I am totally, completely obsessed with being different. I don't think I'm weird in a way that people avoid me on the streets [except maybe in a few cases] but being like everyone else is probably number one on my Things I Hate Most list.
In middle school, I was desperate to fit in. I didn't like being teased [which came naturally due to my glasses, braces & baby fat that hadn't been lost yet.] Every morning when I woke up I surveyed my wardrobe to make sure that whatever I put on wouldn't face relentless pursuits of humiliation the second I hopped out of my mom's mini-van. It wasn't until I got to high school [and lost the braces, baby fat & got contacts] that I HATED looking and being like everyone else. I realized that I had to wear, do, be and say exactly what I wanted. There are times when I wish I had someone else's life, but then I realize how lucky I am to just be me and thats when it hit me: I'm BEST at being me. I may not be best at many things in the world but I am the BEST Maria Stallman there is. I am special just because I'm unique.
I'll be totally honest here: I've got quirks. Lots of them, in fact. Actually, most people might say that my "quirks" are just flat-out weird. Like the fact that my nose scrunches up like a bunnies every once in a while. Or I always have to put my right contact in before my first. Or that I can't usually go 2 days without something purchased from a coffee shop. If you ever met me, you know that I'm not like everyone else. However, I see that as a good thing. I think that I'm not like everyone else in that I always greet everyone with the "Signature Maria Smile" which takes up my whole entire face. I dress in what I think is cute, not whats on the cover of all the magazines. And most importantly, I don't really try to be anybody other than who I am.
Because as the old Chinese Proverb goes, "you should never try to fit in if you were born to stand out."
(:
With Love,
Maria
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Friday Night Lights [& Bright Saturday Mornings]
I am totally, completely obsessed with Football. In my family, if you don't spend every Saturday from September to December watching the Buckeyes [or every Sunday watching the Browns] your not considered family. More like a mere person taking up space who doesn't appreciate the sweaty, joyous mess of Football. Considering that I love my family [and would love to NOT be disowned] I spend my weekends for four months in the fall in front of the big screen in the basement cheering on our teams.
Some girls don't understand football at all and I must admit, I am one of them. Besides knowing the basics [touchdowns, fumbles, tackles and sacks] my Football knowledge is about as small as a babie's foot. However, because I'm a senior and my boyfriend starts on the football team [#75 thank you very much] I am at every single game, standing in the first or second row with all of my friends cheering on the Aviators. Wheather it's 90 degrees or 10, [and I've been to multiple games where the weather was both] wheather it's just down the street or an hour away [again, I've been to both many a time] or wheather we win or lose [I think it would be pointless to type the above statement a third time] I stand up, wearing purple and gold, and cheer for our team until my lungs hurt and I'm blue in the face. Miles attempted to explain to me the "feeling" that happens before a big game [the excitement, the butterflies, the desire to impress the Scouts] and to be honest, unless you actually PLAY football on the Gridiron under the lights on a Friday night, I don't think you can understand the feeling that overwhelms you.
Like I already said, I've been to my fair share of football games. Today, my friend Lucy and I sat with Miles and our families [in extremely hot weather, no less] to watch our little brothers lose. As my mother said, "at least it wasn't a shut out!" but I will admit, the fact that the Aviator Freshman lost just pissed me off. I know there's games when the score always isn't in your favor, but for some reason the fact that I spent money [ok, so maybe it was only three bucks] to watch them get defeated just didn't settle too well with me. I instantly felt bad, however, when Daniel got home, totally depressed and exhausted. I realized that I was being nothing short of rude. He and all the other boys had tried their hardest [and lets be honest, it's not like they really WANTED to lose]. My anger turned to pride as I realized I had a brother who gave his all at what he loved, even if the scoreboard stated that they "lost."
So yes, I am a bit [ok, a lot] obsessed with football, but watching games has been in my life since I was [literally] born. And besides, we all need something to cheer about every once in a while. (:
With Love,
Maria
Some girls don't understand football at all and I must admit, I am one of them. Besides knowing the basics [touchdowns, fumbles, tackles and sacks] my Football knowledge is about as small as a babie's foot. However, because I'm a senior and my boyfriend starts on the football team [#75 thank you very much] I am at every single game, standing in the first or second row with all of my friends cheering on the Aviators. Wheather it's 90 degrees or 10, [and I've been to multiple games where the weather was both] wheather it's just down the street or an hour away [again, I've been to both many a time] or wheather we win or lose [I think it would be pointless to type the above statement a third time] I stand up, wearing purple and gold, and cheer for our team until my lungs hurt and I'm blue in the face. Miles attempted to explain to me the "feeling" that happens before a big game [the excitement, the butterflies, the desire to impress the Scouts] and to be honest, unless you actually PLAY football on the Gridiron under the lights on a Friday night, I don't think you can understand the feeling that overwhelms you.
