Movies to Watch Before You Die

My previous post got me thinking about movies. I rarely, if ever, see lists of the greatest movies or movies to see before you die. So here's mine, again in no particular order.

A work in progress:

• Grease 
• Sixteen Candles
• The Breakfast Club
• Forrest Gump
• Pearl Harbor
• Saving Private Ryan

• Bridesmaids 
• 50/50
• Men in Black
• Big Daddy
• Finding Nemo
• Monsters, Inc.
• Lion King
• Toy Story
• That Thing You Do!
• A League of Their Own

• Iron-Jawed Angels
• Big
• Independence Day
• It Takes Two
• Parent Trap (the pre-cocaine Lindsay Lohan version)
• Ghosts of Mississippi
• The Longest Yard
• Never Been Kissed
• Ten Things I Hate About You
• Bad Boys (I & II)
• Iron Man (I & II)
• Juno
• The Ugly Truth

• The Blind Side
• A Walk to Remember
• Remember the Titans
• A Christmas Story
• Freedom Writers
• The Help
• Miss Congeniality
• The Proposal
• Million Dollar Baby
• Shrek
• Hitch
• 50 First Dates
• American Pie
• Sweet Home Alabama
• Friends With Benefits
• The Sweetest Thing

Books to Read Before You Die

There are so many of the greatest books lists out there, but I always find them so stuffy. So many books are "classics" or what I call "literature reading," mostly things you expect to read in a class. I feel like these lists leave out so many precious reads and genres that I decided to create a list of my own. While I was introduced to some of the novels in the classroom, many were not.

A work in progress (in no particular order):

• The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
• All But My Life - Gerda Weissman Klein
• A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
• Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortenson
• Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide - Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

• the entire Scarpetta Series (20 books) - Patricia Cornwell (sidebar, Bone Bed was just released but I have no doubt that it will be amazing) 
• Gone Baby, Gone - Dennis Lehane
• Deeper Than the Dead mini series - Tami Hoag
• The Alibi Man - Tami Hoag
• Night Sins - Tami Hoag
• Prior Bad Acts - Tami Hoag
• The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
• Angels and Demons - Dan Brown
• The Color Purple - Alice Walker

• Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea - Chelsea Handler 
• Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang - Chelsea Handler
• Quiet Hero - Rita Cosby
• the Hunger Games trilogy - Suzanne Collins
• the Nina Reilly series (12 books) - Perri O'Shaughnessy
• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith
• Persepolis - Marjane Satrapi
• Kindred - Octavia Butler
• The Diary of Anne Frank - Anne Frank
• The Things They Carried - Tim O'Brien
• To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
• A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
• The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
• Mrs. Dalloway - Virginia Woolf
• Little House on the Prairie series - Laura Ingalls Wilder
• The Giving Tree - Shel Silverstein
• A Light in the Attic - Shel Silverstein
• Falling Up - Shel Silverstein                            
• Where the Sidewalk Ends - Shel Silverstein

• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis 
• The Bridge to Terabithia - Katherine Patterson

• The BFG - Roald Dahl
• Out of the Dust - Karen Hesse
• Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret - Judy Blume
• Walk Two Moons - Sharon Creech
•  Babysitter Club series - Ann M. Martin
• Babysitter's Little Sister series - Ann M. Martin
• The Giver - Lois Lowry
• Jamaica and Me: The Story of an Unusual Friendship - Linda Atkinson
• Those Who Save Us - Jenna Blum
• Dear America: A Picture of Freedom - Patricia C. Mckissack
• Dear America: The Winter of the Red Snow - Kristiana Gregory
• Dear America: Dreams in the Golden Country - Kathryn Lasky
• Dear America: A Line in the Sand - Sherry Garland

My One and Only Political Post

In light of the big election tomorrow, I decided to create my only political post. I typically like to steer away from political conversations, especially on social media. But this is my personal space, so I'll do what I want.

Let me start this off by saying this is not a debate arena. This is my blog, my expressions and my hard work. This is not about how much I hate one candidate, nor how much I love another. Don't even bother arguing with me, trying to get me to see your point of view, bashing me, or bashing my opinions. If you do, I will delete your comments. Without hesitation.

That being said, voting is a lot of hard work. Who you decide to align yourself with, or who you decide to put that little mark next to their name is a pretty loaded decision. I know, I know, your one tiny vote won't make a difference. But what if every person, or even half the population voted uninformed or apathetically? Just think about that, 'Murica.

