The Heart Beat

"The Heart Beat"

Can you feel your heart beating right out of your chest?

It is screaming at you, you know that it deserves the best.

Give into temptation you damn fool... just give in.

Place your cold palm there where it beats, it is not a sin.

Feel the rhythm that keeps you alive beneath it all.

Do not rest on that which has proceeded you, or you will fall.

Scream if you must, run if you must! Take cover if you must!

But know this, your beating heart will never rust!

No, because the beating heart, your beating heart,

it knows the distance that keeps you two apart.

And what is distance but a number, a silly set of lines thats for sure.

The heart does not care, but cares for her and only her.

So be a fool, be nothing but a fool who is in love,

because love my friend, love will set you free like the dove.

Oh and how you shall enjoy the freedom that you will gain.

You will take that heart from your chest, forget the pain,

And you will get on one knee, take her eyes in yours and say,

This heart, my heart, it will beat for you till my final day...

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For some reason I like this more when it is read with anger...

... I wasn't angry when I wrote it, I actually just got done watching "Anonymous" (Good movie about Shakespeare). Any ways my heart beats for her, it beats every day and every night, no it does not ache, it simply beats with passion for her. Her who is hundreds of miles away, but her who has a home in my heart.

Women, Woman, Wo-men

The following complicated jargon is in fact not that complicated at all, just read it and exaggerate the pause at each comma...

Women, Woman, Wo-men

You think I know.
I know, but I don't know.
I know I may never know.
Now you know, I don't know.

Women, woman, wo-men.
You think, I know.
You hurt, I know.
You lie, I know.
You're fine, are you?

Women, woman, wo-men
I now know, I will never know.

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What I am trying to say here is that I will pretty much never understand women, and the reason may be because women refuse to let men understand them.

The best example of this is...

From my experience I have learned that the word "fine" is never a good thing to a woman. If you say she looks "fine", that is like saying "you don't look good". When that is not what we mean at all.

And, when she says "everything is fine", chances are that is a big lie... the only problem is when you call her out on it she'll say "nothing is wrong", when in fact, its obvious something is.

So women... help us help you. If we ask, we care, even if its only a little bit, we care. Don't lie then blame us, because we don't want to pry and annoy you with our constant asking. Just tell us what is wrong, even if its us that bother you, we'll understand... we know we are bothersome.

Sincerely,

Eric... and maybe a lot of the male population.

Be Your Own Hero

We all search for a hero, some look near in family and friends, some go the distance in professional athletes, firemen, soliders and some even turn the pages of their favorite comic books... but does any one search inside them self? Can we be our own hero?

Who is the one person you should trust the most? Who is the one person that knows you the most? Who understands what you're thinking? Who knows what you mean, when you say, "do you know what I mean?" Who is that one person that has never left you, has always been there no matter what day you are having?

You are that person! You are the hero! You can save yourself!

The truth is that when your life is not going how you intended it to go, you are the first to know. You know why that is and you even know what to do. Sure, you might need help doing it, but you have to make the first move. Whether its picking your self up, or stretching your arm out and asking for help. And when that happens, when a new chapter starts, thats when you become the hero.

Quote of the day: I can't save you, but I can help you save your self.

Life: The Little Things (Re-discovered)

I just re-discovered this blog entry I did during my internship days at Buffalo.com and thought the message was powerful enough to bring back...

Yesterday it really hit me that sometimes we just don’t realize how easy life can be for some of us. We never think about eating, drinking, talking… even moving. It all just seems so natural, something that we just do.

Well what happens when you lose the ability to do any of that? What do you do when the natural becomes almost impossible and turning your head ten degrees requires just about all your strength?

The reason that I bring all this up is because I was at a party Saturday and there was a man who had a stroke about a week ago. At first glimpse you could not really tell that anything was wrong, other than his right arm was in a mold/ block, which was actually holding his arm on his lap. As I sat there thinking about it, it made sense that the stroke may have affected the right side of his body, leaving his right arm temporarily out of order.

I was told that he could not speak as a result of the stoke as well, and soon realized that he struggled to even move his lips in smallest ways with each breath he took in.

