Hello again!
I know I just posted a couple days ago, but it's better to have multiple posts instead of too few, right?
I have some good news for you all. I know I alluded to this in my last post, but I can actually confirm that I am preparing to take the Louisiana notary exam on December 2. I'm really excited about this journey. I am a big advocate for continuing education and enhancing skills. This, however, may be my biggest challenge to date. Now yes, I am taking an online class to prepare, but that doesn't mean this process won't be difficult. Yesterday was day one and already I'm mind blown. But I am set on doing this and I have a strong desire to succeed. I've only been out of school for a little over a year and goodness, how quickly I have forgotten about the daily routine I established. It's going to be quite an adjustment because the live stream of the class is on Tuesdays from 6-9 p.m. I don't have to watch it live, but I believe that will give me the classroom experience I'm used to and will help me stay focused and on task.
Before working at the law firm, I never gave becoming a notary a thought. But seeing the other attorneys with the notarial power drew me to the profession. I truly believe this is something that will be beneficial not only to me, but for my future, my career, and I want to be even more of an asset to my job. I want my work to stand out and remind my employer of why he hired me.
As the journey progresses, I'll be sure to keep you all in the loop. I'm learning about the process as I go along as well. Wish me luck!!
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Monday, August 21, 2017
Two years later
Type, type, type.
Delete everything.
Type, type, type.
Delete everything again.
So much to tell.
But it's easier to quit.
Writers don't quit.
I'm not a quitter.
I may be the world's greatest procrastinator, but I am NOT a quitter.
There have been major milestones and revelations for me in the past two years.
I've done more in the past two years than I could have ever imagined.
So instead of making excuses or feeling bad for not doing what I said I was going to do, I'm just going to do it.
Since July 2015, I did more than I ever thought was possible for me to accomplish. These things may be simple to most people, but for me, these things were dreams made a reality.
I became president of my school's Literary Club. Knowing someone had so much faith in me and my abilities made me feel competent. People believed in me. I had a vision. And with support from students and faculty, I accomplished my goals.
I once again became the student editor of my school's student newspaper. I took a different approach this go around. I had the opportunity to pay students for the top stories and photographs they submitted. Instead of a four-page typical newspaper, because of the several contributions I received, I was able to extend the year's edition to five pages. A first. The first of many firsts I intended to accomplish my senior year.
I wrote a thirty page creative thesis. A fiction story, specifically. I had the option to write a critical or creative thesis, but I chose the latter. I could have written nonfiction, which would have been second nature for me. But the whole point of the experience was to challenge myself as a writer. And what better way to do so than by choosing the genre that was the most difficult for me? In December 2016, I successfully defended my thesis. People attended. They wanted to hear what I had to say. My written words became permeated in my school's history.
I applied for several internships at local television news stations, local newspapers, and anywhere I thought would be useful since I planned on concentrating in the journalism field. Hell, I was the student newspaper editor for a year and a half already at this point. I wanted to be in the news field. I wanted to write stories that people would want to read about and want to see on television. I wanted to make a difference. But that proved to be more difficult than I possibly imagined. I was turned down for all but one. I heard one reason or another. No positions available. Not qualified. Or--even better--no response at all. But ultimately our local Raycom station accepted me into its program. Boy, was I in for a surprise. News reporters and anchors do an excellent job of making their jobs look effortless and glamorous. What viewers don't see are the long hours and tireless efforts of producers and reporters. I have a whole different level of respect for these hard workers. The main thing I learned? The journalism field is not for me. If I was a single twenty-something who didn't have a family and so much at risk, I would have pursued that field because I did love it and felt that I had something to give to the profession. But I couldn't give that field the dedication it needs and deserves.
Which brings me to May 2016. The culmination of six academic years came to an end. In the span of one weekend, I was no longer a student; I was a college graduate. The afternoon before graduation, I received the University Service Award and the Outstanding Student in English Award. What honors! It was more proof that I busted my ass during my college years to finish. I proved it to myself that I did it. And on May 15, 2016, I heard the words I'd longed to hear: "Alane Katherine Templet, Bachelor of Arts, English."
Next step: what to do with this glorious piece of paper I earned...?
This is what the job hunting process was like (summed up, of course) for me.
Update resume.
Proofread resume.
Pray I don't sound like a dumbass.
Search endlessly in the classified ads for jobs.
Apply for damn near everything.
Hope someone has mercy on me.
Go on several interviews.
Pray I don't sound like a dumbass again.
Bomb all but one.
Receive offer.
ACCEPT THE BEST OPPORTUNITY THAT COULD HAVE EVER CAME MY WAY.
But this meant leaving behind the job I held for almost ten years...leaving co-workers that became family...leaving everything that was familiar and safe for me...and going into a field that I knew absolutely nothing about.
I almost didn't take the new job. Working in the New Orleans business district was like entering a whole different world from Belle Chasse. Regardless, I swallowed my fears, took the job, breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Which brings me to where I am today. One year later, I couldn't be happier working at a law firm. I have learned more in the short year I have worked at the firm than I've learned at any job. You can't teach people how to handle telephone conversations. Or what to do when an attorney calls your office screaming because something didn't go right. Only experience can teach that. And that's something I'm gaining each and every day.
When I graduated high school in 2003 (wow, so long ago, right?), I wrote a note in my senior book in the "Ten Years Later" section. The section gave seniors a chance to predict where they would be in ten years. Career-wise, I wrote "legal secretary/paralegal." It might have taken me thirteen years instead of ten, but I was spot on.
I've been given more opportunities in this past year than in the past ten years. I've been in predicaments that forced me to test my short term memory in ways it has never been tested before (that part I need lots of improvement).
