Author: davidsnow

Why Having Your Driver’s License Should Be a Privilege

Depending on what part of the world you’re from, there’s an age requirement you have to meet before you are allowed to drive. I’m sure for most people, getting your license may be fairly easy. Once you get it, you almost go by your own rules and not the one’s we have to comply to.

The problem is that there are driving etiquettes we’re not aware of and in ways, are not taught to us when obtaining our license. The question is, should it be? Almost every day I’m on the road I see drivers that are one mistake away from an accident or would be getting pulled over if in the right time and place.

Multitasking is another big problem. If you can’t do it well, then don’t. Some stoplights don’t stay green for long, which is why we have to be ready to go when it changes. It only takes one person staring at their phones without realizing how long they have held up traffic.

I now steer clear of aggressive drivers. If they want to weave in-and-out of lanes just to get to their destination faster, I’m not going to get in their way. Just as long as they don’t put anyone in harm’s way. And according to studies, you may only be shaving just minutes off if you were to drive normally.

But I get it, I get anxious at times myself. If people accelerate too slow and take forever just to get to the speed limit, I will drive past them. The thing is, there is so much to be grateful for when driving. Just knowing how quickly you could get to your destination if you had to compare it to walking, riding a bike, or taking a carriage and a horse (which actually sounds really cool and maybe romantic on some occasions).

As an entire civilization, we have come incredibly far. I just don’t feel like getting your driver’s license should be as easy it they make it. At least not without knowing what to expect with other drivers. I’ve had one too many times avoid getting into an accident from other drivers lack of road awareness. Not everyone is going to be as sharp, so please, stay focused. Be responsible. And of course, be safe.

(Honestly, this feels like a public service announcement… not what I intended but okay!)

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Why My Neighbors Might Think I’m Crazy

“He’s talking to himself again.” says the neighbor. “Just ignore him, honey.” their significant other responding. “It’s not like he’s really bothering anybody, I hope…”

The conversation I sometimes think that my neighbors might be having about me. The thing is my home of which is also my office (and the unfortunate part of living in an apartment), is also my sanctum. But I don’t always like to be in my own head, which is why I like to say things out loud. And the beauty of that is it helps with your speech. Especially when you’re out in public or have a job where you almost constantly are talking to people. Someday I would love to talk or perform in front of a crowd. I know it would be incredibly nerve wracking but it’s a goal of mine. Possibly something of a Ted Talk.

Now, getting back to my neighbors, the reason I mention this is that I hear a lot of noise and activities from my surroundings. Half the time it sounds like one of my neighbors is banging on the wall… or ceiling, maybe floor. I really don’t know. When the place is made up of concrete, the noise almost echoes, which makes it all the more difficult to know where it’s coming from. Maybe, as far as I know, I’m not being loud at all. I try to keep my TV volume to what I believe is a reasonable level. I don’t want to consider myself as “that” neighbor.

If the walls just happen to bounce sound that easily where you can be heard, I’m sorry. But there really isn’t anything I can do about that. If not and they are plenty soundproof and it’s just that some people are really that loud themselves, I’m in the clear. Otherwise, hopefully I’m putting on a good show for you. I do try to be as entertaining as I can.

The other thing about talking to yourself out loud isn’t just to practice your speech to see if you’re saying things correctly, but maybe it keeps you from being inside your own head too much. For me, it’s how I like to work. Crafting my passion together but also when I talk to myself, I’m not actually talking to myself. I pretend that I have an audience. Or just another person here with me. What that does is it makes conversating that much easier. But definitely doesn’t make it so difficult which many people do have trouble with. Considering I’m a procrastinating filmmaker, but also my own actor, I’m constantly practicing my speech as well.

With that, as I mentioned before, whether or not I can be heard from my neighbors, I do hope you see what I’m doing as a form of art. Because it is! It’s just taking me a little bit longer to put together a story, a script, the idea to what I want to do. When you do all this by yourself, it is a slow progress. I like to say that my job in this life is to impress the world… and plenty more.

