Well, this is something I've been wanting to vent about on this blog for quite some time now. I'll do my best to present my case, as I see it, and let you react to it by posting your comments below.
There are many things about the English language that I appreciate especially since it is my native language. I was born in the states, grew up here, and despite a mixed cultural heritage, English will always be my first language. At the same time, I find a lot of beauty in the Spanish language as well. There are many phrases and ways of wording statements that simply cannot be translated literally without sounding like gibberish in English (remember learning about idiomatic phrases?). It is because of my love for English and Spanish that I have begun my hate affair with Spanglish (if we can have "love affairs" we can ALSO have "hate affairs"... hmph).
Spanglish, for those of you who don't know, is a phrase coined by Salvador Tio (a Puerto Rican linguist) describing the "code switching" between English and Spanish. Essentially, a person will switch between using English and Spanish in a conversation, sentence, or any other form of dialogue. The by-product of this is, not just the confusion of both languages, but the creation of a new vocabulary that blurs the line between English and Spanish.
Here are some examples:
- When talking about a parade, Spanglish speakers will use the word 'parada' instead of 'desfile'. A 'parada' is a stop NOT a parade!!
- Hangueando/chileando: meant to indicate the person is hanging out or chillin'. It's fucking stupid!!
- 'Lonche': Seriously?!? It is really so hard to say 'ALMUERZO'?? DAMN!
- Marqueta: Now it's getting ridiculous! Did you forget the word 'mercado' or maybe 'tienda'??
- 'Carpeta': OK now we're just getting lazy, aren't we?? I grew up not actively speaking Spanish and even I know a carpet is an 'alfombra'. If this native-born gringo knows this word, why do other Spanish speakers not know this?
- 'Boila': Is this what we've come to? Why don't you ask someone what the Spanish word for 'boiler' is, PLEASE!!!!!
More incorrect uses of words based on confusion between English and Spanish words:
(1) 'Asistir' looks like the English word 'assist' so it is used in place of 'ayudar'. In Spanish, 'asistir' means to attend.
(2) 'Atender' looks like 'attend' in English so it's used instead of 'asistir'. In Spanish, 'atender' means 'to heed', 'to look after', or 'to pay attention'.
The list goes on and on. As a matter of fact, Wikipedia's Spanglish listing actually has some good examples if you want to see some more misuses of my beautiful languages. Each one is more ridiculous than the last. It's as ridiculous as English speakers adding the letter 'o' to every English word thinking that it instantly makes it a Spanish word!
In NYC, our form of Spanglish has been influenced primarily by Puerto Ricans and Dominicans. In the Southwest US, it's Chicanos that created their variety of Spanglish. For a long time, I thought Spanglish was a result of ignorance and poor education by low-skilled immigrants that came to the U.S. I know better than to assume that now. Nevertheless, Spanglish has been adopted by new generations of Latinos/Hispanics who accept it as a valid "language" even tho it's ruining the true Spanish language, the beautiful language that I adore.
Now I must say that I don't hate the interchanging of languages, per se. As a sociologist, I can accept that phenomena as by-product of the culture clash that exists when an immigrant population enters a new environment and mingles with the native population. It is the changing - bastardizing, is more like it - of the original languages (those of the native born and immigrant groups) that bothers me the most.
*sigh* I feel better now that that's off my chest. Your thoughts?
Until next time, faithful reader......
Friday, October 9, 2009
Saturday, October 3, 2009
On My Own and Moving Along
I hate moving... Those of you who follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or have been friends with me for years know this about me.
My current situation: I need to move despite loving my current apartment. Both of my roommates have moved out and I simply cannot afford the apartment on my own.
I've looked at a couple of decent places, one really nice apartment, seen a lot of awful listings online, and I'm hoping to get it all sorted out soon (a.k.a. this upcoming week... cross your fingers and toes plz).
