Friendship

recently, i have learned that people i trusted and depended on do not value me the way i had hoped. as i went through difficult times, i watched as they alienated me and left me to overcome obstacles alone.
on the other hand, i watched other friends support me and love me, and truly step up to the plate when i needed them.
however, i happened upon this article and it got me to thinking. why would i continue to put myself out there when those individuals have shown they don't know what it means to be a friend?
just... food for thought. a true friend would never abandon you in your time of need.

http://www.marcandangel.com/2013/07/21/9-things-a-true-friend-would-never-do/

God is Gay

Falling in Love

Before you fall in love with me, you have to understand. I come with baggage. A lot. You must know about the meltdowns, the nights of endless tears, the depression. You must know about my damaged heart, my broken soul. Be aware of the nightmares, the fact I sleep with a  teddy bear, and am deathly afraid of the dark. You must know about my insecurities, my constant fear of being left behind, my tendency to talk in my sleep.

But once you fall in love with that part of me, you can fall in love with my smile and my freckles and the way I crinkle my nose when I get excited. You can fall in love with my dimples and my ticklish spots and my willingness to be the big spoon occasionally. I'll kiss you when you're hurting, I'll always listen. I'll be your best friend, you confidant, your support. You can either fall in love with me as a whole, or not love me at all.

The Perfect Man

I am no longer half of an engaged couple. That's pretty hard for me to wrap my head around, mostly because I have not been 'just' Kaeli for three years. For three years, my name has immediately been associated with Michael's.

Now I'm in a difficult position. Who am I without him?

Truth be told, our relationship broken a long time ago. But when you love someone, you're willing to play pretend, and smooth over the wrinkles.

So now, I see all these single girlfriends telling me that there are better men, I deserve my prince charming, you'll find your soul mate, and have been pushed towards 'I know this great guy,' or, 'Let me tell you, I have a friend...'

I have come to a compromise.

Yes, I deserve better than the way I was treated. Those hidden, secret wounds ripped open by someone who was never supposed to betray me.

But... I'm not convinced there's a 'better' or a 'perfect.'

I see cutesy little posts on facebook with long, elaborate descriptions of the perfect man. Let me break it to you, ladies. No man is going to go buy you tampons, chocolate and a chick flick, then come home and watch it with you lovingly while you are a raging, angry, hormonal witch, bloated and negative and complaining about every move he makes.

Why can't the perfect man exist?

Because you yourself are imperfect.

How can you expect something from someone when you are unable to replicate it yourself? Remember, if you're allowed to mess up, he should be too. Be forgiving, be patient.

You will find him. He will be wonderful. But occasionally, you will want to strangle him. He may not be able to show you he loves you in the way you want, because honey, he's got a different downstairs mix-up. He's a man. You don't actually want to be with your best friend minus the boobs, do you?

Hold out for passion. Hold out for friendship. Hold out for butterflies and romance and let yourself fall hard. Because love, true love, is a beautiful, messy, confusing thing. And quite honestly, it wouldn't be nearly as special if it wasn't such an imperfect journey.

“They didn’t agree on much. In fact, they didn’t agree on anything. They fought all the time and challenged each other every day. But despite their differences, they had one important thing in common. They were crazy about each other.”

― Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook

A Letter to My Sister

After reading my own sister's blog about the trials she faced in her life, I can't help but feel the strongest urge to weep. You see, The King girls haven't had it easy. Between our own mistakes and the folly of others, this world has certainly taken it's toll.

My sister, Tiffany, is the reason I am alive today. When I was in a place all too similar to what she has endured in the past, my mother packed me up, drove my across the country, and led me to my sister who greeted me with open arms.
When living with my sister, I was anything but helpful. Still dealing with unbelievable pain and agony, I had yet to verbalize my struggle to my sister. I resented her in this time. Here she was, with such a modest life, and yet, she was so happy. Tink had gone through a different struggle than my own, but one of similar magnitude. I watched her be gracious to her husband, gentle and patient with her children, and loving and giving to myself. Me, still dealing with immense anger with God... I began directing that anger towards my loving sister.

Over that summer, I struggled to maintain the walls I had built around myself. I slept late, went to bed early. I ate, I babysat, I existed. I was not helpful. I was not open. I was not thankful for the sister who had opened her home and heart to me.

However, Tiffany's patience overcame my stubbornness. The walls began to crumble. I began listening to the teachings of my sister. I began opening my heart to the family surrounding me... that small, four person family with a faith in God's plan that I still envy.

Tink loved me when I appeared at her door, scarred and angry, hurt, closed, and alone. When the entire population of Asheville, North Carolina could not love and comfort me... my sister loved me enough.

I wish I could put into words what that summer gave me. But no words are adequate to demonstrate the strength of my sister. When I picture God's grace, I see my sister's face. There is no person in my life who has been a better depiction of a Christ-like grace than my own flesh and blood-Tiffany.

To this day, she is still my guide and confidant in terms of my faith. When I had lost that faith, she led by example and brought me back into the fold.
Again, words are not adequate. But the love I feel for my sister... I hope she feels it.

Tink's Blog:
Tink Happy Thoughts: Growing Pains... (long but worth it) *wink*: When I have a conversation in my mind the world outside goes blurry. Kind of like the teacher on the Peanuts cartoons, or moments that ar...

