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Sunday, March 22, 2015

The Height Induced Anxiety Conundrum At The Good Ol' Hockey Game

I'll be the first one to admit that I can take sports, or I can leave sports.  I don't mind playing the occasional game of basketball or soccer, but I can't stand football or tennis.

And watching sports games on television for me is a lot like watching paint dry.  There's only so much excitement watching your teams score runs, touchdowns, and goals on a thirty-nine inch television screen before you start to get bored and ask people to pass the honey garlic chicken wings.

Arguably, the experience in watching sports events is much better when you go to an actual game and watch it live as it is happening.  There's really nothing like being in the stands or bleachers of a baseball diamond or football stadium watching the crowds go wild over their teams, and cheering for your favourite players as they do their best to win the game.



Well, a few days ago, I got the opportunity to see a game.



The date was March 19, 2015.  The place was Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario.  The time was 7:30pm.  And the game was the match up between the Boston Bruins and the Ottawa Senators.  Whichever team won would move on in their quest to win the Stanley Cup.



And, I was there.



You see, the same day that the game was being played, earlier in the afternoon, my nephew and his hockey team were taking part in the "Sens Gameday Experience" (at least, I THINK that's what it was called).  Anyway, they received the opportunity to play a simulated game on the ice rink at Canadian Tire Centre, and we all decided that it would make sense to just get tickets to the hockey game that was playing that night.

And what a game it was!  The final score was Ottawa 6, Boston 4.  But the way that both teams were playing on the ice, you could tell that both teams really wanted the win.  As soon as one team scored (the first goal was scored less than thirty seconds into the first period by Ottawa!), the other team would score right behind them.  At the end of the second, the score was tied 4-4.

Like I said, it was a really close game.

All in all, the experience of going to a hockey game (my very first professional hockey game ever - I know, I'm supposed to be Canadian here - was a fantastic one, and I would easily welcome the opportunity to go to another one.

However, there was one obstacle that I had to get over before I started to have fun at the game.  And in order to explain it, I want to show you my hockey game ticket again to highlight something.



My seat for the venue was section 304, row P, seat 19. 

The way that Canadian Tire Centre is laid out, you have the 100 section, which is the section that is closest to the ice rink.  You get a full view of the players, the goals, and the sight of a hockey player losing a tooth or two during a scrap with the opposing team's goalie.

The 200 section is located about 15-20 feet above the 100 section.  This is a section that will allow you to have a higher up view of the action, but will still allow you to make out the players on the ice and follow along with the game.

I was on the 300 section.  A section that is WAAAAAAY higher than the 200 section.  And we were in the third row from the top.

Did I mention that I have an extreme fear of heights?  One that causes me to experience vertigo if I climb too high up a ladder?



So when I snapped this picture with my cell phone (which I was having trouble steadying because my hand was shaking so badly), you can imagine why I initially was a little bit nervous about being seated up so high!

I thought to myself, "there's no way I am getting through this game without having a panic attack, or passing out from being so high".  And for a brief moment, I questioned why I was there in the first place.

But then I started to try and face the fear.  I was not letting my fear of heights stop me from enjoying the game.  All I had to do was two things - don't look down more than you have to, and keep your gaze on a fixed object until you feel more comfortable.

Sure enough, our seats faced the giant Jumbotron in the middle of the rink, so I focused on that.  And after a few minutes of staring at the Jumbotron, I started to relax a bit more until the anxiety went away.

Still...if I do this again, I will happily pay more money for a seat closer to the action.  Believe me, it's better for everyone.

Saturday, March 21, 2015

The Music Interview Shuffle!!!

Okay, so sometimes I like to play a little game or two inside of this blog entry, and I thought that in the spirit of all things fun, I would play a little game with all of you.

Before I go ahead, I want all of you to go around your home or workplace and find either an iPod, an mp3 player, a cell phone (if your phone is capable of playing music), or even a CD player that is capable of playing at least three CD's at one time. 

And I want you to take your playlist of songs and set the list to shuffle.  That way, you never know what you will get.  Trust me, I have over eleven hundred songs on mine.  I literally have no idea what songs will be playing on shuffle, and that's really the whole idea.

You see, I'm going to be posting a series of interview questions.  And you have to answer them using song titles and song titles only.  And where do you get these song titles?

