Sunday, February 20, 2011
And Meet Me In My Boudoir...Make My Body Say Ah Ah Ah
Friday, February 18, 2011
Precious
I wrote this paper for my ethics class, I titled it "Precious"....
As hot tears stream down her cheeks, Precious sobbingly exclaims, “Nobody loves me!” Ms. Rain’s gentle eyes weld up with tears of compassion as she looks up at Precious and says, “People do love you Precious.” Through her hysterical sobs Precious says “Please don’t lie to me, Ms. Rain! Love ain’t done nothing for me but beat me….rape me…call me an animal! Make me feel worthless! Make me sick!” Given that violence is a forcible physical, emotional and verbal harm/abuse from one party to hurt another; Precious’s hatred for love and loving herself is a clear case that teaching someone to hate themselves is an act of violence. It is an act of violence because it negatively affects one’s mental well being as well as physical.
Growing up, I was often bullied and teased about my weight. Whether it was passed as a crumpled up note through class, chanted on the playground or constantly ringing through my ears on the bus ride home, it was always there. Of course, my mom would always say “sticks and stones can break your bones but words will never hurt you”, but I’m not sure if she also knew that “the tongue is like a sharp knife, it kills without drawing blood”. It was because of those nasty taunts that I went from a happy, relatively skinny kid to a chubby, self-conscious 9 year old. This constant reinforcement told me I wasn’t good enough and that I wasn’t pretty, and after hearing it for so many years, I couldn’t help but give into that negative thought. By the age of thirteen, I would look at myself in the mirror, and even though I wouldn’t physically cry, I could feel the sadness working up in my throat. I would change stances and think, this can’t be me…I don’t act like how I look. I would begin to wonder why I had this body if it didn’t fit me. All those years of taunting had sunk in and made me question myself, and even made me write about it… “ My pretty face is a waste ‘cause it’s stricken with hate for the aggression that’s on my plate, can’t turn it around, can’t switch up this frown, give me the crown that fits Queen of Down”. They made me hate the way I looked, and as innocent as a child’s taunting is, it was a nonetheless a violence.
While violence can affect one’s mental well being, the relationship between a mental well being and violence can directly affect someone’s physical being…it definitely affected mine. Prior to going into high school, the teasing hadn’t ceased, but it wasn’t as constant as it was a couple years before. However, once I got to high school, the big issue around my weight took a different form. I remember there was this one boy in my world studies class, who just looked simply handsome at 14 years old. There were days where I wouldn’t even pay attention to the teacher, I would just sit there and admire him from two rows across. The homecoming game and dance was within the next couple of weeks and I really wanted to go with him. So after class, I mustered up just enough courage to walk up to him and ask him to be my date. My palms were sweaty, my head throbbed and I felt all these pin like tinglings all over my body just to be laughed at and told “uhhh, I’m not into discovery channel…sorry Hippo”. At that very minute I wanted to cry and just die. A guy I really liked had embarrassed me in front of the whole class and myself. From that point on I was determined to become the skinny girl he would have always wanted but would never have. I was working out 3 hours a day every day and deprived myself of any carbs or sugars. At the age of 15, I had gone from weighing 180 lbs to 130 lbs in 3 months. While the change in weight didn’t look to bad for being 5’6, inside I was sick. The thought of food made me nauseous, smelling it made me dizzy, therefore making actual consumption very small in proportion. I had drastically changed my physical self and made myself sick at the same time. It was a bloodless violence I had committed to myself.
One may say that in order to commit violence, there has to be a physical in which there is blood spill or some type of physical marking, but why is it only a physical? Why can’t violence be in the form of a physical, emotional and or verbal harm/abuse, done to intentionally hurt someone else? Why can’t teaching someone to hate themselves be seen as violent, even if that way of hatred affects the mental and physical well being of someone. Isn’t crushing someone’s soul just as bad as crushing their head?
