Salute!

I read this story on the online journal of a friend of mine, and it got me to thinking about the men and women of our armed forces. (Just for you copywrite-happy people out there, I did not write this, I merely pasted it in because I liked it, and I wanted to share)

""Shifty" By Chuck Yeager


"Shifty volunteered for the airborne in WWII and served with Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the 101st Airborne Infantry. If you've seen Band of Brothers on HBO or the History Channel, you know Shifty. His character appears in all 10 episodes, and Shifty himself is interviewed in several of them.


"I met Shifty in the Philadelphia airport several years ago. I didn't know who he was at the time. I just saw an elderly gentleman having trouble reading his ticket. I offered to help, assured him that he was at the right gate, and noticed the "Screaming Eagle," the symbol of the 101st Airborne, on his hat.

"Making conversation, I asked him if he d been in the 101st Airborne or if his son was serving. He said quietly that he had been in the 101st. I thanked him for his service, then asked him when he served, and how many jumps he made.

"Quietly and humbly, he said "Well, I guess I signed up in 1941 or so, and was in until sometime in 1945 ... " at which point my heart skipped.

"At that point, again, very humbly, he said "I made the 5 training jumps at Toccoa, and then jumped into Normandy . . . do you know where Normandy is?" At this point my heart stopped.

"I told him "yes, I know exactly where Normandy is, and I know what D-Day was." At that point he said "I also made a second jump into Holland , into Arnhem ." I was standing with a genuine war hero ... and then I realized that it was June, just after the anniversary of D-Day.

"I asked Shifty if he was on his way back from France , and he said "Yes... And it ' s real sad because, these days, so few of the guys are left, and those that are, lots of them can't make the trip." My heart was in my throat and I didn't know what to say.

"I helped Shifty get onto the plane and then realized he was back in Coach while I was in First Class. I sent the flight attendant back to get him and said that I wanted to switch seats. When Shifty came forward, I got up out of the seat and told him I wanted him to have it, that I'd take his in coach.

"He said "No, son, you enjoy that seat. Just knowing that there are still some who remember what we did and who still care is enough to make an old man very happy." His eyes were filling up as he said it.

"And mine are brimming up now as I write this.

"Shifty died on Jan. l7 after fighting cancer.

"There was no parade.

"No big event in Staples Center .

"No wall to wall back to back 24x7 news coverage.

"No weeping fans on television."

Let's everybody give a big salute to Shifty, and to all soldiers everywhere. My great-uncle Steve was a paratrooper. He jumped into Normandy a couple days after D-Day. Mom says he didn't really like to talk about it, but he had other stories that he liked to tell.

The soldiers of our nation are amazing people. Both of my grandfathers were in the military, in different capacities. My maternal grandfather was in the Air Force for 5 years, and then in the Army for over 20 years, and my paternal grandfather worked on planes in the Air Force, so I have a deep respect for soldiers. As far as I'm concerned, anyone willing to jump out of a plane into enemy fire for their country is a whole lot braver than I am.

It makes me so sad to hear about how some people treat soldiers. They are truly strong and honorable people, and they deserve respect.

So here's to all the veterans out there!

This post dedicated to

The men and women of our armed forces

You are wonderful, strong and honorable people

If I'm lucky, I'll be half as strong as you are

To my precious family

I'm honored to know you

To my baby brother

STOP BEING SICK

GET BETTER ALREADY

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—The Lioness

These Are the Days of Our Lives

Sorry I haven't posted in a bit, but… I've gone longer, haven't I? ^_^;;

Other than that which shall not be named, life's pretty good.

It occurs to me just how much I dislike high school. I'm not gonna say it's pointless or worthless. I'm just gonna say that if these are the best years of my life, I'm getting a refund.

As far as I'm concerned, it's not going to be these crazy, hormonally charged, hectic, experimental, scary teenage years that will make me the happiest when I'm 64 with grandkids and a cat named Bast.

The minutes I'll use to smile at people will give me friends.

The hours I'll spend drawing the perfect picture will give me satisfaction.

The days that I'll be feeling overstretched, tired and helpless, but I get up anyway will give me pride.

The weeks I'll spend studying will give me knowledge.

The 9 months before each of my children and grandchildren are born will give me my legacy.

The 18 months that I'll spend preaching the gospel to those who want to hear it will give me honor.

The years that I'll spend with my parents, siblings, cousins, husband and children will give me joy.

And the life I'll spend wearing my faith like a medal of honor will give me peace and happiness.

