Karla's Chronicles

Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror and didn’t recognize the person looking back at you? Don’t worry I have been there, too. It doesn’t necessarily mean that we are ungrateful. It is just that it is sometimes hard to see the good things and the value that others around you may see. Perhaps the devil is letting us in on his most vile secrets. We would love to duct tape his mouth shut, but somehow the words find their way out even if his mouth is sealed shut. The words circle like a drain from his mouth to our ears and then our head. It is a deadly vicious cycle that can be extremely detrimental to our self-esteem and personal development. Even though we know deep down that his maltreatment and disgusting words are never true and can’t possibly be proven, we begin to let them soak in our minds. Our mind can operate like a sponge, and eventually, we begin to soak up all of those words and translate them as the absolute truth. We then begin to sulk and cry because we feel

Finding zeal in life Your life is short. It may sometimes feel like you live and then all of a sudden, your life is coming to an end. There is no doubt that there are going to be a mix of both good and hard times in your life. It is a fact that no one’s life is perfect, and that struggle is universal. Our coping mechanisms and the way we structure ourselves to deal with hardship may be different, but we all struggle. We all struggle with things that may seem petty or simple to the person on the outside looking in. They may think that we are being overly dramatic or silly when we fuss over the slight things, but that’s the whole idea. Someone else can not jump into our heads and measure the intensity of our sadness or anxiety. How we measure it and how we decide to cope with it is up to us and us only. Some of us may even decide to seek therapy despite having solid support systems. This does not mean that we do not trust our support systems, however. It just means that we need som

“Cold Heart” My heart feels hardened/feels like an empty hole/A path to nowhere but feelings of old. It feels like it struggles to keep up/with the feelings of useless love You broke my heart into a million little pieces/ It feels like a mirror shattered all around me/ the feelings of glass envelop my throat/It feels like a knife/ sharpened to a point/meant to slice the joint/Maybe if you had taken the time to get to the point/ We would never have had to feel this pain/ A Hallowed heart/A person falling apart

This week, I am participating in a 4-day writing challenge. I will be posting some sort of creative work through Thursday. These are very sudden and off the whim kind of pieces, which makes it challenging and fun! I hope you enjoy them!! “Dreary Midnight” Every morning, at the peak of midnight, I wake to see the hollowness of my face and my distraught hair. I never knew that living some time without you would be this hard. Of course, I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but it seems I underestimated our worth together. I underestimated the joy we had in each of our hearts, not just for ourselves but for others. I underestimated the beauty of our hearts beating in time with one another when we looked into each other’s eyes. I never knew the true joy and love behind our lovemaking sessions. I know this is not your fault. You didn’t mean to get sick and upset our rhythm and our routine. Every morning at midnight, though, I feel my heart sink a little more. Like its floating in its own fil

As I romp joyfu lly  through the winter wonderland, I can’t help myself and I am enamored with the beauty that is surrounding me everywhere I look. The white on the tree glistens with dollops of snow. The birds seem happy as the snow even covers them as well. This very scene makes me wonder why I do not take the time to really take in the breathless beauty that surrounds me on a more regular basis.   Maybe it is because we as a society become so wrapped up in what we must accomplish on a day to day basis with work and life that we tend to leave the smaller things on the back burner. From the beginning of life, we are taught to work hard and relentlessly for what we want. Many times, we don’t even see the scope of the achievement until it is completed, and we receive the gold star of accomplishment.    Maybe it is because we are addicted to work and don’t see merit in any other form. Whatever the case may be, I think it is very important to appreciate all of the little things

Hey there, everyone! It has been a while since I have really tested myself with a challenge regarding my writing. Since it is nearing the end of the week, this challenge will begin on Monday, November 25. I am going to be challenging myself to post on this blog 8 times in the next two weeks! That means I will be posting Monday-Thursday for the next two weeks on this platform. I really need to get myself back in my writing routine and figured this would be a good way to introduce more of a schedule again!

When we are younger and perhaps when we first learn about love, our natural instinct is to chase it. We hunger for it and feel a bit like a loser if we don't obtain it. Everyone is sure to dream of a time where their love was as perfect as a movie scene. The truth of the matter is though no love story is perfect. We are all human and therefore prone to mistakes. It is of utmost importance to remember that we are all senseless at times. Things hurt us, even if they are meant to be a joke or supposed to make us have a laugh. It is important to be mindful when pointing out our flaws or mistakes. Doing this too often has the ability to slowly ruin a partnership or relationship. Sometimes, people grow apart. It just sometimes happens with the progression of life and as we set out to achieve our own goals and dreams. This doesn't mean that the love you all once had is just taken away; it's just that life sends us our separate ways. I know the painful hurt of this situation, but