While listening to hundreds and hundreds of nonsense political ads, both at the state and national level, I've really gotten to thinking what I want in a president. While I do lean towards Democrat, there are so many times that I wish it were easier to vote for specific ideologies rather than party lines. In the last few weeks, I've come up with a list of everything I want in a president. If, for some inexplicable miracle, these things could all be in one person, I would not only stand behind this nominee 1000%, I would even donate part of my piddly salary to their campaign. I want someone in office who will:

• keep abortion legalized
• let women make decisions about their bodies themselves
• abolish abstinence-only sex education in public schools
• completely stand true to a separation of Church and State
• legalize same-sex marriage
• get this country out of this damn recession
• create more jobs
• bring our troops home
• take care of problems at home before taking care of other countries
• make education more affordable and accessible
• make healthcare more affordable and accessible
• not bash their opponent
• mean what they say and say what they mean
• actually do what they say, mean and keep promises

Things I have Learned in My Mere 24 Years

• No matter how cliche, laughter really IS the best medicine. Even when I don't want to laugh and someone makes me, I can't help but feel a little better.
• Whether it's jobs, relationships, or anything else in your life, you need really shitty experiences so you can appreciate the good ones when they come along.
• Revisiting history will teach you buckets more about culture, history, and news than any text book ever will.
• No matter how much you may want to, you can't change someone. 
• You should listen to your gut. Chances are, it's right.
• I love America, but American society in general and as a whole sucks. This country is full of stupid (and I really mean stupid), ignorant, lazy, greedy and selfish people. We feel entitled to everything, are so rushed with everything and are impatient when things don't go our way.
• No matter how much you try to stay out of other people's business, their business will find you.
• There will always be someone who doesn't like you...and for no good reason. 
• Being happy in what you do is far more important than being wealthy.
• It is way easier to gain weight than it is to lose it
• Everyone should have a stress-relieving hobby.
• Picky eaters are incredibly difficult to cook for.
• There is nothing more satisfying than getting lost in a novel for hours. Except for the moment when you finish, and you actually feel lost.
• Everyone should have at least one one-night stand.
• Volunteering is one of the most fulfilling things you could ever do with your time.
• The best relationships come when you least expect them, and likely, with a person you least expect to be with.
• Bitching to your best friend can be the most therapeutic thing when you're upset
• The general population has the spelling ability of a fourth grader. 

GNO Lock-in

Saturday night, we had our first-ever GNO Lock-in. Even though I decided to leave at 11 instead of sleeping over, I had a blast with the girls and it was a hugely successful night. I found out on Monday at regular GNO that the girls didn't go to bed until about 5:30 a.m. so I was quite glad I left when I did.

The Lock-in was similar to Camp U-Nah-Li-Ya trips in the fact that it was all of the Green Bay GNO girls together. How many girls is that, do you ask? 76. That's right, 76 sixth grade girls together. And that is exactly why I didn't stay over night.

But in all seriousness, it was actually a great time, and I had just as much fun as the girls did. The biggest difference between the lock-in and typical GNO sessions, or even the camp trips, is that there were plenty of different  activities and things for the girls to do, and although activities and time frames were staggered, they never had to do one thing at a certain time. In our Monday sessions, we have a theme and the girls all have to be participating in large and small group activities and the physical component. With the lock-in, they had the opportunity to choose how to spend their time.

Because the Y decided to cut GNO short by a few weeks in order to go up to Camp earlier in the year, they decided to bring some of the guests and themes to the lock-in. The girls were able to do facials with Mary Kay and learn about healthy skin care habits, got to learn about and practice self defense moves as well as lock-in specific activities.

A big hit for a lot of the girls was the two-hour open swim option. I, of course, wanted nothing to do with the pool so I have no idea what they were actually doing, but the majority of them nearly ran us over to get there when we gave them the ok. The girls who didn't want to swim, or only wanted to for a little while, were able to play board games, Wii Just Dance, and paint their nails. One of the volunteers apparently is a nail-painting guru because she brought half of the Health and Beauty section at Walmart with her. Seriously, she had a bin full of nail polishes and application tools. She even had those little image roll-on things. I watched her working on some of the girls' nails and they all turned out wonderfully.

I played a game of Sorry! and more importantly, got to meet some new people. The point of GNO and all of  our efforts are to get the sixth graders to open up and make new friends, but it's just as beneficial for the volunteers. I have a really hard time  talking to new people (though I've gotten way better) and it's really cool to meet other volunteers with similar interests. Our Sorry! game consisted of me, two other volunteers and a girl from a different school. I can't speak for any of them, but I think we enjoyed ourselves.

My final hour at the lock-in was spent watching the girls prepare for their garbage bag fashion show. You read that right. Garbage bag fashion show. The girls had to break up into small groups and had to make one item of clothing out of a garbage bag. They were able to glam up their outfit with strips of fabric, duct tape, foam stickers, glitter, ribbon and pipe cleaners. I was amazed at how well some of the groups did. One group's dress was actually so good it looked real. Many groups made dresses, and the majority were clearly strong channels of creativity. ...And there was also the group that decided they were going to make a cape that was "just random," aka, they just dumped a whole bunch of shit on their flat bag and wore it as a cape. While not the most creative and thought out, they did make me laugh.

If there is one thing those girls are good at, it's making me laugh.

