The Social Porcupine

My glückpilz (lucky mushroom/ good luck charm) from Germany What does it mean to be real? A lifestyle Instagrammer might decide to take a break from all her normal photos to share something that is “real”. It lacks filters or artistic arrangement in the trade of something “less” pretty. Even if this “real” post exaggerates the dirt with humor, we applaud the woman for her bravery in being real. Someone might make a Facebook post and say, “You might not know this, but I’m actually NOT doing well.” Even if she makes these posts on a regular basis, we admire her willingness to be real. More than we admire the person who is active in politics, society, economics, theology, philosophy, or other real-world problems. I’ve heard people complaining that social media is depressing because it’s full of fake people posting about a life that’s unattainable and unrealistic; as if someone’s artistic or encouraging words or photos automatically must cause dissatisfaction in our own lives. ...

//What, How, Why, Who, and Where// What is up and down, but life  going through moods that matter  nothing once they are through?  🌸🍃🌸  How might I abound, but strife  release its horrid clatter  o'er my every move?  🌸🍃🌸  Why is my ev'ry sound, but rife  with pointless, mundane chatter  designed for naught anew?  🌸🍃🌸  Who am I to amount, but fife  through this unwanted platter  painted only to behoove?  🌸🍃🌸  Where's my final mound?  But life  remains in a ruined shatter  with my torn roots askew? //More Than Myself// I am a thread in a quilt,  Clinging to the unraveled fibers around me.  They say, "Pull free, be your own thread!"  🌳🌼🌳  Though I break, I will not split  For though faded, those shredding threads are what ground me;  And without seams, I'd be dead.  🍃🥀🍃  I have roots, spread far and wide  Under soil malnourished and s...

This is me .  This is me .  I'm not sure if the two me's overlap, or if they are completely different? Part of me has a life.  I sew. I model. I read. I write (and have manuscripts to prove it). I have friends (and spend time with them. At least long enough for a selfie). I have family. I always have something big happening, normally more than one thing at a time. And my clothes are very . . . shall we say artistic? Mostly I smile, but sometimes I share about pain, or my Dad being in a car accident and nearly dying, or rocky friendships, or stress. I have a colorful life, and the colors spread from pink to black, to all the shades between. Overall, when you see me you see an unending variety of life. Part of me has no life . . .  . . . Yet, that part of me seems to be obsessed with mirrors and smiling and cleaning. EVERYTHING is clean. My humor is clean. My singing is clean (and the toilet brush is my mic). My friends are cle...

Our modern world is living under a major crisis, where every youth is searching for their identity and few seem to be succeeding to the full satisfaction. The sad thing is that the majority of people from the past would probably laugh at us. " Why do you care who you are?" They might ask. " What does it matter?" "Easy for you to say," we'd reply. " You don't have to decide what to do with your entire life. It's been decided for you since your great-great grandfather took up from where his father left off. I have choices. Billions of them." We are in a unique, horrible time. Because not only are we searching for who we are and what we should do with all of our lives we also don't want what we do to define us. Because deep down we feel as if we are much more than our chosen careers. The thing is we are both right and wrong about this belief. I explain how work is an integral part of our identity in Work Then Rest . But...

Hey, People! I have a game for you. Now, you gotta make sure to do it just right . . . or it won't work ;) We are going to talk about identity . In three easy steps I am going to help you help yourself know who you are !!! How fun!? Right? Because after all, you can't live life not knowing who you are. You MUST discover your identity. And never stray from it. Grow in who you are, but never change once you know who you are. Life is that simple - or will be once you know you :D  Step 1. Time to know who you are. Write down your label words - more specifically, key words to define you! We are going to put you into a box. Your own special box. That way you know who the unique you is ;)  I recommend taking many tests. Myers Briggs, extroverism-introverism, and even all those facebook playbuzz tests. Take as many as you can so that way you have lots of knowledge about yourself at your disposable.   You can just write down the wo...

All you ladies out there, I just want to take a moment to express some thoughts of mine. And make you think. And ask you this question: Who determines who you are? Thoughts toward a disgusting attitude that seems to becoming so predominate as of late. Selfish, vulgar, and even down right false. It's where we women are acting like the world owes us something as we have somehow been mistreated? We aren't privileged? We have no rights? We are somehow being oppressed by men? I'm told that I'm just lucky to not have experienced such things at the hand of man when I try to stand up for my father, brothers, and guy-friends by stating “All men aren't evil.” I'm told I'm stupid and ignorant when I say “I don't hate men.” Stereotyping and being hateful toward men seems to be justified by this: statistics prove what experience can't. It doesn't matter that I or you don't know any evil, white guys. Statistics prove that women are m...