Forever Young: James Dean

Forever Young: James Dean

                            This story is about a boy, a shy farm boy born and raised in Marion, Indiana. His legend would be destined to transcend his brief yet wild and adventurous life, always living life on the edge of danger... a hopeless American rebel! He would forever be regarded as the epitome of cool, an image shrouded by the endless doses of glamour and fame that life should shower upon him... the icon of America's idealistic "cool".

His image became one that all the girls would swoon over and that every boys should strive to imitate. He would be later labelled as as the cultural icon of teenager disillusionment... a relic of one of his most iconic roles, "Rebel Without a Cause".



He would remain steadily held in Hollywood as the idealistic lost boy, a depiction that all teen boys could relate to and that all teen girls dreamed of rescuing! He, he was soft spoken, drooping brows, sparkling blue eyes with a stare, a stare etched heavily with the desolate glare of a lost boy. The stereotypical American boy that had been faced in the midst of his rough teen years. That's exactly what he symbolized to all who sat in their suave cherry red or minty blue convertibles with white-walled tires, rows of which parked in front of a giant sheet with the actor's painted over it... "You're tearing me apart!" the emotion tied up into that famous line, a great majority of the audience far from able to avoid a sense of relativity to this.

We've all felt that way at least once, faced with the toughness of our teenage years, that is! And it was as if he'd been saying exactly what we've all at one time felt, a look of hopelessness lining his face. Perhaps that's what tattooed his memory into the hearts of all who've ever beheld him, his desperate face swathed over the silver screen... perhaps, the sole derivative of his charm residing merely in the depths of his understandable sense of vulnerability. 

Whatever the cause for his stamina, his endless charisma as well as his surplus of "cool"... there's no denying the many shattered hearts that his tragic death left behind this very day exactly back in 1955. 

And although his life may have been cut seemingly far too short, his legend shall remain forever, a mirror of that timid and scared teenage boy, embedded deeply into the hearts of many! So, as we bid farewell to James Dean... we shall forever cherish his legend, the memory he left behind in his few yet sensational films. We shall also repeat his notable quote "Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die tomorrow" and hold it dear in our hearts forever! R.I.P. James Dean! You'll remain forever stored in the hearts of all who've ever seen your pictures!

~ Erin <3

Just Cruise!

Just Cruise!

How do you drive when you have no map, no sense of direction to guide you? A mind all clouded in hazy fogs, doused in an ocean of untamed thoughts. Each one laced with careless whimsies, aching aspirations for the future... no sense of logic to yield it. And yet, I keep on driving. I drive into the sunset, the cobalt skies now doused in vibrant hues of mango and coral, both bleeding into one another like watercolors. I begin to shutter at the realization that nightfall will be coming shortly. I'll admit that, with nightfall, I become somewhat terrified. I dread it when the skies begin to grow inescapably grim! 

It seems as if an ebony veil begins to shroud itself over the city, the only sites visible along the way, the tall neon lit signs that are typically plastered over tired peach adobe-like motels.

At times, it seems as if I'm the only driver, my car the only wheels to journey the empty and winding roads, their surface weathered and faded. Sometimes, its almost as if there's no other sign of life present for at least 5 miles away! But then, standing at the edge of the road, you discover some lost soul clamoring to ride along with you. You don't refuse them... how could you? Their presence would compensate for all of the loneliness, the hopeless desolation that seems to swathe itself over the vacant road that you, a lone driver have been traveling. But then... and most unfortunately, their true colors are short in surfacing. And with a blink of an eye, you find yourself beholding in a tragedy-etched daze, as the silhouette of the same exact person you'd hoped would be yours forever becomes gradually submerged into the blazing salmon pink sunset.

Oh, well... perhaps its better that he left, you never did like the way he used to whistle, not to mention his countless other collection of bad habits! But then, his company was so wonderful... almost as warm as a fresh batch of smooth hot chocolate laced with ruffles of whipped cream. That's what it was... sweet and warm! And you miss that... how you miss that!

But then its time to let go, time to take full flight on your own, so you rev up the engine and drive... just drive, drive until the sun begins to ascend back into the sky. You'll probably miss him forever... but, you haven't any time for spells of sentiment... its time to move on. 

