Got New pictures, btw, ya'll, so pay attention! Ok, moving on . . .


With a new year approaching us, we have the incredibly important opportunity to look back at 365 days of learning, experience, trials and errors. We have the opportunity to reflect on what transpired and to take the good and move on while leaving the bad behind us.

But is that the case? Can we simply just. . . move on? I'm referring to my own life here, because that's all I can do. Sure, I can analyze different people from different strokes for the different folks, but what good would that do to me? Overall, the general experiences of those that I meet, while intertwined with mine for that moment, might be purely existential in meaning: They are themselves and I am myself.

In light of this, I make it a point to leave a lasting impression on those that I may even only be in contact on an intermitten basis. So what do you all, who have come to know me, think of the person who has been presented to you so far? Happy, sad, emo, moody, angsty? All decriptive words for different facets of our lives, and it is possible that we may experience all these in only a matter of hours, which, in the conceivable span of our lives, are minimal details.

I have come to find that it is the overall experience that we pull from that makes us who we are. Looking back on the year, I've made numerous mistakes, but I have also uncovered many treasures. Whether these treasures are the people I have met, or the things I have learned, or lessons I have received, I take these positives, add my own previous experiences to them, and I outweight the bad.

I have known someone since 5th grade, and she was my first love in the 7th grade. Quite unfortunately, I believe she is quite oblivious to this. In hindsight, I suppose that is for the best, and I'll explain why. I was young, I was foolish. In the 7th grade, in light of many things, my hormones were raging out of control. I vividly remember this and many things, and I regret a lot of them, but thankfully, those infractions have been forgiven. . .

This person, we'll call her Lisa, was of the Asian Persuasion. Perhaps this is where my affinity for the asian females stems from, regardless, I loved this girl. I thought about her constantly when I was around and when I wasn't around her. I assumed things without knowing, and due to this, when the reality hit me, it hit me hard.

I am thankful to say that I am a recovering Unrequiter (look it up), and I learned from the mistakes I made. The summer of sophmore year in HS, the time period after I met her and failed horribly, was at times the darkest summer ever. It's always darkest before it goes pitch black, heh, but thankfully, due to the nature of things, we have required the sun to fuel life on this planet for 5 Billion years, and as seen during the blackout of 04, the sun arose the next day, and things were brighter than ever.

I learned from what I did wrong, I kept my mistakes in a corner of my heart, the foundation of things I do. Perhaps I am not really over Lisa, perhaps Lisa will always be in my thoughts. I'm thankful that I've met the people I have this year, and I am thankful for the things I've done, learned from and experienced, whether good or bad.

This is the root of my confidence- the unrivaled ability of my own self-will to constantly take what positive influences, ideals, lessons and thoughts that were exposed to me, and to formulate my own way of perceiving things. The way I am is so different from who I was. . . And I have no intention of retrograding back to that.

The fact is, at the end of the year, I am still here able to reflect, and that is the greatest gift of all, to be able to look back and understand all that was the foundation for the pedestal you are on today.