Everyday Adventures

The initial wave descends upon you. It can come at you in one of two waves. The first is a light pounding headache which increases, not only in pain, but in pressure and force. This builds until it cuts out your ability of to see. Your sight becomes impaired and you can only see the blurred outline of images around. Spots literally come in and out of focus. Any light around burns into the corners of your eyes and physically causes pain. A spiderweb of nerves begins constricting near the back of your eyelids, your mind slowly tightening with every passing moment. You can't do anything but pray that it will go away. That it will go away. Anxiety begins building. Second wave comes. The anxiety builds and the fear of not being able to have control over yourself ensues. The dry paranoia of fear creeps into your soul like shadows descending into the night. No control. The shadows surges into your left arm and down into your hands. It is tingly as though your limbs are asleep; but it...

There is a gentle dripping outside that is waking the activity outside. A grumpy old lady passes by with a red rimmed umbrella, a sour scowl crossed her face and she continues to move down the street. "Blue Skies nothing but Blue Skies...Blue Skies coming my way." Yet, the dreary grayness of the day is skewed by the hustle and bustle of activity on the street. Walk, Va-room, stop, go. The melody of the corner is alive with activity.

Sitting on the very top of the corner shelf was a tiny cherry red ball. The red ball shined in the glimmering overhead lighting that beat down upon the hustle-bustle of unsuspecting customers. Almost taunting me in the way which it complacently sat  not moving, I stretched out to grasp the tiny product. The ball was about 4 inches in diameter, with what appeared to be a latex type coating encompassed around the rubber like framework. The redness color of the ball was similar to the color of the wagon my younger brother used to pull his toys around with when we were young. Shining slightly when tilting your head from one way to another, one could almost feel the joy foreboding upon its touch. Arm extended, fingers unraveled from a fist tight grip I stretched out to seize the toy. Inhaling slightly, my height deceives me. A couple inches short of obtaining said red bobble, my anxiety over the possible loss quickens slightly and the necessity of owning becomes essential. Unconsciously...

There was a time when I thought that I would never try changing someone and just let them be as they are in this world. Unfortunately, I have blindsided myself into thinking that I would do anything but try to change others. Constantly comparing and judging from afar is not only what I do but what has become a hobby- to pick out the different flaws and faults of strangers, dissecting them into categories where I place them predetermined. It is more of something that is about me then what seems to be wrong or at fault with others. Self esteem issues clouded by prejudice and the thought that life is going to happen. Life does not just happen. People have the exact life that they want....if not, they why not do something about it? Watching students trying to let osmosis take hold of their Sunday, as they push back cups of caffeine, they are concentrating on the tomorrow of tests, papers, and the ever approaching mid semester where their very existence begins to come into perspective. A ...

My windows are rolled down, strong music with a happenin' beat come streaming over my dashboard. The blur of burning red streak over the dark blue sky as the horizon meets the earths crust. Beauty never really seen inside the city streets blares brightly across the open plain. A deep warmth spreads over me, fulfilled in the moment. Bright headlights. Quick over correction steering. Heart drops. Screaming. Darkness. Confused I reach up to where Adam had been sitting in the drivers seat. The car is turned on end in some sort of road ditch. The radio is still on playing an old Elvis song. I can't see Adam anywhere and I continue yelling out his name. He never did wear his seat belt and my immediate reaction was to make sure he was still in the car. Knowing now that he is not in the car only makes the throbbing in my head be fully felt. I try to move out of my seat to search for him but I my leg is caught in the twisted metal of the door handle. "Adam....babe. Adam.....babe ar...

I am that openly neurotic friend who always needs to make everyone happy. I am coming up to a point in my life to where I have to stop thinking about making others happy with my decisions but making the choices that will lead to happiness in life. My boyfriend plays a huge role in all of this planning....and that is the funny thing, he doesn't really plan. He is wonderfully kind and open to new ideas while at the same time is very focused and brave. He constantly reminds me of the 13 year old boy I had a crush on who would climb to the top of a building just to say that he could. That is Jon almost twenty years later, a dreamer who dares to push the limits. Up to new explorations with a Camera in one hand and his laptop in the other. I micro manage situations down to the point where I am utterly nauseous and don't know what to do besides become anxious and stressed. Where does this need to place everything into a box come from? I am about to embark on a very telling time in my ...

The unemployment rate is up to 12.3% in the State of California alone right now. (California: Department of Development Employment) Those of us who have jobs are thankful to be in and have whatever job it is and others of us who have been laid off, fired, or just plain can't get employed are having a tough time finding a job. Especially if they are looking for a job that: is in their field of interest, pays well, (some form of health insurance), near their residence and has a competent set of people in management...overall it seems pretty impossible. Over a year ago I was watching the Jay Leno show and the guest star of the evening was the Vice Presidential nominee Joe Biden. What drove more of America to wake up and pay attention more to the presidential campaigns was that people were more concerned with how they were going to put food on the table due to unemployment and raising a family with no health insurance, no savings, and no way of receiving some sort of relief from the an...