You must keep on going if you ever want to reach the finish line! And along the way, who knows... you may just find another someone to lift that shadow of the frigid night, someone to take the wheel for you when your weary. So, drive... drive and follow the road that God has arranged for you. But be sure that you never drive too fast! You ought not forget to gaze upon the exquisite scenery around you... it becomes dispersed far too quickly! So, savor it... savor that open road, don't drive too fast and don't drive too slow either! Driving too slow or caught up in the days of your past... you'll soon find yourself abandoned at the beginnings of an unfinished race ahead. So... just cruise! 

xoxo Have a fabulous night! xoxo 

~Erin

Don't Cry Because it's Over

Don't Cry Because it's Over

    I once became enticed by the seemingly endless promises of a hopeless dream, a chimera that perhaps one day my life would transform itself into a glittering fairy-tale. 

It's hard to shake a dream like that! A fantasy that had at one time held so much promise, an affirmation of ecstasy for my future! I clasped this trance and held onto it with a white-knuckled grip! Yet, caught in the hub of reality, I began to watch as this dream shattered into millions of pieces, each asymmetrical fragment glimmering with every sublime promise that had at one time resided within it. A raging storm had swooped in and destroyed it all, very like a viscous catapult... that storm had been called "reality".

          

         I sat back and watched as these countless dreams began to suffocate! Ah! And how they suffocated... dispersing as well with the very heart of all of my wildest fantasies and aspirations. They all diminished, diminished into a rich velvety night sky! A sky of which all color had been stolen, no diamond-like stars to adorn it... my future seemed to have become nothing but a haven of ruins. 

             But, had it really? Just what were all of these dashed hopes that I had once possessed? Would they even have made me happy? Perhaps, it had all been a false illusion, a blurred perspective of life that I had supposedly had "nothing", when in reality I may have had everything all along. Maybe the fairy-tales ought to be blamed for this false illusion of poverty. I'd become too consumed in a blazing desire for that prince charming that would come and save me.

I suppose it was with this foolish distraction, however, that I'd lose sight of the prince charming standing before me. A poor and simple guy, the happiness he'd brought to me relevant to a hilltop of emeralds and rubies that any prince could have to offer!

            
 Do you think that maybe, just maybe... I never really realized that I was already in the midst of a blossoming fairy-tale? Perhaps I'd become too tangled up in the web of my brilliant desires for the gilded glamour that this life may have to offer. Perhaps, I was too busy longing for that Cinderella-story that all of us girl's begin to yearn for during the most premature years of our lives!

All ambitions credited solely to Brother's Grimm and all of those authors of hopeless whimsies. Blinded by these intense desires, I began to ignore the many blessings in life that I did have. You know, the ones that even the greatest sums of money can't buy?

                  I don't think I had ever been clearly aware of the true value of that dear, dear "prince charming". That dream guy of mine that I had, in fact, had already in my life! A prince charming disguised in rags, his greatest possessions residing in the center of his largest of hearts. Probably one of the most valuable things in life that I could ever be proud of having! Unfortunately, however... it takes the piercing screech of loneliness for one to finally grasp the irreplaceable worth of lost loves! 

And now that you're gone, I'm left behind  with the painful reality of your absence. Losing you was like being robbed of all of my joy and happiness. My smile is not the same without you, my darling, and waking up with the knowledge that you are no longer in my life... that's probably one of the hardest things I've ever had to endure!

But why, why did things have to come to this? Why did it take the turning point of my finding myself consumed in a realm of inescapable emptiness in order for me to finally grasp the value of how worthwhile a place you'd once held in my heart? 

It is very like being forced to suffer the blistering coldness of winter before finally realizing the value of those tangerine-skied summers you'd left behind!

                 In some ways, I wish I never met you... that way, I wouldn't have to hurt so bad as I am forced to face the pain of life plagued without you! But in another way, I can't help but thank the Heavens above for all of those precious moments spent with you. At least now, I'll have the memories we'd shared, bittersweet reminders of what once was to, in my latter years look back upon and cherish!

But then, at times, I can't deny that those memories can pierce rather mercilessly! Each and every single one acting as nothing more than a brutally painful reminder of that of which I had once had but lost. Sometimes I'd like to thrust every reminder of you like a sheet of glass onto a hardwood floor, watch it shatter, happy that I should never have to face those wicked reminders ever again! I know, however, that I'll never be able to forget you or let you go! And even if I did destroy all of the memories I have left of you, it'd only be a matter of seconds before I'd endeavor to paste them back together again.

But, now, the time has come for me to realize the facts, that the chapter with you in my life has reached its bitter end. The fact that, memories of you are the only souvenirs I have left of you. And although those precious moments with you may have ended seemingly far too prematurely, I know that I must now face your absence. 

             And, though it will require a lot of courage, I know I'll make it through it. Yes, I think that I've finally excepted the fact that although I'll miss you forever, I'll have to go on with my life. So, goodbye, my darling, and again... thank you for the memories! 

