Musical Nirvana

We walk into the unexpected cathedral

The ceiling towers over us,

Appearing to disappear into inky depths.

Our footsteps echo dully into the endless space.

With sudden inspiration,

I snap my fingers:

SNAP!

                snap!

                            snap

                                                 snap

                                                                 snap

                                                                                                                        snap

A shiver runs down my spine.

We get into a mixed arrangement

And begin.

We sing the fortissimo opening chord…

It’s perfectly in tune.

The director cuts us off.

Our sound does not hang in the air,

It rings throughout the church.

The sound peals forth from the stone walls,

It is almost as if the multitude

Of stained glass images are

Holding the harmonies for us…

An eternity later the reverb dies out.

A single, shining tear

Crawls down my cheek.

Something to Think About

"I constantly get out of my comfort zone. Looking cool is the easiest way to mediocrity. The coolest guy in my high school ended up working at a car wash. Once you push yourself into something new, and whole new world of opportunities opens up. But you might get hurt. In fact you WILL get hurt. But amazingly when you heal-- you are somewhere youve never been." - Terry Crews

Truth

I want you to think. I mean really think about one thing. I want you to ask yourself, "What is truth?"

Merriam-Webster will tell you that truth is: sincerity in action and character; the state of being the case; the body of real events, things, and facts; the property of being in accord with reality.  This defines truth, but it doesn't tell you what it actually is.  Let's ask another source about truth.

In Metaphysics, Aristotle and Plato said, "p is true if and only if p corresponds to a fact." Closer than Webster, but still not quite right. A fact is generally considered something that is true, which causes the original Greek to become recursive, and therefore not helpful.  Let's take a look at a different interpretation.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, "Truth or truthfulness is the virtue which consists in showing oneself true in deeds and truthful in words, and guarding against duplicity, dissimulation, and hypocrisy."  Again, we find another circular definition about truth.

Now, my thoughts about all this. Truth is frequently defined vaguely or circularly because it is actually a hard concept to grasp. I know that I don't fully understand it, but I best know what it means to me from a song in the musical Jesus Christ, Superstar. In the trial before Pilate, Jesus is asked, "But what is truth, is it unchanging law? We both have truths, are mine the same as yours?"  And that one line got me thinking really hard about truth. And my current conclusion is that no one can tell you what is true. You have to go out and experience truth. I can't tell you what that means. You need to find it for yourself. People will discover their own truth in their own way and place. I won't tell you where I found my truth, as I believe that finding it is one of the most personal and private experiences that anyone will ever have. It is not something to be taken lightly.

So with that, I challenge you: go out and find your truth. Do it often enough, and you might find that even something as solid as truth can change. Live your life, and discover your truth.

English

Today I was called a grammar Nazi, which got me thinking about why I am a stickler about grammar and spelling. And I finally discovered that I want English to go back to being a beautiful language. Think about it, English used to be a graceful, thought-provoking language, for example, in almost all of Shakespeare's works (not just his plays, but his poems as well) the language flows, and smoothly transitions among ideas. 

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages." (As You Like It)

This one quote is a wonderful example of my point. Poetry notwithstanding, this is basically how the common man spoke in that era. Nowadays, this beauty is corrupted by a conglomeration of abbreviations, contractions, and ignorant people abusing the grammar of our language

I take a stand for English because if I don't, then no one will protect our language. I fear that eventually, English will devolve into pidgin; so please, for the love of English, stop killing our language!

I've learned.

Some of this I learned myself, some I learned by watching my surroundings. I hope you learn something today.


I've learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is stalk them and hope they panic and give in. 
I've learned that one good turn gets most of the blankets. 
I've learned that no matter how much I care, some people are just jackasses. 
I've learned that it takes years to build up trust, and it only takes suspicion, not proof, to destroy it. 
I've learned that whatever hits the fan will not be evenly distributed. 
I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to others - they are more screwed up than you think. 
I've learned that depression is merely anger without enthusiasm. 
I've learned that it is not what you wear; it is how you take it off. 
I've learned that you can keep vomiting long after you think you're finished. 
I've learned to not sweat the petty things, and not pet the sweaty things. 
I've learned that ex's are like fungus, and keep coming back. 
I've learned age is a very high price to pay for maturity. 
I've learned that I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy it. 
I've learned that we are responsible for what we do, unless we are celebrities. 
I've learned that artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity. 
I've learned that 99% of the time when something isn't working in your house, one of your kids did it. 
I've learned that there is a fine line between genius and insanity. 
I've learned that the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon and all the less important ones just never go away. And the real pains in the ass are permanent. 

conversation

Instead of small talk,

tell me one little thing,

why do you smile when others are serious and sitting with heavy glasses?

why does that one hymn in Church always make you giggle?

which voices do you imitate most often because

they are so damn funny?

tell me about your joy.

