Remote Control

Life in a box.

Click. You’re awakened and alive.
Put on your mask – and go out to play. 
Start off right where you left off.

Click. Play.
Your journey continues, episodes run their course.
Your story is being told. Living in the present.
Time is unforgiving, no time for second chances.
No you can’t go back – Oh wait.

Click. Rewind.
Back to the start. Comfort. Familiar.
You’re an outsider looking in. Change?
Its intangible. Now immune to you.
An evanescent moment that is no longer yours.
Take one last look. It belongs to the past now.
Move on.

Click. Fast-Forward.
Finally a fresh start. Uncomfortable. Unfamiliar.
Where did it all go? Spotted: a foreigner. 
I know that person. A second glance.
Is that me?
Didn’t you say you wanted change?

Click. Mute.
No judgements. No thoughts.
Peaceful emptiness surrounding you.
Silence has never been so beautiful.
But wait – unknown. No explanations.
No voice. Say something … I Cant!
We are silenced. 

Click. Skip.
Scared? Shut your eyes. 
Next thing you know you’re recovered.
Transported to another channel. Not a clue.
No direction. Whats happening? Hold on -

Click. Pause.
A sense of understanding. Remember this.
It’ll be gone soon. Impatient time.
No such thing as being stuck. 
Reality’s coming for you - 

Will you turn that damned TV off?
Everybody knows if you sit too close, you’ll hurt your eyes.

 

Where is the Love?

Who came up with “if you have nothing nice to say don’t say it at all”? Whoever that person was, was definitely a wise man/woman. I think it was Mary Poppins. Yeah, lets just say it was Mary Poppins.

Take a moment and thinking about how many problems in our lives, the world, that could have been avoided, if people just listened to freaking Mary Poppins.

• Regina George wouldn’t have been hit by a bus.
• Children wouldn’t become victims of abuse
• Gays would be given the freedom of rights.
• Divorce would go back to being a taboo word.
• Racism wouldn’t have even existed.
• Dont even get me started on international wars.

Is it so hard to imagine a world that is so genuine and full of niceties and kindness? Though it is our own words and doings that are causing this corruption, why has it come to this point?

The point where friends who would’ve done anything for each other, don’t even speak anymore. The point where things that never matter to you suddenly do. The point where the wrong things have become important to us. The point where getting drunk on weekends, or coming home in the early hours of the morning is more important than spending time with family.

People have become influenced by the negativity this world has to offer, and this negativity stems from us and what we put out there. We are basically living in a bubble engulfed by negativity. Im not even sure if what I’m saying makes sense but I promise you it does in my mind.

Ive come to realise that humans are cruel beings. Im pretty sure science will one day discover that we have a 47th chromosome that is responsible for our cruelty. If you ask me, Santa needs to re-evaluate the meaning of nice, because I’m not even sure that exists anymore. Nobody is fully pure, nobody has only good intentions. For a lack of a better phrase: Nobody’s perfect.

We live in a cruel world, that can change. I guess none of us can ever find it in ourselves to truly make that change. Where is the love?

29 Writing Topics

Hey everyone,

So since this blog isn’t always going to be filled with writing from now on; I came across something on http://grammar.about.com/od/developingessays/a/topnarrative07.htm. Basically it is a list of topics/stories that can really tell you a lot about a person and their experiences. As a result, every now and then I’ll be posting about any of these topics in no particular order. See the list below:

• a memorable wedding or funeral
• one minute of a football game (or other sporting event)
• your first day at a new school or college
• a moment of failure or success
• an encounter that changed your life
• an experience that led to renewed faith
• an embarrassing experience
• a frightening experience
• a memorable journey
• an encounter with someone or something you were afraid of
• an occasion when you experienced rejection
• your first visit to the country (or to a large city)
• the breakup of a friendship
• a significant misunderstanding
• a dangerous experience
• an experience that showed how appearances can be deceiving
• an account of a difficult decision that you had to make
• an act of heroism or cowardice
• a rebellious act
• a brush with death
• a trip that you would like to take
• an account of a visit to a fictional place
• your first time away from home
• a day when everything went right (or wrong)
• an experience that made you laugh until you cried
• the experience of being lost
• an important discovery
• an eyewitness account of an important event
• an experience that helped you grow up

How Girls Fight

So I recently came across this new video, on ‘iisuperwomanii’ and its actually so funny to see how relatable it is. This mostly targets teenage/young adult girls, but its still quite funny; so I thought I’d share it!

