love, lee

"Take your fears and bitch slap them"

Sun, 19 May 2013 22:41:00 -0500

This fall, my very good friend from home will be attending University of Michigan’s School of Social Work. When I Skype’d with her just now she told me how difficult it was for her to choose Michigan over UCLA. She has lived in Southern California all her life, and at first there was no doubt in her mind that she would choose UCLA. She realized, though, that if she didn’t break out of her comfort zone now she may never get the chance. So she went ahead and took a leap of faith.

Talking to her took me back to how I felt before making the move out here to Memphis, and it brought back that uneasy mix of emotions knowing you made the harder, but hopefully more rewarding, choice.

Even though this year has continuously pushed me to the limit, and even though I often wish things were easier, how much I wouldn’t take this year back tells me I made the right decision. Hearing from my good friend that she was getting ready to take her own leap of faith has re-sparked my appreciation for everything that has happened from the moment I packed all the clothes/shoes/accessories I could into my Honda Civic coupe and drove 1800 miles east of Orange County to now, 5 days before I’m done with my first year teaching. These 20 children have taught me more about life than many adults I’ve known ever have, and I know I will always think about them no matter where I am or what I am doing in the future. As I write notes to each of my kids on the backs of their framed class pictures, I am hoping in the future they will somehow be able to remember how amazing and fearless they were in their first year of school; how obvious it was to them in Pre-K that they are ‘so smart’ and ‘going to college.’ They proudly say these things and brag about themselves every day in class, and I know as long as they keep some of the same fearlessness, love, and joy as they have today for the rest of their lives they will truly be able to do anything.

Thank you to my kids and all the inspiring people in my life who remind me to take my fears and bitch slap them. Amazing experiences and people await.

"On a long journey of human life, faith is the best of companions; it is the best refreshment on the..."

Sat, 18 May 2013 09:26:13 -0500

“On a long journey of human life, faith is the best of companions; it is the best refreshment on the journey; and it is the greatest property.”

- Buddha (via yogachocolatelove)

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Wed, 15 May 2013 21:06:31 -0500

Photo

Sun, 12 May 2013 11:42:18 -0500

Fantastic. I bet most people don’t know dancing can get to...

Wed, 08 May 2013 20:05:00 -0500

Fantastic.

I bet most people don’t know dancing can get to this level.

Appreciated Memphis even more today frolicking with Aislinn and...

Sat, 04 May 2013 18:47:00 -0500

Appreciated Memphis even more today frolicking with Aislinn and her fresh eyes

Amazing Stax Museum of American Soul Music

Affiliate of Stax Music Academy, a crazy-talented ensemble of ~100 high school & middle school students, and of Soulsville Charter School, a school that sent 100% of its seniors last year to college with scholarships.

"I like intelligent women. When you go out, it shouldn’t be a staring contest."

Thu, 02 May 2013 21:01:46 -0500

“I like intelligent women. When you go out, it shouldn’t be a staring contest.”

- Frank Sinatra (via thatkindofwoman)

"It has been argued that a chronic fever of distraction and fascination arrives on waves of Wi-Fi to..."

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 20:36:53 -0500

“

It has been argued that a chronic fever of distraction and fascination arrives on waves of Wi-Fi to stunt our attention spans, encouraging writers to paddle about, tweeting and liking, instead of striking out for deeper waters. As a writer who writes about writers, I struggle with this surfeit of ideas and impressions myself, but I also can see this so-called malady from a different point of view, through the prism of history. Authors, after all, have always sought the means to build bridges between the world and the page. Wi-Fi, Google Docs, social networks and even smartphones and other gadgets are just the most recent means of doing so. While they can distract us with their bells and whistles, they also provide powerful tools for gathering information, tracking renegade thoughts and inspirations and disciplining the flow of words and ideas.

The impulse to connect to the outside world is an ancient one.

[…]

Writers have always welcomed this intervention and inspiration of the world in the work of composition. Early-modern European authors had their commonplace books: journals they filled with excerpts from classical and modern works, snippets of journalism and reflections gleaned from daily life. More than a mere journal, the commonplace book can be thought of as a paper-based interface for the social world of letters, in which Enlightenment-era writers continuously added, combined and swapped out snippets of found text gleaned from such new media as newspapers, broadsides and learned journals.

”

- Matthew Battles considers how writers interact with the world. Indeed, the medieval florilegium was the literary Tumblr of its day and Voltaire’s Republic of Letters was primordial Facebook. (via explore-blog)

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Sun, 28 Apr 2013 20:42:39 -0500

The Official White House Tumblr: The White House, Tumbling Things

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:36:00 -0500

The Official White House Tumblr: The White House, Tumbling Things:

whitehouse:

We see some great things here at the White House every day, and sharing that stuff with you is one of the best parts of our jobs. That’s why we’re launching a Tumblr. We’ll post things like the best quotes from President Obama, or video of young scientists visiting the White House for the science…

Bill Clinton just joined Twitter, White House just joined Tumblr. Sheer proof tween-aged social media platforms aren’t going anywhere

The Lumineers - Flowers In Your Hair ...

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 00:42:00 -0500

The Lumineers - Flowers In Your Hair

Be in my eyes

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Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:23:50 -0500

"Don’t look back. You’re not going that way."

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:34:00 -0500

“Don’t look back. You’re not going that way.”

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Sun, 21 Apr 2013 12:28:00 -0500

New York x Miraya

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 22:53:32 -0500

We shot this back in November and I finished editing it in February. Here are some stills!

Memphis x Katie

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 22:29:01 -0500

Shot footage yesterday for the second city-portait video I am making. More details to come soon!

"Let the waters settle. You will see stars and moon mirrored in your being."

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 20:58:31 -0500

“Let the waters settle. You will see stars and moon mirrored in your being.”

- Rumi

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Sun, 07 Apr 2013 20:54:02 -0500

"To hell with them. Nothing hurts if you don’t let it. Pain is inevitable, suffering is..."

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 20:44:26 -0500

“To hell with them. Nothing hurts if you don’t let it. Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.”

- Ernest Hemingway

Choreographed by Tessandra Chavez Coldplay - Yellow Dance...

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 20:12:03 -0500

Choreographed by Tessandra Chavez

Coldplay - Yellow

Dance starts at 1:16 - another beautiful, beautiful piece.