05Mar 2015 by CJ

Substance Abuse – needing acceptance from others & yourself

Life & Living
When I was in my early 20’s – at my first real job out of college – I remember a rather humiliating experience at the company’s annual Christmas party. It’s an event which has forever solidified my reluctance to drink alcohol in excess. As so many of these stories go, I was trying to impress a girl. Looking back on it now, my attraction to her was based more on how she made me “look” in society than any real feelings. Never a good way to start off a relationship. I can still remember clearly me trying to convince myself that if I just kept drinking like everyone else, she’d see me as one of the “bad boys” she was attracted to. Pathetic, I know, but no matter the generation…
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02Mar 2015 by CJ

Growing old – never forget your life was filled with greatness

Life & Living, Youth
Did you ever pass by an old, abandoned building and wonder to yourself, how did it start out life? At the time of completion the building may have been considered state of the art - on the cutting edge of technology - only now it’s nothing more than a piece of history that’s been plagued by vandalism and reduced to rubble. The same could be said for that 57 Chevy rusting and rotting away in an overcrowded junkyard. Certainly a pale comparison to the years when muscle cars were all the rage and drive-in movies were a common form of entertainment on Friday nights. But there must have been a time when these relics once possessed beauty and commanded respect from those that found purpose in their creation. But as…
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27Feb 2015 by CJ

Playing the piano – a fulfilling hobby I’d forgotten about

Life & Living
“It can be coins or sports or politics or horses or music or faith... the saddest people I've ever met in life are the ones who don't care deeply about anything at all. Passion and satisfaction go hand in hand, and without them, any happiness is only temporary, because there's nothing to make it last.” ― Nicholas Sparks, Dear John It saddens me to admit, but the last time I can remember playing the piano (a long-time hobby of mine) it was during another calendar year, in another state, and I was at least a year or two younger. Hobby’s are like that I guess. At one point in your life they seem like the biggest, brightest part of your day – an undeniable passion you couldn’t imagine living without.…
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25Feb 2015 by CJ

Party for boy with autism – no one shows

Life & Living, Youth
“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” Abraham Lincoln There’s nothing more magical, more exciting in a young child’s life than birthdays. It’s that one time of year when you’re the star of the day. The one time of year when you’re guaranteed a fun-filled celebration in your honor! It’s a day filled with balloons and decorations; snack foods and a cake filled with candles; family and friends singing that familiar tune, and oh yes – presents! But sadly not everyone is guaranteed such an honorary celebration. The other day I came across this story entitled, “Sheriffs Deputies Save Birthday Party For Boy With Autism After None Of His Friends Show Up.”  On the morning adorable little Glenn…
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24Feb 2015 by CJ

Boundaries in relationships – keep them off TV

Life & Living, Love & Relationships
I’m losing hope that the world will ever become a place rooted in decorum (if society even knows what that word means in modern day 2015). Television continues to push the limits in order to gain viewers - and ultimately increase revenue. Nowhere is that more apparent than on cable channel WE tv – where a new reality show will soon launch called “Sex Box”. So here’s the basic premise. Set in front of a live studio audience, couples go into a sound proof box without any cameras or interruptions and have sex. Yes, you’re not misreading this. When they emerge (no doubt more tattered looking than when they entered) they have an honest discussion with a panel of therapists and sex experts about what just happened and the realtionships…
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