Tomorrow I begin classes to prepare for the Louisiana notary examination in December. Wish me luck.
Delete everything.
Type, type, type.
Delete everything again.
So much to tell.
But it's easier to quit.
Writers don't quit.
I'm not a quitter.
I may be the world's greatest procrastinator, but I am NOT a quitter.
There have been major milestones and revelations for me in the past two years.
I've done more in the past two years than I could have ever imagined.
So instead of making excuses or feeling bad for not doing what I said I was going to do, I'm just going to do it.
Since July 2015, I did more than I ever thought was possible for me to accomplish. These things may be simple to most people, but for me, these things were dreams made a reality.
I became president of my school's Literary Club. Knowing someone had so much faith in me and my abilities made me feel competent. People believed in me. I had a vision. And with support from students and faculty, I accomplished my goals.
I once again became the student editor of my school's student newspaper. I took a different approach this go around. I had the opportunity to pay students for the top stories and photographs they submitted. Instead of a four-page typical newspaper, because of the several contributions I received, I was able to extend the year's edition to five pages. A first. The first of many firsts I intended to accomplish my senior year.
I wrote a thirty page creative thesis. A fiction story, specifically. I had the option to write a critical or creative thesis, but I chose the latter. I could have written nonfiction, which would have been second nature for me. But the whole point of the experience was to challenge myself as a writer. And what better way to do so than by choosing the genre that was the most difficult for me? In December 2016, I successfully defended my thesis. People attended. They wanted to hear what I had to say. My written words became permeated in my school's history.
I applied for several internships at local television news stations, local newspapers, and anywhere I thought would be useful since I planned on concentrating in the journalism field. Hell, I was the student newspaper editor for a year and a half already at this point. I wanted to be in the news field. I wanted to write stories that people would want to read about and want to see on television. I wanted to make a difference. But that proved to be more difficult than I possibly imagined. I was turned down for all but one. I heard one reason or another. No positions available. Not qualified. Or--even better--no response at all. But ultimately our local Raycom station accepted me into its program. Boy, was I in for a surprise. News reporters and anchors do an excellent job of making their jobs look effortless and glamorous. What viewers don't see are the long hours and tireless efforts of producers and reporters. I have a whole different level of respect for these hard workers. The main thing I learned? The journalism field is not for me. If I was a single twenty-something who didn't have a family and so much at risk, I would have pursued that field because I did love it and felt that I had something to give to the profession. But I couldn't give that field the dedication it needs and deserves.
Which brings me to May 2016. The culmination of six academic years came to an end. In the span of one weekend, I was no longer a student; I was a college graduate. The afternoon before graduation, I received the University Service Award and the Outstanding Student in English Award. What honors! It was more proof that I busted my ass during my college years to finish. I proved it to myself that I did it. And on May 15, 2016, I heard the words I'd longed to hear: "Alane Katherine Templet, Bachelor of Arts, English."
Next step: what to do with this glorious piece of paper I earned...?
This is what the job hunting process was like (summed up, of course) for me.
Update resume.
Proofread resume.
Pray I don't sound like a dumbass.
Search endlessly in the classified ads for jobs.
Apply for damn near everything.
Hope someone has mercy on me.
Go on several interviews.
Pray I don't sound like a dumbass again.
Bomb all but one.
Receive offer.
ACCEPT THE BEST OPPORTUNITY THAT COULD HAVE EVER CAME MY WAY.
But this meant leaving behind the job I held for almost ten years...leaving co-workers that became family...leaving everything that was familiar and safe for me...and going into a field that I knew absolutely nothing about.
I almost didn't take the new job. Working in the New Orleans business district was like entering a whole different world from Belle Chasse. Regardless, I swallowed my fears, took the job, breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Which brings me to where I am today. One year later, I couldn't be happier working at a law firm. I have learned more in the short year I have worked at the firm than I've learned at any job. You can't teach people how to handle telephone conversations. Or what to do when an attorney calls your office screaming because something didn't go right. Only experience can teach that. And that's something I'm gaining each and every day.
When I graduated high school in 2003 (wow, so long ago, right?), I wrote a note in my senior book in the "Ten Years Later" section. The section gave seniors a chance to predict where they would be in ten years. Career-wise, I wrote "legal secretary/paralegal." It might have taken me thirteen years instead of ten, but I was spot on.
I've been given more opportunities in this past year than in the past ten years. I've been in predicaments that forced me to test my short term memory in ways it has never been tested before (that part I need lots of improvement).
Tomorrow I begin classes to prepare for the Louisiana notary examination in December. Wish me luck.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
No, I didn't die... I just haven't updated in a LONG time
Hello, fellow commuters! I swear I'm not dead!
Layout changed again! Hopefully for good this time.
I'm slacking with updates. I'm really sorry about that. I could sit here and make up a bunch of excuses as to why, but I won't bore you with that.
I promised to blog on a regular basis and almost a year later...
All I can say is that I've been consumed with the grown up life.
This past year has been amazing. I've learned so much about myself and my writing and it feels great. Sure, I always have room for improvement. But as writers, our goal should be to always search for better ways to describe things.
So how can I recount to you the past year in a nutshell? I learned to paint, wrote for and edited the student newspaper, held a club office, worked on my public speaking skills, maintained a full-time job and a full-time school schedule, and submitted some work to (hopefully) be published.
I have some exciting news--for the Fall 2015 semester, I will be writing my first thesis. At OLHCC, English majors have the option to write a thesis or intern during a semester. I have opted to do both--something no other student has done before. NOT AT THE SAME TIME. I'd be crazy to do that! While I need experience in the journalism/communications field, I also want the experience of writing a thesis. I am a firm believer that I should always try to improve my writing. I definitely want to write a creative thesis (one of my good friends wrote one this past spring and it was AMAZING!), but I'm not sure what genre I'm going to write yet. I was thinking about writing creative nonfiction because it's my favorite and my strong point, but the whole purpose of the thesis (for me) is to have a learning experience. So I'm thinking about writing fiction, which has been the most difficult for me to write.