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Just blah
school....
im taking 6 classes and out of all of them theres only only 2 that really require alot of studying, but the rest its like a music invasion. i feel like i have all these pieces to learn at least 8, and just not enough time to learn it. while the majority of the music is in english, and german and italian arent as hard as french but still. i feel like my head is going to explode. i feel like i have no time for my music...its just all opera and classical and arias and art songs. sorry dean and frank, you guys are going to have to take the back seat for awhile
work...
as it turns out, my job has found the cheapest way of stayin open without having soo many people there. every1 in my department is gettin 12 hour weeks. WTF?! are u serious? i got credit cards to pay, i got bills to pay, rent to pay...who can live on a barely 100$ check a week? so as of now im considering gettin a 2nd job bcuz i need the money, but if i take that 2nd job, where will that leave my time for school? and if i do get a 2nd job, wats going to happen with my health insurance????
working out...
so at the beginning of this year, i told myself i want to get into better shape and lose weight for myself. and so far so good, but now with school here, its so much more harder to find time to work out and do everything else i need to do. and on days where i dont get the chance to work out....i feel sooo bad. :( id hate to think that i wont be able to fully commit myself to my workouts and diet because i dont have the time to do this or that. ugh
and while family is family...theres always a problem. i just kinda wish things would lighten up a bit at home. i hate feeling like i did something wrong when i didnt, or that i should be quiet for sum odd reason when i have no reason to be silenced.
but i guess wat it all boils down to is, I NEED MORE TIME IN A DAY....ive felt this way before soo much ugh redunkulous....so idk what im going to do,but a change def has to start with me.....wish me luck...it may be awhile.
hopefully things get better
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
And It All Falls Down
KSJKDNHISBNVLKSMCSADI903UI90U834RMQ/.DM!3KFNEFVINADSFVSV HBSDLJKCNSDLK;JALKNCSDC#$r34985R7349FU2398RE2U3DOWQEOJDSMCKSDNCHIOJIHA
Mmmmmm ok, I think I'm ok now. You ever just feel like nothing fits? I'm trying to find a song to fit my mood to help cool down this mood, but all I got is "All Falls Down" - Kanye West, thanks for trying Kanye. But anyways this blog is going to be about everything that just seems to be bothering me
1. School
------------> So last semester I managed to be an active member in 3 organizations while balancing 7 classes and life. Surprisingly I pulled it all off! I had 3 A's, 3 B's and 1 C and raised up my GPA. I came into the fall semester thinking, I CAN DO THIS! I now have 6 classes and active in 1 org. This semester started off very promising and good. Now....it feels like everything is just falling apart. I find myself not wanting to go to certain classes, pushing some of those classes' homework til the last minute. Idk. I think I dedicate myself to my music classes more than anything just cause I'm right there ( being accepted into the Department of Music) and the rest of my classes are like neh whatever. But I am trying...trying to be on time to class, to pay attention, to study correctly according to me, pass tests and overall trying to learn something from these classes while enjoying them. It feels like a ridiculous balancing act and like the game sorry, like as soon as I move up 2 spaces, something bumps me back to start. Idk what's wrong with me. I spend more time in the Library studying and doing homework than anything. I was able to do all of this in high school and I've gotten better at doing all of this in college. However, I still find myself struggling to tread in the water of life.
2. Money
----------> Well I was suppose to go to Puerto Rico this winter for X-mas and New Years, but the money I got back from school (which is what I was going to use to pay for my ticket) was used for rent. Which at first kind of pissed me off cause I had no idea that the majority of that money was going to be used, but hey.....gotta have a roof over my head right? So I've let go of the idea of finally enjoying myself on a sandy beach on la isla del encanto while its a slushy,blistery, below 0 holiday season in Chicago. But now it just feels like I got every bill in the world to pay and there's just no enjoying or using a little bit of the money I make to enjoy myself. And it's like everyone close to me is hurting for money, my parents, my best friend. Ugh
I just feel like I need more than 24 hours in a day to do what ever I need to do AND get enough sleep.
