Love at First Sight?

       Love at first sight?  Hah!  I have always figured this a ridiculous notion existing only in the lame fictional love stories through which the author was not even creative enough to think of an inclination on a relationship.  This idea could not have been more wrong.  I do not know what happened, but I witnessed it.  I experienced it.  Something certainly was different about that boy I saw.  However, there were no butterflies, no fireworks, not anything in the mushy gushy category.  In fact, quite on the contrary, I could not decide whether he was utterly ignorant and I would never remotely like him as a human being, or he was that shy, awkward kid that could be the project of my often titled "social butterfly" self.  Either I would avoid him to save my nerves or break the ice, introduce him to a few other quiet types, feel good about my good deed as I went about making actual friends.  How would I find which would ring true?  Naturally, I compliment his dance moves during a group game.  After taking a few moments to either ignore me or look down (his well over 6ft stature towered over my under 5ft body) to realize I was speaking to him.  He replied with an almost confused, or amused, "thanks" and a half smile.  I had made no progress in my deciphering.  Turns out he is in my film class. Through class introductions (everyone loves those...not) it is revealed that his favorite movie is Forrest Gump and he wants to be a psyche major and build an orphanage in a third world country; I was shocked and amazed.  Was I  completely off base?  This impressiveness was altered when he slept through the rest of the class.  Not to toot my own horn, but I like to consider myself a decent people- reader.  I had been right so far about all these folks, and then, there was this guy.  The next day, as we moved from our classroom to the lecture hall, I formally introduced myself, not as if this were out of character for me.  He responded in a robotic, yet kind manner, returning the favor.  Since he has no idea  that I even have a blog, much less do I have his permission to use his name, we shall call him Landon, because, well, simply because I like that name.  Landon and I sat together that class.  After two hours, we left that classroom strangers still.  That evening, after being ditched three times and an awful and lonely ride, I was enjoying a girls' night with my R.A. group at the Voices of Lee and Newsboys concert.  I laughed, worshipped, hung out, and had a surprisingly good time.  This was only the beginning, little did I know.  Somehow, oh how I hated getting to the buses and deciding which fateful locomotive held the best possible next couple of hours of my life, I was separated once again from my group.  All I can say is, when we get out of His way, God does incredible things, even little things for the utter joy of His beloved children.  Landon was beside his roommate, Mason (keep in mind my own creating of names for security) in the back seat, I sat in front with the rad Grayson, and two girls I met in front of us.  As I climbed to my inner window seat, Landon was making rhythmical taps and beats with his hands and feet.  Of course, I informed him that I was the only white girl on a step/ dance team, and, this time, I shocked him...in a good way.  Turns out, so was he, with the exception of guys, not girls.  Then, how this happened I have yet to know, we all began singing, sometimes pretty darn well, if I may add.  Country songs, movie songs, classic songs, R&B songs, you name it, we performed it.  After running low on a music pool of things we all knew, we chilled and chatted.  Mason was speaking to the lovely female in front of me, so I attempted to scoot over so as not to interfere since Grayson did not mind.  This also moved me closer to Landon.  Once again, exactly how it happened is a blur, this ride went into morning hours, anyhow, we began talking about music.  I listened to, how does one put it, little- known music, and guess what? So did Landon.  He asked me about countless bands and I was amazed to find this guy who wore Polo ( no offense anyone) not only knew about, but liked.  Then I mentioned how the greatest show I ever went to was Needtobreathe, who was very possibly my favorite band, which for me, the indecisive girl who listens to SO much music, is a major deal even playing with the idea of favorites.  Landon's jaw literally dropped.  In the darkness I had failed to notice, which he quickly revealed, his Needtobreathe shirt he was wearing because they were his favorite band.  This continued until, unfortunately, we arrived back to that beautiful Lee University campus.  As we unloaded, foot plus height difference and all, Landon told his R.A. Josh, arguably one of the coolest people to ever walk this planet, that we were having a moment.  My heart dropped.  My life up until this moment had given little time or care to the pursuit of fairytale, emphasis on "up until this moment."  After a hug from this new, friend, I suppose we could call, I walked back to my dorm feeling more girly than I ever had.  The next day, Landon asked to sit by me in class, yes, this shy guy initiated something, and this time, nothing was strange.  We walked to our group meeting and I fell in love with every detail he told me about himself.  He was a dancer.  He was from Athens, argo, a GA Dawgs fan.  He taught ballroom dance and etiquette classes.  He was humble (this one he did not tell me; I figured it out.)  The walk from one side of campus to the other went by unnaturally quickly, and upon walking in, he was saying something about us sitting somewhere when I was summoned by my group.  I went over to them, hurting both of our feelings, and I would have certainly done that differently if I could redo.  However, I caught up with him later on the way to bowling, and this bus ride is quite frankly the best moment of my seventeen years at this present moment.  We listened to music, our music, as he shared more and more beautiful details of himself.  He even  showed pictures and videos to assist commentate.  He took a gorgeous down syndrome young lady to prom.  He genuinely loved his family.  He enjoyed deep conversations about life.  He went to Goodwill to buy long sleeve tees, which he really liked.  He goes by his middle name.  He plays basketball.  He cannot drink regular chocolate milk because his friend and he had discovered some sort of organic chocolate milk that he swears is the best ever.  His brother and my brother have the same name.  His favorite number is three.  He loves Jesus.  He jokingly asked me to marry him, took a picture of us that he sent to his home friends that "approved." My heart did not just drop.  More like it flew or was stolen.  Once again, we had so very much in common, but I could not even focus on this fact because I was so infatuated with who he was and his heart, not a shallow, obsessive infatuation like that of a starstruck fangirl.  I legitimately wanted to spend time with him and learn more about him.  It made me content.  And how he acted made me think the feeling was mutual.  The next week and a half flew by.  Schedule conflicts and other factors hindered and actually drew us apart to an extent.  Here I sit, another week after it all ended.  Upon asking for one last hug in case we never saw each other again, although there did not seem to be much confidence behind the words, Landon replied, "We will."  So that initial strange feeling, was it love at first sight?  Interest at first sight?  Dislike at first sight that completely changed in a short time period?  Or, perhaps, it was no stereotype nor known described cliche.  Perhaps Landon and I had something, created something, that was not in any of the history or fiction books.  This seems exciting, oh, it was! But there are certainly tough repercussions that follow. How does one move one, yet not let go of, the greatest experience that has potential to not totally end?  Being a girl sucks.  The waiting game, waiting to be chased and cared for my our very own Prince Charming, is so much more difficult when it is with someone you hardly know that lives, well, not next door, to say the least.  Distance leaves me more confused than ever.  Prayer upon prayer, wish upon wish, flower upon flower, star upon star, maybe, just maybe the person you fall for falls head over heels for you as well.  This is not the end to this story.  I will not let it be.  Just a quick last word of advice, ask her/ him to dance.