I've been applying for internships for the Spring 2016 semester. I thought it was going to be an easy process; it's anything BUT that. I've applied to the local radio stations, local TV stations, and local newspapers. I haven't heard from most of them, but I've received replies from two of them. One basically said, "Thanks, but no thanks" and the other suggested applying later in the year because it's too early for spring applicants. Which makes sense, but I still would've appreciated responses from more than just two places.
I started Camp NaNoWriMo again this month, but I haven't been successful in what I wanted to accomplish. I have been writing over the summer. Not as much as I should, but I guess it's better than nothing.
The main thing I've been doing over the summer is READING. This past semester, I read seven novels for one of my classes. Each of them has emotionally moved me and inspired me not just to read more, but to LIVE. It's amazing how a novel can change one's life. There are so many books that I've wanted to read for years and I'm finally getting to them (all the while going to the bookstore and buying MORE books that I want to read). I bought Harper Lee's new novel Go Set a Watchman yesterday. I'm excited and nervous to read it. Before I do, I want to re-read To Kill a Mockingbird to refresh my memory. I haven't read that novel since I was in eighth grade (which was a LONG time ago).
But that's what my life has been like for the past year. I promise to update more than annually.
Since I mentioned Harper Lee, I'll end my blog post with one of her quotes I recently stumbled upon and it described how I feel about reading:
"Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing."
Layout changed again! Hopefully for good this time.
I'm slacking with updates. I'm really sorry about that. I could sit here and make up a bunch of excuses as to why, but I won't bore you with that.
I promised to blog on a regular basis and almost a year later...
All I can say is that I've been consumed with the grown up life.
This past year has been amazing. I've learned so much about myself and my writing and it feels great. Sure, I always have room for improvement. But as writers, our goal should be to always search for better ways to describe things.
So how can I recount to you the past year in a nutshell? I learned to paint, wrote for and edited the student newspaper, held a club office, worked on my public speaking skills, maintained a full-time job and a full-time school schedule, and submitted some work to (hopefully) be published.
I have some exciting news--for the Fall 2015 semester, I will be writing my first thesis. At OLHCC, English majors have the option to write a thesis or intern during a semester. I have opted to do both--something no other student has done before. NOT AT THE SAME TIME. I'd be crazy to do that! While I need experience in the journalism/communications field, I also want the experience of writing a thesis. I am a firm believer that I should always try to improve my writing. I definitely want to write a creative thesis (one of my good friends wrote one this past spring and it was AMAZING!), but I'm not sure what genre I'm going to write yet. I was thinking about writing creative nonfiction because it's my favorite and my strong point, but the whole purpose of the thesis (for me) is to have a learning experience. So I'm thinking about writing fiction, which has been the most difficult for me to write.
I've been applying for internships for the Spring 2016 semester. I thought it was going to be an easy process; it's anything BUT that. I've applied to the local radio stations, local TV stations, and local newspapers. I haven't heard from most of them, but I've received replies from two of them. One basically said, "Thanks, but no thanks" and the other suggested applying later in the year because it's too early for spring applicants. Which makes sense, but I still would've appreciated responses from more than just two places.
I started Camp NaNoWriMo again this month, but I haven't been successful in what I wanted to accomplish. I have been writing over the summer. Not as much as I should, but I guess it's better than nothing.
The main thing I've been doing over the summer is READING. This past semester, I read seven novels for one of my classes. Each of them has emotionally moved me and inspired me not just to read more, but to LIVE. It's amazing how a novel can change one's life. There are so many books that I've wanted to read for years and I'm finally getting to them (all the while going to the bookstore and buying MORE books that I want to read). I bought Harper Lee's new novel Go Set a Watchman yesterday. I'm excited and nervous to read it. Before I do, I want to re-read To Kill a Mockingbird to refresh my memory. I haven't read that novel since I was in eighth grade (which was a LONG time ago).
But that's what my life has been like for the past year. I promise to update more than annually.
Since I mentioned Harper Lee, I'll end my blog post with one of her quotes I recently stumbled upon and it described how I feel about reading:
"Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing."
I hope everyone has a great week and weekend. Take the road less traveled and do some sightseeing along the way.
--Alane
Friday, August 8, 2014
When things don't go my way...
I have to say that I am pretty aggravated at the moment. I've been trying since the last blog post to work on a literature reading video since I haven't done one in a while. Unfortunately, reality and life rear their ugly heads in and didn't allow me to do so. But today I specifically put time aside to do it. I get everything lined up as to what I want to say and everything. I get ready to video and what happens?
The camera on the computer that I'm using says it's not working.
The camera on the computer that I'm using says it's not working.
Seriously...these pictures describe how I feel perfectly.
I just had to get that out there because I didn't want you guys to think I forgot about doing this. One of these days I will have my own computer and I won't have to worry about this kind of shit happening to me!
On a positive note, Abigail started school today. She's in the fourth grade now!
My big & beautiful girl!
That's all I have to say at the moment. I didn't forget, guys! I tried videoing on my phone and not only was the quality crummy, it only allowed me to do about five minutes worth. I can't say everything I have to say in just five minutes!
So it looks like I won't be doing a video anytime soon. :(
I'm sorry.
--Alane
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Life After Camp
Hey, fellow commuters!
I'm baaaaaaaack!
