Author: Rhobie Toussaint

Miracles

by Rhobie Toussaint, posted in Creative Writing, Experience

I believe in miracles.

I believe in miracles because there are things that even science can’t explain, things that are beyond our level of understanding.

Take the beginning of the world, for instance. Some people believe in the Big Bang Theory, and some believe that God, or a higher power, created it all. Either way, the fact that everything exploded into place or that a higher power caused there to be light and darkness seems unfathomable, even with what science has to say about it.

I believe in miracles because I’ve heard stories of things that shouldn’t be possible, and I’ve experienced things that shouldn’t be possible.

How is it that someone’s newborn can be alive after the doctors declared the baby dead?

How is it that a car crashed into an electrical pole, nearly caught on fire, was a total loss and not one person comes out the vehicle with a broken bone?

How is it that someone’s sickness is eradicated without any medical treatment?

My answer: Miracles.

There is too much out in the world to rule anything out. There is too much in the world to go strictly by what science says. There are discoveries to be made, species not yet identified, concepts not yet grasped, so why should the very idea of miracles existing be anything less than logical?

It shouldn’t.

Even in T.V shows or movies, there are characters who hope for their situation to turn around, even when there’s every indication that the situation will remain the same. With the endless possibilities out in the universe, there is very little that is truly impossible.

I believe in miracles because they make sense. They make sense because so much happens that we don’t know, things that to us don’t make sense.

Besides, believing (in non-violent things) never hurt anyone anyway.

 

Friendships

by Rhobie Toussaint, posted in Articles, Feature

It Takes Two: Signs the Friendship Just Isn’t Working

Genuine friendships are golden. There’s nothing like spending quality time with someone you can share laughs with, someone you can converse with, someone you can connect with. But for some friendships, there comes a time in which the relationship is no longer genuine, no longer cherished, or no longer functioning. There are signs, and it’s important that you notice them.

A friendship can evolve overtime, or it can disintegrate. Sometimes, the one thing keeping the bond intact is the shared class, or mutual friend, and when that goes away, so does everything you have to talk about. Losing what you have in common with someone may be the beginning of the end.  

When it becomes increasingly difficult to hold a conversation that goes beyond “hi” and “how are you?” there’s a possibility that the relationship you have with a friend isn’t working anymore. Two people don’t have to speak to each other everyday to remain friends, but when the conversations you do have never have any depth, red flags are raised.   

“You know it’s over when there’s a struggle to even talk to the person and you don’t feel the same bond,” said Abigaelle Barreauny, a student at MLEC.

Sometimes the ending of a friendship occurs because one party isn’t doing their part. Maintaining a relationship is a two way street, and maintaining said friendship won’t work if one person is carrying it. Both sides are suppose benefit from the friendship, not one.

“If you become the person always reaching out, or inviting them somewhere, you’ll eventually feel like you’re bothering them. If they’re always busy or never have time, but everything else says otherwise, the friendship becomes one sided. Having a one-sided friendship is a lot of work.”  

In friendships, it may come to a point where one person outgrows the other. As you try to change for the better, and mature, it is possible that those around you won’t. The person you once called your friend can become the person inhibiting your growth, and does not result in a good, functioning friendship.  

“When someone grows or changes, they can begin to feel as though they don’t fit in or “click” with some people,” said Mariana Plata, a psychologist and mental health writer.

Friends come and go. It happens for different reasons. The only things we can truly do is enjoy the friendships while it lasts, and learn from the experiences.

Okay

by Rhobie Toussaint, posted in Creative Writing

It’s okay

Is what he tells himself everyday

I’m okay

Is what he tells others

It’s okay

Is how he gets through each day

I’m okay

Is all the motivation that he needs

And when he’s not okay

When his world seems to be crumbling down

When everything is going south

When he feels abandoned and alone

I’m okay turns into I’m not okay

But I will be.

 

 

Lights

by Rhobie Toussaint, posted in Creative Writing

When the lights dim low,

And the stars start to glow

We will see everything that the universe has to offer and show

You and I, we’ll be there

Appreciating the beauty in the wonders across the sky

And pretending meteoroids are passing by

We’ll lay down and we’ll stare

At it all

Thinking about how there’s a star giving energy to the earth

And how there is so much universe

No one can truly agree how it got there

But it’s there, with everything seemingly in place

There’s so much we’ll see when the lights dim low

And all the stars show

 

Bayside

by Rhobie Toussaint, posted in Experience, Photo Essays
On Saturday, my parents and I went to Bayside, an outdoor two story marketplace near the Biscayne Bay. My mother told me she has been thinking about going there for a while now, and I don’t remember the last time I visited Bayside, so going here presented the perfect opportunity for a photo essay, walking around, and family bonding.

Throughout our visit to Bayside, we listened to a band play, saw people dancing, visited souvenir shops and the food court. The band consisted of about five people, playing well known songs such as “I like it,” while people bopped their heads, recorded, and danced. Souvenir shops varied from places with key chains, postcards, hats, and T-shirts with “Miami” on them. There were many places to eat both upstairs and downstairs with different kinds of foods: steak, plantain, pastries, fast food and so forth.

As I passed by different stores, I photographed them, trying to soak in everything, admiring the different places there, and capturing moments. I don’t know when my family will make a visit to bayside once more, so I felt that the pictures will later serve as memories that I can reminisce on. Perhaps the next time I have a chance to go Bayside, the hat shop and the podiatric based store across it won’t exist anymore. Or perhaps this is the last time I’ll have the chance to go with my parents, making the memories we made at Bayside the last ones we make there together. Basically, I felt and still feel that taking pictures of the different places here that I can look back on later holds great importance.

Although there was a lot of people there, it wasn’t crowded. There was never a space completely full, so finding a place to buy something without a long line, or simply somewhere to sit was hassle free. This gave everyone, tourists and locals, a chance to shop and enjoy what the place had to offer.

This is Bayside.

After spending over ten minutes trying to find a parking space and walking, my parents and I finally reached the front of the Bayside Marketplace.

The sign above says “the Pier 5 Marketplace,” and it was one of the first things that caught my eye.

As we walked through the Marketplace, signs containing the stores’ names and flags of countries around the world appeared up above.

Some stores and souvenir shops had displays such as this on the wall just outside the shop, promoting their items and showing creativity.

We stopped at a few shops ourselves, one in which my dad tried on a few hats before purchasing the navy blue one seen in the photo above.

We also passed by stores with artwork inside

After my parents and I visited and passed by the souvenir shops, we did the same for different restaurants and the food court.

At this restaurant, Mambo, there was music playing and song singing, giving the people there a source of entertainment.

We then headed to a stand with ice cream. My mom purchased a cookies and cream flavored one and shared some with my dad.

As we started to make our way back to the front, we saw different boats in the bay.

Near the parking lot, the “Bayside” sign was still visible. I took a photo of it to conclude the visit the trip to Bayside I made with my parents.