Photograph

~ Ed Sheeran

Loving can hurt
Loving can hurt sometimes
But it's the only thing that I know
When it gets hard
You know it can get hard sometimes
It is the only thing that makes us feel alive

We keep this love in a photograph
We made these memories for ourselves
Where our eyes are never closing
Hearts are never broken
Times forever frozen still

So you can keep me
Inside the pocket
Of your ripped jeans
Holdin' me closer
'Til our eyes meet
You won't ever be alone
Wait for me to come home

Loving can heal
Loving can mend your soul
And it's the only thing that I know (know)
I swear it will get easier
Remember that with every piece of ya
And it's the only thing we take with us when we die

We keep this love in this photograph
We made these memories for ourselves
Where our eyes are never closing
Our hearts were never broken
Times forever frozen still

So you can keep me
Inside the pocket
Of your ripped jeans
Holdin' me closer
'Til our eyes meet
You won't ever be alone

And if you hurt me
That's OK, baby, only words bleed
Inside these pages you just hold me
And I won't ever let you go

Wait for me to come home [4x]

Oh you can fit me
Inside the necklace you got when you were 16
Next to your heartbeat
Where I should be
Keep it deep within your soul

And if you hurt me
Well, that's OK, baby, only words bleed
Inside these pages you just hold me
And I won't ever let you go

When I'm away
I will remember how you kissed me
Under the lamppost
Back on 6th street
Hearing you whisper through the phone,
"Wait for me to come home."

Superman (It's Not Easy)

~ Five for Fighting

I can't stand to fly
I'm not that naïve
I'm just out to find
The better part of me

I'm more than a bird,
I'm more than a plane
I'm more than some pretty face beside a train
It's not easy to be me

I wish that I could cry
Fall upon my knees
Find a way to lie
'Bout a home I'll never see

It may sound absurd but don't be naïve
Even heroes have the right to bleed
I may be disturbed but won’t you concede
Even heroes have the right to dream
And it's not easy to be me

Up, up and away, away from me
Well, it's alright
You can all sleep sound tonight
I'm not crazy or anything

I can't stand to fly
I'm not that naïve
Men weren't meant to ride
With clouds between their knees

I'm only a man in a silly red sheet
Digging for kryptonite on this one way street
Only a man in a funny red sheet
Looking for special things inside of me
Inside of me, inside of me [2x]

I’m only a man in a funny red sheet
I’m only a man looking for a dream
I’m only a man in a funny red sheet
And it's not easy.
It's not easy to be me.

The Best of me

Dear reader, this is an attempt at another positive post. Let me know if I succeeded.

Too often, I get into a fixed loop of negative thinking where I tell myself I am a failure. That I will never be good enough, that the people who love me deserve better. Today's post is an exercise in positive thinking. When i say positive thinking, I don't mean telling myself "Everything is awesome!" Aaand queue the song. No, what i am referring to is the direct opposite of my negative thought loops. I am going to spend this post talking about what makes me wonderful. What makes me worthwhile as a person. And why I am a success. 

This is, of course very difficult for me, because we were always taught to "praise everyone but yourself". But just because something is difficult, does not mean it is not worth doing. Quite the opposite in fact. I have found that the difficult things are the things that are the most worthwhile. They give you a sense of achievement. And make you grow as a person. This brings me to the first good thing about me. I have grit. I am strong-willed and determined and if I deem something worth doing, I will persevere and do everything in my power to get it done. It does not matter the obstacles, the difficulties, I will stubbornly, determinedly push on.

To balance that strong will, i am pragmatic. Realistic. I have to be, otherwise that stubbornness becomes an extreme and switches over into a negative trait. One that would force me to blindly push my way down a path even when that path is no longer feasible. I can generally see clearly when a path will not work for me and am flexible enough that I can stop myself from banging my head against a brick wall.

And so we come to my next positive trait. I am balanced. I crave balance and order in most areas of my life and so I am constantly aware of the possibility of tipping over to one side or the other. This need for balance makes me, in my opinion, a fairly stable person, but it can also confuse others into thinking that I am not. This is because I compensate constantly on one side or the other to maintain what I consider the middle ground. This makes people think that I am not a very calm or stable person.

My sense of responsibility is also very well developed.Once I have taken ownership of a task or project, I will never let you down, even to the detriment of myself. In that regard, I am extremely trustworthy. If you entrust me with something, you can rest assured that it will be taken care of.

I am a leader. I consider true leaders to be people who lead from the front, by example. A true leader never requires more of others than they require of themselves. I teach by example and will often take more onto my shoulders to spare those who look to me. I give my best and expect the same from others. 

I am honest and straightforward to the point of being blunt. I don't often prevaricate and find small-talk pointless. This means that you will always know where you stand with me. If I am avoiding you, you can probably take it as a sign that I am trying not to say something will offend or hurt you. If you force the issue an prevent me from doing what I can to avoid a confrontation, you will end up hearing some unpleasant truths.

i am fairly intelligent and, though i am not necessarily good at everything, I excel in my chosen fields of specialization.  I am often able to see to the heart of a problem and find innovative solutions by thinking outside the box. I also have a good grasp of the bigger picture enabling me to see potential ramifications of any given course of action. I see in shades of gray rather than pure black and white. 

I am passionate and loyal and a good listener. I have an extensive vocabulary that comes from my love of reading and of writing. i am an excellent organizer, often thinking of things that others have missed. I am creative and artistic, even though I cannot draw. 

And that's me. Those of you who know me, is this how you see me?