Christmas 2012, And Baby It's Cold Outside

  I really do love that song, 'Baby It's Cold Outside'. It's old-school vibe and duo-singing makes it a perfect song for any season.
  But MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!! (or to those who celebrate it.)
  Also, for those who either do not believe in Jesus Christ or just do not celebrate Christmas, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
  As I've grown up celebrating Christmas, I've actually grown to hate the way it is celebrated. I mean, it is hyped up round man in a red suit, reindeer, and present-giving. But that's not what Christmas is about at all. I especially hate those movies whose moral is "Christmas is all about giving", because that means that Christmas is about receiving too!
  CHRISTmas is really about being with family, and celebrating the birth of our Father and Savoiur, (I just don't know how to spell that word) Jesus Christ. (But, of course, if you have you differing religious views, you can perceive it however you choose appropriate.)
  I really just want to encourage all families that do believe in Jesus and celebrate this holiday to convey this. Make sure your children know the true meaning of the holiday, and make sure they give thanks to Jesus Christ not only for His birth, but also for all the sacrifices He made for us.
  Also, in order not to completely debunk the idea of "giving" on Christmas, make sure your children know that they are fortunate to be able to receive presents, because many people in the world do not have the accommodations to do so. This will keep them humble and thankful for what they've gotten. I would also say that this would be the perfect time to get them to donate some of their too-small clothes to the Salvation Army or bake holiday treats with them and have them distribute it to others with you.
  Also, I would like to ask for you all to take a moment for yourself and be grateful for your life. I know how easy it is to get caught up in the routine of life and take things for granted, but in all reality, you are probably a lot better off than many other people in the world. So for a minute, I would like to ask you to put down the electric bill, or turn away from the stack of homework you have and just BE THANKFUL. Be thatnkful for the opportunity to live, and the blessing of being able to be surrounded by your family. Look around yourself at all the things that seem little, and thank God for that. You can even make it a Christmas family activity: have your family all write down 5things that they are thankful for and share it with everyone else. Just....BE THANKFUL.
  You can take this however you choose to. This is just my little Christmas 2cents to you all.
  Hope everyone has a great holiday.

Super-Short Story2

  "You can't tell me you haven't seen it," Dr. John Marcus asked as he and his colleagues exited the elevator.
  "Seen what?" Dr. Tammy Kirk asked.
  "He's talking about Dr. Shawns," Dr. Tim Manson therw in.
  "Oh, yes. I congratulated them both just the other day. She's already getting really big--"
  "No, not that," Dr. Marcus interrupted. He looked around, lowered his voice and whispered to his three colleagues, "I mean have you seen her in the lounge. She reads to it."
  "You say as if it's abnormal for an expecting mother to read to her developing fetus," Dr. Jenny Chang piped up. "Studies have shown that it actually helps to child's brain development."
  "Yeah, well I thought it was perfectly normal, too, until I got a glimpse of the stack of books. The Great Gabsy, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Odyssey....all of the books she is reading to her unborn child I didn't even pick up until my second year of undergrad!"
  "Oh, stop. She's obviously doing it int the best interest of her child," Dr. Kirk remarked.
  "I'm not gonna lie, it was kinda freaky. I mean she summarizes each chapter and everything. This kid's already got great genes: his mom is a country-ranked plastic surgeon, and his dad is a innovational neurosurgeon. She's already going to give birth to one hell of a baby." Dr. Manson shrugged his shoulders. "Reading it all that high-level literature is just going to guarantee that."
  "I'm convinced that that baby's IQ is going to be at least 120 coming out out of the womb," Dr. Marcus said. "He'll get into college at nine, and start his residency by 16. Before we know it, we'll be taking orders from him."
  "I just had the weirdest picture in my head of Dr. Shawns shoving a Rubix cube up her--"
  "I wonder what it will be like while she's in labor," Dr. Kirk unintentionally Dr. Manson while thinking aloud. "I mean, she's the initiator of pain at this hospital. So does she just coast easily through the whole process?"
  "Obviously not, " Dr. Marcus corrected. "She's human, so it's inevitable for her to feel the pain. She just has telepathic powers, so she transfers all of her pain to the residents of the hospital."
  "You're both insane," Dr. Chang said.
  "Whatever. But you'll see. That day will be hell on Earth for us."