While I ate my dinner just a few feet from him, I noticed many things that made my heart ache and some things that cured it.

The first moment that helped me to cherish my life was when the man’s wife lifted her wine glass to his lips and began to pour. From his eyes it seemed as if he was both enjoying the moment and remembering the old days. But then sadly everything changed; his eyes went from happy to agony as the wine trickled out of his mouth because he could not swallow.

A body function that we do countless times a day, this man struggled to perform.

As hard as it was for me to see that, it doesn’t compare to what happened later.

When dinnertime faded, the grand daughter of the man called over her five year old neighbor to meet her grandfather. Standing at the old man’s feet the little girl looked into his eyes while the introductions were made. To shy to say anything the little girl continued to look up and wait for him to say something.

But she didn’t know, and even if she did there is no way she would fully comprehend the current stage he was in.

The seconds felt like minutes and everything was getting more and more awkward. But just then the faintest “hey” fell from the old man’s lips making the small girl turn and smile like any kid would.

While I was astonished by the accomplishment, I could very easily tell that it took every ounce of that man’s will and power to get out even the smallest of words. The look on his face right before he spoke was empty, I saw nothing and expected nothing. It was the look after that said everything. He looked as if he had just run a mile in under four minutes for the first time, like he gave everything and left it all behind him.

Even though it was somewhat painful to watch, I was extremely happy that he was able to conjure up something for the girl.

With the rain falling in the background I continued to talk to people I had never met before, all the while gazing out of the corner of my eye at the old man and his grand daughter. She sat next to him holding his hand to let him know that she cared. All the while she told him stories and up dated him on things that were going on.

It may not seem strange that someone cares, but in the world we live in today, for a high school freshman to show this type of affection is quite rare. Because when you think about it, what teenager could care less about a party and more about a grandfather?

Its sad to say, but the world and its people are changing—maybe not for the better.

As the evening slowly faded into the night, my thoughts began to fade, until I had a flashback to the movie “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”. It was then that I got scared and wondered what it would be like to be trapped inside your own body—with only your voiceless thoughts.

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And so, just because the world is heading in one direction does not mean we have to follow. Take the time to realize what you have: family, friends, a roof over your head, presents under a tree, clothes on your back, but most of remember the little things that we have been given, because you never know when they might be gone.

Also, people do have super powers—just not in the ways comic books depict.

"A Body of Work"

Due to ESPN magazines upcoming "body issue" I was inspired to write the following... (more info/ words from me follow the piece.)

“A Body of Work” By: Eric S. Syty

From the hair or lack thereof upon their heads and the inset of their eyes.

From the bridge of the nose to the tip, then onto a set of moist, red lips.

From the pride of a Man or Woman’s chin to the strength of their shoulders.

From the bulging biceps of Man, sit pretty do the breasts of a Woman.

From hands that point to Man’s abs or hands that hold a Woman’s mounded stomach.

From the curve of their hips, wrap around the thickness of their thighs.

From a pair of locked or bent boney knees, over the flexed-humped calves.

From the bottom of the two pillars that hold them, Man and Woman work their soles…

Be not embarrassed by what you have been given or what you lack.

Do not be ashamed of your make, we all hail from a different mold.

Stand proud among all or all alone; with your chin held high—chest out.

Feel privileged with the outside, more importantly on the inside.

Never flaunt what you have, but do not be scared to show what you are.

Work to wear it proudly, there is no disgrace in what makes you—you.

No matter what size and or shape, the truth is that it is all yours.

Never ask for a trade, but if you must, make the change you yearn for.

Black and blue, chiseled and sculpted, wavy and wobbly it is you.

Whether bound by clothes made of cotton or free as the west wind.

Whether set in the motions of work or the liberations of play.

Whether as wide as a dozen red wood or thin as a toothpick.

Whether stretched out eight feet tall or compressed compact a four feet small.

Whether Woman lacking the wavy lines of a runway goddess.

Whether Man, scrawny, fashioned with visible markings of his ribs.

Whether Woman, blessed with a chest full of breast or a round behind.

Whether Man, tall dark and handsome, muscles on muscles head to toe.