Well, from your shuffled playlist, of course!

I just have one rule.  No cheating.  No skipping songs.  You have to be absolutely truthful.  If you have a Britney Spears song or a One Direction song or a Dolly Parton song, don't be ashamed.  Post it. 

Now, I will be providing some music clips to accompany some of my answers...as well as trying to explain how I can justify the song titles...which I think could be more fun than actually listening to the songs!

There's 32 questions in all.  And by me doing this, you'll know a little more about me and my...shall we say...eclectic musical tastes.

I think this'll be fun.  Shall we get started?



1.  What is your name?
Better The Devil You Know - Kylie Minogue
(So, apparently my name is a big secret...)

2.  Male or female?
In My House - Mary Jane Girls
(So, we'll just go with N/A with that one.  So far, batting a thousand...)



3.  If someone asks you "is this okay?", you say...
Tarzan Boy - Baltimora
(I do a Tarzan yell?  Yeah, that's normal...)

4.  What would best describe your personality?
Groove Is In The Heart - Deee-Lite
(You know, let's go with that one.  I like it.)

5.  What do you look for in a mate?
Interstate Love Song - Stone Temple Pilots
(Well...the song has the word "love" in the title...that's something, I suppose.)

6.  How do you feel today?
The Remedy (I Won't Worry) - Jason Mraz
(Well, I just got over the flu a few days ago.  This fits.)

7.  What is your life's purpose?
The Sweet Escape - Gwen Stefani
(This could not be more true...)



8.  What is your motto?
Voodoo Child - Rogue Traders
(I don't quite understand...but whatever.  Good song.)

9.  What do your friends think of you?
Hey Jealousy - Gin Blossoms
(I suppose one or two MIGHT be...but not the majority.  You really have nothing to be jealous of.  Believe me.)



10.  What do you think about very often?
Charms - The Philosopher Kings
(Let's see...I don't have a charm bracelet, and have not eaten Lucky Charms since...oh...1992?  I don't think so.)

11.  What does 2+2=?
Manchild - Neneh Cherry
(Boy...did I fail math class or what?)

12.  What do you think of your best friend?
Poison Arrow - ABC
(According to this, I should find a new best friend!!!)



13.  What do you think of the person you like?
French Kissin' (In The U.S.A.) - Debbie Harry
(Well...eventually we'd get there...if I had someone I liked, that is.  LOL!)

14.  What is your life story?
If You Cared - Kim Appleby
(Yep.  If you cared, I wouldn't be so screwed up.  Just kidding!  I swear it!  Although, this could also be seen from my own point of view in that I care.  WAY TOO MUCH!!!)

15.  What do you want to be when you grow up?
Take A Bow - Madonna
(No thanks...being an actor?  That boat has sailed.)

16.  What do your parents think of you?
Bus Stop - The Hollies
(Um...they want me to catch a bus?  What the hell?)

17.  What do you think when you see the person you like?
Fallin' For You - Colbie Caillat
(Wow...how appropriate!  I swear I am not cheating here.)

18.  What song will you dance to at your wedding?
Hot In The City - Billy Idol
(Really?!?  Well, I suppose there are worse songs...)

19.  What song will they play at your funeral?
Eternal Flame - Bangles
(Somehow...this seems somewhat appropriate...well, except for the line where they sing 'do you feel my heart beating, do you understand'.  Yeah, if that happens, it's not a funeral.  It's a zombie apocalypse.)



20.  What is your hobby or interest?
Crocodile Rock - Elton John
(Nope...not into crocodiles at all - though I did watch "The Crocodile Hunter" show back in the day.)

21.  What do you think of your friends?
Drop Dead Gorgeous - Republica
(Considering that I think all my friends are more attractive than I am, this works.)

22.  What's the worst thing that could happen?
Steppin' Out - Joe Jackson
(Great, maybe I should just start building my "end of the world" bomb shelter now.)

23.  How will you die?
Blank Space - Taylor Swift
(So, I'll either have a death that is inconclusive, or I will literally be struck in the head by a blank tile from a cinema marquee.  Or, maybe nobody will really know...)



