Rant.

I honestly cannot stand that people can act one way to your face and another way entirely when you are not around. I also hate that people have this need to pretend to be nice, but have a lilt of dislike in their voice when they speak to you. Just be real. If you don't like me, whatever but stop pretending because all it does is make me want to cry. I am starting to feel as though no one really likes me, and that I am here for everyone to poke fun at, but not to be long lasting good friends. I am the convenience friend, and it is driving me MAD. What did I do to deserve to be walked all over? I am fine being on my own, but I am terrified that I have doomed myself to be alone for the rest of my life. Being independent doesn't mean I don't want to be around people. Being different shouldn't be such a sin. I am starting to worry that something is wrong with me. It's scaring the living daylights out of me, I just want to be loved. Is that too much to ask?

I feel like crying. I miss the feeling of not worrying about people. I miss the people I could count on. I am terrified to transfer and have to start all over. What if I don't make any friends? What if I never find a guy, and I stay this abstinent, never been kissed loser forever? AGH. I am scared, guys.  Why is the future so scary? Okay, end of rant.

Mischief Managed.

Every so often, there is a piece of entertainment that manages to move a generation. I firmly believe that Harry Potter is one of these masterpieces that managed to entertain, teach, and emotionally attach young people to fictional characters and a story we wish was real. I know I was sad when my letter to Hogwarts never came at age eleven. Harry taught me to be brave even when things got scary, Ron taught me it was okay to make outrageous statements, Hermione taught me that you can be smart and share it. Luna taught me that it was alright to be a little looney, and Neville made sure it was okay to be a little off, too. These characters are a part of me, and helped me through some tough times. But the biggest accomplishment of all was that J.K. Rowling taught a whole generation of young people that it was fun to read. I am not ashamed to admit that it took me a while to be able to read silently to myself, age seven to be precise. Once I started, I never stopped. But Harry Potter was my first real venture into long chapter books, at age eight. Rowling's masterpiece made me realize that books were my escape, a handheld way to get away from reality's daily troubles. From then on, I have read everything and anything. I love love to read, and I am a regular at my local library. And I completely blame Ms. Rowling. I hope that Harry has managed to do for other children what he did for me, make me see that novels were a marvelous thing. Reading should never ever die, and there should always be books for children and adults of all ages to pick up and escape their lives. As long as you don't live inside fiction, an occasional escape is just fine.

My feelings about this though begin and end with the books. The films just never did it for me. I believe in order for a book to film franchise to work, they need to be stand alone movies, and I feel that you can be very confused if you have never ever touched a Harry Potter novel. That is not to say I don't go see them, or discourage others. But I feel that every person should at least try out Harry in book form too, as there is such depth to these books, the sheer detail insane. The woman put so much thought into each and every moment, it is a master piece for the ages.

I am a giant Harry nerd, but you probably would never guess until you get me talking. I didn't see the movie at midnight, I didn't dress up. But I did buy books four through seven at midnight and read them until I was finished. Books are like candy, they should be gobbled up, but savored. And Harry Potter novels are like that super special sweet that you want to eat over and over again. So thank you J.K., for introducing me to the most wonderful hobby I have. I truly appreciate it.

I wub you.

Little Nutbrown Hare was going to bed held on tight to Big Nutbrown Hare’s very long ears. He wanted to be sure that Big Nutbrown Hare was listening.

“Guess how much I love you” he said.

“I don’t think I could guess that” said Big Nutbrown Hare.

“This much” said Little Nutbrown Hare stretching out his arms as wide as he could go.

Big Nutbrown Hare have even longer arms. “But I love you this much” he said.

“Hmmm. That’s a lot” thought Little Nutbrown Hare

“I love you as high as I can reach” said Little Nutbrown Hare.

“I love you as high as I can reach” said Big Nutbrown Hare.

“That is very high” thought Little Nutbrown Hare. “I wish I had arms like that”

Then Little Nutbrown Hare had a good idea. He tumbled upside down then reached up the tree trunk with his feet. “I love you all the way up to my toes” he said.

“And I love you up to your toes” said Big Nutbrown Hare swinging him up over his head.

“I love you as I high as I can hop” laughed Little Nutbrown Hare, bouncing up and down.

“But I love you as high as I can hop” smiled Big Nutbrown Hare---and he hopped so high that his ears touched the branches above.

“That’s good hopping”, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. “I wish I could hop like that”.

“I love you all the way down the lane as far as the river”, cried Little Nutbrown Hare.

“I love you across the river and over the hills”, said Big Nutbrown Hare.

“That’s very far,” thought Little Nutbrown Hare. He was almost too sleepy to think anymore. Then he looked beyond the thornbushes, out into the big dark night. Nothing could be farther than the sky.

“I love you right up to the moon” he said and closed his eyes.

“Oh that’s far,’ said Big Nutbrown Hare. “That’s very, very far”

Big Nutbrown Hare settled Little Nutbrown Hare into his bed of leaves. He leaned over and kissed him goodnight. Then he laid down close by and whispered with a smile. “I love you right up to the moon---and back”.

From: Sam McBratney’s Guess How Much I Love You