Whether Man’s or Woman’s—each BODY is a perfect…mas-ter-piece.

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For those of you who do not know what the Body Issue is, you can either look it up for or continue reading for a little synopsis from me.

The body issue is an edition that ESPN has been doing since 2009, and once a year they have a photo shoot with a range of athletes from football and soccer players to fighters and roller derby girls. The purpose of the issue is not to boast or show off one's body, but to display it is art, or as a piece of someone. They take the time to show the time and effort that athletes into their bodies. While most of the athletes used are tone and fit, ESPN wisely branches to those with different body types, such as sumo wrestlers.

For a great mini preview in to the world of it, click the following link ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5fvd6sCCXo ) in which ESPN was inspired by Walt Whitman's poem "I sign the Body Electric".

For a while now I have found myself really fascinated with the human body, no matter what make or shape, male or female. I think that first seeing a bit of ESPN's work last year really set that in motion. And while I am not sure why, but there is something so beautiful about the human body.

Any ways, for those more interested the magazine issue comes out this Friday (October 7th.. i believe), or just go off and search the many videos, and photographs that ESPN offers up on the topic.

Quote of the day by me: "A dream is something any one can achieve, but making that dream a reality is something not all seek, believing you can achieve it is the first step to that reality."

Lottery!!

Have you ever thought about what your life would be like or what you would buy if you won big on the lottery?

Well Last night while I lay wide awake in bed for some odd reason I began this thought process for about an hour. While I knew exactly what I would do first (pay off student loans) it was my following plans that surprised me. Now, because it was only me hearing what I would do, I knew I was not trying to impress any one, so these were in fact genuine thoughts.

The first thing most people buy with their big winnings is most likely a car and/or a house. So I thought about a car and decided that I am perfectly happy with my car right now, while its nothing special, there is nothing wrong with it. So I'd probably not spend money on a car for a year or two... and what do I need a second car for? As for a house, I'm not ready to buy and live in a big house by myself so i'd probably find a loft or cool apartment some where... not sure where, maybe I would venture out of Buffalo for something new.

After a few other small purchases like a new computer, phone, and camera there really isn't anything else I can see my self buying other than clothes. I don't collect anything or at this point in my life need any "toys". And so this is really where my thought process stopped on just me.

However I did decide that it would be awesome to go on a family vacation like we used to do back in the good ole days, somewhere cool none of us has been of course.

Then I decided that I would buy my mom a new car, because she could use one. Not sure what I would get my dad... maybe a car as well, because he has always been into them. John would probably get season tickets to the Sabres with some killer good seats. And for Adam I would just give him a good chunk of change for either an awesome honeymoon or to do some renovating of his new house, because he is getting married next summer.

With my family covered I branched out to my past and pay-back/ thank those who helped me in my life. The biggest group that crossed my mind was Saint Francis University or at least the volleyball program, so I would donate some money to them for a trip or uniforms and what not. Also my high school volleyball program would get a donation as well.

As my thoughts began to simmer I realized that winning the lottery would be perfect, because it would solve my problem of not knowing what to do with my life (job wise) and even helped to realize how simple my life is. Even though I thought of myself first, most of my thoughts were about others and how I could help or make them smile. And really that is what is most important to me; sure I can smile at a flower or the moon, but smiling because I made some one else happy is by far the best reason. Its not the money that makes me happy, its the feeling of knowing some one else's heart continues to beat peacefully.

With the silence that 3Am has to offer one final thought crossed my mind. What if I died with all this money to my name, what would I do with it? Well I would take 20% of what was left and donate to a good cause (Roswell Cancer research center was first to my mind... because cancer is lame and needs to be taken out). As for the remaining 80% that would just get divided up equally between my family for them to have the time of their life...

The truth is maybe all this would change if I actually won the lottery, maybe I would go crazy for myself... maybe not, who knows?

But what would you do if you won some crazy amount of money? What is the first thing you would do with it?

Tip for the day: You don't need to be a best friend or even a friend to fix a broken heart, you just have to be willing to give an ear, time, some words and a shoulder.

P.S. I hope to slowly turn this blog into something other than me... soon.