slow reader, which i still am, but as they say "practice makes perfect." I was a sophmore and at the time, i was really interested in massage therapy, but i didn't know much about the profession and all the different techniques and practices there were. So, to my surprise, i took a trip over to Barnes and Noble and did some searching. That really sparked my interest in reading.

I could sit here and keep on personalizing and writing how much we can benefit from reading, but after all is said and done the desire has to come from within you and only you. No one can force us to do anything that we don't want to do. We have the choice (that's actually debatable and a possible topic for a next post). But what about school? True, reading is a requirement and I'd never suggest this, but we still have that choice of not reading the chore books. Life's a trade off, if you read than you'll get better grades whereas if you choose not to than your grade suffers. Any who, it all comes down to desire and that is the message i try to get across in my pro-reading advertisement. All of the things listed from professions to behaviors to certain situations all have something to do with desire. Why was Roger Federer the best player in the world for five years? Because he wanted to be the best. Why did Angelina Jolie break up with Billy Bob? Because she had no desire to stay in the relationship. Why does one become a photographer, a teacher, etc? Because they want to. Well, since I've beaten that point to a pulp I think I shall sign off here. Twas fun. Keep it real.