Standard

Alright, another aside from the usual here. I was chatting with my mother recently and she was so excited because her daughter (me) had started to write a blog...

Oh man, how to explain this to my mom who supports me in everything I do and considers many things that are now old a novelty. I want to believe her and say that what I'm doing here with my writing is wonderfully artistic, new and special.
But here's the reality...it is almost standard for people to have blogs these days. There are so many of them that its weird if a person doesn't have a blog. People are blogging about everything and anything these days. I was reading in TIME Magazine the other day in a section called "Blogs of Note," where there is a listing of blogs about pets, home, family, traveling, equipment for traveling, kids, kids clothing, fashion, food, dessert, main courses. EVERYTHING is covered in these blogs, you want to know about a person's life and their love for papier-mâché, then I am almost certain there is a blog for that. If you want to know how to cook a gourmet fillet minion,there's a blog for that. If you want to know what fashion deserves most credit, there's a blog for that. Take a look at the picture above; there is a blog about bird tales. Take my blog for example; its a blog about fables... A burgeoning idiom these days coming from the phenomenon of the iPhone is "There's an app for that." Well to borrow a fraction of the phrase in the context of what I'm writing; "There's a blog for that."


Here, check this out:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1860888,00.html

I'm not condemning it, I'm not being cynical either, I'm just stating the facts from what I've observed.
In fact its been said that blogging is the way that people who are in the business of writing will remain heard. Everything is online now, and newspapers and magazines are finding it harder and harder to keep up and remain "in print" so to speak. Am I right?
I'm not saying that newspapers are becoming obsolete, no I don't think there will ever be a time when the written word will become archaic. It will always be needed, but whether or not it will be needed in physical print or not is the mounting question. I'm not going to predict anything here, simply because I want there to always be a need for print writing. I love it! I'm studying journalism right now, I love to write! And believe me what I say that I always want there to be tons of blogs, because then maybe this new age world will understand that people need writing, not only the television but the newspaper and magazine as well.
You might ask then, "Why are newspaper and magazine companies going out of business if the world needs writing and print?"
My answer...
idk, but it might have something to do with whats called the World Wide Web.

Okay there's my rant for now. Mom if you're reading this, thank you for believing in me, and I hate to break it to you, but having a blog isn't very special, actually, its very standard.

A Prophet

A prophet sat in the market-place and told the fortunes of all who cared to engage his services. Out of the blue there came running up one who told him that his house had been broken into by thieves, and that they had made off with everything they could lay their hands on. He was up in  moment, and rushed off, tearing his hair and calling down curses on the miscreants. The bystanders were very amused, and one of them said, "Our friend professes to know what is going to happen to others, but it seems he's not clever enough to perceive what's in store for himself."
He was a poor prophet huh?
Humanity can be funny at times can't it? We are so easy to criticize others and offer our own opinions on how things should be and how things shouldn't be. We love to tell people how things are done and how things aren't. We all have philosophies about living, loving and getting things done. How to live a person's life is always more interesting to us, than our own lives. We are interested in others, others are interested in us, we are not interested in ourselves; really. I mean; I'm not saying that some people aren't self centered; because the reality is...some people are. But we always like to give our philosophies to others; because we are such experts at life aren't we?

Ha! What a laugh, I must sound very cynical to anyone who might be reading this. But I'm not really, I'm writing my own social commentary.
The truth is, we know very little about life and do you want to know something?
What we know about the lives of others is what we've learned from our own lives. Right?
I could be wrong; this is also a blog consisting of my own philosophies and life stories, so I could be wrong, couldn't I? Of course.

Well now to a story in my life...when have I given advice that I should have taken myself...oh dear too many times to count I think.