November02: Womens' Rights

  On The Second Day of Voting, my Candidate gave to Mee.....
  Two Binders Full of Women!!
  On a more serious note, this post will address the Womens' Rights. I know that some of you will see this and think '19th Amendment. Yeah. Got it.' But it goes beyond that.
  Think about it realistically. There is NEVER equal rights, despite the fact that the documents of our country call for it. People are forever discriminated against based on their ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, age, political preference....it even gets as small as to the clothes a person wears. That is an unfortunate fact of life. So the statement that "women gained their rights a long time ago" is extremely ignorant. Women are to this day still extremely discriminated against in the workforce. And womens' rights isn't just a national issue; many countries in the world still haven't accepted their women as full-on citizens.
  So to me, the fact that this womens' rights issue is flaring up now extremely overdue. It has always been a problem in our society, but it has become magnified during this particular time due to Romney's healthcare proposal. In short, many of the healthcare aspects Mitt Romney addresses that he'll do if he wins the presidency happens to limit contraceptive availability and the option of voluntary abortion. It's obvious what he's trying to do; he is trying to make up for his religious affiliation by siding against abortion, hence winning him some Evangelical and Anglican supporters. But this strategy indirectly targets women and strips them of their capacity to make decisions for themselves, thus "neglecting our rights".
  Being a woman, it's obvious where I stand on the issue. But speaking from a asexual position, it is unjust what Gov. Romney is trying to do. Everyone should have control over their own bodies, and that includes women.
  Mitt really did dig himself into a hole with this whole womens' rights thing, and that "binders full of women" comment didn't really help the situation either.
  Look out tomorrow for my next Voting Day Countdown post!!

November01: Gay Rights

  So, to celebrate the election month, I decided to do a blogging countdown, similar to the Twelve Days of Christmas: The Six Days of Voting. Heck, maybe on the last day, I'll make a little jingle for it too.
  So each day, I will be posting about a different political topic. And on the First Day of Voting, I decided to start with something really controversial: Same-sex marriage.
  I'm sure we've all heard about it. (Or, at least I would hope that I have sophisticated people reading my blog who pay attention to political matters; no offense to those who don't, though!!) But to sum it up in a statement, the country is basically battling over whether or not homosexuals should have the right to be recognized as a married couple.
  But that's boring stuff. Now here's the fun part: You get to hear me rampage about my views on this topic.
  First of all, there's the question of whether or not marriage is an issue that should be dealt with within state jurisdiction or on a federal level. Regardless, states have taken it upon themselves to develop laws relating to marriage. I disagree with both, really; Marriage should be a CHURCH issue. I mean, don't people get married in church? So shouldn't it be up to the church whether or not to bind two people in holy matrimony? I do understand the cases in which the people getting married aren't religious; in that case, I believed it should be handled in an attorney's office. Just sign, date, and have a witness. Simple as that. Really, the only reason why the state is involved is because they make money off the marriage license. Besides that, it really is none of their business what to people want to do with their lives.
  My second problem s with the religious issue against same-sex marriage. I've literally had this argument with devout Catholics, and I tend to be able to shut them up. This is how it goes:
  -Devout Catholic: What they're doing is a sin! They need to be cast out of society.
  -Me: Ohkay....don't you sin?
  -DC: Yes, but I repent for it!
  -Me: You say that as if someone being homosexual automatically makes them an atheist. I know plenty of gays that attend church regularly.
  -DC: So not only are they sinning, but they're hypocrites! It's a sin, I tell you....God doesn't like it....it's a sin, it's a sin!!....
  -Me: WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU TO JUDGE HUMAN BEINGS? ISN'T THAT GOD'S JOB??
  -DC: Yes....
  -Me: Alright then. So why don't you just leave the judging to Him.
  -DC: I'm just trying to save them....Judgement Day will come, and God will punish them for their sins....
  -Me: Alright then. So just save all of your judging and casting aside for God to do on Judgement Day, mmkay?
**I don't want to give the wrong idea; I have nothing against Catholics. It's just that I've only had this conversation with Catholics, and they all tend to ironically go in this direction.** (One thing in particular that irritated me about a Catholic minister was after the death of Ted Kennedy. Ted was a Catholic, but was in support of same-sex marriage. After his death, an interview with his church's pastor reveals that the pastor does not feel as if he went to Heaven for his believe, and just wished that he would have come to the church and changed his opinion before he passed.)
  Of course, I always win these types of debates. But that's only because when dealing with this delicate situation, I don't let my religious views influence me. Which is another thing tearing this country apart; mixing the State with religion. It's literally just asking for trouble, and based on that, we've been begging for it for a little while now. (I also find it funny how religious views can also influence the way people vote; many Anglicans and Evangelicals wrote Romney off right when found out he was Mormon.)
  My main argument supporting same-sex marriage tends to (ironically) be an idea that leans more to the Conservative side: What others do in the privacy of their own homes shouldn't be that of my concern. I mean, seriously. Why do I care what my neighbor's sexual preference is? I don't! Why do I care if my female teacher is married to a woman? I don't! Why do I care if every homosexual in this country is married and considered a couple under legal circumstances? I DON'T! Like, really, I don't understand why it is such a big deal about what other people do in their privacy.
  So for me, gay marriage is a go. I would love to hear feedback on this, and hear your thoughts about same-sex rights. But to end off this post, I figured I'd end with a little quote from and episode of Law and Order..
                   "I say let them marry? Why shouldn't they be as miserable as the rest of us?"
Thanks for reading, and go vote!!