I apologize for not being able to get to this blog post sooner. I'm fighting a funky ass head cold and I've been in a fog for the past few days. Not only that, I still don't have a computer. I'll be getting one shortly after school starts for me, hopefully. I will attempt to make a video within the next couple days as well.
I completed Camp NaNoWriMo on July 30 (one day ahead of the deadline)! I'm pleased with what I accomplished, but I have a LOT more work to do on my novel.
I hope I don't make writing sound like an avoidable experience. Everyone should write. It's an essential form of communication. There are so many people today that don't write properly and use words incorrectly. As I mentioned earlier, I learn something new every time I write. But there's more to writing than just putting words together that make sense. It's about self-expression. It's about appreciating aesthetic beauty. It's about learning to think before you act. I'd like to share something that in my opinion applies to not just writing, but to my blog overall:
Overall, it was a productive month. August is already proving to be a VERY BUSY month. I am taking the rest of the week off to give myself a little break and to have a "staycation". It won't be any kind of time off where I have nothing to do--believe me, I have PLENTY to do! I will be taking Abigail to school today to meet her teacher and get things in order for her. Thursday (the 7th) is my niece's birthday and we'll be getting together to do something for her. Friday (the 8th) is Abigail's first day of fourth grade! Next week I will be registering her for religion and dance classes. In three weeks, I'll be starting school for the semester. This will be the first semester I'm taking classes that I am passionate about and not just ones that I HAVE to take. I know it will be crazy and hectic, but I'm optimistic about the semester.
I will do my ABSOLUTE BEST to keep updating as the school year progresses. Don't hold it against me if I don't update as often, though.
Have a great week!
Alane
I'm baaaaaaaack!
I apologize for not being able to get to this blog post sooner. I'm fighting a funky ass head cold and I've been in a fog for the past few days. Not only that, I still don't have a computer. I'll be getting one shortly after school starts for me, hopefully. I will attempt to make a video within the next couple days as well.
I completed Camp NaNoWriMo on July 30 (one day ahead of the deadline)! I'm pleased with what I accomplished, but I have a LOT more work to do on my novel.
It was an awesome experience. I really appreciated the support that came along with the virtual cabin I was in. I have to confess, though... about halfway through, I had a breakdown. The challenge to write 50k words for a novel became too overwhelming for me. The good thing about camp is that word count goals are flexible, so I decided upon a more practical word count goal of 35k words. I learned a lot of things during this process.
1) Writing is NOT easy. Anybody who says otherwise is a damn liar. While it's not easy, it is an enjoyable experience. There's a lot to learn by writing. I learn about focus, concentration, will power, proper grammar, sentencing structure, and being unique every single time I write. There's so much more and each writing experience is different. It's not about just putting words together, it's about pulling emotions out from your readers and captivating them. It's pouring your heart and soul into words because it's easier to write how you feel instead of saying it.
2) Plan, plot, and think ahead! It sounds easy, but don't let it fool you. Even when you think you've got everything in order, go back and do it some more! This is my second attempt at writing a novel and I always go with the flow. That's one of my biggest mistakes and it can be very stressful. If you just have an overall idea of what you're writing about and not specifics, you're setting yourself up for disaster. What am I getting at? Get your ducks in a row before you start writing so while you are writing, you don't have to hit any unnecessary obstacles.
3) Exceed your daily word count goal. Seriously. At times, it puts extra pressure on yourself, but doing so allows for the day (or days) you need a break from writing.
4) Change your writing scenery. I was surprised to learn how being outside to write can be so inspirational. When it wasn't ideal to write outside, I went to the library to do some writing. Believe it or not, that's where a lot of my writing got done.
5) Give and get support from your fellow writers. It goes a long way when you're writing. It's also comforting to know that when you have writer's block, someone has been through it as well.
6) It's okay to put your novel away for a few days. Especially when life knocks on the door and expects you to return to reality.
7) Most importantly, have fun! If you're not having fun writing, it's time to take a break. Writings are works in progress. If you're getting stressed out, frustrated, and to the point where you're not enjoying what you're doing, revert to #6.
I hope I don't make writing sound like an avoidable experience. Everyone should write. It's an essential form of communication. There are so many people today that don't write properly and use words incorrectly. As I mentioned earlier, I learn something new every time I write. But there's more to writing than just putting words together that make sense. It's about self-expression. It's about appreciating aesthetic beauty. It's about learning to think before you act. I'd like to share something that in my opinion applies to not just writing, but to my blog overall:
"Not I, nor anyone else can travel that road for you.
You must travel it by yourself.
It is not far. It is within reach.
Perhaps you have been on it since you were born, and did not know.
Perhaps it is everywhere - on water and land."
--Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass
Overall, it was a productive month. August is already proving to be a VERY BUSY month. I am taking the rest of the week off to give myself a little break and to have a "staycation". It won't be any kind of time off where I have nothing to do--believe me, I have PLENTY to do! I will be taking Abigail to school today to meet her teacher and get things in order for her. Thursday (the 7th) is my niece's birthday and we'll be getting together to do something for her. Friday (the 8th) is Abigail's first day of fourth grade! Next week I will be registering her for religion and dance classes. In three weeks, I'll be starting school for the semester. This will be the first semester I'm taking classes that I am passionate about and not just ones that I HAVE to take. I know it will be crazy and hectic, but I'm optimistic about the semester.
I will do my ABSOLUTE BEST to keep updating as the school year progresses. Don't hold it against me if I don't update as often, though.
Have a great week!
Alane
Thursday, June 26, 2014
I'm going to camp!
Yep! For the first time EVER! I'm really excited!
I'm going to Camp NaNoWriMo for the month of July!
I'm not really going anywhere; it's a writing exercise.
