Cleaning House... aka So Many Goodbyes

As 2009 comes to a close, I say "goodbye" to many things.

Goodbye, 2009. You sucked, you hurt, you challenged. I leave you stronger, wiser, and more aware. Not only did I survive you, but I came out all the better for it.

Goodbye immaturity. I am an adult. I have responsibilities. I answer for my choices.

Goodbye bad influences. It's time to weed out those who bring me down, and stick with those who make me happy.

And, sadly, goodbye Blogger. You are not fulfilling my needs. I am moving on... to BasicallyRead

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As 2010 begins, I say "hello" to many things.

Hello life in NYC. I finally made it. I cannot wait to see what you bring.

Hello self reliance. If I cannot depend on me, who can I depend on?

Hello self awareness. I am what I am, and what I am is amazing. If you cannot see that, you are not worth a damn.

Hello endless possibilities...

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The biggest piece of information learned this year that I bring with me to the future:

We have control over everything that happens in our life. Yes, we cannot control the thoughts and actions of those around us. However, we can control our OWN thoughts and actions, as well as our reactions. Our reactions are what define us the most - they are what define our ability to learn and grow. Take time to think things through, take time to evaluate what things really mean to you. If you don't, you may lose the things that matter to you most.

And always remember - only you have the ability to control your life. YOU decide what and who you want around you. Choose wisely...

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Hello, 2010...

A Little Christmas Story...

First, a story. A little Christmas Story. I call it "The Story of Schmuel, Tailor of Klimovich"

Schmuel would work till half-past ten at his tailor shop in Klimovich. Get up at dawn and start again with the hems and pins and twist. Forty-one years had come and gone at his tailor shop in Klimovich. Watching the winters soldier on, there was one thing Schmuel missed

"If I only had time," old Schmuel said, "I would build the dress that's in my head. A dress to fire the mad desire of girls from here to Minsk. But I have no more hours left to sew"

Then the clock upon the wall began to glow...

And the clock said: "Na na na na, na na na Oh Schmuel, you'll get to be happy! Na na na na, na na na I give you unlimited time! Na na na na, na na na So Schmuel, go sew and be happy!"

But Schmuel said "No, no, it's not my lot I've gotta make do witht he time I've got"

Schmuel was done at half-past ten and he said "Good night, old Klimovich!" Put on his coat to go, but then the clock cried, "Wait! Not yet! Even though you're not wise or rich you're the finest man in Klimovich. Listen up, Schmuel, make one stitch and you'll see what you get"

But Schmuel said "Clock, it's much too late - I'm at peace with life - I accept my fate..."

But the clock said, "Schmuel! One stitch and you will unlock the dreams you've lost!"

So Schmuel, with reluctance, took his thread. He pulled a bolt of velvet and said, "I should take out my teeth and go to bed I'm sitting here with talking clocks instead!"

And the clock said: "Na na na na, na na na Oh Schmuel, you'll get to be happy! Na na na na, na na na, I give you unlimited time Na na na na, na na na Just do it and you can be happy!"

So Schmuel put the thread through the needle's eye, and the moon stared down from a starless sky. And he pushed the thread through the velvet black, and he looked, and the clock was turning...back! So he grabbed his shears and he cut some lace as the hands moved left on the old clock's face, and his fingers flew and the fabric swirled - -it was nine-fifteen all around the world.

Every cut and stitch was a perfect fit as if God Himself were controlling it! And Schmuel cried through a rush of tears, "Take me back! Take me back all forty-one years!"

And on it went down that silent street 'til Schmuel's dress was at last complete.

And he stretched his arms. And he closed his eyes.

And the morning sun finally started to rise.

And the dress he made on that endless night was a dress that would make any soul take flight. Not a swatch, not a skein had gone to waste, every ribbon and button ideally placed. And sewn into the seams were forty-one seasons of dreams.

Dreams that you could feel coming real.

And that very dress, so the papers swore, was the dress a girl in Odessa wore on the day she promised forevermore to love a young man named Schmuel, who only one day before had knocked at her kitchen door.

Plenty have hoped and dreamed and prayed but they can't get out of Klimovich. Maybe it's just that you're afraid to go out on to a limb-ovich - maybe your heart's completely swayed, but your head can't follow through.

