Author: Michael

Boy, this place is hot! The heat is oppressive, lingering, unbearable, and even breathtaking ( no pun intended…it does take lives ) ! But the word cannot be measured by degrees only….it may also refer to someone packing “heat” , or dogs are in “heat” or music makes me feel the ” heat” ! Whatever the scenario may be, it does bring about radical changes physically or emotionally. The one who is packing may feel almighty…the animals may experience excitement due to the anticipation of a release of pent up urges, and the people will probably wilt! In winter, we bundle up and feel warm…in summer , we bare all and either feel great or still miserable ! So what are we to do when the Heat raises its head ? Migrate to a colder country …stay and burn…or relax and enjoy? We may also do extensive window shopping inside of the stores with their AC on! Science may have an answer….that thing called Global Warming…..but have we ever considered Devine Intervention due to the nature of the world?

THIS WORLD IS SO MUCH IN A RUSH THAT, AS IT PASSED ME BY, ALL I COULD HEAR WAS THE RUSTLING OF THE LEAVES, AND THEN..DEAD SILENCE! Is it about the people quickly passing by, without a thought of who is standing by or lying down on the hot sidewalk? Do people really think of each other, or are they just too selfish, only thinking about themselves , or a quick and easy way to make money? Do they have more than enough at home, or not enough which motivates them to be in this state…rushing? We cannot know that unless we can read their minds! If there is Insufficiency at home, then it is their duty to provide for their family, but at what cost? Should they ignore those who are worse off? I cannot answer! Have we also been abandoned by technology…by science? There used to be candles, wood fires and hand lamps to provide light….now, we have electricity, gas and even solar power to do that. From a simple sketch, now there are VHS TAPES, cds,,flash drives and computers…..don’t forget remote controlled equipment! From travelling from one place to another to see or talk to someone , we have video phones and other platforms to do that! So are we still going to stand there, motionless,,petrified as we are being passed? Why don’t we do something? Maybe we are too old, and our minds cannot grapple with the velocity of movement around us. Are we in the eye of the storm? Should we go to bed,,,, have a very long sleep, and then awake to reality….a very harsh reality that nothing was a dream? As we look around, there is no one in sight! Have we really been left behind,,,,,,,,,,,or are we way ahead of the competition? ?

Facebook is a platform which brings people of different cultures, backgrounds, religions , ethnicities and other factors together! We may be living in the U.S. and still chatting with people all over the world…like India chatting with Guyana…like Germany chatting with Burma, and so it goes on. We have opportunities to learn other people’s cultures , and even show them ours. Appreciation for each other is nurtured! Communication may be a little difficult because of the difference in time zones, and also in the languages, but one way or the other, we may, with enough effort, overcome that,,,especially if we appreciate the FB friends we have! Building trust through several messages, and audio calls may also lead to video calls, thus we will be able to actually see , hear and speak to our friends resulting in even a stronger bond between friends! Is this another path to world peace? That would be extremely hard to determine, because of the billions of people on earth. Please don’t forget the other planets? And I also doubt very much that they have the FB platform! That is the good side, but each coin has two sides, mostly different from each other. Some people use FB for ulterior motives with which I don’t want to dwell….but the insinuation is there! Some males pretend to be females , and vice versa….the reason behind this is for you to contemplate! Others have over 5,000 FB friends? How do they keep in contact with them? Is there a competition going on that I don’t know about? Do they answer, or acknowledge messages or posts? I doubt it very much! Anyway, to each , his own……to still being FB friends, or to unfriend …that becomes the question for today’s menu! It can also become extremely frustrating. So, chew what you can swallow, or you’ll choke!