A Perfect Life

Throughout my mere 24 years, I have become acutely aware of my over-active imagination. I daydream all day long, making up stores or scenarios in my head. Honestly, I think my imagination is in just as much over-drive as it was when I was just a little nugget. Perhaps more so, even. And I happen to love it. It's one of the strongest forces behind what makes me a writer. And frankly, I'm never bored with myself.

One thing that I imagine all the time, and perhaps too much for any realist out there, is how my life would be if it was a movie or a novel and I was the writer. I have a personal little fantasy created of exactly how my life would be if everything could be absolutely perfect. And I've decided to share it with you, dear readers.

Some of these are unlikely, though still plausible goals. I'm working towards them every day, to no avail. Some, as you will see, are simply made up. This is when you suspension of disbelief would have to come in. That's what makes stories so good anyway.

• Job: I would have a full-time, permanent job in public relations with a non-profit. In particular, it would be working with young girls like the YWCA or the Girl Scouts. It would be a fun job that I loved going to every day, with fabulous co-workers and the ability to stress very little about my job once I came home. I would make about $75,000 a year. I'm sure this is where I will lose some people. I can just hear people saying, "well, if you could be filthy rich making millions, why would you only choose $75,000 annually?" Because it's very important to me that I never forget what it's like to want. $75,000 a year would be the perfect amount for me to be financially stable, be able to save, pay off my loans, still have plenty of fun money, and yet, I would still have to create a budget.
• vehicle: I would have a beautiful little red convertible. Don't ask me about make/model/year or anything like that. Cars are cars to me. I just know that I've always wanted a convertible. And red seems to be a good color for convertibles.
• residence: I would have a cozy house with a big back yard and a deck outside. (And let's be real here: my significant other would be taking care of the yard work. Fuck that.) Inside would be fully furnished with matching furniture and decor. The wine-themed kitchen would have all kinds of appliances, particularly Food Network ones. I would have a room dedicated solely to reading, writing and scrapbooking. There would be as many bookshelves as I needed to hold all my books (I'm already at two so you can only imagine how many I'd have if I had the money and space for how many I would like to have), a table for scrapbooking, (even if it's just a folding table that could fit in the closet) and a desk for writing. The closet would be bursting with my scrapbooking bins and maybe even my shoes if they overflowed from my bedroom closet. Speaking of which, I'd have an even better shoe collection than I already have.
• environment: I freaking hate the cold. Hate it. Summer is by far my favorite season. I do love fall though, as well. Can't leave out all the wonderful meals, smells and colors that come out of fall. It would be wonderfully hot and sunny summer from March to August. September to December 21st would be fall. I thought for a long time I would want just summer and fall. But it is nice to have a tiny bit of snow on the ground for Christmas and New Years. So winter would last from December 22nd to January 1st. I've also thought about having it go right from winter to summer. But, that would just be a flooded, slushy mess. And the blooming of all the trees and flowers is pretty as well. So we can have spring from January 2nd to March when summer starts back up. Also, pollen and dust of any sorts would be allergens. There would be no scratching of the eyes, nose and throat...nor would there be watery eyes and sneezing. 

This is the most that I've come up with so far. Maybe a second post will come after some more day dreaming. 

Be the Light Community Walk for Suicide Prevention

On Saturday I participated in Brown County's First annual Be the Light Walk for Suicide Prevention. Previously, the walk was under the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, but this year the organizers decided to break away from the nationally recognized chapter to focus their efforts locally. With AFSP, half the proceeds were donated at a local level and half national. With the change to Be the Light, 100% of profits were donated locally.

This was my third year participating in a walk for this cause, through the same group of walkers and organizers. Every year we see a bigger turn out, raise more money, and see more raffle donations. This year, the walk has raised a total of $14,893! Especially with the money going towards QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training programs, school programs and prevention in Brown County, this is an incredible feat and an amazing number.

Our balloon release

Knowing I'm part of such a needed and important organization is really overwhelming, but in a good way. I'm so proud to be working for an organization and towards a cause that doesn't get much coverage. Suicide just doesn't get talked about much, and prevention and awareness programs get even less acknowledgement.  I've come to the realization today that whenever I get down on myself about feeling like I'm not doing anything towards my future or with my life, I need to remember my involvement with Be the Light. Raising $240 and participating in the walk is nothing to scoff at.

As wonderful as it is gaining more support every year, seeing the walk participant rate grow and the donations number rise, it's heartbreaking. Absolutely heartbreaking. Every person there knows someone who completed suicide. Everyone there has lost someone and everyone there has had to find their way to grieve. I'm glad the loved ones of the lost have put together this walk and organization, though, because it seems to be so therapeutic for everyone, the parents in particular. Hearing the stories of parents, children, siblings and friends brings in such a sense of community.

Every year that I see so many people gathering for support and in hopes of prevention of losing anyone else, it makes me wonder about those who have passed. If they could see how many people come out every year to remember them, honor them and grieve for them, would they have still felt so hopeless?