America's Divide

Frankly, I do not know all the ins and outs of the political system, nor do I claim to know everything about our country; however, I do have my own beliefs and I do believe everyone is entitled to his own opinion. With that being said, then please let me continue. You may call this a rant or you may call this an explanation, but I do not know what this is. I simply choose to share my views about this sensitive topic.

When the dominating political parties first formed, the foundation of our country began its dreadfully slow collapse. Even though other factors brought about its failure, the people are at fault for dividing the country between political parties. When one refers to the term “liberal” the first thought to many minds is “Democrat.” What if it was not like that? What if we each believed in our own opinions and we each developed our own ways of living based on what we learned about the world, rather than hearing our elders disgrace Republicans or Democrats? What if we each actually based our opinions on our own experiences – good and bad?

Before I get into an argument with someone (which happens more than I like), I ask myself, “Is this person backing himself up with facts or does it sound like he is trying to defend his stance by the use of political reinforcements?” If it happens to be the latter, then I back away from the argument because political parties caused America’s divide and they break apart friendships and families. Countless times I hear statements such as “Well, these Democrats want everything handed to them” and “These Republicans are too hard-headed to change.” At what point in America’s history did we resort to bullying another based on his political party? Let’s compare it to another touchy subject I enjoy discussing – religion. A Democrat disgracing a Republican can compare to a Buddhist disgracing a Christian, or vice-versa. We grow up in different environments and we experience different changes; therefore, we have different beliefs and this explains why each human is a unique individual.

As hard to believe as this may seem, even though I have strong views about different aspects in the world, I do not agree with putting down another human being because he chooses to believe in a certain religion or because he chooses to join a specific political party. I do believe in a variety of emotions about worldly topics and I do believe in a variety of opinions, as well as beliefs. We do not need to conform to society’s idea of “perfect” or to the opinions of others. Instead, we need to form our own lives based on our own experiences for our own futures, regardless of what others deem important.

We Live in Two Worlds

Two views of the world exist.

View number one.

The world is full of possibilities and, to the untrained eye, it houses secrets even we cannot unfold. In reality, people achieve greatness every day. When alarms awaken souls every morning, those souls choose to wake up. Rather than remain in bed for the day, they choose to use each day and drain it of its possibilities because they want to rise above their colleagues and peers so they achieve success. Each day grants people new dreams, adventures and hopes for their futures. Smiles cover their faces and their skies are crystal-clear even on dreary, snow-covered days because they adore life and its opportunities. Aside from what life gives them, their families and friends give them the laughter they need on days filled with stress, and love when life does not hand them the lemons they need. 

View number two.

Sometimes, life gets too hard. Waking up becomes the largest struggle of the day ­ – until passing through each day comes along. People blend together and overcasts flood their surroundings. Rather than rejoicing for the first day back to classes, they dread pacing themselves through the bland hallways so they don’t have to quietly sit in the back of the first class long enough for the steady hum of the lights to drive them completely insane. Sleep becomes their sanctuary and hope is long-gone. Futures erase and dreams are replaced. Heads fill with ideas of death and ceasing the inflicting pain of living another day. All the while, their peers whisper about the oddity of their quiet demeanors.

A world filled with happiness and love is the same world covered in blackness and neglect. Take these two halves of the world and make it one.

Our Roots Pave the Paths for Our Futures

Have you ever thought about who you are today and what made you become this way?

I have a theory. Even though we all say we go through our own lessons, trials, and errors, there are still those vital years of our lives when we lived solely by the means of our parents. We learned to speak from the words they used; we learned to read from the books they read. If we grew up fishing at a local lake, then most likely that enjoyment is still within our bodies somewhere. When they did something, we seemed to follow.

In all honesty, it’s crazy to think about how closely and how immensely our traits and passions are related to our roots. For example: I remember crawling out of bed after one of my parents finished reading a book to me and looking at the pages by the light of the space under the door so I could teach myself how to read. I cannot tell you how old I was or which books I chose to read by the light of the door, but I can tell you the rush of excitement I felt as I played back the scenes from each page back in my mind. To this day, reading is a huge part of my life.

Aside from what my life is about, think about what is most important to you in your life. Don’t automatically think about family members or close friends, but rather about what you do for yourself. When you feel happy, do you like to dance around your room? Or when your sad, do you paint a picture of the rush of emotions you feel? I challenge you to think about one more thing: When was the first moment you realized your passion? My loves for reading and writing were evident throughout my childhood and began at a young age; I can’t even remember the first moment I picked up a book or the moment I wrote my first short story. What I can tell you is the moment I realized I wanted to write for the rest of my life: The moment I stepped into my seventh grade creative writing class. It was as if I found my place and I felt like I belonged to a secret society. Warmth flooded me and that class was the sole purpose I realized my passion for writing. Had it not been for that class and my parents reading to me when I was little, there is a great possibility I would not be here, sharing my blog and thoughts with you.

