that make you never take life for granted again!
Take this post for what it is worth.
You never realize what you truly have until it is snatched away from you and you aren't allowed to hold, touch or love it any longer.
Life is too short - if you worry, worry about telling your loved ones how much you love them often.
If you cry, cry because you are so blessed to have a warm, comfortable bed to sleep in at night.
If you ache, ache to always do what is right.
Karma always catches up with you. Do you want it to be good, or bad?
Let the good wolf live in you.
"Be kind and merciful. Let no one ever come to you without coming away better and happier."
-Mother Teresa
Amen.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Possibilities
I really like to keep up with the times and one of my goals right now is to learn the shuffle.
If you don't know, it's a dance that can be seen on the video to the LMFAO song, "Party Rock Anthem."
I posted it here for you to see and make sure to watch the insane break dancing circle in the middle:
Anyways, a lot of people have posted youtube videos that teach you how to do it, but this is my favorite. Pretty easy to follow!
This girl was pretty fun, too...plus, I kinda love her hair ;)
Enjoy!
I really posted this so that I can learn it, but feel free to give it a shot yourself. It will make you smile :-D
It can actually cure hangovers, grumpiness, headaches, bad attitudes, laziness, old age, slow metabolism, and any challenges you may have getting people of the opposite sex to take notice of you. This dance is magical.
Have fun!!! Stay young!
If you don't know, it's a dance that can be seen on the video to the LMFAO song, "Party Rock Anthem."
I posted it here for you to see and make sure to watch the insane break dancing circle in the middle:
Anyways, a lot of people have posted youtube videos that teach you how to do it, but this is my favorite. Pretty easy to follow!
This girl was pretty fun, too...plus, I kinda love her hair ;)
Enjoy!
I really posted this so that I can learn it, but feel free to give it a shot yourself. It will make you smile :-D
It can actually cure hangovers, grumpiness, headaches, bad attitudes, laziness, old age, slow metabolism, and any challenges you may have getting people of the opposite sex to take notice of you. This dance is magical.
Have fun!!! Stay young!
Monday, August 29, 2011
Winter - Written While High On Cocoa!
I know its still summer, but this poem originally came to me from San Diego in 2002 and found me again today as I shuffled through a stack of old Hallmark cards and sentimental notes. It makes me feel remarkable and so I feel I must share it with you!
Winter
Written by Eric Fisher while high on cocoa!
January 19, 2002
It dawned on me the other day
Thinking back when you went away
Back in December it was just the time
It started on hot cocoa instead of Corona n lime
The days were gettin' shorter, the nights grew long
Longer than a Barry Manilow song
Coincidence or not, the moment you leave
I had to switch from short to long sleeve
Even the ocean was full of anger and fury
Mr. Pacific knew you split to Missouri
It's been so grey, so cold, I needed some answers
Before I start poppin' some mood enhancers
Then it came to me as I drank some dairy
The idea and foundation for an ingenious theory
I got the newspaper, Section D
And checked the weather out in KC
It was 60 degrees, lo and behold
It's January, danggit! Where was the cold?
My sis majored in weather, she definitely would know
Living in Chicago, she'll tell me where's the snow
I told her to aim the satellites onto KC
A warm fuzzy glow emerged from the screen
She distracted her boss and zoomed in the cam
Got all silent, then said, "Hot diggity dam!"
She pressed, "Print Screen," and sent me the pic
When I opened the image, my jaw dropped like a brick
It was a picture of you in your lil' white car
With a smile on your face brighter than a star!
When you left San Diego, your sunshine went, too
No one else could do that, only You!
I LOVE L.I.F.E.R.S. - Live It Fully Everyday, Remember Smile :)
You can read some of my original poetry here on my blog :) Have a great day!
You can read some of my original poetry here on my blog :) Have a great day!
Here's a Barry Manilow's "Mandy" just for fun!
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Listen To Your Emotions
I went to a workshop on intuition once and the one thing I took from it was that a woman is at her highest psychic ability when she is just about to get her period.
In some cultural traditions, like those of the Khoisan women in the Kalahari, women are ritually most powerful when menstruating.
However, in the western world, instead of honoring this deep insight, we shun it as if it's just another painful side effect of nature's monthly curse to women.
It's the thoughts and emotions that come out of these highly sensitive times that are heartfelt communications with our inner selves. These precious gems should not be stereotyped and passed off, but valued for their intimacy.