Some people can be harder on themselves than they are on other people, they are they're own worst critic, disallowing failures for themselves but allowing failures for others or vis versa.  Do you know anyone like that?    Cause there are many of them.
So, a personal pet peeve of mine is the sound of licking fingertips and chomping eating noises. The sucking and the popping of the lips as they smack together and then the swallow, the gulp. It eats at me, makes me cringe. My father is the king of licking his lips and smacking and gulping and everything. I love my father to bits and bits, he is an awesome, great person, brilliant and authentic, but his habit of licking his fingers is insurmountable, it seems to continue and last longer than what he is eating.
One day, over the Christmas Holidays, my father was making himself a sandwich and without thinking, after spreading his mustard and then placing his pickles over the mustard he began to lick his fingers...over and over again and then put the cap back on the mustard jar....oh man. Frustrations galore!
 I call my father, Papa, its endearing and I love calling him that, it'll never change.
 So I said,"Papa, don't lick your fingers, the mustard is going to get all slimy and gooey and then none of us will want to eat it."
"Nobody in this house eats mustard except me," he said.
"That does not mean that you can lick your fingers though!" I say, he made a face and laughed.
But he stopped licking his fingers.
The next day, he was eating some chips in the kitchen and dipping them in salsa. He licked his fingers, and we had much the same conversation. The main premise being: Don't lick your fingers.

A few days later...
I was downstairs spreading peanut butter on my whole wheat sandwich with some honey and mindlessly scraped the honey from the spoon and swooped it into my mouth. You know how Winne the Pooh scoops honey by the handfuls and just licks it right off his hand...I guess you could say that was me at that very moment.
And at that very moment my own advice came back to bite me.
"Dear," a deep voice called from behind me, I turned around, "Countless times I am preached to about how one should not lick their fingers and how I am the worst offender and yet here you are...licking your fingers. It seems to me that you take some of your own advice."

Sheepish smile.


I do this also when I have one of those talks with my friends who needs encouragement. I say, "Have courage; be strong, you can do it and don't think you can't, face those giants."
The very next moment I'll be walking to class dwelling on how scared I am about life and the future. But do I listen to the advice that I gave to my friend. No. I walk and I dwell on my fears.
You know what they call those people who do what I do? A hypocrite.
Yup, I'm one of those and I admit it.
But just because I'm a hypocrite it doesn't mean that I'm not trying to take my own advice or follow my own paradigm. What can I say? Things in life are easier said than done. These lessons that I'm learning from these fables are excellent insights into my way of thinking.
Who knows, maybe this blog thing will actually let me learn things about myself that I never knew, maybe others won't benefit, but at least I will.

Nervous Excitement

Making the ever cool Peace sign (Senior year of High school)

For this one, I'm breaking from my little fable stint, but don't worry they will be back. I just need to consult and vent, work things out a little bit you know?
I'm sure if anyone reads these things, if I'm wasting my time and I should write something else, something that may be more worthwhile. But to be honest I need to write I think almost as if I need to breathe. I have journals and books of poetry that I've kept since it seems like forever, and in each of them their contains a piece of my heart. Sometimes I read them and I don't even know what I was thinking or I'm astounded at what I've written. Its amazing how time changes you isn't.
I know that the person I used to be in high school, is not at all the person I am now. Four years ago, I used to have a plan that involved me becoming extremely successful, I wanted to be venerated for my brains, I wanted myself to be a success. And I guess that's normal, I guess everyone wants to be a success, no harm in that right?
Of course not, but the thing is, now I just want to help people, now I just want to make a difference.
Is that selfish too? Am is my wanting to help others, simply for my own benefit and how people will see me, or am I doing it because I am genuine?

