Category: Junior Literary

It is a common belief that each song represents a grade so I’m going to be going off that belief and also talking about the movie because its visuals are paired with the songs but not delving too deep into it’s plot. 

*Favorite Lyrics from each song at the end :>*

First song: Wheels on the bus (Kindergarten)

During this song Crybaby is on the bus heading to school. She’s essentially describing the scenery of the bus and just what’s around her. The visuals show how annoying her classmates are, we also witness some of her classmates bully her for her gap. We see this boy Crybaby seems to have a crush on pass her to sit next to Kelly, Crybaby’s main bully. We also witness Crybaby and her friend use their powers (which are signified by black eyes which were alluded to in Crybaby, the first album) to play pranks on their annoying classmates and eventually save the bus from drowning when a distracted bus driver drives it into a lake.

Second Song: Class fight (First Grade)

In this song Crybaby and Kelly get into a fight, which is encouraged by both Crybaby’s parents. Nothing too much to say here…The fight is caused by jealousy over the boy previously mentioned and during this fight Crybaby uses her powers to nearly strangle Kelly until broken up by a teacher. In the visuals predating this song provided by the movie we see guards from the school drag a black boy away for not standing for the pledge of allegiance. 

Third Song: The Principal (Second Grade) 

In this song Crybaby expresses disdain for their principal after she learns that the school has been doping the kids up with pills to make them obedient. The viewers also get to see the displeasure of him firing a teacher because of their gender identity. We see a couple of students perform a dance to this song with the song in front of what I can assume is the school board. 

Fourth Song: Show and Tell (Third Grade) 

In this song Crybaby appears to be a puppet and she’s made to preform for the entertainment of her classmates during Show and Tell. The message of this song as I interpreted it is Melanie talking about fame and feeling like more of a prop under everyone’s eyes. The visual constantly switches between the actual Crybaby and a doll that resembles her and ends with the doll falling out bleeding and the class grimacing at the sight before refocusing their attention to something else.

Fifth Song: Nurses Office (Fourth Grade) 

In this song Crybaby visits the nurse’s office, the lyrics suggest that Crybaby only does this to get out of class and hopefully go home. As far as visuals all we see is the nurse’s interesting ideas of treatment. The lyrics do entail more about her negative feeling towards class specifically being picked on and having a rude teacher. 

Sixth Song: Drama Club (Fifth Grade) 

In this song Crybaby gets into an argument with a guy in her class who appears to be misogynistic, talking down about women. To which she defends them and is taken away by guards similar to the ones who took away the black boy. I’ve spoken about the song itself before. Its lyrics doesn’t criticize the topics our society seems to be sensitive about themself but judges the criticism. Putting the feelings around in question. The visual for this song ends with Crybaby somehow snapping her classmates out of the trance being at the school has put them in during what looks like a school play, after they are freed, they all run to find the principal then rip him to pieces (literally they disembody him).

Seventh Song: Strawberry Shortcake (Sixth Grade)

Before this song begins, we see Crybaby and her friends having a conversation about what is usually deemed as female anatomy. The songs meaning is very apparent it’s a conversation on the culture of sexual assault and how the blame is very rarely placed on the perpetrator and instead put on the victim. It also mentions how young boys are excused for predatory behavior and how in response to said behavior young girls are just told to cover up. Also, certain lyrics speak about young girls compare their bodies to others. 

Eighth Song: Lunchbox Friends (Seventh Grade) 

Before this song begins one of Crybaby’s friends gets her first period and they struggle with finding a tampon. I interpret this song to be about the struggle to find loyalty within friends. I think it could also be relevant to Melanie (the woman who created and plays Crybaby) about how fame can make it complicated to form genuine relationships. I also think it could be about how most friends you make in school specifically so young won’t last forever or even till the end of the year, I get this from the lyric, “We can be friends if you wanna be but only till the clock hits three.” The visual for this song involves Crybaby being invited to sit with the popular girls (some of which bullied her, I’m looking at you Kelly) but turns them down for her real friends and ends up meeting another girl who like Crybaby and her other two friends, has powers.