I have a couple ideas I'm bouncing around in my head to blog about. But I wanted to assure those of you who have been patiently waiting for my blog entry on Spanglish - you know who you are - that it will post very soon (I'm targeting sometime this beginning of the upcoming week, maybe Monday or Tuesday).
With that being said, I realized the other day that I'd rather not post anything on RaUM if all I have to offer you is an apology for not posting anything and a promise to post after a few days (or weeks). So I'm avoiding that in this entry.
I have to admit that having the apartment to myself is a great idea... on paper. To be honest, the first few days sucked. I missed having someone around. I'd been so used to having some ambient noise in the apartment whether it was during the time that I took care of my mom (financially) for all those years after my parents separated or more recently living with my fiancee (ex-fiancee now). I won't go so far as to say I was depressed but I was definitely melancholy. On those early nights I couldn't go to sleep because it was too quiet. I tried everything from reading, to watching TV, to drinking tea, to playing xBox to exhaustion... nothing worked. I recall seeing the outside world getting a little brighter, as the sun began to rise, just as I managed to SOMEHOW fall asleep. Sometimes being left alone with your thoughts is a TERRIBLE thing.
It's been just about a week now and one of the major adjustments has been getting myself accustomed to make dinner ahead of time. I get home any time between 9 and 10 PM on nights that I teach and, quite frankly, I'm too tired to start whipping up a meal on the spot. The idea of ordering out has been EXTREMELY tempting but I've been good about eating well and have had enough will power to avoid the easy take-out meal for dinner. It's not that I won't do it every now and then but I don't want to fall into the habit of doing it regularly. What I need to do is make several meals on the weekend and re-heat them throughout the week. That way I will always have something to eat. I'll also have some quick fix, on-the-fly type of foods available as well so if I don't feel like eating what I have in the fridge, I can still eat a good meal without resorting to eating food out of a can.
I can now say that I'm finally settling in to the idea of being on my own. It's not a terrible thing (it felt rotten early on) but it certainly will be a work in progress as I discover new things about being alone that I'm not necessarily aware of now: good and bad.
I'd like to hear from you on this topic. Help me figure things out a little, faithful reader. For those of you who have been on your own, what's been the biggest adjustments and/or lifestyle changes you had to deal with? For those of you who have yet to be on your own, what do you most look forward to when you think about living by yourself and what do you think you will miss the most from your current life?
I hope to hear from you soon.
Until next time, faithful reader......
My current situation: I need to move despite loving my current apartment. Both of my roommates have moved out and I simply cannot afford the apartment on my own.
I've looked at a couple of decent places, one really nice apartment, seen a lot of awful listings online, and I'm hoping to get it all sorted out soon (a.k.a. this upcoming week... cross your fingers and toes plz).
I have a couple ideas I'm bouncing around in my head to blog about. But I wanted to assure those of you who have been patiently waiting for my blog entry on Spanglish - you know who you are - that it will post very soon (I'm targeting sometime this beginning of the upcoming week, maybe Monday or Tuesday).
With that being said, I realized the other day that I'd rather not post anything on RaUM if all I have to offer you is an apology for not posting anything and a promise to post after a few days (or weeks). So I'm avoiding that in this entry.
I have to admit that having the apartment to myself is a great idea... on paper. To be honest, the first few days sucked. I missed having someone around. I'd been so used to having some ambient noise in the apartment whether it was during the time that I took care of my mom (financially) for all those years after my parents separated or more recently living with my fiancee (ex-fiancee now). I won't go so far as to say I was depressed but I was definitely melancholy. On those early nights I couldn't go to sleep because it was too quiet. I tried everything from reading, to watching TV, to drinking tea, to playing xBox to exhaustion... nothing worked. I recall seeing the outside world getting a little brighter, as the sun began to rise, just as I managed to SOMEHOW fall asleep. Sometimes being left alone with your thoughts is a TERRIBLE thing.
