Behind the Inhaler Pt. 18

How do I go about describing the relationship I have with my brother? My brother is a Saint, my best friend, my father figure, my mentor, my cheerleader, my inspiration, and my rock. My brother has always been there for me.

Jimmy, never James, is five years older than me. Most of my most cherished and memorable childhood moments occurred with or around Jimmy. We've never been like your typical siblings and I don't think we ever will be. Typically, my parents would leave Jimmy in charge of me almost everyday while I was growing up. As a result of this I became as much his child as I am there's. Most people only see the similarities between the two of us, when really we're very different. The biggest difference between the two of us is the way we process information. Jimmy is impulsive, quick to respond, and tends to act before thinking. I on the other hand think, think some more, and then act. Which is another key to our sibling compatibility. We even each other out.

I feel like now would be a prime time to share a few stories from my childhood.

One particularly stormy evening my brother was babysitting me while our parents were out doing...who knows what. Our house originally had fourteen trees in the backyard, now we have half of a tree left. You can only guess where this story is going. I was probably five at the time making Jimmy somewhere around ten or eleven. We were sitting upstairs in our family room when tumultuous crash rang through our house. Before either of us could react we had a tree large enough to block a road in our kitchen. The first words out of my mouth were "It was not me!" Jimmy on the other hand in fear that my father could somehow make this his fault began freaking out. Long story short, Jimmy and I tried to drag a fully matured tree out of our kitchen. You can probably guess that we weren't successful. About the other thirteen and a half trees, most of them fell on our house too.

One of my favorite "Jimmy" memories would be my eleventh birthday. Jimmy was a member of the cross country team which practices all summer. My birthday almost always falls on a weekday which means my parents work. I woke up (my mom was still home) to no birthday wishes, and no sign of my birthday even being remembered. I was devastated. My mom had no clue what had "gotten into me" when she left for work. About an hour later Jimmy returns home from practice with three stuffed Meijer bags. Jimmy forced the team to run to Meijer so he could buy me Ben and Jerry's, pop, cake, and DVD's for us to watch and eat the rest of the day. It turned into one of my favorite birthday's ever.

All in all, my brother and I are very close and I hope to stay this way. It's become more difficult now that he's at college, engaged, and getting internship offers all over the U.S. We've always had a deal that no matter where we ended up we'd be there for each other, and I hope more than anything that holds true.

I never thought about having any other siblings because Jimmy was all I ever needed. I can't even imagine what it would be like without him.

My brother and I last February. Messing around with the webcam.

Jimmy and I sitting where the Forrest Gump bench should be this past summer. People were stealing it so they had to take it away.

Wow I wish I was still this cute...haha

Response #16

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Behind the Inhaler Pt. 17

Been a while since I've done one of these...hmm. I'm on the fence as to whether I should comply with the prompt or go in blind. From personal experience going into anything blind doesn't usually have a positive outcome.

Speaking of blind! Have you heard that joke about Helen Keller's father? Yeah, neither has she. You're not the only one who can make jokes Mr. Potter! Of course mine isn't exactly "politically correct" but who decides what's "correct," and what isn't? One of the worlds great mysteries.

Speaking of mystery let's talk about my English grade. Seeing as I have yet to have a single paper handed back to be from this class I could potentially be failing, or worse have a B. A seemingly simple solution to this would be to log onto home access which for whatever reason refuses to allow me to log in no matter what I do.

With scheduling for Junior year just around the corner my anxiety level is through the roof. Not just because I want to take way too many classes, but I also have no clue where I want to go with my life. My usual response to "What do you want to be?" is "happy." Realistically I know "happy" doesn't pay, not in the way we need to survive at least. When I was younger I wanted to drive an ice cream truck, by younger I mean from the age of two to current. In second grade I wanted to be an archeologist! My life would be awesome! I'd dig up some old crap and get paid! It was in fifth grade when I found out most archeologist ended up in Turkey and then were sold into sex trades around the Middle East. Last year I got it in my head that I wanted to work in the field of psychology and  how effects and is effected by neurology. Prime example is schizophrenia which has currently been re-diagnosed to a nerve based psychological issue! The only issue with this being? Psychology is a dying degree and a very common one as well. Maybe I should just be a lawyer like my parents beg, or pull the old anti-feminist marry rich.

Look at this awesome saddle pad. Flamingos wearing sunglasses! Doesn't get much better than that, right? Well it's gone missing and I am thoroughly depressed.

What does this mean? It's starting to look like a triple rainbow! I took this in Lexington, I was very excited to experience my first double rainbow.

Peter has become the fatherly figure in Jester's life. For some reason he's recently taken a liking to dogs. 

Behind the Inhaler Pt. 16

I would like to have someone explain to me the logic behind having tests the week before finals. I've had a test in every subject except English. Bravo Mr. Potter, bravo (my tie into English). Anyway into this weeks blog!


This is a blog idea late but I figured it's never really too late. So here it is, 2010 in review (the things that actually held significance).

Let's go back to New Years Eve 2009. The ground was cover with a thick layer of packing snow. It was cold, but the trees were still. I sat with two of my best friends on the cold, rusted over swings at High Point Elementary. One of my friends and I go way back with these swings. We promised in the fourth grade that there on "our" swings was our place. If we needed each other that's where we'd go. They hold a lot of sentimental value and cherished memories. Couldn't think of a much better way to begin the new year.