I believe that our unconscious uses our intuition to signal our minds about our true feelings regarding our situations. Instead of writing the answers to our life dramas on the wall for us to see, we struggle to understand mixed emotions and let ourselves get down, feel insecure, or worse, lash out at loved ones. Once the dust settles, we feel like a dog who just wet the carpet by the door to the back yard - complete with our tail between our legs. If we are smart, we apologize for making such a mess and hopefully have the support of our loved ones to lift us back up.
Sadly, most women are not that fortunate. Since I was a teenager, I can remember people saying, "Oh, it's just your period," when I would freak out those couple days out of the month. But it wasn't. The period just got the bad rap, but its really quite a gift.
Ha! I know. I just said that the female menstrual cycle is a gift. Sounds crazy, but is true.
The gift here is awareness. If we are feeling low, it is most likely because our bodies know that we aren't safe and sound in regards to an important matter in our lives. Our unconscious and intuition join forces to "ring an alarm" for our conscious to take notice. What is the alarm saying exactly? That is the mystery.
The point here is listen to your emotions. Even if you are a male reading this, every reaction, interpretation, and feeling that you experience in life started somewhere deep inside you. Men are just as capable of tuning in as women. In fact, I believe that is when we are most in harmony. When males and females listen to each other carefully, mind - body - soul, the communication and understanding allow us to advance into deeper, more loving relationships with others and ourselves. We are the yin and the yang, our energies dancing between us always. We control our grace-full-ness.
Listen more.
In some cultural traditions, like those of the Khoisan women in the Kalahari, women are ritually most powerful when menstruating.
However, in the western world, instead of honoring this deep insight, we shun it as if it's just another painful side effect of nature's monthly curse to women.
It's the thoughts and emotions that come out of these highly sensitive times that are heartfelt communications with our inner selves. These precious gems should not be stereotyped and passed off, but valued for their intimacy.
I believe that our unconscious uses our intuition to signal our minds about our true feelings regarding our situations. Instead of writing the answers to our life dramas on the wall for us to see, we struggle to understand mixed emotions and let ourselves get down, feel insecure, or worse, lash out at loved ones. Once the dust settles, we feel like a dog who just wet the carpet by the door to the back yard - complete with our tail between our legs. If we are smart, we apologize for making such a mess and hopefully have the support of our loved ones to lift us back up.
Sadly, most women are not that fortunate. Since I was a teenager, I can remember people saying, "Oh, it's just your period," when I would freak out those couple days out of the month. But it wasn't. The period just got the bad rap, but its really quite a gift.
Ha! I know. I just said that the female menstrual cycle is a gift. Sounds crazy, but is true.
The gift here is awareness. If we are feeling low, it is most likely because our bodies know that we aren't safe and sound in regards to an important matter in our lives. Our unconscious and intuition join forces to "ring an alarm" for our conscious to take notice. What is the alarm saying exactly? That is the mystery.
The point here is listen to your emotions. Even if you are a male reading this, every reaction, interpretation, and feeling that you experience in life started somewhere deep inside you. Men are just as capable of tuning in as women. In fact, I believe that is when we are most in harmony. When males and females listen to each other carefully, mind - body - soul, the communication and understanding allow us to advance into deeper, more loving relationships with others and ourselves. We are the yin and the yang, our energies dancing between us always. We control our grace-full-ness.
Listen more.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Yoga at Church a.k.a. Holy Yoga
I tried Vinyasa Yoga in the basement of a church.
Vinyasa has more of an athletic approach than other types of yoga, but I still took a lot away from my session.
My favorite routine was reaching my palms toward the ceiling and grabbing energy then pulling it back to me. This was especially spiritual in the church setting for I kept imagining pulling God's love down through the floor boards of the sanctuary above. Couldn't help but smile huge :-D
I love yoga. It's the best.
Just yesterday on Bike With Jackie, I read these awesome words from The Happy Yoga Book,
"Who is your true soul mate? You are. How do you mate with yourself? Through yoga."
Ahhhh. Look no further, happiness is here - within.
Practice makes perfect and who wouldn't mind a perfect mating session a few times a week anyway? Right!?
According to YogaBound.com, "Supposedly disease can not live in a well oxygenated body...Yoga improves circulation, taking increased levels of oxygen to every cell in the body."
Yoga's all about breathing. Figuring out how to control your breathing during yoga takes a lot of practice, but once you get it -- you never forget how. It's like riding a bike - but with a much more tingly feeling afterwards.
So have you tried yoga yet? You should.
