Once upon a time....

  Once upon a time there was a princess with beautiful, long, black hair. Every man in the town wanted to wed her but she was resistant. One day the princess announced she would marry only the man who brought her the best gift. She would then decide by the gifts of the men, who would be fit for her status. So the men of the town ran to their homes. One brought beautiful gowns with gold sleeves. But, the young girl had enough clothes, so she declined. Another man was a jeweler and brought gleaming, beautiful diamond necklaces and rings. But, the princess had plenty jewelry and didn't want a man who could only give her that.
   All day the townsmen came with gifts and all sorts of things. But still, she sent them all away, unhappy and unsatisfied. The day grew on and after a long day of thrown sitting and telling men no, the princess was getting tired and hungry. All of the bachelors had left except for one man. He wasn't dressed in fancy clothes nor had she seen him before. He was lean and handsome however and he approached the soon to be queen.
   "Well, what do you have to offer me?", she asked in an exhausted and sarcastic tone. Then he pulled out a spoon. She laughed in pity and as she cackled the young man shoved the spoon in her mouth and immediately shut her up! But not for long and a hush came over the room. Never had a man, a farm boy at that, done her so. Then he began to back away. After a crowd has begun to gather, the princess stood up.
   "Who are you?", she demanded.
   "Just a farm boy, your majesty.", he replied with confidence.
   "Well farm boy, if that is your name, never have I....", she paused, "tasted something so wonderful! What is it?!"
   "Homemade ice cream.", he said. The search was over and the princess had found her husband she had been looking for. A man who could provide her ice cream everyday! They were married on a Sunday (it was a traditional) and they lived happily ever after.
                              
                                                                         THE END
By: Brittany Bailey

Life is just a carnival

   Sometimes I think life is like riding a carousel. Everything is up and down, things keep flashing before you as you circle endlessly. On your right is the outside and everything around you happening that you see. To your left is the mirror and you're looking back at the reflection. Forcing you to take a look at yourself. Whether you've physically ridden one or not, we've all been on it. Life is just a carnival. It's different rides. Some you want to ride and some you paid for but want to get off.

   What about "The Gravitron"? You're spinning around so fast, laughing and screaming at the same time from the thrill. Next thing you know you are being lifted off the ground on your way up towards the sky! Going somewhere you've never been before. Through different walks in our life we all are on different rides. Sometimes it's the bumper cars. Things and people are coming at you from every direction. You feel like you might start to move when all of the sudden you're rammed from the back! Sending you in a jerk and the next feeling you have is to do the same to anyone close to you. Sure, in real life you're laughing as you smack into other people while they aren't looking. I can relate to wanting to move, go somewhere, and the feeling of being unexpectedly being stopped in my tracks. Carnivals do have kiddy rides also. Maybe you feel like you're on the pony walk. Someone is helping you keep moving along. Holding onto the reins and there is someone walking right beside you the whole way. You're moving but without the help of them pulling, you wouldn't be able to ride on your own. The Ferris Wheel is always fun. You're riding high above the whole show and crowd with nothing but excitement. The air is brushing your face and blowing your hair. I could stay up there all day and night.
  
Once those bars slam down, there's no "I changed my mind! I want off!" You made the choice to get on and you ride and ride until it comes to a stop. Sometimes you loved it and sometimes not so much. 900 million rides taken on rollercoasters a year and 1 out of 124,000 result in serious injury. So, the odds are low that you won't survive any ride. You will pull through. Make it a point to take the ones you had the best thrill on over and over. Sometimes it's worth the line and wait and patience to get there.

   Life is just a carnival. It's different rides. Some you  want to ride and some you paid for but want to get off.