Ninth Song: Orange Juice (Eighth Grade) TW: eating disorders.  

In this song we see one of the popular girls is clearly different from the rest is struggling with an eating disorder. The visual for this song provides very vivid imagery of her eating disorder. The song is essentially telling her how perfect she is. We also learn that this girl also has powers and becomes a part of Crybaby’s friend group.

Tenth Song: Detention (Ninth Grade) 

In this song talks about faking your emotions to save face. And referencing this as being a sort of purgatory, detention. It mentions not actually being important to those over you and just being used for profit. The song references these people as teachers but for Melanie we can assume this means managers and people in charge of record labels. The visuals of this song also show the extent to which the school dopes these kids up, injecting them with syringes and binding them to their desks. We’re also introduced to this new character who is the principal’s son and frees Crybaby while seeming to be under some trance, possibly by Crybaby but we’re shown her eyes switching from black to normal signaling that she’s struggling to use her powers. We also get a visual of Crybaby dancing in a glass enclosure which she escapes from by the end and seems to be about to seek revenge on the kids she was made to dance for before the song ends. We also see a kid who was previously seen looking at Crybaby slide a note in her locker, becoming her secret admirer.

Eleventh Song: Teacher’s Pet (Tenth Grade) TW: Grooming

In this song Crybaby’s closest friend, the one whose been with her since the first song is being groomed by a teacher. The lyrics themselves describe a relationship between teacher and student, it is sung from a third person perspective at the beginning but then switches to the perspective of the student presumably heartbroken at the teacher not putting her first. It mentions the teacher having a wife and kids. They display the student’s disdain for being a secret and her justification for the relationship itself. And then being very upset when the teacher attempts to end the relationship. The visuals just show flirting between the two, still very disturbing to watch. Until the teacher shrinks her and attempts to dissect her until Crybaby comes in and saves her. We then see the student get revenge on the teacher; she kills him.

Twelfth Song: Highschool Sweethearts (Eleventh Grade)

This song talks about expectations when it comes to love and relationships. These expectations being to be accepted for yourself and not have your heartbroken. After this song we see her secret admirer attempting to work up the urge to ask her to the dance before being interrupted by the principals’ son) who asks her instead and takes credit for writing the note. She says yest to him.

Thirteenth Song; Recess (Twelfth Grade)  

Before the song plays we see that the dance is trap set up by Leo (principal’s son) as revenge for killing his father). The song itself seems to be recounting the past which I think fits for the last year of high school and about not letting people exploit you or kill your spirit. And also about having everything you want and still not being happy. Crybaby manages to save the school and learns the true identity of her secret admirer, Ben who also has powers. The movie ends with a door opening for the girls which seems to hold all they’ve ever wanted, and Crybaby is faced with a choice between that or perusing a relationship with a Ben. The movie ends before she gets to make this choice.

note: The door is opened by Lillith a goddess who saved the girls from the nurses in nurses office and has been guiding them. She appears after rejecting them before telling them of their purpose at the school and that soon things will be better. Lillith is also an empath which is interesting to me given not only Crybaby’s name but also her sensitivity. 

-Favorite Lyrics from each song: 

Wheels on the Bus: “I know the drivers sees it. I know he’s peekin.”

Class Fight: “Teacher broke us up after I broke her. And my one true love called me a monster.”

Principal: “Shooting at the angels while claiming you’re a good guy.”

Show and Tell: “I’m just like you, you’re like me. Imperfect and human are we.

Nurse’s Office: “I’m pale as the loose-leaf paper they grow.” (bar) 

Drama Club: “You’re faking all your pain yet you’re bleeding on a stage.” 

Strawberry Shortcake: “Now, the boys want a taste of the strawberry shortcake. That’s my bad, that’s my bad, no one taught them not the grab.”

