can you feel { can you feel [ CAN YOU FEEL ~ ?

♫ One Republic - Made For You ♪

`` Can you feel all the love, like it was made for you ? ``

Who knew apparel could make such amazing connections?

It was black with white print.

Well, you know, I want one of those shirts that say "Free Hugs", or something nice like that. I just want to run around with apparel that sports the sincerity of my essence [ or what I'd like to consider as such: ] compassion. But, until I can, I sport the wristbands of my cause.

[ The dog's Franklin, my dog. <3 ]
Most incorporate financial support upon purchase for what I can't directly effect and benefit - though, there is one in particular that is a non-profit organization wherein wearing it does nothing but spread the word.

The image at the top of this blog, with that book - "No One Belongs Here More Than You: Stories by  Miranda July" [ I never checked out what it was about, though when I Google'd it, I found this link; I'll give it to you at the end with a favored means of therapy from a friend of mine ] - links to this mentioned, non-profit organization.

You Are Loved
And so does that~

I have the pleasure of saying that I am friends with the founder of that organization. If you click it and read through, you may feel obliged to disregard what is said there. But, surprisingly enough, if you sit there and actually follow her instructions, it can change your life. Just how I aim to change your perspective here, she aims to mend your life there.

I hung out with her and a batch of our good friends on Sunday at the beach. One of our friend's friends tagged along, introduced as Erica Lynn [ shout out to the new baby of our group~! <3 ] and she became part of our family easily. We went to the seaside - and, as a Scorpio, she declared that she won the scuffle over dubbing our location a universal "seaside", as opposed to the inquisition of the specific location of "Seaside [ Heights ]". But, I digress, for that is not the point [ even though everyone agreed with her and I was left to sulk in her perpetually, infallible ways. ] Sunday, we went on our ventures, had a blast.

Being good friends and spending quality time with one another usually does that.

By the end of the night, we had gone through our ups and downs and had easily become closer than any of us would have anticipated. We were weary, tired and spent, having been on our feet all day. As par standard, people stand by their shops, attracting attention to what they're selling.

One woman in particular was wearing that shirt above - it was black with white print that read "Google Me". When Solomon was appeased with the offer of a sample of ice cream, alongside Tori and Erica, Nicole and I having our sporadic heart-to-heart and Matthew over fetching a coffee, we were carted over to speak with the lady. She invited us to get one, and so Solomon did. He had some kind of green [ pistachio or mint, most likely ] with sweetened milk. It sounded nice, but I declined his offer - wasn't much in the mood for any ice cream.

She then offered us a water for seventy-five cents.

Wanna know where this place is?

Well, if I remembered, I'd be able to tell you. Whatever the case, I'm sure they won't be going out of business anytime soon, so no worries.

Right, so, while we had our ice cream and water, Nicole - being the social butterfly she is - challenged the lady's shirt.

"If I Google you, what will pop up?"

I, honestly, wasn't too enthralled with the notion of another adventure with another individual for another length of time. I was ready to curl up in Matt's car with peeps and snooze for the rest of the ride back home.

Interestingly enough, the woman responded.

"Let's find out. My name's Shelly Gates."

Go ahead and Google her. Now keep that tab open.

The first thing Nicole went to was the LinkedIn site. Unfortunately, that wasn't where her information could be found.

"You should Google me, too," Nicole casually suggested. "The first thing you'll find about me is my organization."

Yep. She's the one with the non-profit organization. That is, of course, if you didn't know about it already.

"It's the Facebook link right?" [ Nicole  ]

"Yep." [ Shelly ]

And so we inspected her Facebook details. She is apparently a promoter for some famous record labels and, by Google-ing her, we made a spectacle of what Nicole's all about. It was an outlet, and Nicole wasted no time in making the connection that she does with everyone. Not only for her life's work, but because the woman, Ms. Gates, shared her vision.

The one line I recall distinctly [ thankfully for my marvelous memory of everything ] was Shelly saying:

"... This sick, twisted world we're living in - I'm tired of it. I don't want my children to have to grow up being afraid of the same things I was. I want to make this world a better place - and, as I always say, you don't have to do anything big to change the world: you change one person, you change the world."

- Shelly

I know that message resonates with Alex very strongly. =]

So, Nicole and Shelly went back and forth, speaking of the world, and Matthew and I were standing alongside, observing and occasionally engaging in the discourse. It was interesting, to say the least, because she said she was a promoter for Hip-Hop and Rap artists who performed down on the boardwalk at the shows they had. They weren't rapping about the asinine and ridiculous habits our famous "idols" tend to gravitate towards to appease our simple pleasures:

"They're out here rapping about real stuff that's actually happened to them and that they want to stop - that they want to change."

- Shelly

Shelly was passionate in her statements.

Nicole was just the same.

Nicole readily shed her lone bracelet, brandishing her organization and offered it to Shelly.

Shelly whole-heartedly accepted it and inspected it.

"The reason I chose the hearts to be like a ribbon is because it looks like a ripple-effect - the love flows from one person to another."

- Nicole

And, I realized in that moment, that I had never even acknowledged that before.

She was much more clever than I had made her out to be, that lovely Nicole.

So, I google'd Nicole.

"Nicole Pastore"

And look what beautiful little treasure I found. =]

To say she's been a huge influence on me and my life is an understatement. I may have only known her for just about a year or so [ oh my God, Nicole, it's only been, like, a year what is this? Hahaha. ] but I feel like I've known her from my youth.

And, for me, that's a rarity.

Just watch it. It's five minutes. And if you don't smile once, it's because you don't know the kind of person she is.

"Anything you do will be up there. I used to Google myself all the time - if you do one stupid thing, your five-minute-act of stupidity will land you up there with all of your personal information, your address, your family: everything. That's why the way to go is to do positive things and change the world around you."

- Shelly

This is all feel-good stuff. The song's about everything being made for you in particular; Nicole's organization is to help you realize that life's not only bigger than both you and I but for both you and I; the world is about learning, living, and loving.

And it's amazing.

So, go ahead and Google yourself. Find anything?

Is it good stuff?

Don't you want to make it better?

Oh, and before I go, here're those links I promised. I'll be checking out this "No One Belongs Here More Than You" myself, so I can see what it's all about; and the site that a good friend of mine [ she says her name's Michelle but I call her My Angie <3 ] showed me is this: Calming Manatee [ so go spam that button at the bottom. ]

When have I ever said we couldn't make the world a better place?

And when have I ever said you were never loved?

I wouldn't write it if it weren't true.

Thank you Nicole for helping exact these points.

<3 ~ Monty
=]