tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54978711604402211222024-03-13T04:05:18.217-07:00conversations among friendsi invite us all to elevate our conversation.one Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163376259208185648noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497871160440221122.post-63836143104583975402010-07-04T15:53:00.000-07:002010-07-04T15:54:05.561-07:00rhyme spill (definitely better than an oil spill) - an advertisement for teachersschool is out, but fresh in thought.<br />you're making sense of all you taught<br />and in your mind, you come across<br />some topics where you fear the loss<br /><br />of little minds you vowed to teach -<br />strategies that just didn't reach<br />the goals you'd set (and some you'd not)<br />for that which you're supposed'have taught,<br /><br />and now you think about next year<br />and how to make it that more clear<br />to little minds with which you're charged<br />to bring about their brain enlargement.<br /><br />well, dear teachers (those who're still<br />reading this, my rhyming spill -<br />you obviously understand<br />the power of the rhyming stan...za.)<br /><br />and so i offer, this, my skill<br />the power of the rhyming spill<br />to fortify your teaching tools<br />in places where you left them fools.<br /><br />you tell me, teacher dearest do<br />and i will up and rhyme for you.<br />what do you want your kids to know?<br />rhymes can help their minds get goin'<br /><br />email alison dot bal<br />dwin at gmail dot com and i'll<br />be happy to spill rhymes for you<br />exactly how you want me to.<br />to target what your kids will need<br />to get them where you're trying to lead them.<br /><br />or message me on here, whatever.<br />i'd just like to rhyme forever.<br /><br /><br />(alison.baldwin@gmail.com)one Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163376259208185648noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497871160440221122.post-66644572890145160322010-07-02T14:18:00.000-07:002010-07-02T14:21:18.039-07:00stupid human trickshow is it that we, as a species and as individuals, continue to do things that we know are bad for us? things that we don't want to do, even? how is that we cannot even manage ourselves? or do what we know that we want?one Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163376259208185648noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497871160440221122.post-71989773650629092902010-06-30T17:37:00.000-07:002010-06-30T17:41:16.972-07:00Half an argument, part 2!Because I am out of time, and feeling lazy now, this is directly lifted from the same Facebook wall of my coworker Sam that the previous post originally appeared on. As such, you'll find that some of my statements either come out of the blue, or are directly addressing the other party. It is late, so I will leave it raw like this. <br /><br />Enjoy!<br /><br /><br />I am a big fan of "useful and reasonable" definitions over absolute ones, provided they don't twist the language so far as to redefine it (much). You're right: a system of value is required, and for me this must have some parameters related to some definition or approximate notion of what art is and isn't, so I suppose this element is swinging us back towards that debate. <br /><br />I would argue somewhat vehemently (as I'm sure you're aware by now) that money is a far cry from objective, when it clearly has a vested interest in promoting media which will produce more money, not which will improve culture or humanity (which I pose as the more powerful motivation for artists producing art, in this comparison).<br /><br />Part of me is automatically inclined, I must admit, to valuing the opinion or position of researchers and scientists over that of most other folks, as I consider the backing of reproduceable experiment to be a more sound justification for one's position than just about anything. In this sense, I suppose I am conceding the point of a priori proof with regard to distinguishing between fact and opinion. I couldn't give a whit if there's a universal test to distinguish the two on a minute level (unless of course someone were to miraculously produce such a test!). <br /><br />What I consider a more reasonable and functional distinction is any robust a posteriori proof. As I understand it, the entire science of psychology is rooted in this method, which is why any reasonable research into psychology must be backed with a strong footing in statistics. Without this method of proof, despite being less 'perfect' than all that a priori hullabaloo, we would 'know' a lot less about the human mind; how it works, how it learns, and so on. <br /><br />What's really neat within this vein is using statistical methods to prove that someone's observational claim cannot be true. This is where the refinement of the field takes place. Scientist (or philosopher) A posits that "something is true" based on having observed something in the real world that seems to be a trend. (Example to follow). Scientist B refines "something is true" by either presenting context-specific cases where it may be found not to be true, or discounts it entirely because it does not account for some data (inconsistent), and so the original idea must be adjusted or added to to account for the extra cases, or rejected in favour of one which more accurately descibes (predicts) real-world events.