Life sometimes gets everyone down. It's only natural, but really all we need is some encouragement. 1. Be Still. Try not to preoccupy yourself with things that will take your mind off the real issue at the moment. Be still in the moment and try your best to reflect on it. Contrary to popular belief, it's ok to focus on your issues every once in a while. 2. Keep your head up. Scream and cry if you need to, but also realize that your strength is capable of super-human things, and it will never abandon you. 3. Talk about it. It doesn't matter if you have a youtube platform with lots of followers or a therapist. Find someone to confide in and talk your problems out with them if you feel comfortable. 4. Remember, you're never alone. Everyone feels some sort of troubles in their life, and if they tell you they don't they're lying. 5. It does get better. It must feel like a never-ending cycle, but I promise you, it does and will get better!!! Hang in there. :)

The world in which we live is so chilling. The violence is so malicious and senseless. It's not supposed to be a thing for parents to have to bury their children before they leave this Earth. It's just incomprehensible to me. It's not even so much a political issue even though some people tend to turn it into something it's not. Republican, Democrat, polka-dotted; it doesn't matter. We need to come together to come up with a law that works and prevents future tragedies like this from happening in the future. It doesn't need to happen later. It needs to happen NOW. Quit pussyfooting around the issue and understand that we are not trying to take guns from law-abiding citizens. We need to take assault-style weapons out of the hands of the average Joe. Aside from the police and military personnel, there is no need for such a high powered weapon in my opinion. I see arguments all of the time that people kill people guns do not. Well, someone has to pull the trigger

Important things to remember 1. You are enough . No matter how much some may try to discourage you, remember that you are important and enough for the ones who really care. 2.  You are loved. I know that there is always the risk of heartbreak in the realm of love, but it is important to remember that someone out there loves you unconditionally. 3.  You are destined for greatness. 4.   You have a unique plan destined just for you 5. Life is hard but rely on your strength to keep you afloat. 6. You must love yourself before you can possibly love anyone else. 7.  Self-confidence is the best gift you can give to yourself.

Life already moves at a fast pace, but I feel like we are in a rush to make it go faster. While it is all well and good to have things to look forward to, I think we also need to step back and embrace each moment while we can. To be completely honest, we never know when we will get called home. Life is very unpredictable. We don't know which direction it will send us in. We just kind of have to roll with the punches then and figure out a way to adapt to each new change. It is much easier to say and write down than it is to do it. Loving yourself and embracing the life that you have is the first big step in really understanding your life and your ability to make the change. This might be particularly difficult for those who are routine people and do not do well with change at first. However, once you feel a positive change in your life, you will never want to look back. Confidence is key as well as attitude. Keep them both positive and the same will flock to you.

One of the hardest things in life that you may have to deal with is trying to recover from the darkness. I try all of the time to describe depression to others who have may not have bee through it, and I find I really struggle to find the appropriate words and scenarios. I will tell you that it is suffocating. It almost feels like an elephant is sitting on your chest, blocking the air from your lungs. It can also cause an insignificant amount of guilt because deep down, you know that other people pick up on your feelings, and it is hard to be around someone who is suffering from all of the feelings that come as a part of depression. So, it is hard deep down knowing that you may be affecting others with a mental illness that is certainly no fault of your own. Recovering from this is kind of an oxymoron as you never recover from it. Unfortunately, it can sneak up on you anytime it chooses to. However, there can be recovery periods. The first step in my recovery was learning to love myse

When I close my eyes at night, and I drift off to dreamland, I see the person I was meant to be. I see a normal, happy, and physically healthy person. A person who is married and lives without burden. I open my eyes in the morning and realize it was just a mere dream. In some ways, I am glad to return to my normal wheelchair dependent life. I think it is because I truly don't know any other way of life. I am accustomed to my adaptations and my routine, as simplistic as it may be. I don't think many people could live my life successfully. Not because it is horrible, but because it is limited. Life, in many ways, is like a game of poker. You never know if you will have a lucky draw or not. You just play along with whatever you are handed. Sounds way simpler and easier to do than it is actually is. My greatest tip I have is to love yourself. Once you love yourself you can carry on trying to put your life together. Think of your life as the world's biggest puzzle. Once you fi

One thing is for certain. We live in a very judgemental world. People will find any and every excuse to point fingers or ravage someone just because they may not share the same viewpoint. I have always said that opinions are something that makes everyone different and unique. This world would become mighty dull if we agreed on the same things all of the time. Another thing I feel strongly about is my freedom to express my opinion without being jumped all over for it. Sure, a lot of my thoughts are in the minority, especially politically, but just like I don't believe in jumping on others for their view, I believe the same respect should be given to me. I understand that we will never live in a perfect world, and I know there is no such thing as a perfect person. However, the way we treat people is totally in our control. I live by the golden rule (or try my best to). I believe others should too, and should be especially careful when considering others feelings. Some people (like my

