I believe my life started when the blinds came off.
When I was exposed to the less-than-rosy version of life... and discovered that THIS is reality as it is... It was... not pleasant at all.
Remember how there are supposedly nine circles of hell? Well, it feels like there are nine circles of reality. One must adjust to the new rules and circumstances of reality when the old and the familiar slips away. Maybe "slip" is too soft of a word. I would have to say that sometimes, the realities are forcibly taken from you.
Of course, it is quite a tragedy, and there's nothing I could have done to prevent it, nor can I gain it back. But have I grown wiser and more experienced from it? Probably. But that doesn't change the fact that I long for those bygone days. The ones imprinted in your memories in rich sepia tones with hints of fondness and vivid delight.
But the memories I have now are all gaudy polaroid shams, gone in a flicker of an inconsequential flame and easily replaceable. Have I lost the ability to make vintage memories? We'll see.
At least I am able to capture panoramic views. But I'm not done yet. Far from it... There are not enough snapshots of all the possible realities out there to fulfill my quest to define my own reality. I just need to live a bit more. Cry a bit more. Laugh a bit more. But above all, dream a bit more.

Yours truly,
A semi-embittered and wayward optimist/pessimist.

...and I voted! For the first time in my life. And it just feels incredible to be part of history, you know? I was never really interested in the politics until now, but once your future is at stake, it's hard to ignore what's looming right in front of you.

...of course, I could have done without the constant haggling of my mom, telling me that voting "no" to prop 8 will shake the foundations of our country's principles and yada-yada. PUH-LEEZE. And I saw people marching around with signs for "Yes to 8!" around my neighborhood, and it was literally thiiiiiiis close to running them over with my car. Um, in case you haven't noticed, this country was founded on the principles and values of freedom, equality, justice, and liberty. And it seems like proponents for Yes for 8 are deluded into thinking that they have protect marriage or something. I'm sorry, but can someone explain to me how gay people marrying each other will shake the relationship with your spouse? It just boggles my mind. Mmm this is why I'm scared of religion. I mean, it's great to believe in something that is a source of comfort and strength to people in times of need, but to use that to deny others of their freedoms is pretty darn ridiculous and NOSY. I'm sure most people MEAN well, but the problem is that these people who put religious beliefs before others' beliefs don't try to understand that religion doesn't come first for everyone. It's not a priority, and just because you think it's good for you, it doesn't meant that it's good for others. I've been struggling with how to approach the nature of religion for a long time, and I have pretty much decided for myself that it is not a priority. I do think that it can be beneficial for many people out there, as long as their faiths and beliefs do not harm others. I just think that it is easily used as a tool for manipulating people, and sadly, that is exactly what it has become. It is sad to see that such practices occur in a country that clearly wanted separation of state and church (Hello? Revisit Protestants and Church of England, anyone?)
....in the end, I just want what is FAIR, EQUAL, and JUST. It's not about right or wrong, since those are subjective. I want everyone to have the freedoms and opportunities that I enjoy, and I want to enjoy all the freedoms and opportunities that everyone else enjoys. And if that's possible by the end of the day, then I'd say that's pretty darn fair.