<br /><br />Rough example: memory has been (and often still is) considered divided into long term and short term memory "banks." However, this notion has been found inconsistent with the experimental data, as it does not account for memory decay, false memories, and some other stuff, and so has been rejected. The void of how to define our memory processes needed filling, however, so someone suggested that memory is actually more like imagining. This is based in the observation that the same neural pathways fire when looking at an object as when remembering the same object. This has been further refined to separately desribe the operation of perceptual memory (instantaneous availability of information, basically; extremely short), working memory (how much you can keep track of consciously before it gets "rewritten"), and long term memory (pathways strengthened by associations and repeated use). This is, of course, still an imperfect realisation of our memory systems, and as such is constantly being refined by memory scientists, but it provides a more accurate (read: functional) picture of this aspect of our marvellous brainmeats. <br /><br />Certain aspects of memory research I would consider "facts" (e.g., all human memory is based on the arrangement and interaction of nerve/brain cells), and others the "best available opinion." <br /><br />A posteriori proofs are a fantastic way to learn about all kinds of aspects of the world. It seems to me that the position fact=opinion completely undermines the validity of all a posteriori proofs, but even a rough observation of the real world reveals the functionality of experimental proofs (which is, of course, itself an a posteriori observation; victory pump for circular reasoning!). In short (haha), I consider the position untenable because although the burden of proof is on those of us who would disagree, said proof is found (in abundance) in clinical observation, which is rejected by your statement in the first place. It sits as its own absolute judgement on the inability to have an absolute judgement about anything, yet is definitively presented as an opinion, and so renders itself a moot point. <br /><br />Back to art and music. I don't think an unmade bed can be considered art unless it is expressing something of the world or the human condition with the intention of rousing some thought or reaction in the observer. (I do NOT believe in art by accident, but that's a separate point, for the moment). Most of the time, it is an unmade bed. Likewise, in terms of music, I stand firmly in my stance that plagiarism (even accidental plagiarism) can never be art. As such, I think the best case one can make for all the craptastic music out there being considered art in any capacity is the limited artistry in the arrangement of the words (the same words that everyone else already wrote) and their interaction with the music/chords. As you have pointed out, "all things of a kind" may be compared along the metrics defining that kind. And so, I consider the artistic value of this form of music about on par with the artistry employed by me in spicing the meat for my supper on a given night; the artistry of arranging ingredients in a plausibly palatable manner, according to taste. So, I concede, as you say, that it could be art, but on such a limited scale as to be scarce worth the breath to say so. <br /><br />The danger in this concession, though, is opening the door to the thinking that it is even on the same scale as "good" music. I don't believe it is, and the comparison alone belittles the worth of music that has actually had some thought and artistic intent invested in it. To come back to "things of a kind," the works of Stravinsky and Michaelangelo are more of a kind, to my mind, than the works of Stravinsky and The White Stripes, despite using a different sensory medium in their expression. We are both once again leaning towards demanding a definition of what art is, however, so that's as far as I'll take that point for the moment. <br /><br />As for video games, I'm not sure where I sit on the notion that a game can holistically be viewed as a work of art, though I agree both that elements of it (design, animation, etc) can be considered art, and with Jason's position that the "game" part of it (fulfilling objectives) cannot be. <br /><br />Art as a refinement of presently held notions seems to me to be totally consistent with the production of almost any novel idea. A novel idea must surely refine the viewer's presently held notions, as they now consider something which they have never before considered. <br />The other side to this (still consistent with my definition there) is that there is no such thing as a novel idea. Anything which appears to be so is in fact built entirely upon previous notions, with perhaps some ties or associations never before conceived. (As an aside, this is one of my favourite things to think about, in terms of defining what a thought actually is; essentially, layers of abstraction built upon and strengthening each other through association). Again, those novel associations force the audience to refine presently held notions. The first time someone came up with the idea of a unicorn, was it novel? They just put a horn on a horse, of course. But anyone afterwards now had refined their ideas about horsey creatures; they could have horns!