The Barbie Movie
I finally saw the Barbie movie and I loved it. I loved how Ken was stuck in the friendzone and never got out and I loved how Barbie was completely unaware of how she took Ken for granted. I think that is a really common thing that goes on all the time. A lot of guys think they have a chance of getting out of the friendzone, but the truth is, they don't. So, while the movie had a lot of stereotypical things in it, I think the relationship between Ken and Barbie in the movie is super relatable no matter which side your coming from.
The other thing that I loved was that respect was a big deal to Ken because respect is such a big deal to men. Finally, I loved how Ken was forced to find his own identity apart from Barbie. I think that's really important.
After watching the movie, it just reenforced my own opinion that romantic relationships are not really something that should be pursued because they are often adversarial. The reason for this is because men and women come at relationships but a drastically different mindset and it's often hard to see the other side.
Chapter Ten - Saturday Night
When Gina got to school the next day. The vague images of her nightmare were already beginning to dissipate. With the haunting of her mind, which happened every morning had become a forgotten memory, Gina went back to being excited about the coming weekend.
When she saw Mark for the first time, he had a painful look on his face. When she accidentally touched him on the shoulder that was hurt, he let out a verbal cry of agony.
“What’s wrong?” Gina asked Mark very concerned, you better not cancel on me, kind of way.
“I had a hunting accident.” Mark began, “One of the other hunters didn’t notice me and I accidentally got an arrow in the shoulder. Gina’s face winched with pain.
“That had to have hurt, why are you not at home or something?” Gina asked.
“It’s not the end of the world.” Mark offered as an explanation, “time heals all wounds.”
“Wow. I am super impressed.” Gina replied, “Are you going to be okay for Saturday? I know I’m being selfish for wanting you there but if you’re not up to it, I suppose I could wait a bit longer.” Gina didn’t want to wait a bit longer, but she also didn’t want to come off as cold and uncaring.
“I’ll be there.” Mark assured, “I promise. It will take more than a little hunting accident to keep me away from you.”
“Are you sure?” Gina asked, “It’s okay if we have to do it another time.” It really wasn’t okay if they had to do it another time and Mark was aware of that fact but that wasn’t the reason he was going through with it. He had made plans with Carla and if he had to crawl on his deathbed he wasn’t going to let Carla down.
“Don’t worry.” Mark, trying against to assure Gina, “I will be there.”
“Okay” Gina conceded, “but only if you’re sure.” Gina leans in and gives Mark a kiss and then heads off to class.
“Hunting accident?” Carla says from behind him, “That’s the explanation you’re going with.”
“She bought it.” Mark replied without turning around.
“What really happened to you?” Carla asked.
“The dreams are changing. I was wearing armor in my dream and then I wasn’t. Gina shot an arrow at the Wizard, and I stepped in front of it. If I had my armor on it would have harmlessly deflected off it. When I woke up, I was in pain as if I had been hit by an arrow. There’s one other thing, I wizard knows that Gina and I are boyfriend/girlfriend in the dream.”
“That’s not possible. Are you saying that you are having the same dream that Gina has every night and that the dream is somehow real?” Carla demands.
“I don’t know. It sure seemed real.” Mark replied.
“She didn’t have a bow and arrow; she didn’t have anything when I brought her to the wizard. She must have learned how to control her dream.” Carla says, “and if she can control the dream, she might be able to figure out how to keep us all from coming here.”
Saturday night came. Gina was super excited. She was a bit concerned about Mark’s injury, but she didn’t let that get her down. When she arrived at Carla’s house, Carla’s parents had taken a leave of absence which meant that they had the house all to themselves.
“Calm down, the boys will be here soon.” Carla said.
“I just can’t wait.” Gina said excitedly. It seemed like Gina had been waiting her entire life for a romantic night like this and she didn’t want anything to spoil it. The truth was Gina’s expectations were so high that there was no way that Mark could meet them all. Magical romantic nights only happened in the books that Gina was so fond of reading. They didn’t happen in a brutal reality.
After what seemed like forever, the boys arrived. Mark was expected. The boy who had the injured leg was not. As soon as he arrived, Gina excused herself and Carla to talk privately in another room.
