Good Things in the Galaxy

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Campaign Headquarters is set up! (Taken with instagram)

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UCLA progressive students win massive victory. USAC will keep it sexy. (Taken with instagram)

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Taken with instagram

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Notes So, Where We Goin’?

I believe it’s almost been a full year since I updated this personal blog.

It was an incredible 12 months. There was so much to do, I think I never had the time to share my experiences on the blogosphere. Which is perhaps a good sign that I was positively preoccupied.

The personal growth in this last journey — the journey as a college senior — was beyond anything I’ve imagined. It was a constant game of balance: the heavy responsibilities of public life, my rekindled love with academics, the maturity of being in a serious relationship…

All of this last year was about learning (which should have been done starting my freshmen year, but I have this tendency of doing things backwards…). I picked up on a lot of reading, would go through a books a week; I would go to class, pay attention- quite extraordinarily- and would spend a lot of time with my professors.

I thirsted for knowledge, knowing that the time of graduation was coming soon. It was like a ticking clock reminding me that I wouldn’t be able to take classes taught my some of the best professors in the nation in a very short while.

I also found new forms of self-expression. I began writing a lot. Poetry, fiction, rants about society. I went through seven moleskine journals in twelve months, a record high in my lifetime.

Despite the knowledge that in a few weeks, it’ll be all over, I’m not scared. I’m not afraid. I feel equipped, I feel at-ease, I feel reassured and ready to face the realities of the world outside a university.

I used to be self-conscious; the fear of being judged by society. It was a trait that I shared with many of my peers, and that I’ve thankfully completely lost over this past year. I’ve learned to work hard, to give my absolute best, and to not care about what people say or think.

Not for the best, for I’ve been reckless and insensitive at times, but I nevertheless did what I believed to be good work. I’ve gained friends, lost some more, made enemies. I had it rough, sometimes had it well, gained incredible victories and even more disappointing defeats.

All in all, it was a fucking wild wide I would never trade for anything.

So what now? Well, I’ll tell you in another blog entry perhaps. The destination is set to do more, better, and bigger things in the hope to save the world.

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JUST WORK HARD : IT’S NOT HARD WORK
Kids these days. They want it all. That’s fine, that’s how we taught them. Dream big! Shoot for the stars!! You can do anything if you put your mind to it!!! But the reality of the matter is that dreams are nothing without hard work. Goals are zero without diligence. And everyone has a vision, but what have you done in the past 24 hours to achieve it?

There’s this theory of the “millenial generation”: Gen Y, which refers to pretty much everyone reading this blog, especially us degenerates from the ’80s and ’90s. According to the brainy ones (who get paid a lot of money to compartmentalize us), we are apparently lost – the most educated but also most unemployed generation: 85% of college graduates this year are jobless. That means we have the smartest, most capable set of minds in the history of human civilization, and we’re droning out on Black Ops slumber parties, celebrity Twitter feeds, and Music Television shows about pregnant teenagers (Team Maci). But we all know what we want, and for the most part, we even know how to get there. The gnarly part is that 99.9% of us will just never ever do it.

We’ve bred a culture of visionaries who can’t see beyond their next dream. I’ve heard it all, from the motivated and inspired youth around the world who seek higher ground. They approach me at the shops, lectures and parties. Bright-eyed and enthusiastic, bubbling with passion and avarice. They’re gonna start a clothing company! Not like any other clothing company! Or they’re gonna be the next “IT” rapper, on the cover of XXL in 6 months flat. At first, I was stoked – so many young kids dreaming big, following this notion that the world was theirs, that they could do anything. Do you know how many e-mails we get to our website everyday from another kid starting a t-shirt brand? How many I responded to over the years? And do you know how many people actually followed through? About as many that understand how Google+ works.

I guess I can’t blame them. It’s people like me who tell the youth that the sky’s the limit, and that inspiration and passion are enough fuel to cross the desert. We sit here and preach that all things are possible, that they too can dive into Scrooge McDuck moneypits filled with best wishes and high hopes. Then these romantic wanderers go out into the virtual world and watch neighborhood kids get plucked by record labels waving million-dollar contracts and the aforementioned teenage moms plastered on Us Weekly covers. It can happen to anybody, just like that. All you have to do is dream.