Presently I was accepted into a program that would allow me to teach English in Cambodia or another Asian country and earn an MA while doing it. Everything in me desperately pulls me to go, to serve and use my abilities to make a difference in the lives of others and also myself. I want to be challenged, I want to be put to the test. Can I take it? Can my faith and love for God pull me through, or will this be a constant battle believing that maybe this could be harder than it sounds?
I also have to raise money to go. Asking for money is nobody's strong suit, and I'm no exception. But would people think that I simply want to go abroad because its a romantic concept, or would they truly believe I want to be useful, to help people. Would they know?
One thing I do know. If I stay here, I'll be suffocated, caged, my heart would not be able to breathe. Some people have a passion to serve here, others have a passion to serve abroad. My heart belongs in other places,  not here, I am pulled to go.
So I'm nervous, because its another step and another leap of faith to see if I'm up for this challenge and whether my family will support me, give me their blessing in an understanding that this is what I need to do with my life.
So I'm excited because my soul has wings and I'm elated that my dream might become a reality. I'm alive, and I have the rest of life ahead of me to make a difference and to work hard. I know that throughout this journey I may trip and stumble, but you learn from your mistakes, you pick yourself up and keep going trying harder, working harder.
Now that will be a challenge.

Some Frogs and a Well

Two frogs lived together in a marsh. But one hot summer the marsh dried up and the two left it to look for another place to live in: for frogs like damp places (as should be obvious) if they can get to them. Soon enough they came to a deep well, and one of them looked down into it and said to the other, "This looks to be a cool place: let us jump in and settle here." But the other, who had a wiser head upon his shoulders, replied lifting his brow, "Not so fast, my friend: for suppose this well dried up like the marsh, how then should we get out again?"

Think twice before you act.


I judge much too easily for my own good. I base what I think I know upon what is occurring in my life. I read what I can and then decide this or that. It has gotten me into trouble once or twice, maybe even three times. Simply because in the process there are people involved and those people sometimes just get hurt and...it was my judgment that did it. My fast actions that caused the misunderstanding. But the thing is, previous to that I over analyzed the situation, I thought I had it right, but I didn't...in fact it was dead dead wrong.
Let me give you another way of seeing it.
One day, my father decided to teach us a lesson about speech at the dinner table. So he bought six tubes of toothpaste and gave each one out. I got one, my younger sister got one, and my two cousins who were staying with us each got one as with my mom and my father.
"Now," he said and smiled knowingly, "Squeeze the entire tube out onto your plate."
I remember staring at my father and thinking, he's lost his mind, what a waste! My mother chimed in saying, "Dear, I'll need to buy more toothpaste then."
"Thats okay," he said hastily, "Just do it." So we had at it, my cousins, sister and I each squeezed our entire tubes out onto our plates. I created a pretty little flower design and my younger sister made a smiley face. My younger cousins squeezed their tubes out onto their plates in piles. Soon we were finished and we all looked at my father who sat there at the end of the table with a big smile of knowledge on his face.
"Try to put the toothpaste back in the tube."

We all paused and my father nodded and then said, "You see, you can't put the paste back in the tube."
"I can!" exclaimed my youngest cousin and she proceeded to spoon the paste in and it dribbled back down on her plate.
"Just like words," my father began, "we need to be careful about what we say, because once we've said them, we can't take them back, just like the toothpaste and the tube."
There was silence and we all stared at our plates of toothpaste.

As people, we make mistakes and that is understandable, but it becomes less understandable when we make the same mistake over and over again. When will we learn? I guess I'm talking to myself at this point...when will I learn?
When I was younger...I was in this one group of friends, in which there was only one fellow. Eventually we all started to like him, but one particular girl in our group was more his friend then we all were. You can imagine the jealousy that soon began to grow.
One day on a bus ride home, I was sitting with a girl who was a part of my friend group and I commented that I was annoyed by this girl who seemed to be the one this one fellow had eyes for. Two weeks later during lunch recess, I found myself facing a wall of animosity from those friends. The girl who I had told that too had spouted out those words and now the entire group of them essentially "hated my guts" so to speak. I had no idea what happened. It took me three days to figure out what I had said in the first place to make them harbor such hate.
It got to be so bad that when I walked down the hall way and they were there, I was given the cold shoulder. I scarcely breathed a word to them and them to me. I guess you could say I was scared to speak. What made the situation even worse was the fact that this girl of whom I had spoken had been one of my closest friends and then she wouldn't even make eye contact with me.
I remember calling her up multiple times begging for forgiveness, and praying constantly that if I could only get the chance to talk to her and apologize then everything would be all right. My prayer before bed was that I would once again be her friend and that I would learn never to speak that way about anyone to anyone. Those words were the hardest things I have ever had to take back in my life.
Soon we became friends again, after about two months of severe groveling. Of course that friend group soon split up as soon as it came to high school. I joined the "nerd/geek introverted club", one girl joined the "smoke every day club" and that boy actually turned out to be gay and the most popular boy in school because he was the first one to "come out." Thinking back on that situation actually makes me laugh, but also reminds me to think about my words, about my actions and how people perceive me...maybe now I over-analyze that part too much but either way its a good lesson.