What do we think about when we hear the word “Freedom ” being spoken? What goes through our minds when we read about it? Do we experience joy (as if a loved one has been freed ) , or sorrow or fear ( as if a dangerous criminal has escaped , thus having his freedom). In the past, and even up to today, countless lives have been lost with nations and countries trying to attain that , fighting each other. Some even use that word as an excuse for personal gain! We should always remember the unsung heroes of freedom….some of whom we will never hear about. Some smaller countries which were governed externally even attained their independence…their freedom . We only have to reflect on History to decide whether this was a fruitful venture. We should not forget the neverending protests…all in the name of freedom. These protesters face real danger when doing that….rain, the unrelenting heat , and even attacks from unknown sources….but never surrendered! In our young days, were we given that freedom to choose , or was there too much parental control or domination? Would our lives have been different if we had chosen different paths? Who knows? Emotional freedom is an essential nutrient in our wellbeing . We should choose how to live our lives….either by being a menace or a credit to society. We should also remember that by choosing to be a menace, we may lose our freedom. Wouldn’t you rather soar like an eagle, enjoying the breathtaking view of Freedom , than to be chained by the shackles of your impoverished mind?

If anyone says that he/she is not missing someone, that is untrue! They’re just fooling themselves. As long as we are alive, there is a loved one who has gone away. That is life…that is love…that is lost..that is missing someone! Sometimes you love someone who has gone away willingly, maybe because things weren’t working out properly. Maybe a loved one has passed away, because of sickness or an accident. But, regardless of the reason, your heart bleeds for them. Your nights are long…your days are short..your mind is immobilized! For you, the world has stopped turning, ..there is neither future nor past….only sadness..only anguish..only pain! At times, your memory tries to trick you into believing that the lost loved one is standing beside or in front of you! Realization then kicks in, and the pain and suffering start all over again! Some people resort to drinking, ..some become traumatized because of this! Letting go of someone you love is so heartbreaking that you have to experience it to understand what those who are left behind are going through . The best consolation is that some day , you will meet each other again, physically or spiritually! But in the meantime, what is there to do? What can we do…cry our life away….hide in a liquor bottle…face the world with a smile ( but what is there to smile about when we are being suffocated and drowned by tears) ? Do we believe people when they say that Time heals all wounds ? Aren’t they forgetting that the scars still remain? Maybe we just have to live with the pain until we can feel no more…until we can breathe no more! !

The word PROMISE is supposed to be sacred , but many people use it very loosely! “I will get you that for your birthday, I promise..I will be back, I promise..I will never do it again, I promise. “. After all is said and done , still those promises were never kept! Please excuse those who have neither reasoning nor understanding because both depend on their level of education. .of intelligence! So the words which stumble out of their mouths were not properly nourished by the food of Wisdom! So what’s the use of inserting that word when you’re saying something? Keeping a promise defines who you are…sometimes the other person may forget what you said, but for you, it is something that you have to keep….your word..your promise! The people to whom you made your promise may be looking forward to your keeping it, but little do they realize your true intentions….to keep or not to keep..that is the question! Some will remind you of it (which they shouldn’t have to do) , others may just let it go, because , in the first place, they never believed you! Marriage is also a promise! After a marriage, some people will stay together for years, or until they pass away, while others may break up , separate or divorce just after a few years….totally forgetting their promise….in sickness or in health, ’til death do us part. How about we consider those couples who complete the full journey? What keeps them together …..what kept them together for so long? Was it love, understanding, mutual respect, honesty or something else or all of the above mentioned ? Or could it just may have been something extremely simple…like A PROMISE??

Oh, what beautiful memories we start to create when we first fall in love. It is like a bud blooming overnight into a fantastic flower with its hypnotic scent…..like a metamorphosis, from a larva to a wonderful butterfly! We have now opened our hearts to deeper feelings ( even though it may just be an infatuation) , but for us, it is an incredible feeling ..a new awakening to a world filled with romance! We only have eyes for each other..we have our own world..a garden filled with roses. We are so happy in each other’s company, and , when we are apart, we still think of each other , sometimes with jealousy. We are never afraid to show our love in public because , as far as we are concerned, we are made for each other. Two has become one. That is our destiny! But with all new love awakening, there is discord….the first is that green eyed monster named Jealousy! As the years go by, we are more in control of our love feelings..if it was infatuation, it may lead to a separation or even a stronger link with our love because now there is understanding. So now , let’s consider that we break up and find another love, will we make the same mistakes as before? Our understanding of what really love is or involves has broadened! But I really will like to believe that no matter what happens through the passing years, we may never be able to fully forget our first love….that person who was able to awaken our sleeping hearts to a dazzling world of learning to love, even though it may just have been infatuation! As the saying goes, first love never really dies!

Once we are alive , we experience pain. From the time we are born to the time we expire, there is pain! We feel physical pain maybe because of an accident..or by someone deliberately hurting us. Sometimes we undergo surgery and then here comes the master of pain…physical therapy! When doing that , we feel tremendous pain as if our lives are being taken away from us but it is for our own well being. Some people endure the full course while some quit! We cannot criticize those who leave because we don’t know their pain and how much they can handle. Of course, we are given pain medication , but how much does it help? So apart from the physical pain, there is also the emotional stress! Probably we cannot afford the basics of life , or loss of a loved one , or being rejected in love . Whatever the case maybe, we feel that hurt…we cannot focus on simple things. We seek the help of specialists! Does that help? Only those who have experienced that can answer! What about trying to help ourselves by doing something on our own. Be it physical or emotional, let’s focus on something entirely different ….something beautiful…something relaxing. We are not concentrating on our pain, but our thoughts are elsewhere. Let’s leave the pain behind, and move to greener pastures, so to speak! We try not to be aware of that intense pressure, but project our thoughts away from it….one day at a time. Then again, instead of making pain our enemy, let us befriend it!

Alcoholism is terrible…should be compared to the living dead. Apart from creating havoc to your loved ones, you are doing the same to society! You will probably steal, cheat or do worse things to feed the parasite. Take a look at yourself in the mirror…both when you’re sober and when you are highly intoxicated…compare the difference. The picture is totally projecting two different personalities…like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde! Then there is also that endless one person dialogue that drives people crazy. Regardless whether they are in the streets, or in the woods or even at home, people who care still try to help in one way or another .In some cases, there is success, and what joy that brings…..like a resurrection…like a new page..like a brand new day! Sometimes , regardless of how much effort we put in, we still fail…words cannot describe our sorrow..our pain…our disappointment. We even seek the help of the law…..which states that the alcoholics have to make the first move! How can we move a broken car, unless we request the service of a tow truck to take it in for service. There has to be a better way to help our fellow human beings!!

This word is usually delivered with genuine feelings and an expression of deep sorrow. Some people really abuse it and, therefore, this word should not be in their vocabulary! In our daily lives, we hurt people in one way or another ..maybe physically or emotionally! We hit them without any real reason…..maybe we are bullies taking out our anger on weaker people….robbing them of material things or of their innocence …and it doesn’t end there! We sometimes don’t take care of our homes or family! So we figure that by saying SORRY , everything will be forgiven! We feel that we are making our confession in front of the priest, thus absolving ourselves from all wrongdoing..even the emotional abuse of others! So is that it ? Are we on a brand new page…turning over a new leaf? Then we repeat our wrongdoing …relentlessly abusing, lying, cheating and being bullies. To make matters worse, we do this to our loved ones…..and then we again say I AM SORRY..IT WON’T HAPPEN AGAIN! Are we fooling ourselves….is that our nature ?…Why don’t we make an honest effort to do right …then we just may find the peace that we are so desperately seeking? So quit saying SORRY…..let that word rest ! The page with the word “sorry ” should be torn out from the dictionary…and only then , we may be able to replace it by saying “NEED HELP ” ! Please treasure what you have! Why don’t we just enjoy the beautiful things of life,regardless of what little we may have because, soon we will all become dust that will be blown into oblivion,,,,,,and be no more ? Our greatest fear comes from the past because we have experienced it , not from the unknown future, and that’s why the past always haunts us …so will you just let go of ”SORRY” ?