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas Just Like the Ones I Never Knew

       My all-time, all-around, all-everything favorite movie would have to be, and will probably forever be, White Christmas.  This was the first film produced and released by VistaVision, yes, in color.  White Christmas, the song by Irving Berlin, also happens to be the most popular song ever! True story, this is.  It isn't me being biased..although that's basically what a blog is...Anywho, the story follow Bob Wallace and Phil Davis, entertainment legends who worked their way up together and achieved fame together after being best friends, more so brothers, since fighting along each other in World War II.  Combat in military was also where Phil saved Bob's life and never allows him to live it down.  They then meet two sisters, both very attractive, of a guy they were in the army with, and these ladies have their own act. After lots of fun music, dancing, comedic relief, romancing, and attempts of Phil and Judy(the younger, brown-eyed sister) hooking up Bob and Betty(the older, blue-eyed sister) they end up putting on a show in the barn of the inn in Vermont owned by their former General on a very special white Christmas.  And of course, just like any good story, the boy gets the girl, even better, both get the girls. Boy, did they have to work for 'em, though!  You will probably cry, laugh, and "aww", and every piece of heart melted by this true piece of art will be far more than worth it.
 May your days be merry and bright, and may all your Christmases be white.

I've Got a Basket Full of Lemons and They All Taste the Same.

"I got a basket full of lemons and they all taste the same,a window and a pigeon with a broken wing.
You can spend your whole life workin’ for something,just to have it taken away.
People walk a tight rope on a razors edge carrying their hurt and hatred and weapons.
It could be a bomb or a bullet or a pen, or a thought or a word or a sentence.
The wind blows wild and I may move, the politicians lie and I am not fooled.
You don't need no reason or a three piece suit to argue the truth.
The air on my skin and the world under my toes, slavery stitched into the fabric of my clothes,
Chaos and commotion wherever I go, love I try to follow.
There ain't no reason things are this way.
It's how they always been and they intend to stay.
I can't explain why we live this way, we do it everyday.
Love will come set me free
Love will come set me free, I do believe
Love will come set me free, I know it will
Love will come set me free, yes."
                                             -Brett Dennen: Ain't No Reason




"And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming, or the moment of truth in your lies.
When everything feels like the movies, yeah, you'd bleed just to know you're alive.

And I don't want the world to see me cause I don't think that they'd understand.
When everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am."
                                          -Goo Goo Dolls: Iris

"I can finally see that you're right there beside me.
I am not my own, for I have been made anew.
Please don't let me go.
I desperately need you."
                                        -Owl City: Meteor Shower

"Just past the circumstance, the first light a second chance.
No child could ever dance the way you do oh.
Tear down the prison walls, don't stop the curtain calls.
Your chains will never fall until you do.

