Crush to Love

February 15, 2014 Own The View Cr8ives 7 Comments

Daily Prompt: It’s Friday, I’m In Love

Dave was so smart and so nerdy, and I only had eyes for him. He was pale, wore glasses, and always had his nose in a book. He was an introvert. I, however, was a social butterfly, loved joining all types of activities, and just loved kickin it with the kids in my class and some in other grades. Dave was so different from me; maybe that’s why I was crushing on him.

You know how kids love to tease you when they find out that you like someone. Well, we were teased on a daily basis even though we were not girlfriend-boyfriend. I always wanted to be near Dave, but nervous when the opportunity presented itself. I would give him “love taps” and tickle him when he got close, so of course, Dave tried to avoid me, but he couldn’t hide in a small school of 150 children. My crush for Dave did not last long, but for the period it ran, I was in la-la land.

Switching to junior high, I met my first love. My heart still flutters when I think of Jeff. He was from a different culture from mine. He was tall, skinny, had curly brown hair and the cutest smile, and wore Converse high-top sneakers. Yeah, the smile was what got me, but I thought he was cool because he wore Converse. Weird to like someone because of what he wore, but back then, most guys wore no-name sneakers. He was different from the other guys in my school.

Since I wasn’t allowed to date, Jeff and we saw each other in school and at school dances. For a year, I did not miss a day of school because I didn’t want to lose any time with him.

One day, we met up after school and got into a very heavy kissing session. His hands kept roaming over my body and as he started unbuckling my pant belt, I stopped him and said, “No”. He didn’t believe me and tried again. I put my hand on his and once again, said, “No”. He was not a happy camper. Next day, he called it quits. I was devastated and cried my way home. I didn’t feel bad about putting a halt to where the kissing session was headed. I knew I was not ready for sex and I wasn’t going to lower my standard for anyone. I was sad because I wouldn’t see him as much as I was used to; after all, I still liked him.

I few months later we got back together. I was so happy for us to be an item again that adopted Reunited by Peaches and Herb as “our song”.

Jeff and I dated for two years and then we mutually went our separate ways. I recently reconnected with Jeff on FB. We got caught up with the happenings in our lives and left it at that. I am happy for him and treasure the warm memories of our time together.

I like this post because it prompted me to think about people I had not thought of in years. Thank you WordPress!!

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2014/02/14/daily-prompt-its-friday-im-in-love/

Season for Nonviolence

Season of Nonviolence (SNV): Day 12 – Groundedness

February 11, 2014 Own The View Cr8ives

Day 12 – Groundedness: Gandhi said, “To forget how to dig the earth and tend the soil is to forget ourselves.” This is how we are going to feel grounded, like a tree planted in the earth. Stand up straight and close your eyes. Imagine your body is a tree. Send down roots into the soil, feel the sun shining from above. Feel your branches and leaves blowing in the wind.

Look at the trees, look at the birds, look at the clouds, look at the stars… and if you have eyes you will be able to see that the whole existence is joyful. Everything is simply happy. Trees are happy for no reason; they are not going to become prime ministers or presidents and they are not going to become rich and they will never have any bank balance. It is simply unbelievable how happy trees are. ~Osho

Crooked Trees of Alticane, Canada (Google Images)

Blossom where ever you decide to plant your roots!!

Tomorrow’s Preview: Day 13 – Creativity: You must create in order to be a whole human being.

**Season for Nonviolence campaign, also known as The Gandhi-King Season for Nonviolence (SNV), asks us to focus our attention on attaining peace through nonviolent actions. More info at: http://www.agnt.org/season-for-nonviolence**

Season for Nonviolence

Season for Nonviolence (SNV): Day 11- Contemplation

February 10, 2014 Own The View Cr8ives

Day 11- CONTEMPLATION: “As a man thinketh in his heart, so he is”. For at least 3 minutes, relax, breath, and let your mind be fed by “whatsoever is good and beautiful.” Open your eyes and write your good thoughts.

“Writers have an opinion about the world and offer arguments about the world. They should offer contemplation.”– Salman Rushdie

There is so much suffering going on in the world. Whether it’s people living in war zones, children made to fight in these wars instead of enjoying their childhood, people dealing with illness(es), the pain of losing a loved one, an unwanted romantic breakup, people living on the streets (especially in the winter cold), unexpectedly losing a job, or any type of suffering people might be dealing with at this time. Suffering is devastating no matter how you look at it.

