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Thursday, March 11th 2010

8:46 AM

Read Damn IT!

You can't learn ANYTHING unless you learn how to read. When I was in grade 5, I got my first GREAT addiction which was reading Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books. Looking back, I guess if I never had these fictional characters in my life, I wouldn't have learned a zillion things. I used to actually go and RESERVE and WAIT at the school library for the next Nancy Drew book I would borrow. For some strange reason, I wonder why then, we could only borrow one book a week. 
I say READ, okay.. audio books are great and you'll probably have MORE of that, but there is NOTHING like learning how to hold a book and enjoy it curled up during one of those cool rainy or stormy days. Had it NOT been for my Nancy Drew addiction, I do not think I'd ever read something a year or two later like Exupery's "The Little Prince" and even Ayn Rands "Atlas Shrugged" (BOTH books I recommend!) 

Reading and writing are related.. I even think that YOUR music and your reading and writing are related because the moment you get into music and know the LYRICS, you get to know new words. When you get new words, you know MORE, you can say MORE and you want to LEARN more.. I mean, I was into Mike Nesmith's "Last Train to Clarkesville" at ten years old which made me curious about where the heck Clarkesville was.. I also tried figuring out what the heck did the word from "American Pie" mean and I wasn't even a teenager then. 

Sure, there are these maddening video games and you'll probably get stuck on those but if you have good mothers, they better BURN that useless stuff and give you guys BOOKS instead. There is NOTHING as being smug about knowing that you know better than most people and YOU can only get MORE KNOWLEDGE from books. And yes, the rumor is true, I was smarter than my College teachers. Really - and the nice part is they knew that. 

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Friday, February 19th 2010

11:24 AM

It's 2010 and People Are Still Worrying About the End of the World

Niccolo upsets me. He keeps telling me that the world could end soon. I say sure, it can. You see, if we have more of these mad leaders like this fugly- faced Iranian President Mahmoud AhMADninajad you can all be sure that the world will end because of a nuclear war. That's why we have to be as enlightened as we can be when we LISTEN to people who promise to "save our lives from poverty" and all that bull. Usually, those who make these promises are either delusional or plain liars. 

I compare politicians with religious clergy. Okay, maybe not ALL religious clergy, but MOST. You see kids, if the world is going to end, no one would know when. So never let anyone scare you the same way nuns used to scare me when I was a child that the world was going to end. Besides, there's NOTHING we can do about it IF it does end. No use WORRYING over something without any solution. WORRY instead about your future and get a decent College education at a DECENT school run by ENLIGHTENED people. 

Enlightened people do NOT teach by making you FEAR them. That is exactly my beef against traditional religion! They scare you, threaten you -- like -- "if you do NOT believe in what I say, you're going to HELL". Yeah, and you get all those GORY pictures of Dante's Inferno in your head and they made you scared. That is FEAR. Living in fear is like living in death. I should know, I'm a fear-expert, having been brought up in a crazy family of fanatical Protestants and Catholics. 

Fear is a leech. It takes away the JOY of life in you. You can't go to the mall because there MIGHT be some mad bomber. You can't go to the beach because there MIGHT be a tsunami. You can't go to the movies BECAUSE there might be an armed person with guns. You can't go enjoy a VACATION in another lovely country because your plane MIGHT crash.... you get what I mean? Fear is EXPECTING the worst can happen everyday and usually the BEST happens everyday. Fear sucks LIFE out of you and makes you afraid of seeing all the beauty of the universe which surrounds us. 

Oh and the next time you have a preacher or priest who tells you to be AFRAID because the world is ending soon, ask him for the EXACT DATE. Ask him too for the winning lottery numbers.. these people LIVE by scaring the shit out of people. They like to ask for donations YET they claim the world will end soon. Ask them what they will do with donations if the world ends ! 


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Sunday, October 18th 2009

3:45 PM

Persist !!... Even at 2 AM

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Dear Kids,

Almost everyday, I write the Kotel Kam. I ask God (G-d) to please give you guys the same chance I had. I had my grandmother for almost 40 years. I wish - with all my heart -- that we can have the same time together.

I am writing because there are secrets your father (or mother) may NOT tell you guys and I want you to know them. I want you to know that while writing this, there is some tinge of disappointment I feel -- I know your fathers (and wish you get the best most brilliant mothers) and I have often hoped that they were different. I wanted them to be like me. You see, they didn't have the same chance I had.. something that I pray you do. They didn't see the world at eleven, they didn't find any joy in reading an they gave up too soon in "learning". They think that 23 is old, and I want to tell you that learning is something that goes on until you breath your last.

Please don't wait for the Apocalypse... let it come if it will, but at least -- make something out of your lives! That's why I am different.Unlike your fathers (and maybe mothers) I believe in pragmatism. Pragmatism is being realistic. It means something like when there's a storm, PRAY, but get that flashlight and radio and make that rubber boat (if you must) before the storm. Don't wait for yourselves to drown, for Pete's sake !

Never give up. There was a time when there I was with one of your fathers, having no place to go at 2 am in the morning with a truck and with my rather huge dog. The truck driver was giving up (all my things were there) but I said "No.. we're going to find a place NOW". I saw a sign that said "House: For Rent" and I almost barged in! (Hey, no guts , no glory guys!)

I banged the gate and asked who owned the house. Sure, it was 2 am in the morning but I NEEDED a house and I didn't want to beg relatives to take me "in" for a while. Someone, an elderly teacher, opened the gate and I told her : "I am taking that house for rent.. " Fortunately, she was utterly pleasant and said YES. I also told her I had my dog and she said she didn't mind. In fact, she was helpful and knew that I was so exhausted and offered her help to get the things off the truck reminding me that I must get some sleep. (Yes, there are good people in this world--remember that)

I pray that nothing like this happens to you kids. And if it does, have the guts and the persistence NOT to be wimps. Do not ever cry in some corner when you can do something --no matter how you think the "odds" are against you.