Food for Your Thoughts:
Did you know that only about 10% of communication is verbal? That means that 90% of the things you're saying are NOT coming from your lips, therefore you may think you're being careful about your words, but are you being careful about your tone and body language?

A Mouse and A Lion

A lion was asleep one day (and no day in particular) when a mouse ran over his face. The lion awoke with a snarl and scooped the mouse into his paw. The frightened little mouse feared he was about to die and he pleaded for his life.
"Please, great and mighty lion, please spare my life. Give me my freedom and one day I will repay your kindness."
The amused lion could not comprehend that this tiny shivering little mouse could one day ever help him, but he laughed out loud and let the mouse go.
A few days later the mouse was scurrying about in the undergrowth, he heard the lion roar. It sounded as if the lion was in some sort of trouble and so he went to see if he could help in some way. The lion was trapped in a hunter's net and was trapped without a way out.
"There is no way you can help me," said the lion sadly enough, "When the hunters return with their spears, they will kill me."
the mouse shook his tiny head and said, "Your last day has not yet come." He began to nibble at the net with his sharp little teeth. Soon enough he had made a hole big enough for the lion to crawl through.
"You were right," the lion said, as he and the mouse hurried off to safety. "There are times when the weak are able to help the strong."

Or the small are able to help the big, or the young are able to help the old. Look at it however you want, but you'll have to admit that sometimes the toughest lessons are taught by the most unassuming. The ones from whom you wouldn't expect a lesson from. I am constantly amazed at how much I can learn from children. They teach without even knowing at times and we in all our wisdom and knowledge sometimes fail to see the forest through the trees. Quite the failing indeed, I would say. Sometimes the most unassuming thing can teach us the most valuable lesson.

I have been blessed to have two beautiful nephews. They have so much energy at times that I in my ripe old age of 21 can hardly keep up with them. First they run this way and then they need to run the other way, and soon they'll need to run back again. In one day they will want to play a game, go outside and toboggan and then come back in to build a puzzle or build a castle out of blankets.
An adult can get tired of it, we've lost our ability to imagine you know. Pretending can get more challenging as the years continue. I know that because I've grown up my ability to learn from invention has dwindled. But anyways that is another story.
One day, my six-year-old nephew at 8:30 am pulled my hand and begged me to play the game of LIFE. I laughed and joked that we're already playing that game. He looked at me with a quizzical brow. "Tomorrow," I replied.
The next day, at about the same time, my six-year-old nephew pulled on my hand and begged me to play the game of LIFE. I was busy making my breakfast and so I said, "Not right now little man, tomorrow."
A third day, he approached me and tugged on my housecoat and said "Today is tomorrow and can we play the game of LIFE now?" I nodded and said, "Mhmmm, maybe."
To which he replied, "I know what you will say, you will say tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, but then the whole time will go away and then we will not play. You don't understand me."
I blinked and stared at my nephew as he walked away with his head hung. How wise my little nephew had become. His little heart had been hurt by my neglect and no longer did he want to be put off. What did I learn that I should have known? Carpe Diem. Seize the day.
Take advantage of every moment that is given to you because they are gifts from God and each moment is precious. Why spend a day saying "Tomorrow," when tomorrow can be today?
Hmmmm?
Well don't ask me, I'm not the expert here, my little nephew is. And who knew that a six-year-old could teach a 21-year-old this old philosophy that should have been instilled and at work long ago. Perhaps his words will prod me to work harder and take each moment as a blessing. Take advantage of that second chance to get an opportunity and learn from the mistakes you've made. Don't give up, seize every moment like a six-year-old. I know its easier said then done, but then life would be so so so easy if that were the case and we'd become bored within minutes of being born.

