It's a beautiful world

When you wake up every morning, what do you see? is it that alarm clock blaring in your face, letting you know you only have so many minutes before you're going to be late, and that you only have so many hours in a day? Is it a recollection of the dreams you slumbered through last night, wondering how things that seem to have no relevance to one another seemed to make so much sense in your head the night before? Is it a picturesque view just outside your window as it invites the light of a morning sun into the room, bathing the walls in a soft, warm glow?

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and honestly, while that is true, then why do we spend so much time comparing ourselves to others? Why is it that we can't just sit back, crack open a cold one, look off into the distance and simply enjoy what you see, and not others? I suppose this is overgeneralizing a bit, but if everyone embraced themselves like they embraced each unique feat of nature, maybe we would all get along better.

Think about it: Individuality is a beautiful thing. We love it so much, that we pay through the nose to get to see it. You won't find the great wall in Italy, and you won't find Niagra Falls in your back yard; but yet we always think that for some reason a post card on the fridge might just do the trick, when in reality, we all know it barely scratches the surface. So while we're spending our days catching up on the latest gossip on Kim or Lindsey Lohan, it seems like a lot of people like to build around the trends, scandals, quotes, and dirt that they broadcast to the media...why?

Why do so many of us sit back and watch others live life, and devoid ourselves of our own personality, when there is quite literally a world out there just waiting to be explored? You know that nosebleed section Miley ticket you might have spent over $100 on, just to see her dance on an Escalade? Why not a day trip? I'm not saying that someone is ignorant if they prefer a Half-Naked 23 year old to the stunning views of the Chicago skyline or the tranquility of the north woods of Wisconsin, but, I mean, what's the big fucking deal with "celebs" anyway?

Before, we looked up to celebrities because they were role models; someone that understood the concept of "leading by example". Frank Sinatra became a household name, not because he wore a tuxedo, but because he followed his passion, which inspired like minded people to do the same. Now though, the people we consider "celebrities" just don't seem that way; but let's not get the naysayers all heated up about this, because as I mentioned before, this is not a generalization.

So take the advice from either me, or someone you look up to: be yourself. Stop following trends, and start setting them. Everyone is under the impression that following a trend makes you "cool", and, i'm sorry, but that just isn't necessarily the case any more. Set your own trends and go out and experience life on your level. You never know what you'll learn.

A letter to my world.

I wasn't the best guy in the world to you. I wasn't giving you what you deserved. I let small things get big, and sometimes I didn't know what to say in the end. But there were always three words that I always wanted to say to you at the end of each and every day.

I love you.

I loved the way you looked at me. I loved the way you made me laugh. I loved the way you fit so perfectly into my arms, that it was as if nothing else in this unforgiving world mattered. I loved how optimistic and passionate you were. I loved everything about you; but there was one problem.

Me.

I didn't treat you as well as you deserved. I made countless mistakes, and I wasn't there for you when you needed me at times. I know I wasn't the best. I know I don't deserve you, and even now, despite everything I've done to change myself for the better, and make sure that I knew I was ready for you, I still get nervous every time I see you; because the river of emotions that ran through my veins when I saw your smile every morning still coarses through me, only now like a poison that I hope doesn't scar my bleeding heart. But there was something you didn't know about me after we broke up that night in January.

I still loved you.

For the next 6 months, I dug. I dug deeper and deeper to right my wrongs, and better myself. I searched for answers to the problems, and used them to face everything head on. It was a battle. A battle that took its toll on me emotionally.

I missed you.

Every night I missed your voice. Every night I wish you would be there to see that the past need not be the present; that I had worked to prove to myself I can deserve someone like you, and that this heart of mine is still capable of loving you. You were an angel to me. You were the girl that I wanted nothing more than to give nothing less than the world to. So the past 6 months, I worked to ensure that I could be the person I wanted to be, and the man that you deserved.

Watching you walk away is the single hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life. The emotions ride through me like a roller coaster. My mind is full of the memories of our late nights, with you in my arms, and not a care in the world. My thoughts have your name in them, and they buzz around my head like an angry hornet, taking stabs at a heart that I was once proud to say belonged to you.