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LIFE is One Misunderstanding

So, here we are again. You’re out on a Friday night, whether on a date, with friends, or family. For the most part, everything seems to be going really well. Everyone is having a good time until you make a response to something someone said. From that point on, the mood changes a bit. Now you start to overthink what you may have said at the point you felt the vibe changing. It can be subtle, so you just have to use instinct on this one. As you’re thinking to yourself while you analyze step-by-step all that happened. Is it too late? Why not say something? Or is it that you waited too long where the moment has passed?

For most people, a lot of our conversations with each other are harmless and friendly. Of course, we don’t mean to have bad intentions. Unless deep down you genuinely don’t like this particular individual. But chances are, they might feel the same way about you. You both might have a mutual friend that you don’t want to displease so in a way, you are almost just putting up with each other. That sounds incredibly unhealthy. And you both don’t want to confront one another about it either.

Anyway, the point of this is that we’re not being as honest as we should. Whether or not you are friends, family, or even with your significant other. When something is said that puts you out of your comfort zone or at ease, instead of saying something, you wind up keeping it inside. Or you wait to tell someone else about it later. For all we know, the person that said this specific thing you did not enjoy could very well be unaware of it. So, this whole time they may have no idea you resent them, or are holding a grudge against them, and they’ll never know why.

I may have mentioned this before, but I’m not big on confrontation. So, I try to avoid saying things that would hit a nerve with others. I also believe that I’m good at reading body languages so I have to use that to see for myself if what I might have said rubbed off the wrong way on people. It is so stressful sometimes trying to please people, especially if you’re out of your comfort zone. To those out there that are uncomfortable saying something in person to someone, I’m sure a simple text would do just fine. It at least gets your point across, so people know how you feel. And if they don’t care, then there’s no point to keep them around in your life.

To reiterate, whatever is being said isn’t necessarily that exact meaning. If you’re ever uncertain, just ask. It’s always good to get a better understanding of what someone said than to take things out of proportion that might not even be true. Who knows, that alone could help build a stronger relationship. I hope this helps.

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Naps: The Good, The Bad, and The Drowsy

As the weekend is coming to an end, you go through your routine to prepare for the work week. Whether you’re doing some grocery shopping or your laundry, by bedtime, you’re not tired. Could it be that you slept in the morning of? Thus, leading to you having more energy than you were hoping. Maybe you just stay up then. But by the time you’re at work, you tell yourself that a nap just sounds so good. So, after work that’s what you end up doing. Problem is, you took too long of a nap and then you’re right back to square one. The vicious cycle that never ends. So, how do you break out of this cycle? Assuming you don’t enjoy it at all.

The Problem

As an unlicensed and self-proclaimed Professor, the reoccurrence of napping is a sign of a health issue. “What is that?” you didn’t ask. Speaking from someone who is currently going through this problem, it means you lack the energy to go about your day. And your tolerance to caffeine has taken on a new level where you may find yourself needing too much of it to make it to the end of the day. What you might be asking though is, “Where is this issue coming from?” For those who don’t already know (or assume), we have to go back to the origin. As you lay there unaware of life, you’re probably sucking on that breast to attain the nutrients needed to survive… okay, that maybe too far back! Fast forward a little bit, from our childhood to adulthood, it’s what we put into our body, food and drink-wise. If it ain’t healthy for you, it’s more than likely going to slow you down in life.

The Solution?

Naps are intended to re-energize us. That’s the simplicity of it. If you had little to no sleep, then it makes sense why a nap was needed. But if this is on-going, then pay attention to what you’re eating and drinking. Consume foods that are good for you with plenty of nutrients and vitamins. You may not know it, but some of them give off natural energy so you don’t have to have one or more energy drinks daily, or an entire pot of coffee to yourself. Exercise is another plus. Whether you’re lifting weights, going for a jog, or taking up a dance class, you’re moving your body and getting that blood flowing through your system. And no excuses! That means me as well. When something like not having the time to exercise or cook a healthier meal is involved, just remember that we all have the same amount of time in the day. That’s not changing in our lifetime.

