Silent thoughts..

I have spoken to one person today, verbally.
Some random guy that showed me the correct way to swipe my App Card at the vending machine. It was a very short conversation. I guess I'm not really in the mood to talk to anyone, mostly because I enjoy time to myself, with my thoughts.
I've been thinking a lot about Boone, and my life. Here's what I have come up with:

I love this place. It brings out a side of me that I've only briefly known before.

Maybe it's the scenery.

Or the weather. 

Or the people. 

Or the football.

I'm not quite sure. But whatever it is, it's good for me. This is the place where I am stress free and happy. This place consumes me in a way. The anger and hostility is gone. In fact, I cannot remember the last time I was angry or hostile. They are replaced with peace, serenity, and genuine happiness. I work full-time and go to school full-time. Stressful? Not at all. Work is fun. Everyone there is really cool, and they all talk to me like they've known me forever. At Appalachian, we have the best professors on the East Coast... I guarantee it. Mountain life is easy-going, and happy-go-lucky.

This is where I belong.

Signing off for now,
Simply Sam.

Forgiveness...

It's crazy how eight months goes by so quickly. Maybe on day one, it feels as though you cannot move forward. You are stuck in a rut, unable to escape. You try so very hard to get past things, but you remain haunted. Day one turns into day two. Day two turns into a month, and you might not know it right away, but you're healing with each passing day, hour, and minute. By the second month, you're functioning again. By the fifth, you can hear that name without feeling sick to your stomach. Time does, in fact, heal all wounds. The more that you hurt, the stronger you become after a period of time. When you feel when you are at your breaking point... That is the moment when it is imperative that you continue to move forward. If you don't quite grasp this concept, please refer to my blog post about strength. Anyway... Where was I... Oh. Yes.. You grow with time as well. Maturity does not happen overnight, but it does come faster than one might think. Pain fades. It never quite ceases, but it does lessen enough to allow you to breathe and function normally.
It takes time to forgive. In order to forgive another for their transgressions against you, you must first forgive yourself. This idea is similar to that of, "You cannot love someone until you love yourself". How do you expect someone else to love you if you cannot love yourself? How do you expect to forgive someone else if you cannot forgive yourself?
Forgiveness is a very difficult gesture for me. I hold grudges, can be spiteful, malicious, and downright mean, BUT, I do forgive. However, like I said before, forgiveness takes time. Although it can be a very difficult gesture, it is an extremely important one. Would you care to know why? (That is a rhetorical question; I really don't care)
It is because unlike violence, stewing in your anger, belittling someone, or dwelling on events that cannot be undone, forgiveness truly speaks to all parties involved in the process. It helps you heal. It puts your soul at ease, (for the time-being), and it lifts that weight that you've carried - that burden - off of your tired shoulders, allowing you to finally be happy. So, really, it's not so bad.

Just another thing that I have learned today.

Signing off for now,
Simply Sam.