<br /><br />By the way, I think you would appreciate a quotation that another friend of mine lifted from some forum somewhere: "The plural of anecdote is not data."nefariuspurpushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16707523836399573545noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497871160440221122.post-46846052458189157942010-06-29T16:48:00.000-07:002010-06-29T16:58:05.787-07:00Some things art is not, and what it could be.This was written in response to a fellow teacher's response to my friend <a id="link_1" href="http://jimmyen.livejournal.com/667556.html">Jason's post</a>; a response to the responses that Ebert's response to Santiago's response to Ebert's original comment that "video games will never be art" produced. It is also in response to a debate conducted between myself and said teacher in which I was solidly and consistently trounced in my floundering attempts to back up my position. Another bit of evidence that my brain has been on standby for the past few months. What follows is a direct transcript from my response to Sam, the aforementioned coworker. <br /><br />As regards our previous debate: one of the reasons I have for rejecting the stance that fact=opinion is that we are left suddenly impoverished for terms which distinguish that which can be backed up or shown by repeated experiment to be robustly valid from substanceless, uneducated or ill-informed blathering. <br /><br />(A new link to check out, mostly because it's awesome, but also because it briefly touches on this point, is this 9½ minute beat poem from Tim Minchin. Of course, he's playing entertainer here, so it's not exactly a robust argument.)<br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujUQn0HhGEk<br /><br />It is for this reason that I heartily disagree with Mr. Grohl's statement about what art is [<span class="text_exposed_show">"If you think you're [art] because you don't eat meat, you're [art]!"]</span>. A statement which so boldly puts baseless opinion on equal footing with the best efforts of masters of their craft has no value (I humbly opine). I think it is an essential quality of art that while it defies rigorous definition, it very clearly comes in varying levels of quality. I am taking it as self-evident that this is the case, of course, and will happily argue the point in more detail if that particular torch is taken up. <br /><br />Now, I have substantial personal investment in my side of this debate, as it pertains to music. I posit that, if one takes as given that popularity does not contribute to the artistic merit of a given enterprise (another point to potentially contend, if necessary), then the music *cough* of the White Stripes is, on a musically artistic level, somewhere around the bottom rung of the artistry ladder, as compared with that of Stravinsky, which is standing near the top, with a wonderfully informed view of the musically artistic world below.<br /><br />The basis for this may begin with the psychological studies of the consonance or dissonance of tone pairs. Consonance and dissonance are perceptual phenomena, and we're dealing specifically with human perception here. Therefore, any fact produced concerning perception stands out as distinct from those facts about the rest of the world (i.e., the world is flat, not round), because it is perfectly conceivable that human perception of consonance or dissonance could change over time, though right now it seems very robustly rooted in vibration frequency ratios, to begin with. When one starts to get into the more interesting and daring musical enterprises, like jazz, these lines can appear to be blurred a bit, as jazz players and listeners love certain clashing sounds, but even this is based in concepts of teasing the brain by fulfilling or defying expectation, which has been put forth as a key factor in the enjoyment of music (this could constitute pages more of debate, which I would not mind in the slightest). <br /><br />Back to my point about consonance vs. dissonance, though. I consider it a fact that the basic consonance/dissonance factor of any tone pair is based on its vibration frequency ratio (a perfect 5th is in the ratio 2:3, for example). This fact is based on opinion (either of participants in a study, or the interpretation of the scientists), and yet is more valid than any opinion to the contrary, as it successfully and experimentally robustly describes an aspect of the world. If you still consider it an opinion, it is crucial to be able to distinguish between opinions of value (informed opinions), and nonsensical gibberish, for a start. <br /><br />From here, it is a process of refinement, which I contend is central to the value of most or all works of art. Why? Because to offer something that's already been done has no artistic merit. Like Ebert, Jason, and others, I'm still dancing around actually defining what constitutes art, but trying to nail down some idea of what it isn't, and with a supporting reason. In this case, it pares down to my personal opinion that plagiarism is not and will never be art.