My Life as a Sorority Officer

This article was posted on a "TSM" website. And it's pretty much my life in a nutshell.


If you want to develop character, better yourself, and regularly contemplate homicide become a sorority officer. Being on exec board will inspire you, excite you, and put you through hell. It’s a totally different type of hazing. You will learn how to become a leader, and you will learn it the hard way. Girls will disagree with you every step of the way. Over-opinionated seniors will tell you you’re doing everything wrong and leading to the destruction of the chapter. (They’re just sad they’re leaving…let it ride.) As a matter of fact, you will consistently feel like the chapter is about to fall into chaos. I remember the night my sophomore year when we went into crisis mode over formal t-shirts and I sat up with the other officers until 2:00 AM, comforting our crying t-shirt chair and making phone calls. Like seriously…we were CRYING over T-SHIRTS. However, in the end it makes you stronger. You learn how to run a committee meeting, judge the talents of your committee members, and effectively delegate all the stuff you’d rather have someone else do for you. You learn that exec meetings are a completely useless necessity, and you will sit quietly through them each week pretending that you don’t have wine in your travel mug. You learn how to speak so that people will listen, and how to give orders politely…most of the time. You learn how stuff really gets done. This is one of the reasons that Greeks are better at life.
This country would be better off if it were solely run by sorority girls. Not only would everything be more organized (since we’re obvi the most organized creatures on the planet) but there would probably be a lot more pink and glitter too. Kidding. Kinda. But seriously, you have to learn to be organized if you want to finish your schoolwork and sorority work in time to go to the bar. We might not (ever even attempt to) stick to a “budget” when shopping for ourselves, but the recruitment budget is written in stone, and we know how to make the most of it. A seasoned sorority officer could have this little deficit problem sorted out in a heartbeat. Finally, we know when to listen and when to talk. I listen to opinions and advice, but in the end I do the job I was elected to do and make the hard decisions, even if they’re unpopular. The chapter’s needs come first.
One night this semester a sister was comforting me over wine as I had a meltdown after a brutal recruitment workshop. A group of newly initiated sisters came home from dinner, and we watched them cross the entryway, giggling and gossiping. “Remember,” she told me, “you’re doing this for them.”
In the end being an officer is one of the most selfless things a sorority woman can do. Sure, you will go on a crazy power-trip or twelve at some point, you will argue viciously over insignificant details, and you will learn the frighteningly awesome feeling of telling people what to do and having them listen because you said it. However, you will also be securing the future for your chapter. Someone has to care about all those silly little details so that every event can be as perfect as your sisters are. It takes that level of absolute devotion from a handful of women to keep the chapter running smoothly. Your sacrifices of time, energy, sleep, and sanity will guarantee that all of your current and future sisters can continue to have the amazing experience you have had.

Read more at http://totalfratmove.com/756947#thR4wGKOTl8dEI57.99

The Trouble With Government

 Charley Reese has been a journalist of 49 years. His final column for the Orlando Sentinel is as follows. I encourage you to read it all.


545 vs. 300,000,000 People
-By Charlie Reese

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The President does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a President to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits.. ( The President can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.)

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House?( John Boehner. He is the leader of the majority party. He and fellow House members, not the President, can approve any budget they want. ) If the President vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to. [The House has passed a budget but the Senate has not approved a budget in over three years. The President's proposed budgets have gotten almost unanimous rejections in the Senate in that time. ]

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.

If the Army & Marines are in Iraq and Afghanistan it's because they want them in Iraq and Afghanistan ..

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power.
Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible. They, and they alone, have the power.



Here is "The Tax Poem" that went along with the article:

Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table,
At which he's fed.

Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes
Are the rule.

Tax his work,
Tax his pay,
He works for
peanuts anyway!

Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.

Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think.

Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries
Tax his tears.

Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his ass.

Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won't be done
Till he has no dough.

When he screams and hollers;
Then tax him some more,
Tax him till
He's good and sore.

Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he's laid...

Put these words
Upon his tomb,
'Taxes drove me
to my doom...'

When he's gone,
Do not relax,
Its time to apply
The inheritance tax.
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon)
Gross Receipts Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Personal Property Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service Charge Tax
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
Sales Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax

What Makes Me

I wouldn't be me without Phi Sigma Sigma.

Who I Am

i don't often post personal things, but i kind of feel it's appropriate. let me be clear-this not a cry for help or seeking attention, etc. this is to demonstrate how i feel about myself. after all, it took me many years to love who i am.

 

i am a kind, honest person. i believe i have a light within me, and a positive energy. i believe my spiritual gift is the gift of empathy.

 many people dislike how open i am, and my tendency to be extremely sensitive. but i consider it SUCH a blessing! after all i have been through, i am still capable of loving fully, and whole-heartedly. yes, i have a vulnerable heart. at times, that is my greatest downfall. but it is also my greatest attribute.

 

i have not let the world taint my views. i have not let the harshness and cruelty of others change who i am, or my ability to love. how remarkable, and what a gift! because, as a friend, i give until i have nothing left-and never ask for anything in return.

 

i am also capable of doing the right thing-even when it is extremely difficult. i put what is ethical before myself and my desires. that being said, if you are incapable of seeing me and knowing who i am… then i pity you. i am a good, honest, moral person. i do what is right. if you doubt that, then you don’t know me at all.

i am PROUD of who i am… and i will never change.