For me, the instructor's voice helps guide my meditation and flow, which is something I have a hard time doing by myself. You can read about my experience with The Float....I just tried it again yesterday, with the same results. I could never really "get out" of my head. Yet, today I did it just fine with the help of yoga and a sweet teacher telling me peaceful things like this:
"We are all climbing the same mountain, but what we see is different."
That is why we close our eyes in class - so that we don't have to compare ourselves to others (as our ego loves to do) and so that we can focus inward and go with our own flow.
Yoga in church was nice. I'm glad I tried it. I got high on Jesus and O2, and from it I had no control of the ear to ear smile that kept sneaking into my cheek muscles! :-D
Dalai Lama:
"This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness."
Be kind to yourself. :-D
Vinyasa has more of an athletic approach than other types of yoga, but I still took a lot away from my session.
My favorite routine was reaching my palms toward the ceiling and grabbing energy then pulling it back to me. This was especially spiritual in the church setting for I kept imagining pulling God's love down through the floor boards of the sanctuary above. Couldn't help but smile huge :-D
I love yoga. It's the best.
Just yesterday on Bike With Jackie, I read these awesome words from The Happy Yoga Book,
"Who is your true soul mate? You are. How do you mate with yourself? Through yoga."
Ahhhh. Look no further, happiness is here - within.
Practice makes perfect and who wouldn't mind a perfect mating session a few times a week anyway? Right!?
According to YogaBound.com, "Supposedly disease can not live in a well oxygenated body...Yoga improves circulation, taking increased levels of oxygen to every cell in the body."
Yoga's all about breathing. Figuring out how to control your breathing during yoga takes a lot of practice, but once you get it -- you never forget how. It's like riding a bike - but with a much more tingly feeling afterwards.
So have you tried yoga yet? You should.
For me, the instructor's voice helps guide my meditation and flow, which is something I have a hard time doing by myself. You can read about my experience with The Float....I just tried it again yesterday, with the same results. I could never really "get out" of my head. Yet, today I did it just fine with the help of yoga and a sweet teacher telling me peaceful things like this:
"We are all climbing the same mountain, but what we see is different."
That is why we close our eyes in class - so that we don't have to compare ourselves to others (as our ego loves to do) and so that we can focus inward and go with our own flow.
Yoga in church was nice. I'm glad I tried it. I got high on Jesus and O2, and from it I had no control of the ear to ear smile that kept sneaking into my cheek muscles! :-D
Dalai Lama:
"This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness."
Be kind to yourself. :-D
"Yoga is like riding a bicycle. There is a great balance there, but you must practice to achieve it."
--Ms. Panda
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Hiding Haikus
7/5/11 - From the lake
Broken fishing line
Carving R + A in the dock
Sunburned, itching bites
7/16/11 @7:15am - After Working Global Dance Festival
Got a contact high
From all them kids who got dibs
They forgot to tip
7/17/11 - In my car
Sitting at a light
Trying to finish this poem
Before it turns green
7/23/11 - Cali Road Trip Day 1
Snocomo
Silo graveyard
Windmill farms
7/24/11
Crossing the border
Going to California
I thought I'd warn ya!
No sleep 'til you're dead
No matter which path you choose
It's full steam ahead!
7/29/11 - In Chatsworth with Jessie
*All words taken from "The Idler's Glossary," by Joshua Glenn and Mark Kingwell
Beautiful loser
Beg to be a benchwarmer
Born tired, bored bum
Absentminded bag
Daydreaming handy dandy
Dizzy do-nothing
Distracted doodle
Drag a dose of those dog dreams
From that dress-and-breath
An easy going
Epicurean entrope
Fiddled around France
Independent gal
It takes minimal effort
To start stargazing
7-29-11 - "Groupku" with Jessie and Mar @ Los Toros Restaurant.
Parking lot pimping
After a few cadillacs
Cirque-sters reunite
7/31/11 - Driving down to San Diego with Austin on a Sunday
What is God to you?
It's different for everyone
God is truth and hope.
8/2/11 - 3 Days in Bird Rock, La Jolla
Surfing to smurfing
Sucking on free lollipops
Thriving in flip flops
8/5/11 - Crashing in the top bunk by USD.
"Life's a mystery
to be lived. Not a problem
That needs to be solved."
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
LTD or DTL?
Living the dream?
or
Dreaming about living?
(a thoughtful blog by Amanda Steinhaus)
I was thinking today about the conscious vs the unconscious.
Our conscious is our awareness, our rational processes, and our ability to retrieve memories easily. It is our waking life, our choices and our sense of self.