Now, back to our roots. We all have those family members who bless us with words of encouragement and we have those family members who share stories with us, which leave our mouths hanging open from surprise. We all also have those members from our hometowns, schools, organizations, churches, or sports who became mentors for guiding us down the paths we chose to take. Those are the people who stay in our lives and our hearts, and those are the people we should wake up thanking every day for showing us the paths toward our true callings in our lives.

A Look into the Things I Love

Welcome to the mind of Lauren.

The peaceful feeling after reading a really good book; taking the long way to and from classes so I can think; late nights for writing, reading, and listening to music; thinking about my future; seeing family and friends when I go home on breaks; the look on Charlie’s face when I walk through the door; anything with caffeine after a really rough day; learning; accomplishing anything; summer walks on the beach in Gulf Shores, Alabama; crab hunting on the beach at night; writing; literature; finalizing my decision in eighth grade to write; British and French culture; looking at other perspectives; wanderlust; coffee shops; the smell of coffee; helping others; the warmth hot chocolate brings; the music with which my parents raised me; sweaters and cardigans; scarves; boots; breakfast for dinner; laughing; Wednesday lunches with family; comparing junior high journal entries to who I have become; driving with the windows down; when movie quotes match moments in life; weekend nighttime storms; consolation hugs; Christmastime with cousins I never see; the adrenaline scary movies bring; holiday cheer; New York City; trips to Tennessee; Ball State homecoming; trips to Jacobs’ Orchard; long talks about views on the world; waves from passersby; looking through photo albums; the idea of living in a romantic comedy; special effects in movies; documentaries; the moment I was told I won the D.A.R.E. essay contest in fifth grade; watching the tears from my family’s faces when I read my essay at the honor day program; bonding with my floor mates; going to the library; listening to classical music when I write, do homework, and read; chivalry (John Cusack-style); aqua; periwinkle; going to St. George Island every weekend with my mom the summer before my freshman year of high school; trips to Kentucky; the smell and appearance of old books; book sales; thinking about how everyone is connected; movie nights with friends; bonfires; hammocks; paddle boats; the colors of fall leaves; watching people I grew up with succeed; drives with my cousin after practice; Saturday morning runs to Jack’s Donuts; game nights with family; daisies; highlighting passages; peach ice cream because it reminds me of Grandma Coffee; walking Charlie around our neighborhood; looking through old yearbooks; figuring out my future; crafting; worn-looking furniture; beach weddings; brisk fall air and its colored leaves; the way the sun shines on glass to create a rainbow effect; nighttime creativity.

I’ll never be content with this list because I love life and all its aspects, but this was an inside-look of the mind of Lauren.

It's the Little Things

1. Waking up to a sunny morning.

2. Opening a well-stocked refrigerator.

3. Receiving a high score on a project or paper.

4. Pay Day.

5. The cold side of the pillow.

6. Smiles on your family’s faces.

7. Smiles on your friends’ faces.

8. Running in to old teachers.

9. Watching the people you grew up with succeeding in life.

10. Reaching an exciting part in a book.

11. Looking through assignments from your junior high and elementary years.

12. Acting like a complete fool with your friends.

13. Watching an artist set foot on the stage at a concert.

14. Coming home to an ecstatic puppy.

15. Smelling popcorn at the movie theater.

16. The warmth of clothes after they leave the dryer.

17. Going to your favorite store and finding a store-wide sale.

18. Going to movies on the nights they premiere.

19. Flying with a window-side seat.

20. Stepping foot on the beach.

21. Freshly-baked brownies and cookies.

22. When strangers hold doors open for you.

23. Greetings from passersby.

24. A fountain drink after going without soda for an extensive period of time.

25. When a song from your childhood comes on the radio.

26. Staring into a bonfire . . .

27. . . . and the smell of a bonfire.

28. Driving with the windows down.

29. Going to the dentist and leaving with a positive report.

30. Finishing homework early enough for a movie night.

31. Leafing through old books – you know the smell.

32. Finding antiques at a rummage sale.

33. Going to the library.

34. Looking through old family albums.

35. Looking at a city from up above.

36. Christmas lights.

37. Christmas morning.

38. Dropping your phone and not cracking the screen.

39. The appearance of fresh fallen snow.

40. Finding DIY projects on Pinterest.

41. Actually completing a DIY project on Pinterest.

42. Getting new school supplies.

43. The smell of candles.

44. Sitting under a shady tree.

45. People-watching.

46. Breakfast for dinner.

47. Watching scary movies at night.

48. Receiving your high school diploma.

49. The smell of coffee.

50. The feeling after writing something with which you are proud.