All posts by Kendra Short

Updates

Project Updates

Leave a comment

Hey all, Kendra here with some updates!

I’m here too!

Yes… Shorty’s here as well. Anyway, we just wanted to give some quick updates on the status of various projects.

To start with, the Soundtrack project is still rocking along, but we haven’t had time to do the next post. That’s right, we- I’ll be helping out with the next soundtrack update!

Furthering joint projects, we’re working on some more Monologue posts, but we just haven’t had the time at the present. We’ve also been planning what we’ll be talking about on our new site. You’ll find that link at the bottom of this post.

As for individual projects, I’m working on a couple of media reviews for the media corner- Audible and a movie called “A Silent Voice” that you can find on Netflix. All I’ll say about that one now is, if you haven’t seen it, it’s really worth a watch. But it’s an emotional rollercoaster, so be prepared.

For my projects, I have a few to update you on. First, “Life is Super” will be coming back, I promise! I’m working on episode 2 now, it’s just hard to decide where to go in episode 2. I know what kinds of things I want for future episodes, but I need this one for a gateway to those.

Those gateways, am I right?

Quiet you. Likewise, “Journey” will be returning! I don’t know how soon on that one, as my intentions with it have changed a bit. Originally, it was going to be a thirty day journal, but thirty days just don’t feel right. Admittedly, that was also when it was originally being written as a NaNoWriMo project.

That’s “National Novel Writing Month” for the uninitiated. A big writing event held every November! Just in time for Kendra’s b-day.

And yet I’m more excited for games at that time of year… Anyway, I’m not sure the status of “Taking Back the Kingdom” or “Nameless” at this point, as I’m really blocked on those two right now. I am, however, working on two new projects that might eventually find their way to the site! The first is a story of change, in the broadest strokes. The other… Well, there’s not much I can say about it without giving too much away. If the second one, which I’ve currently dubbed “Heroes Spirits”, is flowing well enough, it might be what I officially publish as a book, or rather books, first in my career.

Yeah, she’s got some big plans there. But posts and stories aren’t the only plans we have!

Not at all! Some returning viewers may notice we have a new image on the homepage. That’s my, admittedly lackluster, attempt at our first sort of logo! I’m also working on getting some art of the two of us around, though I’m having a friend help with that. While I can draw what I did for the homepage, I am not an artist with anything but words.

She could be if she tried, I’m telling you. She’s getting better at drawing faces!

My drawings are crap, hush. But, if my friend has time to help me get images up, they’ll be going to the “About” page and in a few posts on the site, to help give you a better feel for the two of us!

We’re working diligently, but this is just a side-gig at this point, not something we’re making a living (or money) off of. That’s why updates are pretty sporadic, some weeks are busier than others, and things can only be published when Kendra has the time, given she has the hands.

Tell ya what, find your own body and somehow become a real person, and you can publish on your own time.

Ouch. Harsh.

I can be. Anyway, that’s all we’ve got for you for now! Any questions? Projects you’re curious about that we didn’t mention? Ask in the comments below, or by contacting us through the “Contact” page!

Want to check out our new site? Find it at http://supernatural.shortandscorch.com! Thanks, and we hope to see you again soon!

Updates

No Foolin’ – The Supernatural Site Is Live!

Leave a comment

Alright, I was hoping to avoid launching the site on April 1st, because duh, but that’s how things lined up. Already, you’ve got two posts to read over there: The intro to the site, and my own history with the supernatural.

Go check it out, if you’re into the paranormal, cryptids, UFOs, and similar! I can’t wait to share my adventures with you!

You can find it at supernatural.shortandscorch.com!

Kendra's Mental Health Central

The Benefits of Writing

Leave a comment

I’ve been writing various things for quite some time. The first experience I had with writing stories, at least that made me love writing, was in third grade. We started to do short story writing, and I have a vague memory of some sort of writing club in my class.

Naturally, my stories were childhood goofiness and unrefined at that point. That didn’t matter to me, as it was the act of writing that made me happy. Even the act of sharing the story wasn’t as important, though it was fun.

No, the creation of adventure, a new world, and new friends was the point. My passion for writing went right along with my love of reading. No matter what was going on around me, regardless of how people around me behaved, I could escape at any time into a new world.

