I never went to read my Facebook birthday wishes from people… Tomorrow will be a week after my birthday, and yet I still haven’t done it.
I wonder why…
Perhaps to avoid disappointment in how few I expect there to be, combined with an enjoyment of life out here, real life… I feel no need to go check them, though I also am a touch nervous to go check them.
Post-a-day 2022
I painted today.
Twice.
I really enjoyed it, and it made me want to do loads and loads more, and kind of right now.
Something about painting feels addicting – the everything about it, really – and I love it.
My mom was attending a workshop demonstration, and I went to watch and learn the technique, but there were extra spots available, so I even got to participate.
Then, I took home our leftover paint bits, and used them as the first part of the bedsheet I am painting with mixed splatterings of color for a photography backdrop.
On that note, my mom has figured out what to get to make my frame (because I did my measurements this morning) for a backdrop in my sort of pop-up photography studio.
I told her that I want to do photos either next week or the week after, so we need to kick things into gear two or three at this point, and we have.
So, she’s getting the frame stuff hopefully tomorrow.
I’ve asked the model for her schedule in general and on the desired week.
And I even made a Facebook page for my photography, in addition to the Instagram page I already have for it.
I don’t love the Facebook page yet, but it exists and it isn’t bad… shown here.
All of this has arisen out of a visit with a good friend of mine last night at the party.
It lights me up, and I had forgotten that, so I am extremely grateful to our conversations last night. ❤
(Although, I dare say I am not yet convinced of her other ideas and recommendations regarding my [non]dating life and my next steps… we’ll have to see on that one…) 😛
On a separate note, I lived a short time in a little town in southern Germany several years ago.
I was looking up someone this morning who lives there, checking out his company for which he had given me a card at one point, and which I crossed today.
Tonight, as I see the Instagram story of an old student, I see a photo that looks crazy-familiar to me… I click to see the video that is freeze-framed, and recognize the place even more still… I feel like I know not just the town but the little park area where this video is taking place…
I check, and the location is the right little city – hoorah!… I’m a genius, as we all know!
I then go check some photos of mine and – duh du-du duhhhh – it is exACTly the spot I was thinking…. I even have photos of the same buildings.
Shown here:
Isn’t that nuts?!
Super cool, though.
I love things like that happening.
I remember once talking with a pair of people who were recent visitors of Rome, and one shows the other a photo in front of Trevi Fountain, at which point the other pulls out his phone to show the same lady in the background of his photo as who was in her photo – they had been there at the same time, and had the same woman in the background of their photos from different angles.
They, of course, hadn’t known each other at the time, and so wouldn’t have noticed to greet one another, and therefore did not notice one another.
Anyway, fun stuff, right?
…….
One other thing I want to note about conversations from last night:
When discussing the whole recent conversations with a girlfriend and guy regarding physical comfort and confidence (see here), I was mentioning how the guy had said that I needed to worry less about what other people think, as part of sharing the conversation.
At this point, however, a friend across the room cut in, “Okay, wo-wo-wo-woah…. someone said You need to stop caring so much about what people think??…..”
“Mmhmm,” I start to reply, but she continues over me, addressing me and the room at large.
“Does he know you, like, at all??… I don’t think I know anyone who cares less about what other people think than Hannah…”
The other friends in the room give their agreement confidently, and we all begin popcorning smiles and laughter around the room as people give further comments and repeat what the guy had told me, amazed.
I hadn’t thought much about it, but I definitely see her point – I really don’t care much about what other people think of me.
I do care, but only so much, and that ‘so much’ is a whole lot less than the average person’s level of concern for what other people think of him/her.
For the most part, I worry only in the situations that could directly affect me, like avoiding doing something that would have my boss/superiors wanting to fire me, or something like that…. and my only other sensitive area is specifically making sure my body doesn’t come across as displaying the message, ‘Do me now, oh, baby, oh, baby.’