New Beginnings

It seems like forever since I’ve seen the not-so-familiar dashboard of WordPress. Blogging was something I discovered I had an interest in a long time ago, and its sad to see that I stopped writing for nothing but stupid little excuses. I think I want to come back to writing again. But not for the views, or comments, or likes; but for me. I cant tell you how many times I felt a pang of guilt when I received emails from WordPress regarding comments and likes. Though it requires effort and time, writing really is a positive and healthy place to channel your energy into. So I wont be making empty promises where I promise to write more often, because I’m taking a different approach now. Not everything is going to be about morals and life lessons. Its going to be a little bit personal. I need a fresh start.

And now onto the title: New Beginnings. Let me start of by saying Happy New Year to everyone. To be honest I don’t like that phrase. Why do we say happy. So your counting down to midnight with your closest friends and family, or your getting drunk at a party with random strangers who knows, and suddenly the clock strikes twelve and everyone is thrilled and hugging and laughing and crying. And why? Because the year is over and you have a fresh start. Because you said goodbye to the shitty times of that year that are now behind you. So why is it we wish each other Happy New Year, every single year, when we subconsciously know that the year ahead of us is going to be filled with just as many downs. I’m normally an optimist, and though I do know that ups exist as well, I find myself being let down this year. It hasn’t even been three months of 2013 and this is what I’ve learned:

• I learned that the people you care about the most, can be the ones who can so easily break your heart.
• I learned that everything you think you know about a person can be a lie.
• I learned that those closest to you don’t even know when you’re hurting.
• I learned that people fight. People fight a lot. Over the stupidest reasons (I know stupidest isn’t a word but thats just to show how stupid they are).
• I learned that if you keep things inside and compromise every single time, its going to resurface and hurt twice as much.
• I learned that people are selfish, and will only think about themselves.
• I learned that even if you do make an effort, there is no guarantee it will be reciprocated no matter what promises you make.
• I learned that sometimes its time to let people go. Though they may have been one of the most important people in your lives once upon a time, things change, people change and you need to move on. Drop the rock, because maybe one day you’ll pick up a diamond.
• I learned that the only person who can really take care of you is yourself.

2013 so far has been full of let downs. Though my academic year so far has been the best of my life, some of the change has really put me down. I know people always say that change is good. But what people forget is that its hard to cope with. Im not emotionally unstable or depressed, but you know what I am? I’m exhausted. Exhausted of keeping things in and always compromising. Exhausted of ‘being the bigger person’ and letting things go. So today I’m taking a break of being of keeping things in, and letting it all out.

I’m going to let go, and cut the chords of the things and people Im trying so hard to keep. If it was meant to be, it would be. But if you have to try so hard, and keep having to deal with disappointments in order to keep something alive, then its not real. It could have been once upon a time, but its not anymore is it?

Dear Peter Pan, by Jellie.

A friend of mine recently created a WordPress account and is definitely a blog worth checking out! She blogs at: Audeat Somnaire, which is Latin for ‘Dare to Dream’. One of her posts truly caught my eye and reminded me that we have our whole lives to be old, and only a few to be young:

Dear Peter Pan,

Please, I am begging you, take me away to Neverland. I don’t want to grow up yet. Decisions bombard me every day, and I’m afraid that if I make the wrong one, my whole future will change. I believe in fairies, mermaids, and the Lost Boys. Perhaps you can help me by giving me pixie dust? I already have Faith and Trust, the two things I’ve never forgotten even if they have been bruised and broken.

Everything is whizzing by, Peter. I’m afraid. I’m afraid of it all. Save me. It’s going too fast. I can still remember entering my first school and, in two years’ time, I would be in college. I need your help. I don’t want to be a kid forever…I just want to be a kid a little longer. I ask for not much, only the pixie dust, really. I can make my way from here. It’s ‘second star to the right, and straight on till morning’, correct?

In all honesty, I think I may have passed the age limit already, seeing as I’m turning 16 in less than a month and all, but I promise I’m still a kid at heart! I know that a fairy is created with a baby’s first gurgle of laughter. I know that unicorns started to become invisible when humans became too evil for them. I know that you exist, Peter Pan. You’re merely too busy getting other kids who need you more than I do.

I’ll keep wishing on the second star to the right, secretly hoping you’ll hear from me. I won’t be able to steal your shadow like Wendy did because my dog likes other people. I can perhaps give you a kiss after this adventure is over…maybe.

The truth is, I’m not ready for life. I can’t decide what to do in university—I’m 15! What do I know about life? I’m not even halfway through it!

You’re lucky, you know. To never grow up. You don’t have responsibilities and college applications to face. I’m terrified of what the future holds for me. The Real World is cruel, vicious, and evil. They won’t take ‘no’ for an answer. They will step on your toes to reach the top. They will invade your fortress just to see you squirm. It’s horrible.