These feelings hit home in September of that year. The 11th, specifically. I remember vividly, being gathered in one classroom to watch the news on the smartboard. Most of us didn’t completely understand what was happening, until our teachers explained: The nation was under attack.

That day, the world began to become scary. The scarier the world, the more I would read or dabble at writing. I could escape into books or onto a page, and I could decide just how scary things would get when I wrote.

I’ve learned more about myself by writing than I think I ever could have without it. I’ve learned that I cope with stress by escaping until I can truly comprehend what I think and feel about something. Often, I cope with grief through tears and then a brief escape, and escape that reminds me of who or what I’ve lost.

But I’ve also learned that I can step back and consider more sides than just my own. I can treat all sides of an argument as equal, particularly when the situation is one of subjectivity. The skill of thinking like another came to me sometime in middle or high school, both when reading or writing.

Today, I have a lot that I’ve gained from writing. Shorty Scorch, my “cohort” for this blog, was created sometime in middle school or late elementary. She’s evolved and grown much as I have, to the point that she’s the rational voice in my head.

Shorty was created to be what I hoped to be when I was grown up. She was powerful, a ninja, and a hero. Shorty was cool, and smart.

I originally based Shorty off ninja I saw on TV, specifically Naruto. She, like the title character, harbored a demon because that was cool and heroic, battling demons. She was both beloved and an outcast. Basically, she was me and Naruto combined. I wasn’t a very creative child.

As I’ve grown, however, so has she. Her latest iterations separate her from the world of Naruto. She’s a warrior, though not necessarily a ninja, and she no longer has to have a demon. Her personality has matured, regardless of what age she appears as.

Inversely, as Shorty has grown, so have I. As she matures, so, too, do I. The situations she is in makes me stop and consider what would happen in each outcome of the situation. Should she react with force, what could happen? What if she were to talk her way out of things? Should she show compassion, or indifference? Hostility? If she dislikes someone on first contact, why? What has set her off so? How does she respond if she finds she is wrong about a person? Does she own up to her mistakes, as she makes them?

All of these questions can be applied to me. Indeed, they can be applied to us all. Such things are hard to do in the moment, but can be useful in retrospect and in a quiet moment to consider yourself. The other part of her character, at least originally, that can apply to us all: The demon.

Shorty had her demon for many years. I was around 7 or 8 when I first created her, yet the demon only began to disappear around 20 years later. The demon only began to disappear when I realized what it truly represented.

The demon, a fire cat creature by the name of Linio, was a subconscious way for me to show that Shorty had problems. She had her own struggles that others would and could never understand. Others might have similar problems, a demon of their own for example, but they did not suffer in the same way she did. Likewise, she did not suffer the same way they did. At some point, Shorty always came to terms with her demon, striking a deal which kept her family safe, and yet let the demon do some damage in combat.

Linio was a representation of so many things. Physical and mental illness, a person’s surrounding condition, a struggle with where to go from here… And the list goes on.

And as the writing for Shorty grew, I realized I was specifically reflecting my demons onto Linio: Depression and anxiety. Linio could be a debilitating issue for Shorty, causing her to lose control or be unable to do anything. Yet, dealing with Linio caused Shorty to grow. She learned to use her issue to her advantage, in a literal sense.

I have learned much the same with my depression. I write on this blog to entertain, to educate, and with the hope that I help someone in a way that various media and creators have helped me. I hope to inspire others to create, in their own way. You don’t have to be good at it, so long as you enjoy it.

I like to write, as an escape and a way to have control when I feel I have none. I doodle as a way to help clear my mind, or just keep my hands busy when I’m thinking. And if you’ve seen the new logo for the blog, you’ll know I’m no hand at art or design. You may even feel that I’m no hand at writing, and that’s your opinion to have.

But I am happy. I am learning, about myself and the world around me. And I am finding my way to attempt to aid others, with articles like this. Writing can teach you so much, about yourself and the world around you. Or, it can help you get your feelings out, so that you learn your mind better and can control it better. I hope this long, rambling article can help show you that, and inspire you to take up a creative hobby.

Uncategorized

Taking Back The Kingdom – Chapter 4

Leave a comment

Sorry for the delay on getting this out! I’ve had it written for a while, but things got in the way. I’ll be working on Chapter 5 here, too, as an epic case of writer’s block is wearing off. Sorry again, enjoy!