Our unconscious is the collective of past conflicts, anxiety and pain. The unconscious influences us with urges, unpleasant feelings and unacceptable thoughts. It also appears as our intuition and communicates directly with us through our dreams.
This is a very important process, for in my experience, when I compare the symbols and interpretations from my dreams, I am able to see my intuition at work. Sometimes in my waking life, outside influences will drown out my intuitive voice, and decisions seem harder to make, especially when I am being a people pleaser.
I have folded for others and my dreams have suffered from doing so.
So here's my thought on the matter:
We are uniquely ourselves, thick with layers of experiences and lessons learned, filled in with genetic traits, and topped with dreams and aspirations.
It is up to us to make things happen in this life.
We are humans - the species with the most capable minds - and it is only up to us individually to decide to start living our dreams.
Our analytic conscious will come up with all of the excuses we could ever need to stay down and just float through life the way it is now, but our vast unconscious knows our capablities and somehow already knows what we truly want to become anyway.
Don't let the noise of your fears or other's opinions drown out this inner voice.
Recognize it. Listen to it. Decode it with dream symbols.
Take the reigns on your dreams and bring them to life!
If you aren't a big dreamer, or don't feel an intuitive connection with your dreams, then try meditation. There has been some research, in terms of EEG, into physiological changes in yogis and people who practice meditation. Brain waves during meditation show a distinct difference between those corresponding to ordinary relaxation.
Many report that by silencing the mind, the answers will appear. Maybe this is what is coming up on those EEG reports? When our unconscious and conscious harmonize, we can see the light - literally - and so can the EEG reader ;)
So here's to realizing the dream and LIVING IT!
Best of luck to you however you get there.
LTD!
Fountain of Inspiration
What inspires you?
Crafts?
Make things happen. Frame your goals. Use a pretty typeface to type up your dreams and goals, and put them in an inexpensive picture frame. Place it where you'll see it all the time: on your coffee table, nightstand or computer desk. You might have the best plans, goals and strategies in town, but if you don't see and review them on a daily basis, you'll lose track of them.
Music?
Writing?
Write down your thoughts. By putting your thoughts on paper you can express emotions, organize thoughts and make dreams more concrete. You don’t have to use perfect grammar or fancy words. Write a letter to your mother or your unborn child. Tell your senator what you think. Keep a journal. Write a letter to your husband when you’re angry with him, then tear it up. Words are freedom. Words are power.
Pictures?
YouTube Videos?
QUOTES?
"Allow yourself to grow by exposing your vulnerability and insecurity. Don't live strictly inside your comfort zone - don't always play it safe."
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
- Steve Jobs
Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake.
-Henry David Thoreau
BLOGS?
2) Think Simple Now- It is hard to be honest with yourself about what your dreams really are. It takes a lot of self-reflection.
- "Vividly picture the day of your funeral. What do you want your eulogy to consist of? What would your lifetime achievements be? What would matter the most at the end of your life? Is it what you are doing right NOW?"
- Try exercise.
Often getting ourselves active can be a great way to get us doing things in other parts of our lives. It makes us feel good, alive, active, productive. It releases stress and gives us time to think. We start to become more fit and confident and happier. To start exercise, again, start small. Try to do a little every day, even if it's just for 10 minutes. If you can do it every day, you will have a habit, and it will lead to better and greater things.
Final Thought:
Whatever you do to get inspired, do it now! Start changing your life today, even if it's just something small. If you don't start now, you'll keep putting it off.
BE INSPIRED!!! XOXO, Panda
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Kansas City...Is it Kansas, or Missouri?
Due to the increased amounts of confusion regarding the division of Kansas City, MO and Kansas City, KS, I decided to break it down for everyone.
For some reason, when guests arrive in Kansas City, they seem to really struggle with the whole two cities/one name dilemma.
For example, last night I worked the Jane's Addiction show in Kansas City, Kansas. Lead singer Perry Farrel stepped out on stage and said, "Where am I again, Missouri? I came to see some titties tonight! Isn't this the "Show Me" state?"
Well, Missouri IS the "Show Me" state in fact, but we were in Kansas.
Although Perry definitely got to see plenty of bare chests, he didn't realize that his careless mistake possibly pissed off quite a few Kansans, who were already on the fence about Jane's Addiction's performance in the first place. In fact, most people left the stadium by the third song of the band's set.
You see, for Kansans and Missourians alike this isn't our first rodeo. We take pride in our sides of the border, for example the MU/KU rivalry. So when people confuse our side with their side as often as they do, it starts to really bug.
