I want!

2011 for me is going to be a new year, a fresh start and I'm excited for what it brings. To start it off, I've begun reading more, like I used to. I enjoy reading so much, that I often wonder why I stopped. I feel smarter after reading a book, whether it be fiction or non, there is always something to be learned, even if it's just an opinion. Another thing that I've started back up, or should I simply just say started, is working out. It's undeniable how great you feel during and after working out, which for me is just simply walking on the treadmill. I find it hard to ignore the positive effects you gain from the movement. I once heard that working out, exercise, is an easy way to help depression, or mood-slumps. I couldn't agree more. I often plan the next week of my life while sweating away on the machine - I feel a sense of organization and motivation. Not to mention I usually get to watch a 1/2 episode of Oprah or  Dr. Phil. What woman would complain?


I have plans for the next year of my life. Plans that include, but are not limited to the above things I've once again started doing. Also, I want to begin, and continue, to blog. I can spend countless hours on my computer, reading this, bookmarking that. I want to start doing something with that information. My thoughts are that maybe if I blog about things I see that I love, that I want to make, or try, or read, or do, maybe I will remember them in the future, and have a sort-of list to fall back on. I have always LOVED writing. All throughout school, that was the one subject that always had my full attention. I remember learning things from reading and writing classes, that I would guess not many others remember. I have kept notes from these classes, vocabulary lists, book essays, you name it. I'm so weird! Some of my favorite teachers are my favorites because they taught me things about reading, writing, learning. The first one that comes to mind is Mrs. Donna Swindal. May she rest in peace. I learned of her death about one year ago, and was shocked and saddened that I hadn't known earlier. She was my 2nd grade teacher, and she was present at my high school graduation. How cool is that? She was an amazing woman, and I wish I could have known her more recently, where I think that I could have benefited from some of her amazingness more so than I have already. She was smart beyond words. Back to the blogging. For now, my blogs are going to be more like random rambles, where I just spit out what's on my mind. Maybe in the future they will be mowed into a neater path, but for now, I'm happy with overgrown thoughts.


While setting up this blog, I stumbled upon a blog by a woman living in the UK, who recently wrote of something that more than sparked my interest. She mentioned how, when she and her siblings were younger, their mother would correct them from saying 'I want', into 'I would like', stating how the second sounded much nicer. She went on about things she wanted. How there is such a difference between your wants and your needs and your would likes, especially as you grow in age and experience. She spoke of her 'would likes' to be things like less of a desire for chocolate and cigarettes, and to be better at letting her [what I assumed to be] husband have the last word more often. Then she spoke of things she wanted. These included wanting her eldest daughter to find love and companionship. Her only son to be relieved of pain from his problem-ridden knee. Her youngest daughter to be blessed with a child that she truly wanted. Her blog opened my eyes. How true are these things she wrote of? How smart is she to realize this, and to help others see the light. 


I would like a lot of things in life - more money, less fat, a bigger (and more full) closet, a fancy purse, enough shoes to outfit an army of run-way models, you get the idea. The things I really want are a little more beyond my control. I want my mom to be healed of the pain she feels from losing her best friend and slobbery companion, Gus, just 4 short months ago. Man, do I miss that oaf. I want my sister and business partner to be able to spend more time with her beautiful children and husband this year. While we have been blessed with a successful business, she will never be able to get these years back, so I want her to have those memories. I want my youngest niece and my nephew to have a childhood sparkling with happy, positive memories, like I had. My childhood was just perfect. My parents are the most amazing people, and while I know that most people feel that way about their parents, or at least I hope they do, I KNOW that my parents were the best. They did everything they could to make our (my two sisters and me) childhood just exactly how a childhood should be. Fulled with mud-pies, dancing in the rain, sleep-overs, forts, delicious home cooked meals, and stories of when-they-were-our-age. I want my sister and niece to find more common ground. It's gotta be hard raising a teen, it's hard having one as a niece, but I want for their relationship to mend a little closer and I want my niece to have the best teen years as possible. It's a very confusing, difficult time, I and want for her to feel comfortable being herself. I want my dad to be safe from unemployment. He works in an industry that has been hard hit by the economy (as many professions are), but he's a hard worker, and he deserves as much happiness as possible. And while I have a few wants for myself (as selfish as that may be), I will keep them to myself for the time being. At least until the next blog idea pops into my head.


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