I am the definition of a homebody. There is no denying that I love staying home, and it is even better when I can stay in my pajamas all day. When I am at home, I can be entirely myself. I need the quiet solitude of being home to recharge after being so busy and keeping up with the high demands of school. My mind is always thinking about something, but I know my thoughts are catapulting me into understanding myself better and setting aspirations. The Roger’s and Hammerstein version of Cinderella is my favorite because it is a musical. I am a sucker for those. Anyway, the point is that as long as she has her chair in the corner of the kitchen, she can be herself and dream herself anywhere in the world. Even though I do not live in the same sad situation as Cinderella, I can identify with her dreaming heart and passageway to escape reality. I am so guilty of sitting on my bed and staring off into nowhere thinking about where I want to go in the world, or how I see my life in the future. Just because I can dream of what my life could be does not mean it will perfectly play out like that. It is unrealistic to believe some of my lofty dreams will one-hundred percent come true because no fairy godmother is going to come and sing bibbity-bobbity-boo as she waves a sparkly wand to grant my dreams. Nothing comes easy and without some effort on our part. Much thought and happiness come from the day dreaming I do, but I know to achieve them, I have to put action behind them. We could stay in our comfy cozy safe place and never worry about failure, but no reward comes with complacency. There will come a time in life when we realize the world is our canvas to paint. And the only way for my dreams to become something bigger and for my life to mean something, I must set foot out of my own little corner. Stay Curious, Kayla ©Inquisitive Perspectives 2017
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Many times, in fairytales, a damsel in distress sets the tone for the story. While there is nothing wrong with this storyline, I do appreciate deviations from the stereotype. As for Beauty and the Beast, we see the roles reversed, and the Beast needs saving. This type of empowerment and vulnerability is just the message we need as a reminder of today. As I sat in the movie theater to watch the updated adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, I saw the movie in a new light. I still love the cartoon, but I would argue that this aspect of the storyline was better brought to life. The metaphor of Belle saving the Beast from a curse proves that no matter how gruff of an exterior someone may have, they still have an internal battle they are fighting. It also shows that a young girl who has her sights set on being different from the other village girls can be powerful. She is not settling for a man just because he is available to her, and she is willing to risk it all to save the most important person to her, her father. I do not know what the intentions were behind the making of this movie, but this is what I got from it. We have the free will to fall in love, but our hearts know. This love may not be a conventional love, yet we must follow it. Even in times of uncertainty, we must set the feeling of uneasiness aside to dive wholeheartedly into the role of being someone’s redemption. Be someone’s hero. The likelihood of our happily ever after playing out in the same context of Belle’s and Beast’s is relatively slim. But, we do have the opportunity to see someone’s personal struggle and join them on a journey before they are devoured by internal conflict. Be there for someone. Go beyond your comforts to be strong for another person who needs support. Even if at first your help is rejected, be persistent, bold, and daring. Stay Curious, Kayla ©Inquisitive Perspectives 2017 Family; we all have one. We may not always get along, but at the end of the day, we would go to the ends of the earth to help them. Family are the people who are going to support us and encourage us no matter what happens. They are the ones who lend a shoulder to cry on and rejoice in celebration too. Home is where ever family is, and family is where ever love is. My family is close. Being an only child helped solidify the tight-knit bond, because where ever my parents went, I went. As I have gotten older and busier, our family outings have gotten fewer and farther apart, but it just makes the time we do spend together sweeter. We do make an effort to keep a standing dinner date every Friday. Even though I am still at home, it does not always mean that I see and talk to my parents extensively throughout the week. My schedule had me coming and going opposite of my parents’ schedules. I look forward to our standing dinner with my parents and extended family because I know it is a time of my life I will cherish when I am older. Friends are the family we get to choose. As unconventional as it may be, the family of friends we choose for ourselves are the people who make the days a little brighter and create some of the best memories. I know that no matter what is going on, I can always count on my friends to make me laugh and forget about whatever is bothering me. We often tease that our major is so small and because of that, we are a family. We know each other’s struggles. Not everyone’s experience at college is as positive as mine, but it