Now see? There are two lessons in one blog for you. The first being that we can learn from the most unexpected people and the second...
Carpe Diem.
So I'm going to carpe diem today and get my butt in gear and learn from everyone around me. Who knows what I'll pick up on.

Hey, listen to Carolyn Arends; a Canadian artist's words:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lmqtYR5tJo

The Eagle and The Cocks

There were two cocks in the same farmyard and one day they decided to fight to decide who should be the master. Once the fight was over, the one who had lost went and hid in a dark corner and the winner flew up to the roof of the stables a crowed with great pride.
But an eagle saw him from a distance and swooping down he carried the prideful cock off, and he was never seen again. After this the other came out of the dark corner and was the master with no rivals afterwards.

Pretty gruesome huh? I know, hopefully this situation has never occurred to you in such drastic measures. Perhaps you realized your mistake and set things right before they could be carried too far, maybe it was too late. Maybe you'll never know and that mistake you made, changed your life forever and you'll never be the same. Maybe thats a good thing and maybe thats not a good thing.
I'm realizing that writing something that pertains to my life, based on these fables, is harder than I thought. For one thing there are instances in my life and times that are particularly personal and although they would make a perfect example, I don't wish to share them. Am I scared of judgment? Yes, maybe I am.

But if I want this little venture to succeed I'm going to have to be honest, and forthcoming.Telling your life in fables allows me to see myself for who I am, and sometimes it is rather scary, rather funny and rather revealing. A few days ago I sat down and started this blog, I made a connection and realized that this was my life. That what I would write about would be like baring my soul. I stared at the blinking cursor for the longest time, attempting to type something, anything else that would come to my brain. But only the example remained in the forefront of my brain. Dangit!
Its almost as if it was meant to be, almost as if there is no escaping. When I started this thing (a mere 4 blogs ago) I don't think I foresaw this and maybe I wouldn't have started had I known that this was coming. Whats great is that to you (my few precious readers) this might not seem all together that big and tempestuous...

When I was growing up, my family attended a church, called Port Perry Baptist Church, and it still exists today, in fact some of the people in it are larger than life and still remember me when I come home. Throughout my tough adolescent years, this church became almost like a safe haven, something that I would look forward to, that I could be involved in and not worry about judgment.
You remember those years of the "teens", if you do then you can resonate with me here, because I don't think anyone had those times easy...we were discovering our place and personality and that can be hard to find. I digress...
I was involved in Awana Programs, in the church worship team, Sunday school and even youth group for some time. I loved the feeling of being needed and being sought after to help with something and more than that I loved helping out and watching a success take place. Youth group though was kind of like high school hierarchy again, and sometimes it was more than apparent to me that I just didn't fit in.
Once I realized this, I began to distance myself. I let pride seep in to my heart and take over my brain when it came to involvement within the Youth group. It wasn't that I thought I was too good for them, it was because I thought they didn't want me. So in retaliation I said "Fine, I don't need you," and whenever someone invited me to something, I said "No thank you."
I went away to university, far away from home to move on from a life of a person who tried too hard to be loved. At school I could reinvent myself. And I did. The girl I was in high school would not know that girl I am now. At school I have friends everywhere, and I love them, they care for me and I feel needed and loved. I'm talkative and extroverted at school, I'm a completely different person.
Then I return home, and I remember who I was, how I turned the proverbial back to potential friends and my heart plummets. You see, being at school far far away is where my pride surges and then coming back home is where it drops down below zero. Actually when I'm away anywhere I become a completely different person compared to the person I am when I'm at home. I don't crow loudly like that rooster, but my thoughts are boasting to myself about the person I am. But then I am reminded severely of the person I once was when I return home to that church and realize...
Because to be completely honest, I could have tried harder, taken a step and put my pride aside and I could have been that person who wanted friends at home instead of that person who said "I don't need them." Which is completely erroneous, I need people like I need oxygen to breathe. Friendship is priceless. Relationships are priceless, and when I say things like "I don't need you," its only because my pride is hurt and I'm in the process of falling from my own pedestal that I've created.
So yes, after this past Christmas break spent at home I took a significant fall and currently I'm attempting to decipher how I can grow and learn from this lesson. Realizing that its a problem might be the first step in fixing it.
Hmmm, so there is some food for thought. And maybe you're realizing that you do the exact same thing, because I know that I'm not the only one out here learning from my mistakes.