Thirty-one days of writing, writing, and more writing. What I like about it is that the camp is flexible as far as to what you write. Unlike the full National Novel Writing Month event in November (where you write a 50,000 word novel in one month), you can revise something you've already written, write a short story...you name it, you do it! I was going to write a short story/journal but instead I'm basically rewriting my project from NaNoWriMo 2013. It's a sad situation, really. I got to right over 10,000 words (I was very proud of myself considering it was my first attempt at a long work). I probably would've gotten a lot farther with my novel than that, but it was a very hectic semester. I was so consumed with papers, practicals, exams, and more than I could have ever imagined.
Every time I'd start writing, I'd end up like this:
So, yeah... to say I struggled with juggling everything I was trying to do is putting it lightly. But that's not even the worst part! I'll get to that in a moment. Some days I was on a roll and more than met my daily goal and other days I was lucky to write two sentences. I thought I was smart for having my novel on my flash drive... well... earlier in the spring semester, I lost my flash drive at school. It's like it disappeared out of nowhere. I'm still upset about it. I had a bunch of creative writing on the drive along with a bunch of my papers I'd written on there and --POOF-- there they went! Luckily, I was able to recover everything EXCEPT FOR MY NOVEL. And I was so proud of my first novel attempt.
It sucks, but it was a HARD lesson learned.
One of my goals for camp is to actually finish my novel/NaNoWriMo 2013 project, Of Joy That Kills. The title is taken from an excerpt from Kate Chopin's short story The Story of an Hour. I'd rather wait until camp is over before I tell you what it's about so I don't spoil any surprises about anything. My original word count goal for camp was going to be 20,000 words but I think I'm going to aim for 50,000 words. I'm hoping it will be easier this go around since I don't have school taking up most of my time.
Another update on my readings... I am finally on Canto XIV in The Inferno. It's hard. I've been reading online notes to help me understand what's going on because I'm so lost. I've actually thought about throwing the book down and giving up because all the references are over my head. I'm not a quitter, and I wouldn't abuse a book like that! It's taken me a lot longer to get through it than I anticipated. But honestly, IT IS GOOD. It really, REALLY makes you think. I love stories that make you think about life. I would definitely recommend it. One of these days, I'll get to the other two parts of Dante's Divine Comedy...Purgatorio and Paradiso. Another book I'll finish one of these days is Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene. I read Book I for one of my classes last fall and while I struggled with it at the time, I did enjoy it.
AND as promised, I finally made my YouTube video debut! It only took what, two months? Better late than never! Please subscribe to my channel and take a look at my video. As nerve racking as it was, I had so much fun doing it. I can't wait to do another one soon!
That's about it. I'm going to be honest and let you know ahead of time--I'm going to be spending a lot of time focusing on my novel, so I more than likely won't update as frequently as I have been. I will make a conscious effort to do so, but don't hold me to it. I want to devote all my time and energy into my novel. I want it to be GOOD.
Have a good rest of the week! Wish me luck on writing--I'm going to need it!
Alane
I'm going to Camp NaNoWriMo for the month of July!
I'm not really going anywhere; it's a writing exercise.
Thirty-one days of writing, writing, and more writing. What I like about it is that the camp is flexible as far as to what you write. Unlike the full National Novel Writing Month event in November (where you write a 50,000 word novel in one month), you can revise something you've already written, write a short story...you name it, you do it! I was going to write a short story/journal but instead I'm basically rewriting my project from NaNoWriMo 2013. It's a sad situation, really. I got to right over 10,000 words (I was very proud of myself considering it was my first attempt at a long work). I probably would've gotten a lot farther with my novel than that, but it was a very hectic semester. I was so consumed with papers, practicals, exams, and more than I could have ever imagined.
Every time I'd start writing, I'd end up like this:
So, yeah... to say I struggled with juggling everything I was trying to do is putting it lightly. But that's not even the worst part! I'll get to that in a moment. Some days I was on a roll and more than met my daily goal and other days I was lucky to write two sentences. I thought I was smart for having my novel on my flash drive... well... earlier in the spring semester, I lost my flash drive at school. It's like it disappeared out of nowhere. I'm still upset about it. I had a bunch of creative writing on the drive along with a bunch of my papers I'd written on there and --POOF-- there they went! Luckily, I was able to recover everything EXCEPT FOR MY NOVEL. And I was so proud of my first novel attempt.
One of my goals for camp is to actually finish my novel/NaNoWriMo 2013 project, Of Joy That Kills. The title is taken from an excerpt from Kate Chopin's short story The Story of an Hour. I'd rather wait until camp is over before I tell you what it's about so I don't spoil any surprises about anything. My original word count goal for camp was going to be 20,000 words but I think I'm going to aim for 50,000 words. I'm hoping it will be easier this go around since I don't have school taking up most of my time.
Another update on my readings... I am finally on Canto XIV in The Inferno. It's hard. I've been reading online notes to help me understand what's going on because I'm so lost. I've actually thought about throwing the book down and giving up because all the references are over my head. I'm not a quitter, and I wouldn't abuse a book like that! It's taken me a lot longer to get through it than I anticipated. But honestly, IT IS GOOD. It really, REALLY makes you think. I love stories that make you think about life. I would definitely recommend it. One of these days, I'll get to the other two parts of Dante's Divine Comedy...Purgatorio and Paradiso. Another book I'll finish one of these days is Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene. I read Book I for one of my classes last fall and while I struggled with it at the time, I did enjoy it.
AND as promised, I finally made my YouTube video debut! It only took what, two months? Better late than never! Please subscribe to my channel and take a look at my video. As nerve racking as it was, I had so much fun doing it. I can't wait to do another one soon!