Like I already said, I've been to my fair share of football games. Today, my friend Lucy and I sat with Miles and our families [in extremely hot weather, no less] to watch our little brothers lose. As my mother said, "at least it wasn't a shut out!" but I will admit, the fact that the Aviator Freshman lost just pissed me off. I know there's games when the score always isn't in your favor, but for some reason the fact that I spent money [ok, so maybe it was only three bucks] to watch them get defeated just didn't settle too well with me. I instantly felt bad, however, when Daniel got home, totally depressed and exhausted. I realized that I was being nothing short of rude. He and all the other boys had tried their hardest [and lets be honest, it's not like they really WANTED to lose]. My anger turned to pride as I realized I had a brother who gave his all at what he loved, even if the scoreboard stated that they "lost."
So yes, I am a bit [ok, a lot] obsessed with football, but watching games has been in my life since I was [literally] born. And besides, we all need something to cheer about every once in a while. (:
With Love,
Maria
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Oh Baby, Baby, Baby..
I am totally, completely obsessed with babies. If anyone saw Disney's Babies, you know what I'm talking about. It showcased four babies from all corners of the Earth over the course of two years and it shows how different their upbringings are. My friend Tori told me that the documentary was pointless. No offense to the future Valedictorian of Butler High School's class of 2011, but I completley disagree. I think watching four bundles of joy live their ordinary yet extraordinary lives on the silver screen was an awesome way to spend an hour and a half.
I know what your thinking: "Maria, that's just plain creepy." Rest assured, I'm not obsessed in the way that you should lock up your infants in fear that I will steal them in the middle of the night, a la Brian David Mitchell. I'm simply obsessed in the way that I think chubby, adorable human beings rolling around on the floor are the cutest things in the whole entire world.
Although most of my friends don't want children of their own [Tori even told me she couldn't handle her own kids and she would, "probably kill them."] I don't share their same point of view. I love kids and can't wait to have children of my own. Don't get me wrong, I can wait 8 years until I'm married and happily in love, but the ultimate dream of my life is to drive around a big black Escalade with 5 chubby-cheeked, dark haired, freckle-faced kids in booster seats in the back seat.
I'm pretty much aware that if your reading this post, you think I'm certafiably insane. After all, I am the girl that drug Tori through the Target baby section for 45 minutes picking out a baby shower gift when I hadn't even received the invitation at the time. But the biggest reason I love babies is the gorgeous one that blessed my life. My cousin Megan is my best friend in the entire world and four days before my 16th birthday, on November 13, 2008, her son, Casey Gregg Seiber entered the world and made me the happiest "auntie" on the face of the Earth. I see him at least once a week, thanks to the fact that he lives 3 minutes away and every time I hear his little feet pitter-pattering on the kitchen floor running to give me a hug my heart just melts. All of my problems fade away and I am completley entranced by a little boy who isn't even potty trained.
So yes, I might be obsessed with living things under 3 feet tall, but my obsession stems from the fact that no matter what they do, they can always make me smile (:
With Love,
Maria
I know what your thinking: "Maria, that's just plain creepy." Rest assured, I'm not obsessed in the way that you should lock up your infants in fear that I will steal them in the middle of the night, a la Brian David Mitchell. I'm simply obsessed in the way that I think chubby, adorable human beings rolling around on the floor are the cutest things in the whole entire world.
Although most of my friends don't want children of their own [Tori even told me she couldn't handle her own kids and she would, "probably kill them."] I don't share their same point of view. I love kids and can't wait to have children of my own. Don't get me wrong, I can wait 8 years until I'm married and happily in love, but the ultimate dream of my life is to drive around a big black Escalade with 5 chubby-cheeked, dark haired, freckle-faced kids in booster seats in the back seat.