Lunchbox Friends: “We can be friends if you wanna be. But only till the clock hits three.” 

Orange Juice: “Your body is perfectly imperfect.” 

Detention: “You’re too busy seeking selfish wishes, look at how I’m feeling.”

Teacher’s Pet: “If I’m so special, why am I a secret.”

High School Sweethearts: “If you can’t handle a heart like mine, don’t waste your time with me.” 

Recess: “People gonna try. To tell you that you’re fine with dollars in their eyes.”

Ok everyone, recently I’ve been rewatching many Scooby-Doo movies and shows. Not all of them but most and I just want to talk about them cause why not. Who doesn’t love Scooby-Doo? 

So, everyone knows how all the movies and shows go. The Gang, Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby-doo go anywhere really (Is there a place these kids have gone that isn’t hunted) and they end up in the middle of a mystery and they try to solve the mystery fail a couple times then at the end they catch the “ghost”, which turns out to be just a person in a custom trying to either mess with people or steal from people. 

So, as I’m writing this blog, I’m watching What’s New Scooby-Doo and it’s just really bringing back old memories of watching the show with my sisters in the living room at our old house eating cereal on the couch on Saturdays or in the afternoons after school.

Now I’m going to talk about my favorite Scooby-doo shows and movies. 

1. Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated

Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated is an American animated television series that serves as the eleventh incarnation of the Scooby-Doo media franchise created by Hanna-Barbera. Scooby-Doo and the gang attempt to solve creepy mysteries in the town of Crystal Cove, a place with a history of eerie supernatural events. Out of all the Scooby-Doo shows this one has always been my favorite. The story in Mystery Inc. has always captivated me in many ways because unlike the other shows mystery inc. has an overarching story with a lot of history, which I really would love to talk about everything that goes on in this show but maybe another time.

2. What’s New Scooby-Doo?

Scooby-Doo and the Mystery, Inc. gang are launched into the 21st century, with new mysteries to solve. This show right here folks is what inspired this blog because as I’m writing this blog right now, I’m watching What’s New Scooby-Doo and it’s just really bringing back old memories of watching the show with my sisters. There isn’t a big story like Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, but it’s still a great show to watch if like me you love the nostalgic feelings from an old show from your childhood.

3. Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! 

This right here folks is the show that got me into Scooby-Doo to benign with. The show follows the adventures of teenagers Fred, Daphne, Velma, and Shaggy, and a dog named Scooby-Doo. They travel in a van known as The Mystery Machine, encountering and solving mysteries. As this show came out in 1969-1978 it was really old when I started watching it but as this was the Scooby-Doo my dad grew up watching. Then it became the Scooby-Doo that me and my sister grew up watching.

 There are a lot of Scooby-Doo movies (even though google says there are only five that’s not true) that have been made since its debut in 1969. Including five live action movies, but I didn’t watch all five movies, but I did watch three out of the five, so gold star to me! The three movies below this are my favorites mainly for nostalgic feeling I get from watching them. The one live action movie I mention in the blog is the only one I remember the best because I really prefer the animated movies to the live action. 

1.Scooby-Doo! and the Gourmet Ghost  

2.Scoob

3.Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins 

So that’s it for this blog tell me if any of you guys remember any of the shows I mentioned or the movies and tell me your favorite.

                                                 Hello fellow peers!

 I kind of knew for this blog I didn’t want to talk about any shows or any books.   The reason being, I have a ton of movies and shows I can rant about, but I want to save those for later.   That’s why for this post I wanted to post one of my free writes that I used to start learning a new genre.  I don’t know what genre this would be in specifically; I just know it’s not the genre I’m used to writing.  Now, this is a free write, but it’s also an adaptation of something I already wrote.  I wrote a poem named Magenta Lights in my second semester last school year. My English teacher really liked it but there were some problems with it, and it gained her, my math teacher, my mom, and the principal’s concern.   When I remember that, I laugh so hard because I always find myself thinking “Why on Earth do they think I would write something like this?”  I don’t know, but anyway I still have the poem, and this is what this post is based off of.  I tried to turn it into a narrative, hopefully this one won’t send me to the principal’s office (kidding kidding).  Anyway, the issue of what they thought I was writing, is a story for another day and if you want to see the original poem don’t be scared to ask.  Thank You ?