As I found a clearing to stop that night, after leaving the farming village, I heard voices following me. With a frown, I slipped into shadows behind a tree and got out my knife. “I’m telling you- It’s slavery, plain and simple. There’s no mistaking it.”

“I don’t know… Slavery’s been illegal here for a century… I mean… Can he just reverse that law, so simply?”

“Apparently! I saw it with my own eyes!” The voices were rough, male voices, and they were coming closer.

“Well, I think you’re full of it. No one would willingly make themselves that big a target. Everyone hates slavery, here and in the surrounding lands. He’d be digging his own grave.” This third voice was female, authoritative and strong. “Now, both of you, shut up and let’s set up camp. There’s a clearing through here I’ve used before. We’ll travel on at dawn.”

I put my knife away and moved away from the tree quickly. It sounded like they were just travellers, and I didn’t want to start a fight. “Good evening, folks,” I called in greeting, to announce my presence before I showed myself. The three travellers looked me over, weighing how much of a threat I was, before they nodded a greeting.

“Evening,” The woman nodded. “I hope your travels are well.”

“As I do yours,” I replied. “I believe I was headed for the same clearing as you. Would you mind dreadfully if I shared your camping space this evening?”

“Long as you don’t cause us trouble, we won’t cause you any,” One of the males answered. “Where you headed, stranger?”

“The capital. And yourselves?”

“The same. What takes you out that way? It’s another three days’ travel, and you look like you’ve been on the road a while already.” The woman looked me over slightly, taking in the road dust and grime.

“My… Feelings on the new king’s rule,” I replied. The three of them smiled slightly.

“Not a fan either, eh, lad?” The second fellow asked. I nodded. “Well, we’re on our way to join the resistance force as well. I think they’ll be making a move soon, before he gets too comfortable or frightens enough people to support him. He’s forcing people to work on various projects of his, didja hear?” I ground my teeth and shook my head. “Slavery’s what it is- And we mean to put a stop to that, on top of his other crimes.”

“I’ll be by your side on that,” I agreed, before we settled in to set up camp.

I discovered my new friends’ names were Clara, Trenton, and Clayton. The men were brothers, about 23 by my guess. Clara was a childhood friend of theirs, and I’d have put her at 25. Even given I was younger than them, the three friends didn’t treat me like a kid. They counted on me to handle my own share of things in camp, and to look after myself. It felt pretty nice to be respected.

Of course, we would need to be able to respect each other, if we would be fighting side-by-side. Being able to do so this easily just made it all better for us.

—————–

“Let’s see… We’ve got the road repairs started… The bridges are being surveyed to determine which needs repairs… Docks are scheduled for surveying… I think we’re doing well…” Marcus commented, looking over his reports in his study. “Have we had any trouble with the labor forces?”

“None, my lord,” the man before him answered. “They seem to accept the new punishment deal. A few others are even requesting hearings to see if they can get the same. I will bring you my thoughts on terms for other groups. Once you’ve approved them, I can set up the hearings.”

“Wonderful. I think this will be good for them- Give them some extra skills, put idle hands to work, and do good for the kingdom. I’m sure there’s other infrastructure we haven’t thought to handle yet.”

“I will look into it, my lord,” the man bowed to him, then strolled off to take a look at various infrastructure reports.

Updates

A New Adventure, or Rather… Sharing An Old Adventure – New Site Coming Soon!

Leave a comment

It’s a little late in the year already for a “New Year, New Us” mentality, but dang if we don’t have a new project coming to you soon!

Kid’s right, we’ve got a new project in the works. It’ll mainly be her show, but I’ll be popping in to assist where I can. Mostly, in analysis.

Ah, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves! Allow me to introduce our next new project: Supernatural Short and Scorch! No, this is not a “Supernatural” fan site. I actually haven’t seen the show in years.

I haven’t seen it at all, myself.

No, instead, this is where we’ll share our thoughts, experiences, and analysis on a host of supernatural phenomenon and evidence. We’ll even share reader stories, if they’re submitted.

Kendra’s been into the supernatural for a good chunk of her life. She’s seen and heard ghosts, and thinks she’s seen a UFO. Sadly, no cryptid sightings for her.