Because, unfortunately, that one can result in actually dangerous situations…, so as I’ve mentioned before, I care about my own safety, and therefore will care accordingly about how people perceive me…
Otherwise, though, it’s laughable how often I do things that most people would avoid for fear of what others might think.
Aka constantly…
Anyway…., goodnight fair World.
I am off to sleep for an early, early rising tomorrow.
Sweet dreams unto you.
Peace
Hannah
Post-a-day 2019
This was my last version of my personal bio section on Facebook:
If you ever get the chance, I hope you dance and smile.
I am currently twenty-three years old, and am happier than a door nail in life. I recently finished studying languages at an amazing liberal arts college, and am using that education to give back to the world. Each day is an opportunity for me to expand myself, and, therefore, to allow others to do the same. My greatest inspirations are those moments of love and joy between others, of which I am witness in the world around me. My known goals in life are to make a difference for others, and to have a blast doing it, all the difficulties and struggles included. My constant hope and prayer is that everyone be comfortable, happy, and satisfied in life, as we all discover ourselves together to be happy, healthy, holy beings.
I was somewhat appalled at it, and so I wrote something new, which I feel is more appropriate nowadays, but which seems a bit iffy:
I’m not sure what to share here. Whenever I check this section of my Facebook, I am surprised at how sprite* and joyful I seem. It isn’t that I’m not a joyful person in life – I’m just not so in-your-face as I seem on these. Apparently “chill” is a word often associated with me, but it is often combined with something like “free” or “earthy”, along with ‘If you want to know about anything, just ask Hannah – she’s done just about everything.’ I hardly agree with the statement, but I understand why people often have said it – I really like learning and doing new things, and, when I set my mind to it, I seem to make just about anything happen. It’s rather magical, really, and I feel utterly blessed in life, and as though my struggles are here now to support me and those around me later.
That’s what I have to share for the moment, it seems. 🙂
*I know this isn’t the right word, but it sounded more right than anything else… think of a combination of ‘bright’ and ‘spirited’ as the reason for my using it (more so than the folklore version, anyway).
So, yeah… I guess this is part of why I haven’t written that book about my life yet – I don’t know what to say, and I let that stop me.
Post-a-day 2018
Today, my Instagram account stopped linking properly with my Facebook account, only uploading a post if it had only a single image, and not multiple images.
This troubled me.
I troubleshooted, and I discovered the exact issue, but not a solution.
And it troubles me somewhat that the issue itself troubles me…, for what attachments do I have involved in such a silly little technical issue?
Or is it merely that I find it absurd when such simple things go wrong, because I view it as the likely result of what I would consider to be the simple stupidity of someone or people not thinking things through thoroughly, so that they actually do a good, worthy job?
Maybe a bit of both…
Post-a-day 2018
Today, near the end of the gather which I had been nervous about attending, I had a wonderful bit of conversation. The following is a rough transcription of it. Keep in mind that it was all in a state of slightly hysterical laughter.
There is a pause, and we both glance at one another, as I grab my phone off the standing table.
(I’m this one) H: Do you wanna be friends?
(The other girl, who got engaged last night) K: Yes! I was just thinking about how to ask that!
We laugh all around, and she quickly pulls out her phone.
H: … I know that it’s a rather commonplace and normal thing for people often not to say what they mean. But I do my best to say what I mean, right? And so, recently, I said to someone, ‘Hey, you said you find yourself in Houston sometimes. Do you wanna try out being friends?’ And I meant it. But, when we first met up to hang out and do something, it apparently was a date. And I didn’t know, because I had meant what I’d said about trying out being friends. So, I’m a little hesitant about using that phrase now, because of that just recently.
K: Well, don’t worry. I won’t ask you out.
And then, as we were partially keeling over in laughter at our own conversation, her fiancé adds: I feel like this is little kindergarten kids in the sandbox. ‘Hey! Wanna be Best Friends?!’
Within 30 seconds, as the Facebook Friend request was approved, K declares quickly: Okay, we’re friends now.
