Blind and Toothless (Wisdom of Mahatma Gandhi)

"If we practice an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, soon the whole world will be blind and toothless."

"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."

"When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fall -- think of it, ALWAYS."

"You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty."

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

"Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes. "

"Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well."

"It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err."

Into The Void...

This will most likely never reach the person this is directed to, but it must be said anyway:

For the pain I've caused you I am sorry. You have never done anything to me to deserve the pain I've bestowed upon you. Though there were two in this, I can only take responsibility for myself. I have had dreams of simpler times where we were still friends and we spoke as if nothing had ever happened, when I awake I am reminded that it was but a dream.

I have done wrong by you and I know that you will never forgive me, but I still need to tell you that I am sorry, even if you don't see this . My intentions were never to sabotage you. I know that you have a hard time letting people in and when you did I hurt you. I have already asked for God's forgiveness, and now I am asking for yours. So into the void this goes. If, by chance, you read this.....here it is.

Getting to Know You...

Yes, below there is one of those forward surveys...feel free to tell me your answers to any (not necessarily all) of these questions....

Finish the sentences:
1) I am a(n)...Aries
2) My ex-boy/girlfriend was... a good guy, but we weren't on the same page.
3) I'm just a(n)... girl in the world
4) Maybe I should... stop updating my blog at work...lol
5) I love... chocolate and Janell (not necessarily in that order)
6) ____________ is/are cute ...baby animals
7) Looking for... people all day online...it's annoying when someone you've been searching for for about 15 minutes turns out to be deceased...but I'm sure it doesn't make them happy either.
8) I don't understand... prejudice
9) I lost my... sweater for the umpteenth time today...and found it again
10) My significant other is a(n)... great person, good cook, good kisser, hard worker
11) In darkness, I... curl up under blankets
12) Why do I... let other people affect me more than I should?
13) Is there such a thing as... aliens...I wanna see one
14) Does... hate know that love's the cure? (song reference)
15) People say I'm... a crazy girr lol...and other things...some good, some bad.
16) Love is... a strong positive emotion of regard and affection (as defined by Google)
17) You make me wanna...sing...but most things do.
18) Somewhere, someone is... reading this and missing me...you are, aren't you? Admit it!
19) Is it true that... Noah left the poor unicorns behind and that's why we don't see any today?
20) I will always... remember the fun I've had with friends and loved ones
21) Forever is... a long time, but what else do I have to do?
22) I never want to... forget lessons I've learned........

Isn't It Ironic?

I find it funny that I can write so many different nice, flowery or funny (hey, I try) entries and the only one that gets read (or commented on) is the one where it is not so nice, not flowery at all and not funny. SIGH! Oh well...

Sick & Tired

I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. I've been sick for a whole day now and it's killing me. I hate getting sick...and it's Holy Week...how am I supposed to sing at the Triduum Mass's when I am sick? Oh well...I am singing for God maybe He will help me out and if not, it's okay since it won't be in front of my normal parish. :)

The Blame Game

As humans we like to think that nothing could possibly be our own fault. "Why me?" "How could this happen to me?" Boo Hoo, right? Well, there comes a time in a persons life when they have to take responsibility for what they've done. From the little (there is traffic??) to the extreme (He ran into my knife!) we deny, deny, deny (Thrice!!) Here is the thing though...something you decided made that happen. I decided to go down Tropicana at 5, I decided to stab that person, etc....the only victims in the world are those who have no choices (ie. children and the elderly)

A couple of years ago I decided to drive down Industrial and turn onto Tropicana and had my front bumper torn off by a semi-truck whose driver decided to switch lanes in the intersection...that was my fault and it was his fault. I made the choice to drive at that time and do what I did. I could convince you otherwise, that I was surely the victim, but I can also convince you that I was at fault.

Many people feel that it is easier and better to play the victim...and why not? They get attention and many times they get things they want. However, when you take responsibility for your actions, it's not as pretty but you get more respect than you would by playing the victim. When someone is constantly playing the victim, who wants to be around them? It's a pity party daily. Nothing is ever their fault , the world is against them and they are quick to point the finger elsewhere for their problems. But to all of you victims out there, here's a news flash: It's your fault. Take responsibility and learn from it.

The Night of the Pink Chicken

Finally, after putting it off for more than 10 days, my friends and I are going to celebrate Tina's birthday! I am looking forward to what the night will bring. Normally I avoid the Strip like the plague (and I avoid that like crazy) but tonight we are going to the Flamingo to see the flamingos (aka chickens painted pink on stilts) and eat.