Whenever I travel out-of-state and people ask me where I am from, I answer "Kansas City." After first responding, "Why!?" they then reply, "What's it like out in Kansas?" Being as my family is from the Missouri side, I often find myself teaching others that there are actually two Kansas Cities.
One is in Missouri. One is in Kansas. They are separated by the Missouri River.
The Missouri side (816) claims the cool downtown/city skyline. It also has most of the fountains.
The Kansas side (913) sits directly across the river on a bluff and tries to compete, but KCMO is definitely cooler. And I'm not just saying that because I live there. Go see for yourself.
Sounds pretty easy right? Well, not so much.
A friend of mine recently came to town working as the announcer during the Street League Skateboarding competition at the Sprint Center in downtown Kansas City, MO. He emailed me before his visit and wrote, "Hey Amanda, How are you? I will be in Kansas from June 7th- 13th!!" Then, when I spoke with him on the phone prior to his visit, he did it again..."Kansas."
Concerned that he may make the same mistake while making announcements during the competition, I had to set the record straight! I couldn't let my friend embarrass himself publicly - at least not on my watch!
So, I wrote this rant to educate people about the difference between KCK and KCMO and found this wonderful skyline image that captures both cities in one frame. This is Kansas City, Kansas with Kansas City, Missouri in the background.
You can see more awesome images of Kansas City here and much thanks to Bill Cobb for permission to use the image in my blog. When corresponding with him via email, he added his two cents on the topic:
"I’m from KCMO and hate it when people think I’m from Kansas. It’s not that KS is a bad place, it’s that people think there is nothing but farms and tornadoes there, so good luck, I have learned to not care anymore, but when I do explain it, I simplify it…
Kansas was granted admission to the union on January 29, 1861. It was the 34th state.
Missouri was granted admission to the union on August 10, 1821. It was the 24th state.
For some reason, when guests arrive in Kansas City, they seem to really struggle with the whole two cities/one name dilemma.
For example, last night I worked the Jane's Addiction show in Kansas City, Kansas. Lead singer Perry Farrel stepped out on stage and said, "Where am I again, Missouri? I came to see some titties tonight! Isn't this the "Show Me" state?"
Well, Missouri IS the "Show Me" state in fact, but we were in Kansas.
Although Perry definitely got to see plenty of bare chests, he didn't realize that his careless mistake possibly pissed off quite a few Kansans, who were already on the fence about Jane's Addiction's performance in the first place. In fact, most people left the stadium by the third song of the band's set.
You see, for Kansans and Missourians alike this isn't our first rodeo. We take pride in our sides of the border, for example the MU/KU rivalry. So when people confuse our side with their side as often as they do, it starts to really bug.
Whenever I travel out-of-state and people ask me where I am from, I answer "Kansas City." After first responding, "Why!?" they then reply, "What's it like out in Kansas?" Being as my family is from the Missouri side, I often find myself teaching others that there are actually two Kansas Cities.
One is in Missouri. One is in Kansas. They are separated by the Missouri River.
The Kansas side (913) sits directly across the river on a bluff and tries to compete, but KCMO is definitely cooler. And I'm not just saying that because I live there. Go see for yourself.
Sounds pretty easy right? Well, not so much.
A friend of mine recently came to town working as the announcer during the Street League Skateboarding competition at the Sprint Center in downtown Kansas City, MO. He emailed me before his visit and wrote, "Hey Amanda, How are you? I will be in Kansas from June 7th- 13th!!" Then, when I spoke with him on the phone prior to his visit, he did it again..."Kansas."
Concerned that he may make the same mistake while making announcements during the competition, I had to set the record straight! I couldn't let my friend embarrass himself publicly - at least not on my watch!
So, I wrote this rant to educate people about the difference between KCK and KCMO and found this wonderful skyline image that captures both cities in one frame. This is Kansas City, Kansas with Kansas City, Missouri in the background.
You can see more awesome images of Kansas City here and much thanks to Bill Cobb for permission to use the image in my blog. When corresponding with him via email, he added his two cents on the topic:
"I’m from KCMO and hate it when people think I’m from Kansas. It’s not that KS is a bad place, it’s that people think there is nothing but farms and tornadoes there, so good luck, I have learned to not care anymore, but when I do explain it, I simplify it…
KCMO is the core city where the “big city” (museums, skyscrapers, sports stadiums, museums etc), KCK is a blue collar suburb and then there are a ton of other suburbs on both sides of the state line. Then they ask why KC is in Missouri and I just tell them that KCMO was a city before Kansas was a state. If you get any more detailed than that, you lose them."
