Tag: personal

My Love for the German Language

Posted on by Meghan B. in personal

Good evening, everyone!

Over the past few years, I’ve discovered German metal bands, and they have fueled my passion for the German language.

Rammstein has rock/electronic vibes, and writes powerful music you can jam out to in the car (or in your room).

Eisbrecker writes with a little more nod to Germany’s dark history, with the knowledge that in making these connections, you can help stop the past from happening again. Eisbrecker also turns German children’s nursery rhymes and songs into metal songs. I mean, that’s badass, right there. And a good way for me to learn German.

How did this language obsession start?

Easy: with one of my favorite adult novels, A Little Life. Jude knows German, French, and Latin. He’s one of favorite literary characters.

Also, one of my very good friends, Alex H., took German. So I’ll occasionally shoot him a text in what sliver of German I know, because why not? It’s fun!

I’m no Tolkien by far, but I do have a healthy interest in my German heritage. (I am also English, and a smattering of other things.)

But I’ve come to appreciate the power of words in other languages. There are things (phrases) you can say in other languages that can’t be expressed in American English.

I also love picking up on the meaning of words in German. It’s a lot of looking up the translations and memorizing the songs by good ol’ repetition–which is actually something I enjoy doing with music, by the way. I think it’s something to do with my autism and how my brain works.

I mean, that’s how I’ve memorized the original Broadway production of Les Misérablesand all of Blue October’s songs to date. It’s one of the (yes, slower) ways that I memorize things I’m passionate about.

Unlike my partner Rory, I do not have an eidetic memory, and tend to forget things or draw a blank on stuff. (Which is totally normal for me.)

German is a beautiful, rough-sounding language to me, especially since I’ve matured and know more than just Holocaust history–although knowing that particular part of German history is very important.

Someday, I want to go to Germany. (And England, and Japan, and Switzerland…) I want to experience different parts of the world first-hand.

I’m excited to hear different languages in their native countries, too! It just sounds like so much fun.

Thanks for reading,

Meghan B.

What do you need to know about yourself today so you can create your best self?

Posted on by Meghan B. in personal

I snagged this journal prompt from the podcast “Writing Your Best Self”.

I need to know that I am strong and brave. I’ve recently been in the hospital for an intestinal blockage and am on the mend! I’m doing so much better than I was last week, when I was admitted.

I need to know that I am kind and sympathetic towards others. I genuinely care about other people, which helps me in my work life while I’m cashiering at my local Target. I feel for people when they are having a bad/tough day. I love it when I can brighten someone’s day at work or in my personal life by just being myself.

I am a highly sentimental person. Films like UP reminds me of the love my grandparents had for one another. Films like Max & Mary remind me of the power of friendship, as well as forming a life-long bond with someone who started out as a complete stranger in a telephone book. Anything Winnie the Pooh makes me cry because “the guys” were some of my first, most dearest, friends. (They still are.)

I am a very loyal person. I will never cheat on someone I’m in a relationship with because I don’t have it in me. I stand with and champion people who are seen as “different” because I believe that being different is what makes us more interesting and more caring towards others. Our differences make us unique, in every good way possible. If everyone were exactly the same, our world would be very boring indeed!

I’m an introvert who likes to be an extrovert from time to time. I love to hang out in my room, but I also love to hang out with my friends and family. I enjoy sharing the books, movies, and music I love so much with others.

I’m a dog lover. I have two sweet golden girls at home, Bentley (11) and Charlie (1). They are very funny at times!

Lastly, I am a creative person. I love to write, read, and knit. I’ve taken up bullet journaling again since last year and am really enjoying my new minimalist layout. Creating new characters and worlds are things that come to me naturally, since I’ve been writing for over ten years. Some ideas work, while others fall through. This past year, I not only finished writing a sci-fi novel, but started a fantasy/urban fantasy book. I’m on the last chapter of my fantasy novel at the moment. I’m looking forward to completing it when I get back home.

How would you respond to this journal prompt? Let me know in the comments section.

As always, thanks for reading!

Meghan B.

Proposal: Fight for Love

Posted on by Meghan B. in blue october, book reviews

I did a surprise proposal, & it went surprisingly well. Here’s the song lyrics & words of my own that I used to propose to the love of my life, Rory:

Dear Rory,

There’s something I can’t quite explain: I’m so in love with you/You never take that away

You’re never second best,
you’re my one, completely

Where you go,
I will follow you.
Where you go,
I’m going too.

