The Little Things.

People treasure the strangest things.  For some reason it always seems to be the popular, cliché, typical BS that everyone always raves about.

For example, prom.  Remember how effin’ HUGE prom was in high school?  Or any dance for that matter.  I’ll put it blatantly: I was never asked to prom.  Or any dance.  Not by friends, not by some studly man.

Or graduation!  something as simple and free as graduation.  Graduation is so kick ass.  It’s a time when you can raise your middle fingers to the sky and tell the world that you’re the f*cking bomb.  It may seem totally pathetic now, but I know people who are my age (20, for those of you who weren’t aware) who are still in high school.  Graduation is awesome.  Period.

Or — shoot! — flowers.  Flowers are great, don’t get me wrong.  My favorite flower is the scarlet pimpernel.  Sunflowers are gorgeous, too.  But it seems like no girl is happy (specifically with their significant other) unless they come home with a big, beautiful bouquet of roses.  But, I s’pose that’s every girl’s fantasy.  It sure has hell was mine for 19 years.

But, those are such little things.  Things that, sure, I guess they matter, but in all reality, they’re simply little things.

What I mean is, since I was never asked to a dance, I never got one of those cute prom/homecoming/etc. dance pictures.  While all of my friends and then some were out dancing, I stayed home, Facebooked, Tumblred, and watched sappy romance movies like The Notebook, or something Disney-related, like Toy Story.  It wasn’t until I went on a cruise with my best friend Roxie in 2010 that we met what is now called The Entourage.  The Entourage consisted of Ava, Joe, Carmela, Hayward, Paul, Trevor, Damien, Roxie, and myself.  We rocked that cruise like no one else on board.  One night, we went out for a fancy dinner.  We got all dolled up (and spiffied up for you gentlemen) and went for photo ops.  Ava goes, “Get ready, guys!  We’re about to take our prom picture.”  And that was it.  It honestly struck a sweet chord for me.  I had never — ever — had a picture with a date.  Now?  Now I have a picture with eight dates!  It was by far the best prom night I could have ever dreamed of.  (The Entourage prom photo.)

Ah, graduation.  High school was an interesting road for me.  I loved high school.  I had such rad teachers and some pretty hilarious friends.  But, because I graduated high school a year early, I never got to experience graduation.  Not only that, I never got to experience any of the senior activities, like grad night, senior pranks, etc.  Honestly, that never really bothered me, but what DID bother me was that I was never included in my senior yearbook.  But even then, I was still not bothered.  While all of my mates were studying hard and crazy for finals, I was studying hard and crazy for my ASVAB.  After enlisting in the military and shipping off for boot camp, the one and only thing I could look forward to was, of course, graduation.  It came to a close halt when I was diagnosed with shin splints just a week before graduation.  I was medically cleared the morning of graduation, but my MTI (military training instructor) wouldn’t allow me to be a part of the graduation ceremony.  I nearly cried.  My family had traveled just to see me graduate, but they would end up seeing me sitting on the side benches instead.  Luckily, my squadron supervisor demanded that my MTI allow me to be a part of the ceremony.  Once again, it struck a sweet chord.  Like I said, I never got to experience graduation, but while all of my friends were graduating high school, I was graduating and becoming a world class airman. (Military graduation.)

Flowers.  Such a simple delicacy.  I’ve been in 7 serious relationships (including my present relationship).  Some lasting years, some only months.  Never once have I been given flowers.  Funny enough, Iii actually gave my crush a flower on Valentine’s Day in freshman year of high school.  For some reason, this always left me incredibly bummed.  Like, WTF?  Aren’t men supposed to swoon the ladies with wondrous roses?  Aren’t they supposed to surprise them with a great, big tulip or somethin’?  Movies are such lies.  NO man I’ve ever known brings the love of their life flowers.  Except for my father.  My father constantly surprises my mother with flowers.  I guess this is where I’ve just grown up to see it happen, so I suspect it’ll happen to me, too.  Not the case, however.  The first and only time I’ve ever been given flowers was (coincidentally) on the day of my graduation from boot camp.  Roxie was unable to fly out to my graduation, so she had flowers SENT to me.  To this day (and forever always), those flowers and that memory will always remain my favorite bouquet of flowers.  (Flowers. Love, Roxie. [Excuse my face. We weren’t allowed to look pretty in boot camp.])

Why the f*ck would I write a novel like this?  Mainly because I’m reminiscing.  Because it humors me how much of the little things we truly take for granted.  I didn’t get to experience these little things when everyone else did, but I did experience them.  And, honestly, it truly is the little things that count.

Gaby said I can eat her ice cream that’s at my house.

WELL HELLO BREAKFAST!

nom nom nom nom nom!

Life. Change. Life-changing.

I wrote this for my best friend, Roxie. I’m hoping she’ll see it either on Facebook or on here. : )

I lalalalove you : )

Okay so excuse my homo moment, but I woke up and had this on my mind, just lingering in the inset of my brain.

I tell you over and over again, without hesitation, that you are my best friend. You’re everything to me. Without the sky, there’d be no stars; without the sea, there’d be no sand. You’ve stuck by my side like super glue even when my worst moments come around. Granted, I’m only human and it’s bound to happen (ha), but you never complain. You never frown. You never debase me. You simply put a sweet smile on your face and remind me that this is the journey of life, and at the end of every tunnel is a light.

Honey, there’s no need to remind me anymore. Because I wouldn’t want to travel through the journey of life with anyone else but you, and I’ve already reached the end of the tunnel and found my light: you. All I’m saying is, thank you. Thank you for believing in me, for helping me take the baby steps I need in believing I’m beautiful. For never giving up even when I deemed it to be the only option left. You’ve taught me a lot about happiness. You’ve put boys, unfortunately (;)), in a pickle because, as you know, I’m thoroughly convinced that there’s no guy that could ever fill your shoes and give me the equal amount of love that you shower me with everyday.

Roxie, you are my sky, and I’m the stars that float and dance in your presence; without you I would never shine. And you are the sea, and I am the sand; you wash away my worries.

Please, please please just do me one favor.
Stay beautiful. Stay golden. Because you’re making huge differences left and right, and one day, you’ll change the world.

<3