feels so good to walk through those doors to see a room full of people I genuinely care about and look forward to seeing every day. It has been a little over a week since the end of the semester, and I can already tell it is going to be a long summer without seeing them regularly. Family can mean many things and include a variety of different people. We are given our designated family, as well as our chosen family. I have a fantastic combination of both. I know I would not be the person I am had it not been for my mom and dad teaching me morals and setting boundaries. My friends challenge me to be a better person and cheer me up when I need it most. My family (given and chosen) believe in me and remind me I can do something when I do not believe in myself. As cliched as it may be, I can honestly say I do not know what I would do without them. Never forget the importance of ohana. Stay Curious, Kayla ©Inquisitive Perspectives 2017 The Princess Diaries is no doubt one of my favorite movies. I remember when it came out in 2001; I was six-years-old. I have watched this movie countless times, and I can quote most of it by heart. Even though the themes of the movie meant nothing to me when I was little, I have grown to appreciate them as different phases of life have come and gone for me. While it was probably every little girl’s dream to one day find out they were heir to a thrown in a faraway kingdom, I think the movie offers more than just that hope to us. The words of wisdom Mia received via a letter from her late father are the inspiration we all should take to heart in our life’s great journey. It is easy to miss this message because it is such a small part, but I would argue that it is one of the most important and heart-warming scenes in the entire movie. Fear has often stood in my way. I am trying to break the habit of letting it rule. It has a funny way of making me believe surrendering to fear is better than facing them. Seeing how much I have grown from the first realization I had about facing fears, I am eager to continue facing them and discovering who I find myself to be as I go. There is so much to find out about this world, life, and about ourselves. I have learned that no matter who we think we are, there is still a piece of us to be found. We must be willing to be open to adventure and have the mindset to push beyond the limitations of fear. As I embark on a new adventure, I am going into this journey with the hope of spreading my wings even more. I have my sights sets on uncovering yet another missing piece of myself, and I will collect my gem and place it in my crown of courage. Stay Curious, Kayla ©Inquisitive Perspectives 2017 Our minds are the portals to worlds beyond our own. That is incredible, and it excites me to have the capability to wander and drift into undiscovered realms. There are days I want to escape and not have a worry in the world. On these days, I have my head in the clouds and can be somewhat absent-minded in relation to the reality whirling around me. This escape to faraway places does not happen very often, but when it does, I enjoy every minute of where my imagination takes me. The collision between make-believe and reality in Mary Poppins is a fun twist. It validates our need to be silly and not be so serious sometimes. Life is too short to be confined to the strict mold we are supposed to adhere to at all times, but May Poppins proved there is so much joy to be found in the simple things. And to view the world through children’s eyes can be such a rewarding venture. One of my favorite songs from the movie is Let’s Go Fly A Kite. This song may not be much more than a catchy tune to some, but for me, it gives us permission to do something fun for the sake of making memories and soaring far from responsibilities. It was not until I watched Saving Mr. Banks and saw the workings of this song come to life. P. L. Travers was a hard lady to please, but to watch her hard exterior crack under the light heartedness of this song proved even the most stubborn of persons could let go and have fun. Being around kids, in turn, brings out the kid in me. There is no denying I love some sweet kiddos who I have the pleasure of babysitting whenever I can. When I was babysitting on a regular basis, we would usually spend the afternoon watching a movie. One day, I talked Squirt into watching Mary Poppins, and it was a hit. Of course, it was raining the day we watched it, and her request to go outside to fly her kite like the movie required a rain check. A few weeks later, it was a perfect sunny day, so I reminded her of the movie and how I promised we would fly her kite on the next nice day I was with her. Her eyes lit up, and I could already tell we were in for a fun Friday. Seeing her excitement and innocence in such a little life pleasure had my heart overflowing with glee. I know that sounds cheesy, but it made me stop and truly appreciate being imaginative and playful. As we get older, I think we forget to be free and take moments however they come. Squirt may never know what that day meant to me as I watched her run and jump and cheer and giggle. She saw that day as another day spent as being a kid, but for me, it was all about living life in a child’s world of imagination. Stay Curious, Kayla ©Inquisitive Perspectives 2017 |
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