It's been just about a week now and one of the major adjustments has been getting myself accustomed to make dinner ahead of time. I get home any time between 9 and 10 PM on nights that I teach and, quite frankly, I'm too tired to start whipping up a meal on the spot. The idea of ordering out has been EXTREMELY tempting but I've been good about eating well and have had enough will power to avoid the easy take-out meal for dinner. It's not that I won't do it every now and then but I don't want to fall into the habit of doing it regularly. What I need to do is make several meals on the weekend and re-heat them throughout the week. That way I will always have something to eat. I'll also have some quick fix, on-the-fly type of foods available as well so if I don't feel like eating what I have in the fridge, I can still eat a good meal without resorting to eating food out of a can.
I can now say that I'm finally settling in to the idea of being on my own. It's not a terrible thing (it felt rotten early on) but it certainly will be a work in progress as I discover new things about being alone that I'm not necessarily aware of now: good and bad.
I'd like to hear from you on this topic. Help me figure things out a little, faithful reader. For those of you who have been on your own, what's been the biggest adjustments and/or lifestyle changes you had to deal with? For those of you who have yet to be on your own, what do you most look forward to when you think about living by yourself and what do you think you will miss the most from your current life?
I hope to hear from you soon.
Until next time, faithful reader......
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Who is The One?
No. I don't mean Neo (from the Matrix).
I'm referring to "THE ONE": the ideal mate that we all are destined to meet, fall in love with, and have a happy and fulfilling life with!
In a recent conversation with my best friend, we discussed the concept of "the one". There are many people who want to live by this idea and use it as the yardstick with which to measure all potential mates. The danger in that way of thinking is that you may end up having expectations that are exceedingly high. So high, in fact, that no person could realistically meet them. This is not to say a person should settle for less than they feel they deserve but we need to bear in mind how irrational the idea of the perfect mate ("the one") truly is. These people may be closing the door on opportunities with a potentially great mate and maybe, if they're lucky enough, their future husband or wife.
This model of perfection is something that we use to highlight all the characteristics we want in a mate, both on the inside and the outside. Some people are more shallow than others and only care about the outside while others consider themselves people of substance, more concerned with the inner beauty in a potential mate.
I think my "one" is somewhere in between. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little shallow regarding looks but I also don't want someone supermodel-esque (nor would I turn it away, I'm not stupid!). I've always been more of a 'natural beauty' kind of guy. I'm a sucker for a beautiful smile. It's not just about having nice teeth but also having their heart and soul shine in their laughter and smile. No fakeness to it at all. I'm neither a "boob man" nor an "ass man". This is not to say I want a flat-chested, flat-assed woman. I'm a fan of shapely women. Nice hips and curves are extremely sexy to me. =)
I like women with a great sense of humor. Sarcasm is always welcome. The ability to laugh at yourself is critical. Also, my 'one' need to be able to dish it out a little. She is someone who will keep me on my toes. I'm a smart man (toot toot) and need a woman who is on my level and can keep up with me when I drop the occasional one-liner. If I have to explain myself it kills the whole purpose of the joke, innuendo, or statement.
I want a woman who isn't afraid to speak her mind no matter how mundane or intimate a subject is. My 'one' is an affectionate woman who won't keep me guessing how she feels about me, our relationship, or anything else important to her (or us). One other facet of 'the one' deals with our sexual desires and needs. I won't discuss this aspect of my 'one' on this blog. But if you're wondering, I know what I would like and dislike from my 'one' when it comes to sex/sexuality/sensuality/etc.
This, by no means, is the entire list. These are the characteristics that have come to my mind while writing this blog entry. But, to me (as I'm sure it is for most people), the list is quite exhaustive and ranges from the minimal traits to characteristics that are "deal-breakers" for certain people. I believe the best we can all hope for is someone who matches the majority of the characteristics we hope to find in "the one".