<br /><br />I suppose if I were to present my own opinion of what constitutes art, it would be exactly that; refinement of presently held notions. Whether that means your cave drawing has more humour and a steadier hand than Grunk down the way, or you're a master of painting impressionism, art to me must present a refinement of some aspect of the present state of humanity. <br /><br />So while there's lots of wiggle room in that definition (for people to take pictures of their poo and present it as art, for example), what I do not accept as being artistic (or indeed having almost any merit whatsoever), is the majority of popular music being produced today. If artistry is to be found anywhere in that scene, it is in the folks who are refining their ability to use music as a medium to manipulate and covertly subjugate the masses. These artists are the recording engineers and producers of shitty-yet-wildly-popular television shows like Britain's Got Talent, and their ilk. None of them are composers, and the music that they are producing is not art.<br /><br />To insert my personal position on the matter, one of my main goals in life is to produce (compose and present) music which is both popular (that is, agreeable to the layman's ear, possibly even catchy), and holds some artistic merit in its form/construction and presentation. I want to bridge the gap between popular and good, basically, which I see as an ever-increasing gulf in present society, at least where the money-focussed "music industry" is concerned. Anything which is produced (let alone popularised) which does not refine the world of music itself I consider to be potentially damaging to the culture and society to which it is presented, and this effect is magnified the more it happens. <br /><br />The same goes for over 99% of anime being produced today: if it has already been done (to death and then some), there is little-to-no artistic value in it.nefariuspurpushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16707523836399573545noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497871160440221122.post-56795948657047010732010-04-30T00:40:00.000-07:002010-04-30T00:50:10.313-07:00we're doing just finei wanted this, but i'm afraid to take it. it doesn't mean i won't. it just confirms that i'm pretty much still afraid of everything. and it makes me wonder how i do anything really. and how much more i could possibly get out of life if i wasn't doing every silly little thing afraid. and it makes me wonder how in blazes did i get this way, and how i can see where it's wrong and still, still, not be able to change it. salivating over it, even. bells everywhere. but everybody's more or less afraid, right? pretty much everybody's just squeaking by. or maybe everybody's doing just fine. we're probably all just fine.one Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163376259208185648noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497871160440221122.post-72694415998491997362010-04-05T15:29:00.000-07:002010-04-06T10:14:32.307-07:00a week's worth of silencewhat would you do with a week's worth of silence?. is it even possible to find anymore, what with the hum of technology that is now the soundtrack of our daily lives. refrigerators, with their false voice of efficiency, break into kitchens and interrupt an otherwise peaceful atmosphere. fans force themselves on us from behind plastic hard drives. televisions are constantly turned on. noise is normal, and if it can't be heard than we inevitably assume something is wrong. why is it so quiet? who turned off the tv? why isn't everyone trying to talk at once? <br /><br />a week's worth of silence would be to some unbearable, and hardly valuable. who wants to understand that time stands still, and it is us who barrel through it, without any awareness of where we're going or from where we came, only an unintelligent notion that there was a starting point way back 'there' and somewhere, in a perfectly straight line some distance ahead, is where it will end. our lives are merely series of perfectly straight dots that our egos mindlessly put together. <br /><br />i have been by myself now for five days, and am a bit resentful of the sounds around me, though i also have to admit there have a few moments when i have been grateful for the knowledge that help is just a scream away...haha..... why is the fridge so loud? when are we going to make something more energy efficient? who do we hold accountable for this lack of service? ultimately, when it comes to things that we find ourselves without, the blame is on us. <br /><br />even now, the music is blaring...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03189234292333354838noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497871160440221122.post-62735503810020744612009-05-12T18:30:00.001-07:002009-05-12T18:30:58.624-07:00You know how to use themi'm asking for blue birds, and red birds.