The Perfect Team

As the noblest of God's creations, Horse and Man share a special bond. Each holds a special level of trust in the other, creating the perfect team.

Thomas Stanley Jr

An Optimist's View on Happiness

I was once asked by a wise man, "Son, are you happy?"

I half smiled and responded, "I'm alright."

The man regarded me for a moment as if he could see right through me and asked, "Just alright, huh? Tell me, when do you plan on being happy?"

I chuckled a bit and said, "Well, you know, when things actually start workin' out for me."

The man paused for a moment, obviously displeased with my answer. He then asked me, "Son, How in the world will you be happy then if you are not happy now?"

"I'm not sure I understand," I said, unsure of where he was going with this.

"Let me explain, the man said, "You and I are here right now speaking with each other. We are not existing in the past, nor in the future. We exist now!"

"Okay?" I said, still not quite understanding.

Seeing the confusion on my face, the man continued, "You, my friend, are striving to live in the future. You are hoping for happiness; looking forward to it, even. Yet, you forget that you can be happy now, even amidst all the struggles you currently face. Our future is based off the lessons we learn in the present. If you do not learn to be happy now, I can promise you, you will not be happy then!

I fought to hold back the single tear falling down my cheek, with no avail, as my new friend finished lecturing me. All I said as I looked him directly in the eyes was, "Thank you!"

He tipped his hat to me and said, "My pleasure!" as he got up and walked away.

I thought long and hard about these words from a wise man who understood what life is truly all about. I learned that life is about those happy moments we are living in now. Yes, we live for the future and the happiness it will bring. But, we must learn to be happy now before we can be happy then!

Thomas Stanley Jr

The frost twilight passes away

For one of my English Literature classes, I was required to write a "replacement poem." I had never done this before, but found it quite intriguing. To create a replacement poem, you choose a poem and substitute all the nouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs with the same part of speech. You can either leave the conjunctions and prepositions or you can replace them. Basically, the point is to produce a poem with the same style, but making it your own. During the Renaissance Era, ambitious poets would often use the style and/or the tone of other famous poets (usually the poets of the previous Medieval Era) to develop their work. Then, as they improved their skills at writing poetry, they would invent a style and tone entirely their own.

I hope you enjoy this replacement poem I created based on T.S. Eliot's, "The winter evening settles down." Though T.S Eliot's poem had a much deeper meaning than simply describing a winter's evening, it inspired me to write a poem limited to the image of a winter's evening. Winter is my favorite time of year, so I found creating this replacement poem quite fascinating...

The frost twilight passes away
By Thomas Stanley, Jr.

The frost twilight passes away

With feel of ice in winds.

Sundown.

The frost-bit air of snowy nights.

And again a misty blanket cakes

The frozen ears

Of cloaked people on their way

And children in white yards;

The blanket sticks

On iced walks and house-tops,

And at the end of the road

A lost house-pet shivers and whimpers.

And then the white-out of the sky.

My Patronus - The Wolf

Lately, I have been day dreaming about what my Patronus would be. Actually, this was fairly easy to figure out. The Wolf is my absolute favorite animal, so of course the wolf would be my Patronus. However, the wolf is much more to me. You know those times when you, your friends, and your family would try to guess what animal you would all be? Well, mine was always the wolf. In many ways, the wolf and my character are closely related. Let me explain.

Many of you most likely believe a wolf is vicious and scary, for that is how they appear to be. For this reason, they are seriously misunderstood creatures; for inside, they are quite the opposite. Wolves are intelligent, friendly animals who love and protect those close to them. Once you get to know them, you find they are loyal friends. The only time a wolf gets defensive is when they are threatened or scared. If you are scared of them, they will be scared of you. Wolves can be tamed by the right people; those who truly understand them. However, in spirit, they will always be wild and free. The wolf's personality is my personality, which creates a tight bond between this animal and I. So, if I did have a Patronus, the wolf would be it; not just because I want it to be, but because it would make sense.

Thomas Stanley, Jr.

What would your Patronus be? Leave a comment below explaining what your Patronus would be and why.

"The Less You Reveal, The More People Can Wonder"

You may think me odd for posting this quote, being that it was directed towards the women; but I would like to point out how true this statement is! Everyone, not just women, need to understand and KNOW this truth. Being a guy, I respect when a girl chooses to be modest; for that is precisely the type of girl I would be attracted to! Remember, your body is yours; protect it! Modest is Hottest!

"I find the whole concept of being ‘sexy’ embarrassing and confusing. If I do an interview with photographs people desperately want to change me - dye my hair blonder, pluck my eyebrows, give me a fringe. Then there’s the choice of clothes. I know everyone wants a picture of me in a mini-skirt. But that’s not me. I feel uncomfortable. I’d never go out in a mini-skirt. It’s nothing to do with protecting the Hermione image. I wouldn’t do that. Personally, I don’t actually think it’s even that sexy. What’s sexy about saying, ‘I’m here with my boobs out and a short skirt, have a look at everything I’ve got?’ My idea of sexy is that less is more. The less you reveal the more people can wonder."

- Emma Watson