advice to the young

This is the article my friend sent me. Just interesting stuff on why we're here, and if an older version of myself could talk to me now.

The woman who wrote this reply, eventually wrote the book "Wild" which is being made into an upcoming film starring Reese witherspoon.

http://therumpus.net/2011/02/dear-sugar-the-rumpus-advice-column-64/

"There are some things you can’t understand yet. Your life will be a great and continuous unfolding. It’s good you’ve worked hard to resolve childhood issues while in your twenties, but understand that what you resolve will need to be resolved again. And again. You will come to know things that can only be known with the wisdom of age and the grace of years. Most of those things will have to do with forgiveness."

"Most things will be okay eventually, but not everything will be. Sometimes you’ll put up a good fight and lose. Sometimes you’ll hold on really hard and realize there is no choice but to let go. Acceptance is a small, quiet room."

"The useless days will add up to something. The shitty waitressing jobs. The hours writing in your journal. The long meandering walks. The hours reading poetry and story collections and novels and dead people’s diaries and wondering about sex and God and whether you should shave under your arms or not. These things are your becoming."

Also, just as a PS I've included Patti Smith's advice to the young as well. Slightly different, but still very worthwhile. http://vimeo.com/57857893

When I'm all alone or in a crowd
In a quiet place or where music's loud
If I'm on the road, or in the other room
That's how you know, I'm thinkin' of you

When the flowers bloom, when the leaves turn brown
when the sun is hot, when the snow falls down, down
when the clouds are gray, and the sky's are blue
that's how you know, I'm thinkin' of you

You're always the first and the last thing on this heart of mine
No matter where I go or what I do, I'm thinkin' of you.
http://youtu.be/INkvQpjfrHY

this is how you keep her

“You must learn her.

You must know the reason why she is silent. You must trace her weakest spots. You must write to her. You must remind her that you are there. You must know how long it takes for her to give up. You must be there to hold her when she is about to.

You must love her because many have tried and failed. And she wants to know that she is worthy to be loved, that she is worthy to be kept.

And, this is how you keep her.”
― Junot Díaz, This Is How You Lose Her

Warning: If you are reading this then this warning is for you.

Warning: If you are reading this then this warning is for you. Every word you read of this useless fine print is another second off your life. Don't you have other things to do? Is your life so empty that you honestly can't think of a better way to spend these moments? Or are you so impressed with authority that you give respect and credence to all that claim it? Do you read everything you're supposed to read? Do you think every thing you're supposed to think? Buy what you're told to want? Get out of your apartment. Meet a member of the opposite sex. Stop the excessive shopping and masturbation. Quit your job. Start a fight. Prove you're alive. If you don't claim your humanity you will become a statistic. You have been warned- Tyler.

“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. 

A dream you dream together is reality.” 

— John Lennon

be ok with being great.

I really like this video Kanye put up, about his outlook on creating.
I know people say he's so full of it thinks he's God etc.
But I know I personally struggle with being okay with being me sometimes, not apologizing for wanting to create- so i was glad to hear someone claiming so much ownership and passion for art and music.


“If you're taught you CAN'T do anything, you won't do anything. I was taught I could do everything!!! When someone comes up and say something like: ‘I Am A God!’ everybody says: ‘Who does he think he is??!?!’ — I JUST TOLD YOU WHO I THOUGHT I WAS. A GOD. I JUST TOLD YOU! Would it have been better if I have a song "I Am A N*gger" or "I Am A Gangster" or "I Am A Pimp"? Go listen to my music, it's the code to self-esteem. If you're a Kanye West fan, you're not a fan of me, you're a fan of yourself. You will believe in yourself. I'm just the expresso shot in the morning to make you believe you can overcome that situation that you're dealing with!”