<br />please let me know.one Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163376259208185648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497871160440221122.post-76373733058346090242009-05-08T12:06:00.000-07:002009-05-08T12:16:50.792-07:00the brink: more jumpingjumping off the edge, and, if you cannot fly, inevitably, crashing.<br /><br />you pull yourself, half comotose, to the only place you know - the edge - and you stand there until you come to, on the edge, like you've always been. you jump off the edge again, crash, and return. each time, upon impact, a little retrograde amnesia, so the freefall is more like a hazy dream.<br /><br />did that really even happen?<br /><br />yes, it happened. you jump, again and again. you will never stop jumping, until finally, one day, you soar.<br /><br />madness.<br />beautiful madness.one Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163376259208185648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497871160440221122.post-87980971007473665882009-04-19T00:31:00.000-07:002009-04-19T00:39:51.840-07:00the time illusionit feels early in the morning, but it's more like early in that late sort of way. what is the deal with time? and how our perception of it is limited by our sleep patterns?<br /><br />what time is it?<br /><br />and what the bleep do we really know?<br /><br />(well, i do know that if you write the word LOVE and attach that note to something and then put it in a guitar, along with your best intentions, that thing cannot help but be better for it. science told us that. we're talking well documented molecule structure stuff. stuff you can't make up. but then, you must be able to imagine it).<br /><br />crazy neo hippie freaks.one Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163376259208185648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497871160440221122.post-15792216720633365972009-04-13T09:26:00.000-07:002009-04-13T09:29:09.823-07:00inside out"The reason why no one has successfully been able to form a resistance against Global Tyranny, endless war, Famine, and Bigotry, is because no one accepts the fact that deep down inside we need these things, and indeed we created them. Not on a conscious level, but on an unconscious universal level through the behaviors, thoughts and actions that we don't recognize about ourselves. We created the evil on this earth. And there's no reason to beat ourselves up over it. We needed to create it. It is necessary to have these things in physical form in order to show us what we are doing to ourselves on the inside. And until we take responsibility for our own thoughts and actions, there is not a political leader among us, not a religion on earth, not a revolution or movement in sight, and not a reform of society in the world that will save us from the extinction in front of us."<br /><br />- <a href="http://www.talismanicidols.org">http://www.talismanicidols.org</a>one Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163376259208185648noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497871160440221122.post-85407665730486484242009-04-04T10:02:00.000-07:002009-04-04T10:24:47.839-07:00getting cockywhy is it considered cocky to share the best parts of ourselves with others? where do we get this idea that humility means presenting less of yourself to others?<br /><br />humility is the defining characteristic of an unpretentious and modest person, <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">someone who does not think that he or she is better or more important than others.</span><br /><br />if we present less of ourselves to feel humble, we must feel that we are better or more important than others. we must feel that we need to be less in order not to appear better. this is false humility. this is, in fact, no humility at all.<br /><br />to be at your best and still believe that you are no better or more important than any other is true humility. it also empowers those around you by acknowledging that they are as important and as good as your best self. unfortunately, cultural consciousness traps us in a mentality of less-than-ness. if you are something that i admire, than i am less than you. we cannot admire each other, without denigrating ourselves. the opposite is true as well, that we cannot admire ourselves without denigrating each other.<br /><br />i seek mutual admiration, mutually empowering. i seek my own infinite potential, and i encourage you to seek your own. your best will only empower my best. your worst will only seek to better both of us. and i will bless you for it. you cannot be less than you are. you are more and forever growing.<br /><br />who you are now creates who you are tomorrow, and if you seek to be better tomorrow, bless today, whatever it is, as a step towards tomorrow.