A Bald Huntsman

A man, having no hair, bought himself a wig. On no certain day, he was out hunting with his friends when a strong gust of wind blew away his hat and took his wig with it. His friends tried not to laugh at his discomfort. But the bald-headed man couldn't help laughing himself...and he made his friends laugh until tears ran down their cheeks. He said "If the hair the wig is made from did not stick to the head it grew on, how can I expect it to stick to mine hmmm?"
I don't know bald-headed man, I don't know.
The lesson to be learned from this fable? Laugh and the world laughs with you.


Too true. So many times in life, we will encounter events that could be detrimental to a person's reputation or their own opinion about themselves. But rather than take a staunch view of the situation, take the view of "It doesn't really matter. You know you and you know that you're not always the way that situation depicts you."
Am I right? Of course I am. For example, simply because you get into a fight with a friend, that instance is not what you base the entirety of your relationship on. No. You know that other times, you've stood up for your friend and she/he has stood for you. The relationship has not turned sour, it simply has had a small bump.

Let me tell you how this particular fable relates to not a particular situation in my life, but in the life of my friend. She recently spent a semester in Chile, located in South America, studying and living with a Chilean family. While she was there she learnt so much about life, and love. This learning also happened to include the use of the Spanish language.
One day, she was at dinner with a 90 year-old man and an older couple, her Chilean friend and her roommate. They were eating and chatting, my friend and her roommate were learning testing their knowledge of the language throughout their conversations.
At one point my friend said "Ayer,construyeron una reja enfrente de mi iglesia," or at least my friend thought she said this, which would mean; " Yesterday, they built a gate in front of my church." 
But instead she said; "Ayer ,construyeron una raja enfrente de mi iglesia." 

Now see, to me, the small difference between the word "reja" and "raja" would not have meant much, but to those who know and speak Spanish, the difference is quite large. Because "rega" means "gate" and "raja" means "ass crack." So in actuality my friend was saying "Yesterday they built an ass crack in front of my church." 

Whoopsedaisy!

So here's me (left) laughing my head off with
 my friend on the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum.

At first none at the party said a word. There was complete silence and they let my friend continue without correcting her, until her Chilean friend quietly told her that she probably meant "reja" not "raja" and then everyone burst out in bundles and bundles of laughter.

And my friend at this point with her eyes wide with surprise at her mistake and was indeed the very deepest color red, threw her head back in great guffaws of laughter and a smile spread from ear to ear. 

Ha! I would have loved to have been there to laugh along with her and also take the lesson home as a reminder to not take those mistakes seriously, but to laugh at them and then simply move on. 

Remember: Don't take yourself too seriously; laugh and the world laughs with you. 

;)

Two Asses (Pack and Wild)

One day (and this was no particular day) a Wild Ass, who was wandering idly about, came upon a Pack-Ass lying out in a sunny spot and enjoying himself thoroughly. Venturing up to him, the Wild Ass remarked, "What a lucky beast you are! Your sleek coat shows how well you live; how I envy you!" Not long after this the Wild Ass saw his acquaintance again, but this time he was carrying a heavy load, and his driver was following behind and beating him with a thick stick. "Ah, my friend," said the Wild Ass, "I don't envy you any more: for I see you pay dear for your comforts."
The lesson? Advantages that are dearly bought are doubtful blessings.

This fable reminds me of Anastasia, the animated movie. Where Rasputin sells his soul for powers that would enable him to cripple the Czar and his family. I don't think selling your soul is ever a good idea, no matter how dire, or deep your passion is. Don't do it, I tell you, don't do it.
I'm not really speaking from experience or anything, but just from the sound of it. I can tell. Its a bad idea. Think about it, then say it out loud.
"Sell my soul."
The alliteration of the words "sell" and "soul" are enough to make you cringe, the depth to the sentence makes you believe that if you do (And remember you're not going to...) in fact "sell your soul"; there is no going back. You'd be in over your head, and beyond redemption. Although I do not know of anyone these days who would require another person's soul to complete a deal. Maybe in this time, it would be something like paying too much money, or working long long hours for something that seems worth it at the time, but years later is simply a burden on your life. Know of anything that does this for you?
Shoot eh?

Let me tell a less dramatic and impacting story of how I fell for an advantage that turned out to be a doubtful blessing.

Once upon a time...I was a little girl. About the age of a sixth grader. At the time popularity was something that mattered quite a bit. Now there was one girl in my grade, whose name was Sarah, who seemingly had the whole popularity thing covered. She had whatever she wanted, tons of friends (most of whom were cute boys too) and cool clothing (most of which is considered a faux pas now). I desperately wanted to be her friend.
But I was the geek at school, you know, the one who did their homework as soon as it was assigned, studied super hard and did well...at school, but not with friends. So when my birthday rolled around, I made a vain attempt to gain popularity and invited her to my birthday party.
She said yes and everyone knew that Sarah (the girl with all the friends and clothes) was coming to my party. YES! This is exactly what I wanted right? Of course right!

Simply picture one of these...broken.

They day rolled around and everyone came and we were having a wonderful time, eating potato chips and drinking pop, watching movies and playing games.
Now my father had constructed a swing set with an ash wood pole straddled between two trees and two swings hanging from it. We have had this make-shift set for years and years. My sisters and I loved it still even though it was old and uncool to say that you loved to swing. My friends and I went out to swing for a few minutes to help our little brains conjure up our next activity.
Sarah as it turns out was a little heavier for a sixth grader, and being the most popular was the first to be allowed to sit on the old swing set. I went inside for some more pop and while I was listening to my mom telling me to be confident we heard a loud CRACK and then seven little sixth graders cry in surprise. But one cry seemed to last longer than the others.
It belonged to Sarah, who was now sitting on splinters of wood (which had moments before been the seat of a swing) and two chains (which had only moments before held the seat on which Sarah had been sitting) were dangling on either side of her.
All of the other girls were holding in their laughter.
And all I could think about was the simple fact that if I hadn't invited her to my party, my sisters and I would still have a complete swing set. But alas it was the price I had to pay for popularity.
My father walked up to Sarah who was still sitting on the splinters of wood and simply said "hmmmmm...shoot." under his breath and then out loud, "That'll leave a mark huh?"

Sarah sat on ice packs the remainder of the party repeating countlessly that "We all need to swear ourselves to secrecy. Nobody needs to know."

My popularity? I did gain it to some respect, as the girl whose swing set broke because Sarah sat on it. So much for sworn secrecy.
Sigh.
I paid dearly for it though, that popularity; a whole swing set. Was it worth it?

For me...not in a million years.

Foxes and Grapes

My parents own this book, its called a “Treasury of Fables”. There are 122 Fables in this book…

so I’ll bet you can guess what I’m challenging myself to do huh?

