Great

I want to make a great speech. I want it to be moving and funny; inspiring but not preachy; and clever but still solemn. I want it to hit home. I want to convey so many things; I want to talk about struggle and triumph, life and love, and home and family. 

But all I can think of tonight is how I hate this oddly growing subculture that is developing all around me. I think we have become a generation of complainers. We glamorize pain and anger to the point where all we do is complain. We thrive on the attention; on the sympathy it brings. 

It is pathetic. Pathetic and stupid. Being happy is not due to circumstance; it is a conscious decision a person should make on a regular basis. 

There are times in our lives that will require great sadness and anger. A death of a loved one, a loss of a great human figure, a life-altering injury. But those things are, thankfully, very few and far between. We cast a shadow on the days that we have to be happy with passionate complaints over a mistaken drink order, a careless driver, or a trivial argument with a family member. We are choosing to miss out on the best days of our lives. We are choosing to ignore all we have because we would rather be angry or sad. We would rather the satisfying attention and sympathy gained from an idle complaint than to to truly enjoy the days we have here on this Earth.

We are wasting our lives. We are not so much letting each moment that could hold so much joy pass us by as we are forcing any joy we might feel out of hearts in order to find that one, small, faint shadow of a complaint that we can grab hold of and allow it to carry up through our day. A dreary, gloomy cloud we choose to be, because that is what will bring us the most attention.

Pathetic. Sad and unbelievably stupid. 

What great fools we have become.

[G Image search for Great}

Purple

Picked up my cap and gown today. Apparently purple is the color of jurisprudence. 

Who knew?

Lightning

May flowers are opening

And leaves unfolding free;

There are bees in every blossom

And birds on every tree.

The sun is gladly shining,

The stream sings merrily,

And I only am pining

And all is dark to me.

O cold, cold is my heart!

It will not, cannot rise;

It feels no sympathy 

With those refulgent skies.

Dead, deas is my joy,

I long to be at rest;

I wish the damp earth covered

This desolate breast.

If I were quite alone,

It might not be so drear,

When all hope was gone;

At least I could not fear.

But the glad eyes around me

Must weep as mine have done,

And I must see the same gloom

Eclipse their morning sun.

If heaven would rain on me

That future storm of care,

So their fond hearts were free

I'd be content to bear.

Alas! As lightning withers

The young and aged tree,

Both they and I shall fall beneath

The fate we cannot flee. 

{G Image search for Lightning}

Broken Wing

In dungeons dark I cannot sing,

In sorrow's thrall 'tis hard to smile:

What bird can soar with broken wing?

What heart can bleed and joy the while?

{G Image search for Broken Wing}

Emily Bronte

Now that law school is over (fingers crossed since grades aren't released until Friday), I have time to do some pleasure reading. I recently picked up a dusty collection of poetry from Emily Bronte that I have had on my shelf for months. 

I know her most famous work is Wuthering Heights, and I have actually never read it. Bad English major, I know. But I think her poetry is lovely, and very sadly overlooked by the majority of classic literature readers.

Some of my favorite passages:

Alas! as lightning withers 

The young and aged tree,

Both they and I shall fall beneath

The fate we cannot flee

---

The damp strands in the long, green grass

As thick as morning's tears;

And dreamy scents of fragrance pass

That breathe of other years.

---

They weep- you weep- it must be so;

Winds sigh as you are sighing;

And Winter pours its grief in snow

Where Autumn's leaves are lying.

Yet they revive, and from their fate

Your fate cannot be parted,

Then journey onward, not elate,

But never broken-hearted. 

{G Image search for Emily Bronte gave the image above}

Lemonade

I want to like lemonade more than I do. I wouldn't be able to drink tap water without the Crystal Light lemonade flavoring in it, so that's good. I just don't enjoy the taste so much. I'm not sure why. But drinking more water =  always good. I really need to stay hydrated. I don't drink nearly enough water. It's gotten to the point where my hands hurt in the shower because my palms become so dry. Sad, I know.

I need to do more of the Vaseline with gloves on routine, but it's so difficult to cover up any more of my body than absolutely necessary in this heat. Wearing gloves seems so stifling and puts a damper on my rest. Bleh. 

I like this picture though. Suitable for the way the weather has been lately. Bright and cheery. Too hot, but cheery.

{G Image search for Lemonade gave the above result}

Kelly Clarkson

Just got her new CD for the birthday. Not bad so far; need a few more listens before I can really make a solid comment on it. Doesn't seem like it has a solid ballad on it though, which I really miss. I love her ballads.

I really like this picure of her. She has gained crazy weight lately, poor thing. But she still rocks it.

{G Image Search for Kelly Clarkson, obvs}