Keep It Movin'

If I repeat myself it's because the fire was not extinguished; maybe the presence of oxygen will prevent the permanent submission of the key to warmth.

Tortilla Casserole
Don't sleep on this dish. If made correctly it can help you survive another week. If you grew up like how I did, you only know how to make food for four people. I always ate larger portions than I should have (I was a football player, it was necessary) and nothing has changed now that I am living on my own. But three days of tortillas, corn, beef, stewed tomatoes, diced green chiles, and a few other items, is pretty satisfying. It's better than what I used to do. I came a long way from cup o' noodles, rice, and hot dogs with ketchup back when I was a new graduate. One day I will step it up again and increase my menu so that I can have good eatin' seven days a week.

What to do
What are you supposed to do when you are given the task of wrapping the Colorado River with saran wrap and carry it through an Arizona desert without spilling a drop? What is the proper way to respond when absolutely every chance at success has been removed by forces out of your control? I took a risk to achieve greatness...and failed miserably. But the good thing is I won't stay in this funk forever. It's great that I failed. Without failure, I would not know how to work hard to prevent it from happening again................Wow, just typing those last few sentences has completely changed my mood.

Kind, inspirational words
I'm glad I surrounded myself with those that were going to make me successful. During my times of peril, I have always had people to lean on to stabilize me until I'm able to pick myself up. It's a good thing I have not had many stressful times, because I don't want to run out of reserves. I feel like friendships are like bank accounts. The longer you sustain a healthy one, the more you are depositing into the account. It's ok to withdraw every now and then, as long as you do it sparingly and intelligently. Sometimes it's not even the words of people that provide the temporary stability. Oftentimes, the presence and impact that individuals have had on me -- simply because I'm an observer and visual learner -- is enough to keep myself from sinking more into the sand.

I saved her life
Mom always knows what to do and say. She has saved me countless times. But one of the greatest stories she ever told me was how I saved her life. After my parents divorced (when I was 5) my mom was going through a (for lack of a better word) rough time. She mentioned she felt like giving up, until at the right time I walked into her room and asked, "mom, can you make me something to eat?" From that point on I guess my brother and I (and later on my sister) were her reasons for surviving. This relates to my story I've been telling for the past year about the students of 42nd Street Elementary. 2009-2010 was the hardest year of my life and the only thing that kept me going were those kids. They don't know they saved my life, but unlike my mom who raised me, these young people may never know they inspired me to keep it movin'.

Hopefully you understand me by now. My life is Easily Difficult.