To Cho Chang From The Faceless Latina

It's that time of night where I should be turning off my light rather than plugging in my computer charger, but you know that isn't an option for me. I mean, look at the time. It's not even 4 am yet. And I'm actually putting off getting my charger because it's not that time...yet.

Tonight's topic has been sitting in my mind for a few days. I saw a spoken word poetry video on YouTube that got me thinking. But I'll let the video speak for itself.

Without further ado, this is my response.

To Cho Chang, From The Faceless Latina

I will never get to work at Disney World as my favorite princess. We are one in the same--curious, book-crazy, loving, adventurous--but we are not one in the same. We can want the same things and dream the same dreams, but still I can never put on that beautiful yellow ball gown and call myself "Belle." I cannot call myself beautiful because I have been told since childhood that my skin is not the same color as hers. I will not be a role model for young girls the same way Belle has been there for me because they won't look past our skin color. They won't see how truly alike we are. I am no Snow White. I am not a mermaid with beautiful red hair. I will never be the heroine I want to be because movies and books haven't portrayed me that way.

But I won't let that stop me.

I will write my own story. I will forget that there's an Asian princess, a Native American princess, an Arabic princess, a Scottish princess, and even an African-American princess while there is not a Spanish princess or a Cuban princess to represent me. I will forget about the princess who doesn't even have legs and the one who fell for a beast. Instead, I will remember that my mother told me, "If you want to get something done, you need to do it yourself," and write my own story.

So yes, while I can sympathize because you and I are traveling along the same road, I see where that road diverges and we diverge as well. You will travel along the road of complaint and compliance, but I will do something for myself because I can't sit back and watch someone else's pen move while mine is idle. That is not the way my story will end.

Reasons Why I Appreciate John Mayer

If you got a chance to read my last blog, you probably know that I posted a John Mayer song (unless you're one of those people who skips over addendum at the end of a post because it's "pointless"). But I won't harp you on it because I am guilty of doing the same thing.

Now, I may not be the number one John Mayer fan. Or number two. Or...100. I'm no Taylor Swift.

Really, I don't listen to him in all honesty, but I do have widescale appreciation for his music regardless of whether or not I only know "Free Fallin.'" When I was writing that blog, I was listening to Yiruma radio, which is this awesome guy that my friend Annissa showed me. As Spotify radio goes, you lose the genre you were originally listening to first and kind of get mixed into something else. Although nothing will ever be as bad as Lil Wayne on blink-182 radio on Pandora. Thanks Pandora. You obviously know me inside and out.

Well, John Mayer's song came up, and it felt like I was finally listening to something that was soothing and awesome at the same time. I'm still working on that Productivity Playlist I talked about last time, but we'll shave that for later...

Here is my list of reasons why I have a budding appreciation for John Mayer:

5. He is handsome as hell. Take a look at those arms, and that hair...it makes you want to write a teenage fan fiction.

4. His music is chill. We need more of that in the world. Less LMFAO, more Mayer.

3. He has the same initials as one of my favorite bands of all time, Jack's Mannequin (This is minor, but I wanted to include it).

2. He supports veterans. That's some extra brownie points in my book, if you ask me.

1. Have you heard his voice? Obviously not if you didn't think this wouldn't be the number one reason.

I have been so careful lately to listen to new music because I am all too comfortable with everything that I listen to now. What's the point in learning more when your iPod can't hold another 13 song album? But I find comfort in hearing that there is ample decent music left in the world. I hope you guys enjoy your evening and I'm looking forward to when we chat again.



A Piece of Poetry

I never got around to writing another blog post, but sitting here in the dead of night, I did actually write a poem. I used to write poems constantly. Something would just happen in my head and I would have something to write about. Nowadays, inspiration is a little harder to come by, but I am trying to write every day now.

When I Yell At You

When I yell at you

We hear two different things:

You hear my high-pitched

Bitching.

I hear my high density

Cries.

You hear flaws and faults.

I hear pleas and prayers.

I yell because you

Don’t need to see me cry.

I yell because I’d rather not

Show you my sadness.

I’d rather not make myself

Vulnerable again.

And to end the night, a song from my upcoming playlist on Spotify entitled Productivity Playlist: