About 79 Things

Today I start a new category "79 Things" based on the goal book "97 Things To Do Before You Finish High School". I will be blogging about my experiences with each goal for the next three and a half years.

* Please note that any posts you see in the "79 Things" category below this post are not part of the exclusive 79 things, but are included in the book and are things I've completed.

Here's a bit about what you'll expect from this category:

The book is broken up into 9 categories itself!


For Your Personal Development: Deals with unique activities including examining professional artwork, listening to new music and attending theater performances.

For Your Body: Praise the temple that is your body while learning martial arts, detoxing, and learning about your silhouette and colors.

For The World Around You: Get involved in this wonderful planet. Visit a foreign country, participate in a new cultural tradition, or even hike to a mountaintop.

For Community and Environment: Help the planet by visiting your local officials, writing an op-ed, and raising money for charity.

With/For Friends: A special dedication to friends and me-time including activities such as making gifts, dining high on a low budget, and taking a road trip.

With/For Family: Explore the depths of family history with family outings, reaching out to long-lost relatives, and spending quality time with grandparents.

To Express Yourself: Share your talents while designing t-shirts, taking a dance class and creating comic strips.

Because You Should: Make obligations fun by adding spice to your resume, educating yourself on the stock market, and learning basic car maintenance.

Because You're Only Young Once: Embrace your kid side by burying a time capsule, telling someone your darkest secret, or trying a new hairstyle.

The Science of Music

Sometimes we all need a getaway from our stressful lives. That's when we turn to music. It doesn't matter if it's MC Hammer or Tchaikovsky, we all need our "me time".

In the 11 some years I've been able to comprehend musical lyrics I notice that which ever situation, which ever emotion we are experiencing gets captured with those lyrics and gets sent to the brain in one big message. Therefore, whenever we listen to a song a few months after those feelings, we are somewhat taken back to that place we had been in the past.

Now, this can be a good thing and a bad thing.

"Walking On Air" by Kerli was a song I listened to when I was trying to fight for a past relationship that probably wasn't the best holding on to for that long, and now when I hear it I feel the insecure emotion and emptiness that had occurred.

"This Is My Time" by Raven Symone was a song I listened to when I was trying to get through my hardships in middle school (6th grade, to be exact). When I hear it, it makes me smile. I was a kid trying to break free, and I feel that little piece of hope still inside me.

When I hear the first song, I can't enjoy it as much as I used to. I don't feel the inspiration it had on me. As for the second song, I become so happy when I hear it because I know my life worked out well and I did overcome those complications.

I also have a weird connection to my future and current songs I listen to. It seems like which ever lyrics I continue to listen to, my life becomes kind of like them.

Do you think it's some sort of spiritual/religious sign? Or, do you think our minds program it so deep that we actually create our lives to be like the songs we listen to?