Don't let the night become the day; don't take the darkness to the grave.
I know pain is just a place. The will has been broken.
Don't let the fear become the hate; don't take the sadness to the grave.
I know the fight is on the way when the sides have been chosen.

Cause' if you never leave home, never let go, you'll never make it to the great unknown.
Open up your eyes, keep your eyes open.
So tell me you're strong, tell me you see, I need to hear it, can you promise me
To keep your eyes... open my love.
So show me your fire, show me your heart, you know I'll never let you fall apart
If you keep your eyes... open my love
Keep your eyes... (keep your eyes open)"
                                          -Needtobreathe: Keep Your Eyes Open

"More times than not the ones you love are who you let down.
We're chasing something big our parents never tracked down.
The hardest part is looking back and making sense of the humble tries and troubled times of where we came from.

Still I'm feeling like a vagrant in my own town.
I'm like an awkward conversation.
All of this work and I ain't seein' any wages,
I ain't gonna stop until I do."
                                         -Needtobreathe: Tyrant Kings

                       Gosh, the list could go on forever! However, I doubt you have even have the time to read the snipets from the songs I did post.  Music is the universal language. Unlike most languages, though, it transcends the brain straight to the soul.  Music is particularly special to me, lyrics, especially.  Needtobreathe's Tyrant Kings lyrics, starting backwards, just for the heck of it, describes something I think every human, whether they admit it or not, deals with at some point.  It speaks of not belonging, feeling alone, unneeded, unwanted, and even pointless, hopeless. It also creates a stir of hope because it states " I ain't gonna stop until I do." Until I see results, until I get where I'm trying to go, I'll keep on keepin' on. Needtobreathe's Keep Your Eyes Open could be taken different ways, but I like to think of it as my Creator speaking to me. He's telling me not to settle for what majority of the world has. He's telling me He has more in store for me, epic plans! But that for whomever wants the most of this destiny can't sit in a comfort zone forever. In order to reach this, one must do brave things, maybe even seemingly stupid, with faith. One of my all time favorite lines is in this song: "Your chains will never fall until you do." I don't think I can add anything more to that; chew on it for awhile, will ya?  Owl City's Adam Young certainly has a way with words. Although Meteor Shower's lyrics are on the shorter, more simple side, it hits home.  Iris by the Goo Goo Doll's is an overall incredible song. As a personal thing, they may not be my very favorite band(no offense to anyone who thinks otherwise), but this song gives me chills every time I hear it. Between the tremendous, building instrumentals and words about someone who doesn't want to be noticed by so many who don't understand why (s)he is feeling what they're feeling, someone who in  a world of brokenness, of heartbreak, only wants this one particular thing to be okay.  One of the most brilliantly and heart-hitting songs in my opinion is Brett Dennen's Ain't No Reason.  It basically sums up life.  This song sums up how we don't know why we do what we do, but we do it anyhow, and how it's always been the way it is and always will be.  It sneakily declares the unfair, yet normal day-to-day issues and standards. This song also proclaims the rescue from the daily grind by love. The power of belief over twisted fact has such power. Free love sets free.  And he has a spectacular voice. I strongly encourage you all to look up and listen to, not hear, but actually listen to every single one of these masterpieces, and I will gladly share more music with any interested.  Well, that's a wrap, folks!

The Blue-Eyed Daisy

        I am Cierra Motes. I believe Jesus Christ is Love, and that Love is all you need.  I collect buttons. I like storms. I am intrigued by accents.  I like to pretend the song "You are My Sunshine" was written about me.  I also like to think of myself as somewhat of a poet because I enjoy expressing emotions through lines and stanzas that I prefer to rhyme, unless it compromises the message.  Music is very near and dear to my heart, particulartly the sounds of the cello,  mandolin, banjo, piano, and multiple harmonies(not necessarily together, but why not?). Butterflies are super cool. I am fascinated by the 1920-40's era. Bing Crosby is one of the greatest performers ever. This is a fact, not an opinion. CHRISTMAS!!! What more can I say about that subject? Tis the most wonderful time of the year....which is a major understatement.  When I grow up I will most likely be a ballerina, actress, sidewalk chalk artist, part of the next greatest band, and a superhero.  Civil War history never gets old; the South was misunderstood. Georgia peach, born and raised, can you tell? I am under 5 ft.  I believe in old-fashioned class. Well, really, old-fashioned anything! I am a do-it-myself junkie. Smiling is my favorite. I am bad at sitting still. I am partially ginger(naturally). I am a dork. I have freckles.