“You invited him?” Gina exclaimed. She wasn’t sure why this boy being here bothered her, but it did. There was something about him that she recognized but she couldn’t put her finger on it. The young boy just made her feel uncomfortable.
“What’s wrong? You don’t like him, do you?” Carla said.
“No, of course not!” Gina shot back.
“Then, what’s the problem?” Carla demanded.
“I don’t know. He just makes me feel uncomfortable. That’s all.” Gina explained.
“Give him a chance, he’s a good guy.” Carla insisted.
“Okay, I’ll only do it because you’re my best friend.” Gina said with a smile.
While Gina and Carla were having their private conversation away from earshot of the boys, the boys were having their own private conversation.
“Look, I know you like Gina.” Mark said.
“No, I don’t” the young man replied.
“Of course you do. I can see it every time you look at her.” Mark insisted.
“Even if I did, she’s your girl. Stealing someone else’s girlfriend is not cool.” The young man shot back.
“She’s not going to be for long.” Mark confided.
“What do you mean?” The young man asked.
“I’m breaking up with her tonight.” Mark announced.
“You’re what?!?!?” The young man replied confused.
“I’m breaking up with her and then you can make your move” Mark insisted.
“I’m not going to make a move on someone that has just been broken up with.” The young man was disgusted at this turn of events.
“Okay, I’m going to level with you. Gina’s been cursed.” Mark explained.
“What are you talking about?” The young man answered.
“I know it sounds crazy but it’s true. Curses are real and Gina has been cursed. The only way to break the curse is with true love’s kiss.” Mark insisted.
“You mean like in fairy tale?” The young man asked, still confused.
“Yeah, like in a fairy tale. I’ll break up with her, you swoop in a give her a kiss and the curse will be broken. It’s for her own good.” Mark explained.
“That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard.” The young man shot back, “If you really wanted to set me up with her, there are less crazy ways to do it. Besides, why can’t you break the curse.”
“Because I’m not her true love, you are.” Mark explained. There was a noise coming from the other room. The girls were coming back.
Mark said quietly so only the young man could hear him, “I’m breaking up with her tonight and you better come through.”
Who Am I?
Who am I?
I’m a guy who is optimistic. Sometimes expecting the best, sometimes the worst. But, whatever I do, I always give it my all, it’s helpful to be that way, but sometimes...it isn’t.
I have tasted a little bit from every career choice I’ve met with. I’ve given some hobbies a lot of time and effort, but I ended up moving on from it, leaving it in the dust.
I love my family, they’re wonderful people but sometimes they can be strange or even horrible people. I love those around me, sometimes I get jealous but that rarely bothers me. I want to have a beautiful family in my future, hoping to give the best I can for them.
The biggest battles in my life are very internal, like my anxiety, self-doubt, temptations or addictions. What others think about me has been my biggest worry as an adolescent. Am I capable of doing this? Has been my biggest question. A pattern of thought I try to break through every day. But, I always fail. Again. Again. And again.
It's a slippery slope.
My faith in God keeps me strong, He gives me strength to overcome anything. But just like always, I constantly fail Him. But His promise is to have mercy on me, no matter what I do. Only in exchange for one thing, I believe in Him.
Though I fail in a lot of things in life, there is a reminder to me every time. This reminder raises my eyebrows, makes me smile, and gives me hope. It’s that everybody goes through the same things in life, worse or better. I’m not exaggerating my problems, I’m merely dealing with it, and I realize that these problems are just like everyone else’s.
It’s a part of the human experience.
To Be Had
I've never had a dog. Before you call bullshit, give me a minute to light the story.
Marcus had a dog. This was well back before we were tight. A Boxer, he named Jock. He liked the way it sounded, kinda exotic, kind of sexy, in an unobligating, irreverent way. He was in his late teens and maybe it wouldn't fly now, but at the time, it made sense, alright? Alright.
No leash. Stay at the heel, go everywhere bud. That was Jock. He had just one flaw. One fatal flaw. Cats. He couldn't stand the pretentious oversized rodents and blew a mental fuse whenever he saw one. God meant for cats to be chased. And that was how Jock met his end. It was his blind conviction. He ran a cat into traffic. The rat escaped between the tires, and Jock didn't.