Basically that I’ll go through them all, how does that sound? And if I finish (God willing), then I’ll move on to something else. I'll attempt to do this daily, or regularly at least. It'll be kind of like a regiment, you know like a New Year's resolution, something you would like to assign yourself to do, each day either to make yourself a better person, or...you know to have something to look forward to.

Foxes and Grapes

The first of the fables is about the fox and the grapes. A fox, walking through a town, sees some grapes growing on a vine, and driven by hunger attempts in continual vain to reach those tasty grapes...He leaps and leaps with all of his might but cannot reach them.
As he walks away, the fox remarked "Oh, those grapes aren't even ripe yet! I don't need sour grapes." The lesson to be learnt?
People who speak disparagingly of things they cannot attain, would do well to apply this lesson to themselves.
In an attempt to apply what I've gained from schooling, this related largely to cognitive dissonance. This is the state of holding two conflicting ideas at the same time. Hooray for education and application of knowledge.
Could it be that cognitive dissonance describes my love life? Ha! Very true, I'm going to come right out and type it: I have been single all my life and because that is the case, I do not know what I'm missing really. I mean I see it, all around me, my friends are engaged, my friends are dating, and they all seem to be happy. But I'll be honest, because I don't have it in my life I tell myself "You know what? I don't need it...I'm free." Sometimes...I won't lie I speak disparagingly about things that I cannot attain, and that is one of them.
It is funny though, how unaware of my singleness I was, until I was forced to see it, simply because people began "attaining" relationships so to speak. And once I was aware, I immediately came up with excuses for why this would be the case...

I guess I'm the fox in this situation...

Here they are:
1. I'm much too brilliant to fancy anyone in that regard. I'm too independent.
2. I have way to many plans in my life and having a relationship would just hold me down.
3. That would mean getting to know someone else entirely and caring about them with a whole heart, and I find this hard enough to do for my family. In short, a relationship is work...
4. I don't need it.
5. I like my freedom
6. I need to focus on other things...
7. It would never work.

You might think this list is dreary and daft (good word huh?) but for me, its almost like a life line when someone asks if I would ever date or marry. I list those seven things off and that person is left simply standing there, blinking...blinking...blinking...and I walk way, having successfully proven why.
Ha! There, take that.
Not that I'm bitter or anything, no no no. But I would certainly have hated to have been that person standing there listening to my list, because I would have said it dripping with disdain.

Let Us Begin

Ideas for blogging:

1.       My life

2.       My sisters

3.       School

4.       Something that people would find interesting

5.       Read a book and comment on it whilst reading it?

6.       Change in times…the 90s until now?

7.       A year in review

8.       Ghandi’s life lessons

9.       A goal for each day, how it works out.

10.   Relationships…how people view them.

11.   Problems how people work through them.

Many people, it seems, wish to write something or other throughout their lives.  I would like to tell you that most of us do…I wish, and that each of those people got book deals and then the book became so very famous it became a movie. Ahem, but that is not the case. In fact, most of those people only accomplish the dreaming stage, get started and then quickly lose their motivation, or patience. I don’t  wish that fate upon myself, I want to succeed in my little venture.

How do you like the view of my driveway? 

Which is what exactly hmm? I’m really not sure. I would like to say that I have a purpose in writing, but maybe that is my purpose, finding a purpose for writing. Maybe what I’ll do is answer one question a day according to what I know. Maybe I’ll evaluate a principle of living each day and attempt to understand if there is any meaning.  Maybe the fruits of the spirit, maybe different proverbs, maybe Aesop’s fables.   I don’t know really, maybe I’ll try it out and when I see that it works or doesn’t then we’ll see what comes next.

What do I mean?

Well, simply put; if people read this, comment on it, provided that I do a good job, then I’ll continue. But maybe I’ll continue regardless as something to hold myself to each day.

Starting tomorrow, I’ll begin my journey of self discovery, and hopefully in regimented fashion...I'll press on.

Okay, here I go, about to travel the long road of blogging...