Her phone illuminates the hazy pink atmosphere as it lays on the marble bathroom sink. She knows it’s the person she hates the most right now, so she doesn’t stop her tears from making waterfalls to peer at the message.  She just sits on the cold moist floor with her head in her knees, while her muddy brown hair hangs like a curtain.  It’s a good thing though because that curtain disguises her distress.  She only wants to listen to her own racing heartbeat and not think about the roaring music that howls love songs, which only ends with heartbreak, in the background.  She only wants to tear off the crop top that’s squeezing the life out of her blood circulation because the blue Care Bear face mocks her inner demons.  She only wants to smell the cigars that spread about the ash trays like lit fireflies and not feel the stickiness of most likely someone’s inner dignity beneath her.  Which was unfortunate because it makes her think about how soon her own dignity would be swirling in waves of shame down the abashment bowl.  She sighs and lays her head on the barriers that defend her from the plastics she’s learned to love. Reflecting, finding the point when she believed she needed to be here. 

Her phone illuminated the pastel paper atmosphere that embraced the cloud LED lights from her room. She knew it was the person that she loved the most at the moment.  That’s why she ran faster than lightning to pick her phone off of her fuzz sea green sheets that were a shield enveloping her in a soundproof mind during the bashful nights.  It was comical to her when she would find herself giggling and turning shades of magenta when she read the morning woes and the nightly serenades.    She would always take her time to wipe the puddles of laughter to study and analyze each message.  Her stuffies would turn away from her moments of shamelessness.  Though she didn’t pay attention when she rolled around the bed allowing her chocolate brown hair to halo the bed in angel wings.  It was a bad thing though because it always created static that would sting more pleasantly than her heart would.   She only wanted to listen to his words of love and commitment that made her heartbeat and not think about the scenarios that all their doubters come up with.  She only wanted to wrap herself in the crop top that he gave her for Christmas because the Care Bear makes her blood warm when she thinks about the symbolism of its fate.  She only wanted to smell his cologne as it spread through her room every evening when he came to visit her. Not feel the dread in her lower throat when that girl pointed out soon her dignity would become a trophy he’ll have to show while his guilt is beneath him.  Which was fortunate because she could express how he cherishes her dignity, allowing it to flow in his gilded bowl that holds her significance for him.  She sighed and laid her head on the pillow that absorbed her tears that form under the statements of the plastics that hate her.  Reflected, finding any truth that she is wrong when her world will turn upside down. 

Her phone illuminates the blurred darkness that fumes from her misguided brain.   The blue-ray light makes it past her eyelids that are fighting for life to be open.   As her gummy gaze looks at the mirrored screen, she knows it’s the person she can’t stop thinking about the most.   She looks around on the soaked floor, grimacing as her stringy hair pelts on her face like milked straw.   The phone keeps lighting up repeatedly, the vibration contrasting from her numb heart. She is tired of it so she blows her runny nose in her Care Bear top, letting the snot scrunch the smile into a frown.  She only wants to tune out all of the doubts that are actually concerns, from her mind.  She wants to shove the ashtray off the sink, crashing to the floor, because it’s not fair that people want to damage their lungs while she’s suffering from a broken heart.  Then it hurts.  It hurts so badly which is unfortunate because it overbears the pain in her belly as dignity becomes blood curdling.  She takes deep breaths above the sink drinking backup what she refuses to have come out.  Because it isn’t worth it.  The grotesque growl of the music gets louder as the lights bounce from yellow to red, from red to green, from green to blue, from blue to magenta until it stops when the barrier breaks letting in the white pale light of the plastics that aren’t recyclable and actually loves her.  She sighs and lays her head on a chest while a hand rubs her back.   As they lead her into the vivid night that is suffocating, she reflects on what point did her heart decide it can repair. 

