Blaze your own path.

I learned a very long time ago to follow my own path.  It seems what I’m destined to do.  Somewhere along the way, those people that kept telling me what I should be doing, gave me enough reason to turn my back on them, and simply walk away.

I come from a small town in Texas, where the status-quo is to work your ass off the rest of your life and retire.  Give your life to the company, and hopefully one day you’ll still be able to enjoy what is left of your life.  In all honesty, I cannot find a positive way to say that....  So yeah, I found a high paying temp job, worked there a few months, when it was over, I pooled my money and left.

Sixteen hundred miles later, I was standing in the most beautiful place I have ever seen.  Though it was a struggle, I clawed out my life there, and worked so very hard to keep it.  While I was there, I was immersed in beauty, and learned the skill to see the true beauty in life which in turn showed me how to  truly believe in this amazingly beautiful thing called life.

An Essay on Writing - Part 2/2 (Trial, Error, and Accomplishment)

(( Continued from Part 1/2 ))

I know that some planning is key.  Once upon a time, I wrote a short story that people absolutely loved.  So I wrote another, then another.  People loved the story, so I decided to write more of them for people.  Then a friend of mine said, “You realize your main character changed names?”

I remember writing the stories and thinking in the third, “Its time to give this guy a name.”  I thought I had written the first two stories trying to keep everything nameless, but after rereading it, I didn’t.  In fact, other details changed, like eye color....  It was my first time trying to write a series and realizing I need an Outline.  So I went back, reread those stories and took tons of notes along the way.  Then I went back and rewrote the first two stories, and started to conceive and plan the rest of the series.

Metric Milestones

Milestones are such simple little things that always seem to mean so much.  Just a round number most times, they tend to radiate an accomplishment.  There are so many stats on this blog thing, so much to keep track of.  I have surpassed 1000 page views, and I’m very happy about that milestone.

But now what’s next for me?  I am actually close to getting 1000 pages views per month, maybe that will be it.  I know I’ll keep track the next two, 2000 and 2500 total page views.  And I’m steadily approaching 50 posts.  I currently have 86 published comments, so that’s approaching 100, which will be a nice one, though I don’t see a stat about how many were mine....

(poem) Strive

Delusions of grandeur
Dreams of greatness
They can be seen on the horizon
Yet be as elusive as Nessie of Loch Ness

They are figments of the imagination
Yet things for which we strive
Some people fully believe
To achieve them is to be alive

We walk this Earth
Striving for a destiny
Yet most are doomed
To an existence kin to a zombie.

I’ve watched dreams thrive
I’ve watched them die
I’ve achieved my happiness
In the blink of an eye

I crave so much more
Yet that is not as important
As simply learning to live
Within each and every moment

Goals are great
Dreams are good
Enjoy this life
In every way you would

Pain is temporary
As is life
Your dreams are your pinpoints
To move you from strife

Achieve what you can
Smile every day
For maybe sometime
You can enjoy where you lay

I enjoy my dreams
And strive to achieve them
Go strive for your own
I'm imploring you with this poem

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

Acheivements

Human achievement is astounding.  How can anyone not just step back and marvel at what we have done in such a short time on this planet.  Nothing on this planet before humans could even build their own shelter....  We’ve tamed nature in so many ways, and somehow we haven’t managed to kill everyone and everything on this planet yet.

And yet, it goes mostly ignore by all, especially the media.  I had to learn that there is another Mars Rover today on a blog.  A blog....  Not the news, not the media, but someone sharing an obscure link from YouTube on the landing of the vehicle....  Pitiful.

But that’s been the entire history of the space program here in the US.  Completely ignored for the most part, unless some kind of drama occurs.  Most of the footage from the Apollo missions, shot live, were not broadcast....