I'm pretty much aware that if your reading this post, you think I'm certafiably insane. After all, I am the girl that drug Tori through the Target baby section for 45 minutes picking out a baby shower gift when I hadn't even received the invitation at the time. But the biggest reason I love babies is the gorgeous one that blessed my life. My cousin Megan is my best friend in the entire world and four days before my 16th birthday, on November 13, 2008, her son, Casey Gregg Seiber entered the world and made me the happiest "auntie" on the face of the Earth. I see him at least once a week, thanks to the fact that he lives 3 minutes away and every time I hear his little feet pitter-pattering on the kitchen floor running to give me a hug my heart just melts. All of my problems fade away and I am completley entranced by a little boy who isn't even potty trained.
So yes, I might be obsessed with living things under 3 feet tall, but my obsession stems from the fact that no matter what they do, they can always make me smile (:
With Love,
Maria
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
The Good Life
I am totally, completely obsessed with life. I don't like guns and I'm not thrilled about abortion but the fact that I wake up every morning breathing and (mostly) happy to begin my day should let you know that, to me, living is the most precious gift that we have. Obviously, most people love their life, myself included. However, if you are one of those people who wishes that you life were better or different, you might want to reconsider.
It would be a total downright lie for me to say that I have been around death my whole life, but I have seen more than one person in my life pass away and leave a hole in my heart. When I was eight, Francis Lucille Stallman, my grandmother and best friend (up to that point) passed away from congestive heart failure. I can honestly say it was the worst day of my life. Just knowing that she would no longer be there for me whenever I needed her, like she always had been, left me with tears in my eyes and an ache in my heart that still continue to this day whenever someone brings up her name. It was my first "brush with death" if you will and I've learned that handling death only gets harder the older you become.
Death doesn't just happen to those who are close to us. Last summer, our town football star and all around amazing boy passed away after a brave and heroic year-and-a-half battle with cancer. This boy, who I maybe spoke three words to in my entire life became my instant hero. Not only was he a funny, smart, kind boy who would take the shirt off his back to help you out, but he taught an entire town that anything is possible with hope and the love of God.
As if you needed another reason to love your life, maybe you'd like to know that just last night, in my tiny little town, four boys were in a car accident that has everyone in the community praying on hands and knees. The boys are in the ICU and some don't sound like they are doing too well. One second they were driving down the road and the next they were smashed into a tree. The families of these boys must be in sheer panic. This accident is proving to everyone that life as we know it could change in an instant.
Bottom line? Be thankful for who you are and what you have. No, your life may not be perfect. Yes, there will be challenges, struggles and times that you want to just lie down and give up. The point is that there are too many people in the world that would give anything to be in the condition that your in now. There are too many people in the world who would kill for the things you have and the life that you live. And if you still aren't convinced that your lucky, remember this: the life you have is imperfect, chaotic and maybe even difficult; but it is also amazing, beautiful and has worth, just like the person living it. (:
With Love,
Maria
It would be a total downright lie for me to say that I have been around death my whole life, but I have seen more than one person in my life pass away and leave a hole in my heart. When I was eight, Francis Lucille Stallman, my grandmother and best friend (up to that point) passed away from congestive heart failure. I can honestly say it was the worst day of my life. Just knowing that she would no longer be there for me whenever I needed her, like she always had been, left me with tears in my eyes and an ache in my heart that still continue to this day whenever someone brings up her name. It was my first "brush with death" if you will and I've learned that handling death only gets harder the older you become.
Death doesn't just happen to those who are close to us. Last summer, our town football star and all around amazing boy passed away after a brave and heroic year-and-a-half battle with cancer. This boy, who I maybe spoke three words to in my entire life became my instant hero. Not only was he a funny, smart, kind boy who would take the shirt off his back to help you out, but he taught an entire town that anything is possible with hope and the love of God.
As if you needed another reason to love your life, maybe you'd like to know that just last night, in my tiny little town, four boys were in a car accident that has everyone in the community praying on hands and knees. The boys are in the ICU and some don't sound like they are doing too well. One second they were driving down the road and the next they were smashed into a tree. The families of these boys must be in sheer panic. This accident is proving to everyone that life as we know it could change in an instant.
Bottom line? Be thankful for who you are and what you have. No, your life may not be perfect. Yes, there will be challenges, struggles and times that you want to just lie down and give up. The point is that there are too many people in the world that would give anything to be in the condition that your in now. There are too many people in the world who would kill for the things you have and the life that you live. And if you still aren't convinced that your lucky, remember this: the life you have is imperfect, chaotic and maybe even difficult; but it is also amazing, beautiful and has worth, just like the person living it. (:
With Love,
Maria
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