She puts the makeup on her face
Silently she closes the door
Pulls the dress over her shoulders
She doesn't have to hide anymore
She's always known her body was a mistake
"Cheer up, boy," they say, "One day you'll be a man"
Just looking in the mirror causes so much pain
They want her to be someone she can't
And she's with the angels now
In a far more loving place
She's with the angels now
In a quiet, safer space
But I wish that she could see
The beautiful person she was meant to be
Mom and dad, they don't understand
They think they did all they could, raised her right
Why does she insist on wearing a suit to church?
Why does cry herself to sleep at night?
She closes her eyes
She knows it will be over soon
Stayed up all night writing her last good byes
Didn't sleep till half-past noon
Makes her way onto the street
Why oh why did that guy have to speed?
He couldn't stop in time, but that's just fine
It's over now
It's over now
And she's with the angels
She no longer has anything to fear
But she doesn't belong with them
Because we need her here
Because we need her here
--M. Dos Santos
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Monday, December 15, 2014
29 Things I've Realised by (Almost) 29
Earlier this year, I wrote a post called "28 Things I've Realised by (Almost) 28" a week before my 28th birthday. I didn't expect it to be so well-read and received; as a matter of fact, it is probably my most well-read non-recipe post to date. Now I'm looking 29 (aka practically 30) in the face. I'm still waiting for gravity to make everything sag (inevitable) and for my biological clock to start ticking (never going to happen.) Here are 29 more things I've learned this year.
1) Stop making excuses for why you can't get started on your goal of having your own business, learning a new language, taking over the world, etc. There is no better time than right NOW, right this very second. Quit wishing and daydreaming and get on that shit.
2) Don't worry about what people who don't even like you think about you. Sure, you could change, but they still won't like you... They'll just find something new to dislike about you. Their opinions don't matter. So forget them.
3) It's not about who you spend the most time with, it's about who you have the best time with.
4) A lot of people spend their 20s spouse-hunting rather than building their career and investing in the future. Be patient; love will come to you at the right time. Go back to school, learn a trade, make yourself useful. That way you'll have something to fall back in in case Mr./Ms./Mx. Right doesn't work out.
5) When you wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and say to yourself, "I am f***in' awesome." Repeat until you believe it.
6) Be realistic about your goals. You'll probably never be the next American Idol, but you can be the winner of your school's talent show. You might never be president of your country, but you might be able to be PTA president one day.
7) The amount of people you sleep with has no bearing on how good of a person you are.
8) If something seems to good/scary/weird to be true, it probably is. Say it with me: "When in doubt, Snopes that shit!"
9) If you don't forward that email or share that picture on Facebook, a little dead girl is not going to kill you in your sleep. Sorry to disappoint you.
10) Own at least one outfit that makes you feel like a million bucks. (Just make sure it doesn't cost a million bucks.)
11) Rich people (that is, normal rich people, not celebrities) don't blow their money on frivolous crap like 30 dollar hairspray and 500 dollar handbags. You know who does? Poor people trying to look rich. Companies know this, and that's who they market to. Don't fall for the hype.
12) Being a parent doesn't automatically make you an expert on anything... except maybe your own kids.
13) Make a budget and stick to it. Stop impulsively spending money on stuff you don't need with money you don't have. When you have a million dollar nest egg to retire on, you'll be grateful.
14) Every day, do something that makes the world a little better. Buy a homeless person a meal. Donate to a charity. Say "good morning" to your neighbour you never talk to. Smile at a child.
15) There is ALWAYS room for dessert.
16) Sometimes, you just need to spend the entire day in bed, doing nothing productive. If this becomes a habit, however, you should probably go to the doctor because you might have depression.
17) Got a crush on someone? Ask them out. The worst they can say is "no."
18) You can't fix anyone. Loving someone will not make them a better person. Don't fall into the trap.
19) When you meet someone who laughs at the same stupid crap you do, marry that person. A sense of humour will get you through life much better than a huge bank account or good looks ever will.
20) Break up with the person who makes you feel like crap. Quit your soul-sucking job. Stand up to the person who picks on you.
21) It's a lot harder to fall for the charlatans and snake oil salesmen of the world when you've got a strong set of core beliefs. The old saying "if you stand for nothing, you'll fall for anything" is truer than you think.
22) There's no shame in being wrong. It's a learning opportunity.
