These are the things in my life that have had meaning and importance no matter how unimportant they may seem. In a few weeks I will reach a 100...and then look at the list as a whole. Because ingenuity in art breeds self-awareness. Things are not in any real order, just thinking about them one by one.
1) My Mother: She is strong willed. beautiful. Important. Unexpected.
Ah, yes a mother. There is no love like a mothers love in this life...its her steady hand and thoughtful caring that gives youth a chance to flourish. It is sometimes easy to forget that mothers are human and fault like many people do. I love my mother with all my heart and it is this notion where one begins to understand their beginnings and how it ultimately affects a future. I'm also lucky that my mom loves me more than the world itself.
2) United States of America: Freedom of a democracy leads to interesting ideals of the human spirit.
So the red, white, and blue mantra of freedom through ones own personal choices is a grand gesture. When I was first brought to this country I came from an extremely impoverished state where pain and suffering was around every corner. I now look at the U.S. as a type of allegoric symbol of hope and humanity. People have that power to make choices that can only be provided by democracy. I would not be the man that I am today without the ability to live in a country that allows me to thrive when I put forth the work and effort. Mexico is my homeland, but it is not what lives in my heart.
3) Spirituality: God as an ideal.
I am a very spiritual man, who loves and cares for others with the dignity that they deserve. I believe in being a good person ruled by morality and maybe not always religion. I don’t know a lot about church, actually people who practice it with an open heart- I find to be some of the most caring in this world. I have always believed in what it means to respect- Everything in life deserves respect, which in turn gives one hope and spirit. I do believe in God- I believe that these morals that I carry are because of him and prayer is an important part of understanding the battles in this life. I don't however believe that I must go to church every week, because understanding the message is more about the equality of mind and heart- rather than "I can do whatever I wish as long as I repent" - The power to make choice is the greatest knowledge one should carry. Love. God. Respect. Faith. Truth. Believe.
4) Film: Through visuals, art is born to achieve the imaginative success.
I love Film. To me films are a lush and grand gestures of art and storytelling like no other. On this list there will be individual people and movies that have set unparallel ideas in my mind about what a great filmmaking is and could be. As a genre, Movies have that power to transform your thoughts and take you on journeys that are incredible- at the same time there are good and bad pictures to debate over and the success of the medium is what every single person gets from it. "Life as a moving image"
5) TV Guide: The On-line magazine for a pop-culture phenomenon.
Okay, so you may wonder how TV guide has influenced me. Its simple actually: I've always been interested in what educated individuals think abut the entertainment business and how things in a pop matters obsessed world come to be. Critics if you will: We are all a critic of something in our lives. I like to read the guide, because for one I've been doing it for about 10 years and two one can never get too much water cooler conversation the next day.
6) Family: Love.
I love my Family. Its a simple statement because not out of necessity do they have to be there, but more importantly because they care enough to know you. Family is a different word for everybody, but for me its the knowledge of having people who want to see you succeed in your life. The bond of the human experience is in a Family, its a beautiful idea because no person can fight through this world alone.
7) Starbucks: The love of a frappuccino from a world-wide conglomerate.
For me there is nothing better than a flavorful cup of coffee. Its the bases of a little pleasure in life. I love it all pretty much: There is a major plus if it has whipped cream and a shot of espresso and a delightful aroma of a freshly brewed confection...Its almost like heaven. I could drink flavored cappuccinos until I was so wired I could dance for 8 hours straight. Yes, paying 5.00 for a tall skim-milk vanilla mocha frapp. With two shots of espresso and topped with light cream is slightly drastic... but its also pleasure in a glass. What's not to love?
8) Collard button down dress shirt: Affordable luxury with a classic look.
Does the look make the man? I'm not sure, but I know that wearing a fitted Kenneth Cole button down is a look that I love. Its masculine without being too forward Its that understated look that’s sharp in a suit.... But, when worn with jeans is classically cool. There is much to be said for elegance.
9) Salvador Dali: Artistic visionary of imaginative heights.
The word artist isn't enough to write about this man, visionary is. Looking at a Dali painting is almost like a metaphorical journey through the expansive idea-logicality of the minds pension for meaning and life. They are beautiful, not because of picture, but more because of a feeling. There is thought and feeling in his work. Something that show expression without pandering to logical incentives such as a metaphorical je ne sais quoi. Its a powerful feeling looking at his work and knowing that it speaks to you, without saying a word.
10) TV: The black box with an agenda.
So to me Television is a medium where entertainment crosses with high end business deals and good stories. Most of us crave good TV, because of its addictive nature and more importantly its subversive world. I really love the rush of a good story line and caring for a character week after week is increasingly a difficult task. It was one of the first devices to connect people and to help spread ideas. All this and now they can hang on your wall too!
Okay. So this is the first ten on the list of influences in my life: sure there are frivolous items mixed in with meaningful people, but isn't that what life is about? Life is everything you do and care about its astonishing really, how it all formulates and melts into each other. Because these things make you who you are. The list will continue later... I encourage everybody to make a list like this, because it can be more revealing than you think. Only 90 more to go!
