Youthful Life: X

“Everyone longs to be loved. And the greatest thing we can do is to let people know that they are loved and capable of loving.” Mr. Rogers I am a certified loverboy. I am a romantic. I am believer in the all powerful nature of love. Never have I ever been in love. When I started writing this blog I was 17 years-old, and now I am 30. What a life that has been lived and one with so much left to experience. There is so much discourse about how love, relationships, dating, etc. have changed as generations take the helm of those experiences and the introduction of technology both in dating apps, and social media has radically changed our access to people and information about them. Is it supposed to be easier? Has social media and the endless barrage of swipes, taps, likes, messages, etc. changed our love lives for the better or has it made us gutted connections leaving vapid exchanges in their place? To be this age and to not had that seemingly major human experience can be anxiety-induci...

" The only limit to your impact is your imagination and commitment." Tony Robbins   I think I have commitment issues . The entire idea of permanence sends shivers down my spine. It just seems so ... final  - you know? I have spent my entire life always moving on. Everything I have done has always had an expiration date. It was always going to get better because I was going to leave at some point. High school and all its social clique induced anxiety ended, college and its adventures in pretentiousness and depravity ended, grad school zoomed on by, and you get the point. Now I'm in this phase of my life where things could be permanent if I wanted them to be. There is this new possibility that I could stay, that I could choose to be here, and to do so indefinitely. People around me are getting engaged, buying houses, having children, etc. and then there's me still waiting to move on, like I have always done. I don't think I know how to do anything else. Those...

The 20s are all about entering into a time in your life. Many a high school facebook friend has been unfriended throughout my college years but there are still a few hundred that I keep just to creep on and their lives are more interesting than I ever could have imagined. That's the twenties for ya. You never know what way your life will go. Some people are doing career-starting internships, some of pursuing education, some are dating, some are getting married, some are having kids, and some are exactly where I last saw them. The spectrum of what people are doing is almost unfathomable. For some it seems the party never started (*cough me cough ) and for others the party never stopped. Either way, there's this little thing I like to call a contact hangover, and I'm feeling it. Marriage . Pause, and just reflect on that really quick. That's a big freaking deal. Two people are becoming one so long as they live, till death do they part, forever and ever, and ever. I don...

Being a teenager is all about being present for the most important moments. I can't stress the necessity of showing your support enough. When people who care about one another come together, anything is possible. Life is so much more fun when you have people to share it with. That's why we're given families, and we make friends, and we search for our spouses. We're not supposed to make this journey all alone, we need people. Once you're connected, joined, bonded, and stuck together - it's till death do us part. It's been a while since you last heard from me, your favorite teenage blogger but it's been a crazy couple of days. Let me catch you up in the best way I know how - a vlog! Check out the epic weekend that was my brother's wedding celebration. Let me just say that it was an amazing experience and I was so happy and proud to be part of it and to add new people to our family and see my brother happier than ever before. One down, 4 to go for ...

Being a teenager is all about marriage. Pause right there, no I did NOT knock a girl up and am trying to do the right thing and wife her up  (Maury would prove I was NOT the father anyway). None of that 16 and pregnant nonsense or psycho Lifetime women with bridal fever. Marriage, that is the uniting of two people becoming one, is a sacred thing (well not in this day and age). Holy matrimony, I do's and all the lovey-dovey smooching in between. It's about honesty, unconditional love, and true vulnerability. Wedding bells are about to ring, don't get cold feet.  So you're probably wondering what's up with all this wedding stuff, well my oldest brother, Rocky, is getting married to his fiancee, Kristen, this weekend! Yup, one of us five is taking the leap of faith and officially starting his life with someone else. Honestly, I can't believe it and I'm shock, and won't really come to terms with it until we're all getting dressed up in tuxedos and d...

Being a teenager is all about seeing a kindred spirit. It's about getting back the fronts people put up and getting a glimpse into who they really are. It's about going deeper, seeing the humanity and all the insecurities we all share. When people retract the curtain and you're given a peek into their inner workings, you're entire perception of people changes. We drop the veil. One of the problems people have with making friends is getting back this weird phase where you're stuck between acquaintances and friendship. Someone has to initiate crossing to bridge and move on from talking about class, weather and food - we all have backup friends and parents for that boredom (do I look like you're lawyer?). We need more, something real, and something we can work with. We have to see the people behind the capes, make up, and facades. Who's behind there (but supehero masks work though, even Oliver Queen though?). What lies beneath? Who are you when there's ...