Photo by Robert F. Bukaty/Associated Press

Let’s not forget though, that not only people experience suffering. Since the Olympic Games is the top news of the day, I will contemplate what’s going on in Sochi. A few days ago I read about the plight of stray dogs around Olympic Village. The report stated that since October 2013, the Russian government authorized a pest removal company to round up stray dogs and kill them. Since the eradication began, 300 stray dogs have been killed each month from a chemical injection that causes suffocation.

Now, I am not one of those PETA members (nothing wrong with being a member) or go overboard about cruelty to animals. I was not raised in the type of environment where pets were our “best friend”. I was born in a country where “pets” belonged outside. They may wander through the house now and then, but for the most part they are outside animals. And please, let me not even mention what my grandparents would do if they saw a cat walking on their kitchen counter. My got my first pet (a cat) when I moved out on my own and was able to allow them inside the house. But when I read about the dogs in Sochi being killed so they would not spoil the aesthetics of the games, I was outraged. Sure strays might present a safety issue, so rounding them up to keep people safe is acceptable in my book, but must they be killed? Why not put them in a shelter?

Well, today I was happy to read that Russian billionaire Oleg V. Deripaska has paid for a rescue team in conjunction with his charity organization to bring stray animals to a local shelter. The hope is to get these animals adopted by pet lovers. Sounds good to me!!

So, my good and beautiful thoughts go out to Mr. Deripaska and his rescue team for rescuing these animals. What they are doing is humane and compassionate. My good and beautiful thoughts go out to those who will adopt the dogs and save them from euthanasia. It’s a temporary fix, but at least an effort is on the way to save these animals.

Sources:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/05/world/europe/russia-sochi-stray-dogs/

“That pleasure which is at once the most pure, the most elevating and the most intense, is derived, I maintain, from the contemplation of the beautiful.” Edgar Allan Poe

Tomorrow’s Preview: Day 12 GROUNDEDNESS – Gandhi said, “To forget how to dig the earth and tend the soil is to forget ourselves.”

Season for Nonviolence

Season of Nonviolence (SNV): Day 10 – Faith

February 9, 2014 Own The View Cr8ives

Day 10- FAITH: When Caesar Chavez was organizing farm workers, he taught them to say, “Si, se puede,” “Yes, it is possible,” when they didn’t know how they would overcome an obstacle. Today let’s say, “Yes, it is possible,” to every obstacle we meet. Now, write down three things that are hard for you. After each one, write “It is possible for me to overcome this obstacle and be successful.”

“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says, ‘I’m possible’!” – Audrey Hepburn

1) I am in a career transition and have many ideas of how I envision next phase of my work life, but not exactly sure how to encompass all things (working with people with mental illness and other disabilities, teaching mindfulness practice to help people reduce stress and manage their thoughts, coaching people on holistic healthily living, etc.) into one job. All that I want to do falls under the Wellness umbrella. I am very new to the city I now call home, so one thing I am doing is volunteering with different agencies in my area of interest to gather info on how they provide service to their clients. Other than that, I am staying open to the possibilities and going with the flow knowing that, in time, things will fall into place. – It is possible for me to overcome this obstacle and be successful.

2) On the fitness level, I find it difficult to walk/run like I used to due to experiencing constant (every second of my waking hours) pain in my right knee after knee surgery. Well, the knee surgery was in 2006, but in 2014 I live with pain everyday. Doctors I have visited can’t seem to tell me why the pain won’t go away, so I live with it. I try other activities, but the pain persists. – It is possible for me to overcome this obstacle and be successful.

3) I have been living with depression (diagnosed) for many years. Everyday is a challenge just to get out of bed to get the day started. – It is possible for me to overcome this obstacle and be successful.

“It is very important to generate a good attitude and a good heart as much as possible. From this, happiness in both the short-term and the long-term for both yourself and others will come.” His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Tomorrow’s Preview: Day 11 CONTEMPLATION: “As a man thinketh in his heart, so he is”. Let your mind be fed by “whatsoever is good and beautiful.”