So please, I’m begging you, take me away to Neverland. Away from evils my world has. Help me run away by flying. Save me from my impending doom. Cover me from stabs that life will throw at me. All I want is to be an innocent child for a little longer. That’s all.

Love,

Jellie

Stepping Stones

(Source: http://www.theretreatnz.org.nz/)

Experiences are the stepping stones of ones life. Without jumping to the stone in front of you, you cannot move on with your life. As we grow older we all encounter our own path of stepping stones, that are laid out for us. Our role is to make it through these stepping stones, and enjoy the journey we call life.

In the beginning our stepping stones are large and held sturdy in the ground making it easy to pass. As we mature, we look back and smile at our past experiences, knowing that our stepping stones grow smaller and smaller as we pass through.

Sometimes, you’ll be faced with a choice between two stepping stones. One of them leads you down a safe path, to continue risk free, on your journey. The other however, is a risky little stone, laying loose ahead of you. Its difficulty and risk challenges and tempts you. You question your options, being fully aware that the smaller stone may not be the right path for you.

Lets say you choose the dangerous stone, instead of the safe way out. You choose it for the experience, oblivious to the consequences it may offer. You make it through safely, enjoying the experience, smiling as you accomplish your challenge. However you forget to consider the consequences.

The consequences fulfill their purpose and make you regret your decision, remembering that you could have choose another path. But I like to think, that we should live our life with no regrets. Yes, you get it wrong sometimes and you make mistakes, but you learn.

After combatting the stone you continue on your journey. Your experiences make you stronger and allow better judgement when confronting your next choice. Its important to remember that your judgement came from past experiences and the lessons you learned from them. Life is a journey built on mistakes and lessons learned.

The Other End of the Telescope

(Source: http://pixabay.com/en/telescope-viewer-tourism-distance-15942/)

With life comes predators, some with very vicious attacks. With predators come defense mechanisms.  Did you know that the horned lizard doesn’t use its horns to defend itself? Rather, when attacked, it pressures its own sinus cavities until the blood vessels in its eyes burst, and it sprays its attacker with blood from its eyes. As humans, we all have different predators, but in the end, at some point or another, when tackling a specific predator, we all share the same defense mechanism – distance.

Sometimes, we go through experiences that we deem to be intolerable, unbearable, or even problematic. In order to defend ourselves in these situations, we subconsciously distance ourselves away from the problems we face. Its our simplest defense mechanism. If you’re far away from the problem it goes away, right?

It’s like looking through the other end of a telescope. Suddenly, everything is far away and beyond your reach. The problems that lie ahead have become so small its difficult to even acknowledge its presence. You feel safe behind the security of the glass lenses, as though your problems can’t reach you behind there. The distance shields you from its reach and unfriendly grasp.

Then it hits you, that you’re looking through the wrong end of the telescope. And so you tear away from the comforting black rims of the telescope and turn it around in the proper direction. You peer through and are then greeted by truthful clarity. Things return to normal, and you realize that your problems cant go away, and will appear right in front of you until you face them and move on.

Consider your problems to be another chapter or obstacle in life. In the end, chapters are there to be finished and obstacles are made to be overcome. And yes, sometimes it can be tough but once passed through, we come to realize that it was worth the struggle. Problems lead to solutions, and some solutions we can benefit greatly from. Once our problems are faced, we can look through the telescope and smile. Smile at the clear view enrapturing our eyes.

Update!

I have finally updated my ‘About’ page! Check it out and let me know what you think!

An Excuse and a Thank You!

So first comes the excuse for not posting these past two weeks, my excuse being: no internet! I’m currently on summer vacation in Lebanon, and after finally settling down, I have fixed up my internet. So, with no school work, or commitments, I now have free time on my hands all summer, and will hopefully go back to posting a lot more regularly.

And now, the ‘Thank You’. I was looking at my stats and referrers for my blog and came across a website: jip.co.za/nuus/Top10-tienerblogs. I couldn’t understand what it said, as it wasn’t in english, so I went on Google Translate and it detected it was written in Afrikaans. After I translated it, I was so pleased! The feeling of being appreciated for your efforts, especially from somewhere you’d never even expect, is truly amazing!

The post was about ten teen blogs that caught their attention, and mine happened to be one of them! It is a little poorly translated, but this is what I managed to get from it:

Every second counts (everysecondcounts16.wordpress.com)
Celine Chami, winner of the Beautiful Blogger Award and Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award, writes in her blog about “firsts” and gives certainty about the snowball effect and what really matters. She writes not only about her life, but more about how she approached a teenager. This is a very good blog to follow because her writing is positive and every post has a nice message that is easy to remember.

To conclude, I would like to apologize for my absence and like to thank Mareli Olivier for her kind words! I’m looking forward to the free time I can spend on blogging!