One of my favorite feelings in the world (though it's not always obvious) is right after I've finished something that I've been working hard on. When the result is pleasing to me and to others, it makes me smile, because I know that I've accomplished something. I'm exhausted, and I'm probably a little hungry, but I've done something worth doing, and that makes me smile.

My advice to anyone who wants to hear it is this; don't forget how horrible high school was just so that you can say that they were the best years of your life, because I can tell you, they probably weren't. Decide that this year will be the best year yet, and it will be.

So, here's to 2011! May this year be great!

This post is dedicated

To 2011

(That is SO weird)

To new calendars

Sorry about the fit, Mom!

To resolutions

New Year's best friend

To Queen

(Check the title~)

To the missionaries

To my wonderful family

To the friends I haven't seen in awhile

To the friends I see every day

And to the time I have to spend with all of them

I love all of you very much

Don't ever forget it!

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—The Lioness

Addiction

Yes, I'm still alive. I just haven't gotten any philosophical thoughts recently.

And yes, this does mean that I have a philosophical thought now.

A short bit of prose, if you will:

Addiction

That wonderful, awful thing.

It’s that thing you love and hate, that thing that you know is bad, but you need it. It induces darkness over your mind, and it makes your head hurt late at night. You stay up past 3, thinking about it, knowing it must be a secret, because if someone knew, they’d take it away from you. You could live without it, you know, but it’s your guilty pleasure, and men are that they might have joy, so who are you to deny man’s purpose? So you keep going back, and going back, and you’re making yourself sick over it. Your friend comes over and you have to hide it, minimize your window, stuff it in your pocket, or hide it in your couch cushions.

Maybe they’ve noticed you acting strange. They ask about it, and you wave them off with a smile, and everything’s fine, don’t worry, mustn’t show that weakness, you know, and their easy acceptance makes you wonder if they care. Well, maybe they don’t, and when they leave, your smile drops faster than a lead balloon, and you go back again.

Because you could live without it, but you don’t really want to give it up. That sweet, sweet addiction that keeps you up at night, gives you fleeting moments of pleasure, makes the rest of your day this horrible, dark mess, and you lie to your friends and your family, and you don’t smile as easily anymore. That one time changed your life, and now you can’t stop, and you know you can’t, now doesn’t that just suck?

You’ll spend the rest of your life a slave to your addiction, and all because you thought, just once can’t hurt.

—fin

Sorry if it's a little angsty, but I put quite a bit of emotion (namely teenage angst) into this, so that's how it's supposed to be. This was originally to go into my FoDT (File of Dark Thoughts) but it demanded to be shared, so here we are.

Addiction can come in a lot of forms: not just alcohol and drugs. There are some things that I hear are hard to give up; abuse, pornography, gambling, or anything else that, once it sinks its teeth into you, it will never let go.

And it won't ever let go. You have to push it off yourself. Get a friend, get a weapon; in other words, just get help. Even if you don't want anyone to know, you have to tell someone, or you'll just keep slipping into that colorless abyss of empty desire from which you might never return.

I won't say that I don't mean to scare anyone. I do. I mean to show you exactly how I perceive this, to see if I can't at least help someone realize that they've lost control.

Please be careful of what you do. It could change your life forever.

This post is dedicated

To the makers of Criminal Minds

My inspiration for this one

To my dear ones

You know who you are

To everyone who says they're fine

It's okay not to be

To anyone without a FoDT

Get one; it feels good to vent

To the people who are still reading this

You're awesome

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—The Lioness

Ad: A File of Dark Thoughts can be acquired wherever a brain exists. Make one, get one free!

Anger and Destruction

They go hand in hand, don't they?

I know I haven't posted in a while, but I'm a little annoyed today, so what the heck?

Before anger, there is always a catalyst. People don't just get angry for no reason, you know. They have reasons and/or body chemicals that cause them to behave the way they do.

For instance; I have a character named Hikami. She is based off of myself, and I often put myself into her situations in order to understand what she would do. She is a half-breed; a cross between a human and a dragon. Her own mother hated and abused her because of her father's draconic nature, but she never once tried to hurt her, even though Hikami was vastly more powerful. One day, I wondered what might drive her to kill, and I got a story out of it. Essentially, a man had crippled her younger sister's legs, and she flew into a blind rage and murdered him. True, I do not have the weapons nor the mindset to actually kill someone, but I do understand her reasoning, because I have a younger sister. I shudder to think of what I would do to someone who hurt her. (More on the theory of the oldest sibling complex some other time.)

