Community: organisms sharing a populated environment. The sectioning of beliefs, ideologies and interests shared by a group of individuals that separate themselves into union with other like minded individuals. A place in which to live that will enable a sense of prosperity and safety. What is community? Is it a blanket of concepts that create a togetherness that permits a sense of belonging? A label that stamps out insecurities by providing the hope that your neighbor will be neighborly? And if this is so what constitutes the quailities of a neighbourly neighbour anyway?
A list of possibilities I feel fit the criteria:
1. The Random Wave - Who doesn't like a ransom wave of I see ya's? 2. The Casual Nod - I see you on the regular bases so I am going to acknowledge that you exist. I have seen you too many times to pretend otherwise and at what point does this become awkward? 3. The Grinner - Work is over and we both got to be pretty stoked to be enjoying some sort of free time. 4. The Door Held Manner - Hell yeah it is grocery day and I really cant be bothered grabbing for my keys. 5. Forgotten Treasures: You may not like what you have any longer but I am pretty thankful you put it in a box and left it in the common areas for others to rummage through. My living room thanks you. 6. The Elevator Snicker: The 45 seconds of complete silence is just too weird when you know someone has something funny to say.
If community is the sharing of a populated space and the cohabitation of all that is, I think that it is completely acceptable to make it as pleasant as possible. We don't need to go out of our way to be fake ass bastards but we don't need to go out of what to be crotchety ones either.
When I think about the experiences I am able to live out on this planet I feel pretty lucky. I don't think that I could ever hate life as it is something that I am bound to live each day so I feel it is somewhat necessary to try to enjoy it, at least I can try. I am extremely grateful that we are capable of laughing and that each laugh is unique to the person cultivating it. If I am being completely honest it took me quite awhile to become comfortable in the sound expelling from my face. It seemed to get stuck somewhere in my throat, explode out at the most impromptu times and occasionally create sounds that are difficult to consider pleasant; however, when I discovered my true laugh it came so naturally that I was wondering how it was ever lost in the abyss of nasal confusion. I wonder if laughter is compelling because it reveals what we find amusing as well as confusing; "I am unsure how to respond to this" so instead I laugh and move on hopefully not offending too many people in the process. World, I am unsure as to why things have been created and designed they way they are, and needless to say, I would not know any different; seemingly, all I can do is create is 'my ideal' from the experiences that have been provided through studying and exploring information as it presents itself. Thankfully, I enjoy exploring and wading through the snippets of material to identify a personal purpose, while being a minute detail in the big picture. The way I see it is all the individual stories make up the whole picture and cover your surface like a mosaic of colour, shapes and sizes. If you are a jungle gym I can honestly say you have the best obstacles around. I am curious what your relationship is like with the space around you? Are you as aware of what is going on around you as what is going on inside of you? Do you have an innate knowing that you are going to be okay? and are you watching what is occurring like our grandparents observe the repetition of generational themes? You have been around a long time and I can only imagine you have the answers laid out everywhere and when we find them is when we are ready to have them. All I can really say is thank you. Thank you for making this place as beautiful, crazy and versatile as it is. It is definitely trippy.
I have begun to realize that there is a never ending amount of information to learn and to understand. Life is never boring... there may be stagnant moments, but boring it is not. I have recently discovered that there is time between what your eyes see and what is actually there so the brain creates an image for you. For instance, our brain has added the green to the grass for us to see. Seriously!! that is some crazy shit!! It is unbelievable (to me) how normalcy is accepted as the way it is, when there are so many reasons and systems as to how it has become. I remember thinking of space when I was a child and intentionally stopping myself before getting lost in the vastness and reality of it. All I could think about was the existence of a wall blocking off the galactic emptiness of space and I remember thinking that if space never ended that meant the wall had to be never ending and if the wall ever ended there had to be something on the other side of it, right?!?!?!... on and on and on my mind would go. I believe most of us have thought similar thoughts when looking up at the stars. Magic. Witnessing a shooting star for the first time was an eerie experience; 3 am walking along a deserted beach, warm air breezing past me, lost in conversation with a girl friend of mine, gazing towards the moon when suddenly a samurai sword cut through the night with such power and fury that I was sure an alien ship had landed. My stomach dropped, my body buzzed with questions and an overwhelming understanding of size dawned on me. We are so tiny. Yet so powerful. We are gifts to this existence, each of us carrying our own purpose and magic enabling sets of keys to open doors that we may never know exist. I feel a purpose to this journey is to overcome our kryptonite and to truly understand, while respecting, our intuition as a guide. All we need to do is accept what we are: Entertaining entities. Add some fun, take away some of the seriousness and play a little more often. I suggest thumb wars as they are an excellent way to forget how old we are and never ever underestimate the power of the dancing groove.
Heightened energy alert!!! voom voom voom voom.. thoughts flying out a mile a second, sound trying to keep up to the speed of the words, all the while the mind feeling as though it is sauntering through the day at a pleasant pace. Disclaimer alert: vibes may be running at a high frequency. There is no need to apologize. I find it astonishing that there is always a difference. A difference in perception, a difference in action and different ways to internalize. What you think, I may have never thought and what I think you may never know. Language is used as a way to communicate our thoughts and ideas. So often, I feel that there are not enough words to express the range of emotions that can be experienced within a day. To have a day of absolutes would be a day of flat lines. I love the specs of random wisdom that so gracefully sweep me off my feet and allow a focal point to ponder.. I find that these moments give the "wow factor of simplicity" offering a foothold onto the next step. Recently, I was told "Some people are too stuck in the past, too stuck in the future or too stuck on the now and there needs to be balance between them all." I have honestly never considered that someone could be "too" stuck in the now. I thought that was the place we were intended to be. But on further dissection I began to understand that being too involved in the now may lead to a loss of direction of where we can be headed. Being too much of anywhere can allow for avoidance, disregard and distraction of what is around us. We could be so focused on the ball that we may never notice the pothole in front of us... Sometimes I guess, we are intended to get a little dirty so we can wipe ourselves off, grumble and swear under our breath blaming the pothole like it is it's fault that we fell, all the while thinking of a time when life was a little easier. Hahahahahahaha. I think that there will always be the fabled memory of an easier time: the fairy tale of the long long ago's where chivalry was alive and well, where mermaids swam the open seas, where youth respected their elders and people held hands singing in unison hoping for the future. Thank goodness mermaids are real.
Being surrounded by love and goodness is beyond amazing; it is beautiful. I have been under the impression that it is the people who matter who matter, but when confronted with the explanation as to why, a friend of mine replied with, "the people who matter give meaning." They give meaning to life, to solidarity, to exploration and to purpose. The people that surround us are the people we are learning from, who are teaching us, who are providing us the opportunities to challenge ourselves and are a part of our evolvement. Those that we love may be the people that frustrate us often, may be the most difficult to confront or are the ones that mirror our own downfalls... but at the end of the day they are the ones that laugh at our jokes, knowingly smile at our ridiculousness and pick us up when we need it the most. These are the people that know our true intentions and value what we have to offer. This not always an easy-fun loving-ode to the world partnership, but rather a growing experience that can allow each person the freedom to understand and accept their part in the experience of life. The more we learn the more we can inspire. To truly understand our individuality and own our 'self' provides an opportunity for others to accept who they are without the need to compare and judge what they have to offer against everyone else. Everyone has a gift. Some gifts may be more obvious than others, but who doesn't like a treasure hunt? Life is quest so I salute you all.
Dreams: the nighttime stories of cryptic messages and enchanted possibilities, where anything is possible and control is limited. The ideal place of escape while being in the comforts of your own bed... running away from the thing that scares you the most, facing the fear you would never want to face or acting out your deepest desire without the consequences. Hmmm, dreams are funny. I remember as a small child I believed that I was a character in a story book and the moment I went to sleep the reader has closed the book. I remember believing that my dreams were my actual conscious experience. I don't really understand why this was, but I honestly felt that dreams made more sense; I mean, if I wanted to fly I would fly, if I was under water I would breathe and if something scary was happening I could just open my eyes and it would be gone. What I have begun to realize is just because I have opened my eyes it does not mean the experience is over. I find it amazing that a dream can create an emotional reaction that can carry through the day... it is weird, so strange, that nothing that anyone really did can create a sensation of loss, hope or excitement through the waking life! I have decided that these moments allow for a conversation to occur of what fear, desire or insecurity may be living within yourself.. all aspects of a dream are really aspects of ourselves that are being played out in circumstances that make it easier to understand. The main objective is to stay objective and not take it personal. It is not like someone is creating our dreams for us, we are resolving ourselves within our own mind... and it is never to be taken seriously; but rather as symbols and opportunities. Be mindful of how you treat others when you are awake... carrying over a reaction from the sleepers plane has nothing to do with the person next to you and if you treat them so it can turn sideways and too dimensional. How confusing that conversation can be. The cool thing about the dream daze transition to the morning haze is the realization that a dream is the place of night time resolution allowing a restart and disposal of chaotic thoughts. It is our safe place to play, solve and fly... a mini movie that plays only for us. Imagine what others would say if they could witness what we see when we sleep.
Kindness is a beautiful thing. To witness an act of kindness reminds me that people are conscious and aware of their surroundings and witnessing the look of surprise and gratitude that overloads a persons face on the receiving end of a kind act makes me smile. I love love and I love seeing people happy. Being able to provide a moment where someone feels heard, understood and appreciated is an amazing part of life. If life is worth living, I think that providing others with the time to enjoy theirs is an important aspect. How dull life would be if I was the only person happy all of the time. Imagine riding the merry go round with a whole lot of solemn faces starring back at you! It would be uncomfortable... extremely uncomfortable. I am not sure about you but I am not a fan of being uncomfortable. To be fair, I would rather be cozy most of the time...... if I could wear scarfs through the summer without passing out from heat exhaustion I may just do it. When I walk into a room where there is a heaviness looming I can not help but want to try to make it lighter; however, I do understand it is important to check myself and look at my personal motives before trying to force the "thrill of glory" in another persons life. "Hey hey hey... you want to be happy right now.. look at everything you have to be thankful for, the trees, the clouds, the squirrels.. it is sooooo beautiful"......"Well, if it is so beautiful why don't you take the beauty and shove it in your face!" Sometimes, people need to experience their lows before they can move onto the up and up... and to be aware of the difference in individual processing is a kind act. Kindness is so nice. And like a friend in the glorious land of Scotland said to me "it is nice to be nice." which I completely agree with and these are the reasons why: 1. Kindness creates a sharing and caring environment that can make people smile 2. Smiling people generally look happy and happiness is contagious 3. Happy people generally laugh; which is also contagious.. especially if the person is a snorter! 4. Kindness is free which is a massive bargain. 5. And whoever knows me knows a bargain is priceless!
