The Wild & Wonderful Whites.....

I'm going to be honest- this is going to be a really long and a really weird blog post. Brace yourself!

So, Drew's girlfriend, Ashton, was telling me about this show/documentary/movie that they watched on HBO called The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia.

Wikipedia describes it in a nutshell as:

The documentary The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia (2009) directed by Julien Nitzberg and produced by Johnny Knoxville follows the White Family for one year and primarily consists of first person interviews detailing the poverty, crime, addiction and the ramifications of the coal-mining industry on Appalachian society.

 Okay, so the fact that Johnny Knoxville took an interest in this family should have been the second thing to warn me {Ashton being the first} but "the ramifications of the coal-mining industry on Appalachian society" meant nothing to me really, other than, of course you figure being secluded for generations can do crazy things in the minds of coal miners and their families.  I seriously had no idea.

The movie was basically a family full of "outlaws" or "rebels", whatever you want to call them- Hillbillys with no moral code and Disability checks to pay for their drug habits is basically what it is.  I could not believe the way some people think- or, how much they don't think.  It seriously is a crazy documentary. Don't believe me? Here's the trailer:


Okay, so, you get the idea now...

These people are FOR. REAL. To the killing people and the grandma covering it up, to the baby being taken by Child Protective Services for being born addicted to drugs, to doing drugs at the grandma's birthday party with the little kid in the room, to having one family member shoot the face off of another. I mean this family is certifiably CRAZY.

With that being said, this sparked a conversation today between a "co-worker" {Ashley from my internship} and myself about....people such as this {for lack of better words.}We were talking about how some people are raised like this from day one and simply do not know any better. Some people don't have any chance in the world. Some people don't have an opportunity for an education or for a way out. Some people live their whole entire lives surrounding in some horribleness and never know anything better. The generations continue and the cycle never ends. That is a cryin' shame, I tell you, but it's the truth!

AND- as I watched this, it pulled at my heartstrings. For instance, the baby born with drugs in its system. That baby was beautiful! It was sitting there in the hospital bassinet with a pretty little pink bow in her hair. And what does the mom do? Crushes some pills and snorts them right there in the hospital room! This was right after she was talking about how she wanted better for her child...she wanted her child to have hopes and dreams, and to make something of herself, have an education, the whole nine yards. I was thinking- How would that baby ever have a chance with you acting like that as her mother?!  I didn't see CPS coming, because there's all kinds of kids in this crazy family, but I'm sure glad they did! There was no way in the world that baby was going to be cared for the way it should be with its mother acting the way she was.

I really DON'T know where I'm going with this...because I could go on a rant about drug abuse, the social security system, cultural sensitivity, it all. But I won't. Unless you just want me to. ;)

But, my point is...this stuff exists. People like this exist. And they aren't only in West Virginia in the Appalachian mountains either. I bet they're in Lincoln County- people acting like this, maybe not as drastic, but maybe. We never know. Drugs fry your brain and make people do THE stupidest stuff- and I think this is a great example. It's also a great example of how poverty and a family's culture can literally hold a person back from obtaining their full potential.

I don't know what I'd do if someone from the White family came into an agency where I worked and was court-ordered to receive mental health services. Holy moley! I'd sure be praying a lot, that's for sure! And if I'm ever a school counselor, I hope that my radar goes off and I notice a child in need- who may not have opportunities, support, resources, love, a good influence, MEDICATION, whatever it is they need to succeed, and latch onto them and do what I can to help them help themselves.

Okay, I think I can hop off my soap box now. :)

Alex's 24th Birthday!

So, I am thankful that I get to spend yet another one of Alex's birthdays with him...I think this is the 7th one! :) Alex is not as big of a fan of birthdays as I am, but this year, I'd say he's celebrating quite a bit. Thursday was his actual birthday and he had to WORK all day. He knows he has to get used to that. He's a workin' man now & we are both still so thankful for his job! So, Thursday after he got off work, I accompanied Alex to the gym.