24.  What is the one thing you regret?
Day After Day - Badfinger
(The question was WHAT I regret...not WHEN...)

25.  What makes you laugh?
Stupid Girl - Garbage
(So. Going. To. Hell.)

26.  What makes you cry?
I Wanna Be Rich - Calloway
(The irony is...I am NOT materialistic whatsoever.  If I do cry, it's because of the people who have money who spend it on stupid stuff.)

27.  Will you ever get married?
Would I Lie To You? - Charles & Eddie
(Answering a question with a question is a great way to avoid subjects!)

28.  What scares you the most?
Dirty Laundry - Don Henley
(If we're talking exposing secrets...that is scary stuff.  If we're talking dirty clothing - even scarier.)



29.  Does anyone like you?
For The Cool In You - Babyface
(I take it by that answer that some do, in fact, find the cool in me.)

30.  If you could go back in time, what would you change?
Brave - Sara Bareilles
(Interesting song...and I suppose it's true.  If I could go back in time, I'd tell the kid me to grow a backbone and fight back against those boneheads.)



31.  What hurts right now?
I Don't Care Anymore - Phil Collins
(I don't know how to interpret that.  Does it hurt because I don't care?  Do I not care to answer the question?  Come on, work with me Phil!)

32.  What is your greatest inspiration?
September - Earth, Wind, & Fire
(To me, September just seems like any ordinary month...but maybe there's something to it.)

Friday, March 20, 2015

Random Observations...



How can it be called Entertainment Tonight, when they keep talking about non-entertaining events that happened two Wednesdays ago?

If Sandra Oh were alive in the 1800's and married John Deere, would she then be known as Sandra Oh Deere?

And, then if she divorced John Deere, and married Jack Lord, would she then be known as Sandra Oh Deere Lord?

If Candy Crush Saga was an Olympic sport, there would be a shortage in gold medals.



Shouldn't Bart Simpson be in his thirties by now?



In real life, Garfield would have died sometime in 1995.

In real life, Archie and Jughead would be collecting social security, and Betty and Veronica would be drinking Ensure at the nursing home.

It's funny that characters on teen shows can stay in high school for six or seven years and yet nobody seems to think anything of it.



It is realistic to make a 34 year old play a 15 year old on screen...some 34 year olds I know ACT like they're 15 or less.

About the show Perfect Strangers...it lasted eight seasons. You'd think that after season two, they'd no longer BE strangers...

I'd like to see a 1000 items or less line at the supermarket checkout...just to see if anyone notices.



If they're supposedly America's Next TOP model...why do we never hear anything about them?

If Toonie Tuesdays at KFC keep going up in price, they'll soon be known as Five-Dollar Fridays.

Super Mario can shoot fireballs, fly through the air, gobble up mushrooms at any given time, ride a dinosaur, kick some turtle shells, become a statue, swim like a frog, and travel through outer space, yet he STILL can't protect Princess Peach. If I were Peach, I'd have walked away a long time ago.



If fourteen games have been released, how can you call it a FINAL fantasy?

Things I learned from viewing soap operas...if you send your five year old son up to bed on a Friday, he'll return on a Monday, aged 27 and married.

Can a person still be called an American Idol if they were raised in Texas but born in Canada?

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Real Life Wacky Packages!

A few months ago, I wrote a blog about Wacky Packages.  You remember?  Those stickers that featured MAD Magazine style spoofs on some of your favourite household products and turned them into wacky products that one would likely never use in their real homes.

Well, this might surprise some of you, but believe it or not there are some real life Wacky Packages out there in this world.

Seriously, just type in the words "funny food packaging" on Google and you will come up with dozens of examples of food products that look amazingly like those classic Wacky Packages cards that kids used to collect and trade.

Here's the kicker.  These products are 100% real.

Now, some of them are just mistakes in translation.  A lot of the examples that I found happen to be from overseas (specifically Asia), and they are probably delicious products on the inside, but the packaging just makes them the worst things ever created - even worse than some of the dishes prepared on "Hell's Kitchen"!

And some of them are just as bad as they sound.

I've scourged the Internet for examples of these in action (giving credit to pixgood, powderfulengalish, funnypictures, boredpanda, deadstate, crazyhyena and newslinq for the images presented in this post), and I have found twelve examples of REAL LIFE WACKY PACKAGES!

Get ready to be grossed out!



1.  I can't say that my own grandmother tasted like Black Raspberry homemade jam...but who knows?  Maybe somewhere out there are fruit flavoured grandmothers.  Not that I am willing to conduct any research on that.