So, following the ideology of just “Letting ideas come to me,” I started to get nervous about whether or not I was going to have something to write about this week. That was until yesterday when fourth period let out. So, for a bit of pretty crucial context, I think it would help a good bit to give everyone a little update on my life. 

I really wanted to have something in my life that I carried over here when I started here, and for me at least, that was tennis. Throughout my life I never really enjoyed sports. It never really made me feel happy in the same way it did other people, but either way my parents wanted me to play a sport. Therefore, I ended up playing tennis, and I didn’t stop. So now I find myself at MSA with over thirteen years of tennis under my belt. So, I decided that I was going to play tennis for BHS, and the one rule when it comes to that is that I have to be a student there, which I guess is reasonable. However, this meant I was going to have to take a class at, which of course I wasn’t excited about. Though I am still figuring out why. Maybe it is because the trip there takes longer than I’d like, maybe it’s the school, maybe it’s the stares that I get when I am there. But that’s not what I want to talk about, what I want to talk about is a feeling that I forgot about. Walking out yesterday I found myself sitting alone, surrounded by people, unfortunately I mean that in more of the literal sense than the metaphorical sense. And while I was waiting it gave me an odd sense of Deja vu. I hadn’t realized how long it had been since I needed to wait for a ride to get home from school, almost 6 months but in that time, it had felt like years, and it also made me think about after that. Think about that after this I won’t ever feel that feeling again, that feeling where I wonder what my mom packed me for lunch or if we actually had a pep rally today. I always hated pep rallies, but the idea of never going to one again is odd. I guess that is how it is for a lot of things, even if you hate something it’s hard to wrap your head around the idea that you might not be able to do it anymore. Maybe, I’m selfish, maybe I wanted the option.

Because I generally blog about things having to do with nature, I figured I could take a little break from analogy and deep meaning. Instead, I offer you a photo dump of 5 of my favorite nature photos that I’ve taken, as well as the stories behind them.

1. Fire

I love this picture not only because I am fascinated by fire, but also because the reason it was taken amuses me a lot. I took this picture at a girl’s bonfire birthday party in seventh grade. There were a bunch of people there that I didn’t know very well, so I went and sat by the fire to avoid social interaction. It would be weird to sit there doing nothing, so I decided to snap some photos. This beautiful moment was captured for the sole purpose of concealing my social ineptitude. 

2. The Butterfly

Contrary to the previous photo, “The Butterfly” has significantly more meaning. The day before this was taken, my sister went on hospice care. We thought she wouldn’t make it through the week, so we vacated our house in Houston and went to the nearest beautiful beach we could get to, which happened to be in Galveston, Texas. When we got there, I went outside, enjoying the fresh air I hadn’t tasted for who knows how long (quarantining in a big city like Houston is suffocating in so many ways), and I caught sight of a butterfly partially buried in the sand. I tried for about three hours to keep it alive, dry off its wings, feed it sugar water or anything google said it could consume, but it finally ended up passing away, and I let it drift off into the ocean. 

3. The Beach in Galveston

This was taken the morning after “The Butterfly,” at around 6:00 am. My family and I are from the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, but because my sister was getting medical care at Texas Children’s, we all lived in Houston for around a year and a half. One of the things we missed most was the sunrises and sunsets. We had to leave and go back to Houston that morning, so we were all desperate to grasp onto one more moment of beauty. We got up at about 5:30 and waited for the sun, hoping that it wouldn’t be stormy or cloudy so we could see the sky in all its morning glory. Luckily, we were not disappointed. 