BUT! I do thank God for everything in my life
A home with a roof and heat and running water
Food
The wellness of my family and friends
Good friends
Good memories
Good opportunities
Good and fun teachers who really care
Music
An awesome boyfriend who makes me laugh all the time and answers his phone even when he's sleeping
And the wellness of myself
Some how I just need to freeze time and figure out things and work around it. Please help me and wish me well....
Oh! I forgot to mention I woke up this morning and it was JUST CRAPPY OUT! Raining and windy and all that crap. I don't know about you but the weather affects me, like how I am when I wake up in the morning. So since today was just crappy, I woke up crappy, and had a crappy morning, BUT hopefully it won't be a crappy day.
Thanks for hearing me out
Sunday, August 29, 2010
A letter to Frankie :)
Friday, August 20, 2010
These Are a Few of My Favorite Things
reading and eating dark chocolate Almond Joys<>feeling fresh summer grass beneath my bare feet<> watching the sunset on a summer or fall evening<> watching the fireworks on the forth of July<> Taking a cold shower after a hot day<> The beautiful strumming of a Spanish guitar<> an iced Sangria<>Sleeping in <> hearing "I love you" from someone you really love<> standing in your back yard and letting a summer rain soak you as thunder and lightning go off above you<>Seeing the first signs of Spring<> a warm family filled home on Thanksgiving<> Scaring the shit out of your friend and laughing for 5 minutes because they jumped 5 feet in every direction<>The excitment a new year brings<>The bittersweet/nervous feeling of asking someone if they like you<> Chicago's skyline at night<> The feeling of accomplishment<> Reading a bedtime story to your children/little siblings/nieces or nephews/cousins<> The thrill when you're on a roller coaster<> The sincere hug from a best friend<> A home cooked meal<>Watching an eclipse<> Jamming to your favorite song on the radio<>Watching Master Chef while delighting yourself in a bowl of butter pecan ice cream with chocolate syrup on top<> Laughing at the movie Home Alone<> The 1st exhale of some good Hookah<>Listening to an Orchestra play
While my list of favorite things can go on, at the moment I can't seem to think of more...so with that said, take what I've just said into consideration and appreciate life a little bit more.Also, while some of your favorite things can be enjoyed so much better with someone else, sometimes some things are just better enjoyed alone.
Be inspired and grateful
Monday, July 26, 2010
My Baby You: Lieben Kitty
As a parent, you have this child or infant who is new to everything. While they get use to this new world, they are learning 1 of the most important lessons of life and that is to trust. So here you have this baby who can't do anything for themselves so they have to trust that you will do everything for them to keep them healthy ( of course many would argue babies don't know that, but i believe deep down in their tiny hearts, they know). So because they are still babies, they can't really communicate with you...you have ideas on what they want and what you think they are saying to you...but you still don't know. The great thing about it all though, is day in and day out, they are there, waiting for you, there to see you every moment of the day...and regardless of how crappy your day went or even how crazy they make you....you can't help but smile when you see them. Then your baby gets older and here they are, making friends with mischief and getting into everything. As a loving parent the most common phrase they will hear you say ( outside of "I love you") is "NO!!!". At some point they understand no, but still do it anyway....just because. But what you don't realize until you feel it is YOU LOVE THEM! You love them soo much that when they are hurt or cry and they can't tell you why, you are amazingly miserable for the fact you can only do so much to help. You love them soo much that you would walk to the other side of the world on glass barefooted just to get them or help them. That they could both physically and emotionally hurt you, but you still cant stop loving them. Now I don't know if this is parental love, but IT IS TRUE LOVE.
This is dedicated to you my Lieben, because you make me laugh, because you look for me when I get home, because you wake me up just to feed you and because I know you love me and because I love you
This is also dedicated to my nephews ( Giovanni and Ivan) and my Aspira babies!