2.  I wonder what kind of recipe goes into making "Soup for Sluts"?



3.  You know, of all the things that the manufacturers of this pasta could have named this dish after, why would they go with boobs?  I can't say I've ever seen any that look like THAT!



4.  Um...yeah...I think I'm gonna pass on that one.



5.  Oh, yeah...nothing says hydration and energy quite like a nice dose o' booty sweat...



6.  Who the heck came up with this name?!?  Is it because the tea smells like a urinal cake?



7.  Anyone want to take a stab at how much nutrisweet they add to this stuff to make it "diet" water?



8.  Those are either the most complicated spoons I have ever seen, or someone at one of the Walmart processing plants fell asleep at the assembly line.



9.  I'm only assuming that this is a knockoff of the Mars bar.  But seriously, we had seven other planets that could have been selected for a name!  Why pick the controversially named one?



10.  So, basically, that can contains air.  Good to know.




11.  I don't know what is worse.  The fact that this is for butt massages, or the fact that Paula Deen is endorsing it.




12.  Say it with me folks.  EWWWWWWWW!!!  

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

THROW YOUR COFFEE CUPS AWAY!!!

March 18, 2015

You know, it's been a while since I've done a bit of a rant in this space.  In recent weeks, I've felt no need to do such a thing as I've been more or less satisfied with...oh...79% of the way life is right now.

(We won't discuss the other 21% of Life.  That still needs attention.)

But you know, I don't make this rant on behalf of just myself...but for all of my fellow retail workers.  The cashiers, the floor workers, the overnight crew, and the maintenance crew who work hard each day.  This blog post is for all of you.

You see, there are some things about my own retail experiences that I find minor inconveniences, but I have learned not to let them bother me.  Well, bother me MUCH, that is.  Really, there's no point in stressing out about things that you cannot change.  Trust me, that is a lesson that I have had to learn the hard way.

But here's the deal.  There is one thing that really "grinds my gears", as Peter Griffin is apt to say on "Family Guy".  Something that I see happen every day I come into work that makes me really shake my head in disbelief.

In fact, I have photographic evidence of this.  Have a look.



So, yeah...I don't think that's where you put a discarded drink container.  I mean, the first thing that randomly pops through my head when I'm shopping for $10 DVD's is "oh, I have finished my drink, and I don't know what to do with the cup.  Whatever should I do?  Oh, I know!  Let's put it in the movies...who is going to know anyway?"

Well, I'll tell you who knows.  WE KNOW.  And you know who ends up having to take care of them?  WE DO!

And the sad thing is, I probably dispose of at least eight of these every shift.  So, given that I work a five day work week with eight hours in each shift, that works out to...oh...thirty-two cups a week, or a cup an hour.  Oh, and don't think it's limited to just soda containers.  They also include coffee cups, juice bottles, wrappers from Big Macs, and even a half melted ice cream cone.

Yes.  You read that correctly.  A half melted ice cream cone that melted all over a display of paint rollers.  You don't even want to know what a mess that was to clean up. 

Now, I suppose that it's easy enough to accidentally leave behind a coffee cup and completely forget all about it.  It is entirely possible to do.  But having to dispose of several cups at a time - especially cups that have already had the rim rolled up in hopes of winning the "Roll Up The Rim To Win" contest - yeah, that's inexcusable.



You see this?  That is what we call a garbage can.  And in any store that is a significant size, you can find several of these available all over the place.  In fact, in the area I work at, we actually have a trash can right next to our paint mixer.  It is extremely easy to spot!

In other words, THERE IS NO EXCUSE TO LEAVE YOUR GARBAGE ON THE SHELF!!!

Truth be told, maybe this is the old-fashioned traditionalist in me speaking here, but I wish we could go back to a time in which food and beverages are banned from places of business.  Unfortunately, this is the time in which food courts in shopping malls are getting bigger, and department stores are adding sit down restaurants into their floor plans, so I don't see that happening any time soon.

But as far as solving the problem?  I honestly only have one idea.  I wish we could charge people with some sort of coffee cup disposal fee, where if someone ditches a coffee cup on a random shelf instead of in a garbage can, we should have the right to charge people a percentage of the price of what they paid for their beverage.  Then all the money that gets collected gets split up among all the employees that were working that day.  I bet if you had to do that, you'd rethink randomly dropping empty cups all over the store.