No amount of calling from Marcus could bring Jock to his senses.
Nevertheless, a good dog. No dumb mutt. Loyal and driven.
His Uncle Tonio had a Doberman. I'm no snob for purebreds, but I note it makes an invaluable difference, in character. He died nameless; an important, yet insignificant part of the whole. It remains for me a summary of the selflessness of Dog. Of understanding. Pack and hierarchy.
The tale goes that ol' Tonio was a nice guy overall, but a braggard, and an alcoholic. An unfortunate combo. One night the two of them, the man and the dog, climbed the eight flights to Marcus's flat. There were a few fellas over, drinking and smoking, and they got to talking about bitches and mutts, and what makes a good dog Great.
Uncle Tonio knocked his shot back and rattled the glass on the table, wiping his mustache with the back of his hand, lifting his cap back a bit for emphasis-- letting off some heat.
"I'll tell yah what makes or breaks a Dog. If I whistle 'whewt' here!..."
...and he pointed at his dog with full command, full attention,
"and say '_____ JUMP!' he.... "
He had him. And yeah, the Doberman jumped.
Out the open window, eight stories down.
You might say, that's stupid. But I say, that is Dog. And that is Man.
And I've never been had.
**This is a True Story**
Peace at the End
In the vast expanse of the cosmos, where stars blinked like distant memories, there was a lone astronaut named Ethan. He had embarked on a daring mission to explore the outer reaches of the universe, driven by an insatiable curiosity and a longing to uncover the mysteries of the cosmos and use its secrets for the betterment of humanity.
For months, Ethan floated through the darkness, his spacecraft a tiny speck against the backdrop of infinity. He marvelled at the beauty of distant galaxies, the dance of celestial bodies, and the silent majesty of space. But as his journey wore on, a sense of isolation crept into his heart.
One fateful day, disaster struck. A catastrophic malfunction crippled his spacecraft, leaving him adrift in the void with only his spacesuit to protect him. With no means of communication and his life support systems dwindling, Ethan realized the grim reality of his situation.
Alone and helpless, he drifted through the emptiness of space, his thoughts a tumultuous storm of fear, regret, and longing. Memories of loved ones and moments from his past flooded his mind, taunting him with what could have been. He thought of his family back on Earth, their faces fading into the darkness as if they were mere ghosts of his imagination.
As the hours turned into days and the days into weeks, Ethan felt the cold embrace of despair tightening around him. He watched helplessly as his oxygen supply dwindled, each laboured breath a painful reminder of his impending fate. With each passing moment, he grew weaker, his body succumbing to the relentless grip of the void.
But amidst the despair, there flickered a faint glimmer of acceptance. In the silence of space, Ethan found solace in the beauty that surrounded him. He watched in awe as distant stars twinkled like beacons of hope in the darkness, their light a reminder that even in the vastness of the cosmos, he was not entirely alone.
With his final breaths, Ethan closed his eyes and surrendered to the infinite expanse of the universe. As his consciousness faded into the void, he embraced the serenity of oblivion, finding peace in the knowledge that his spirit would forever be a part of the cosmic tapestry of existence.
Salt Water
Salt water clung to her skin, her eyes, her lips, burning. Exhaustion overwhelmed her as she desperately clawed the chilled ocean waves, trying to keep her head above water. Her damp, cold clothes were salt-encrusted and scraped her thin flesh like barbs, dragging her down with their waterlogged weight. Her throat and lungs burned from the salt water she had swallowed and inhaled. She had no energy left. She was clinging to terror and panic and a desperate need to live and absolutely nothing else.
The sun glared down hot and burning, turning the expanse of salt water into a blindingly bright blue. She was trying so hard to keep her head above water, but she found herself going under for longer and longer periods of time. She felt like her body was a dead, screaming weight. And her mind was delirious with pain and fear and exhaustion.
Salt water from her eyes met and melted into salt water from her surroundings as she finally gave up and let the ocean take her. Her chest felt like it was being wrung dry as she sank deeper, surrounded by darkness and cold and the heavy all-encompassing weight of death. She sank deeper and deeper, and found herself surrounded by a thick, rough, cutting substance that she could not figure out what it was. And then everything went blank.