Instead of a casual conversation,

just let me know,

what do you crave when you're feeling anxious or curious?

flirting, peanut butter cookies, that one kind of music you promise your friends you hate,

cement on your feet and exhaustion in your lungs?

Tell me, I'm not interested in your job or even what you do,

unless you would do it every day of your life, as often,

with a quarter of the pay,

but tell me,

where do your wings take you

when you're soaring down the road off to anywhere?

Because I know you take out your wings every so often.

To what country or person or building do you fly

and ache to embrace, feel comfort, be fed?

Let's talk real talk,

get into the stuff that makes you laugh at yourself,

like the passing thoughts and scenarios

you've chosen to actually play out,

the sounds and faces you make only to your family,

the times youve blushed

when you really shouldnt have,

the people you've fancied yourself holding hands with,

shedding tears with,

loving, even.

Tell me,

are we going to get to know each other

through the weather and prepared anecdotes?

Let's take a risk,

I'll ask the questions.

Hints for a Happy Life

So, I'll start today's post with an apology. I'm sorry that I haven't posted anything in a long time. I've been really busy with Love's Labour's Lost, and after that, I just wanted some time to relax. But now I'm back, so let's celebrate with some "Hints for Life". (I know it's similar to one of my earlier posts, but just bear with me)


It hurts to love someone and not be loved in return. But what is more painful is to love someone and never find the courage to let that person know how you feel.

A sad thing in life is when you meet someone who means a lot to you, only to find out in the end that it was never meant to be and you just have to let go.

The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.

It's true that we don't know we've got until we lose it, but it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives.

It takes only a minute to get a crush on someone, and hour to like someone, and a day to love someone, but it takes a lifetime to forget someone.

Don't go for looks, they can deceive. Don't go for wealth, even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile because it takes only a smile to make a dark day bright.

Dream what you want to dream, go where you want to go, be what you want to be. Because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do.

Always put yourself in the other's shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts the other person too.

A careless word may kindle strife. A cruel word may wreck a life. A timely word may level stress. But a loving word may heal and bless.

The happiest of people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything that comes along their way.

Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss, and ends with a tear. Make the most of the first two, and don't let the tear stop you from loving again.


Sorry again about the impromptu hiatus, and thanks for reading!

Hearing

"You know that ringing sound that you will perceive when you are in a very quiet area? Some people say this is an auditory-illusion brought about the ear’s inability to detect frequencies below the threshold of the human senses. This is completely wrong. That ringing covers up something else altogether. If you are quick, patient, and maybe a little lucky, you will be able to hear past the ringing. What you will hear are voices whispering to each other. They will silence themselves quickly but with practice, you will become more adept at catching and interpreting what they are saying. You will hear things of the past, the present, and the future.

And when you start noticing them, they will start noticing you."

I found this little nugget of wisdom on the internet the other day, and I liked it so much the I wanted to discuss it with all of you. This is something that I've been thinking about a lot lately. The author of that piece was focusing on music and voices, but I want to apply it to listening.

Now a days, it seems like everyone is rushing through life, never really paying attention to anything. They say that they are observant, but in reality, they don't notice anything. For example, they never hear the Earth breathe. If you have ever heard it, you might not have known what to call it, but you know the feeling. It's when the breeze flows through the trees, and makes a simple, beautiful harmony with itself. It's when a falling leaf hypnotizes you through its random, erratic motion. It's the power and majesty of a mountain, stretching its grand heights to the sky.

You might say, "What does this have to do with hearing?" Well, if you stop listening, and start hearing, then you will notice that every natural thing has a distinct noise (a song, if you will). All of these songs combine to create the world's most perfect symphony, but most people are in too much of a hurry to actually hear this harmony. They listen, and they just notice the individual noises, they can't notice how they combine.