Side note: At the gym I ran a mile straight for the first time in my life! I always run .2 or .3 and then speed walk for a break, then do another .2 or .3 and so on...but this time something came over me and I pushed myself to do a mile straight! I was so proud of myself. I know that may mean absolutely nothing to most of you, because you do that all the time, but it was my first time and I was proud of myself. After that {I was about to die!} Alex and I did the gym's Abs class for half an hour, then I lifted some weights before heading home. What a productive day at the gym! :)

Later that evening, I went over to Alex's for cake to give him his birthday present and to hang out with my birthday boy for a while before his grandpa of a bedtime. With all this work I'm doing lately for psychopathology, the only time Alex and I usually see each other during the week is at the gym! How sad it that?! Especially since we are living in the same city for the summer {for the most part anyways}.

Anyways, I got Alex an Armanti Edwards Carolina Panthers jersey. In case you don't know who Armanti Edwards is...he was the quarterback of Appalachian State University {where Alex and I went to college} and led them to 3 back-to-back{-to back!} national championships {the 3 years I actually attended AppState}! Just look him up on Google or YouTube. I'm not gonna lie....the videos are pretty cool.

Side note: When I got the opportunity I definitely had to snap a shot with the future Carolina Panther...

So anyways....Alex is a HUGE AppState fan, a HUGE Armanti fan, and a HUGE Carolina Panthers fan. Well, can you imagine how happy Alex was when he found out that Armanti Edwards is now a Carolina Panthers wide receiver?!

If you know me, you know I don't VOLUNTARILY spend my time watching sports on TV. Well, now I might have to.

Anyways, he LOVED his present, even though he found out what he was getting when I found him in the process of buying himself one on NFL.com. My presents to him are always a bust somehow or another. I hate that! I blame Alex {of course}. :)

Friday night we went out to eat with his family to Olive Garden and then went with Drew {Alex's brother} & Ashton {Drew's girlfriend}  to see the new movie The A-Team. I thought I'd be disappointed with it, but let me tell you, that this was action-packed AND HILARIOUS. I laughed the whole time! I'd definitely watch it again.

Tonight Alex and his boyfriends are having a boys night to celebrate his birthday while some of us girls go to Charlotte for our friend Meredith's bachelorette party! It should  be fun!

Like I said, for someone who "isn't into birthdays" sure is celebrating 3 days in a row this year! I'm glad for him though....wishing him all the happiness in the world because he's my favorite guy, deserving the best!! Love you Alex! ♥

Sex & the City 2

Click here to read the funniest, most real, {yet sad to admit, true} review on Sex & the City 2. SPOILER ALERT! {But like they said, all the true fans already know what happened anyways.} For the record: let me say that I am SO glad I saw it and I could NOT wait to see it. I'd call it "good" but it was definitely not as good as the first. The writers took our girls, whose lives revolve around NYC & took them to the Middle East. That was problemo numero uno in my eyes. Sad stuff... 

Either way, I loooove me some Sex & the City. Definitely needing to kick my marathon back up! Who wants to lend me their seasons on DVD? Oh wait, I'm taking Psychopathology right now. I'll ask again in August! :)

Love these girls..

Disney Mean Girls

Seriously, this is one of the most awesome things I have found on YouTube to date.
You'd appreciate it a lot more if you have seen{/are obsessed with} the movie Mean Girls...

Movies Movies Movies

So, I successfully got Alex to watch My Sister's Keeper, The Box, and Where The Wild Things Are. That's the good news. The bad news is I have currently got my "movie picking" rights revoked because he absolutely hated all three. I can't blame him about the later two but I mean, come on! How can you hate My Sister's Keeper?? Maybe it's because I told him how the book ended and he expected the same out of the movie, which had a complete opposite ending, but nevertheless...I'm on probation.

So! With that being said, I've had some girls nights lately to the movies and I am reminded of how much I LOVE watching movies. Why? I have no idea, but I like it! There's something about seeing emotion and love that razzes my berry, and reading a book just doesn't do it for me. Now, I'll still read the book {usually} but I still prefer the movie {usually}. If I ever read a good book, I'm always envisioning the movie in my head, even if there's not one! That's what I should do...make movies of good books I've read, because let me tell you- they're all fabulous movies in my head! :)

Okay, anyways...Mom, Laren, & I went & saw Why Did I Get Married Too and I absolutely loved it!! I am not a fan of all of Tyler Perry's movies but the first Why Did I Get Married and now this one are definitely ones to watch, especially if you are in some sort of long-term relationship! I of course am not married, but could totally relate to a lot of things in both of the movies.