When you feel lost and alone, Don't worry, I know you will eventually find your way back home. Even when the pain radiates and stings like the worst bee sting, remember it's only temporary. You may be trapped in the thought that this feeling will never leave you alone. I know this feeling all too well, and it is verging on terrifying. It's almost like being trapped in a spider's web and unable to find your way out of its intricate web. No matter what you try to do to escape it, it seems like there is nothing more to do than go through it and let it resolve itself. Bad times in life are indeed inevitable. They are going to happen, some on a more frequent basis than others. Feeling lost may even relate back to your childhood. Maybe you grew up without a mother or father figure, and no matter how much you search for one, you realize it is just another curveball that may even affect you in adulthood. As we are growing up rearing and learning are both special skills that w

Summertime The sun shines on my skin/as I sit by the pool basking in the sun/ School just ended/ And all of the kids are celebrating not having any more work to do/The teachers are just as happy/ They get to relax after dealing with classrooms of kids and teenagers/The purpose of the summer/is to enjoy life/to bask in the joy/ and remember what you have been through to get here/ we go through the winter/where everything is cold, barren, and brown/ but we stay alive/because we know that life will turn around/it means vacation with the family/and memories to last a lifetime/ the summer was the time of the year I made you mine/ I still look in your eyes/and see the love reflected back/you remind me that I have never lacked/ you just want me plain jane and all/ you hold my hand while we cruise the mall/ I no longer feel little of small/ you are everything I have been looking for flaws and all/ I will always remember this summertime/where the sun shine/meant that you would be mine forever.

Gymnastics. The hardest sport in the world. Yes, you heard me right. Those girls you see magically flying across the floor exercise mat are nothing short of superhuman. They have dedicated their whole life to working extremely hard so that they can master the skills to wow audiences across the world. Not only that but if they're lucky enough, they can possibly make it on the International Stage and then to the elusive Olympic Games. I would assume that the Olympic Games are the most elite gymnast's dream, but there is a reason the committee is so selective. Only the best of the best make it there, but luckily, there are other choices. One of those choices is college gymnastics. I have loved LSU's college program for almost 24 years. Longer than the current gymnasts on the squad have been alive. I for one fell head over heels in love with gymnastics when the 1996 women's team won the gold medal. That was so inspirational to me. They worked and I am sure struggled to make

As a child, I had big and ambitious dreams to be a doctor. I have always loved learning how the human body works. I find it utterly fascinating. I had one of those fake doctor's kits and used to use them on my baby dolls pretending like they were the patients. In high school, I loved the biological sciences and they were easy for me. I had my mind cemented on the whole doctor thing until I learned that it required math, and I am not good at math in any sense. Once I realized that I went onto social work and had my mind set on it all through college until a mishap in graduate school basically ruined that dream for me. Fast forward to present day and being a writer. I absolutely love the idea and the actions of being a writer. I love putting my talent on display for the rest of the world to see. I will be honest that sometimes it is a curse. It will interrupt the most amazing night's sleep with a creative idea. Once that happens, I am pretty much awake with the idea of the piece

I have not been keeping up with the posts on here like I had hoped to. I apologize for that, but I spent a lot of time this week helping a best friend through some very personal stuff. I, too have been struggling a bit.. feeling unattractive and dealing with nausea from my pain conditions. To put it short and sweet, it has not been a great week really at all, but it has gotten better towards the end. One positive example of it getting better is that I was able to write yet another gymnastics post & I am getting the LSU coach to read it to the team to let them know how much I truly care. So that is truly awesome. I also submitted it for publication so I can share it with various other people once it is published! Sorry if that news is boring to some of you, but writing is basically my life. On another note, I am getting better and better at coloring. I am truly taking my time with it. I am making sure it is really neat and pristine looking. Maybe I will share some of the pictures

The storms, they will knock you down. They will send you into a whirlwind of confusion and anger. They will test you in ways you would have never imagined before. They will make it hard for you to see through the blurred tears and all of the sadness and frustration. So much so that you can't for the life of you remember how you got here in the first place. You were following all of the rules and being the best person you know how to be. You thought you were in a comfortable spot in life when all of a sudden, you were knocked out of your comfortable bubble. You fall to the ground, bruised and broken. You know that you'll look back later and wonder where all of your injuries came from, but for now, when you look in the mirror, you see someone you don't know. You see more grey hairs forming in your head even though you're relatively young. You see the wrinkles and dark circles under your eyes, and you realize you haven't slept peacefully in months. In an attempt to mak