2008 Presidential Inaguration

  I know, I'm kinda breaking the blogger ethic thing by posting more than once a day (if that rule even exists). But I feel like I have to take advantage of the time I can post, since it's not often that I get the leisure time to do so.
  As I briefly mentioned in my 'Politics: Part I' post, my mother is 100% an Obama supporter. I spent the summer leading up to the 2008 Election knocking on doors, making phone calls, and visiting summer schools to register voters. So, of course, when President Obama was elected, she was beyond elated. So when January 2009 rolled around, she dragged both my sister and I to Washington, D.C. to watch the inauguration of President Barack Obama.
  Your first thought is, "Wow", right? Well, I'm not going to lie. A lot of it was very nice. We had a dinner in a very elegant university (sorry, I can't exactly remember all the details) and were introduced to a lot of important people.
  But, like I said, those details are fuzzy to me. But what I do remember is the bitter cold.
  One thing about me: I don't like the cold. It makes sense too, since I am from Nigeria (where it never snows), and the temperature never gets below 70degrees Fahrenheit. But really; I DON'T LIKE THE COLD.  It's rare when people see me without a jacket nearby. I live in the Sandhills of North Carolina, and the temperature here isn't too bad. But due to global warming, our winters have been becoming shorter, but colder. A couple of years ago, it snowed, and I cried. I mean, I literally bawled for about 2days. That's how much me and the cold don't get along.
  So considering we're in D.C. in the dead middle of January, it was blistering cold outside. The wind acted like a finely-sharpened knife and whipped through the air viciously. On top of the cold, we had to walk about 5-6miles, with constant pauses every 10mins due to the size of the crowd.
  I was miserable. My mum had lived in New Jersey when she first came to the States, so it wasn't so bad for her; and my sister was indifferent to the cold. But I felt like the grip of death was dragging at my feet. My mum found it hilarious and took numerous pictures of me, because all you could see were my eyes. Like, literally; I wrapped my whole head with 3scarves, and the only visible part of my face were my eyes. It definitely was the moment of my life where I was the coldest, and probably qualifies for the top stop for the time in my life where I was the most miserable.
  I remember little about the speech itself; the crowd was enormous, so I was watching from a big screen television that was there. One thing I especially don't remember was the hat that the First Lady wore that became such a big fashion topic after that. I did feel ahmazing, though, to actually be witnessing history. I had this strange weight inside of me, knowing that I was seeing 'the first' of something, and I don't think I was the only one in the crowd that felt this. (Others exhibited this feeling with constant chatter and shouts and bellows, which was different from my reaction, of course, because my mouth was covered, so I couldn't say anything."
  All in all, it is a little surreal to think that roughly four years has already passed since then. And now we approach that time once again: where another (or the same) American will be entrusted to keep our country free and ensure its prosperity. True, it was a mind-blowing experience, not just for me, but the whole country. But I think that the more personal message I was able to take home from the experience was that Virginia/Maryland cold is NO JOKE. D:

Politics: Part I

  Ahhh....politics is in the air. The stench of false promises and excessive polling is filling the atmosphere, clouding the minds of both informed and uninformed Americans.
  That's right, it's voting season.
  I know that that first statement makes it sound like I dread politics, but it's actually quite the contrary. I do highly enjoy discussing and debating (mostly debating) on the broad subject of politics and the controversial aspects that it brings up. Now, would I every embark in politics as a career? Hell no. Politicians are soulless creatures who are all competing in a big popularity contest, and if I ever became one of those, I may result in ending my life. (It may also have something to do with my fear of holding a high position in politics since I was 7 after I watched the assassination video of John F. Kennedy....) (Fun Fact: The word 'politics' comes from Latin words 'poli' meaning "many" and 'tics' meaning "bloodsucking creatures".)
  Unfortunately, I didn't watch the Presidential Debate, and I only saw a bit of the VP Debate, but those definitely won't sway my vote, even if I did watch them.
  I am an Independent. Sometimes I sway right, sometimes I lean left. It all depends on the people who are running, the plans they have, and their history.
  I assure you, I am DEFINITELY not like the average teen who just adopts the political views of their parents. As a matter of fact, back in '08, me and my mother were close to blows during the Democratic Primary Election (I was rooting for Clinton; she was backing up then-Senator Obama). I actually listen to news (CNN, if anyone was wondering), and make my own decisions based off of cold facts.
  Looking back to the 2008 Election, once former Senator Obama won the Primaries, I decided to check this guy out, and compare him to the opponent, Senator McCain. And, to me, Obama seemed to have the upper-hand. His economic plan was quite solid, and I agreed 100% on his standpoint about the war. Now, John McCain definitely had homeland security in the bag-I'll give that to him. But other aspects..he just didn't rise up to expectations. I guess he decided that when it came time to chose his running mate, he knew that he needed a radical move to help fill in the gap between him and Obama. I always describe his thought process as such: "Oh yeah? You are trying to give the nation its first African-American president? Well, I'll give America its first female Vice President!!" And it really was a good move. Once it was announced, all women voters' attention turned to him. But he made a huge mistake with who he chose: Sarah Palin. Everything was fine and dandy until she decided to open her mouth and allow the pure shit that she called ideas to spew from the aperture in her face. The whole country was like, "Oh shit. This lady is an idiot." Even McCain himself was like, "Oh shit. She's stupider than I thought." Obama went the safer route by choosing Biden; I'm sure that he figured that one record was good enough for his campaign.
  In the end, the Obama/Biden ticket took the cake. 'Til today, I still hear my conservative classmates grumbling about how "McCain should've won". And I always just smile politely and say, "You know, you're right. McCain should have won. But there was no need for it, really, since I think we all had a good grasp of what would've happened if he did win: McCain would have encountered some health problems while in office and have to be hospitalized, thus leaving the country in the hands of Sarah Palin. And from there....well, America would have just fell into a black hole and disappear off the face of the planet."
  So that was in 2008. Four years later, and here we are again. There's definitely much more to say about the campaign this time around, due to a number of social and economic factors (and maybe also due to the fact that it's way more fresh on my mind). So look out for Politics: PartII!!
  And, as always, please leave comments and share my blog with your friends!

