It's time kids. Oh! The Places You'll Go! Dr Seuss.

Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away! You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go. You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street. And you may not find any you’ll want to go down. In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener there in the wide open air. Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you. And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too. Oh! The Places You’ll Go! You’ll be on your way up! You’ll be seeing great sights! You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights. You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest. Except when you don’t. Because, sometimes, you won’t. I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you. You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You’ll be left in a Lurch. You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a Slump. And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done. You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win? And if you go in, should you turn left or right…or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind. You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place. The Waiting Place…for people just waiting. Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting. Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting. No! That’s not for you! Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of a guy! Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV. Except when they don’t. Because, sometimes, they won’t. I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you. All Alone! Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot. And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on. But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are. You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left. And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.) Kid, you’ll move mountains! So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So…get on your way! I'm so excited.

Things

I hate how your imagination goes wild with morbid thoughts when your family is hours late home from something and they haven't texted. I'm not a worrier, but my parents are quite structured sort of people, especially Dad. When he wants to be home at a certain time, he normally will be. So when its hours later, you do wonder. Awful, really.

Writing

I wrote the second thing all summer I have written. Wilbur commented it was the most personal thing of mine he had ever read. I think its only now in leaving school and home and growing up that I feel free to share more personal stuff with the whole world. Because previously it was likely a school/principal audience would read it. I did a blog about this last year, on my old blog. I believe you have to have a certain distance from something personal before you can write about something, and treat it as a piece of writing and not as something like a diary entry. This is especially true when its likely going to be critiqued and ripped in to as a piece of writing. Or mixed up by other people who are putting it to music. I remember the time a (younger) girl in the writing group at school cried when either I or my teacher made a constructive comment about her poem. It wasn't that we were being harsh, it was that the subject matter was too close and personal to be used as writing fodder just yet. Interestingly, she often complained I never wrote in the first person, and only wrote the stories of people I saw or met. I think that's why I consider the poem/song I have just written to be one of the better love/relationship themed stuff I have done. Because I have a distance from the events and person concerned. So its not heartbreaking to write, it won't hurt if someone rips into a certain line or rhyme or whatever. Because I now view the whole thing as material for writing, not a hurt near and dear to my heart. :)

Lake Song/New Ceremonial Music for Moms - Akron/Family

You stand so far away lake's in the distance, top of bails of hay, breeze dream clouds thick and white, kite, wind against the bow, no matter how far we sail. Bees, leaves, hives go fly with flies, in and out, petals and stems, stitches and hems, uses and thems. Collected by friends, and spread amongst the then, while others seem to pretend that make believe is when image left with men is painted with a pen, and time's left to Big Ben. Hold back your thought, among silence rhythms are taught, the end of the line, a trout you have caught, flipping and sticking to bits of hay, slipping in skin, reflecting the day, it's only a picture, there's not much to say. I love Akron/Family.

Sonya Jasmine

is writing a letter to Ashley Rae. I have been packing for Auckland. I am hungry. My life is fairly epic.

My life is amazing

Went to Tolaga Bay for a week. AMAZING! Got home last night. Couple of hours ago, Wlbur rang. I am now going to the South Island tomorrow. YEAAH! 3am ferry on Tuesday party for a week! Come back Sunday work monday at new job My parents were like.. huh ? Bit rushed I was like.. i am young and free :)