And here, I'll wait for the sun to come out again without you. I know that it'll never shine the same, but that's life... the chapter has ended. It'll be like tasting fragments of the sweetness that having you in my life had once brought, looking back on all of the memories we shared. 

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened"~ Dr. Suess

Have a beautiful night, Beauty Queens! xoxo

Aspirations of an American Girl

                          Aspirations of an American Girl

             Summer glazes the once faded blonde hilltops, the land has now become swathed in a vibrant shade of emerald, it's grass riddled with droplets from the morning dew. The girls run barefoot, soaring those vast acres of land... land that came into the possession of each and every single one of us, a story attached.

But, no... not just any story, rather a tale filled with countless acts of sacrifice... sacrifices that cost many their lives, left their families with incurable voids, ones never to be filled again, their emptiness far too deep to ever be compensated for. No, perhaps you may not find it to be a pretty story. Missiles sounding in the smoke stained skies, the broken bodies of wounded soldiers strewn about the blood-swathed pastures. The price won, however, as well as the dedication and love for our country that those late soldiers had so ardently possessed, make it, in a way... a beautiful story. A story filled with true love for both God and Country!

We honor these heroes, countless days of Memorial set in our calenders. Or do we rather forget, lost in dazes, the crisp smell of barbecued pork lingering in the air. As we eat our slices of apple pie, watch the sparkling blossoms of fireworks in the sky, do we truly find ourselves pondering, in depth that is, the cost of the freedoms that we now possess today? Do we ever backtrack to the acres encrusted with white crosses, all plated with the names of late soldiers whose lives were taken in a brutal battle for our freedom. 

All for you and me! We're free, and we take it for-granted. Especially those who were born and bred in America, we don't seem to bear a true sight of what life without freedom is truly like! We've never known a life filled with hunger, poverty, spells of seemingly hopeless anguishes all caused by a selfish government. We fail to realize just how many sacrifices required in one's quest in order to obtain such a priceless gift. It was with an ocean of bloodshed that we (now American citizens) have ever been able to maintain this beautiful land! Like a precious jewel, our men fought and defended our Country, they protected her, overflowing love and courage etched into the center of their youthful hearts. 

                          

                  Do we ever stop to think, to really fathom the countless deaths of men, many barely on the rising steps of adulthood... all for us, just so that we could score those lush green valleys, summer bliss the only occupant of our minds? All so that we could safely assume freedom as our own, never to fear the control of our enemy lands? Do we ever ponder the lives offered for our freedom... the lives that have kept our ruby striped flag fluttering high upon it's silvery pole? Or do we continue to lose sight of freedom's indescribable beauty? Perhaps, we all get lost in the rush of daily life, find ourselves complaining about insignificant things. But, why... why, did it have to come to this? I believe in the country that America used to be! There used to be a happiness which echoed vibrantly throughout the land, honor radiating from the hearts of all of America's citizens. Going back in time, during such tribulations as World War II and the Great Depression, I notice how we used to treat one another like a great big family. 

It seemed as though we truly cherished the fact that we were all American... that we all stood for the same cause. For the same country, one that we loved and truly cherished so ineffably! But now, now... people are rude and cold towards one another. All of the brotherly love that at one time beamed from a body of persons, all working together to keep in tact this beautiful Nation, seems to have dispersed. Nobody ever wakes up anymore, uttering a sigh of relief... grateful to have freedom, happy to just be able to call themselves... an American! Aware of the price paid for this freedom as well as all of the selfless acts of sacrifice involved. 

                                     

                So, let's stand together again, a strong body of people, all standing up nobly for one nation... one  nation, under God! What is there not to love about America anyway? She's a beautiful country!

So, maybe again, we'll have days when people's tolerance levels extend greater than extra long waits in line at Walmart or not having their Big Macs prepared the way they'd requested! Maybe someday, people will begin to see that there are far more important things in life to focus on! I pray that in days to come, our sacrifices will extend further than merely having to adjust the strength of our wi-fi, or getting cut-off by that shiny black sports car, a driver caught in the hustle and bustle of life on the highway! That we'll once again become the Americans that our forefathers used to be!

Men who fought in the heart of winter's coldest days, frostbit toes, and excruciating wounds, sailing down the icy rivers to meet our enemy fighters! That we'll again see the days when men are courteous, when men should again tip their hats to ladies on the streets, or open the doors for them. The days when children are once again respectful, not spoiled and lazy little tantrum throwers. When women are again dignified and classy, birdcage veils over their brows as well as dainty white gloves over their delicate hands. Maybe some day us Americans will go back to the days when people were able to slow down and just cherish the beauty of life, to savor the simple things... to celebrate the fact that we are free! To honor the lives offered for this valuable gift, the costly yet wonderful gift of our freedom!