Anyway, you kids should visit the Kotel Kam.. it's in Jerusalem and it's the most sacret place in the planet. According to the Jews (I am a transitional one... your fathers will never tell you that) that was where Solomon's Temple once stood in all it's glory. It's where God and man meet in a very special way -- everytime I have a chance, I write my note to God and someone in Jerusalem puts my prayer for you guys in between those sacred cracks.

One day, I hope you see the Kotel Kam... again, persistence, guts and self-esteen counts. Having chutzpah is important sometimmes. (Look it up.. it's a Jewish term). Chutzpah is good -- it gets you what you need when you need it the most.

Be happy everyday kids. That's important! LAUGH a LOT and DO NOT LIVE HUMORLESS. 





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Monday, July 20th 2009

11:50 AM

You Can't Put God in a Box

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Dear Kids,
Sometimes this world can be cruel. I do not mean that GOD is cruel, you only hear this nonsense from crazies who believe that God is a "policeman" waiting for you to make a wee mistake so that you can be arrested in either purgatory or hell.

God is good, better than your fathers, I am sure. He doesn't have temper tantrums when you forget to clean up the toilet (but try not to do that, alright?) after you use it. In your life, you will hear a LOT of crap that will make you afraid. Be good to yourself kids and realize that GOD loves those who are courageous enough to ask questions; figure things out on their own; have informal conversations with Him. Your parents may try and put God in a "box" and they present that "box" to you and say : "This is God". You know better. God is too great to be defined.. no one can put God in a box, not even the pastor, Pope or priest.

THe God in "the box" is scary. It's that God whom fanatics claim get get awfully mad at you NEVER to forgive you for little things like... forgetting to make up your bed or flushing the toilet. In worst cases, they'll claim that this "God in a box" can be really MAD at you if you do not go to Church on Sundays. You know better than that because the same blood flows in our veins : God is good all the time. He wouldn't want you to be afraid of Him. He would want you to read, learn what you can, help others because you have your skills and learning... It also isn't true that God wants you to be poor. You can't give and help others if you're poor and dumb which is why you need to make a good living and learn everything you can -- be it history, science and technology.

Do not be afraid to be rich. Do not afraid to learn everything you can. Do not be afraid to question -- because it is in asking question that you LEARN things. The more things you learn, the happier you become because you would know how to handle problems that come your way as you live your individual lives.

Think good thoughts always and TRY not to be scared of anything. Be brave and try everything. If you live in a world that does not allow you to think for yourself and be happy -- find another world or country that will where you will have the least to fear and the more opportunity to learn and live happier lives. You deserve it and you owe it to God (He wants you happy) and to the children who will come after you.

If you can be rich, that's great. The priests or pastors will tell you that it is a sin to be rich : yet they live in mansions and villas. Do not let these hypocrites scare you. All good things come from God. If you follow your dreams and you get rich, that isn't your fault. In fact, it's better when you manage to become rich because you can help others. You can't give what you don't have, can you?



 
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Friday, July 10th 2009

11:50 AM

Learn Healthy Acts of KIndness

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Dear Kids,

For every act of kindness you THINK you do for another, you do also for yourself. Jesus called it "reaping what you sow" and some call it the "Law of Attraction".  Whatever good thing you do is like a magnet which attracts good thing to come to you too. There is something special in exerting positive energy to do something for another. It's something more than that endorphin-high but also your instinctively knowing that you have nourished your own soul.

- Plowing the snow for your elderly neighbor is something that will make you appreciate the glistening snow scape while flexing your muscles and knowing that because of your act, your neighbor can have a clear path to walk or drive her car. It also is your pleasure to take note that you've saved her a few bucks by rendering her service.

- What better way to welcome spring than offering someone to help start plant a garden? Get the shovel ready and get your hands ready to play with the soil. Nothing is as enchanting as observing flowers and plants grow. Imagine looking out of your window and seeing your neighbor's roses and carnations all in bloom because you helped in preparing the soil? Imagine the awe you'd feel each time you look your window?

- Watching the kids while your single-mother friend goes on to the movies. That's like gifting her about three hours of delight and relaxation.You get the chance to find that inner-child within you again as you interact with the kids.

- Visit to volunteer at the nearest dog shelter. Pick THAT mangy dog to bathe. Brush her fur with tender thoughts and you've given yourself priceless therapy.

- Get rid of too much clutter in your home.No one can have peace living in a place filled with "stuff". Give away those that you no longer use to Goodwill or the Salvation Army or post a list of your "no longer needed" stuff at your local Church for those who may need them.Remember that YOU can bring out the best in you and others during a so-called recession.

-Reserve a day or a couple of hours to spare for the nearest soupkitchen. Serve the hungry and the homeless with a smile and don't allow yourself to feel smug that you're doing a good deed. Empathize and realize how happy another can be while eating a bowl of soup.

-Offer a few hours of your time to another who is taking care of an elderly relative. In doing so, you get the chance to ponder for a few hours and accept that we are all mortal. Think about living life to its fullest as you give your time and service.

Helping others is the best antidote to depression and anxiety. It gives one the feeling of relaxation and fulfillment after you realize that you've gifted a part of your self to another. WHY? Because we are all connected, and indeed, no man -or woman - is an island. Nor can any soul happy as long as another soul is wanting.

Let your cup "runneth over". A life well lived also includes some service-- IF you feel like it, and I am sure that you do because these are good for you. 


PS : I am talking about the snow and spring here because by the time you read this, I PRAY and wish that you be in a better place where you can enjoy the four seasons


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