———
Five men stood on a metal fishing boat. It wasn't the largest, but there was space enough to comfortably move around. They were surrounded by crates of fish but the fresh ocean air kept the stench of seafood at bay. They were pulling their nets up, noticing that they were much heavier than usual.
"What the fuck?" a brown-haired, muscular man exclaimed as a thin, lithe, dark-haired young woman tumbled out of the ropes, drenched in salt water and tinted in blood.
"What the fuck. I don't know what this is," a man with blond hair in a bun stared down at the scene, at the closed eyelids and limp, skinny limbs.
"I didn't fucking ask for this. Did you?" another man with brown hair and a skinnier build looked at his friends.
"I did not fucking ask either." A man with black hair and a square jaw looked up at everyone else, an annoyed expression on his face.
"Well is the girl even alive?" A strawberry-blond man asked with clear irritation in his eyes.
"Well there's one way to check," the dark-haired man replied as he bent down and felt for her pulse. "Just barely."
Without asking for permission the strawberry-blond man knelt down to do CPR on the unconscious girl. After a few minutes, some broken ribs, and a bunch of water on the floor, the girl was coughing, life seemingly put back in her small form. She looked around, startled verdant eyes taking everything in in panic and confusion.
"What the fuck, Jesse?" The muscular man asked the girl's rescuer, "now we have to deal with this. You could've asked us first."
"Shut the fuck up Mike. We can still talk this over. If I had waited longer she would've died."
"So?" the dark-haired man asked, "how is that even our business? We don't know her or what the fuck she is or what she wants."
"Petey I swear," Jesse started, "we can figure out what to do with her later. Just trust me on this, once."
"You better."
"Well what are we going to do with her?" The blond one asked.
"We can discuss it later, Leo."
"Who made you the boss?"
"I did now shut up Liam."
Leaving the girl there, half-sitting on the floor supported by her arms with a bewildered expression on her face.
———
The girl sat there, completely confused as the burning sun dried her, leaving her thin blue cotton dress stiff with salt and her black hair stiff with curls. She was in so much pain, almost delirious with it. Especially in her chest, which hurt so much. She looked around. She had no idea where she was or how she got there. She felt the sun too hot on her skin and the sea spray rough inside her chest. She heard snippets of conversation from the men who had gone around to the other side of the boat and were obscured by the cabin. She tried and failed to piece together what just happened, her mind swimming with pain and exhaustion.
———
The men stood leaning against the railing or the cabin, in heated yet hushed conversation.
"Why are you on her side Jesse? We can't afford to keep her here and you know it." Petey's voice was almost patronizing.
"I'm not on her side. Do you not have eyes? Look at her, all lanky limbs and delicate features and large startling eyes and full pink lips. It would be a shame to let that go."
"So? Oh my God Jesse, are you in love?" Mike asked. "You have a girlfriend. And I'm saving up for another car. Like you have no idea how hard only having one car is. I have to fucking take public transport sometimes and it's so inconvenient."
"Exactly," Leo added, "And my daughter needs new dresses. Good quality, hand-embroidered ones, none of the cookie-cutter shit. We can't afford to keep this complete stranger."
"We won't have to afford anything."
"You know the boat can only take so much weight." Liam said. "She's thin but she still weighs a good amount. If we take her to shore, that's pounds of fish that we won't be able to catch. A whole day's trip wasted, Jesse. We'd be down dozens of pounds of fish. That's so much money lost."
"Exactly, Jesse," Petey piped up, "I need to get new runners, I've had mine for a whole year."
"We can't afford her weight. None of us are rich," Mike tried to explain.
"I'm not saying we should bring her to shore. We can just have some fun with her before putting her back into the water where she belongs. Look, she's an incredible catch. I almost though we'd pulled up a mermaid."
"Are you suggesting what I think you are?" Mike sounded intrigued.
"I think I am."
"No, no. What will our wives and girlfriends say when they find out?" Liam protested, "you do love them, don't you?"
"Of course I love my girlfriend. But she does not need to know. Neither does your fiancée."
"Intriguing."