Though cryptozoology will be a part of the site. I’ll share my own ghost hunting adventures, as my mother and I are paranormal enthusiasts ourselves, and experiences I’ve had of other ghostly phenomenon. While I only have the one UFO experience, and it was pretty tame, I’ll share that as well.

And we’ll both share our thoughts and analysis on photos and videos of ghosts, cryptids, and UFOs. Neither of us make a living off this kind of thing, so it will just be amateur opinions, but we are interested.

I do want to note that, when it comes to the cryptids, that will be a sharing of research on cryptids, and shining a spotlight on lesser known cryptozoological entities. At the end of each article, I will give my opinions on the likelihood that a given cryptid exists, but do keep in mind that 1) I am not a cryptozoologist, biologist, or expert in any way. I can, and likely in some cases will, be wrong. I will simply be sharing my own thoughts and research on the matter. 2) Just because I don’t believe in a certain cryptid doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t.

We aren’t all-knowing. And we don’t condone telling others what they’re allowed to think or feel, how they should assign their beliefs. That isn’t our job, and really no one should be told what they can and can’t believe.

We won’t be judging any cultures or individuals on their beliefs. Hell, we’re both on the spectrum of weird or crazy where some people are concerned due to our own beliefs.

Hell, the kid’ll be arguing with a voice in her head. In writing. In public. She’s not allowed to judge anyone based on their own thoughts and feelings.

Not allowed to? What are you, my mother?

No thanks, I’ve got enough kids as it is.

Right… Anyway! Join us soon, when we unveil our new adventure, starting with my own paranormal journey!

Kendra's Mental Health Central

Soundtracking My Year – The Not As Happy Edition

Leave a comment

This was actually written in February, but life got busy and I never did finish it. So, here it is! All that was really missing was links to the songs, so sorry for the wait! Another new song has been added as well, and the post will go up shortly.

February is a tough month. My grandmother died in February, a few years ago now. It hasn’t gotten easier.

There are a few things that remind me of her. Her favorite clock, hung in my living room despite being partly melted, is my favorite reminder. It was hung by the chimney of a wood stove, and over the years, the frame warped. She still works, though her timing is off and her chime is hit and miss.

My grandmother loved birds, particularly owls. And this clock would chime with a different owl every hour until dark. Now, it doesn’t always chime the hour. It went silent for a month or two, before starting back up on the 12th of this month. A couple days before the anniversary of my grandmother passing.

On the anniversary of her passing, a song that hadn’t popped onto my playlist (of over 300 songs currently) came on again.

It was one of the songs that makes me think of my grandmother: Gone Away by The Offspring.

This song makes me cry on a good day. The past few days, even thinking about it has made me nearly break down on tears. I feel that a song that influences me so much when it comes on deserves a spot of commemoration on the Soundtrack.

But this update isn’t all sad. I have two happier songs, at least for me, which are going on the list.

Both are from my teen years, and were brought back to my memory while I looked for an old notebook of mine. I didn’t find what I was looking for, but I did find an old notebook my cousin and I shared and wrote stories in together.

This led me to have a true, long conversation with her for the first time in a while. We reminisced about our teen years, and the summers we spent together.

While we talked, I looked up songs I hadn’t even thought of since high school. There were a number of them, and the first I even considered finding was Redemption by Gackt, a song from the video game Final Fantasy VII Dirge of Cerberus for the PS2.

Melody, the cousin, and I were big fans of Vincent Valentine, the main character of the game. We were also fans of Gackt, though she more so than me.

When I pulled up Redemption and heard those first few beats, it hit hard. The song was still amazing! As the first couple lines (in Japanese) came on, it hit again. It felt amazing, listening to this blast from the past and talking with Melody.

For this reason, to commemorate a good, long talk with family, Redemption makes the list.

Similarly, Dragostea Din Tei by O-Zone is commemorative of returning to past interests.

Now, this is a song that needs no introduction. It was one of the first viral sensations I can remember from growing up, and it’s upbeat and catchy as hell!

I prefer the original to the English version, myself, so that is the one I’m putting on the Soundtrack. I used to listen to this song all the time, just enjoying the bounciness and upbeat nature of the sound.

And the music video is fun and memorable too, so that doesn’t hurt.

What do you think of these three new additions? How do you feel about my reasoning for them? Had you heard of Gackt before this post?