The problem with dreaming is that at some point, you have to wake up. (See: Inception) But even when some of us do, we’re still daydreaming in a haze. I was born in the ’80s and like many in my generation, we understood that there were certain universal goals in life. For some, it was big houses and fancy cars. For others, it was going on a date with Elizabeth Shue (maybe that was just me), but the main idea was to make money, take care of your loved ones, and achieve happiness. (See: Buddhism, Richard Gere)

But the millenials? Perfectly content with glory, fame, and all the nothingness that comes with it. That’s all they’re gunning for nowadays – the Instagram hearts, Tumblr reblogs, Yelp badges and Swag! Swag! Swag! A million-dollar contract isn’t about investing, or funding a future business, or diversifying your portfolio. It’s just a faster route to notoriety and celebrity. Most will get some modicum of glory (it’s not that hard, if you really think about it), and then what? And then it’s back to watching from the bleachers, admiring, sighing, and wishing. We’re like a buncha forlorn nerds in the lunchroom, clawing for an invite to the cool kids’ table and a second look from our schoolyard crush. When we should be studying for the exam to graduate and get onto our careers.

And that’s the key word: career. Longevity. The long haul. What’s really good with building a career, leaving a legacy, and making a substantial mark on this world? All the millenials want (and see) is point Z. They don’t want to sit through and listen to B or C, or work Saturday nights on J or K, or wake up early on Sunday for P and Q. They just want Z. And when they can’t endure the pains, struggle, and valuable life lessons that a few years of Ds and Es take, they’re onto the next one. Unfortunately, they’re missing the point. It’s not about Z, it’s never been (C’mon Z’s a crappy letter anyways, all it’s good for is Zebra and Pizza). A truly invaluable life is comprised of the journey: achieving and appreciating the entire alphabet. The hard work is the trophy.

Work hard. It’s that simple, guys. Just work hard and you’ve already one-upped the rest. It’s an unsung art, and it’s the answer. And unlike money or connections or all the other excuses people make as to why someone else has the advantage, hard work is something that everyone has access to.

Now give yourselves an Instagram heart for reading through that entire thing. That looked like hard work.

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bobbyhundreds (via stoopspeaceword)

I have a lot of thoughts on that. Reblog for now, but I’m coming back to it.

(via alongcamemolly)

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Notes Dear bed stealer,

You are an interesting character. I am glad we met and have gotten closer, or so I think.

love,

the person who owns the bed

#H #A #C #K #E #D

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It came in the office, grounded on the table as a reminder of the work I was accountable for. It took me back to the days of our campaign, of all the things we promised and all the things we are set to accomplish.

It reminded me of the people I swore not to disappoint, of a movement I committed to be part of.

It would have been intimidating, but thankfully we put together one of the most incredible staff ever selected. Is there anything we can’t tackle in the world? Nah.

Let’s get to work.

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Notes Heartbreak With a Courage

It was quite the story, in fact.

He walked out of that porch in the cold breeze, his heart sinking like a heavy rock. He was disappointed, perhaps angry, but most importantly he kept himself together; and not for a moment did he let the heartache reach his soul.

There were a lot of questions, but he would not get any answers that night. All he had to understand is that he, sadly, wasn’t good enough, and that someone else was probably better.

You have to understand, he wasn’t the perfect lover. He had flaws. At times, he was annoying. Hey, he snored like a truck! But he also cared deeply and passionately; he loved with insistence, and he loved well.

But even then, he was at a loss that night. He was defeated, sent home only for him to think about what went wrong.

Was he hurt? Yeah, who wouldn’t be?

But he was also a fool - too caring to let go. And that night, he decided to gulp down the pain and soak in the hurt and put aside all the questions and continue to care like a loyal pet. For if caring was the only thing he was allowed to do, he would take it.

How he moved on, well, that’s another story.

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Notes Good Start.

Last night, we were invited to an apartment dance party. In retaliation, my roommate and I will be planning a surprise dinner for the neighbors upstairs tonight.

We’ve been pushing ourselves to go to all of the community events, the ones generously organized by the Housing staff. With the help of some icecream and dance lessons, we had the chance to meet a sea of interesting students, and got to know their quirks and fun stories.

You know, there has been an incredible amount of love and compassion, more than I could ever hope for.

Will this last? Apartment life is significantly different. You have to try harder at building those relationships than in the dorms; but we’ve tried hard, and the love has been felt.

And we ain’t gonna stop.

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Notes Today

Despite the setbacks and the difficult heartthrobs, know that the world can still be in the palm of your hand.