4. Frozen

I feel like many of these were taken in Texas, but alas. This photo was from February 2021. My family was still living in Houston then, during the big “Houston Freeze.” All of our power went out, we were running out of food, we had no heaters… the inside of our house was about 20-30 degrees, and my sister couldn’t even make it to the hospital to receive her treatments. It was scary and painful, but then, I walked outside, and I saw some of the most beautiful scenery I had ever experience. Powdery snow cloaked the ground and the rooftops in white, and everything was covered in a layer of frost. Because the cold came on so quickly, the plants didn’t have the chance to die out yet — they were just concealed in coats of ice that looked like glass magnifying their colors in contrast with all of the bleakness that surrounded them. 

5. The Fallen Lantern

I think this last photo is my ultimate favorite. It wasn’t the best memory for me, but it is beautiful, and I desperately needed beauty on that day. The picture was taken at the lantern release after my sister’s funeral. The sunset was stunning, and seeing all the lanterns lighting up the sky in honor of her was one of the most touching experiences of my entire life. I think that this photo sums up how I felt about that day. Something beautiful had fallen out of the sky and landed in the water, its light being snuffed out way before it should have been — way before all of the other lanterns that still burned so brightly. However, the beauty of the scene and the silhouette of the girl going out into the freezing cold water to pick up the fallen lantern symbolized how our love for my sister has carried on even after she died, no matter how dark or cold that might feel for us. 

That wraps up today’s blog! Thanks for reading, and please let me know if you’re ever in need of pretty pictures!

Have you ever had a sleepover that lasted for an entire week? Well I have. Way back in second grade, 11 years ago, my best friend Dannica was in the middle of moving houses so she came to stay with me at my house for a week. It was the best week ever. We had so much fun. She even brought her dog Rosie. I remember when she first arrived, the first thing we did was set up Rosie’s little pen thingy and instead of putting her in the pen, we put her on the kitchen table. I should probably also mention that Rosie was a teacup chihuahua so she fit on the table perfectly. When we brought Rosie outside to go to the bathroom, we had to bring her on a leash because she was so small she would fit right through the fence boards. At the time, the two dogs my family already owned, Clouseau and Mai-Tai, would always go to the bathroom in this one spot in the yard which ended up killing all the grass in that one spot. Mai-Tai had an excuse. She was blind so she didn’t want to go far in the yard. I think. I don’t really remember, it’s been a while. Clouseau was just a lazy, raggedy old dog so he would go to the bathroom in that one spot and then dart off running across the yard. After a while, my dad had enough of the dead grass and got some grass patch thingies from the hardware store to put down. The dogs killed them. Next he got more grass patches and he also got some little fencing. He did all of this before Dannica and her mom were staying with us but that’s not the point. The point is, there was a little fenced in space small enough for Rosie to not escape and to go to the bathroom but there was one problem. Dogs weren’t allowed in it. I of course ignored that and told Dannica to put Rosie in the little fenced in grassed area. As we went back inside and I thought we got away with it, we walked into the living room and my dad had called me back into the kitchen. I had been caught.

While Dannica was staying at my house I had this huge dry erase board that you would see at a school on the wall. My mom brought it home one day from god knows where. I loved it. Dannica and I had fun using it to practice our spelling words every night when my dad would call them out to us. We would sit on little plastic stools and swap out our markers for a new color for every word.

When it finally came time for Dannica and her mom to leave, Dannica and I were so sad. We had so much fun together. We loved being able to be in the same class together at school and then being able to go home together afterwards. It was all so much fun.

For those of you who think soulmates are lovers, they may be. But they can also be your best friends. I’m very lucky to have met Dannica in 1st grade and to still be friends with her and I hope we will remain friends for the rest of our lives.

So, I’m sure a lot of you write Figure Poetry, or whatever it’s called where you write a poem that looks like what it’s describing. Well for this week’s post, I wanted to share a tip, or a time saver if you will, that could help with whatever you’re trying to write your poem as. 