This got me to thinking: When I was in high school my life revolved around my friends. Now I have to schedule them in. It's sad, but I suppose that's part of getting older. I do miss my friends though, they've always been there for me when I've needed them the most and I've tried to do the same for them. We've laughed (a lot), cried (some), traveled from coast to coast and always make beautiful music together. Luckily a 4 year bond (give or take) doesn't break that easily................Hopefully they know how much I appreciate them. I love you guys! See you tonight!

There is a Longing.....

Most people don't understand why someone would voluntarily spend their weekend nights (Fri - Sunday) at church. To those people I dedicate this post.

Every now and then I get this feeling that is hard to describe. I get the urge to be at church. I feel drawn to it. My church is a place where I feel comfortable to be. I am not very religious, I am spiritual though....I supposed what I was looking for was "soul food."

I got the urge on Thursday but there was no way to go that day. Luckily for me, it is Lent so there is a fish fry and the church is open until 9 for those who want to pray on Friday's. I went and prayed. I know God heard me that night....but I still felt like I needed something more. I went to Mass on Saturday even though I had to be at Mass on Sunday as well. For me, going to an extra Mass is soothing. It is completely different from being there at my normal Sunday time. On Sunday my mind is everywhere. I am usually focused on the next song I will be singing or anything other than what the priest is saying. That Saturday was good, but I was distracted by a friend that I used to sing with. Sunday was good as well. I was able to sing one of my favorite Psalms and right now it has more meaning to me...I just need to learn to absorb all of it.

Anyway, I know I had purpose when I started this, but now I've lost it. The point is, I know that some avoid church like the plague, but I love my church, I love the comfort I feel when I go into it whether I am alone or with hundreds of other people. No, I'm not a 'Jesus Freak' but I feel better when I know I am in His presence and that He is listening.............................

Celebrating A Funeral

Funeral's are a time for goodbye. We let go of a loved one and share our memories with those were were close to them as well. Normally these events are are tear filled.

Last Saturday I got to sing at my first funeral. The family gathered in and right away I knew this was not going to be like any other funeral I had been to. The room got quiet for a moment and one of the sons of the deseased said, "Gee, it sounds like we are at a funeral" and laugher broke out. Normally, if someone were to say this at a funeral they would get a room full of angry eyes back at them, but at this one they appreciated it. They were not mourning a loss but celebrating a life. Before this woman passed she told all of her family that she didn't want her funeral to be a sad event. She wanted music and laughter when people remembered her and that's what she got. I think she would be proud of the way her sons followed her wishes even down to her request for the middle son to sing "If I Were a Rich Man" from Fiddler on the Roof. The song wasn't anything I expected to hear, but it had sentimental value between them.

There was so much sharing of stories and laughter it was hard to believe that this was a funeral. Our priest said that this was the most fun he had ever had at a funeral. This woman lived an extrordinary life and did a great job of passing down her wisdom, sense of humor and love. By the end, I was sad that I never got to know her.

This is how I feel all funerals should be. Not that we shouldn't mourn our loss, but we should remember to celebrate the life the person lived as well. I think that sometimes we forget to do that. The women who's life we celebrated on Saturday lived a wonderful life (a marine, a mechanic, an artist, a writer, musician, mother, wife, and more) and now she can live on forever in the hearts of those who loved her.

Ponderings

Why do croutons come in airtight packages? The bread is already stale....

If you take a Chinese person and spin him around several times, does he become disoriented?

If people from Poland are called "Poles," why aren't people from Holland called "Holes?"

What's another word for thesaurus?

If someone with multiple personalities threatens to kill himself, is it considered a hostage situation?

If someone tried to rob a dance club and yelled, "Everybody get down", would all the people start dancing?

Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to see things up close on the ground?

Why is the name of the phobia for the fear of long words "Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia"?

Where in the nursery rhyme does it say Humpty Dumpty is an egg?

Shouldn't a "w" be called a 'double v'?

Isn't it a bit unsettling that doctors call what they do "practice"?

Isn't it scary that the last thing you see when you get on an airplane is a "terminal"?

Why do some schools view suspending a student from school, as a punishment for skipping school?

Could someone ever get addicted to counseling? If so, how could you treat them?

If there was a bisexual pride parade, would it go both ways?

What's the point in being pessimistic? It probably won't work, anyway.

If your vacuum cleaner really sucks, isn't that a good thing?

If a word is misspelled in a dictionary, how would we ever know?

Why don't tomb, comb, and bomb sound alike?

Why are there flotation devices under plane seats instead of parachutes?

Why on a web site for Phronemophobia (the fear of thinking) is there a caption that says: "Imagine What Your Life Would Be Like Without Phronemophobia" Wouldn't imagining be the same as thinking?