Sitting outside of a coffee shop in Berkeley, Ca I overheard two girls having trying to figure out their latest dilemma."I am trying to not spend money....I have been out to eat I think almost every day this week. I think I will just have dinner tonight at home. What are you going to make for dinner tonight?" My mother would have an entire weeks worth of dinners planned out and go out shopping either midday on Sundays or mid morning Monday to purchase groceries for the rest of the week. She would tote along my sisters and I through the weaving aisles of the over abundance of food, keeping an eagle eye on my younger sister who always seemed to get lost. Each of us climbing over the cart we would suddenly dart of to find some new bright tasty looking box of food we just had to have. My mother on the other hand had different plans most of the time. First stop was always produce and veggies (My mom has always had an insatiable love of most fruits, especially peaches and plums rig...

Sunday morning, sleeping in late with no obligations, worries or cares. My hand stretches out to lift the drapes having the sunshine peak into my bedroom and bring in the day. I recoil slightly and sink deeper into my sheets. Normally, my phone sounds the alarm and automatically I jump into the shower and race out the front door. My sheets are wrapped around me, so warm and soft- why can't it be a dark and dreary day. Never can I lay in bed on one of those bright blue mornings- I always feel guilty for wasting such beautiful weather and my inner clock won't let me go back to sleep with the sun shinning. After a few minutes of contemplation, I stretched out again for my phone and began getting ready for the day. Checking to make sure I haven't missed any calls, I playfully rock my boyfriend awake. Lazily he groans and stretches signaling his acknowledgment that he is being summoned awake. Finally after two or three more tries he is meekly roused and on his feet strapping on...

"Greater opportunities incur greater risk " which means that the days of cheap and effective oil is up. This speech this evening by the President of the United States was stirring, moving, and motivating that the time to embrace clean energy in now. BP is being held completely responsible for the compensatory damage costs to the surrounding areas that are being affected by the oil spill. (Though is seems as though this is more of a environmental catastrophe that is only going to get worse as the hurricane season draws nearer.) The entire development of the surge of oil in the Gulf is just astounding and those of us who are not part of the affected areas are dumbfounded at the toll that is being waged right off the coast of the Gulf. I understand the necessity of talking about the fisherman blessing but the President lost a lot of listeners during the ending. The devastation is incomprehensible and yet in order for us to overcome this disaster we must join together and act. B...

Photography is the capture of a moment in a refractive lens that burns the image on a disc/ memory card/ carbon film. It is the art or process of producing images of objects on photosensitive surfaces. Photography today is everywhere in the world carried around by explorers and tourist to the happy-go-lucky teenager who takes pictures of themselves to post on Facebook. It is a medium to be "artistic" or merely to capture a moment without having to put it into words. Photography can free and light hearten or an eye opening door unto the realities of the world that we live. Just as picking up a pencil and writing out a novel or brushstrokes across a canvas is a way to express yourself, a camera can also be that tool to construct your next masterpiece. So whether you are feeling creative or just want to remember what expression your son had when he took his first step across the back patio, go out- grab your camera and start shooting.

I leaned over to my co-worker and let him know that I was a curious and noisy person. "Is Shelia a curious person?" I logged in remotely in order to work alongside Richard and was conveniently commandeering Shelia's desktop as she was out of the office today. Shelia had been with the firm for only a few weeks. A quite and slightly reserved person in a high powered, male, testoster-roni type of profession, she seemed like a confidant. "Not quite sure, I don't really talk to her that much." His desk is less than a foot away alongside. "What! You don't really talk to her? She is practically another appendage and you don't talk to her? Where is she today? What is her life's ambition? Where is she from? Does she have brother's and sisters? At least give the poor woman some polite conversation." A blank stare glances back at me. "Do you ever just sit still?"

Introduction: Out into the world I come with my head held high and full of aspiration and sense of accomplishment. My foot sticks into the sidewalk and I fall flat on my face. No warning...just splat on the concrete. Laughing at my own inability to judge my own surroundings, as though I am a 7 year old who just skinned their knee, I gather myself together and continue to trudge the rest of the way to a nearby coffee shop. (Yes, this happens quite often that I fall down for no apparent reason.) Sitting down I look around fervently for the nearest outlet to "plug into life" and order a beverage, so as not to appear ungrateful for the space and utilities. Positioning myself with a quick sigh, I begin my own reflection on how we live, laugh, and love.