For those of you who have kids, and even if you don’t, just think back to when you were. Like how you started out having all this energy. There were naps involved, but also probably a lot of sugary foods and drinks as well. Those naps that were taken were probably from the sugar crash after using up the energy received from it momentarily. For you car enthusiast, think of it like NOS, it’s brief, but quite the adrenaline high. The big takeaway from this is that these kids were being incredibly active. Using up their energy each day, tiring themselves out, and more than likely having some of the best sleep ever. Of course, with that they didn’t have responsibilities or many, many adult issues that has to be dealt with.

So just remember, we all have this energy we need to use up each and every day. It’s like the energy bar from The Sims if any of you are familiar with. Other than being able to force your Sim to just sleep, I suppose there are medication for that. But as long as you’re doing it right, naps can be extremely beneficial. Just depends on if it’s better for you or not (or maybe your neighbor got a new dog that they don’t know how to raise correctly, so the barking wakes you up much earlier than you would like when the owners aren’t home).

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The Untold Story: Perspective

Let’s talk about people. Like our personalities, tendencies, and of course, perspectives. How every little thing that make us who we are shows how we perceive life. Some of us are caring and constantly thinking about others and their wellbeing, while others only care for themselves and will do what’s best for them, even if that means getting ahead or because they need the win, or heck, maybe they just can’t put aside their egos. Join me as we explore the minds of what makes us as individuals, who we are.

The Problem

Now, this is from my point of view. And from my experience, it’s that there are too many people in this world that are just unaware. Unaware of a lot of situations they find themselves in. A great example is how they typically only see things in black and white. Completely forgetting that there are 50 shades of grey. The thing is if you see people that are like this, they tend to believe that everything they say or how they feel is right. It’s unfortunate because it almost feels like anything you tell them they won’t believe you. So, how do you open up their minds to not be so… stubborn? Maybe you don’t. Not because you shouldn’t, but because maybe you can’t. Some people can be so far gone it’s almost impossible to change their perspective. So why bother changing it anyway?

My Story

I was in a situation that looking back on it now, was toxic. A friendship that scarred me possibly for life. Of course, being that I like to spread my joy and positivity around, there were plenty of good memories. But with that came a lot of bad ones. I guess you could say in this relationship I looked up to the person as someone who influenced my life. Back when I was much younger, I had many friends and old colleagues trying to explain to me the situation I was in. Like being teased, but more or less, being made fun of, in front of his friends. I had no idea I was being manipulated and controlled considering the many good things that had happened with us. Unfortunately, I failed to see it so much later in life. Eventually, sometime later, I finally was well aware of my relationship with this individual and ended the friendship. Did not care that it was formal or not, it just needed to end. But that scarring that it left me gave me tendencies from him that rubbed off on me. Before realizing what I became after this, I was doing similar things to people I cared about and that left our relationship vulnerable. It was only until recently that I noticed this about myself that I made changes (hopefully it’s not too late). Best way to put it, like Taylor Swift said, I’m the anti-hero.

Perspective

I believe what it comes down to is it shouldn’t matter who’s right or wrong, everyone has their own story. I personally love knowing what plays out from anyone’s point of view. First of all, it’s eye opening so you have a better understanding from someone else’s perspective. They are the narrative. So long as the story adds up. But also, everyone has a past. From how they were raised and all the people and things they were surrounded by growing up played a role in their lives. Every little detail that makes us all unique in our own different ways. That’s how we look at life. All the good and bad choices that were made, all the lessons learned along the way (assuming you learned from it). Just know that whether you’ve known someone to what feels like your whole life, or a random stranger, you’ll never know the whole story behind their history. You should never judge them or disrespect them. Be kind. But also, pay attention. Not everyone has good intentions, but the one’s that do… treat them well.