———
The girl was still trying to make sense of things. She knew she was on a smallish fishing vessel, on the ocean. She knew she had gotten rescued, and she was incredibly relieved. She sat with her arms hugging her legs, looking at the dazzlingly blue sky above. It was beautiful. It brought tears to her eyes. She was still in pain. But for the moment she felt lulled.
———
"Heyyy stranger." Petey smiled as he approached the girl. "We saved you. You happy?"
"Very, sir. Thanks." In truth she didn't entirely trust the situation. But she was happy to be alive. And she did trust him - all of them - a lot. They dragged her out of that horrible cold water. They brought her back into the world. They let her stay on their lovely boat. And she thought maybe they'd keep helping her. She just needed to get to shore.
"Well maybe you could show a little appreciation if you're happy?" He smiled again, just a bit too wide and off-kilter.
"Oh yeah, absolutely." She smiled back, hiding the pain in her ribs.
"Here, you're caked in salt." Mikey came up behind the pair with a bucket filled with water in his hand. "Wash your hair, girlie."
"Thank you."
She strained against her broken ribs to bend down and dip her hair in the water, wincing as she stroked the salt and sand and dirt out of her hair. She was grateful for the chance of getting clean. She was feeling quite itchy. But damn, this method hurt. Her chest felt like it was being wrenched apart.
Goddamn this was so much pain. Finally her hair and scalp felt much cleaner though, and she lifted her head, catching her breath as she waited for the pain to fade, which it didn't. She looked up at the group of men surrounding her with expressions that were overly-bright and just a bit off-putting.
"Thanks again," she smiled up at the men.
"Hey, it's nothing." Leo tilted his head a little bit as he looked down at her.
"Um... would it be too much trouble to ask for some food?"
"We're really sorry. We're fresh out. When we get to shore, yeah?"
"Okay." She tried to ignore how hunger gnawed in her stomach.
"Hey," Liam started, "you should probably clean the rest of you up as well."
"Okay." She took another bucket from him, which had a white rag of cold water on it. She wanted to rest right now. But oh well, whatever. There would be plenty of time for that once they got to shore. These men were really rather nice. She was very grateful for their company. She did need a bit of privacy right now though.
"Are you guys gonna leave?" She asked, looking up.
"I don't think we are."
She looked around for an opening, but didn't find one. She was surrounded on all sides.
———
She was horrifically tired, down to her very soul. Maybe in her very soul. Tears were silently, desperately falling from her eyes as she lay in the small cot in the cabin. They had called it "payment" for transporting her to shore.
It hurt. She hurt. She hurt inside and she hurt all over and she hurt in her heart. But it's not like she could do anything about it. She wasn't in control of this situation. She didn't have power here. Her life was in their hands. If they chose to save her they would. So far, despite the hurt, they had promised they would take her to shore. That's all she needed. To get to shore and then she could work something out from there. She felt so small, so helpless, so completely out of control and weak and dying. She lifted her eyes towards the sky again, gazing at the blue before exhaustion finally pulled her to sleep.
———
A pair of pale arms lifted the small, lithe sleeping figure, cradling her like a baby and holding her to his chest. Another pair of hands slowly slipped a long strip of cloth between her teeth and then around her head, circling and layering it again and again until there was a thick wad of cloth holding her jaw open and tight around her head. He tied it and gave the knots one last tug to keep them in place. Another pair of calloused hands tied a short length of rope around her ankles, and one around her wrists.
The nets were still sunken into the water now, but strong legs carried her to a side of the boat where there weren't any nets. Silently, solemnly, a small crowd gathered around the railing, around the young woman with the bony ankles who murmured softly in her sleep. There was a moment of hush that lulled over the boat for a moment. Everyone turned around and looked at each other for a spell, meeting each other's eyes, seemingly frozen. They looked almost shaken for a moment, before Mikey flashed a quick smile. The rest of them also smiled quickly, momentarily, before steeling their faces once again.
"Three. Two. One." Someone wisphered under their breath. Her body tumbled into the water, silent as she dropped through the air, still sleeping peacefully. The water splashed around her as she hit it, wide eyes startling open. She tried to scream but couldn't through the gag.