He also seems frustrated with the chore of explaining the difference, but wait, back up. KCMO was a city before Kansas was a state? That's news to me! So I look to Wiki for answers:
I read on...
"Kansas City was founded in 1838 as the "Town of Kansas" at the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas rivers and was incorporated in its present form in 1850. Situated opposite Kansas City, Kansas, the city was the location of several battles during the Civil War, including the Battle of Westport. The city is well known for its contributions to the musical styles of jazz and blues as well as to cuisine (Kansas City-style barbecue)."
Cheers!
Oh yeah, the barbecue. Can't pass up the smokey, melt-in-your-mouth ribs, and thick BBQ beef sandwiches made with burnt ends. Try Oklahoma Joe's. It may be located in a gas station, but was recently on the Food Network. Even my high pointing pen pal tried it when visiting KC.
So that's pretty much the basics. Do you think you got it? Smart is sexy and KC locals will be so much more impressed when you ask them which side of Kansas City they are from: Missouri or Kansas?
Cheers!
Friday, August 19, 2011
The Language of the Streets
"Since the 1960s, the appeal of street art and graffiti has been the way it’s wrenched creativity away from academia and carved out a place for itself and its audience. A visual phenomenon that made its way from the subway cars of New York City to the freight yards of south Texas, this crafted conversation wasn’t judged by any existing criteria, and it appeared whether or not anyone else cared for the subject matter.
Many times, like their audience, these artists weren’t schooled in proper protocol. The work had a language of its own. It was appropriate to hang a painting over the freeway just because someone could get it there."
Appearing in an LA Weekly article, these words encompass the feel of a show I recently visited at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art (LAMOCA) titled, "Art In The Streets."
It turned out to be the biggest show in the museum's history. According to LA Weekly, "a significant contribution to that number came from the Free Mondays program sponsored by Banksy, UK street artist extraordinaire," who is the mystery character in the widely acclaimed film, "Exit Through The Gift Shop." (see video)
And ALL of the art has a message. A deep, political one. Whether its a word, or phrase, spray painted so quickly and dripping, or an image that provokes meaningful thoughts, graffiti definitely has it's own distinct language.
It's the language of the streets. The language of the self-taught, the street scholars.
It's the language of the senses. The sounds of the night, the passing sirens, the silent moon watching from above. The smell of the fresh paint. The beating in the artists' hearts. The taste of sweat. The touch of thought. ALL on that rigid natural surface, wherever it shows its face.
Graffiti is the story of a generation wiser than it appears. Visually infiltrating our minds, planting words and images, similar to hieroglyphs stamped solidly somewhere in the back of our consciouses.
Aware.
Every piece of art you encounter will spark up a conversation with you. For me, I prefer a intelligence with an edge, an that's graffiti all the way.
See what you dialogue you can pull from the images I posted below. All are pieces on display during, "Art In The Streets."
When I came face-to-face with these pieces, I felt strangely and wildly moved. Yet, had I encountered them all separately in their natural places, like huge city walls, on doors of tenements, in quiet nooks and sneaky crannies, on the sides of train cars, and a river's barrier walls...
If they appeared to me in those places, then I am certain, their messages would change.
That is the beauty of graffiti. It's constantly changing and so are we. So before painting over it, give yourself a good, long moment to try and understand it. It's definitely saying something.
Don't forget it.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
The Elevator
It was 3am and last call had passed,
the bouncers were now escorting the drunkies to the door and the "ugly" lights were shining bright.
Many intoxicated patrons, including my friends and I, stumbled to the elevator that submerges into the underground parking lot and waited for its return.
When the doors opened, we all filed in like sardines, completely oblivious to the weight limit sign on display.
Standing like soldiers, shoulder to shoulder, we were slowly beginning our decent when the elevator slowed to a stop.
I felt my heart begin to thump wildly in my chest. The Vodka and Red Bull not much of an aid to me at the moment.
Claustrophobia drowned my senses.
I tried not to focus on it, but all I could see was the red digital floor number on display - P3 - not changing.
I could hear heavy breathing, people freaking out, yelling at the poor girl closest to the elevator call button.
I could taste the alcohol vapors in the air, a dryness plaguing my mouth.
I swallowed my fears and tried to remain calm.
I sunk down to the floor, certain that there was nothing I could do at the moment The elevator was full of many chiefs, and few Indians... All trying to talk to the man on the other end of that elevator call.
It took three attempts at communication with him before the mob in the elevator stopped freaking out long enough to get someone to help.