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Reflecting Back on the Year 2022

Between what has been going on with the world; the Winter Olympics, an invasion turned to war, then fast forward to Argentina winning the World Cup. Yet every single one of us out there are still dealing with our own world. What we have to do on a day-to-day basis whether it’s living or surviving. And that’s life. It moves forward with or without us. Our actions, choices, can determine the outcome if we are able to move forward with life as well. How you face your problems is on you. This is the story of the problems I had to deal with this past year…

The New Year

As 2022 had just gotten underway, I started a new job. Now working as a barista along with being a host at a restaurant, juggling these 2 jobs was very manageable. I still had some free time for myself, but it wasn’t long before I decided to quit my restaurant job. Having been there about 6 months, I became pretty comfortable with myself around several of my colleagues. But something was different. That last stretch that I was there, I was picking up negative vibes. As a host, I only was responsible for so much, yet I ended up doing a lot more than I should have. Every once in a while wasn’t so bad, but this became constant. I didn’t feel appreciated. My last week on the job, my boss wanted to have a 1-on-1 of where I’m at with the job and I told him how I felt. Then, all of a sudden everyone started including me into these conversations with them, yet I still quit. Not sure the main reason why, but the fact it took me having to tell my boss this before seeing some changes, didn’t sit well with me. So, now I was down to one job where I was new to being a barista. Having to learn how to make all sorts of drinks and their computer system took me a while. Actually, I still don’t know how to make too many drinks. They just loved that I was great with conversating with our customers that I was mostly doing that. Which I’m perfectly fine with but it’s definitely not as easy as you might think. Try to have almost the same conversation with like 200 people every day. And that was pretty much it for the remainder of the year. I went back to driving for Doordash after taking some time off for myself. Unfortunately, the problem with Doordashing is that it comes with a cost…

You can make a living by being a Doordash driver. And I won’t tell you that it’s easy, but also that it’s not. The best way to put it, it’s not for everyone. Just like all the different types of jobs within this world. Just about every individual has a job that fits them nicely. Whether or not you like the job, it’s their so you can live, or survive for that matter. The miles do add up, and quickly. Say you put in about 20 hours a week on dashing. Depending on where you live, the miles do vary. And with that, the maintenance needed comes up much sooner. You don’t realize how often you need to get an oil change, possibly tires and your brakes, and yeah, I can go on. This has been my main issue. Without a properly decent running car, it won’t go well for you. I know I’ve had one too many problems with my car this year already, and it hasn’t been easy. I’m just thankful that my brother has been there to get me out of these tough times. Because I’m not sure how I would have to handle some of these situations if I was completely alone. And for that, I am so grateful for him!

Learning The Hard Way

By now I have already let the paranoia take over from my smoking days. I picked up on some things I may have been right about, and some that was wrong, probably. From an old colleague that I believe was preparing to fight me, to thinking some of my closest friends just had it out for me. Sometime after I stopped smoking, I took a real long look at my life. Reflected back on not just the past year, but as far back as I can remember. And without realizing it, I saw myself as a know-it-all. When it comes to so many subjects and topics, I had some knowledge about them. Of course, with that I was almost constantly correcting others or had to put my “ten cents” into perspective. It threw me off that I didn’t know what to do. So, pretty much the next time I was around people, and we would have a conversation, I went back to my old roots that I knew growing up… staying quiet. Unless someone was talking to me specifically about something. Ever since I was a child, I was never too comfortable around a larger crowd or even a small group of people that I would just listen and stay quiet. Learning how everyone acts in their comfort zone. Which is one of the main reasons why I like to consider myself as a lone wolf. Never truly fitting in. But I’m okay with that and don’t mind being by myself. It can be lonely at times but also, it’s quiet and peaceful.

The problem starts when nobody tells you their issue they have with you. But also, let’s hope it’s just one issue and not too many more. I get it! It is extremely difficult to tell someone a problem you have with them that you just cannot say in person unless you’re immediately confronted by it somehow. For those that are able to, good for you. Worst comes to worst, you can always send a text.