What songs would you put in your soundtrack for this year, and why?

Feel free to answer in a comment below! I would love to hear from you all!

Until next time!

Uncategorized

A Friendly Chat

Leave a comment

You know, Shorty, I have so many ideas for this whole Short and Scorch venture… Maybe someday I’ll figure out how to do some of them.

Like the art you’re trying to draw for the site? That last attempt wasn’t too bad. If you didn’t discourage yourself, you could be a decent artist in time.

I’m already an artist, thank you. Just of written word rather than color and lines. Anyway, listening to music lately has done more than inspire the Soundtrack Project, as I’m calling it. There are plenty of songs that totally describe us.

I noticed. I get where you’re going with this, but us doing duets isn’t exactly feasible right now, kid.

You do realize I’m nearly as old as you, right?

Pfft, you will always be a kid to me, kid. Don’t care if you’re 70 and I’m back to 18 in some new iteration, you’re the kid.

Yeah yeah, anyway… You’re right musical projects are not easy at the moment. That’s not even considering that the only audio editing I’ve ever done has been cleaning some audio of background noise. And that’s been hit or miss.

Well, focus on one goal at a time. Let’s work on the site art first and move on from there, yeah? Not to mention I know you want to get the next episode or chapter or whatever you’re calling it up for Life Is Super.

True, true. We both know I like to overload myself on tasks and projects. Art and Life Is Super. After I get cracking on Life Is Super, I do want to catch up more on Journey- People seemed to like it when they came across it.

Atta girl. Focus it down and prioritize. I know you really want to get some flair up on the site, so prioritize it. And seriously, you could get at least decent with art if you tried. You just have to stop being so picky and such a perfectionist.

Oh, shush. I just want it to look good- This piece is supposed to be us!

Then make us and stop going for something super detailed for now. I know what you want to make will look pretty cool, but start with us so people can see us.

Alright, alright. At the same time I can work on writing, at least. Well, not the exact same time of course, but the same time frame. Maybe a few minutes of art attempts and a half hour or so of writing. If I could just figure out how to get this episode started…

You’ll get there. Hit your buddy up, she’s gotten stick the same way as you recently. She might have some ideas.

Oooh, good idea! I’ll try that!

Kendra's Mental Health Central

Soundtracking My Year

Leave a comment

Normally, I leave the media stuff to Shorty. She is planning a few new media posts out at the moment, but things have been pretty hectic and busy for both of us.

But today’s post crosses the line from Media to Mental Health, which is distinctly my court. Shorty will probably make a few smart alec comments later, but for now the floor is mine!

So, I’ve been listening to a lot of music rece…. The last few… Oh, okay, my whole life. I love a good song! Heck, I love a bad song if it’s catchy enough. But what I love most are songs that really hit home how I feel, how I want to feel, or how my thoughts and feelings have changed.

To this end, I’ve started thinking about Soundtracking My Year. Yes, I’m titling something that: A YouTube Music Playlist that I’m going to be sharing here.

So, what do I mean by soundtracking my year? Well, my likes Playlist alone on YT Music (JUST YT Music) is at least 300 songs that, yes, I do often get all the way through skipping minimal songs. And those songs are different from my Spotify likes, and probably are different still between my original YT Music account and the one that followed my from Google Play Music when that shut down.

Amongst those many, many songs, there are definitely some that define how I feel about myself, my life, and the world in general. So I decided to start this little soundtrack for 2021, and add to it as the year progresses. We’ll see if I actually remember to or not, but I’ve already got a couple songs ready for it!

When I add a song, I’m going to try to do a post and explain why it’s been added to the playlist. I don’t have a goal for how many songs will be in this playlist, just whatever feels right.

So, to start us off, let me explain an honorable mention: “I May Fall” by Jeff Williams, featuring Casey Lee Williams, from the Rooster Teeth anime RWBY.

These first few songs will have the theme of… Well, they’re all from RWBY, and therefore Jeff Williams and Casey Lee Williams. I really don’t care, they work for exactly what I want.

Now, the reason “I May Fall” doesn’t quite make the cut is… Well, it’s more about how I felt about my depression for the last part of 2020. So, just shy of the 2021 starting point. But it does really communicate how I felt about my depression around then: I may fall to something at some point, but damn it, I won’t let it be here, and I won’t let it be depression.