Tearing down the old wall paper

     I was imaging myself in a room. The lighting was dim. The mood was dull and still. My face was blank and lacking expression. The air was stale and stagnant. And the square, windowless room was lined all around in wallpaper. A once cheerful, colorful room now looked faded and the petals seemed to droop to the floor. I felt stuck in the room just like the pattern on the wall. I wasn't going anywhere or had any other purpose and destination. I felt faded and sad too.
     But there was a nick I noticed on the wall paper down by the baseboard. I knelt down and began to pick at it. Then, madly, I started to scratch at the tiny piece of paper until it came under my fingernail. Finally there was just enough there for me to grasp it between two fingers and quickly, without any thought, I ripped the dry paper. As I heard the intense sound reminding me of breaking loose chains, my lungs filled with fresh air and I took in all I could stand. I saw a piece underneath of it all of what could be, just a peek. Instantly I began clawing with my nails ripping down the past as fast I could. Just like the faded flowers, the paper withered to the floor. And do you know what was underneath?
     Beauty, bright colors, light, inspiration! I stood in awe. Who could have known what was underneath? Who knew what could be? I stood once in a place where I thought, "This is it." I was unhappy and knowing I deserved more. With a push, scratch, and a pull came redesign! Rethink! Recreate! I'm still in the same room it just needed a face lift. A fresh coat of paint and a window to see out and that's where I am right now. Ripping down that tacky old wallpaper and starting with something fresh and new! A new start and a new beginning.

Are you the best fish in the sea???

     Of all the fish in the sea who would you like to be? Some are slow and some are fast. Some lost their map and get lost in the splash. Are you at the top of the food chain, large and in charge? Or at the bottom shy and submissive? In the dark debths hiding and you are the only light or leaping out the water for others to see a beautiful sight?

     People seem to refer to the saying, I caught the best fish in the sea. Well, in my mind, a fisherman would be extremly excited about catching  a bass or something. Are you calling me a prize bass? What exactly is the best fish in the sea to you? Personally, I don't want to be a bass. To me, those are some ugly fish hung and stuffed on the wall as a prize trophy to show off to others. Some people might not even care about your bass and think she's tacky(usuallt they're always female) "Hi George! I want you to meet my new award winning wife.I caught her and just couldn't throw her back. Best fish in the sea! She's big and fat like the prize bass on my wall!" I tell you what, if I was a swordfish I'd stab him. I'm not going to mention where that might be. If your signifigant other has said that to you, you might want to ask what fish he or she is refering to.
     So in case you are on the lookout and are trying to decide which fish to hook, here are a few examples:

     Angel fish. These are one of the most beautiful fish but are very sensitive to change. They get along with other species just not ones of its own kind. So, possibly if you're in a gay relationship you may not want an angelfish. They're also vegitarians.
     Lionfish....the show stoppers! Long fins, striking coloration. They are the perfect blend of beauty and danger. They have long spines are can be very dangerous, and poisonous. So, they are agressive creatures and like meat. If you like going out are having someone good looking on you arm, they're for you!
     Clownfish...can be independent and don't nessecarily have to be funny. With a partner they can be territorial or possesive however. Easy on the eyes.
     Batfish.....They're kinda slow moving and mellow. When you come at them to strong they try to play dead and avoid the situation. So if you want to dominate in a relationsip you may want a batfish.
     A Seahorse...They're fun to look at and also kind of lazy. They don't like to much motin going on around them so if you like to party, you may not want a seahorse. They also love seafood.
     Eels...these are the gothics of the water. They like it dark and sleep most the day. They are also not very committed and run easily. And eat just about anything, so watch out for bitting. Unless you're into that kind of thing too.
     Gobies...have a very special pelvic fin like a suction cup. Need I say more? They are pretty to look at and easy to feed......
     Blowfish...in my opinion, you don't want one. Unless you like someone else being in charge of you. If an argument arrives then they are the ones to let you have it. If you get too feed up and deciede to murder your partner they will kill you in the process. That can be a very sad situation for loved ones. They are unsually have weight control issues also.

     Of course there are many other fish in the sea but these are just a few examples. Maybe it will help give you an idea of what "best fish" of a partner you want. It might even make a cute nickname for them. "My sweet little gobie!"

Bruised but not broken

     I've had many scrapes & many scars & and many falls & they all have a story. Some stories I remember, others I can't recall. But I do know that through all my scars, both internal & external, make up a beautiful, strong woman. They've made me. Scars are harder because they stay with you forever. Some fade over time. Some are so deep you can feel them. Cuts & bruises heal and those are the smaller challenges in life. I bruise very easy & it goes with a gentle spirit. I used to think, "Oh my gosh, another bruise!" and wonder where it came from. Who, when, how? Now I know bumps and bruises come from all walks of life. Different people, places, and things. I know they will happen & now I know to accept them. They are a part of you. There are so many happenings day to day that I can't keep track.
    
