#drkbluedrkblue

[rattlethecages]

Le sigh

My wife is back to working. Which is awesome for our family and finances but...fuck it sucks. I miss her all day. And I'm bored to death. I'm glad I can feel this way. Shell be done at 630. Come on hour...go away.

[rattlethecages]

Our secret

Somewhere buried deep, under the sheets of our unmade bed, stuck in the pile, of hand raked clothes, you can hear the secrets, that we have told, about what makes our love, so wonderful and bold. Our love will not be defined, by simple words or explanation, but by seeing and believing, for in our love there is no easy to stop and say, do this or that, and you'll have it then. Not a day goes by where I am not warmed by the smile that you flash, neither the coldest of nights nor the hottest of days can abate this craving to touch your skin. While we sleep I dream of what we will do, I see only the times ahead and never back on pain, for when we are together there is only that time that matters. With no guarantee of tomorrow and no quarrel from yesterday that can help us today, I focus on today. I focus on you. Our love is magical because we find each other so amazing, I hope that tomorrow and the many that follow, we still look at ourselves in wonder. Let the world look on and beg for our secret. For when they do they will surely miss it.

[rattlethecages]

That thought you get

I find myself in admiration of the woman I married at all times. She has a unique perspective on the world that I wish more people could see it through. We aren't here to make it fit our every need, instead we are here to find our existence. We as a culture have become completely captivated by having more. The world isn't like that. It is slowly eroded and forced to change. Much like we really are meant to be.

My wife takes pictures. Not because someone gave her a camera phone and she had someone tell her, "Oh these look great" but because she captures beautiful moments one still at a time. Even when its pictures of me, our dogs, or some random little thing, she is finding amazement.

I tend to see too much at once. The little details don't mean as much to me as the sum of their whole. I can tell you who owns what car, when they are off a usual schedule, and tend to notice trends and patterns. I wish I could stop myself and focus on the little grass growing in the smallest of cracks in concrete. Or a coloration change in a leaf. She notices these things and its marvelous.

The way she takes pictures tells you all you need to know about her heart. She focuses on the beautiful things and fights with all of her might to bring them to the surface. Much like how she had to fight with me to get me to realize I can be someone beautiful. So every time I see a picture she takes, every time she points out something subtle I smile and know she once did that with me. One little things at a time.

I'm blessed to have someone who loves me for the little things and the grand things. Someone willing to look beyond my weakness and instead empower me to see something great. I am somebody and that attention to something small from someone who cares greatly helped me see that. 

Plus she really does take amazing pictures!

[rattlethecages]

Realizing there is an art to looking Good as a Man

For a long time I never cared how I dressed as long as I felt "cool" and "didn't stand out" but those days are long gone. Much of my wife's first few months as a wife were spent building me up and letting me know how great and handsome I could be if I wanted to try. 

So a few years later, and a wardrobe I am starting to be proud of, I know if the night calls for me to look dapper or like a gentlemen, I can be one of the best looking out there. And I've done it all on the cheap.

Nothing like having a tie collection go from none to about 15. Or blazers and sport jackets going from 1 to 7. All for about 100 bucks total.

The shoes are coming in slowly but its pretty fun. Look up what some of your favorite writers would dress like and look for it. See if its you, and then OWN IT. 

Thats my advice to any guy...OWN your image. Find what works for you, not what works for the stars and your best friend. It took me a while but I finally started to look for MYSELF in what I wore.

Thanks to my wife that is.

[findingtheroute-blog]

Inspiration should always be cheap.

There are some awesome projects out there today; www.humansofnewyork.com, www.sevenly.com and www.warbyparker.com. All three of these offer something different.

Humans of New York; an expose of the modern world and the true nature of the New York Spirit. It is an extremely vulnerable and raw look into the real world. 

Sevenly offers a new way to contribute to a group in need, every week they support a different cause and offer trendy fashion forward products to purchase. Seven dollars from every purchase goes to the cause. (We bought shirts supporting the Humane Society of the United States and they are awesome. May post a picture later.)

Warby Parker is a company whose passion and love for generosity is apparent from the first visit to their website. For every pair of glasses purchased they send another pair to someone in need. 

Sitting on the couch today, looking through random HONY posts, remembering the impact those Sevenly shirts have had on people, and our experience with Warby Parker all made something clear. The world is begging for someone to care, for someone to reach out and listen to its story, and for someone to take a picture or tell its story to someone else. The mission of this blog my wife and I will do (otherwise known as rattlethecages.tumblr.com and drkbluedrkblue.tumblr.com, is to find something amazing right here in our back yard. Visit old forgotten towns along Route 66, show off the hidden treasures of Oklahoma City, and even travel beyond the border of the state of Oklahoma and find something even more exciting.

We hope to show something new. To inspire someone to do the same. So that one day, no one has a story that goes untold. No one is left forgotten. Because deep down the one thing that matters most is the journey that becomes our story.

This is ours. 

[rattlethecages]

I like-a do the cha-cha

Random point of my day: Picking my wife up from class with the two dogs in the car and realizing how much I enjoy the family we have. Its crazy. Loud. Sometimes annoying, but dammit if it isn't fun. I love my wife to death. We help at the dog shelter together, help with homework, cook together, clean together, play games together, make fun of people together and otherwise engage in random acts of shenanigans together. My life is perfect because its imperfect. We aren't too good for anyone, but most people aren't good enough for us. If that makes sense.

Best part is; as awesome as I try to be, she is always one-upping me. I love it.

And, she writes some awesome stuff.

[rattlethecages]

Appreciation

You can never fully understand or appreciate someone until they are in the position to forgive or help you through something. Often times you are thrown to the curb and left for dead. When they fight for you no matter what, the dividends are so massive. You will eternally be grateful for their love.