That's about it. I'm going to be honest and let you know ahead of time--I'm going to be spending a lot of time focusing on my novel, so I more than likely won't update as frequently as I have been. I will make a conscious effort to do so, but don't hold me to it. I want to devote all my time and energy into my novel. I want it to be GOOD.
Have a good rest of the week! Wish me luck on writing--I'm going to need it!
Alane
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
The F Word
No, not the F bomb. The other F word.
A word I despise because it's a label. It's not who or what you are. People are judged by that word. It's not normal or "healthy" (gosh, I hate that word). It's supposed to be this horrible thing but in reality, is it all that bad?
The word I'm referring to it FAT.
A person has fat; one is not fat. Nobody wants to be friends with the fat kid. Nobody wants to sit by the fat man in the restaurant. Nobody wants to see a fat woman in a bathing suit. Why is that? Are you afraid you're going to catch being fat from the other person? If that were the case, I'd be sure to sit by a lot of mean, skinny people.
This is an issue that's bothered me for quite some time. I usually keep quiet about my point of view so I don't spark a controversy or offend someone. At this point, I'm beyond that. People don't care about offending me, whether their comments are directed towards me or not, so why should I be the one to be silent? I plan on giving my thoughts on this in a way that isn't offensive or demeaning. I believe everyone is entitled to an opinion but if one chooses to express his or her opinion, then he or she should do it in a respectful manner.
What does it mean to judge someone? According to Merriam Webster's Dictionary, judging is defined as "to form an opinion about (something or someone) after careful thought; to regard (someone) as good or bad".
First off, I'm referring to judging someone by looks alone. We aren't supposed to judge anybody to begin with. Without bringing religion into the conversation, there's only one person that I feel should judge me. That's me. No one in this world is perfect (and if you think you are, get off your pedestal). Because everyone has flaws, no one should judge another person. Having said that, I must add that there is a difference between judging a person by physical characteristics and judging a person by behavioral characteristics. Now before you call me a hypocrite, here's what I mean. If I know for a fact that someone does drugs, I am not going to associate myself with that person.. I will not be cruel to that person, but I also won't go out of my way to befriend that person. You may wonder why, considering the fact that I just said no one should be judged. It's because I don't want to be associated with a person who is a bad influence, and I don't want that person's actions and choices to affect my family or me. The whole drug conversation can be saved for another post, because I have A LOT to say about that.
But I digress. Let's get back to the point I'm making. Being overweight alone doesn't have anything to do with personality and manners. No matter how big or small a person is, everyone deserves kindness and everyone should be kind to others. Who's to decide what's "fat" and what's "healthy"? The Center for Disease Control, from what I understand...so basically, the government. While I'm sure it's meant as guidelines and with good intentions, I don't appreciate being labeled by my height-to-weight ratio. I think assessing weight is one of things that should be decided on by the individual and the individual's doctor, not the government. Look, I get that there's a lot of medical problems associated with being overweight. I get it, I really do. But not everyone that is overweight has health issues! I know, I'm one of them! I visit my doctor on a regular basis and while she suggests that I do need to lose weight (again, because my body mass index is high for my height-to-weight ratio) I don't have high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, or heart disease. As a matter of fact, I know people who are in the healthy weight range and they do have those problems, and more! I rarely get sick, and overall I'm a healthy individual.
I won't lie. According to the CDC, I'm considered obese. What I am not, however, is a mean, insensitive, unkind, and hurtful person. I don't believe in making fun of other individuals. I don't see the point in deliberately hurting someone for personal gain. It's just not right. I know that being overweight isn't the best for me. I'm not physically able to keep up with others like I should. I'll be the first one to admit that I'm not comfortable in my skin. I sincerely wish I was because I'd be a lot happier. The main reason I'd be happier is because I know I wouldn't be judged because I'm overweight.
I've been considered obese for about three years now. In 2010 I was considered overweight despite strenuous attempts at diet and exercise without much results. In a desperate attempt to lose weight, I took diet pills along with my diet and exercise. In a few months I got down to 125 pounds (so according to my BMI I was in the normal range). I was proud of myself! I exercised for 1-2 hours a day, ate relatively well, felt good, and most importantly, felt good.. But I cheated. The diet pills made me have practically no appetite at all. They had caffeine in them so I could go without drinking Cokes and not have the horrible, intense headaches that came with quitting them. I had a lot more energy and endurance so I could exercise for long periods of time and not feel exhausted. Seemed completely harmless to me. But E and my family found out I was taking them and strongly encouraged me to quit taking them because they thought I was losing too much weight too fast. They also said that I would be hurting myself in the long run if I kept taking the diet pills. To make them happy, I complied. Even though I was still exercising and eating well, the weight slowly came back on. Different medications that I've taken over the years for depression and birth control have contributed to my gradual increase in weight. Granted, my exercise and diet also attributed to my steady increase as well. I'm not making excuses for myself...my schedule has become hectic over the years and I honestly don't have much time to myself, much less time to dedicate to exercising and eating right.
So how did my feathers get all ruffled in the first place? It started with a smart ass remark made from someone. This comment came from someone who claims to not have weight issues and to be a healthy individual. The remark made was that fat people "are disgusting". That hurt my feelings pretty deeply at the time because one, it came from someone that I'd went to school with and wouldn't ever expected that to come out of this person's mouth. and two, because I felt as though that comment was directed towards me. Whether or not if it was directed towards me will be one of the many mysteries of life. It was a horrible statement to make, regardless of who it was directed to. I don't know the events that lead up to make someone say something so barbaric. I don't really care to know either. But to make a cruel label about people that you know nothing about is atrocious. All I do know is that it made me feel like this person thought I was disgusting. I'm sure that if it made me feel that way, it more than likely made other people feel the same way. What little bit of confidence I had in myself at the time was instantly crushed. I'm by no means a disgusting person, so why did it hurt my feelings to begin with? Because this person took a subject that I was sensitive about and made me feel even worse about it. It made me more insecure than I already was. This person then tried to back up the remark saying that the comment referred only to people who were "fat", ate fast food, and complained about their weight. Umm...last time I checked, there were people who were "healthy" that ate fast food and complained about their weight. So that pissed me off even more. It took everything in me not to jump this person's ass and make that person feel as horribly as I did. But that's not the right thing to do; I cooled off and let it slide.