Hello to my readers, How are you all this afternoon? I hope you all are doing okay. I am doing the best I have been all week. I have been truly exhausted this week. Seriously, I never knew a human could be so tired and sleep so much. Before anyone asks (and I know it's out of concern) but no, I am not depressed and yes, I am sure I am not. I think it's just my body is so worn down that I have to sleep several times a day. Also, yesterday was a very weird day. My laptop keyboard starting not working. None of the keys were working. As a writer, I was freaking out a bit because I am so dependent on this little machine to work for me so that I can get my work done. I looked up all of the tricks and hacks, and none of them worked. I was resorting to using the on-screen keyboard. I was beyond frustrated because I knew there would be no way I could write a blog using the on-screen keyboard. I went to start up my computer this morning to check on the keyboard, and like magic, it star

Hello, everyone, This is my second blog post for this week. I apologize there was one missing yesterday. I have not been feeling well. All I literally did yesterday was lay in the recliner, sleep, and watch tv. Not a very interesting day. I find myself getting angry when I have to take days off of my normal schedule to rest. I know I have to take care of myself, and this is just a part of the package. I will be back tomorrow with something creative so stay tuned.

Do not let the sun blind you/ I know you have been pleading for the light/ I know you want to bask in it/but please be careful/ just like jealousy and hurt/the sun can blind you/you can begin to live in a world where you see nothing wrong/ and there is nothing stopping you from doing what you want/ You spent endless nights on your knees/praying that the light would lead you to happiness/ anything to get you out of the endless maze of darkness/one that leads you into the pit of despair/ my only hope is that you realize that the hurt can come back in the light/and then the darkness is overshadowing again/enjoy the happier times/but don't let the devil on your shoulder entice you and bring you back to the darkside

I am an observer of social behavior. It is absolutely and incredibly fascinating for me to watch people and the way they interact with the world around them. Body language and the way people carry themselves will tell you a lot about a person. In my opinion, you can also tell whether their self-confidence is real or artificial. The world and society as a whole is a very judgemental place. You are sure to have a finger-wagging at you for every little move it seems in today's world. The truth of the matter is that there is no perfect way to go about doing anything. We were all made differently for a reason, and we all choose to operate on what best suits us at any given time in our lives. We as people are no means flawless, and we try the best we can to live up to other's expectations. However, it is a given that we will make mistakes; we will do things that we later regret but cannot take back. Like it or not, it's part of the human experience. There are going to be dark

Tips for building your own brand Try to engage with your followers as much as possible. There may be times when you forget to post consistently, and that is understandable. Life gets in the way sometimes. However, just make sure you have a page set up where your followers can see what items are for sale and what you have been up to. Be patient. Instant success does not happen overnight. Just keep working towards your goals. The quality of your work will pay off eventually. Your work will be seen and people will start to adapt to your style, and more importantly, your character. Be yourself. Don’t worry about the pressures to be overly professional or proper. Be who you are. Chances are people will be more willing to engage in what you’re doing if they are attracted to who you really are, no filters or add on necessary. Take your time. In the world of writing, there is nothing worse than rushed work or pressured work in which you felt the need to do, despite not feeling inspi

As many of you may know, I had steroid injections for my hip (dysplasia, osteoarthritis) and an injection in my knee (Chronic knee tendonitis). As a result, I am trying to take it super easy. I am hoping to be able to post one of my topics on Friday, but we will have to see. I am very low on energy and feeling extremely tired. A bit like a zombie if I am honest. Thought I would let you guys know in case you came searching for new material. I have to make taking care of myself a key priority so once I feel up to it again, I will post another topic based blog. See you all soon!

Life can be hard. It can surprise us in the most disappointing ways. It can come out of nowhere and just slap us in the face without even lending a hand to get back up. It just laughs in our faces and there is nothing we can really do about it at the moment! We just have to find a way to keep going without allowing the negative to take over our headspace. Some people are more adept at this concept than others. The time it takes to move on from a blow depends on the severity and really your personality type. Aside from the negative and in a whole different realm are the great situations in our lives and the people who get the most satisfaction out of living a life based on the good things and the good times. These are the happy-go-lucky types, and I am a member of this club. My transition over to the happier side did not happen overnight, instead, it took years and my fair share of bad things before I finally told the devil on my shoulder that I had had enough of his antics. I was onc

Hello, everyone, this past week, I challenged myself to write four poems as a part of a writing challenge to help eliminate my writer's block! I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them! Poem #1 for the weekly poetry challenge. 3/25/2019 The dark clouds look distraught and angry As if they could blow up the sky At a flip of a switch The atmosphere is still And sterile The kind of weather That could send my mind Going off the rails I bite my nails Until there are none left This kind of weather brings back The horrible memories of the floods And the horrible thoughts Cloud my memory Until the sun shines again And brings back the hope of rebirth "Rebirth" Some call it recovery Bouncing back Not forgetting what happened But instead coping with it The best way we know how I like to call it a rebirth A turning over of a new leaf Treasuring the old but looking forward to the new Remembering that the sun always shines again "Enjoying life" Whe