Parenting

  I feel like I haven't posted anything in forever. I just have so much work....The only time I actually get a chance to write is while I'm in class. Ironic, wouldn't you say?
  On to today's topic: parenting. Some may think that I am a little young to be writing about such a topic, but I feel as if I am knowledgable enough to speak quite informatively on this subject.
  To be quite frank, most people aren't cut out to be parents. Yet all (most) people have the ability to reproduce. I'm not saying that people who don't fit a certain paternity measurement shouldn't have the ability to create other human beings. It's just that most people don't really understand the amount of sacrifices that it takes to be a good parent (notice: there's a difference between a parent and a good parent; everyone has a parent, but does everyone have the latter?).
  It's so easy to create other human beings, the difficulty of raising a child is often underestimated (hence the reason why when teens get pregnant, they don't see it as a big deal, because they think caring for babies is EASY....Ha! But that's for another day). It's more than just the birthing process. It even goes farther than the simplicity of feeding, clothing and sheltering them. I mean, think about it; babies are human beings that you have to raise to be prosperous human beings who contribute positively to the society (or, at least, that's what I would hope all parents strive for). That means developing their morals, keeping them educated, potentially imposing religious viewpoints onto them, and keeping their personalities holistic and well-rounded. Of course, you also have to deal with things that the children pick up outside of the household, which can often times change them for the worse. This makes things a lot more difficult and a lot more complicated. Parenting is probably the only full-time occupation that envokes every emotion possible by the human brain, and the only one that no matter how many times you've done it, it's just as difficult as the first time around. (So doesn't that make being a housewife a job....?)
  One of my favorite educators once said that there should be a required test to take before one can become a parent. And he's right on the money with his idea, because not all people are cut out for the job. A lot of people aren't willing to sacrifice everything and anything for another human being. This doesn't necessarily mean that you're selfish, but it sure as hell means that you shouldn't have kids.
  But then there are those out there that would take a bullet for their child. Ohkay. Good for you. You get a sticker for putting others before yourself. What I'm eluding is that people think that simply because they love their child with all the world, they are cut out to be a parent. Don't get me wrong; love is an essential part in being a parent. But it goes back to the idea of being a good parent. Love isn't going to discipline your child, and sometimes it  can actually hurt a child, which is the reverse intention of any caring parent.
  So what does it take to be a "good" parent? Well, of course, I don't have the ultimate recipe for being a good parent. (Not only because I've never actually been a parent myself, but mostly due to the fact that there is no manual that comes out of the womb with the baby.) I am just regurgitating what I've heard from well-experienced mothers, and also what I've seen done wrong by parents.
  First of all, of course, it takes love. And it has to be a special kind of love, one that isn't often encountered in life: unconditional love. This means that no matter what circumstances, you will always love your child, and give everything and anything, even your life, for them. (I'll be flexible on the circumstances, though; if your son's on death row for the murder of 12 people, I think that is a probable situation to potentially stop loving them.) Another key factor is being able to discipline properly. I'm not decreeing that all good parents beat their children (although I will say that this method was used on me, and I believe that I turned out quite above-exceptional). But being able to say, "What you did was wrong" and enforce some kind of punishment for it is key. This teaches children a concept of right and wrong, and will follow them through life and help them make good decisions in all aspects of life.
  Good parents should also be sensible to some level. I believe that a good parent-child relationship can be easily defined by whether a child is not afraid to approach their parent with any subject and talk to them about it. You want your child to be able to talk to you about everything, so that you can know what's going on with them at all times, and potentiality save them from making bad decisions.
  I believe that these three concepts are the most general ideas needed in parenting, and that a good balance of all three can make someone a good parent. Remember, a GOOD balance; too much of one or the other could pose to be very grave. (For instance, too much discipline could make them resent you and lead to rebellion, too much love could push them away from you, and too much sensibility could cause them to take advantage of you.) My mother and grandmother were both phenomenal women who did mix these three aspects fairly well and ended up being great mothers.
  Once again, don't view this post as the Vedas of parenting. I'm sure that I'm forgetting a lot of other important aspects needed to be a good parent. Also, remember that I have yet to experience parenthood, so I could be really off with my analysis. I just thought that I'd share my views about parenting. Lastly, I want to emphasize that although used throughout this, I am trying to use the term "good parent" rather loosely. This is because I am not trying to define strict guidelines of what makes a "good parent", mostly because there is no one method of "good parenting". What I am trying to get across here, though, is that there is a such thing as bad parenting, and that by incorporating some of the things that I've previously mentioned in  this post, maybe one could at least going down that parenting path.
Please leave your thoughts.

