As you may know from my last post, I'm trying to get things back together and face my demons. Well, today proved a success!
I confronted my biggest emotional fear today, and boy did it feel great. This person I talked to was someone I thought I would honestly never talk to ever again in my life, as much as part of me really wanted to. But today, I had the rare chance to and, after 8 months, I finally talked to this person, and there was no tension in the air, and I felt a real weight lifted from my chest. I can't lie and say I'm not a little confused or that I got to say what I really wanted to say or say how I feel/felt, but I must remember...little steps. And boy, though this was a little step, it was also a VERY BIG leap, and I'm very proud of myself today. Especially since it had the chance of going very very badly. But it didn't, so yay!
I have improved myself a little today, and a little is still something, and I feel like I'm getting better. Onward and up to recovery!!
Well, it's getting late here so I'm not going to do much today. It's been kind of a long day, and some sleep will do me good (it's 2:26 in the morning now haha). But what I will do is reveal the final part of THE LOST POEMS. Enjoy!:
Midnight Adventure by Dave Karp
Looking out at the horizon late at night the stars shining down on me like spotlights mothing but the wind filling my ears The wind that has been here for so many years
"What's to come next" sings a bird through a song
knowing this nighttime would not last for long
The Earth is still turning and it carries me home
to the sunlight of life as I stand here alone
Look a bit closer to the moon for awhile
Wait patiently and it will give you a smile
Just breath in and enjoy all the fresh air
and enjoy the adventure that is standing right there
And there you have it, the final LOST POEM!
Song of the Day: The Entertainer by Billy Joel
Playing on my headphones right now, this is a great song from the "Streetlife Serenader" album. This album definitely has a west coast vibe as part of it, which is funny because Billy Joel is a big New York pride guy. But, when this album came up, he had moved to L.A. to record this album and to try to start again. He eventually became disenchanted by Los Angeles and moved back to New York. All and all, it brought inspiration to his work. Good album, ay?
Well, Video of the Day is below, and I'll see you later : )
Today was very chill, mostly because I'm sick : ( and my Arabic class got cancelled today and I didn't feel well enough to go to my tutor for writing. I fell asleep around 11:45 last night on my bed and woke up at around 5:45 in the morning today, my throat sore as ever, I had a hard time going back to sleep so I basically sat in bed until 9:00ish and then got myself into my typical morning routine.
I had lunch at the new Wings Stop that just opened on campus with a few of my friends from class. It was actually really peaceful and fun! After, I took a walk around campus to clear my mind a little and ended up going home for a nap.
Around 4, after a nap, I got to hang out with my good friend, Gladys, which was really fun. I hadn't really hung out with her in awhile besides in class because of our busy schedules but today we both had some free time. It was a good time for all. On our adventures to various record stores and such (I bought a few CDs today...U2 and Aerosmith), we stopped at Chase Bank (or as I like to call it because of the book I'm reading now, "Catch Me If You Can", Chase Manhattan Bank, which is it's old name).
Now, yes, I do bank at Chase Manhattan Bank and, I'm not going to lie, they are convenient. They have branches all over Chicago, the staff is nice (most of the time) and they have a pretty cool reward system (sort of..I'll get to that) but I have a few...uh...problems with the bank. And now, I will launch myself into a segment today called...
"THE PROBLEM WITH...."
Today's topic is, of course, Chase Bank. In these sections, which will come up occasionally, I will list three things about something that has, for lack of better words, made me flip a shit. Sort of. You'll see. So here we go...
The Problem With Chase Bank Is... 1. The Ultimate Rewards Program....In the beginning since I opened up my account some three years back, I always had the Chase Rewards Program. It was kind of cool. You'd rack of points with purchases that you have made over time and would be able to rack up points to get stuff like free movie tickets, traveling supplies, and even cash back. And much more. So about 4 months or so back, I realized, without being told at all, that the program had switched to something called Chase Ultimate Rewards. Soon after, I found out that ALL the points I racked up in the last three years (and there were A LOT) were gone, and that now it's harder to get points. And then I found out that I was PAYING to get this point system. WHAT THE HELL!!!??? Well, I soon found out that I was also paying for the old program. Why wasn't I ever told?? Beats my meat. So this ticked me off at the time, though now I'm sort of over it. If you get an account there, make sure you ask them about the program, and remember to ask HOW MUCH IT IS! 2. No Blank Checks??....I ran out of checks recently and had to pay my rent and make a deposit to a trip I'm taking to Argentina in the spring. The day I went to the bank to order more checks, the branch had just caught someone passing fraudulent checks...and the police were on the scene. Things started getting heavy and loud in there, so I didn't spend too much time there. But they said I couldn't order checks that day because of it. So I ask for a blank check, because I know banks do that for you. And the teller told me they don't do blank checks....WHAT.THE.HELL. I was always told you could do blank checks at banks. Who doesn't do blank checks?!? LLLLLAAAAMMMMMEEEE. 3. Check Security....Today, I was at the bank with Gladys and, what the hell, I tried again asking for a blank check. And this time, they said they would give me a courtesy check....Well, that's nice. One week later. Well I started to like that branch a little more. Then they said all I needed was an ID. I gave them my driver's license and my debit card, and after a very quick glance and a minute later, a blank check was handed to me. I thanked her and walked out of the branch, check in hand....Now, I don't want to sound like I'm complaining, because I need that check...but let's just say I had anyone's credit card and a fake ID I made for this person's credit card. I could have gotten the check, wrote out an amount, cashed it, and would be on my way to another city to do the same again and be a fraud. Maybe because I'm reading "Catch Me If You Can" and getting into (which is ironic that I'm talking about this because Chase Manhattan was where Frank W. Abagnale Jr. started his criminal career in "Catch Me If You Can" and we are talking about checks here) or maybe I'm being dumb. But I don't know...shouldn't there be a little bit more security than that?? Hell, I DON'T KNOW!!
And that concludes THE PROBLEM WITH for today.
I don't have that much more time to type here, so tomorrow I will have THE LOST POEMS part 2 for ya'll.
Today's Song of the Day: "Piano Man" by Billy Joel
As I type, I am listening to the "Piano Man" album by him, and the title track always is a good listen. I pray to God that you know this song, but if you don't (and you should), CHECK IT OUT! It also happens to be the Video of the Day, so check it out below!! That's all for now. Until tomorrow my friends, PEACE AND LOVE!!
Well, well, well. It's that time of year again. The snow will be coming, the air is cool, the lights are shining down the city streets, and I have a sore throat. Yes, it's almost a new year. And with another new year comes new New Years Resolutions (honestly, who actually keeps them?). Alas, I'm going to try to keep one this new year. What is that resolution, you ask?.....yup...you guessed it. It's keeping a new blog and sticking with it.
I want to make something bigger than a blog which might be the reason I don't keep them all the time, so wheather or not I make this a bigger thing, a "Whole World" if I may, is yet to be determined. But, right now, let's live in the moment.
What is this blog about. Well, it's going to be about a lot of things actually, and in due time you will understand the name "21st Century American Reject".
I want this blog to be able to bring you something to the table, wheather it be discussion, "help", relatable content, etc. Maybe some of you feel alone at times (I can relate), maybe you like to listen to other's stories, maybe you just like reading shit. Well, hopefully I can bring something for you to read. So, welcome.
Making "Welcome to My Blog" sections have never really worked out for me in general, so I'm just gonna jump into it and get this ball rolling. (by the way, Hi, i'm Dave Karp, I write, love music, love art, and if I told you everything, I'd be here for years, so let's just get on with it)
New York City Skyline
Recently, I've been listening to a lot of Billy Joel, and it's made me realize how I miss New York City. Living ten miles outside of Times Square in NJ most of my life, I've come to enjoy the many visits and adventures I have had there. Not that I don't love Chicago, because I do, but it just doesn't have that New York City vibe I am in love with. I remember always going into the city during high school to just get away, catch a broadway show, and walk around.
One building that always stood out to me was the Marriott Marquis on Broadway and 45th, in the heart of Times Sqaure. When you walk in from the street, you have two choices...take the elevator up to the lobby or take the escalators. I always took the escalators. I would snake up for about seven floors and eventually get to the lobby. Walking into the middle of the lobby and looking up, you would see hundreds of rooms surrounding the building and the ceiling some fifty odd stories over you. Around you in the lobby is a big lounge with about a hundred or so couches, a bar, a Starbucks (errr), and the concierge. After taking in the view, I'd hop on the elevators and ride them ALL THE WAY UP to the top floor. The fun thing about this was that it was one of those elevators that you could see out of and as I rode it up, I'd pass floors and floors, and I could look down to the lobby below. The people all look like ants from up there. When you get to the top, and go to a certain part of the floor, you can see outside to the city below you. Definitely a view worth looking at.
I miss that hotel and being able to see that lobby. The only "bad" experience I had in there was when a former friend of mine from high school and I took the stairs all the way up. We must of triggered some alarm because security was waiting for us at the top and we were escorted out. Oh well, it was fun to climb the stairs.
And now, time for the first round of "THE LOST POEMS".
These poems were written by me the last week in March of this year when I was going through a rough point in my life. They are actually really upbeat, story telling poems, but when I pulled them out, I thought to myself "I remember when I wrote these...that week sucked". Well, I'm going to release them to the world here on this blog. There are three in all (one I destroyed because, at the time it was really personal to me and brought up bad memories so I ripped it up and got rid of it. Kind of wish I hadn't.) This first one is very child like and is about my awesome cat, Domino. It's the one I like the least, so I'll release it first. I don't know if there is any logic in that, but it's just the way I do this. So this will be part 1. Poem 1. And don't you dare try to steal these from me!!! Not only did I get them copyrighted, but if I find out anyone steals them, I will personally rip your heart out with a rusty fork, eat it, and force myself to vomit the heart back up in your mouth... : ) Just...no stealing.
Domino by David Karp
Domino was the wisest of them all It didn't matter that he was so small He went on adventures where the danger was real He would sit by your side for all of your meals
This frolicy feline is loving and kind Love and adventure fills up his mind He lies there, so happy, wagging his tail This little friend of mine knows not how to fail
And that concludes Poem 1 of THE LOST POEMS
Song of the Day: "New York State of Mind" by Billy Joel
Why? Well, I've been missing The Big Apple a bit recently, and this song always reminds me of it. DUH. Not to mention, Billy Joel is the man. I've been listening to his second album, "Piano Man" a lot recently. It's really a good album.
Well, that's all I got for now. Make sure to catch the Video of the Day at the bottom, and I will see you all tomorrow. Welcome!!
knowing this nighttime would not last for long