Before destruction, there is anger. I've been told that anger erodes the soul, and perhaps that's true. But when you're in the midst of righteous fury, do you think about the condition of your soul? I'll hazard a guess that your answer is a resounding NO. Anger is a natural response to a painful situation.

Anger is a powerful emotion, and, when tamed and put to good use, it can be a powerful ally. However, it is not something that you should just let out. I don't claim to be a master of my own anger (I am a teenager, after all) but it's something I work towards.

The reason I posted this? I'm ANGRY. I sat and listened to a lecture for what felt like a really long time, and then I find out that the person I was getting the lecture for had already left. Needless to say, I'm kind of annoyed at that.

Anger is something everyone understands, right? I don't need to describe to you how right it feels in the heat of the moment, or how bad you feel once it's left you. That's where the destruction comes in. People make bad decisions when they're angry. It's a fact. When I'm mad, I usually want to tear, stab, smash, break or hit something. However, if I hold myself back, it lessens the aftereffects of the anger by a lot.

I'm not trying to be a know-it-all, and I'm not saying that I'm any better than anyone else, but this is my message to anyone who cares to listen.

Please, understand that people rarely mean what they say when they're upset. Please realize that people aren't perfect, and people just want to be forgiven. Please be willing to forgive people, and don't forget to be aware of the mistakes that you make. Apologies go a long way.

Don't expect forgiveness; ask for it. That's the only way you can be sure you've actually received it.

This post dedicated to

Anyone who made it to the end

You deserve congratulations just for sticking with me

The ones who know who 'people' are

You know who I'm talking about

The ones who care about me

You're getting some kinda blessings for having not killed me at birth ;)

Teenagers everywhere who feel like it's a chore to keep breathing

It won't be like this forever, I swear

My orchestra director, Mr. C

Practical advice never seemed so practical!

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—the Lioness

Make Room

I was talking to Mom the other day in the car, and the topic of being someone else came up.  It was a very interesting conversation.

So I asked her why someone would want to be anyone other than themselves, and Mom said that people in this society seem to think that if they pretend to be someone else they'll fit in better. So I replied in a rare moment of genius, "It seems to me that if you don't fit in, true friends will move over to make room for you." Mom commented on that remark; something about how wise that had sounded. (Heehee, this pleases me!)

Of course, since I'd found some wise philosophy, I knew I just HAD to share it with all three of my followers! (and all of those who don't follow...)

And then I forgot...

And then I remembered, and then I typed it up here...

And now you're reading it!

What else, what else...

Oh yeah!

In this society, there are many unspoken rules as to who 'fits in' and who doesn't. If you want to find true friends, you first should be yourself and see who decides to hang around you!

So be yourself, make good friends and eat healthy foods! Learn how to make dinner, be nice to your parents/spouse and do many many favors for your friends! Give, said the little stream! And send me cookies! (Cake works too. Most all sweets, as long as there aren't any nuts or peanut butter.)

This post dedicated to

France

Cause I have a really pretty scarf from there!

I wanna wear it someday, but I don't have anything that goes with it!

I'll have to ask Mom for help on that one...

To Mormon get-togethers and green Jell-o

And MORMON PUNCH!!

To cakes of all kinds

Like cheesecake and chocolate cake and ice cream cake and--mmph!

*David slams hand over mouth*

Dave: They get it already!

Me: *nods* MmhmmhmhmhmHMMM!

Dave: What? *removes hand*

Me: *gasp* Now stop, I can't BREATHE!!

To good friends

cuz they rock!

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--the Lioness

Peace love and all that jazz!

Finally, what you've all been waiting for...

SEVEN FAILED ATTEMPTS!!!!

Tada!

Aaaand, here it is!

The text reads;

Seven Failed Attempts part 1

(Note, the boy's name is Ryojin, and he simply cannot defeat Kai, his female rival, at ANYTHING, not even his specialty, Duel Monsters.  However, she refuses to have anything to do with him!  The poor boy has decided that he will not rest until he has beaten Kai at SOMETHING!)

Ryojin: I must duel Kai! But first...

Ryojin: I have to wake her UP!!!

First try: Ryojin: KAI!!  I CHALLENGE YOU TO A DUEL!!

Kai sleeps on

FAIL 1

Second try: Ryojin: (In case you can't tell, he's tickling her nose with a feather)

Kai sleeps on

FAIL 2

Third try: Ryojin: He he he... (Bangs cymbals)

Kai sleeps on

FAIL 3

Next page!