So, to cap this blog entry off...THROW YOUR GARBAGE IN A CAN!!!

Thank you.  Rant over.

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

March 17, 1990

Top o' the mornin' to ye!  Where's me Lucky Charms?

Yes, if you haven't figured it out, today is St. Patrick's Day...the day in which everyone in the world becomes a little more Irish, where people dance jigs in the streets, and where people guzzle back pitchers of green beer as if there is no tomorrow.

Well, okay.  I will NOT be drinking green beer.  I'm just getting over the stomach flu.  Besides, I work later on tonight.  It just isn't going to happen.

What IS going to happen is that we're going to do a very special St. Patrick's Day themed Tuesday Timeline.  And, my goal for this week's entry is to do a blog on an Irish themed morsel of pop culture.

I believe I have succeeded.  In fact, I have some good news for those of you who have expressed a desire for me to come up with more recent pop culture references...this entry will be one of those times.

So, I've provided you with a couple of clues in regards to this week's topic.  The subject matter is Irish, and he is relatively current.  Now let's take a look at some of the other events that took place on St. Patrick's Day over the years...

45 BC - Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger in the Battle of Munda

1776 - British forces evacuate Boston effectively ending the Siege of Boston

1842 - The Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is formed

1891 - SS Utopia collides with HMS Anton in the Bay of Gibraltal and sinks; 562 passengers lose their lives

1941 - The National Gallery of Art officially opens in Washington D.C.

1942 - The first Jews from the Lvov Ghetto are gassed at the Belzec death camp

1948 - The Treaty of Brussels is signed by Benelux, the UK, and France

1950 - University of California researchers announce the creation of "californium", the 98th element of the periodic table of elements

1960 - Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the National Security Council directive on the anti-Cuban covert action program, preceding the "Bay of Pigs" invasion

1961 - Actress/activist Dana Reeve (d. 2006) is born in Teaneck, New Jersey

1963 - 1,100 people are killed in Bali after Mount Agung erupts

1969 - Golda Meir becomes the first female Prime Minister of Israel - also on this date, fashion designer Alexander McQueen (d. 2010) is born

1973 - The photograph "Burst of Joy" is taken - not only does it symbolize the end of American involvement in the Vietnam War, but it also wins a Pulitzer Prize

1992 - A referendum to end apartheid in South Africa is passed, with nearly 69% voting in favour

1993 - Actress Helen Hayes passes away at the age of 92

2002 - Actress Rosetta LeNoire passes away at the age of 90

2011 - Actor Michael Gough dies at the age of 94

2013 - The largest meteorite - since NASA began observing them - hit the surface of the moon

2014 - Irish singer Paddy McGuigan dies at the age of 74

And for celebrity birthdays, these celebrities must have been born underneath a four-leaf clover or two!  Happy birthday to Patty Maloney, Ken Mattingly, Jim Weatherly, Pattie Boyd, Cito Gaston, John Sebastian, Patrick Duffy, Daniel Lavoie, Craig Ramsay, Kurt Russell, Lesley-Anne Down, Mark Boone Junior, Paul Overstreet, Gary Sinise, Rory McGrath, Christian Clemenson, Rebeca Arthur, Arye Gross, Vicki Lewis, Casey Siesmaszko, Rob Lowe, Jeremy Sheffield, Billy Corgan, Mathew St. Patrick, Gene Ween, Melissa Auf der Mar, Mia Hamm, Caroline Corr, Amelia Heinle, Marisa Coughlan, Natalie Zea, Brittany and Cynthia Daniel, Tamar Braxton, Coco Austin, Miles Kane, Olesya Rulin, and Rob Kardashian.

Okay, so let's see what date we have to work with this time around.



Ah.  March 17, 1990.  That takes us back 25 years.  But wait...didn't I just say that the date was linked to a recent event?

Oh, silly me.  March 17, 1990 is the birthdate of our Tuesday Timeline spotlight this time around.  So, we've already established that this person is turning 25.  But what has this person done that warrants me writing a blog about him?

Well, for one, he was born in Ireland.  Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland, to be exact.  And his claim to fame?  I would think that this video will explain all.