    Another thing I find fascinating is the colors of bruises. As each stage goes by it transforms. Depending on the force that caused it, the intensity can be even more significant. From deep purple, like fierce emotion, to blue. Blue can be like a storm rolling in about to ruin a day or light blue as the rain and tears. From blue it goes to green & that's the middle stage from beginning to the end. Green goes to yellow, the healing color. Everything is getting brighter & back to normal as time goes by. And we all go through stages in life. Some take longer to heal & some we get over quickly.
   
     It may sound strange, but when I see a new bruise I stare at it for a moment. Then I find peace knowing it will go away. Maybe that's why I've learned to get over things quickly. Usually! Usually I'm back to being me & forgiving & sometimes not always so soon. But, maybe that's because I'm so used to it & experienced it so many times that I don't even count. I just look and think, it will pass.
    
     The scars will always be a reminder but maybe that's why I like them so much. They tell their own story and you almost never forget any of them. Sometimes I give them a sigh & start to get down but remember that they make me who I am. Without them, who knows the type of person I may be.
    
     That's why I say bumped & bruised but not broken. I'm here, alive, & I embrace my body & every imperfection. I wouldn't want to be perfect and I'd rather just love who I am. I'm like Humpty Dumpty except I DID get put back together again. Stitched, stapled, glued, bandaged & I'm still here. I'm still me just maybe slighted cracked!

Be open minded

    If people are supposed to be open minded then that would mean our brains would be on the outside. But since we are born with them on the inside, does that mean that we are naturally closed minded? So, therefore we have to unscrew them to be open and let things in, then screw them back up. Because we're all a little screwy. That's why most people have screws. "Has a few screws loose." Heard that term before?
Well there you go!
   
     But we have to remember to be open minded now and then. Because if we keep it closed for too long, in the dark grows mold. And who wants moldy minds? But there are people like that unfortunately and there are reprocusions. As the mold grows, so does the bacteria, and eventually it enters your entire blood system. So now your mind is slowly dissolving and after a while people really don't care what you say because you make no sense. Side effects may include, but aren't limited to, rudeness, stupidity, inability to properly have a conversation with another human being, and hearing problems.
    
     Now it is sometimes difficult to find the area between too open or too closed that is just the right amount.
If it's open all the time or too much, the mind becomes overwhelmed. Thoughts get very crowded. It's hard to have an opinion. Someone who is too open minded can be compared to a garbage can on the sidewalk. People just toss all kinds of things inside and next thing you know, you're overflowing and need to be changed out. (Some people, I think, definitly need a new brain!) Anyway, less the smell, find a boundary.
    
     Back to the screws. Screws are good because they hold so well. Keys get lost, hinges break and it's easy to get inside. And knobs, that just wouldn't work. But screws are hidden easily, unless you're bald. Just like fingerprints, everyone's screws are unique. This whole idea also explains the effects of aging. As you grow older much further in life things start to shrink and shrivel. That's why old people are so crazy and lost is due to the shrinking process and screws falling out. And of course....they can't find their glasses to locate the screws.
  
     And that is the distintion between open minded and closed minded and how it all fits together! (Get it? Fits?)

Star Sweepers

I wasn't high or anything when I wrote this just so you know. I have a lot of off the wall thoughts and I write them down when I can't sleep. And I was thinking one night, about the past and about the stars, and this was actually written on 10/18/2007.
  Cloudy nights sweeping stars off the sky. Yet the moon, shines bright. At night the moon is the light. It shows life in the dark.
???What am I talking about??? Sweeping stars just sounded so pretty to me.
 I pictured little people sweeping stars away with a big broom. Some nights you see stars. Other nights they're swept away. Maybe it's little night time fairies, cleaner fairies, custodial fairies. Star Sweepers.
  Have you ever stared up at the sky at night and wondered where all the stars went? Some nights you can see all the stars and other nights they're all swept away. Truth is, there are fallen stars, lost stars, and even dying stars. But there can't just be lost, dead, fallen stars lying around, crowding up the beautiful night sky. That's why we have star sweepers. They do the dirty work while the world is asleep. They go around sweeping up all the lost, dead, fallen stars and push them in a big pile. This big pile is actually known as the "sun". That's why the sun is so bright all tbe time. Because the star sweepers are always adding new fire to the flame. Without the little star sweepers our night would be chaos.
  Star sweepers...the custodial fairies of the night.