But I say, "Na na na na, na na na oh honey, you'll get to be happy. Na na na na I give you unlimited time."

Take a breath.
Take a step.
Take a chance.

Take your time.


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Life isn't about being over. Life is about to begin.

Happy 2010, readers.

Turn the Hourglass

Enjoy this moment...

This moment is your life.

let's hear it for hu-mah!

So my mom just walks into my room, right? And she goes, "Red, you look absolutely horrendous... did you just see a ghost?"

And I say...



"Nope! Just my budget..."




buh dump, chhhhh!




Hear It!- Empire State of Mind- Jay-Z f/Alicia Keys

A Letter From the Desk of Red

Dear Sir:

I thought that you should know that I have recently been learning the game of chess. I know, terrible, right? That I had never learned such an iconic game before, I mean. Truth be told, I just never really had the interest. At least, that is, not until I recently witnessed a match. I was intrigued by the rules- entranced by how the pieces move.

In the game of chess, there is no undo. One can only wait for their next turn and then move backwards, if it is permitted.

It's strange, you see, how chess parallels life. I mean, until the future where time travel exists, there is no way to go back in time and changed the past events of one's life. What is done is done, and one may only make newer choices to try to figure out his path.

I am not a leftover;
I am not a home wrecker;
I am not a second choice;
I am not a toy;
And I am certainly not a pawn.

I am not a piece to be used and easily discarded.

I am sorry for you that you could not see what I am or was. You could not see what you had, and you took your next move for granted. It's not my problem, really. You did some damage, I'll admit it, but I have recouped from the losses, and strengthened my defense.

I know who I am, what I'm about, and what a catch I am. You were lucky to even play the game with me. You see that now.

But now is too late.

Check.



Hear It!: Your Move- Yes

It's a Celebration, B*tches!

It's really happening.

People say that once you become an adult, life starts to go by fast; like a freight train.

Really, though, it's like a roller coaster, speeding up and down; twisting and turning.

I'm excited, kids. I hear it, below me...

"Click click click click click click."

I can feel the bumps as each gear clicks into place.

Hello, new job with a lighting company in New York City. Hello, apartment search. Hello, life.

This time, I'm doing it right. I'm loving it.


Listen, though, sweethearts, try not to stare at my cute little tushy as I'm on my way up... the floor may be dirty, you don't want your jaw to be, too...



Hear It!: If It Kills Me- Jason Mraz, We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things

25, or An Introduction

There are four months until my 25th birthday.

A lot can happen in four months.

I'm counting on it.

I am who I am. I was who I was. And I will be who I will be.

Acceptance is the first step towards living.

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Hi. My name is Red. I enjoy professional sports, IPAs, working with my hands, and getting dressed up.

I like to get dressed up because when I take the time to make myself look good, I feel good. And I look good... I mean like, damn fine. The man on the subway told me so, after I gave him the dollar he needed to feed wife and two kids. He didn't tell me so much with words, but by brushing his hand against my bottom. Kind of like a football player congratulating his teammate on a great play.

I live with my family. I love them, and they love me, although we cannot stand each other sometimes. We live in the suburbs with the dog and the fence and the neighbor who has a warrant out for his arrest. Apparently, the kids are all on heroin nowadays, did you know about that?

I work and stuff. People offer me jobs, and I take them. It's pretty cool. I like to get paid. But really, who doesn't? Am I right?

Autumn is my favorite season. I love when the leaves change colors and there's that slight bite to the air and even your sweater isn't enough so he wraps his arms around you and you get drinks and sit by the fire and watch your team kick ass and eat some stuffing and...

I digress...

Which reminds me, I need a new sweater.

What else would you like to know about me? I'm pretty new at this game...

My friends tell me I'm a good listener. It's just a gift I guess. I mean, I don't like to brag, and it's not like a save people's lives, but it feels pretty awesome to be there for them. It makes me feel a little bit more sane myself, you know?

But enough about me, tell me about yourself... tell me your favorite color, and what you like to do in your spare time. Tell me about your dreams and aspirations and about where you see yourself in ten years...

Most importantly, tell me, what are your thoughts on beer?