😀
It was a good conversation. Now for the follow-up, because today was a very good beginning for a genuine friendship. 😀
Post-a-day 2018
Today’s stuff was intense and deep and wonderful. Rather than explain and describe everything, I turn to selections from the Facebook Messenger conversation I had with my cousin. As a note that you can understand afterward, I have seven large trash bags crammed in my trunk right now, ready to be donated tomorrow, plus a bag of specifics for my cousin. I went through two bags of trash – and no, I genuinely do not understand what trash is in the bags for the most part, nor from where it all came, seeing as how I was going through clothing only today… Anyway, there was hesitation and uncertainty at the start, then paralyzing panic, followed by red-eyed determination, and then finally comfortable relaxation and ease.
At one point, after probably five (of the eventual 8) bags had been moved to the trunk, I opened up my guitar. I had to cut off the plastic ties that were still around the case from having brought it here on the airplane. I tuned it up from the extremely loose state in which the strings had been for months, played a song, and then just played around for a few minutes. All-in-all, it wasn’t even 15 minutes spent with the guitar, but it was blissful, and I was filled with delight by the end of it. It may seem like little, but having done this specifically speaks volumes about how effective today was – I hadn’t even considered pulling out the guitar until today. The guitar is enjoyment and relaxation and fun. Those haven’t really been an option in my life lately.
Anyway, find the selections here, below, and have a wonderful day. 🙂
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P.S. Sonntag means Sunday. It’s German. 😉
Post-a-day 2018
At a beach in Okinawa one Sunday morning, I noticed a solo western culture guy arrive with a look of curiosity and interest in the various groups of people already at the beach.
A short while later, as I was playing down at the water’s edge with some of the guys (that is, some of the friends with whom I was at the beach), I noticed the same solo guy attempting to be casual quite near to us, though, in my eyes, totally trying to make contact with us somehow.
“You can talk to us,” I said, smiling.
“Huh?”
I repeated, we chuckled, and I asked his name. I gave him my own first name, and brought him to the guys, sharing with them the fact that he, too, was Canadian (which I am not, but most of the guys are).
At the end of the beach hangout, I mostly was the only one who talked much with this guy, but I knew he was vacationing solo for a month+, and it was clear that the communication and interaction were appreciated on his end. So, I learned a little bit about his educational background and aspirations, and told him how we were all in the JET Programme in the same prefecture as one another, and that I lived near Tokyo. Beyond that, I told him almost nothing of myself. Some impressions of living and working in Japan, yes, but no facts or figures about me and my life.
When we said our goodbyes, I wished him well on his travels and for his future. We exchanged no contact information.
A few hours later, when I diddled with my Facebook, I saw that I had a friend request from him.
Wowzer.
Kind of freaky, right? I checked with my group, and none of them had talked to him when I hadn’t been present, and none of them was friends with him on Facebook.
I was amazed at the feat. Though, I suppose I could have been weirded out, it was only flattering to me, really. How many times have I gone through what has sometimes been hours of researching, just to find someone (usually a guy) online? People regularly tell me that I am a fabulous stalker (and that I fortunately use it for good, rather than evil), I am so good at it. I meet a guy in a bar, having learned only his first name, and I can find him online, supposing he has some kind of Internet presence. But that is also part of why I am so careful about what I share about myself with people I don’t know – so they don’t easily find me online , if I don’t want them to find me.
However, my skills of stalking and research led me quite quickly to a way this guy could have found me. I won’t give away all my secrets, but it has to do with photos allowing you to tag locations on various social networks – I think he found me because of the photo I took at the beach, and then put online. Clever, clever boy. Or perhaps he was just lucky. I still haven’t asked. 😛
But, I must say, it was, albeit a bit weird and freaky, quite exciting having a taste of my own medicine used on me – the stalker is stalked! Sort of, anyway. 😛
Post-a-day 2017
hannah ananas 