<br /><br />if there is even a smidgen of goodness in your life - and there must be, or you are not looking closely enough - everything else is for that. changing even one thing creates a butterfly effect, making some things possible and others not so. everything is necessary to create even the smallest goodness, and even the smallest goodness is worth infinitely more than great bad. that you have been protected from other great bads is, in itself, a great good. bless all of it, for you have no idea what could or could not have been as a result. imagine the possibilities! all moment is pregnant with potential. all moment is pure creation. all moment is necessary. all moment is awesome.one Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163376259208185648noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497871160440221122.post-73185803543435240422009-03-25T13:11:00.000-07:002009-03-25T13:22:27.135-07:00i'll take that to goI got curious<br />so i googled<br />'how to leave your life'<br />i got how to leave your lover<br />how to leave London<br />and how to leave your job<br />really?<br />is that a hint<br />a clue<br />my calling<br />should i do it<br />so that i can write about it<br />so that the next person who gets curious<br />can know about it<br />or maybe we're not supposed to write about it<br />maybe we're just supposed to leave it hidden<br />let people think<br />it's their own calling<br /><br />people do it<br />they leave their life everyday<br />what's a life anyway<br />your job? your friends?<br />your family? your thoughts?<br />what if you only leave one of those things?<br />what combination of these aspects<br />does it take<br />to make a life<br />and what combination<br />of insanity, dreaming,<br />yearning, hope<br />does it take<br />to change itenergydreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02031241905270639655noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497871160440221122.post-73522930957656380682009-03-22T19:40:00.000-07:002009-03-22T19:50:55.281-07:00limited freedomit is only the perception of freedom if we are not aware of our limitations. we cannot be free if we continue to let ourselves be enslaved by the forces that act on us subconsciously. to give your mind over to someone in the name of freedom is a paradox.<br /><br />the common good is one thing, but group think is quite another.<br /><br />cultivate a critical mind.<br />think for yourself.one Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163376259208185648noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497871160440221122.post-62559275372181669022009-03-19T06:21:00.000-07:002009-03-19T06:24:58.525-07:00prescription latexHow do I control my feelings?<br />My thoughts that reel faster the more I try and stop them.<br />That moment of toe in cold water turned running full steam into that ocean of uncertainty that seems to stretch out forever.<br />That pit of my stomach churning acid and coating doubt with assumptions- negative ones.<br />Do I need to see a shrink?<br />Do I need medication?<br />I feel embarrassed to ask for professional help.<br />So I suffer not so silently.<br />Does it make me stronger? Or just wear me down?<br />Truth seeker seeks comfort even if it's not true.<br />Hopeless romantic attempts slow steps against her nature.<br />She knows what she wants... so she goes and gets it.<br />Not in this case.<br />So how long should she/could she wait until a decision is made?<br />Waiting makes layers of dust fall on unmoved objects and the same applies to your emotions. This itchy, need to go somewhere dust is paralyzing and fidgety.<br />Anxiety.<br />The single most uncomfortable, over powering, body breaking, mind reeling state of BEING! And I haven't found an instant remedy for it yet.<br />I'm trying.<br />This is my attempt at releasing some of the tension to make room for happy balloons that I attach to the baggage in my mind and heart.<br />Over one hurdle and on to the next...<br />Feeling guilty about feeling bad, feeling sad, what if.<br />Instead of swimming against the current..I swim with<br />Let it take me where it needs to go and where I need to know.<br />Let it lose me away for awhile.<br />Happy balloons arrive at any time.<br />As do the heavy suitcases.<br />Always something to learn.<br />Hope is really light.<br />It's fast to escalate but it's also....light. Easy to blow away.<br />Short term, Long term<br />Truth Seeker, she's hoping.energydreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02031241905270639655noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497871160440221122.post-61931402802896917162009-03-16T18:01:00.000-07:002009-03-17T13:26:42.270-07:00about true loveif true love is simply a love that is true, then isn't all love true love? for how can anything be love if it isn't true? and does its lack of truth make it false, or are there degrees of love? like "i love you, but not in that way". or "i love you, but i don't want to marry you. ever". or "i love you, but only if you are the person i thought i could mold you into, and not if you insist on being this stranger, this person who you really are, this person i was too blind to even notice throughout the last thousand days or so". or "i love you, but i'm pretty sure it's only temporary". or "i love you, but i have no idea what that even means". <br /><br />does anyone?