There is one other issue with idea of 'the one'. The truth of the matter is that there is no ACTUAL "one". 'The one' is constantly evolving as we grow older (and wiser?). Our needs, expectations, and likes/dislikes change with time and 'the one' changes with us. The people we meet, the events in our lives, and other social factors constantly influence us and causes us to re-evaluate what we value in our lives. It's very difficult to find a person who will change along with us in the way that we would like. To expect someone to change in every little way to meet our selfish desires is one of the major causes of break-ups among many of my friends.
I consider 'the one' to be more like 'the one right now'. We can't anticipate what will change within us. And that's part of the beauty of life and living. We don't know what tomorrow will bring. The best we can hope for is someone who is understanding enough to accept us for who we are and that he/she is someone that we can do the same for.
Thanks for listening. What's your take on this?
Look forward to hearing from you.
Until next time, faithful reader......
I'm referring to "THE ONE": the ideal mate that we all are destined to meet, fall in love with, and have a happy and fulfilling life with!
In a recent conversation with my best friend, we discussed the concept of "the one". There are many people who want to live by this idea and use it as the yardstick with which to measure all potential mates. The danger in that way of thinking is that you may end up having expectations that are exceedingly high. So high, in fact, that no person could realistically meet them. This is not to say a person should settle for less than they feel they deserve but we need to bear in mind how irrational the idea of the perfect mate ("the one") truly is. These people may be closing the door on opportunities with a potentially great mate and maybe, if they're lucky enough, their future husband or wife.
This model of perfection is something that we use to highlight all the characteristics we want in a mate, both on the inside and the outside. Some people are more shallow than others and only care about the outside while others consider themselves people of substance, more concerned with the inner beauty in a potential mate.
I think my "one" is somewhere in between. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little shallow regarding looks but I also don't want someone supermodel-esque (nor would I turn it away, I'm not stupid!). I've always been more of a 'natural beauty' kind of guy. I'm a sucker for a beautiful smile. It's not just about having nice teeth but also having their heart and soul shine in their laughter and smile. No fakeness to it at all. I'm neither a "boob man" nor an "ass man". This is not to say I want a flat-chested, flat-assed woman. I'm a fan of shapely women. Nice hips and curves are extremely sexy to me. =)
I like women with a great sense of humor. Sarcasm is always welcome. The ability to laugh at yourself is critical. Also, my 'one' need to be able to dish it out a little. She is someone who will keep me on my toes. I'm a smart man (toot toot) and need a woman who is on my level and can keep up with me when I drop the occasional one-liner. If I have to explain myself it kills the whole purpose of the joke, innuendo, or statement.
I want a woman who isn't afraid to speak her mind no matter how mundane or intimate a subject is. My 'one' is an affectionate woman who won't keep me guessing how she feels about me, our relationship, or anything else important to her (or us). One other facet of 'the one' deals with our sexual desires and needs. I won't discuss this aspect of my 'one' on this blog. But if you're wondering, I know what I would like and dislike from my 'one' when it comes to sex/sexuality/sensuality/etc.
This, by no means, is the entire list. These are the characteristics that have come to my mind while writing this blog entry. But, to me (as I'm sure it is for most people), the list is quite exhaustive and ranges from the minimal traits to characteristics that are "deal-breakers" for certain people. I believe the best we can all hope for is someone who matches the majority of the characteristics we hope to find in "the one".
There is one other issue with idea of 'the one'. The truth of the matter is that there is no ACTUAL "one". 'The one' is constantly evolving as we grow older (and wiser?). Our needs, expectations, and likes/dislikes change with time and 'the one' changes with us. The people we meet, the events in our lives, and other social factors constantly influence us and causes us to re-evaluate what we value in our lives. It's very difficult to find a person who will change along with us in the way that we would like. To expect someone to change in every little way to meet our selfish desires is one of the major causes of break-ups among many of my friends.
I consider 'the one' to be more like 'the one right now'. We can't anticipate what will change within us. And that's part of the beauty of life and living. We don't know what tomorrow will bring. The best we can hope for is someone who is understanding enough to accept us for who we are and that he/she is someone that we can do the same for.