For the tail end of 2020, I was really mentalling through my depression and reinforcing my love for myself. There was a brief period where I was unable to get my medication, but I managed a-okay for that time frame. (I do NOT condone dropping your depression meds without consulting your doctor! I had extenuating circumstances that had me off mine, it was not just a desire to stop taking them or anything. Stopping them without talking to your doctor can cause major side effects and complications. Always talk to your doctor before you stop taking a medication.)

On to the first true entry on our playlist: “Armed and Ready” by Jeff Williams, featuring Casey Lee Williams, from the Rooster Teeth anime RWBY.

“Armed and Ready” is a pretty good depiction of how I feel about my transition from depression ruling my life to how I feel now: Ready to face life and whatever comes at me. I feel stronger and more confident every day. Granted, it’s not a perfect fit for me, because I feel like this song just works better on a level of overcoming trama or tragedy… But it’s my playlist and I make the rules! So that’s song one.

Our second song is actually currently just a nominee, but I wanted to explain my thoughts on why I’m considering it. And if I decide my thoughts sound like a dying chicken, then this one probably won’t make the cut for right now. The song: “I Burn” by Jeff Williams, featuring Casey Lee Williams, from the Rooster Teeth anime RWBY.

The reason I’m considering this is because, well… It’s how I feel about myself right now and anything or anyone that wants to cross me: Awww, look at you! You think you can take me down right now! Bless your heart! (If you didn’t know I was a Southern Gal, now you do.)

That’s really exactly what I get from this song. A girl on top of her world, and nothing can take her from that spot. Now, if you watch the trailer for the character this song goes with, you’ll find that a lot of the lines are… Far more literal than my interpretation. Doesn’t matter, art is like that and music is art.

Basically, yeah, these songs both just show that I really feel mentally strong and unstoppable right now. I feel like I can get things done this year, and, while I’m not one for New Years resolutions, I think I will.

I’ll explain what has me feeling so unstoppable, other than good family, an amazing boyfriend, and a best friend I could never replace, in another post. For now, this is the important part for this post.

What would you start your 2021 soundtrack with? What do you think of my choices? Let me know in the comments of this post, and feel free to check out my public 2021 soundtrack playlist here.

Kendra's Mental Health Central

Dreams, and How You Get in Your Own Way

Leave a comment

I’ve been thinking a lot about dreams lately. Both kinds, in case you’re wondering (my family has some bizarre things going on with dreams) but today I want to talk about dreams as in ambitions, or where you want to go in life.

I feel it’s important to have a life goal, a burning ambition. A dream. Having a dream gives you something to work toward and weigh your choices against.

Now, I do want to distinguish between a dream, and a goal. A goal is just that, a goal to reach. A point to get to to determine success. It can be a dream, super long-term endpoint. But not all goals are dreams. Some are unrelated to a dream, and some break down how to reach a dream or another, larger goal.

Dreams, however, at least how I think of them, are what you want to be or achieve in life. Sometimes they’re 100% impossible to reach, but there’s nothing wrong with that. Wanting to be a chivalrous knight in Medieval Europe is a fine dream, even if unlikely to become reality, because you can still guide your choices and behavior by it.

Now, I have a couple dreams, but the one we’ll use for discussion today is my dream to someday be fluent, or at least decent, at many languages. Yeah, I want to be a polyglot so bad it hurts sometimes. Yes, I am a nerd, thanks for asking.

Now this particular dream has become enlarged recently as I realized one of my gaming friends is one. (If you’re reading this, you know who you are, and you rock.) They gave me some advice about language learning, as I have admittedly been struggling.

It’s not that I find it that difficult- I’m finding i understand Japanese language anime better than I ever expected, and I’ve been pretty lazy about those lessons.

No, the real issues here are two-fold. (Or three, depending how you count it.) First, there is self doubt and negative self talk. But on the other end of the spectrum, there is overeagerness and overconfidence.

Let’s talk about that negative side first, as it’s what most people are going to understand all too well. Everyone has a negative voice in their head. What differs is what the voice sounds like, in terms of word choice or if you can actually give it a sound of sorts, and how loud or hard to ignore it is.