The man was clearly frustrated with our lack of control and quoted us 45 minutes before our rescue.
Panic ensued.
The movie "The Devil" was in theaters at the time and about half of the elevator's occupants had recently watched it.
I just sat there taking long, deep breaths, hoping that my example might wear off on those around me.
Air became scarce, thick with nervous sighs, and warm from our body heat.
Eventually a few of the manly men pulled with all of their strength to barely crack the heavy elevator doors and allow some cool night air inside the drunk tank.
We were cell mates and this elevator was our prison.
No one could maintain consistent enough cell phone service to make a distress call and morale felt low.
Until...
My girl friend, Kim, managed to milk her one "bar" of service to get through to the fire department and within 15 minutes men in black and yellow reflective suits were prying open the doors.
As they extended an arm to lift each one of us out, I was reminded of how precious every moment and every deep, fresh breath of air is!
Looking back now, the elevator experience was a true test of patience and how to react in the face of fear.
Lesson taken!
Here's a photo recount of the night's events!
the bouncers were now escorting the drunkies to the door and the "ugly" lights were shining bright.
Many intoxicated patrons, including my friends and I, stumbled to the elevator that submerges into the underground parking lot and waited for its return.
When the doors opened, we all filed in like sardines, completely oblivious to the weight limit sign on display.
Standing like soldiers, shoulder to shoulder, we were slowly beginning our decent when the elevator slowed to a stop.
I felt my heart begin to thump wildly in my chest. The Vodka and Red Bull not much of an aid to me at the moment.
Claustrophobia drowned my senses.
I tried not to focus on it, but all I could see was the red digital floor number on display - P3 - not changing.
I could hear heavy breathing, people freaking out, yelling at the poor girl closest to the elevator call button.
I could taste the alcohol vapors in the air, a dryness plaguing my mouth.
I swallowed my fears and tried to remain calm.
I sunk down to the floor, certain that there was nothing I could do at the moment The elevator was full of many chiefs, and few Indians... All trying to talk to the man on the other end of that elevator call.
It took three attempts at communication with him before the mob in the elevator stopped freaking out long enough to get someone to help.
The man was clearly frustrated with our lack of control and quoted us 45 minutes before our rescue.
Panic ensued.
The movie "The Devil" was in theaters at the time and about half of the elevator's occupants had recently watched it.
I just sat there taking long, deep breaths, hoping that my example might wear off on those around me.
Air became scarce, thick with nervous sighs, and warm from our body heat.
Eventually a few of the manly men pulled with all of their strength to barely crack the heavy elevator doors and allow some cool night air inside the drunk tank.
We were cell mates and this elevator was our prison.
No one could maintain consistent enough cell phone service to make a distress call and morale felt low.
Until...
My girl friend, Kim, managed to milk her one "bar" of service to get through to the fire department and within 15 minutes men in black and yellow reflective suits were prying open the doors.
As they extended an arm to lift each one of us out, I was reminded of how precious every moment and every deep, fresh breath of air is!
Looking back now, the elevator experience was a true test of patience and how to react in the face of fear.
Lesson taken!
Here's a photo recount of the night's events!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Nature of Mother
Every month, an earthquake rumbles in my womb.
Fault lines emerge
Destroying the rich crimson walls
That took weeks to build.
The chemistry disrupts
Inside my blood
A roller coaster of hormones
Takes off...
Trudging uphill, backwards
Hitting every plank
A rickety old track--
Tests my confidence and patience.
I crest the hill
Free falling along the course
Losing my guts,
Clinging to my sanity
.
The world flips upside-down,
My stomach turns sour.
I want to be back on the ground
Sturdy again, but I must wait.
The cart stops
I step out
Back in the warm sun
Thank God it's over!
Familiar with the course
I am ready
Building up courage now
For next month's round.
Fault lines emerge
Destroying the rich crimson walls
That took weeks to build.
The chemistry disrupts
Inside my blood
A roller coaster of hormones
Takes off...
Trudging uphill, backwards
Hitting every plank
A rickety old track--
Tests my confidence and patience.
I crest the hill
Free falling along the course
Losing my guts,
Clinging to my sanity
.
The world flips upside-down,
My stomach turns sour.
I want to be back on the ground
Sturdy again, but I must wait.
The cart stops
I step out
Back in the warm sun
Thank God it's over!
Familiar with the course
I am ready
Building up courage now
For next month's round.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Words of Love (by myself and others)
"Many men (women) go fishing all of their lives without knowing it is not fish they are after."