Several months ago, another person who I went to school with made the remark that even though this person would get a lot of heat for saying it, the classmates this person saw on that day looked like shit and needed to start taking care of themselves. Yeah, that was pretty harsh as well. It evolved to people letting themselves go, being overweight, and not making any effort to take care of their looks. Another one of life's mysteries as to if that comment was directed towards me or not. It's irrelevant. Another person stood up to this person saying not to make remarks like that because number one, it doesn't make that person feel any better, number two, no one knows another person's life and situation, and number three, it made it seem like this person was better than everyone else. Again, it came from another person who I'd thought was beyond making comments like this. How could anybody be so ignoble? What made it worse was that people were agreeing with this person's statement. One person tried to defend the person who made the comment by saying that the common goal is trying to make everybody realize they should be healthy and to get them to do better for themselves. So...telling people they look like shit is supposed to be motivating? Not the kind of motivation I need.
I'm getting sidetracked from what I really wanted to accomplish. I'm so fed up with people being labeled in general, by race, gender, age, economic status, body type; I could go on... it's ridiculous. All the labels that people are given shouldn't be a reflection of who they are. Just because a person has excess body fat doesn't mean that he or she isn't a genuinely good person. I made this statement on Facebook and I'll make it again... I really wish people loved as unconditionally as dogs do. The world really would be a much better place. A dog doesn't judge you. A dog loves you no matter what you look like or what kind of day you've had. All a dog gives and wants in return is love. I'd rather be overweight and kind than healthy and mean. I know there are people who are healthy and kind and overweight and mean. It's wrong to be mean! Regardless of how a person looks or what a person has or doesn't have, everyone deserves kindness and respect.
I'm guilty of not eating right. But that alone is not the reason I'm the size I am. I love sweets, soda, fried food, and I'm not a fan of vegetables. It's not really anybody's business why I'm the size I am. I rarely wear make up. My hair is a mess most of the time. I wear over sized t-shirts and jeans. I have wrinkles and my skin breaks out often. I have a lot of gray hair. But if I'm content and don't have medical issues, why pick on me? Do you have your own insecurities and do you feel it's easier to make somebody else feel badly because you do? I'm not harming you! Leave me alone and keep your smart ass remarks to yourself.
I may not always be exactly where I want to be in life, but I'm taking my journey one road at a time. I won't travel the same roads you do. I'm happy with myself. I'm sorry if you're not; but don't bring me down.
Don't judge anybody because you don't know what road they're going down.
A word I despise because it's a label. It's not who or what you are. People are judged by that word. It's not normal or "healthy" (gosh, I hate that word). It's supposed to be this horrible thing but in reality, is it all that bad?
The word I'm referring to it FAT.
A person has fat; one is not fat. Nobody wants to be friends with the fat kid. Nobody wants to sit by the fat man in the restaurant. Nobody wants to see a fat woman in a bathing suit. Why is that? Are you afraid you're going to catch being fat from the other person? If that were the case, I'd be sure to sit by a lot of mean, skinny people.
This is an issue that's bothered me for quite some time. I usually keep quiet about my point of view so I don't spark a controversy or offend someone. At this point, I'm beyond that. People don't care about offending me, whether their comments are directed towards me or not, so why should I be the one to be silent? I plan on giving my thoughts on this in a way that isn't offensive or demeaning. I believe everyone is entitled to an opinion but if one chooses to express his or her opinion, then he or she should do it in a respectful manner.
What does it mean to judge someone? According to Merriam Webster's Dictionary, judging is defined as "to form an opinion about (something or someone) after careful thought; to regard (someone) as good or bad".
First off, I'm referring to judging someone by looks alone. We aren't supposed to judge anybody to begin with. Without bringing religion into the conversation, there's only one person that I feel should judge me. That's me. No one in this world is perfect (and if you think you are, get off your pedestal). Because everyone has flaws, no one should judge another person. Having said that, I must add that there is a difference between judging a person by physical characteristics and judging a person by behavioral characteristics. Now before you call me a hypocrite, here's what I mean. If I know for a fact that someone does drugs, I am not going to associate myself with that person.. I will not be cruel to that person, but I also won't go out of my way to befriend that person. You may wonder why, considering the fact that I just said no one should be judged. It's because I don't want to be associated with a person who is a bad influence, and I don't want that person's actions and choices to affect my family or me. The whole drug conversation can be saved for another post, because I have A LOT to say about that.
But I digress. Let's get back to the point I'm making. Being overweight alone doesn't have anything to do with personality and manners. No matter how big or small a person is, everyone deserves kindness and everyone should be kind to others. Who's to decide what's "fat" and what's "healthy"? The Center for Disease Control, from what I understand...so basically, the government. While I'm sure it's meant as guidelines and with good intentions, I don't appreciate being labeled by my height-to-weight ratio. I think assessing weight is one of things that should be decided on by the individual and the individual's doctor, not the government. Look, I get that there's a lot of medical problems associated with being overweight. I get it, I really do. But not everyone that is overweight has health issues! I know, I'm one of them! I visit my doctor on a regular basis and while she suggests that I do need to lose weight (again, because my body mass index is high for my height-to-weight ratio) I don't have high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, or heart disease. As a matter of fact, I know people who are in the healthy weight range and they do have those problems, and more! I rarely get sick, and overall I'm a healthy individual.