This also relates to our creation of traditional music. When we sing, our hearts connect with this natural symphony on an instinctual level. Unless we consciously think about it, we will never even notice this connection. When we create music, our hearts tap into the inspiration of the Earth's breath, and it brings forth what it heard there. When we breathe with the Earth, we breathe with the entire human race.

My challenge for you this week is simple, yet hard. I want you to stop listening, and start hearing. I want you to hear the Earth breathing, and I want you to learn the little secrets she wants to share with you.

Thanks for reading, and have an awesome day!

Pencils

I had this really interesting idea today, and I wanted to put it up here before I forgot it, so that's why I'm posting twice today.

It feels like a lot of people live life with a pencil in their hand. They write lightly and are always ready to erase their mistakes. Some people think that they are doing the best thing by doing that, however, I disagree. Everyone should live with a pen, or even a great, big marker in their hand. Pencils are built for failure, why else would they come with an eraser, something to remove failures. So these people with pencils expect to fail, and are ready to hide their mistakes with the handy erasers on the end of their pencils. I want everyone to live with a pen. If you mess up, own it. No one will ever mess it up quite like you did, and you might even get the same results as those who hid their mistakes and did it another way. Pens have no choice but to write darkly, so everyone else will be able to clearly see what you've done. Be proud of every moment of your life, it's the only one you get, why not live it gloriously? When you leave, blind everyone around you with your brilliance.

Thanks for reading!

“Questioning”

Why do we do these things?

Civilization is not civil.

We kill,

Hate,

Destroy,

Waste.

We shatter our own dreams

With litanies of

No,

Can’t,

Won’t,

Shouldn’t,

Impossible.

We no longer hear the music,

The magic is gone.

We have killed ourselves.

That about sums up my day. Hope your day was better than mine, and thanks for reading.

"The Watcher"

I sit and watch all these people run through here with their meaningless errands and tasks. They all want the same thing and are certain that they are the only ones who know how to get it. But none of them know what they actually desire: the older ones want their youth back, the younger ones want to be older, and the ones in the middle wish they knew where they fit in to the big picture. Those are the ones are the closest to finding out what they truly want… How do I know all this, you ask? Well, through observation, of course. Sit a while and I’ll tell you how I used this simple skill to learn about life and why it exists.

I sit on a bench in Central Park for at least an hour every day. When I do this, I don’t read a book or do a crossword or anything like that, I just see. Not in the way most people see, for I am not just looking, I am seeing everything as if I had never seen anything like it before. For instance, several months ago, I saw a man propose to a young woman. He did it very well, too. He brought her to a cherry blossom tree in full bloom, then, he reminded her that he had first asked her out under those fragrant, colorful blossoms exactly two years ago. I could tell she was expecting something, but couldn’t tell what he was about to do. He told her that he loved her and wanted to love her forever as he got down on one knee and brought up a little, black velvet box with a diamond ring in it. She gasped and was speechless for a moment, then she pulled him up and gave him the most passionate kiss I had ever seen. I know that, where ever they are now, they are happy just to be with one another. Now do you see what I mean? No, I can’t tell you, you need to come to your own conclusions.

Well, maybe this story will help you. There was a man who always walked through the park at the same time every day, always going the same direction, always on the verge of running and always, always frowning. One day, he was about ten minutes later than usual, and as he walked past me, he asked me for the time. I told him, and he almost cried in frustration. He sat down next to me, cursing and berating himself for being late. I asked him what was bothering him, and he told me that he was one of two with perfect on time record for his office. But now that he was late, there was no point in going to work today, as his co-worker was sure to mock him mercilessly all day long for being late. I had finally found out why he was in a rush every day. I asked him if he liked working there. He just stared at me as I was insane. When he answered me, he said, “Of course I like working at my office!” For some reason, I didn’t believe him, and I told him so. I told him to really think about what he loves to do, and to see if that is what he does at the office. He looked contemplative for a few minutes, then said, “No, I’m not happy with my work, but it’s all I know, how can I possibly do something different?” I asked him what he wanted to do, and replied that he would like to be a set designer for a small theater company. I told him, “If that’s what you really want to do, then, you will find that the world will conspire to help you achieve that dream. If you set your entire being on getting that dream, then nothing will stop you.” He thought about this for a few moments, then got up, saying, “Thanks for the advice; I do believe that I will go get my dream.” About a year later, I found him waiting for me on my regular bench, with a huge grin on his face. He stood up as I approached and shook my hand. I asked him how his venture into theater design had gone. He said that he was not only a set designer, but also the owner of a new theater downtown, and his first show opened last night. He then said that he would love to stay and chat, but he had family in town, and excused himself.

