"What's love worth?" (The first sonnet)...

Supp Playas???

My compassion for writing and story telling started at a very early age. Actually I was eight when I wrote my first story. In retrospect, my editor Tom would have nightmares trying to edit that first story of mines. My spelling was horrible, I used no punctuations or periods. But as you can see my writing has evolved by a large margin since then. But it was not until my senior year in high school I developed an appetite for structural poetry or to be more specific, sonnets. Take a look at the first one I ever wrote....

With love, is it always all or nothing?
to spend yourself for that one pretty person
always ready to give the sealing ring
to live life like she was the mighty sun


One sitting in place will of course say yes
always willing to run the endless race
that sweet love is felt with all of one's chest
never ever yielding to see that face


I say love is a flaming two edge sword
cutting down anyone who isn't careful
pretty and shining but can't be adored
its a thief that seems to be cheerful


love takes away leaving any man so broke
it will laugh and degrade like any sick joke.

Reading this, I have come to realize that when it comes to writing, may it be a song, a poem, or whatever it is, it is so easy to write about the negative aspects of love. Even if you don't have first hand experience of what it is that you're writing about. For instance, this poem has nothing to do with my life exactly. So what I want to do is for next month's spotlight post, a totally 180. I haven't experience what true love is yet but I want to try an express or understand what that might be like. So until then...

Peace and Happiness to all :)

Humbly yours,

Brian J

Hit the ground running...

What is good readers?

In the developmental  stages of this blog post I was unsure of what to title it. It could of easily became Spreading my wings part three. But what your are about to read is more of an extension of Spreading my wings part two. And since I kind of insulted the Lion King serious in that post I'm not going to name it Spreading my wings part one and a half, regardless, that would be silly. You the reader can dub it however you like, but with the way I am feeling now I think the title I have chosen supersedes what I intend to express.

I have approximately two months before I go, and it can't come any sooner. To get away from Naples and to finally begin chapter one of my life. What is actually funny about my journey through the military up to this point is that it really took awhile for things to finally align for me. And I just don't mean the big time gap in between high school and now. What some people do not know is that the Air Force was not my first choice. The Marines was, and then the Army, and now the Air Force . What truly is hysterical is that my plans with the Marines are completely different from the plans I have for myself now.  

With the Marines my plan was that I wanted to end up here, back in Naples. I was going to go through three hard months of basic training. Then twenty-nine days of military combat training, and finally learn my MOS (military occupational specialty) which varies with what job you select. The time that takes is based on what job you get. I wanted to do all that so I could come back to Naples, my "home". To become a full time student at possibly Ave Maria, and a part time Marine. I thought it was a good deal, and don't get me wrong it is. But it wasn't exactly what I wanted, I was just high off the hype the recruiter was feeding me.

Respect your elders. Don't just hear their words but also listen.

What truly changed my mind about my decision concerning the military was my sister Cindy and her husband Eric (both are actually in the Army). The council I received from them was tremendously helpful, I learned a lot from them. But one of the BIGGEST things I learned from them, what I had not accounted of until then, was the changes I would go through. And what Naples would be like for me once I got back. Everything in Naples would be the same except for me. Naples is my home, but I have done it all already. There isn't anything left for me to see or do here and it is understandable for me to want to stay. But the home that was created here was created by my parents. They are far away from where they originally called home. I think that rings true for everyone, and if it doesn't it will someday. That for me, I have to get out there and create my own home. That leaving the nest also means leaving this city behind, with that being said...

I CAN'T WAIT TO GET OUT OF HERE.

In the Air Force , while you are at tech school learning your MOS you get to create a dream list. A dream list is comprised of eight locations in where you want to serve. And if I can help it none of my choices will be stateside. I'm thinking, Japan, England, Italy, France, Germany, Hawaii, wherever that is far from here. I am a young man and I want to travel and why not now? 

So like the title of this post implies, I want to hit the ground running. And once I do, I don't see a single obstacle stopping me. And once I am on my way, I will not stop. Not even to look over my shoulder. Trust me there is nothing to see back there.

Change. I am truly flabbergasted at how quickly things can change.

Peace and Happiness to all. :)


Humbly yours,

Brian J