I won't lie. According to the CDC, I'm considered obese. What I am not, however, is a mean, insensitive, unkind, and hurtful person. I don't believe in making fun of other individuals. I don't see the point in deliberately hurting someone for personal gain. It's just not right. I know that being overweight isn't the best for me. I'm not physically able to keep up with others like I should. I'll be the first one to admit that I'm not comfortable in my skin. I sincerely wish I was because I'd be a lot happier. The main reason I'd be happier is because I know I wouldn't be judged because I'm overweight.
I've been considered obese for about three years now. In 2010 I was considered overweight despite strenuous attempts at diet and exercise without much results. In a desperate attempt to lose weight, I took diet pills along with my diet and exercise. In a few months I got down to 125 pounds (so according to my BMI I was in the normal range). I was proud of myself! I exercised for 1-2 hours a day, ate relatively well, felt good, and most importantly, felt good.. But I cheated. The diet pills made me have practically no appetite at all. They had caffeine in them so I could go without drinking Cokes and not have the horrible, intense headaches that came with quitting them. I had a lot more energy and endurance so I could exercise for long periods of time and not feel exhausted. Seemed completely harmless to me. But E and my family found out I was taking them and strongly encouraged me to quit taking them because they thought I was losing too much weight too fast. They also said that I would be hurting myself in the long run if I kept taking the diet pills. To make them happy, I complied. Even though I was still exercising and eating well, the weight slowly came back on. Different medications that I've taken over the years for depression and birth control have contributed to my gradual increase in weight. Granted, my exercise and diet also attributed to my steady increase as well. I'm not making excuses for myself...my schedule has become hectic over the years and I honestly don't have much time to myself, much less time to dedicate to exercising and eating right.
So how did my feathers get all ruffled in the first place? It started with a smart ass remark made from someone. This comment came from someone who claims to not have weight issues and to be a healthy individual. The remark made was that fat people "are disgusting". That hurt my feelings pretty deeply at the time because one, it came from someone that I'd went to school with and wouldn't ever expected that to come out of this person's mouth. and two, because I felt as though that comment was directed towards me. Whether or not if it was directed towards me will be one of the many mysteries of life. It was a horrible statement to make, regardless of who it was directed to. I don't know the events that lead up to make someone say something so barbaric. I don't really care to know either. But to make a cruel label about people that you know nothing about is atrocious. All I do know is that it made me feel like this person thought I was disgusting. I'm sure that if it made me feel that way, it more than likely made other people feel the same way. What little bit of confidence I had in myself at the time was instantly crushed. I'm by no means a disgusting person, so why did it hurt my feelings to begin with? Because this person took a subject that I was sensitive about and made me feel even worse about it. It made me more insecure than I already was. This person then tried to back up the remark saying that the comment referred only to people who were "fat", ate fast food, and complained about their weight. Umm...last time I checked, there were people who were "healthy" that ate fast food and complained about their weight. So that pissed me off even more. It took everything in me not to jump this person's ass and make that person feel as horribly as I did. But that's not the right thing to do; I cooled off and let it slide.
Several months ago, another person who I went to school with made the remark that even though this person would get a lot of heat for saying it, the classmates this person saw on that day looked like shit and needed to start taking care of themselves. Yeah, that was pretty harsh as well. It evolved to people letting themselves go, being overweight, and not making any effort to take care of their looks. Another one of life's mysteries as to if that comment was directed towards me or not. It's irrelevant. Another person stood up to this person saying not to make remarks like that because number one, it doesn't make that person feel any better, number two, no one knows another person's life and situation, and number three, it made it seem like this person was better than everyone else. Again, it came from another person who I'd thought was beyond making comments like this. How could anybody be so ignoble? What made it worse was that people were agreeing with this person's statement. One person tried to defend the person who made the comment by saying that the common goal is trying to make everybody realize they should be healthy and to get them to do better for themselves. So...telling people they look like shit is supposed to be motivating? Not the kind of motivation I need.
I'm getting sidetracked from what I really wanted to accomplish. I'm so fed up with people being labeled in general, by race, gender, age, economic status, body type; I could go on... it's ridiculous. All the labels that people are given shouldn't be a reflection of who they are. Just because a person has excess body fat doesn't mean that he or she isn't a genuinely good person. I made this statement on Facebook and I'll make it again... I really wish people loved as unconditionally as dogs do. The world really would be a much better place. A dog doesn't judge you. A dog loves you no matter what you look like or what kind of day you've had. All a dog gives and wants in return is love. I'd rather be overweight and kind than healthy and mean. I know there are people who are healthy and kind and overweight and mean. It's wrong to be mean! Regardless of how a person looks or what a person has or doesn't have, everyone deserves kindness and respect.
I'm guilty of not eating right. But that alone is not the reason I'm the size I am. I love sweets, soda, fried food, and I'm not a fan of vegetables. It's not really anybody's business why I'm the size I am. I rarely wear make up. My hair is a mess most of the time. I wear over sized t-shirts and jeans. I have wrinkles and my skin breaks out often. I have a lot of gray hair. But if I'm content and don't have medical issues, why pick on me? Do you have your own insecurities and do you feel it's easier to make somebody else feel badly because you do? I'm not harming you! Leave me alone and keep your smart ass remarks to yourself.
I may not always be exactly where I want to be in life, but I'm taking my journey one road at a time. I won't travel the same roads you do. I'm happy with myself. I'm sorry if you're not; but don't bring me down.
Don't judge anybody because you don't know what road they're going down.
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