8 Fears to reveal… this will be fun. These songs best describe those fears, too. Well, more or less. I was trying to inject some flavor into these lists, as I’ve never been one to go all sparkly-eyed with list-making.

1. Zombie / Former cadets are all too familiar with this. I’m the one who snuck into a corner, escaping some zombie-face-app. College-buds will know how I once (Okay, on several occasions) hid under a table/behind a pizza box because I couldn’t stand a horror film.

2. Soul to Squeeze / Gaining a portion of the world, in more ways than one, is a long-term goal. Though not at the cost of giving up my soul… mind and health, for that matter. Limits like those keep me on the ground. What good would the world do for someone without a soul, anyway?

3. Brighter than Sunshine / All the time, there is a ray of sunshine in every patch of darkness. Seeing the good in all situations is common occurrence though, I fear the day when an all-black behemoth of a Bilgesnipe comes scratching at my door. Then again, I could console myself in the privilege of actually meeting a Bilgesnipe.

Why do I have an urge to own a Bilgesnipe?

4. Selling the Drama / Drama brings out artistry, a river of words, inspiration for some dark-gritty graphic novel. Like someone said: “Don’t piss me off, you will end up in my novel.” In this sea of emotion, one needs a port for retreat and realignment, of course. Not all forms of expression, after all, are literary gems or visual masterpieces. The design process still applies.

5. Shake it Out / As much as I relish rumination, to ponder without movement will rot the brains and body. Staying active beyond my quarter-life crisis should deter a mid-life crisis, when, at that point in time, colleagues will be experiencing theirs. The quarter-life crisis was lesson enough.

6. Somebody that I Used to Know / People change and more than a fear, it is a pain. Though, it’s never really possible to live another’s life; your own is responsibility enough. It’s always heart-wrenching to see people board a train to the Rocky Horror Picture Show but, hey, you can only do so much. Ultimately, we’re responsible for the repercussions of our choices.

7. We Are Young / I don’t want to be on my porch, grey and weathered wishing, hoping, thinking and praying that I’d used my youth for more worthwhile purposes. Kicking bags, running around, scaling heights are all worthwhile activities at this age and that’s just the tip of the iceberg! There’s yet to be a single regret and that’s a list I don’t plan on creating.

8. Grenade / Part of me wishes another world war should break out to test the mettle of our population. With the way Asia is rising, however, there’s reason to believe that the war won’t involve guns or tanks. It’s going to be a war between minds and ideas, only those who’ve committed will persevere to later become victors. No rush battles will occur, everything will be drawn out over decades of hard work. This is the war of our generation.

In the end, it’s not the gifted or flashy that’s left standing, but the ones who committed.

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ –Eleanor Roosevelt