I hope these stories have enlightened you at least somewhat. I know that they helped me. If you ever want more advice for life, I will be here, don’t be afraid to call on me. My name? I don’t think you need to know that quite yet, maybe if you learn more about yourself, you will learn more about me.

Introverts

Well, here I am again. Writing a post that no one will probably read. I guess that I'm just depressed again. Anyway, I wanted to write today about introverts (I proudly am one of).  I just wanted everyone to know how our minds work, as most people nowadays are extroverted to some extent or another. Most introverts are extremely introverted, and we usually feel like we can't fit in well to the extroverted society, so we either close down even more, or we try to change ourselves (which never really works).

Something that everyone should know about introverts is that we need to have alone time every day to recharge. Sometimes even several times a day. I know that I need to recharge after every large (>10 people) gathering that I get forced to attend. Unlike extroverts, who recharge while in the company of many people, I need to go on a long walk alone to get ready for the next delve into social life.

Another big thing is that when we are quiet, that just means that we're thinking, not that we're mad at you or depressed. You should never interrupt a thinking introvert, they will get mad at you for that. If you want to talk to one who is currently thinking, you should patiently wait for them to acknowledge your presence, then proceed to socialize.

Some people think that introverts are shy and won't have long conversations with anyone. That is the basest kind of lie. It's merely that we don't see the point of small talk, and we won't talk to you just to fill a silence. However, if you get an introvert talking about something that they are really interested in, they won't shut up for hours. The trick to talking with introverts is to find a common interest and to not interrupt them or cut them off. That is another sure-fire way to piss them off and to put them back into their shell.

As far as friends go, introverts don't need nearly as many as extroverts.  I know nine people in this world that I would call a friend, and I love them with an unrivaled passion. If you are lucky enough to have an introvert call you a friend, then you should know that you have a loyal friend for life. We introverts don't like large crowds of people that we don't know. At parties, we will attach to the few friends we have there, and probably not leave their side until we go home.

The last thing that you should know is that when an introvert wants to be alone, YOU LEAVE THEM ALONE! The easiest way to lose an introverted friend is to go with them when they leave to recharge. Many times they will like to be alone in their room or in nature (I prefer the latter). If they are gone for two or three hours, that is entirely normal. Don't call them and make sure they are ok. They will be fine as long as you leave them alone.

I suppose that there is one more thing... When we get really thoughtful, we will occasionally forget to put an emotion on our face before we leave all thoughts of our surroundings behind us. Don't worry if an introvert is just sitting in a chair, looking completely dejected. they are just thinking, and I refer you to paragraph 3 for more information on that.

Thanks for reading!

"It's Either Sadness or Euphoria"

Well, it's a new week, and I have a good feeling about it. Today has been great so far, and I expect the best for the rest of the day. Although last week kinda sucked, it just makes me think of the Billy Joel song, "Summer, Highland Falls" when the refrain ends on the lyrics, "It's either sadness or euphoria."  Especially with my life recently, I feel like there is no middle ground. I'm either depressed and exhausted or euphoric and bouncing off the walls.

On another note, I've been expanding my video game base recently. I've started to play Kingdom Hearts on the PS2, and while it lives up to a lot of what I've heard, I don't see what everyone freaks out about, it's like a lot of other RPGs I've played. But despite that, it is still a great game. As for games I have been playing for a while, League of Legends is still a lot of fun (even though I am rather bad at it).  I love that I can sit and finish a game within an hour, it makes for a great break in the middle of homework or in between classes.

So I recently finished "The Ninja Handbook".  It's a hilarious look into the hidden lives of ninjas. It explains the steps for a non-ninja to become a ninja, as well as many of the ninja's enemies. If you ever find it, and are even remotely fascinated by the ninja life style, I strongly recommend this book.

Thanks for reading!

