Silver, Horror Movies and the Fall-Out

Much like the Cold War, bunker building and baby boomers of the 50s, we are starting to see a resurgence of new doomsday fanatics emerging. It seems like almost everyone is getting in on the action,too. Everyone, from teenagers to top Hollywood producers and directors, and even those of an older generation, are hopping on board. This time around, however, it isn’t an atomic nuclear fall-out we are all fretting over. No, the impending doom is coming from a much more gruesome, undead and supernatural phenomenon.

Yes ladies and gentlemen, the end is near! Zombies, werewolves and vampires are sure to end our miserable human existence any day now. These blood-sucking, flesh-eating monsters are everywhere, and we had better prepare ourselves. Hiding out in underground, secret bunkers won’t do us any good these days either. We are going to have to fight back to save mankind! There are a plethora of horror movies and recent undead flicks we can reference for survival tips. So start sharpening plenty of wooded stakes for those nasty vampires, gentlemen. Ladies, head out and buy silver necklaces and bullets to ward off the big, hairy werewolves lurking about. For the zombies, we recommend a good pair of running shoes and the biggest shopping mall you can find!

Rappers and Diamonds: The Relationship Continues

I recently read an article about a well-known rapper that had gold and diamond embedded into his bottom teeth. His reason was that he thought the diamonds were cool and he liked diamond teeth. What is it with rappers and diamonds?

I don’t think there is anything wrong with diamonds. I love them as earrings, bracelets and the your typical types of jewelry. However, being made into a grill for your teeth? I just find that odd. I think it looks weird. It’s like really shiny braces that cost a whole lot more and trust me as I know braces aren’t cheap! I never liked the feel or look of braces on my teeth and I definitely don’t like the look of diamond braces on someone’s teeth.

In a country like ours, we live in extremes. There are so many people that wonder where their next meal is going to come from and where they might find shelter during the next major storm. Then we have rappers going out and making diamond teeth because it looks cool with absolutely no regard to how much money it’s going to cost to look cool. It makes no sense to me, particularly when a lot of current rap stars talk about the poverty they lived in growing up. Will they eventually grow up and realize that extravagance like that is excessive? I don’t know. A charitable contribution lends to mass appeal and you can’t beat that as a celebrity.

Remembering Yesterday with Class Rings

I remember one of the last nights I was in high school. Two of my best friends and I, whom I had known since kindergarten, went out to have dinner and play miniature golf. At the end of the night, we were standing in my driveway talking about how this was one of the last times we might ever do this. Graduation was around the corner and in the fall we were all going to different schools to study different things. Change was coming.

That is a common theme when it comes to the end of high school. “This is the last time we are ever going to…” and you can fill in your own blank. The truth is, though, that it is also the first time. It is the first time that most people recognize that they are part of something larger, of a group that helped them grow into the person they eventually become. That is why class rings are so important.

Years after the graduation, after you have moved away, met someone special, got married or settled down, the class rings that you and your friends have will serve as a talisman to remind you of that time in your life. The first time you realized that it might be the last time you did something with people who meant so much to you.

Cameo Lockets: Memories of Days Gone By

Growing up I didn’t know my grandparents. The last of them passed away when I was a baby. By the time I turned four, my parents had divorced and my mother later married my stepfather. With this addition to the family came the two most wonderful step-grandparents in the world.

They lived far away from us, but I would spend my summers and Christmas with them. We were very close. When I was fourteen, my grandmother passed away. She lived a really good and long life, but this didn’t prevent me from being very distraught. I felt as if she had been taken from me unjustly. My grandfather was very much still in love and felt the same way. He used to say he was waiting to join her. Not long after her passing, he did. After the estate was squared away according to his will, I went to visit my stepfather. He had kept quite a bit of his dear mother’s possessions and offered me my choice of the precious trinkets. There were several things that caught my eye, including her pearl necklace and an amethyst pendant, but the one thing that really grabbed my attention was a cameo locket she had worn often. I picked it up and examined her once favorite piece of jewelry.

As I looked at my grandmother’s cameo closely, I opened it to reveal an old photo of my grandfather as a young man. There was no longer any question; I wanted the same cameo locket that had rested next to my grandmother’s heart to rest next to mine. I have had this cameo necklace for 20 years now and it still is my most prized possession.