The Chronicles of Janie

Somewhere inside of me, in that mysterious place between soul and mind, there's a box. I think it looks rather like an old steamer trunk - nondescript and capacious - and an old-fashioned skeleton key stands in the lock, ready for the lightest thought to turn it. This old trunk is where I keep beautiful things. Memories, thoughts, songs...stored away in a golden jumble of emotions and laughter and awe. They are all there, gleaming nostalgically, ready to pour out at a moment's notice. The warm glow. The light of other days. Beauty and truth to illuminate seasons of gloom. The images of many people are in this box. People of varying skin colors and backgrounds, but all with one thing in common - the positive impact they've had on my life. Whether I've know them for ten years or ten hours, they've all contributed to making me a better person. I wish there was a way to let all of them know how wonderful they are... Words and phrases are also stored away. Some of...

...especially the lyrics‎! 'Me, I imagine places That I have never seen - The colored lights in fountains, Blue and green And I imagine places That I will never go. Behind these clouds that hang here, Dark and low.' 'So we carry every sadness with us - Every hour our hearts were broken, Every night the fear and darkness Lay down with us. But I am holding half an acre Torn from the map of Michigan. I am carrying this scrap of paper That can crack the darkest sky wide open - Every burden taken from me, Every night my heart unfolding... My home' 'The starless night come fall around me Over all we've left undone. I know a light that shines forever Howsoever we may run.' 'I'm a king at night And a poor man in the morning How will anybody know me?' 'Every mystery grows like a vine; Reaching out to the sun for a while And holding the soil Forever and ever.' See? Wonderful! You should come listen to my  Hem...

Have you ever noticed that a lot of people regard themselves as being odd? I didn't become aware of this trend until I joined HSA, and started noticing that well over half of the blogs have the word 'odd' in the description. Maybe it's mainly a homeschooler thing, but I think that other pieces of society have also embraced the word 'odd'. People have taken to wearing the rather derogatory term as a badge of honor. 'Look at me! I'm odd! You want to get to know me 'cause 'odd' really means cool...or something.' Why is being 'different' so hip? Why do people want to stand out? For me, it's simply that I've gradually gotten the courage to be myself. I've always known that I'd stand out if I talked and dressed and acted the way I really wanted to. That used to terrify me, but now I've decided that when I feel the urge to dress like a gypsy or talk with a funny accent, I should just go for it. And you know what? P...

Have you ever stopped to consider the many different kinds of fear and bravery? I think there are as many definitions of bravery as there are people in the world. Most people are afraid of something, and therefore consider that the people who do those things must be very brave. Personally, I think that the bravest people are the ordinary, everyday folks who are afraid of a thing, yet face it and overcome it and go on. I think that the bravest people are those who do what needs to be done without fuss or complaint or praise. I have never considered myself a particularly brave person. I know how many varieties of fear plague me, and I know how many times I allow those fears to hold me back. There are many times when I despise myself as a miserable coward. Therefore, it comes as a big surprise when people comment on how brave I am. 'You ride horses? That's so brave!' 'You went to Africa and ate street food? That's so brave!' 'You've gone rappelling? That...