Below is an example of what I’ve written before using this trick.

This poem is about how the moon. She wishes she would be pulled down into the arms of her lover. The way I got the figure of the poem was really simple and I’ll explain the process in just a few steps.  By the way, I forgot to mention that this is for Google Docs. I’m not sure how to do it for other typing programs. 

So first. You’ll want to decide what you want your poem to resemble. 

For instance, I chose a simple shape, the moon.
(More complex shapes may be harder to write). 

Once you’ve picked your idea, go to Google or some other search engine and look up images of that.

Once you’ve found your perfect image, drag it to your desktop on your computer from the search engine. Your image should now be on your desktop home screen. 

From there, you open Google Docs and create a new document.
Drag the image you selected earlier onto the new document. 

Once you have your image on your new document, you’ll click the image, outlining it in a blue rectangle, bringing up a few options near the bottom of the picture. Among the options you will see a Behind text option. You’ll click that first. (This puts the image behind the words which  you’ll be typing later)

Then once You’ve applied that option, you’ll go back and click the three dots option that was just beside it. A group of options will appear, you’ll click on the Adjustments Option, (second to last.) Then a bar will slide out from the right-hand side of your screen.

A number of sliding bars will appear, you’ll want to focus on the Opacity section. 

Bring the opacity slider to the left, (this affects the image visibility.) Make sure the image is just barely visible.  Then you’ll click off the adjustments area and begin writing. It will take a few tries to get the wording perfectly aligned with the barely visible image, but it will work eventually.
You’ll have to use space, enter, and tab, to get on the right lines.

Once you’ve finished writing your masterpiece, simply click the image, and either drag it off the piece of paper, or click backspace on your keyboard to delete it.   

And there you go, a perfect figure poem.  I hope this helps! 

Do you remember back in like 2019 when on TikTok there was that sound that went like, “ayo best friend check”? Well I just randomly remembered that. Anyway this time I’m writing about one of my friends who doesn’t get enough credit. His name is Aiden. We go way back. We go so far back that my other best friend, Ava, who I’ve been friends with for 10 years gets jealous because I’ve been friends with Aiden for longer.

I should probably start off with how we met but honestly, the story starts waaayy before that. Years ago our dads met in school and quickly became friends. Luckily they stayed friends throughout the years and as life went on and they got married, they were still friends. Aiden’s dad, Mr. Rich and my dad had grown up in New Orleans, Louisiana. After getting married and having kids, my dad moved with our family to Gulfport, Mississippi and Mr. Rich moved with his family to I think Daphne, Alabama. Even though we were an entire state away, we still made time to visit each other. Aiden and I were always stuck to each other like glue because we got along so well and we were only a few months apart.

One of my favorite memories of visiting Aiden was when I was about 5 years old, we were over at Aiden’s house visiting and I was chasing him through his house. As we were running through his dining room I suddenly stopped and asked him what was on the kitchen table. It was this weird brown miniature house with candy and white frosting all over it. I had never seen one before. He told me it was a gingerbread house. That was the day I learned what a gingerbread house was.

Sadly, Aiden and I lost contact for about six years and our families didn’t visit each other at all during those times but recently over the summer we reconnected. I had learned that Aiden and his family had moved to New Orleans and he had learned that my parents had started getting a divorce. We’ve seen each other two more times since the summer but it still hasn’t been enough to fully reconnect. However, what I will say is that when Aiden and I saw each other for the first time in six years over the summer, it was so freaking awkward. After a bit of talking it was like we had spent no time apart. Now we text every couple of days to check in with each other and make sure we’re doing ok.

For those of you who are reading this, please check in with your friends. Especially long distance friends. Don’t let yourself go too long without talking to your friends. Even if your only form of communication is by mailing letters, do it. Don’t let anything get in the way of your friendship.