Pet-Peeves

  I always like to describe myself as a "Much-More-Than-Ordinary Girl". I mean, come on; I'm not just a normal person. I have different layers to me. You may be able to pick up the general gist of my personality, but you will NEVER be able to predict my next move.
  That aside, I am a very accepting person; I'm super open-minded, and I try to avoid all bias as much as possible. That being said, I only have 3 "pet-peeves": cabinet doors left ajar, ignorance, and the use of the word "weird"
  The first one is slightly OCD; I just can't stand it when cabinet doors are left ajar. I mean, if it's completely open, that's not too bad. But when it is slightly propped open....it makes my skin crawl. Like, literally, I have had numerous nightmares solely about cabinet doors being left ajar.
  I think the second one is fairly justifiable; I'm sure everyone hates ignorance, but don't give it much thought. I, on the other hand, have a great resentment towards this.
  I'm sure that 'ignorance' is one of those words that everybody knows, and can identify when in its presence. But what does it truly mean? Ignorance is often confused with the term 'ghetto', which, in my opinion, is better described by the newly-popularized term "rachet". (Oh my goodness. I can believe I just said that word. I HATE that word. Whenever I say it aloud, my gag reflex unconsciously kicks in.) Ignorance, in reality, means lacking knowledge. Therefore, a statement such as "All Asians have pale skin" is an ignorant comment, because this indicates the lack of knowledge about Asian countries with inhabitants with dark skin, such as Thailand, Malaysia, and India.
  I actually felt so strongly about this topic that I wrote a 12-page monologue about ignorance. I basically just stated what ignorance is, different scenarios in which ignorance is often presented in, and how to avoid being ignorant. Unfortunately, this monologue was saved on the flash drive that I misplaced, so..it's gone.): But maybe I will re-write it and post it one day.
  My third pet-peeve is the use of the word "weird". Most people don't give it much thought when using it; it just comes out. But I want you to really think about it; what is "weird"? Is there a standard decree that states what is "weird" and what's not? If you truly think about it, "weird" is just a derogatory word for 'different'. So technically, everyone is "weird", since everyone is different. I do find the use of this word slightly ignorant, but not too much, because this word was kind of established by society, so you don't know any better but to use it. But that's where I come in.(: When addressed by this term, I usually just say, "Well, if by "weird" you mean 'different', then yes I am, and thank you", or "Don't call me that. Just because I'm different than you doesn't make some kind of social pariah."
  Well, that's about all for me today....page views and comments are greatly appreciated!!

The Sticky-Trailed Woman

  What better way to celebrate a mild rainy day with a tornado watch than by blogging. (:
  If there is truly any compatibility between two items in this world, it is Sharpies and sticky notes. (forget cookies and milk!) I hold these two things dear to my heart. I love writing little notes on colorful square pads with bright Sharpies, and just sticking them all over. Sometimes I write random things, like, "I love cheesecake", and others I jot down significant quotes, such as "I myself am made up entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions." (made by Augusten Burroughs, in his Magical Thinking: True Stories) One of my favorite things to do is to write uplifting statements and give them to random people I don't even know. Once I rode the public bus, and I left a stick note saying "Make today's goal to smile at a stranger every place you go." In the dressing room of a TJ Maxx, I left one on the mirror that said, "Step outside your comfort zone today, and go for those bright jeans or wedged shoes." When  I saw a woman looking gloomy at the mall, I wrote her a sticky note that said, "Smile and put your best foot forward, no matter what the circumstances are", and gave it to her without giving her a second glance.
  I wouldn't necessarily say that my reason behind doing this is solely to make someone feel better; that's actually my ulterior motive for doing these deeds. It's just....I love sticky notes so much. And I want others to love them just as much as I do. And what easier way to spread the love, than to spread the sticky notes? Anyways, writing these kinds of things down always tend to be easier than saying it. And I guess that's why they never get said; because it's difficult to articulate things like this. I don't know why no one ever thought about writing these things down, though, because if you ask me, when something is written, it has more meaning. Saying to someone, "Have a great day" is one thing, but writing it is another; you can put a heart next to it, and that person can look back at it all the time to remember that someone really wants them to have a great day. Written things invoke a whole 'nother set of emotions. And the thought that my sticky notes can actually turn somebody's day around..well, that's pretty amazing to me.