So, in the midst of even your most leisurely days, never cease to take even a moment out of your day to be thankful and honor the lives offered for you, for your freedom and for your country! Pray for your country! Slow down and thank God for letting you be brought into this beautiful country. Sit on the front porch with your family on Sunday afternoons, put away your iPhone for awhile and visit, visit in the company of close family and friends. Savor some Coke and perhaps some apple pie? 

Watch the fireworks during the late hours of Independence day, think about how lucky you are to be an American. Thank God and our Soldiers for the beautiful land we are able to call our own. For the freedom obtained in the midst of severe bloodshed, countless lives lost! Realize that there are more important things in life than the minor struggles brought on from day to day life! Be proud to call yourself... an American! I am an American Girl... and I am proud! So, God Bless America!! xoxo

Will you be my Umbrella?

Will you be my Umbrella?

When it rains, why must it pour? A little sun-shower here and there would be nice! Yes, just a deluge of sparkling crystal droplets from a sunny sky, a sky vibrantly stained with a rich tangerine hue from the reflection of the sun's luminous rays! That would be pleasant and just the perfect amount to hydrate the heat-stricken pastures! Why can't we have more of those in life? Why do we instead find ourselves consumed in the midst of a capacious flood of raindrops, raindrops that drown the streets and force all to shield themselves from the ashen sky's wrath with umbrellas? 

 

When will it come? That promised ribbon of pastels, it's beauty lighting the premature sunlight which tends to follow a typical storm. And as if all that wetness, that plague of water showering from the dim clouds, the unbearable soak from all the rain provoked from the sorrowful black sky hadn't been enough... why must there have been all those roars of thunder, all those horrifying flashes of light as well? 

It's frightening... to think that the sun will never again shine! You'd think by now, after watching so many rain-showers drift back into sunny skies... that one would be able to dismiss the entire situation, hardly read into it all. That most level headed persons should immediately realize that... yes! the sun WILL indeed come out again, and that none should worry, that none should ever fear it's permanent absence! Why do we let the gloomy skies impress upon us the unethical illusion that the sky should never bounce back to it's original yellow-glazed and beaming state? 

We all need to realize and never forget that it doesn't matter how fierce, how hopeless the storm may become, that there isn't a doubt that again you shall behold brilliant cerulean skies, a fiery sphere in the midst of wispy white clouds... the warmth of the sun's fire-glossed stare beating against your skin! The storm WILL pass, and  then there'll be a rainbow... a rainbow woven with some of the most brilliant hues of lavender and cobalt! But the greatest thrill of all is yet to come! The thrill that there shall again be sunlight... a plethora of the sun's luminous rays, all shining with glee, rejoicing in the sun's long awaited return! The warmth emulated from it's golden finger tips acting as somewhat of an apology for it's seemingly eternal absence.

And even if the rainstorm should have yet to drift into night skies, skies all veiled in midnight blue, minute specks of light (the stars) radiating in the midst of the whispering glow of the late night's golden moon... the sun will indeed arrive, whether later than usual or not. My point? That although it's arrival may at times be seemingly late in coming, that you may have to first face the bitter loneliness of night, that the sun is indeed destined yet to shine once again.

                      But until that time comes, in the moments preceding the sun's return that is, you'll always have umbrellas to protect you from the overwhelming rainfall that life sometimes forces upon you! Umbrellas, in life are, in my opinion, those surrounding us, the close friends in our lives, all eager to shelter us from the furious showers of rainfall that plague those dim and seemingly hopeless phases in our lives. They symbolize those close friends who are always there for us, the ones present during even the most turbulent of storms. The ones who sustain us as we trudge through even the deepest bodies of water.

So, even when your lost in the tides of life's most excruciating phases of emotional rain and fog, there'll always be that one person out there to shield you from getting soaked, who'll promise you that there's still hope hidden beneath the storm's frigid and lifeless glare. So, cherish your friends, and always take there hand when they reach out for you... even during a hurricane, don't allow your psychological hurt encourage you to drift away from those who love you and yearn to be there for you through it all!

So, hold on tightly to the umbrellas God gives you in life. Never take them for-granted either, friends are the most resilient "umbrellas" of all. They could protect you from even the fiercest hurricane! Have a fabulous evening, Beauty Queens!! xoxo <3

~Erin