// When I was younger…….. I’d put my arms in my shirt and told people I lost my arms. Would restart the video game whenever I knew I was going to lose. Slept with all the stuffed animals as a child so none of them got offended..Had that one pen with 4 colors, and tried to push all the buttons at once. Poured soda into the cap and acting like I were taking shots. The hardest decision was choosing which Nintendo game to play. Waited behind a door to scare someone, then leaving because they’re taking too long to come out or you had to pee. Faked being asleep, so I could be carried to bed. Used to think that the moon followed my car. Watching two drops of rain roll down window and pretending it was a race. Went on the computer just to use Paint. The only thing i had to take care of was a Tamagotchi. The only ‘fake’ friends i had were invisible ones . I used to sing in the shower. (Now? I make life decisions in there now). Swallowed a fruit seed I was scared to death that a tree was going to grow in my tummy. Getting a bruised knees heals better than a broken heart. Remember when we were kids and couldn’t wait to grow up…what the hell were we thinking? //

tomatoes-are-gonna-tomate:

dre4mz:

simply-madisonn:

lilitmac:

It’s so sad. Cause kids aren’t like this these days.

And i thought i was weird for playing that raindrop game

I used to think i was the only person who did this and now i’m crying because my childhood is gone forever :’(

(Source: ispeakforboys, via paper-lions)

// Does this darkness have a name? Is it your name?//

“Does this darkness have a name? This cruelty. This hatred. How did it find us? Did it steal into our lives or did we seek it out and embrace it? What happened to us that we now send our children into the world like we send young men to war, hoping for their safe return, but knowing that some would be lost along the way. When did we lose our way? Consumed by the shadows. Swallowed whole by the darkness. Does this darkness have a name? Is it your name?”- One Tree Hill.

On Friday December 14th, 2012, the quaint and quiet town of Newtown, Connecticut was changed forever. On that fateful Friday morning, at an estimated time of 9:00 am, twenty-six lives were taken by a merciless killer. As facts began to present themselves, the United States of America, the state of Connecticut, the little town of Newtown, and the world watched in sadness and disgust at the events unfolding before our eyes. Twenty of these lives taken from us were innocent children who had no way of defending themselves. Six of those dead were adults whom should be remembered as heroes who gave their lives to save others. Before I begin, I would like anyone who reads this to know that I will not be exposing the name of the suspect in respect for the families and the people of Newtown whose lives were changed on this fateful day.

I, like many others, could not escape the coverage of this tragedy that was unfolding in this small town yet as the facts continue to present themselves, I continue to ask myself one question… why? Why did this happen? Why are people so filled with malice and hate? Why do we continue to allow ourselves to live in a world of darkness? But even I cannot give myself an answer nor can I give you, the reader, one. Truth is, everyday we ignore how broken this world is. We ignore those who are different than us. And finally, we ignore the signs before it is too late. Through our ignorance, we place the blame on everything but ourselves. Everyday we make choices and everyday we continue to be silent and oblivious to the world around us because we always believe that a tragedy, such as this, could never happen to us.

This could never happen to us.  The people of Newtown, Connecticut once believed this to be true. But now they are, unfortunately, dealing with the repercussions of a senseless act of violence.  And why? Because the American constitution gives American citizens the right to obtain and purchase guns. It is incredibly easy to place the blame on guns or even Nancy Lanza for having these guns in her home or for taking her sons to a shooting range. But we all must remember something. Guns don’t kill people; people kill people. And this happens because we don’t speak up. The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting is not the first instance where guns have been used violently; however this is not the first incident of gun violence.

April 20th, 1999: Columbine, Colorado. Columbine High School Massacre. 13 dead. 21 injured.

January 8th, 2011: Tucson, Arizona. Supermarket Parking Lot. 6 dead. 12 injured.

July 20th, 2012: Aurora, Colorado. Century Movie Theater.  12 dead. 58 injured.

The numbers are staggering. The Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting is one of four mass shootings where innocent lives have been taken and changed because there is a lack of gun control within the United States of America. Why are we allowing these horrific events to continue? Should it not have taken only one of these events for something to change? Truth is, nothing changed because no one spoke up. And six months from now, Newtown, Connecticut will still be picking up the pieces of this horrific act even after the reporters and the psychologists and the experts are gone. In years to come, we will hear the word “Newtown” and make the association as to what happened on that fateful day five days ago. For us it will be a distant memory but for the people of Newtown it will be a constant nightmare.

As I continue with this entry, I would also like to discuss this notion of the suspect’s suspected “mental illness”. From all that we know, the suspect has reportedly been diagnosed with Aspergers. This man was also extremely intelligent so who is to say that he didn’t use his intelligence to his advantage? It is blatantly obvious this man had an intention from the moment he stepped foot in that elementary school. But it is unfair to blame mental illness when we will never have an answer as to why he did what he did. This man stared down twenty-six individuals, twenty of which were children, and sealed their fate by a pull of trigger. Regardless of his mental state, this man was a twenty-years-old adult who made a choice so there is no reason to question one’s parenting. I, myself, am twenty-years-old and even though older people consider us to be children, legally we are adults and we are responsible for the choices we make everyday.  The only people we can blame is ourselves because we have let these senseless acts continue for far too long.

I conclude this entry by extending my sincerest condolences to the families of the victims and to the people of Newtown. Please know that the world is praying for you. We pray that those victims have found a sense of peace. We pray for your slow recovery as you pick up the pieces. We pray for justice. We pray for stricter gun control laws. And most importantly, we pray for a better and safer world for our children. As human beings we forget how incredibly blessed we are to have the lives that we do. So please stop taking advantage of it. I encourage you all to hold your children a little closer, no matter how old, and tell them that you love them. I encourage you all to make a difference in someone’s life, even if it is just a simple “hello”. Make someone smile or laugh. Just a simple acknowledgement can change how one thinks about themselves and the choices they may choose to make. And always remember that our tomorrows are so uncertain.

I asked if this darkness had name and maybe it does. Just pleasedon’t make it yours.