Thanks for listening. What's your take on this?
Look forward to hearing from you.
Until next time, faithful reader......
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
My Fall Semester and Other Quick Hits
Fall is here and my second semester at Queens College has officially begun. My first impressions of the classes are mixed. They all seem interested in the material thus far, which is nice to see. Also, I was better at my opening day speech this semester because I was able to scare away about 5 students from my 2 classes. Nevertheless, I still have nearly a full course load since I approved 4 over-tallies (2 extra students per class).
My Monday/Wednesday class is similar to my 2 classes from last semester. They seem to take good notes and manage to keep up with a quicker pace (which I prefer since the class doesn't drag). The Tuesday/Thursday class asks lots of questions (not necessarily a bad thing when it happens occasionally). I need to offer a thorough explanation to repeat the answer in an alternate way so that they can understand the material better. The side effect of this is that I can see that I'm losing the attention of the students who 'get it' and then feel the class is dragging along.
I don't mind the questions since they're valid questions but every time we meet I get asked a lot of questions which then takes time from other things we need to go over. On a personal note, another consequence of this is that they keep me in the classroom until 9:20pm (the scheduled end time of the class)!! This is a bad for me but more so for them because the last hour of the class time needs to be dedicated to doing lab work (using SPSS, a program we have for statistical analysis). I have the Sociology department's computer lab reserved for my classes. What I tend to do is dismiss my classes after the lecture is completed and then hang around for the students who want to work in the department's computer lab. The more time we take in class, the less lab time they have (or the later they stay in school since this keeps them from having an early night).
We'll see how things shake out. First exam is tonight and tomorrow. =)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Disclaimer: Between classes (and grading of the first exam this week) along with finding my own place (among other things), I may end up having less time to dedicate to RaUM in the upcoming week or so. I'll do my best to write a short entry before another full week passes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'd like to offer birthday shout-outs to the Virgos in my life. My fellow earth signs are people I have gotten along with very well for most of my life. Had some fun with some Virgos this past weekend. For the record, I am STILL upset that my sister, also a Virgo, didn't tell me if she had anything going on for her b-day. I may have to tell her to her face since it's not as if she reads my blog anyway. I actually have no idea if she did anything or not. Maybe I should call her...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I feel sad for my best friend Jorge and his wife who had to give up their 3 kitties after their 21-month old daughter started having very bad allergic reactions to them. I know losing a pet is always hard whether it's because they die, are lost (and never found again) or given away for sudden (yet valid) reasons. However, given his daughter's reaction to them, the choice was clear. I know that given enough time, they'll learn to live without them. I just hope that day comes sooner than later.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm working on a RaUM entry (about Spanglish and my feelings about it) and hope to have it posted some time this weekend. I also hope it won't take me more than a week to finish it up.
Until next time, faithful reader......
My Monday/Wednesday class is similar to my 2 classes from last semester. They seem to take good notes and manage to keep up with a quicker pace (which I prefer since the class doesn't drag). The Tuesday/Thursday class asks lots of questions (not necessarily a bad thing when it happens occasionally). I need to offer a thorough explanation to repeat the answer in an alternate way so that they can understand the material better. The side effect of this is that I can see that I'm losing the attention of the students who 'get it' and then feel the class is dragging along.
I don't mind the questions since they're valid questions but every time we meet I get asked a lot of questions which then takes time from other things we need to go over. On a personal note, another consequence of this is that they keep me in the classroom until 9:20pm (the scheduled end time of the class)!! This is a bad for me but more so for them because the last hour of the class time needs to be dedicated to doing lab work (using SPSS, a program we have for statistical analysis). I have the Sociology department's computer lab reserved for my classes. What I tend to do is dismiss my classes after the lecture is completed and then hang around for the students who want to work in the department's computer lab. The more time we take in class, the less lab time they have (or the later they stay in school since this keeps them from having an early night).
