Designated Doodler

You shake when you yawn And run a slippery tongue along the inside of your top lip where little freckles bump out You never knew it wasn't normal to feel every heartbeat shake in your chest to ring off your ribs and know your pulse just by counting You feel life through and through It freaks you out, but so does death It makes you nervous just to exist Wondrously fallible, You house a host of contradictions Intelligently distracted A beautiful mess Terrifyingly brave Each new day is nothing but a new test And all you want today is to do better than yesterday's best You're lost in lofty aspirations, Bound by your own human-ness Perfectly whole yet forever incomplete You wish to feel less, To be entirely fearless, But then no one would see you as I do And in the greatest of tragedies You'd cease to be you

Growing up with a Dad who has cancer, I think I've always been hyper aware of how precious life is. And it concerns me, how in this day and age, it seems like everyone is just out for themselves. Or just out for themselves and their family…when there are people all around us who are struggling, who are hungry, who are lonely. Having experienced anxiety in my life, I try my best to tune in to those around me, even if I barely know them. You'd be surprised how many people are out there…just longing for a friend, just longing for a shoulder, for a truthful, reliable, beautiful soul to care about theirs. At one point in college I was so lonely that I'd get out of the apartment and hang out at Starbucks, just so that I could be around other people. I had plenty of friends, but that doesn't mean that you can't still be lonely. I have no idea where this post is coming from. I didn't necessarily set out to write what I've written… I just feel that it&#

It is with a heavy heart that I write this. Today I learned that my friend Clay passed away. I felt like I should do something in memory of him, hence this blog post. I'm not even sure when I met Clay, he was always around. We had classes together at TCU and we lived in the same building. He was one of those people that you don't even have to try to make friends with, it was like we were friends as soon as we met. His smile was so contagious, he absolutely exuded happiness. He knew everyone, and everyone knew him. Shoot…I can't remember someone's name five minutes after they introduce themselves…but Clay could. He was intelligent and sweet, truly caring. The kind of person that would give you the shirt off his back if you asked. He was also an incredibly talented dancer. It takes a lot of stamina and a lot of guts to go through the School of Classic and Contemporary Dance at TCU. Heck…I would probably take one look at those skin tight leggings and bolt. Bu

Okay so all over the internet - and in real life - people are freaking out! Whether it's about finals or Christmas or a mysterious flu-like disease that's killing people in North Houston... the freaking out doesn't need to happen. If you are currently freaked out, or feel as though you will be in the near future, read this quick guide: 1) Odds are that you're thinking too much. Take a minute to shift your focus. Watch an episode on TV, have a mug of Sleepy Time tea, doodle a dragon in your notebook. The more you focus on your freaking out - the worse it's only going to get - so focus on something else. 2) If you can fix what you're freaking out about, do it! If you're worried that you're ill-prepared for a final, go study some more! If you're freaked out about a party you're hosting, plan it out! Maybe the better prepared you are, the less you'll flip your lid. 3) If you're having an existential crisis, please dial 9 now. Just kiddi

Twenty four be good Be gentle, take care Tread lightly upon body and mind Leave me whole. Twenty four be good Help me find purpose and way And make every tomorrow better still Than every yesterday.

I saw you once. At Starbucks. You were staring down at your phone, held tightly in your hand, as you waited for your coffee. And I all dressed in black, observed you behind sunglasses and mentally laughed at the situation. At the ease with which I could walk right up to you if I so desired. It would be fun to see your face. I imagined a dozen ways that you'd react, two dozen things you might say, three dozen ways you'd end the curt exchange in an attempt to get away. Or maybe you wouldn't run. Maybe you'd stay. I wonder what I myself might say. "Hi, nice to see you, it's been a while." I certainly wouldn't say that I've missed you. I'd probably remark on your appearance and make light of the situation. It would be fascinating to hear what you'd say about mine. Hair straight, an Estee Lauder face, the nicest purse I've ever owned, a sleek black trench coat that feels like silk to the touch, a chenille scarf loyally wrappe

Blinding oranges and reds The flames lick up all the gasoline with their vaporous tongues off the jet black asphalt Move an arm and hear a sound like a grinding screech of a metal monster chewing diamonds down Liquid life drips from a hundred cuts And gathers in a meeting on the ground The motorcycle lies doubled over A slumbering silver beast, never to awake It pulled me towards the earth with it Trying to slip death on me, but it didn't take