ARTIST:  Hozier
SONG:  Take Me To Church
ALBUM:  Hozier
DATE RELEASED:  September 13, 2013
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS:  #2

Ah, yes, "Take Me To Church".  A very powerful song that clearly displays Hozier's own frustration with the Catholic church's stance on homosexuality.  A song with a video clip that could not showcase that message more hauntingly.  But we'll get to that discussion a little later.



Right now, let's take a minute to wish the composer of this song a very happy birthday!  Happy birthday to Andrew Hozier-Byrne - otherwise known as Hozier.  And though he hasn't been on the music scene all that long, I have a feeling that he's more than made an impact.  Already considered one of the breakout artists of 2014, Hozier's breakthrough single was "Take Me To Church", a song which topped the charts in twelve countries, went triple platinum in the United States, and which was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2015 for Song of the Year.  Unfortunately, Hozier lost the award to Sam Smith.

(Though he shouldn't feel too bad.  A lot of artists lost to Sam Smith in 2015!)

Anyway, one thing that you should probably know about Hozier was that success didn't exactly come to him overnight.  He briefly attended Trinity College in Dublin where he studied music, but dropped out after a few months to free time up for recording demos for record companies.  He was also a member of the Irish choral group Anuna for four years.  During that time, he had the opportunity to perform with the group internationally, singing in The Netherlands and Norway.

But "Take Me To Church" was definitely Hozier's biggest break - and would you believe that he wrote and recorded the song in his family's attic?  It would take some time for the single to be noticed, but in 2013, an independent record label that went by the name of Rubyworks took interest in the single.  Record producer Rob Kirwan later stepped in and added live instruments over the original demo that Hozier had recorded, making it the musical masterpiece it became.

TRIVIA:  Before the musical instrument supplements were added, only two musicians were credited with the creation of the single - Hozier and Fiachra Kinder, who played drums.

The music video was also produced independently, with the video directed by Conal Thompson and Brendan Canty who worked for independent production company Feel Good Lost.  The video was posted on YouTube in September 2013, with Hozier expecting at least a few people to respond.

Well, that video went viral just weeks after it was posted, and the surprising success of the video and how many times it was shared on social media prompted a bidding war between record companies, wishing to sign Hozier to a proper recording contract.  Eventually, Hozier signed to Columbia Records in early 2014, and his self-titled debut album was released worldwide on September 19, 2014 - one year and six days after "Take Me To Church" was first released.



Since then, Hozier continues to make a name for himself in the world of music, having released five singles between 2013 and 2015.  His latest single "Work Song" was just released yesterday, and is already climbing Irish charts.  Time will only tell whether it will have an impact on the United States or Canada.



But given how he almost won a Grammy Award, capped off with a fantastic performance alongside Annie Lennox at the show just one month ago...I think it's safe to say that Hozier's career has only just begun.

Happy 25th, Hozier!

Monday, March 16, 2015

Write On!

I'm still feeling a little bit under the weather, so enjoy this flashback edition of the blog with a piece written four years ago while I continue to recover from the stomach flu.  Thanks for understanding, everyone.


I don't think I could possibly imagine a world without writing.
Writing for me is not only a skill that I'm proud to have learned. It's been so much more than that. It's artistic. It's empowering. It's therapeutic. It's sexy!

No, seriously. Women who know how to write turn me on. Women who know how to write well turn me on more.

But, enough about my tastes.

I couldn't imagine my life without being able to write. When I was younger, I always demanded to have a box of 64 crayons, or a package of PaperMate pens, or even a bundle of No. 2 pencils on hand at all times. I also went to Walmart (or Woolco as it was known as prior to 1994) practically every other week to buy a package of lined paper (the one that had 250 sheets in it). As long as I had paper and some sort of writing utensil, I was one happy kid.

Oh, but I very rarely drew pictures of things. Sure, when I could get into the mood, I could do arts and crafts projects. Not as well as DaVinci, Picasso, or that guy from the UK show "Art Attack" mind you, but it was presentable. Instead, I chose to use my paper and crayons to draw my own storybooks. Whereas most kids spent long summer afternoons swimming at St. Lawrence park or riding their bikes to the ice cream stand, I was just as content lying on my bedroom floor or sitting on the back porch, writing down everything that went through my mind, whether it made sense or not.