I still love you.

I hope that in time our paths might cross again, and that you'll see that I am new, yet still familiar. This broken heart of mine might never heal, but it will always love you, and everything about you.

You

(intro)

I made my way down that old road
To the place where we first met
It was an old house on the main street
yeah i'll never forget

You looked into my eyes
you had a way about your smile
it always made my heart stop
and stare for a while

soon we started talkin'
almost every single day
then the time finally came
when I knew what I wanted to say

(bridge)

Those three words now
yeah they meant so much
now I miss your smile
and I miss your touch

So here I am
ill let it out
you're the sun in my sky
you're still all I care about

(chorus)

and
I miss you
like the night misses the day
so come on back
and take my breath away
Baby don't leave
come on and stay a while

I miss you
layin in the back of my truck
singin our songs
until we fell in love
Now i'm layin here
wonderin' what im gonna do now

I miss youuuuuuuu (x2)

I miss youuuuuuuu (x2)

(breakdown)

So I made my way down
to that old bar down the street
the place where we would dance together
slowly swayin to the beat

the hardest part about loving you
was watching you walk away
feeling lost without a choice
I knew what I wanted to say

I know I wasn't perfect
I had some things to fix
but I never thought i'd come up short
I never thought it'd be like this

Those three words now
yeah they meant so much
now I miss your smile
and I miss your touch

So here I am
ill let it out
you're the sun in my sky
you're still all I care about

(chorus)

and
I miss you
like the night misses the day
so come on back
and take my breath away
Baby don't leave
come on and stay a while

I miss you
layin in the back of my truck
singin our songs
until we fell in love
Now i'm layin here
wonderin' what im gonna do now

I miss youuuuuuuu (x2)

I miss youuuuuuuu (x2)

There's not a minute that goes by
when you aren't on my mind
I wish I could take it all back
and I could rewind time

to that night that I first met you
i'd know just what to say
you were the stars above at night
and the light of my day

But the clouds moved in
so now its pourin down rain
now that you aren't in my arms
things just aren't the same

Those three words now
yeah they meant so much
now I miss your smile
and I miss your touch

So here I am
ill let it out
you're the sun in my sky
you're still all I care about

I loved you
hearin that music play
volume up and singin' all day
Baby don't leave
come on and stay a while

I loved you
laying in the back of my truck
kissin your lips until we fell in love
Now i'm layin' here
I haven't got a clue

I love youuuuuuuu (x2)

I love youuuuuuuu (x2)

(mini break - acoustic)

I loved you
hearin that music play
volume up and singin' all day
Baby don't leave
come on and stay a while

(chorus)

I loved you
laying in the back of my truck
kissin your lips until we fell in love
Now i'm layin' here
I haven't got a clue

Her

This is a note for her; for a girl that somehow found her way into my life, just as it was taking a turn for the worst. This is for the girl that I never thought i'd have a chance with; but would end up becoming the single most important person in my life. For the girl that Brought me out of the shadows. For the girl that cleaned up my style and stuck with me even though I had no fashion sense.

This is for the girl that stuck around even though I didn't say a word to her for the first week I knew her, but eventually found myself driving to Madison most weekends just to be with her. This is for the girl that turned my life around and helped me become who I am today; for the girl that stuck with me through situations where most would walk away. For the girl that endured so many late nights, hard talks, tough decisions, long arguments, short walks, and setbacks just to help me turn my life around. This is for the girl that means everything to me. This is for the girl that stayed when most would rather walk away.

This is for the girl that inspired me. Who got me up in the mornings, and kept me buried in my books at night. For the girl that carried me home from the bar; who would wake me up early just to get her coffee. For the girl that made me watch countless hours of girly Netflix shows, and eventually made it a tradition. For the girl that taught me for the first time in a while that I shouldn't be afraid of myself - of my heart - of her.

This is for the girl that warmed my heart, lit up my eyes and left me speechless every time I saw her. For the girl that still gets me nervous every time I see her. For the girl that loved me for who I was. for the girl that bettered me. For the girl that showed me what the meaning of that four letter word really was.