If you haven't seen/heard of Why Did I Get Married, here's the trailer for it:


& here's the trailer for the new one, Why Did I Get Married Too:


Now, you KNOW I went & saw Nicholas Sparks' new movie, The Last Song! {because of the immense hopeless romantic I am}. I am SO proud of myself. I have the book but have not read the book yet and knew I was going to see the movie. I did not flip to the back and read the last chapter. I did not Google the book to find out what the movie would be about. I did NOTHING this time. Why I ever do those things, I don't know. I am SO impatient! Anyways, I really liked the movie and I actually cried!! {It takes a lot for me to cry in a movie.} Now, we aren't talking rolling in the aisles bawling my eyes out, but two tears definitely rolled down my cheek. ;)

Next on my list is: Sex & the City 2 {duh!} & Letters to God...


It's by the one of the producers of Fireproof and Facing The Giants so I know it'll be worth watching!

Mmm....I think that's it for now. :)

Blindsided

blind-sided

tr. v.

1: to be unpleasantly surprised, usually with harmful effects

2: to be hit from the blind side

3: to be the recipient of something unexpected and usually undesirable

"Sometimes in the darkness, we find ourselves."

In my previous post I referred to this movie, Blindsided. It's an HBO documentary on Jared Hara, a young teenager who has the same disease my brother, Pat, was recently diagnosed with, Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy ("Leber's" or "LHON"). The day after we got home from Duke, Mom went online to purchase it. We heard it was really inspirational and uplifting. So, a couple days later she gets it in the mail, watches it almost immediately, and then texts me saying, "yep, still crying. it's so hard to watch..." . Well I couldn't not watch it so I got it from her the next day. After going out to dinner with Mom and Laren, I came home to an empty apartment. I put the DVD in and started watching it. The documentary's website describes it as saying:

"Blindsided" is an emotional and inspiring true story about the Hara family, whose son Jared was diagnosed at the age of twelve with a rare genetic disease that would leave him permanently blind. The documentary delves into the minds and hearts of family and friends about the two-year long downward emotional spiral that threatened to destroy this once devoted family. In the end, it is an uplifting story about love, friendship, forgiveness, and the strength of the human spirit.

"Blindsided" is a story of what happens when a family is faced with the unforeseen, the unimaginable. It is a story about a father whose depression and blame rip apart his once devoted family. It is a story about a mother who must live with the fact that she passed down the gene that took her son's eyesight. It is a story about a sister who must live knowing that she carries a gene that would render his blind at any moment. It is a story about Jared, who loses his eyesight in the prime of his life and finds the courage to bring everyone out of the darkness.

Almost immediately into the movie, they show home videos. I think it was the video clips of Jared and his older sister, Audra, that got me going. I mean it didn't take time at all and the tears were flowing uncontrollably. Seeing those videos of a loving older sister, hugging her little brother just touched my heart. I remember those days. Of course my brother and I always argued growing up. We're three years apart and were kids, so of course we fought. But I always loved my baby brother.

There are some very touching moments in the movie...

• moments where Jared's father talks about when Jared tells him that "in not much too longer he wouldn't be able to see him anymore"
• Jared learning who his true friends were, people who stuck around, looked out for him, defended him, helped him out, didn't make him feel isolated, and understood, or at least tried to understand how extremely hard things were for him
• Jared playing in his last hockey game, barely being able to see the puck, not even knowing he scored the winning goal
• showing the depressive state the family went into after Jared's diagnosis
• referring to unsuccessfully trying new technological things to attempt to bring Jared's eyesight back
• watching Jared's mother contemplate to herself whether or not she believes she would have chosen to have her children, had she known she carried this genetic mutation
• listening to Audra talk about how angry she gets, thinking her parent's sole focus is on her brother and the loss of his eyesight, ignoring the fact that she could lose her eyesight at any day, and also the anger she holds for her brother that she loves, simply because she's sad that he's lost his eyesight
• a friend of the family crying, talking about Jared "not ever being able to see his mom again"
• and of course watching Jared as he CHOSE to face his diagnosis head on, learning to live his life as normal as possible, learning to play the guitar and being pretty awesome at it, as well as many other things he always wanted to do

As you can imagine, watching this movie really got me thinking about so many things in my life. Which I won't get into now....I just wanted to try to share this documentary with you, because it really touched my heart more than I had expected.

"Sometimes you have to come from a really dark place, but it's completely up to you to pull yourself out of it."

-Brent Smith, lead singer of Shinedown (featured in "Blindsided")