Last winter I was working with an amazing horse by the name of Captain. I loved this horse so much I seriously considered spending $3,500 on this horse. But he was sold out from under my nose and I was informed in one of the most brutal ways possible. Empty stall, horse-less halter. I will always miss this horse and I'm reminded of him everyday in the form of back pain. It was Capi who I was riding when he took a wide oxer (spread jump with more than two rails that the horse has to jump wide over) very poorly when I first heard and felt the snap in my spine. Since then I've had the immense pain a constant reminder of the horse I fell head over heels in love with and lost.

In February I got my temps (two months late).

In March I sealed my spot on the 2010 Lady Lions Varsity Track Travel Team (say that five times fast). As a new coming Freshman I didn't expect to do well at all last year. But as usual things tend to go the opposite of what's actually suspected. In my first tournament as a Freshman I can in 6th out of 32 shocking both my coaches and myself. It would set the pace for a painful, surprising, and successful season. I ended up fourth in the OCC, 2nd in the district, and 13th in the region. My only regret was not stopping and continuing through the back pain. Track did wonders for my confidence.

In May of 2010 I attended the Mayday Parade, Sparks the Rescue, A Rocket to the Moon, the City Lights and Versa Emerge concert.

The day after school gets out for the summer I am taken to Children's Hospital diagnoses? Fractured spine. Guess what kiddo's? It was fractured all that time! The summer itself was a total bummer. I did just about...nothing. I had physical therapy three times a week for fourteen weeks and from that I went straight into two sessions a week of functional rehab. The only real highlight of my summer was traveling to Hilton Head for a week to stay in the condo. Even then I couldn't do much, I couldn't even swim! However the 4th of July was amazing. My brother and I sat out in the ocean on inflatable inner tubes watching the drunks set off fireworks into the wee hours of the morning. Another aspect of summer which was terrible was that I couldn't ride. I went to the barn twice in three months each time I left sobbing. Horses are a huge part of my life. They're not just pets each has a personality like people. Horses recognize people and emotions associated with them. Other team members kept telling me how lethargic and depressed Peter was acting in my absence.

In August I started my Sophomore year, which you all know. I made the Speech and Debate team which is a total blast. Our season is continuing and so far it's been really successful.

In September I attended the FEI Altech World Equestrian Games in Lexington. It was all I expected it to be and more.

In the fall I attended the Jimmy Eat World concert and a week later the 3oh!3 concert. Both were amazing to say the least.

October I earned my drivers license.

In December I was cleared to work out against with extreme restrictions (my spine has yet to heal).

And on New Years Eve 2010 I found myself sitting outside, on a cement block with my best friend drinking champagne (non alcoholic) reliving the year and discussing everything that was bugging us at the time.

Captain and I last January, I miss this boy.

District Champs! Photo credit Meghan McGuff

Hilton Head photo was taken by my brother you can see where the privet beach ends haha

Martha and I at the world equestrian games!

Good luck next week with Mid-Terms!

Response #15

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Response #14

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Behind the Inhaler Pt. 15

A man tells his stories so many times that he becomes the stories. They live on after him, and in that way he becomes immortal. 

This quote is from one of my all time favorite movies Big Fish. Everyone truly has a story to tell. Though some stories may not be as interesting as the next everyone always has something to say. But I know first hand that just because you have something to say doesn't mean you actually say it. I think that's why I envy authors so much, because they use their voice one way or another to get their ideas and thoughts across to other people. That's also where my love for books, and quotes comes into play. Some people remember faces, names, and scent. I remember words. I remember distinct lines of books, words from people, words from movies, words I hear in passing.

I think I'm able to remember others words so well because I've never quite been able to get my own words across, at least not in the right way. My head is so full of words, feelings, and emotions that I wish people could just see because I know then they'd understand. They'd know where I come from and why I'm the way I am. But whenever I try to tell my stories they become scattered and difficult to follow.

Which makes sense, because I'm scattered and difficult to follow. It's a vicious circle I swear.

Thomas Edison's last words were: "It's very beautiful over there." I don' know where there is, but I believe it's somewhere, and I hope it's beautiful. -Looking For Alaska 

Another quote, well book actually that's stuck with me.

How will I ever get out of the Labyrinth? 

I've always wondered about the great "after." It's a mystery that's stumbled people for centuries because honestly there is no viable proof that backs any of the theories. People can speculate but in a great twist of irony they'll never really know until it's their turn.

Though Edison's famous last words are intriguing I find Pancho Villa's to be just as immortal in a strange way, "Don't let it end like this! Tell them I said something!"

I hope when my time comes to an end I've said something worth while and maybe not as desperate as "tell them I said something!" Hopefully by then I will have found a way to get my voice across in one way or another...until then I will continue to ramble as I just did...haha

Share some pictures as always. Edward received a much needed bath the first of this month. Something that usually doesn't happen in January.

This is me on Ringo this past summer. Bareback, in unmarked woods. I don't remember what I was laughing at but I love this picture. I loved this day even though I jeopardized a lot (fractured spine + bareback + woods = really stupid). I ended up almost completely sliding off while running up a steep hill.

Gingerbread cliff and waterfall. Complete with people, trees, and water. We (Martha and I) made this after our complete fail of a gingerbread house.

Hope you all had nice break!