I AM Different, I am ME.

Milwaukee Lakefront in December

I am from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This is usually surprising to people; whether the shock is caused by its distance from Dallas or its supposed lack of cultural importance, I do not know. I love that I am from Milwaukee. It is an artistic, liberal, and diverse city, filled with people to learn from, and talk to. Though I currently reside in Dallas, it is comforting to me to know that I can escape the city's hustle and return to my humble little Milwaukee, all covered in snow.

Jasper and I road tripping to Door County, WI.

I have a little five-pound shit of a dog. His name is Jasper. Jasper Johnson. He lives with me in Dallas, and travels with me wherever I go. He's been on more planes than the average person has by the time he/she is 10.

Jasper is a lot like me...

• He is happiest when he is surrounded by people he loves 
• Though he loves all the "aunts" and "uncles" he has gained through my assortment of friends and family, his most loveable and natural side only comes out when he is with those he considers closest. 
• Though I sometimes enjoy keeping acquaintances, like Jasper, I much prefer inseparable, close relationships. I've always had about 5-6 BEST best friends, and I cherish them all. 
• Jasper loves almost all people, and doesn't mind sharing with anyone. 
• Despite my preference for a few close friendships to many acquaintances, I am a very open person. I love all people automatically. It takes quite a lot for me to dislike someone. I am a very welcoming person. 
• Also, if you can't tell by the amount of personal disclosure I've included in this post, I am a very open person. I see very few reasons to not let others into my life, other than for reasons of protection. I am who I am, and I like to let people know what they're in for. Plus, I trust humanity. That is important. 
• Jasper has a genuine interest in human behavior.
• Jasper is quite the people watcher. He will sit stoically for over an hour, just watching someone do something. He seems to be fascinated by humans and the things they do. It's like he's always learning.
• I am also quite the people watcher. I could watch people for days. I am fascinated by the things they do, and the many different ways they do them. I wonder what inspires people to act, or to not act. I wonder what makes people tick, or "tip." I genuinely enjoy studying people. How they communicate, how they think, how they feel. Which actions inspire which emotions? Why do people do what they do? From the sound of it, I should have double-majored in sociology. Oh, the things I would do if I only had the time.
• My interest in human behavior is actually one of the things that sparked my interest in advertising. I have always found it fascinating that the human mind is so manipulatable... That if one understands another's thinking habits/patterns, one can enter into another's mind, and lodge specific concepts there. This is what I believe is done with successful advertising- minds are entered, and thoughts are cultivated. Of course, the mind must be entered in a specific way. In order for an advertiser's idea to feel natural to consumers, advertisers have to tailor their ideas to the minds that will be receiving them. If ideas are not in line with consumers' expectations, dissonance is created, and consumers are less likely to accept the idea. Therefore, advertisers must frame all ideas in a way that will make them more readily accepted by their target markets. So, if advertisers understand human behavior, they can understand how to plant a thought that will eventually grow into a sale.
• Jasper is funny and has a BIG personality. 
• If anyone can make a crowd laugh or a sad person smile, it's Jasper. I wish the same could be said for myself, but the little booger's got me on this one. 
• I like to think that I can be funny, and I KNOW I have a big personality. I love to make people smile, and I love to hear people laugh. I hold my opinions passionately. 
• Jasper loves to make other people happy. 
• More than anything, I want to make other people happy. That is why I try to be funny, and try to be a good friend. 
• On a grander scale, I care about the rights of humanity. I am a human rights minor, and have always dreamed of working for a non-profit charitable organization. When I was around 9 years of age, I told my mom that I wanted to start my own charitable advertising agency. My goal was to provide advertising services at low to no cost to charitable organizations who could use the help. Although my 9-year-old mind was admittedly a tad idealistic, I still hope to work for a charity-minded agency, and perhaps open up one of my own in the future. Well, actually, if we're being honest here, what I really want to do is travel the world, emerse myself in new cultures, help a group of people at each place I go, and then come back to the States periodically to see my family and write about the adventures. That would be the loveliest. 
• Jasper is passionate, and committed. 
• Jasper gives his all to everything in his life. He will play fetch with you until you can't go on any longer. He will walk with you until you are out of breath. He will sleep with you until you have bed sores. He's a great little buddy. 
• I give my all to everything in my life too. I don't let much get past me that isn't up to my standards. I hold my beliefs passionately, and I do not quit. 
• Jasper is fearless, and he roles with the punches. 
• Despite Jasper's five-pound stature, I've never seen a dog more confident in his own ability to KICK ASS. Vacuums, loud noises, weird smells, big animals, big people... NONE OF THAT SCARES HIM. I love it. 
• Not too much scares me either. I've been through a lot, I've lived around a lot, and, resultantly, I am prepared for anything. Rather than get my hopes up for certain things, I try to live steadily. In my mind, living steadily is achieved by never expecting a thing. That way, when something good happens, you can be grateful, but when something bad happens, you can be unfazed. This may sound like an precaution that will prevent me from enjoying the world, but trust me, I REALLY ENJOY THE WORLD : ) I think the world is a BEAUTIFUL place, filled with beautiful people and fascinating things. I have a GREAT amount of hope in others, and I am an optimistic person... WHEN IT COMES TO OTHERS. When it comes to myself though, I prepare for the worst. This is not good. I need to work on having the same belief in myself as I do others. 
• Jasper is appreciative. 
• Not a day goes by that Jasper does not make his love and appreciation for me show. He snuggles with me, we play together, he makes me laugh, I make him smile... it's a pretty good thing we've got goin' on. After a bad day, no one's better to come home to than Jasper.
• I am fortunate. Not a day goes by that I don't recognize this, and take time to consider the people in my life who gotten me to where I am today. 
• One thing Jasper is that I wish I was more is humble. 
• Jasper is more humble than anyone else I've met before in my life. He is as down to earth as his six-inch height. 
• I do not believe there is any such thing as too humble. Every day, I try to focus on being grateful for everything upon which I come across, and nice to everyone I meet. I try to see meaning in all things, and I enjoy connecting life to advertising concepts. 
• One thing I am that Jasper is not is an English nerd. 
• I hate that I have a million hanging prepositions in this post. However, I wish to write this blog in a style as similar to the way in which I think as possible. So, expect some grammatical mistakes. It is likely that I know they are there too.

Jasper in Door County! We made it!

Thank you for taking time to get to know me. If you blog as well, leave your blog address in a comment below. I'd love to learn about you too.