<br /><br />of course, we never say these things. we may think them, but they are never spoken and released into the atmosphere as evidence of our truth. we invest years into people we are pretty sure are not in fact our true loves, yet there we remain - poised to be miserable with the hope that things might change, at some point. perfectly satisfied with a mediocre expression of what the limitless potential our souls have to love another. willing to accept an ordinary life for ourselves when we know full well that there is something fucking extraordinary out there, waiting. <br /><br />waiting for us to get out of our own way. <br /><br />our way is plagued with loneliness, yet it is also our biggest fear. and, if loneliness is all we've ever known, we fear its absence. more than anything, we fear the day our hearts will know true companionship because then what? we live in fear. i live in fear. most of the time, i am afraid of everything. a lot of the time, the awareness is overwhelming. and i start to wonder how people manage, like how to people manage to share themselves with another being? then i remember - they're living lies, same as me, only different lies. they live lies about other people - at least my lies are completely my own. <br /><br />luckily, though, there is something that outweighs the loneliness. it is hope. <br /><br />i hope there is such a thing as true love, or at least my idea of it. my idea of true love? a lasting love. it's loving with the knowledge that the love will never fade, because you've loved this soul before. your soul and this soul have passed through a thousand year's worth of days and are merely continuing what can never end, because true love has been predetermined. <br /><br />true love is spending a quiet saturday morning in bed reading each other's favourite parts from your favourite books until oneday, the phone rings. thirty years have disappeared into the great abyss of happy existence and your oldest son is calling with news. <br /><br />he's found his true love. <br /><br />i believe this. and, though i sometimes allow myself to suffer and dwell in the loneliness i know that one day this day will become part of my truth.<br /><br />for we all have the ability to make true love happen. <br /><br />we just have to get out of our own way. <br /><br />that being said - what the fuck do i know? <br /><br />*shrug*Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03189234292333354838noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497871160440221122.post-57140566547228497982009-03-14T15:20:00.001-07:002009-03-14T15:20:43.777-07:00welcome, Loveswe are in good company so far.one Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163376259208185648noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497871160440221122.post-2338790684730933742009-03-14T10:25:00.000-07:002009-03-14T10:30:23.661-07:00Nice jobI think its a great idea to stay connected like this and discuss the things you mentioned. Good work. I'll check in again soon.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497871160440221122.post-27743825234240150702009-03-14T08:40:00.000-07:002009-03-14T09:09:24.574-07:00Dear friends,This is a dialogue, I’m just wondering if you want to take part in it.<br /><br />I want to talk about who we are, culturally, spiritually, physically, psychically, mathematically, linguistically, whatever… who are we? And who do we want to be? What’s working? What isn’t? and, by extension of that, how could it work better? How can we elevate our experience?<br /><br />I believe we have the answer to these questions, we just need to remember them. We just need to ask ourselves. We need to ask each other.<br /><br />No judgment.<br /><br />Just observation.<br /><br />…or as far as we’ve come on that continuum. Thereby acknowledging to ourselves that we are still growing and evolving – you, of unlimited potential. I promise you growth is the most fun you can have. <br /><br />And what is growth anyway?<br /><br />Looking back on how far you’ve come should make you proud, not ashamed of any of your previous selves. Without the path, you would never reach your destination. Resent not the path, no matter how long and torturous it was. If your true Love is at the end, it’s always worth it.<br /><br />Let us examine critically what our true Love is. Let us offer suggestions of how that is limiting. Because we all know that, so far, it is. Let’s get unlimited.<br /><br />Let us examine separation. Is it working? Does it serve us, individually, to feel separation from another person or group of people, or everyone?<br /><br />I think we all know that, collectively it isn’t working. By its very definition, it just couldn’t – the collectively separated. Is the collective even our goal? Should it be?<br /><br />Let us argue for all sides. And let us smile and laugh while we are doing it.<br /><br />Let us examine justice, and what it means to be wronged by somebody. Let us wonder for a moment, if maybe we cannot be.<br /><br />What could you possibly take away from anybody that means anything? Isn’t the only thing that is worth anything freely given anyway?<br /><br />Let us elevate our consciousness.<br /><br />Let us fly a little further off the ground, and still stay connected. <br /><br />Anybody with me?one Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163376259208185648noreply@blogger.com0