We'll see how things shake out. First exam is tonight and tomorrow. =)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Disclaimer: Between classes (and grading of the first exam this week) along with finding my own place (among other things), I may end up having less time to dedicate to RaUM in the upcoming week or so. I'll do my best to write a short entry before another full week passes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'd like to offer birthday shout-outs to the Virgos in my life. My fellow earth signs are people I have gotten along with very well for most of my life. Had some fun with some Virgos this past weekend. For the record, I am STILL upset that my sister, also a Virgo, didn't tell me if she had anything going on for her b-day. I may have to tell her to her face since it's not as if she reads my blog anyway. I actually have no idea if she did anything or not. Maybe I should call her...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I feel sad for my best friend Jorge and his wife who had to give up their 3 kitties after their 21-month old daughter started having very bad allergic reactions to them. I know losing a pet is always hard whether it's because they die, are lost (and never found again) or given away for sudden (yet valid) reasons. However, given his daughter's reaction to them, the choice was clear. I know that given enough time, they'll learn to live without them. I just hope that day comes sooner than later.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm working on a RaUM entry (about Spanglish and my feelings about it) and hope to have it posted some time this weekend. I also hope it won't take me more than a week to finish it up.
Until next time, faithful reader......
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Catching Up (or Updates for my Diehard RaUM-ers)
I'd like to apologize for the lack of posts over the past few weeks. (Damn... has it really been almost three weeks!?!?)
There's been a lot going on in my life lately. I haven't as much time to dedicate to writing a blog entry as I would like. Some of the highlights of the recent weeks: starting up my new MMA-only blog (very exciting but still a work in progress), multiple trips to the beach (very relaxing), hanging out with old friends (reconnecting), my mom moving in with my sister (freedom), my other roommate moving out soon (more freedom), the start of the Fall semester (lots of prep work... remember I teach), chaos at work in Brooklyn (supervisor got fired, lots of instability).
I'd like to thank those of you who have commented on my previous posts. I read every comment (it's not as if there are THAT many) and I truly appreciate your feedback. One recent comment was thought provoking and something that I may post about in the near future. It was a comment to my HIMYM post: "I think a good follow up to this blog would be detailing what 'the one' would be for you. What are you hoping to find someday?"
This is a question that has come up quite a bit recently so it is something that should be fairly easy to write about. The issues with responding to this are the same issues I have with all my posts: How much do I divulge? How much am I willing to share? Is opening up too much a good thing or a bad thing? etc etc etc... And specifically for this Q: Is it even something I really know the answer to?
We'll see how things go. I like the RaUM posts to almost write themselves. Essentially, I try my best to let them flow out of me via my fingertips on the keys. There will be plenty to write about and I hope to have more time to get back to weekly posts (if not more frequently than that).
I'll leave you with one last thought. It relates to something that has been happening to me a lot over the past few months. I've been having more vivid recollection of my dreams, almost daily. I've also been experiencing a lot more deja vu moments. It's not simply the awareness that I've 'done this before' but with more sensory recall: emotions, situation, touches, smells, and the overall sensation of the moment. I read somewhere that before we are born our spirit (soul, divine essence, whatever you choose to call it) knows our life path and what we will experience in our lifetime before we are born. Deja vu moments are simply your mind recalling flashes of the life you're supposed to live (nothing 'simple' about it). This is not to say that we cannot deviate from our life path. It is a map, if you will, for the life we're designed to live. Whether it is to progress in the reincarnation process or to know our purpose in our one life on Earth, I am a firm believer that deja vu moments are like signs on a highway. If we see these signs regularly, then we know (I know) that we (I) am following my life path and fulfilling my purpose in this lifetime.