I enjoyed writing way before I decided to improve my penmanship. As a result, had some of my earliest writings survived, you'd probably have a difficult time reading it. But, hey, nobody said that a four year old was ever going to win a Pulitzer prize for literature anyways.

So, why was I so into writing from such an early age? It could be for a number of reasons. I was always interested in words and books and reading, and naturally, a love for writing likely originated from that. I had a really vivid and somewhat overactive mind when I was a kid, and I guess my parents subconsciously decided that keeping me stocked up in office supplies was a good option compared to some of the other brattier things I used to do (a.k.a. taking things from my older sisters and destroying them).
Although...come to think of it, that didn't really work either because when I ran out of paper, I'd grab my favourite purple pencil crayon and write on the walls...

I think the main reason why I fell in love with writing so much is very similar to the reason why I haven't given up my other childhood hobby of collecting comic books.

Writing was an escape.

Whenever I was feeling terrible about how things were going, or whenever I felt like I had nobody to talk to, all I had to do was grab a pen and paper and just write about it. Sometimes, I'd write about me having fun somewhere else other than where I was, or in some rare cases, I'd create friends to hang out with. Because in my crazy world of writing, anything was possible.

And, anything could be possible. With writing, I have the power of millions of words that when put together can create infinite scenarios, trials, tribulations, and celebrations. No matter what mood I was in, I could always find the right words to use to set the tone of the story or poem. Writing assignments always came naturally to me in school. Whether it was writing a book report, typing up a history essay or putting together an independent study, if it involved writing, those kinds of projects I found fun. Most kids in my class used to grimace and cringe when they were given a writing assignment. Not me. I actually was the type of kid who would complain that we weren't given enough writing assignments in school. I would have gladly given up gym period, math period and skipped every recess from 1988-1993 for the opportunity to partake in a school for writing. I loved it that much.
I LOVE it that much.

My love for writing is ironically enough one that I find great difficulty expressing with a whole bunch of words. It's just there. Some people get great joy from fixing cars, or building homes, or dancing in a Broadway musical. Writing for me brings me that joy, and if I ever found myself in a situation where I couldn't write for whatever reason, it would be my own personal hell on earth.
I can't live life without having the power of writing. Writing gives me the power to be whoever I want to be.

I wouldn't have been able to post twelve dozen notes on this Facebook profile page if I didn't like writing. In some ways, I almost wish I could solely communicate with people through my writing, because I find myself much easier to understand writing things down as I would talking with someone face to face. Of course, this is almost an impossible situation, so I won't entertain that further.

I've always been fascinated with the art of writing. When I wrote that short story called "A History Of Friendship" two months ago, I was completely blown away by the amount of positive comments as a result from it. And, I was inspired by the great commentary over it. I was so inspired that I ended up sending in the short story to the Archie Comics e-mail address to see if they were interested in at least reading it. Unfortunately, I don't know if they got the actual message, as I haven't heard anything from them. But, you think that's going to discourage me? Not in the slightest.
If anything, having gone through rejection of my work beforehand is nothing new. It only serves to make me work harder for it. It's true. I have a really bad habit of proofreading my own work obsessively. I may very well be considered a little OCD over it because I absolutely cringe if I make spelling or grammar errors in any of the writing work I do. It doesn't matter whether it's a 50-page story or a simple subject line in an e-mail message. It's just the way I've always been. All that has benefitted me and my writing style. Because I'm so tough on myself, and because I keep raising my standards, I've allowed myself to improve on my writing skills. Am I absolutely perfect? Not quite. But I am on the right track.

I just feel that right now at this moment (especially after the recent health scares I've had to deal with) that I know I can be a fantastic writer. Some may say that I already am, but again, I know I could be better. Life is constantly changing and evolving, and just as life has done for me, it's time to write the next chapter of my autobiography. It could go either way. I could end up writing a best selling novel, win a whole bunch of accolades and literary awards and be the next J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, or John Grisham. On the other hand, I could be a complete washout as a novelist and people ignore my work more than Harlequin romance novels.
Either way, I'm not sorry that I have the power to write.

I consider my writing skills to be a real gift. I'd love nothing more than to be able to share that gift with other people, but if it so happens that all people read are my little ramblings here on my profile page, so be it.

I plan on writing everything that comes into my mind until the day I leave this world. That's a promise I'll never break.