Three. Two. One. All that was left behind were ripples in the water.
———
Panic overwhelmed her for just a moment. She tried to swim but she couldn't. Water flooded her mouth and she couldn't close it around the gag. Fear pulsed hot and electric through her heart. And then it was just a hopeless, desolate sort of calm. She felt the water fill her lungs in ice-cold twisting agony. She was being pulled under. And she didn't even care. She had no will to live anymore. No will to fight. It had been ripped from her and she didn't care for it back.
Suddenly she wasn't cold anymore. Well, she was, but it was an exhilarating cold not a cutting one. All her bonds were broken. Suddenly she could breathe, the water flowing through her as easily as air. She opened her eyes to the blue-green glow of the water, and found herself face-to-face with a woman - no not a woman - a ... she didn't really know. Nothing hurt.
The lady glowed translucent in the water as it flowed through her. Her hair was dark black, full of thick curls, and longer than she was tall. She had a kind, passionate smile, and solemn, searching eyes. You could see the outline of tears rolling down her cheeks, though the girl didn't know how that was possible since they were in water.
The mysterious lady slowly reached out a hand for her, not touching, just asking. The girl reached out and took it, and then swam further into her embrace. The older woman held her tight in her arms, stroking the girl's tangled hair and singing something in words the girl didn't understand.
Eventually they stopped embracing and looked deeply at each other. The amount of sorrow in the older woman's eyes was overwhelming. And the girl found herself crying uncontrollably.
The lady pressed a kiss to her forehead and suddenly she found herself waking up on a beach, body healed, a large bag filled with food, water, clothes and money on her hip. She got up.
———
The ocean spirit drifted towards the nets of the fishing vessel that was meters away now. She tangled herself in the nets, among the struggling fish. She changed her form, becoming solid and taking the shape and colours of the girl she had just embraced, ropes forming around her wrists and ankles. She smirked, then closed her eyes, went limp, and simply waited until the nets were pulled back up.
———
"Oh why this again?" Jesse exclaimed as the crew pulled up a familiar-looking corpse.
They untangled the limp figure from the nets. But just as they leaned down to pick the body up and toss it overboard, her eyes opened. And from them shone blinding yellow light. Suddenly a bolt of lightening arched down from the clear, blue sky, hitting the boat and wrending it to a million pieces.
Home
When you're around, our little kitchen becomes an oasis. The pulsing headache from phony, orange-scented oven cleaner dissipates. You push open the front door and a wave of fresh summer winds carrying the citrusy scent of a faraway orange grove wafts to me. Your smile radiates golden rays of sun. I forget the angry mottled gray clouds that hang low to the ground. I can't hear the rumbling thunder over the rolling guffaw of your laugh when the dog nearly trips me as we race to greet you. Your arms hold me tightly and warm my core, reigniting the flame, snuffed out by dirty dishwater and the muddy paw prints tracked across the living room floor. The stress from the rambunctious cacophony called little boys melts away like a popsicle in the summer heat, dripping and streaming away. The kiss you press sweetly to my lips is richer and more delightful than last night's dessert that I saved for lunch. Life is not perfect, far from it. But I remember why I do it every day when you come home and call my name.
Thank you for the Countless High School Essays
Ah, William Shakespeare. The unrivaled grandmaster of the English language. Or, as I like to call him, the original king of overrated.
Yeah, it is true that a lot of his works became a fundamental part of literary history, but come on – this man sure came up with a lot of tragedies. I mean, if he ever wrote a rom-com, it would likely conclude with everyone stabbing each other.
And the guy’s character name skills… “Romeo Montague” and “Juliet Capulet”? After hearing these names, you cannot tell me that he did not let toddlers play Scrabble. And “Othello”? Please, even his handkerchief was crying. Then his dramatic streak… who else could come up with “To be or not to be”? Whoever came up with this probably should find a new hobby – one that does not ruin life for everyone else in his play.
That being said, though, I have to thank him for all the timeless quotes he gave us that became the foundation of our modern life. “All the world’s a stage” – yeah, makes sense considering that his plays are pretty much reality tv shows. Well, whoopty doo, Shakespeare – thank you for drama, tragedy and countless high school essays.