23) There's no shame in crying. Having strong emotions doesn't make you weak, it makes you human.
24) If you're at that point in the night where you're asking if you should stay for another drink or go home, it's time to take your drunk ass home.
25) Don't believe anything you see on Natural News or Fox News.
26) If you can't take care of a pet, you sure as hell can't take care of a kid. Keep this in mind every time you get baby rabies.
27) Stop comparing yourself to Photoshopped models. Stop comparing yourself to other people, period.
28) In college, major in what will get you a good job. Minor in something you love.
29) Humans never outgrow the need to play. It's perfectly okay to let your inner kid out. Swing on the swings at your local park. Play a sport. Get into video or computer games. Don't let anyone tell you that you're immature because of this.
-- M. Dos Santos
1) Stop making excuses for why you can't get started on your goal of having your own business, learning a new language, taking over the world, etc. There is no better time than right NOW, right this very second. Quit wishing and daydreaming and get on that shit.
2) Don't worry about what people who don't even like you think about you. Sure, you could change, but they still won't like you... They'll just find something new to dislike about you. Their opinions don't matter. So forget them.
3) It's not about who you spend the most time with, it's about who you have the best time with.
4) A lot of people spend their 20s spouse-hunting rather than building their career and investing in the future. Be patient; love will come to you at the right time. Go back to school, learn a trade, make yourself useful. That way you'll have something to fall back in in case Mr./Ms./Mx. Right doesn't work out.
5) When you wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and say to yourself, "I am f***in' awesome." Repeat until you believe it.
6) Be realistic about your goals. You'll probably never be the next American Idol, but you can be the winner of your school's talent show. You might never be president of your country, but you might be able to be PTA president one day.
7) The amount of people you sleep with has no bearing on how good of a person you are.
8) If something seems to good/scary/weird to be true, it probably is. Say it with me: "When in doubt, Snopes that shit!"
9) If you don't forward that email or share that picture on Facebook, a little dead girl is not going to kill you in your sleep. Sorry to disappoint you.
10) Own at least one outfit that makes you feel like a million bucks. (Just make sure it doesn't cost a million bucks.)
11) Rich people (that is, normal rich people, not celebrities) don't blow their money on frivolous crap like 30 dollar hairspray and 500 dollar handbags. You know who does? Poor people trying to look rich. Companies know this, and that's who they market to. Don't fall for the hype.
12) Being a parent doesn't automatically make you an expert on anything... except maybe your own kids.
13) Make a budget and stick to it. Stop impulsively spending money on stuff you don't need with money you don't have. When you have a million dollar nest egg to retire on, you'll be grateful.
14) Every day, do something that makes the world a little better. Buy a homeless person a meal. Donate to a charity. Say "good morning" to your neighbour you never talk to. Smile at a child.
15) There is ALWAYS room for dessert.
16) Sometimes, you just need to spend the entire day in bed, doing nothing productive. If this becomes a habit, however, you should probably go to the doctor because you might have depression.
17) Got a crush on someone? Ask them out. The worst they can say is "no."
18) You can't fix anyone. Loving someone will not make them a better person. Don't fall into the trap.
19) When you meet someone who laughs at the same stupid crap you do, marry that person. A sense of humour will get you through life much better than a huge bank account or good looks ever will.
20) Break up with the person who makes you feel like crap. Quit your soul-sucking job. Stand up to the person who picks on you.
21) It's a lot harder to fall for the charlatans and snake oil salesmen of the world when you've got a strong set of core beliefs. The old saying "if you stand for nothing, you'll fall for anything" is truer than you think.
22) There's no shame in being wrong. It's a learning opportunity.
23) There's no shame in crying. Having strong emotions doesn't make you weak, it makes you human.
24) If you're at that point in the night where you're asking if you should stay for another drink or go home, it's time to take your drunk ass home.
25) Don't believe anything you see on Natural News or Fox News.
26) If you can't take care of a pet, you sure as hell can't take care of a kid. Keep this in mind every time you get baby rabies.
27) Stop comparing yourself to Photoshopped models. Stop comparing yourself to other people, period.
28) In college, major in what will get you a good job. Minor in something you love.
29) Humans never outgrow the need to play. It's perfectly okay to let your inner kid out. Swing on the swings at your local park. Play a sport. Get into video or computer games. Don't let anyone tell you that you're immature because of this.
-- M. Dos Santos
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