Just a tad bit more about me....

  Is it against blogger etiquette to blog twice in one day? Let me know your thoughts on that.
  But after my 30min nap, I feel re-energized and ready to take on the world!....Or maybe just a few more page views. (Muchos gracias to my first page viewer!!)
  So I'm thinking that maybe I should tell you a little more about myself?
  For starters, I guess I should explain my name. The spelling is a complete throw-off. The 'n' is silent. So it's pronounced 'e-tee-oh-sa' (with a short 'e' sound, like in 'egg') And if you think that's bad.... well, wait 'til I tell you what the full version is.
  One can't help but to think, "Where do you get a name like 'Etinosa'?" I've been asked if it's Hispanic, Japanese, Caribbean....but truth is, it's Nigerian. Yes, that is in Africa, but NO, the stereotypes are not true (that is for another time, though). I myself was not born there, but my parents both were (even though I usually lie to people and just tell them that I was born there). The only other thing I'll say about this is that if you think Asian parents are bad, you obviously have not encountered any Nigerian parents. (Another day, again.)
  I'm also a super open-minded person. I'll soon be posting about some very controversial things very soon, which I would much enjoy reading your thoughts about. So things like political views and other racy topics- yeah, expect those sometime towards the end of the year.
  So a couple notes to leave off on....
  Am I the only one who hates the word 'senoritis'? It's just so literally incorrect, I can't stand it....
  Here's a challenge: my full name is Etinosalobuakpologbe. Do you think you can say it?
  Let me know all your thoughts; I'm dying for some feedback!!

Short Story1

Sigh.  SO. MUCH. WORK.
I've been slacking super-hard on posting. And I am just way too mentally exhausted to write about my personal views and thoughts. So here's my first story post. Yay!!!
                                       -------------------------------------------------------------------
  "Ohkay, so what's his name?" Mr. Andrew Shields picked up the stuffed yellow rabbit that was seated to his left.
  "Her, Daddy. She's Tabbitha Hopspring."
  "Oh." He sat the stuffed animal back down. He squirmed in the miniature chair and let his hands rest on his knees, which stuck out far above the table in comparison to his daughter's, which dangled just above the floor.
  "Ohkay, Daddy, now that you know everybody at the table, we can start." She gracefully began to pour the "tea" into each tiny teacup that was arranged around the Barbie Princess table.
Mr. Shields stared at his daughter and smiled to himself. So this is what fatherhood is, he thought. It could take some getting used to, but I think I can handle it.
For the past 18months, Mr. Shields and his ex-wife had been going through a major divorce struggle. They were both battling for the custody over their most prized possession--Ashley, their four-year-old daughter. With him being a lawyer and her being a cake designer, they both had their pros and cons to their parenting styles. The judge said that he was looking for a decision "in Ashley's best interest". And that, apparently, ended up being joint custody. But in Andrew's opinion, joint custody would be like tearing her in two halves. What she needed was one full-time guardian; he even had half a mind to ask the judge to let Ashley choose who she wanted to be with.
  But he of all people knew that the judge's verdict was final. And plus- the courtroom is no place for a child. It was bad enough that for the whole duration of the trial, his ex-wife had full-custody of Ashley, only leaving him with visitation rights on every other holiday. The judge had favored her from the beginning, so he considered himself lucky to get even partial custody.
  "Daddy, you have to drink with your pinky out, " Ashley said as Andrew was raising the empty cup to his lips.
  "Oh. Right." He grinned and stuck out his right pinky. He put the cup to his lips and "drank" the imaginary tea. Well, I guess I've got to be happy with what I got: every other two weeks with her, and every other holiday. He watched with jubilant eyes as she talked to the stuffed bear sitting across from her. As long as I get to see my little angel grow up, that's all that matters.
                                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
That's a short one; these tend to be the ones that I actually do (or am somewhat literally forced to) put an ending to. So please- the floor is open! I am a big fan of constructive criticism, whether it's sugar-coated or shrewdly put. I really do take others' opinion about my writing to heart, because you all will be the ones reading when I'm selling on bookstands! But really, tell me what you think!