The fact that I've had so many of these deja vu moments in such a short span of time is no longer 'scary' or 'creepy'. Now they bring me joy. I know I'm living the life I'm supposed to live, for better or worse. I am fulfilling my life's purpose, for better or worse. It's not for me to say whether my life is good or bad. I still have the freedom to choose to strive for more or maintain the status quo. There is one thing I'm sure of. I can take solace in the knowledge that what I've been doing over the last year or so is what I was meant to do.
Even the tremendous amount of dream recall has been surprising. Thankfully, it hasn't been a reflection of negativity or doubt (a major theme in many of my dreams during the first half of this year). I don't buy into the oneiromantic logic of dreams forecasting the future but I do think it is a reflection of what a person is feeling at the time the dreams occur.
Maybe I'll blog about those dreams too. =)
We'll see where my mind will be over the next few weeks. Thanks to you all for staying on board and reading my blog after nearly a full year.
Until next time, faithful reader......
There's been a lot going on in my life lately. I haven't as much time to dedicate to writing a blog entry as I would like. Some of the highlights of the recent weeks: starting up my new MMA-only blog (very exciting but still a work in progress), multiple trips to the beach (very relaxing), hanging out with old friends (reconnecting), my mom moving in with my sister (freedom), my other roommate moving out soon (more freedom), the start of the Fall semester (lots of prep work... remember I teach), chaos at work in Brooklyn (supervisor got fired, lots of instability).
I'd like to thank those of you who have commented on my previous posts. I read every comment (it's not as if there are THAT many) and I truly appreciate your feedback. One recent comment was thought provoking and something that I may post about in the near future. It was a comment to my HIMYM post: "I think a good follow up to this blog would be detailing what 'the one' would be for you. What are you hoping to find someday?"
This is a question that has come up quite a bit recently so it is something that should be fairly easy to write about. The issues with responding to this are the same issues I have with all my posts: How much do I divulge? How much am I willing to share? Is opening up too much a good thing or a bad thing? etc etc etc... And specifically for this Q: Is it even something I really know the answer to?
We'll see how things go. I like the RaUM posts to almost write themselves. Essentially, I try my best to let them flow out of me via my fingertips on the keys. There will be plenty to write about and I hope to have more time to get back to weekly posts (if not more frequently than that).
I'll leave you with one last thought. It relates to something that has been happening to me a lot over the past few months. I've been having more vivid recollection of my dreams, almost daily. I've also been experiencing a lot more deja vu moments. It's not simply the awareness that I've 'done this before' but with more sensory recall: emotions, situation, touches, smells, and the overall sensation of the moment. I read somewhere that before we are born our spirit (soul, divine essence, whatever you choose to call it) knows our life path and what we will experience in our lifetime before we are born. Deja vu moments are simply your mind recalling flashes of the life you're supposed to live (nothing 'simple' about it). This is not to say that we cannot deviate from our life path. It is a map, if you will, for the life we're designed to live. Whether it is to progress in the reincarnation process or to know our purpose in our one life on Earth, I am a firm believer that deja vu moments are like signs on a highway. If we see these signs regularly, then we know (I know) that we (I) am following my life path and fulfilling my purpose in this lifetime.
The fact that I've had so many of these deja vu moments in such a short span of time is no longer 'scary' or 'creepy'. Now they bring me joy. I know I'm living the life I'm supposed to live, for better or worse. I am fulfilling my life's purpose, for better or worse. It's not for me to say whether my life is good or bad. I still have the freedom to choose to strive for more or maintain the status quo. There is one thing I'm sure of. I can take solace in the knowledge that what I've been doing over the last year or so is what I was meant to do.
Even the tremendous amount of dream recall has been surprising. Thankfully, it hasn't been a reflection of negativity or doubt (a major theme in many of my dreams during the first half of this year). I don't buy into the oneiromantic logic of dreams forecasting the future but I do think it is a reflection of what a person is feeling at the time the dreams occur.
Maybe I'll blog about those dreams too. =)
We'll see where my mind will be over the next few weeks. Thanks to you all for staying on board and reading my blog after nearly a full year.
Until next time, faithful reader......
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