If you’re looking for a new adventure, how about starting with something we all remember how to do — riding a bicycle. If you’ve got balancing on two wheels down, let’s upgrade from that big-box store bike to a more dependable mountain bike. Here’s a few specialty cycling stores to browse in the Dallas-Fort Worth area: Bicycles, Inc., Richardson Bike Mart, Transit Bikes, and Bonzai … Continue reading Off-Road Riding in the Heart of the Metroplex
All photography captured by JL Smith Can you remember the last time you paused and sought a moment to reflect on life? Its beauty? Its heartache and joy? How about taking a stroll down memory lane? When was the last time you allowed yourself to feel inspired or feel anything? The magic of poetry captures this all. I can say this assuredly because I write … Continue reading Poetry – Still Packing an Emotional Punch
All photography captured by JL Smith When’s the last time you picked up a book instead of your phone? Or connected with an old friend over a cup of coffee after browsing albums of your favorite musician? When was the last time you listened to live music? Yeah, it’s been awhile for me too. The world seems to be spinning faster these days and we’re … Continue reading Don’t Judge a Bookstore By Books Alone
After I turned 30, I promised myself I would dedicate the next decade of my life to adventure. Tasting new foods, traveling into uncharted territory, utilizing my kitchen in an attempt to cook and jumping out of an airplane two miles above ground at speeds up to 120 miles per hour. Yes, skydiving. Not solo, of course. Your first experience skydiving is a tandem jump, … Continue reading Thriving Thirties — Jumping into Adventure
I remember one of the first poems I ever wrote. It was crap. Granted, I was just a kid and figured the epitome of poetry culminated in One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish (no offense, Dr. Seuss). Of course, my following years consisted of more profound readings: Shakespeare, Whitman, Dickinson, Poe, Yeats, etc. Honestly, half of these authors’ writings I studied didn’t resonate with … Continue reading The Power of my Poetic Pastime
Nearly 12 years ago, on May 6, 2005, I joined Facebook. I know–earth-shattering. Well, I didn’t exactly, but my dormitory’s resident assistant did for me. She said she was signing me up because it would help me meet others on campus and possibly snag a date. I rolled my eyes, but allowed it while I lied on her dormitory floor rummaging through whatever snacks she had stowed … Continue reading Connecting through Social Media Eases Stress (Part 2)
If I could depict my life at this moment, the following meme captures it. From what I can recall, I’ve lived with stress as long as I have my shadow. Stress tends to come naturally for anxiety-ridden individuals like myself. My typical week consists of working and attending school nearly full-time, attempting to study, exercise, write and read, and maintain a social life while keeping in touch with family. … Continue reading Connecting through Social Media Eases Stress (Part 1)
There’s a scene from a movie, which the title I cannot recall, where a couple is on their first date and one proposed they should reveal their secrets to each other. The point was, too many people pretend to be someone they aren’t during introductions. We want to impress the other person; therefore, we consciously (or unconsciously) shape ourselves to the liking of the other … Continue reading But I Was Blinded By My Love
While opioid addiction increases among Americans, so escalates pharmaceutical companies’ addiction to profit. Evidence reveals pharmaceutical companies, considered collectively, (aka Big Pharma), purposely mislead physicians and patients via marketing and drug representatives in order to increase sales. In 2007, Purdue Pharma, producer of the opioid painkiller OxyContin, agreed to pay $600 million in fines in one of the most costly lawsuits against a drug company. Purdue pleaded guilty … Continue reading Big Pharma’s Addiction, Profiting off U.S. Opioid Abuse
ARIZONA (March 2017) – Apparently, my memory lagged as my older brother reminded me it had been longer than three years since I visited him in Phoenix. He made it clear, it had been five years. *rolls eyes* My one and only trip to Arizona was in the spring of 2012 visiting him while attending the Cactus League spring training for ball games and autographs. … Continue reading Just a Big Hole in the Ground (Part 1)
JL Smith: A Texan's Travels 