--Henry David Thoreau
"Your vision will become clear when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens."
--Carl Gustav Jung
"Love is but the discovery of ourselves and the delight in the recognition."
--Alexander Smith
"We are like sculptors, constantly carving out of others the image we long for, need, love or desire, often against reality, against their benefit, and always, in the end, a disappointment, because it does not fit them."
--Anais Nin
"She took her pattern of life from men but she was not a masculine woman. She demanded the freedom to change, to evolve, to grow. She was not a feminist at all but struggling against the feminine side of herself in order to maintain her integrity as an individual."
--Anais Nin
On Lillith:
"an independent woman can only represent a fundamental disruption of a divinely ordered state of affairs."
--John Phillips
"Love cannot exist in peace, it will always come accompanied by agonies, ecstacies, intense joys and profound sadnesses."
--Paulo Cohelo
"Think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course."
Kahlil Gibran
"At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet."
--Plato
Here's my latest love poem :)
"Of Course One can never under estimate the Power of Love, for Love is the Essence of all Creation."
--sua
"If "love" makes you crazy, it is not love. True love drives you absolutely sane."
--Alan Cohen
"Love is a canvas furnished by Nature and embroidered by imagination."
--Voltaire
"If you have it (love), you don't need to have anything else, and if you do't have it, it doesn't matter much what else you have."
--Sir James M. Barrie
"If you cannot inspire a woman with love of you, fill her above the brim with love of herself; all that runs over will be yours."
--Charles Caleb Colton
For more thoughts on love:
Read some of my original Love Haikus and yesterday's Long Distance Relationship in Haiku post.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Long Distance Relationship (in haiku)
It's been one week since I left Long Beach. Kansas City has never felt so far.
Haiku cause I miss you
I tried not to dwell
But the clouds came and rain fell
I miss you like hell
Full moon in my sky
Vivid thoughts of you and I
Can't sleep, its so bright!
You start a new life
I'm outta sight, outta mind?
My phone's not ringing
I feel the chaos
Stirring inside my blue heart
I think I know you
My mind won't shut off
I remind myself its cool
And try not to think
I gotta stay strong
Passing days are feeling long
Hydration is key
Shower me with love
Little reminders from you
Make distance go - POOF!
Hope to see you soon
Before another full moon
Comes and goes, ruv roo.
Haiku cause I miss you
I tried not to dwell
But the clouds came and rain fell
I miss you like hell
Full moon in my sky
Vivid thoughts of you and I
Can't sleep, its so bright!
You start a new life
I'm outta sight, outta mind?
My phone's not ringing
I feel the chaos
Stirring inside my blue heart
I think I know you
My mind won't shut off
I remind myself its cool
And try not to think
I gotta stay strong
Passing days are feeling long
Hydration is key
Shower me with love
Little reminders from you
Make distance go - POOF!
Hope to see you soon
Before another full moon
Comes and goes, ruv roo.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Big Blue Light
Chained to my phone
The light is on
But no one's home
I'm in the zone
Glued to a screen
Blue energy
Passing into me
Everyday, always.
I'm wastin time
Life is goin by
Is a device
Worth my life?
I'm getting old
Those around me
They are old, too
Days are numbered
Marked by an A
Drawn on my chest
The same A when
I gave my best
It's on yours, too
Nothin' you can do
Can't get unglued
From the Big Blue,
Light that is.
Go on, try it.
Try and deny it.
You can time it
It won't be long.
The Big Blue Light
Is mighty strong
It sucks you in
Makes you belong
Connected by
A networked life
Identify
Your favorite sites
But look outside
Now is the time.
See the sunlight
It feels so fine.
Soaks in your skin
Warms ya within
So smile to the sky
And bye bye blue light.
The light is on
But no one's home
I'm in the zone
Glued to a screen
Blue energy
Passing into me
Everyday, always.
I'm wastin time
Life is goin by
Is a device
Worth my life?
I'm getting old
Those around me
They are old, too
Days are numbered
Marked by an A
Drawn on my chest
The same A when
I gave my best
It's on yours, too
Nothin' you can do
Can't get unglued
From the Big Blue,
Light that is.
Go on, try it.
Try and deny it.
You can time it
It won't be long.
The Big Blue Light
Is mighty strong
It sucks you in
Makes you belong
Connected by
A networked life
Identify
Your favorite sites
But look outside
Now is the time.
See the sunlight
It feels so fine.
Soaks in your skin
Warms ya within
So smile to the sky
And bye bye blue light.
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