I guess I should start by explaining the title.
Sleep I have this disorder called narcolepsy. It causes people to fall asleep spontaneously throughout the day. (I haven't necessarily been officially diagnosed with it, but I have enough humility to diagnose myself.) There are different levels, and, thank God, mine isn't that serious. [On a scale of 1 to 10, I would say it is a 2 or 3.] I just tend to fall asleep when I sit still in one place for hours at a time, such as in church or lectures (ESPECIALLY during lectures), or while riding in the car from Destination A to Destination B. Although it isn't significantly severe, it is embarrassing when I fall asleep early on a road-trip with friends, or when I'm nodding off while the keynote speaker is giving a speech. It often does raise question in people minds, and when I tell them, I've received a number of responses; some laugh, some become sympathetic, some become interested, and some just plain out don't believe me. Regardless, it's something that I have come to accept, but not submit to; I still anticipate to go great places in life, and I don't intend to let my eyelids stop me.

Sandwiches Sigh....I always find it even more embarrassing to explain this one. But I made this blog on the mindset of not holding anything back, so here it is!
About eight years ago, my parents made a huge investment: they purchased two Subway Sandwiches and Salads franchises. Sounds like the good life, right? WRONG. Although I have to admit that I wouldn't be the person I am today without the experience, it also served as a huge hinderance. SUBWAY BECAME MY LIFE. That's all I'll say for now, but I assure you that I will go in further detail in later posts.

Stories This was the only word that I could think of to sum up what I like to do. As I mentioned in the previous post, I am an aspiring author. I write all different kinda of things (except for poetry; I tried, and failed miserably. Maybe I'll post some of them every once in a while): Fiction, Non-Fiction, Autobiographies, Historical Fiction....you name it, I've probably written something about it at least once. Here's my problem: I can never finish anything. I will start, and it'll be really good....but then I'll stop. And once I stop, I never seem to be able to start again and maintain the spice and fire in the words as I did in the first sitting. But there WAS a time where I told myself, "Etinosa, you need to buckle down and actually get something published." And I did. Surprisingly, my first serious sets of writings were children's stories (which all of my friends found hilarious, because it totally contradicted my personality; one of my friends even forced me to let her read them prematurely so she could ensure that it was free of any sexual content). I'm cringing as I'm writing this, because the flash drive that these stories were saved on MAGICALLY DISAPPEARED about a year ago. I haven't mustered up the strength to start over, because deep down I still believe that somehow, I can retrieve the thumb drive from the dark hole that it absconded to. But as I'm typing this, I realize that it's a lost cause. So hey, maybe I will start again! (And give you guys a little sneak-peak before I try to get them published).

So that's me....The rest of the title is very broad, so I won't say much about it, except that you'll see what I mean in later post. (:

Finally created my own blog. This should be interesting.
The title is a little vague and wish-washy; this blog will display a variety of things, from my thoughts and stories (I am an aspiring writer), to strange phenomenons and flashbacks about my life. I hope you enjoy what I post, and hopefully I will get a few committed readers that I can have rely on me to continue posting. (: