Hashtag Resolution

Welp, New Years is a-comin', and we all know what that means! New Years Resolution time!

I guess I've never actually done a real one of these before, though. I mean, people always ask "Oh, what's your New Years Resolution going to be?" and I've always had to sort of fumble around for an answer that I didn't really mean--which was always an unsurprisingly short-lived sentiment when all was said and done. This year, though. This year I've decided on the resolution without even thinking of New Years at all. I created an idea of what I want to do with my life in the near future, and afterwards said to myself, "Hey, y'know what? I should make this my New Years Resolution!"

So I did. Anyway, I bet you are all just dying to know what my resolution actually is at this point, but I must urge you to please attempt to stave off your anticipation for just a few more lines. I know it's hard. I know you need to know everything about my life or you'll just die, but I'll get there soon, don't worry. Calm yourselves.

I think I want to word my resolution in the most elegantly vague way possible, so as to fit all of the things I want to do within one blanket statement. I've narrowed down a common theme, I think. And, of course, there needs to be a metaphor. We're going all out this year. Gonna do the thing--and, in this case, the thing is be absolutely goddamn poetic. Or not. Y'know, sometimes I just like to do things for shiggles. Gotta have my own flair--my own style!

Alright, that's enough nonsensical stalling. Now I'll get to the #HashtagRealtalk portion of this post.

So I've put a lot of thought into it, and I've decided that I'm going to go with the metaphor of my life being a story (preferably a cool one that gets told at parties)--or, perhaps even better, a screenplay. I'm the main protagonist because, y'know, it's my life and stuff.

Essentially what I want to do this next year is introduce a few new characters, and maybe get to know some who haven't had as much screen time as I feel they deserve (I'm the playwright as well as the main character in this scenario). I want this year to be rife with interesting sub-plots, and I want to see who the audience thinks should have a bigger role in this story than they presently do (I'm also the audience, by the way--I never said the metaphor was perfect).

Basically, I've plans to work with a team of really cool people on a project that might become something bigger than just a grade for a class if we really put our all into it, and I hope that I get to know all of my teammates better in the process (and maybe get green-lit on Steam! Wouldn't that be something?). I also want to start hanging out with people who I don't see often enough but really enjoy the company of, because who knows how long it'll be before we're all too busy to make that much time for each other? And, of course, there's that one mysterious character who has been mentioned multiple times earlier in the show, but hasn't been in the spotlight until now! Hopefully going to see a lot of them in the acts to come.

All in all, I think this year is going to be a good one. I want to make more of myself, and do some things that are good for me--though not necessarily to the detriment of anyone else. If you guys need anything, you know you can always ask! I'm good like that. Have a happy New Year, everyone! See you in 2015!

--J

Hashtag Christmas

Merry Christmas, everyone! Kind of snuck up on a lot of us this year, I know. It honestly didn't even really feel too Christmas-y for me until a day or two ago. I mean, yeah, the songs are everywhere, and people are out clogging all the highways trying to get presents, but I honestly haven't felt much in the way of Christmas spirit until a few days ago. But now the cheer is here, so here's me spreading the Christmas cheer to all three of my readers! Wow!

(Gettin' there. Reader-count's steadily climbing. It's, uh... I'll be internationally known before long, I think.)

Anyway. I think the biggest thing about Christmas is not so much the inescapable consumerism, but more the general happy-go-lucky attitude associated with the holiday. I mean, really, it's not so different from any other day, but it does (hopefully) get us into the giving mood. Take me, for example: I'm giving you all words for Christmas! Lots of them! Over the internet!

(If you don't like my present to all of you, just remember this: at least it isn't fruitcake! Don't make me buy you fruitcake. I will. I'll watch you eat it, too.)

Citron-based threats aside, though, I hope you all have a great Christmas this year! I know I won't be able to spend it with a lot of you because I have so many friends now who live in faraway lands thanks to college, but I'll be thinking of you all while I'm stuffing my face full of ginger cookies. I'll eat one for each of you. I think I probably have enough.

All jokes aside, I'm really happy to have the collection of friends that I have today. You're all so weird and interesting in your own special ways, and it sounds cliche as all hell, but I don't really care. You guys are great! Hopefully this break will be full of relaxation for all of my fellow students who've been working their asses off this semester. We'll play games and stuff together to help with that, don't worry. I've got you covered. Gonna craft the mines and kart the Marios and all that good stuff. S'what I'm good for.

Anywho, time to sleep! Santa can't deliver to the house while I'm awake, and I can't get in the way of his busy schedule, now, can I? Merry Christmas, guys! Hope the haul is good this year!

--J

Hashtag Yoshi

This'll probably be a shorter one than usual ("Oh no, Justin, please; we love when you talk a lot, please make all your posts as long as possible!" Guys, stop. I know you're just saying that to make me happy) but I'm sitting here awake and this new Yoshi amiibo I got a day or two ago is just staring at me through the darkness as I lay awake. I can see the whites of his eyes even with the lights off. And, uh... the whites of his cheeks, I guess. And his belly and shell and--there are actually a lot of parts of him that are white, now that I'm really looking at him. Huh.

Anyway, seeing my little Yoshi figurine just standing there on my desk looking all adorable (as Yoshi has been known to do) reminded me of something from forever ago. Y'see, I used to actually be very into sculpture. I guess I sort of still am when I have clay at hand. But, way back when, I used to make things out of Sculpey (that polymer clay you always see at Michael's) on a pretty regular basis. I still have a bunch of my amateur sculptures in my desk at home, I believe.

One of the things I remember making back then was, in fact, Yoshi. I think I may have even made some spotted eggs and a Shy Guy, too. I was really into playing Yoshi's Story back then--which is basically Yoshi's Island, but without that annoying, blubbering baby--so it's only natural that I would pick those characters as my reference material.

Anywho, back in the days of being like eight or whatever, I would very frequently bring things with me to restaurants. I'm not totally sure why, it was just sort of a habit that I had. Oftentimes, the things in question were those little sculptures I made--as soon as they were baked and sufficiently hardened to the point where they couldn't be squashed and deformed, that is. This time in particular, I had brought the Yoshi and a few other bits and bobs to one of our favorite pizza places which has since changed names a number of times. I remember it being one of the few times we actually sat down in the more formal area, where they gave you a menu and you actually got a server bringing you your food instead of just going up and getting the pizza yourself. When the server came by, he expressed interest in the clay Yoshi, saying that the character was his favorite one from the Mario franchise and that he thought it was so cool. He seemed so excited about it that I--being like eight or whatever--offered to make him one. It was no trouble, really. I could make another one in no time, and it would be even bigger. The offer seemed to really make his day. I even asked him what his favorite color was, if I remember correctly.

Now, being like eight or whatever, I meant what I said. I'd promised to make this random guy a Yoshi out of clay, and dammit, I was going to! And I did. And it was bigger than my first and in the color he'd specified. When I showed up with it about a week later, he was extremely surprised that I had actually gone through the trouble of making it, though I didn't really catch on to it on account of being, y'know, like eight or whatever at the time. Later, my parents told me that he probably didn't expect me to actually come back with a little statue for him, which I was really confused about. I mean, I gave him my word. Why wouldn't he believe me? Why wouldn't he think I'd be back?

That part of the whole scenario really stuck with me. Many a time after that I remember imagining the look of disappointment on his face when I didn't return with the promised artifact. I thought that I could never make someone feel like that--so hurt and forgotten. It started to make me upset that the average person would've caused that, even if--in retrospect--it was only a small thing that he would've forgotten about after a time.

Then again, I haven't forgotten even after all these years. So perhaps those small things really do matter.

Looking back, that memory might've been an even bigger influence on me than I had previously thought when I started writing this post. Even today, I hate disappointing people. I want to help people out even when it may take a little extra work on my end. So long as someone else's happiness and gratitude outweighs the trials I had to go through to make them feel that way, it's well worth it. And so, I encourage everyone reading this to go out and make their own version of a Yoshi statue for someone. Not necessarily literally, though. You know what I mean.

So, okay, maybe this was actually longer than I anticipated. You're welcome, I suppose. Let that be my gift to those of you who actually like reading my longer posts. There'll be more where these came from now that I'm on break starting in a few days. Until next time!

--J