You can’t always get something right the first time. With one of my jobs, I have many opportunities talking to customers. For a brief moment, I get to find out how their day is going or maybe seeing what they have planned, and many other options. With some people, I would take the conversation too far down my comfort zone… alright, since you didn’t ask, I told them for some dumb reason, when I see a full moon out, I would howl… yeah, I told them that. Right before they left, I noticed a slight eye roll. That’s when I knew to dial it back a bit. But it’s a learning curve or whatever that phrase is called. I tend to be really good at reading people and their body language, I will notice even the subtleness of signs. Except for when I’m flirting. My mind cannot process that right away. It’s a curse.

However, I am getting better. Every day that I’m given the opportunity, I am working on myself hoping to make people’s day, at least for that moment. But no matter how brief the moment is, if I am able to leave a positive vibe on their mood or can make their day, I know that’s a memory that they can take with them.

Just remember if you’re determined to have a better year, it’s just a calendar. Don’t wait for the year to change. You are given the opportunity. You have the choice. There’s no better time than now.

Hope you have a happy New Year and stay safe!

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Are Natural Disasters Man Made?

What’s the most important resource on this planet? Water… (that I know of) I read on a post that Vegas is recycling their water. They found a way to reuse it. Which is great for this planet. And then also something about swimming pools shouldn’t be made in residential households (don’t quote me on that). My point is, it’s a small step in the right direction. We just need to implement this for the rest of the world. Finding ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Something that I learned way back when back in school.

The problem is that we are wasting so many resources than we are recycling. Meaning demand continues to rise leading to more drilling and digging into the planet’s crust. When we don’t reuse materials that can be reusable, or recycle for that matter, we’re doing more to damage Earth with our needs and wants for us. We don’t think about mother nature and how she feels. Resources within this planet is finite. But how we choose to use these resources can make it feel as if they were infinite.

That being said, by drilling deeper into Earth’s crust, we may be causing these so-called natural disasters. The reason why earthquakes, tornadoes, and hurricanes/tsunami etc. exist. And same goes for volcanic eruptions as well (possibly). I will say though, without the drilling for fuel, I would not be able to drive my car and get to work and travel. Along with that, the beauty of materials we have here are great. I would not have a roof over my head without it.

But the future is here, and we are transitioning to electric vehicles and solar powered energy which I love. Which is also still a work in progress considering we’re in the earlier stages. Maybe this is the time when we have to endure the pain and suffering from natural disasters. And that is now a part of our history. Possibly in the next decade or so, we can be more efficient with our resources. Whatever it all is, let’s do our part!

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What Do YOU Think About… in Life?

The billion-dollar question nobody is asking. As I was sitting there on the toilet doing my business and without my phone, I had a moment to think… like what had happened earlier that day at work. A conversation I had with a colleague of mine, whom I was attracted to (not sure if I used that correctly, the whole “who” “whom” thing).

Anyway, Christmas music was on, we sang a little bit, then I told her how in one of my past lives I was Santa Claus. She told me that was not true which led me to explaining to her that I know when people are being naughty or nice. In turn, she laughs but what surprised me the most, and never expected, she tells me she was Mrs. Claus. And that blew my mind, I was caught off guard. So much was going on in my head, but I had to say something. And by the way, what happened next was not my finest hour (which happens a lot), I said a few words which I can’t remember, but all I know is that it was followed by me laughing the words, “ho, ho, ho!”… and just like that, I ruined the moment, again.

As I tried to recover, it was already too late. The moment had passed, and we just ended up going back to working. But also, when I did finally say something after laughing like Santa it was maybe like 30 seconds later. And when you’re in the moment, 30 seconds can feel like an eternity.

Now that you’re all caught up, let’s fast forward to when I was pooping. When I was sitting there, the thought of what happened at work crossed my mind again. What I think about almost always is what I could have done differently. That and put myself in similar scenarios so I could prepare for a next time that almost never happens. The thing about these moments in life is that most of the time, you only get one.