You’re the love of my life. I can’t believe how fast six years has flown by. It’s a long time that feels—honestly—like nothing at all.

I want to spend six more years by your side. I want to spend six decades with you.

You lift me up whenever I’m down. You help me laugh even when I’m sleepy. You’ve loved me through rainy, cloudy days & through sunny ones.

So,
I just want to know…Would you marry me?

Love,
MBB

[12.31.2020
edited 1.4.2021]

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Fat Goals

Posted on by Meghan B. in #poetry

When you’re heavier,

you can’t just wear anything

When you’ve gained weight

from medications,

your stomach poofs out

bit by bit

until you look like you’re pregnant

When you’re going up in size,

you wonder why the hell is this happening to me?

Your pants no longer fit

your cup size goes up, too

your middle has more density

than it’s ever had before

At this point,

I’d rather be depressed & skinny

than happy & fat

MBB

1.13.2021

Lists upon Lists

Posted on by Meghan B. in book reviews

Guten morgen, everyone!

Today’s the day in which I compose my Christmas list. While I won’t tell you everything that I want (because it’s more of a want than a need), I do really like reading and knitting.

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Why I Write LGBTQ+ Characters

Posted on by Meghan B. in book reviews
LGBTQ pride flag
  1. While I am not a person who identifies as LGBTQ+, I do identify as an ally. I’m very passionate about LGBTQ+ rights, and read and think about these issues a great deal.
  2. I have friends who are LGBTQ+. I fully love and support every one of them.
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Mania

Posted on by Meghan B. in book reviews

I’m very manic right now, and struggling with insomnia. As I write this, I’m up at the crack of dawn, writing this because I’m unable to sleep. I’ve been struggling to sleep a full night for several days now.

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On Love

Posted on by Meghan B. in book reviews

My boyfriend lives two hours away from me. While I’m fortunate that this is all the distance that’s separating us, I still miss seeing him in person. I miss him even more now that the Corona virus is keeping us safely indoors. Thankfully, I had the chance to see him over Valentine’s Day, where we spent three bliss-filled days in each other’s presence. We went to a movie, visited several antique stores, and hung out around my house.

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On Editing a Book

Posted on by Meghan B. in book reviews

Hello, dear reader!

For those of you who don’t know, I finished writing a sci-fi book. I finally figured out the title, which I’ll keep a secret until I’m ready to publish it.

I’m enjoying typing out what I’ve written, and have found that my chapters are much longer than I remember. (No wonder I have only like twenty-seven chapters in my book!)

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Afghan Blanket Update!

Posted on by Meghan B. in book reviews

I’m almost done with my moss stitch lap blanket.

Several months–and many books later–I’m steadily knitting and purling my way towards the end of my afghan. It’s been a new challenge for me, because it’s been years since I tried following a pattern. The projects I normally did in the past were scarves, where I would knit a row, and then purl a row. At the very least, this made very good at purling and knitting. I was more than happy to take on this project, because it alternates between knitting and purling.

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Writing Goals 2020

Posted on by Meghan B. in book reviews

Hello, there!

Recently, I’ve been listening to the podcast Write Now by Sarah Werner. In one of her podcasts, she talks about forming writing goals and sticking to them. One of her suggestions is to pick a number, like a certain number of pages, or a certain word count, and sticking to this reasonable goal.

I like the idea of wanting to write 200 words every day. It’s a manageable amount. It’s not too terrifying, and yet it’s doable.

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Breaking Millennial non-Traditions

Posted on by Meghan B. in book reviews

Hello, there!

I want to break some millennial traditions during my lifetime. I don’t just want to live with my boyfriend someday, I want to marry him. He’s my best friend, my steadfast love, someone I can count on to be with me through thick and thin.

I want a ring.

Someday, maybe, I’ll have two kids. I’d be happy with two boys or two girls, or even a boy and a girl. I’ve created names for potential kids, though I have a little harder time coming up with girl names.

I’m definitely not ready for any of these things. I’m happy with just being with my boyfriend and letting our relationship grow and expand. We’re still young, and we’ve got all the time in the world for our relationship to mature.

Here’s to the future,
Meghan