From ants trekking across the ground, to the fish swimming in the abyss, to the birds soaring through the sky, the world around us is full of life. However, living in a world with cars and houses, sometimes its easy to forget that. I used to look at common birds and think nothing of it, but now I can’t help but get elated upon seeing them. I wonder what their lives are like. What has the crow outside done today? Did the stray dogs in the parking lot sleep well? Did the frog on the rock see anything interesting?

This type of thinking has given me a whole new appreciation of the world and its inhabitants. I’ve had many small encounters with creatures that remain fresh in my mind today, and though these encounters might not mean much in the grand scheme of things, they feel special to me. Today, I want to share some of these moments! Unfortunately I only have pictures for one, but I’ll put it in!

Late Night Doe of Early Morning

I’ve never considered myself a light sleeper, but its occurred to me that I probably am. Recently I awoke from slumber at 3:20 AM, the sound of crunching leaves reaching my ears. At first I didn’t want to get up, but then my brain hit me with the, “What if it’s a cool animal?” And I cannot argue with that. I stood up faster than I ever have, sleepily-but-also-somehow-very-wide-awakenly moving aside the white curtains blocking my view, and lo and behold, there was a brown doe standing in the moonlight. I didn’t know what she was doing here, especially since I live right next to a loud workshop and neighborhood, but she was unbothered. I don’t know if she even noticed me. I watched her walk to the front of my house with effortless elegance. After writing what I saw down, I went back to sleep.

I wonder what that deer was doing there? I don’t know what she could have gained from walking through my yard. Whatever her reason, I hope she’s doing well.

Light Searching Luna Moth

Bonk, bonk, bonk. Reading in my bed at night, I hear it. Bonk, bonk, bonk. One of my cats is suspiciously staring at the window by my corner lamp. BONK, BONK, BONK. The noise was so loud it was honestly a bit frightening at first. What gargantuan bug could be smacking against my window so fiercely? I had to know. And I also had to keep my cat from terrifying the thing. Sorry, Sophie. She was transported out of the room before I looked to see what it was.

It was glorious. Amazing. Entrancing.

It was a MOTH. A luna moth, to be precise! Though one of its swallowtails appeared to be missing, it seemed to be flying fine, though it was mostly bonking on my window to get to my lamp. I was absolutely amazed with this moth. It was was so fuzzy, so absolutely huge, green, and it was a moth! I immediately told everyone in the house that there was a luna moth, and me and my sibling watched it on its quest for light. I was honestly a bit worried it would hurt itself, but it landed on the side of the window eventually.  Sadly, but also thankfully, it realized it could not reach the light. It flew off into the night to hopefully chase other dreams, like safely landing on outdoor lights that aren’t heated and are 100% safe for moths.

Bouncing Bunches of Tiny Frogs

In the spring and summer, my yard bursts to life…

…With frogs. Toads? Every toad is a frog, but not every frog is a toad.

In any case, my yard becomes overrun with this teeny-tiny brown frogs, small enough to fit on my fingertips. They hop around in huge numbers doing frog activities. I love them so much, but they make me so scared for them. I watch my every step like a hawk and spend a moment making sure the coast is clear before pulling down the trash can. May the frogs be prosperous!

Opossum Apparition

Yet another encounter in front of my bedroom window, and another result of hearing crinkling leaves. I don’t remember the exact time, but I believe it was somewhere around 5:00-6:00 when I woke up to hear crunching leaves. I walked over to the curtains and pulled them aside, seeing a huge opossum. Opossums are so cute, cool, and also dangerous, and though I knew what they looked like, I had never seen one in person. I didn’t know they were so huge! I watched its tail sway back and forth as it rounded the corner, and to be completely honest, I almost gaslighted myself into thinking it wasn’t real. If I hadn’t told anyone else about it, I probably wouldn’t even be telling this story now. Many, many nights later, me and my sibling discovered an opossum digging through are trash. It was ferocious as it was adorable, and I wonder if  it was the same one as before. I hope they’re living their best life(s).