for_eva_dreaming's Xanga

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 16:33:02 GMT

this is the type of people the world needs more of :)...somehow giving $20 to a homeless person doesn't feel like enough :p

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89164759

A Victim Treats His Mugger Right

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Julio Diaz recorded his story in New York City just days after he was mugged in the subway. StoryCorps

“If you're willing to risk your freedom for a few dollars, then I guess you must really need the money.”

Julio Diaz, speaking with the teenager who robbed him

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Morning Edition, March 28, 2008 · Julio Diaz has a daily routine. Every night, the 31-year-old social worker ends his hour-long subway commute to the Bronx one stop early, just so he can eat at his favorite diner.

But one night last month, as Diaz stepped off the No. 6 train and onto a nearly empty platform, his evening took an unexpected turn.

He was walking toward the stairs when a teenage boy approached and pulled out a knife.

"He wants my money, so I just gave him my wallet and told him, 'Here you go,'" Diaz says.

As the teen began to walk away, Diaz told him, "Hey, wait a minute. You forgot something. If you're going to be robbing people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep you warm."

The would-be robber looked at his would-be victim, "like what's going on here?" Diaz says. "He asked me, 'Why are you doing this?'"

Diaz replied: "If you're willing to risk your freedom for a few dollars, then I guess you must really need the money. I mean, all I wanted to do was get dinner and if you really want to join me ... hey, you're more than welcome.

"You know, I just felt maybe he really needs help," Diaz says.

Diaz says he and the teen went into the diner and sat in a booth.

"The manager comes by, the dishwashers come by, the waiters come by to say hi," Diaz says. "The kid was like, 'You know everybody here. Do you own this place?'"

"No, I just eat here a lot," Diaz says he told the teen. "He says, 'But you're even nice to the dishwasher.'"

Diaz replied, "Well, haven't you been taught you should be nice to everybody?"

"Yea, but I didn't think people actually behaved that way," the teen said.

Diaz asked him what he wanted out of life. "He just had almost a sad face," Diaz says.

The teen couldn't answer Diaz — or he didn't want to.

When the bill arrived, Diaz told the teen, "Look, I guess you're going to have to pay for this bill 'cause you have my money and I can't pay for this. So if you give me my wallet back, I'll gladly treat you."

The teen "didn't even think about it" and returned the wallet, Diaz says. "I gave him $20 ... I figure maybe it'll help him. I don't know."

Diaz says he asked for something in return — the teen's knife — "and he gave it to me."

Afterward, when Diaz told his mother what happened, she said, "You're the type of kid that if someone asked you for the time, you gave them your watch."

"I figure, you know, if you treat people right, you can only hope that they treat you right. It's as simple as it gets in this complicated world."

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 17:36:11 GMT

I am SO excited to LEARN!

Growing up

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 22:11:18 GMT

"My wish for you is that this life becomes all that you wanted it to...your dreams stay big and worries stay small..."

What a wonderful wish for somebody to bestow...that's as simple as life is...to be a good person...to achieve the things that you set out to do...even if they are small and not plans of world domination...that you always have the strength and the imagination to continue dreaming ...that you have people in your life who support you wholeheartedly in your endeavours...and that you love without limitations once in your life and that you are loved the same way in return...

I think these past few weeks have been some of the toughest in my life in a while...but I guess what makes me a sane person after all (wow, is that possible?) is that after all the self-pity...I am starting to see the silver lining that I have always found in every situation...and what a beautiful lining it is.

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 21:19:01 GMT

The Winners Creed

1. Everyday is a new beginning.
2. All things work together for my ultimate good.
3. Failures are stepping-stones to success.
4. Before I can change anything I must first change myself.
5. I get out of life what I put into it.
6. Success is continuous and never-ending growth.
7. Happiness is my ever-present choice.
8. I can do anything I am committed to.
9. I take 100% responsibility for my personal success.
10. If it's going to be it's up to me therefore it's going to be.
11. People are valuable assets to me.
12. Never, never, never give up.

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 22:34:08 GMT

This is exactly how I feel sometimes:

What ever happened to living? Being happy? Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness? Isn't that what's written in the Constitution - isn't that our indelible right? And yet these days, I feel as though life drives us a certain way ... be this...do that...if you don't keep running, you'll fall behind...you're no more than your social security number, your drivers license, your bank account, your title, your job, you husband / wife's job... what happened to respect for being a GOOD person? respect for HUMANITY? for HARD WORK and PERSERVERANCE? for simple PRINCIPLES that seemed to be so important in another time? respect for something else other than money, capitalism and greed? God, I should be talking...

*Proper credit where proper credit is due: Live Journal Post Secret - thanks!

Monday, February 12, 2007

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 13:09:27 GMT

i am such a conflicted girl :(...

after all that, almost a year in and we've made it through the uncertainty...and i'm finally happy now...he makes me really happy...

...except in 1 month...i might have to move all the way across the world...and i don't see any way to stay except to take a major step back in my career...

what to do?? sacrifice career or personal life? choices are tough...

Monday, January 15, 2007

Mon, 15 Jan 2007 04:52:57 GMT

Life was so much easier in college...when all communication happened across AIM...and various happy faces or blushing faces or winks could get across your entire set of feelings...life today equates with business email...everything is so formal...you have to have a signature at the bottom stating who you are and where you are from so people can decide how much they need to pay attention and respect you...and like our modes of communication, the people around me are so much more complicated as well...and everything is so much more serious.

...man, being an adult is overrated

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Sun, 06 Aug 2006 18:33:13 GMT

Oprah's Advice About Men.

courtesy of the lovely venesa.

If a man wants you, nothing can keep him away. If he doesn't want you, nothing can make him stay. Stop making excuses for a man and his behavior. Allow your intuition (or spirit) to save you from heartache. Stop trying to change yourself for a relationship that's not meant to be. Slower is better. Never live your life for a man before you find what makes you truly happy. If a relationship ends because the man was not treating you as you deserve then heck no, you can't "be friends". A friend wouldn't mistreat a friend. Don't settle. If you feel like he is stringing you along, then he probably is. Don't stay because you think "it will get better." You'll be mad at yourself a year later for staying when things are not better. The only person you can control in a relationship is you. Avoid men who've got a bunch of children by a bunch of different women. He didn't marry them when he got them pregnant, why would he treat you any differently? Always have your own set of friends separate from his. Maintain boundaries in how a guy treats you. If something bothers you speak up. Never let a man know everything. He will use it against you later. You cannot change a man's behavior. Change comes from within. Don't EVER make him feel he is more important than you are...even if he has more education or in a better job. Do not make him into a quasi-god. He is a man, nothing more nothing less. Never let a man define who you are. Never borrow someone else's man. If he cheated with you, he'll cheat on you. A man will only treat you the way you ALLOW him to treat you. All men are NOT dogs. You should not be the one doing all the bending...compromise is a two way street. You need time to heal between relationships...there is nothing cute about baggage... Deal with your issues before pursuing a new relationship. You should never look for someone to COMPLETE you...a relationship consists of two WHOLE individuals...look for someone complimentary...not supplementary. Dating is fun...even if he doesn't turn out to be Mr. Right. Make him miss you sometimes...when a man always know where you are, and you're always readily available to him - he takes it for granted. Never move into his mother's house. Never co-sign for a man. Don't fully commit to a man who doesn't give you everything that you need. Keep him in your radar but get to know others.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

wow...rough weekend...hmm...so why is it that there are people out there who are happy being single and yet somehow always end up dating? there's just something twisted about that.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Tue, 21 Feb 2006 01:55:22 GMT

Tokyo --> Beijing --> Shanghai...man, when am i going to have time to keep track of my portfolio?? ahck...

Tuesday, February 01, 2005

Tue, 01 Feb 2005 03:58:20 GMT

i will never be your tier 4...your tier 3...or your tier 2...just your tier 1...

...actually, just your 1...thank you very much.