I couldn’t help but think what was going through her mind; “Does David like me?” “Maybe he’s not interested?” Especially how I reacted to her perfect Mrs. Claus response. As I’m trying to look at this from her perspective, she’s throwing me these vibes that I’m so clueless to figure out. Not right away at least. All I know is that I don’t know. Only what seems to be, and that is she made her move and I failed to see it.

The countless times I play these scenarios in my head for what could be possible is that I want to impress her. The fact that I put so much time and thought into this can only mean that I really care about her. Because I want things to go right, but when it actually plays out, it’s so much better. I just mess it up, terribly! Opportunity can literally come knock on my door, and I’ll be too clueless to figure it out.

Basically, my love life in a nutshell.

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What Makes the Holidays So Stressful?

I’m actually curious about this one. For the most part, I always look forward to the holiday season. As a kid growing up, it was time off from school and during most of my high school years, I would forever be playing Socom II (basically what Call of Duty is to everyone now). An online game when we had to plug in ethernet cables to our PS2s. I could probably go all day down this road of nostalgia, but we’ll continue on.

When adulthood was new to me, I had to maintain a steady job, which took me a while considering my history of working at over 30 different places. But same thing when I was in school, as the holidays near, I was excited for time off. Only this time it was playing Call of Duty and a bunch of Mountain Dew & Doritos for that double XP.

The thing is, I enjoyed going shopping for presents to give to friends and family. I would think back throughout that entire year from what I can remember and correlate anything to buy for each individual. So far, I have yet to craft something with my hands for that special someone or just anyone that I care about so I can tell them that cliché line, “It’s the thought that counts!”

And that’s just it! Taking a little time to yourself to think about the people you would like to get gifts for come the holidays. I understand I guess how it can be stressful when you’re not sure what to get certain people, which then ends up with you getting a bunch of gift cards. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Sometimes you aren’t able to see friends or some family members as often as you would like which brings up uncertainty. And that is perfectly fine!

So, my curiosity is that I would like to know what stresses you out about the holidays. I’ve never done this before, but feel free to drop a comment so I can have a better understanding. Maybe someone close to you passed away around these times. I don’t know, but I really would love to hear from you. Whatever your reasons, be safe, and have a happy holiday season!

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My Christmas Wish (This Year)

Dear Santa,

I know this is odd that I’m writing you through my blog and not a traditional formal letter (which I might still end up doing just to be sure!), but there is something I wanted to ask of you. Something completely different than what you are probably used to receiving like toys and other similar gifts. What I would like from you is courage.

The courage to not be selfish with my feelings because I’m too nervous to tell someone I like how I feel about them. Or the courage to get out of bed every morning and taking on the day with motivation and drive instead of sleeping in like I normally do, which then leads me to missing out on many opportunities in life. That last one might not have anything to do with courage but I’m sure you understand where I’m coming from.

This year has been extremely difficult for me to process. I know I haven’t been as nice as I would like to be, but I also know that I haven’t been too naughty as well. Whatever your definition of naughty is, let’s hope I don’t get coal for Christmas this year. What I do know is that you know I’m almost always trying to work on myself to be a better person, and I’ll always continue that until my time is up.

I do find it much easier to write which is why I have a blog in the first place, not only because it’s very therapeutical for me, but let’s me express myself freely and hope that it reaches out to others who can relate, maybe learn from, or are at least entertained by what I have to say.

I want the courage to finally work on my passions and stay disciplined and continue them instead of constantly starting and stopping. I barely am able to blog on a weekly basis because I’ve just been so down lately.

Life is difficult, at least for me. But that doesn’t mean I’m giving up. I have dreams and aspirations I would love to achieve in the near future and not leave them where they have been since forever, which is in my dreams. I want it to be a reality because I am aware of what I can offer to those I care about. To be able to shed some light into this dark hole I’m in.

Anyway, Santa, Mr. Claus, if you’re reading this, and it’s not too much of a hassle for you to help me out just enough, I would forever be grateful. Because I know there’s greatness behind a lot of my intentions in this life. And I want to provide for my family so I can finally know what it’s like to live a happy and healthy life. Thank you!

Yours truly,

David

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