A Few Rules

1.Never stop thinking. This is important. If someone ever says to you ‘You need to stop thinking so much,’ call them ignorant in your head and keep thinking deeper. It is this mentality that breeds stupidity and sheeple. Your mind is the most important tool you have, if you stop using it, it will atrophy. Question everything.

2. Stare into space blankly and don’t mentally punish yourself for doing it, even if it is for that split second. If you have a problem with staring blankly, think of it as daydreaming.

3. Root Beer sucks after having spicy food.

4. Everything is going to be just fine. If you worry about acne, you’re going to get a fucking pimple.

5. Don’t be afraid to talk about anything. You shouldn’t be afraid of reality.

6. You are all original. Every life experience is case sensitive and unique. Every time you wake up or go to the bathroom or quote someone else, you are becoming more you than anyone has ever been.

7. Do pointless things. Don’t actively restrain or hide yourself from the redundant.

8. Stop rushing. Shut up and embrace the sound of silence.

9. Religion shouldn’t be taught, it should be found. No one should tell you what to believe except you. 

10. Going to the bathroom is not a right nor a privilege. it’s an act of nature.

11. Talking to yourself is healthy. Is there anyone that you have more in common with?

12. There is no such thing as time. The sun never sets or rises. Days and years don’t exist. There is only your life. Earlier today you were born and death is predicted later in the evening.

13. We will always be in a transitional phase. Look outside and know that everything will be replaced at some point. This existence is temporary.

14. Its not half empty or half full. Its half a glass.

15. Every now and then take something that you see everyday and try to see it in a different light. Renew its existence.

16. Be happy, but don’t force it.

17. You will always succeed in trying.

18. We are all crazy. Every person you read about in the history books had some kind of ‘disorder’, they just knew how to use it.

19. We are all about as similar as we are different.

20. Ideas are just as valuable as people. Why do you think we keep making people?

87. Numbers don’t have to go in order.

21. Words will always be just words. Love is just another four letter word, only the feeling is real.

22. Ask a child for advice. They may not know much, but they know what is important.

23. Prove you’re alive. Do anything from dancing in the supermarket to screaming ‘Poop’ during a moment of silence. Remind the world you are still here.

  

24. Don’t take anything, even this, too seriously.

I believe that if you follow these simple rules, you will live a happy, complete life. I can't promise that it'll be easy, in fact, I can almost guarantee that it will be the hardest thing that you will ever do.  However, I think it's worth it. You've only got one life, why not invest all of your energy into it? You've got nothing else to do with your strength. So live life, and have fun while you're at it.

Poem

So I like to think that I'm a bit of a poet, and while I haven't written too many of them, I still like the few that I have done. So here's one that about sums up how I feel today.

“Footprints in the Snow”

crunch...

crunch...

A blinding field of white

Muffles everything.

Bundled up,

Hiding within their shells of scarves.

Looking within,

There is little to be seen,

Bulging coats of feather down obscures the truth.

Blowing winds bites the ears

With statements of reality.

Hats and warm earmuffs protect

And make our pretend worlds more real.

Hands, unused to hardness

Are concealed within leather gloves,

Hide from the call to good deeds.

Looking at each other, we see only collections

Of Coats, Hats, and Gloves.

Obscuring the person underneath,

If truth be desired,

Look to the snow.

Even if we veil our present,

Only the wind can disturb where we’ve been,

Our footprints in the snow.

Ohai there!

Well, here's my first post. Ever. It's a little weird to be putting my thoughts out here like this, where everyone and their mom can see them. I don't really know how often I'll post, or even what I'll post about. So, this will probably be just an amalgamation of my random thoughts and interior monologues, posted at random intervals.

Anyway, today was pretty good. I had classes all day, but they weren't too bad. Just really slow. I hate slow days, but at least I have the weekend to look forward to. I can't wait for all my suitemates to come back (it's eerily quiet around here). I'm watching the Firefly episode "War Stories" as I write this, and I forgot how funny it is. I wish I could be in something like this. Acting is the greatest form of art (in my opinion), and these nine people have created a beautiful world, full of life and love. I would be the happiest man on Earth if I could ever be involved in something as amazing as this. So I'll close today's post with one of my favorite quotes from "War Stories".

"Don't the Bible have some pretty specific things to say about killing?"
"Quite Specific. However, it's a little fuzzier on the subject of kneecaps..."

Thanks for reading!