On Sleep!

Sleep - such a huge infatuation! (Of mine at least.) I looked in the mirror on Sunday morning (scary, I know) and noticed that I looked different - I actually looked alive, awake. I had actually gotten a decent amount of sleep, and it showed. Crazy that something we sometimes take for granted and do not get enough of can impact us in so many different ways - crankiness, inability to pay attention in class, inability to function properly, desperation for caffeine, and more...
Yet on the other side, at times you can't help but not wanting to sleep - you don't care that you are missing out on that unconscious heaven, because you are afraid of what you are missing! I admit that I am a night owl, and it's mostly because I am too concerned with staying up - socializing, watching that enticing show (it had a great preview!), just hanging out - or during the school year studying and doing homework.

The bed is a bundle of paradoxes: we go to it with reluctance, yet we quit it with regret; we make up our minds every night to leave it early, but we make up our bodies every morning to keep it late. ~Charles Caleb Colton

Here are a fun couple of other quotes about sleep and naps, too:

Most people do not consider dawn to be an attractive experience - unless they are still up. ~Ellen Goodman

Without enough sleep, we all become tall two-year-olds. ~JoJo Jensen, Dirt Farmer Wisdom, 2002

I'm not asleep... but that doesn't mean I'm awake. ~Author Unknown


People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one. ~Leo J. Burke

If a man had as many ideas during the day as he does when he has insomnia, he'd make a fortune. ~Griff Niblack
* so true, I have so many great ideas when I am lying in bed - or in the shower*

and just for fun, here is a great poem by one of my favorites, Wordsworth, on sleeplessness:

A flock of sheep that leisurely pass by
One after one; the sound of rain, and bees
Murmuring; the fall of rivers, winds and seas,
Smooth fields, white sheets of water, and pure sky -
I've thought of all by turns, and still I lie
Sleepless...
~William Wordsworth, "To Sleep"

oh to sleep ....

Perfection

There are just so many small things in life that we need to appreciate - because without them, really, what would life be? If you are looking for a smile, even a laugh, sit down and just take a minute to think about some simple, little experiences or things that make your life better, that make your life your life.

To me, all of these things in my life are just perfection:
* that feeling that you get on the ultimate drop on Rollercoasters
* the enjoyment of a Caramel Frappuccino, including its whipped cream
* watching a storm come in over the ocean, sitting on rocky cliffs
* the color change of leaves in the fall
* peanut butter and jelly sandwiches cut into 4 triangles
* watching the excitement of little kids as they run and try to catch and pop bubbles
* sitting with my Mom on the boardwalk in Algonac, watching the ferries come in
* then getting Dairy Queen, even though it wasn't a hot summer day
* knowing the answer to questions on Jeopardy
* seeing that someone has mentioned you in their away message online, or better yet their profile
* when the warm sun comes out on a cool day, and when the hot sun hides behind the clouds on a sweltering day
* when you see a picture of yourself that really looks quite good
* friends writing poems about you, whether funny, sad, happy, or a combination
* sneaking Little Caesar's crazy bread into the movie theater
* coming home with a basket of ripe raspberries even though you fell into the huge prickly bushes twice
* although 'there's no such thing as a free lunch' and 'everything has an opportunity cost', anything FREE without any strings attached is always a bonus

These are just some small things that came to mind that have really made my life all that it is .... these things in a word are perfection. Find the perfection in your life.

Life is an adventure

I was looking over a satirical list of things that I had learned in high school, and actually came across something that really holds true ... which seems to be a recurring theme because it was in one of my college lit classes as well.
If any of you have heard of Joseph Campbell, you know that he is a great writer and leading man on mythology. A phrase that he goes on in essays, movies, tales to describe is that

"The Hero's Journey always begins with the call to adventure."

This is such a true statement - if you've ever read Beowulf, King Arthur, Lord of the Rings, or seen Star Wars, you see this truth. Yeah, it's a pretty simple, basic statement, but can also be an impactful philosophy. Take advantage of opportunities that are given to you. Explore your world. Carpe diem! Rise up to challenges, make your life an adventure - even in little ways.
I think that this really applies to my new start in this blog, because this is a new adventure for me. It's going to be so interesting to explore my own thoughts and ideas, even mental notes that I make during the day, or random sidenotes.

Another thing is that I really would love comments from others. They are extremely welcome ;-)

I think that since the name of this blog is Life Lingo, I would pick out words that have to do with that particular blog, just a word that I can take from the post and try to apply to my life or use in some way - even if it is just repeating a silly word a few times a day.
The word from this blog definitely has to be adventure. Life is an adventure.

Hello World

I'm an amateur at this, but having my own website blog is still pretty damn exciting! So bear with me while I figure this out, hopefully I can post some fun, interesting stuff - facts, quotes, lyrics, ideas, comments, you name it.

-Xtina

Thanks to B-lain for setting this up, and thanks to everyone in advance who inspires my blogging.