My negative voice has a name, just like my positive/mentor voice does. You’ve all met Shorty, and that’s how she came about. Well, I chose an enemy of hers from her early stories as the negative voice. I’ll explain why I named them later, but her name is Danielle. (Apologies to any Danielles reading- I have never met a Danielle I didn’t get along with, but that’s the name I came up with at 7ish. She becomes a good guy in later versions of Shorty’s story!)

Now, Danielle is a bit loud at times in my head, telling me how stupid I sound practicing new languages, or that what is the point because it’s never going to be useful? At those times, it’s easy to become discouraged and want to give up. It’s easier the louder the voice is, or if people in the real world are echoing your nega-voice. (That probably sounds dumb, but I like it and I’m keeping it for this and a future post.)

The important thing is to find a way to combat this. For me, it’s either a fight between Shorty and Danielle, or I reinforce how quickly I’ve improved. In the case of Japanese, I put on a subbed anime and listen to the words, checking myself against the subs. When I realize I’m understanding more than I thought I would, even after a break in practice, it really defeats the nega-voice.

For you and your dream, your method may vary, but finding one is key. You need a way to subdue that nega-voice and get back to crushing it! Easier said than done, I know, but it’s that or give up entirely.

As for that second issue… not everyone will have it. Not everyone will have bouts of getting too much going at once. I sure have, though!

I’ve currently got about four or five languages started. That’s too much to do at once, anyone would agree to that. Naturally, this makes is easy to get overwhelmed and decide it’s too hard to continue.

This is where my polyglot friend kept me grounded and set me back on the right path. They told me to pick one language and stick with it until I feel comfortable with it, and even helped me narrow it down. (I decided on German for now. We’ll see how long it takes!)

Now, I’m going to apply some lessons from my friends at Nerd Fitness to help me achieve my dream of being a polyglot. I’m going to, this weekend sometime, sit down and break my current objective, learning German, down into easy to manage steps. They’ll be quantifiable too, so I can say objectively whether I completed it or not. You can find the advice I’m referencing here.

For future reference, yes, I will occasionally reference Nerd Fitness. They’ve taught me a lot and I’m a loving member of the rebellion. (Even if I can’t afford the programs I want to do right now. But I’ll discuss that later, I think.)

Now, back to dreams. I think everyone should have a dream. Do you dream to become president? Start by making yourself into the kind of person you want to see running the country. Want to learn martial arts? Even if you can’t afford classes, start looking into options, and start doing some basic exercises in the meantime. Want to own your own home and be debt free? Yeah, that counts as a dream! Start by taking a look at your finances and deciding how to start that journey. I’m not good with money, so I can’t give more than that for that goal.

The point is, you can use your dreams to reach your dreams. Look at that dream and decide what you can do today to get you even a step, even a millimeter closer to the person in that dream. Don’t run too fast, and don’t let your nega-voice get the best of you. If you never achieve your dream, you’ll at least have done something to make yourself more like the you that you dreamed of, and isn’t that a reward in and of itself?

Poetry

Throwback Thursday – Time for a song!

Leave a comment

So, I missed a couple weeks because December is crazy. Whoops!

However, this week, we’re kicking it back with the second song I ever wrote! Never did get music put to it, but people on Mibba (also where I originally posted this) seemed to like it, the couple who commented. So, let’s bring this baby over here!

Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

How Do I (Let Go)

I can feel it rising
Coursing, Burning
Beginning to grow
My need is gaining strength
Raging, Blazing
Beginning to show

How do I let this go
(When all I know)
It’s starting to consume me
(Heart and soul)
So how do I

Let go of you
All I’ve been through
How do I
Lose all this pain
And learn how to gain
The happiness I’ve lost
How do I let go

Now there’s no denying
What you have let go
What you should have known
I’m not for your using
How’d it last so long
Why’m I still holding on

How do I let this go
(When all I know)
It’s starting to consume me
(Heart and sould
So how do I

Let go of you
All I’ve been through
How do I
Lose all this pain
And learn how to gain
The happiness I’ve lost
How do I let go

Of my memories of you
(Let go)
The pain I went through
(Let go)
My anger and sorrow
(Let go)
The love I can’t let go

How do I let this go
How do I let this go
How do I

Let go of you
All I’ve been through
How do I
Lose all this pain
And learn how to gain
The happiness I’ve lost
How do I let go

How do I let go
Tell me how to let go
Let go