Seven Failed Attempts part 2

Fourth try: Ryojin: THE ISLAND IS SINKING!!

Sleeping...

FAIL 4

Fifth try: Ryojin is, in case you couldn't tell, about to pop that balloon...

POP!  Sleeping...

FAIL 5

Sixth try: Ryojin: THE DORM IS ON FIRE!! (Note, they are at a boarding school for young duelists, Duel Academy)

Sleeping...

FAIL 6

(Note, the bottom of this one got cut off... scanner nu baka...)

Seventh try: Ryojin (thinking): Is she even alive? (And then he pokes her)

Sleeping...

FAIL 7

Next page!

Seven Failed Attempts page 3

Ryojin: THAT'S IT! I GIVE UP!!

Akiko: (note, she is ridiculously cheerful, and she is Kai's roommate) What's wrong, Ryojin? Ryojin: I want to duel Kai, but she won't wake up!

Akiko: Is that all? I'll wake her up for you! Ryojin: Really... Akiko: Yup! Watch this!

Akiko removes the straw from Kai's mouth

Kai: Akiko! What'd you do that for? It was getting really funny!

Ryojin: YOU WERE AWAKE THE WHOLE TIME?! Kai: Yup.

Ryojin: WAAAAAAAAH!!! Kai: ... Akiko: HAHAHA!!

My avatar, Amaya Nari: (note, she is not in the comic, she is just expressing how I felt after completing the comic) BWAHAHA!!!!

Kai's thoughts: THE END

And you can't see it, cuz it got cut off in the scan, but I put my signature at the bottom.

EMoss09

Well, I've been working on this post for THREE DAYS (I know, ridiculous) so I'd say it's about time to wrap it up with (datataTA!!) the DEDICATION!!!

This post dedicated to

the creators of Yu-Gi-Oh GX

for providing Duel Academy

to Ryojin

May he never cease to amuse me!

to Akiko

May she never cease to be cheerful!

and to Kai

May she continue to skip class and ignore Ryojin!

To David, alias Small One

Because this work would not have been possible without him!

and to Maggie, alias Cho (butterfly in Jap)

The comic's ending wouldn't have been so funny without her!

To my faithful writing tools

My pencil, my mechanical pencil, my eraser and my fine-point Sharpie

for helping me finish it!

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--the Lioness

Ever randomly get the urge to just be... random? Well, I did!

Greetings, and welcome, readers!  I have an important announcement to make... drumroll, please!

Today is my oneesama's 20th birthday!  I love you, Chelsea!  You're soooooo amazing, I feel compelled to call you sama (Japanese suffix indicating great respect, usually used in reference to nobility or wise people) (What I'm basically saying is 'Most respected big sister')

So, my oneesama's birthday aside...

My otoutochan's 12th birthday is coming up, and I got him the sweetest present ever!  Can anyone say; "Sonic Unleashed!"?  (Chan= Japanese suffix indicating a younger person, generally female.  Chan is generally used affectionately towards younger siblings, or small children) (What I'm basically saying is 'BABY brother!')

I promise that I will post funny comics up here next time I post, but I was honestly quite distracted, and I'm currently wrapping up the third page of the comic I'm going to scan up here, called Seven Failed Attempts...  Most of it takes place in chibi form, which is half the fun, but my OC is hard to draw in chibi, but David's?  Not so much.

But still, I'm not letting myself draw anything else, and it's killing my brain!  *Stabs brain...  Realizes how crucial the brain is to life...  Uhhhhhh...  Silly me!*

Anyway, I'm really not supposed to still be on here, *SHHH!* so I'll wrap this up.

What time is it?

DEDICATION TIME!!!  (You didn't really expect me to go all HM2 on you, did you?)

This post dedicated to

My oneesama!

Because she's just amazing like that

*WORSHIP HER!!!*

And to my otoutochan

Because he's small and annoying

But I love him anyway! =^-^=

To the makers of Sonic Unleashed

Because I got excited just WATCHING it be played!

Who knew I could actually get excited?

And over a video game, no less!

And to Seven Failed Attempts

BECAUSE IT'S FINALLY ALMOST FINISHED!!!

(I need a comic vacation... -_-)

(PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER, WOMAN!)

(Gomen, random voice in my head...)

And to the inventors of the scanner

YOU ROCK!!!

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--the Lioness