Pain Is Rather Good

we don't hear it often enough. but there is a certain kind of pain that is welcome..while not necessarily pleasant, somehow it evokes a feeling of being alive. Knowing that it exists is enough not to throw in the towel.. woe if we become numb..

You know what pain is?

It doesn't mean that you are doomed, nor should you feel sorry about your lot in life. It only means you care so much, that you have a heart that is involved and fully committed. That you are not simply going through the motions, that there really are emotions involved. That it is real.

And it doesn't go away, pain never leaves us alone like other emotions and experiences that are fleeting. A heart that is inured to the pain is a heart that never loves and perhaps will never know its meaning at all.. and that would be the most painful reality of all.

Probably not a bad thing at all..

Despite all the not-so-good things, there's still probably some light or consolation. To know that I am after all not inured to all the pain. Which only means that in due time the opposite of pain which is exhilaration and joy beyond compare can also be felt at any moment.

Also learned to treasure things and moments while you can, while you can still share them with people around you and especially with people who are dear to you.

Though one can't deny the certain sadness lingering for a while or perhaps lingering indefinitely. That is a bummer, most unfair but who says life is all about being fair?

When you can throw brickbats at destiny, challenge the fates with your gut and gumption, one must be prepared to endure whatever it is life throws back at you. The spirit must be kept alive in whatever form, and the mind that may at times falter & give in to 'unfounded' fears should be rein in by the heart and carefully assisted by the music it hears.

The beat goes on and again be thankful that it will never grow numb even if the pain is sometimes unbearable. Not a good thing-- that pain.. but probably not entirely bad at all..

'Let it be'- trite but true

re-learning that again from the old Beatles song, yes.. some things are simply better to just let on. Let it be becomes the primer for the year.. to get a glimpse of what's in store yet not exactly revealing it all lest it destroys all the excitement.

When faced with a rather mounting situation, it is best to just let things be.. and enjoy whatever happens.

In other words, let the universe guide your passion, your inclinations and just keep doing what's good and avoid hurting anyone least of all yourself.

The good and bad of Choking

yes, apparently there is a choking that's good and refreshes.. it's when you choke up at a sight of someone stirring up emotions deep within, making your eyes well with tears.. choking while listening to a song that touches some pretty raw edges of your heart. that kind of choke is freeing, like washing down pent-up feelings.

Then the bad kind of choke-- like when you choke on your words because the intention isn't so good and all you can blurt out are expletives and the like, choking while chewing on your food,or choking under pressure. Those are the worst.

Choking when you need to reveal something or really demand an important favor from someone is also a bad option. It's like putting a gag order on your mouth & you're left with nothing.

And next thing you know, the 'choke's on you'.

Staying

There simply is no reason or effort to stop,
always..
Even when there is a brief lull or
what we can perhaps term as a layover, somehow
it just stays..

In our thoughts, our hearts; emotions spoken
amidst distance, time and situation.

Setting aside one moment, yes
but getting back together in the moment,
just routinely picking up where we
left of.

Not necessarily asking for more.
Already had enough of that way back in the past.
But just merely staying in this ride.
Is it for a lifetime? Who knows?
But whatever it is, we're just letting it stay for
at least forever and a day.

A ‘THOSE’ OF Happiness

Those simple moments, small, seemingly mundane happening and little guilty pleasures are what actually make the most impact in our lives. These are the things that one could not live without and if one doesn’t have these in one’s life, it’s bound to be one boring, lonely existence.

These are the intangibles, some fleeting moments, a mere second even when everything seems suspended in one cornucopia of thrilling, happy emotions. The kind of moment when one doesn’t need any intoxication as being caught in it is already imbibing into something inexplicable yet giving that certain kind of high like no other.

The same kind of high one feels during these moments:

- Catching a glimpse of the beloved. Exchanging quiet glances, when a mere twitch of the eyebrows says everything.
- Getting together with close friends on an unplanned weekend romp, laughing the night away
- Hearing an old love song or a summer beat from the past evoking pure, unadulterated memories of a not so distant rendezvous
- A whiff of perfume that becomes a reminder of good things – possibly Yuletide, a love affair, and others.
- A relaxing, unhurried trek to a fantastic place out of town
- A food prepared by a loved one in the exact way as the first time you tasted it - a gesture that has become some sort of unspoken love ritual minus the bed sheets
- Secrets between two hearts easily shared by a nod and a smile with the twinkle of the eyes.
- Stifling on a giggle over a private family or friend joke
- Covering up a minor faux pas by someone when the mere discovery of it can result in needless agitations. Relieving someone of that burden of having to explain the error is priceless.
- Buzzer-beating shots of a favorite team
- A stranger’s kindness
- Eating that delectable sinful cake or chocolate or taking another sip of that alcohol mix despite suffering from allergies just because the taste is just too good to pass up.
- That silly banter on a daily morning radio show giving us that much-needed comic relief to set the tone for the day.
- A funny sign you pass by that makes you amidst the heavy traffic and smog


And other simple, not necessarily earth-changing events that assure us that life is one beautiful journey after all. Despite our challenges, those unexpected moments are what give us the greatest pleasures and also make up for the most lasting memories – to inspire us over and over knowing that there are some things still worth looking forward to. Yes, THOSE…

The case for too much planning and Unpreparedness

What happened last week can also be a comparative analysis of one sector's lack of preparation and the other sector's over planning of things. For purpose of objectivity and sticking to the subject on being ready at all times or to pursue life unplanned, I would not mention anything about nationalities but will refer to the people as either police/government 'authorities' and 'tourists'.

That hostage crisis incident opened our eyes to several things. Foremost of which is the violence one can inflict on another human being. I don't want to go on all the gory details that were already written on countless newspapers, news reports and blogs but simply put, such violence should not have been part of our psyche. It is a sad fact that we have to contend with in our lifetime though.

Which now brings me to my point. I divide those people who were the principal characters of this incident into two categories (THE UNPREPARED & PLANNERS FOR NOTHING). First - the authorities (government and police). They are the people who lacked planning. The way the whole rescue operation was botched right from the get go shows poor execution that is only a result of poor planning or simply no planning at all. Using mallets to break the fiber glass windows of that bus instead of a device or explosive meant for such an occasion only underscores this. There are other blunders committed that sadly would not have been so if only the authorities planned or at least employed some brilliant strategies right during the early hours of the hostage-taking.

And then the second characters - those ill-fated tourists. Now I may say that most of them who died may have been victims of too much planning. It is just tragic that whatever plans they have set out to do can no longer be fulfilled because their lives were taken in a blink of an eye. And that is what I meant about too much planning. That even if we set out preparing for everything, at the end of the day, we never really know what happens next. Some deranged, disgruntled cop may instantly put an end to our lives or a truck driver cutting our dreams short by one reckless and careless turn of the wheel. We never can tell. Which gets me thinking if it really is wise to plan too much on things. Especially when you travel. I prefer to go on the outskirts of the town or country I'm visiting rather than ride on some cramped tourist bus. The idea is to soak in the atmosphere, the culture of the country I'm visiting as fast as I can. I always hate traveling on tours where your time or itinerary is pretty much preplanned for you by others leaving you no time to actually explore the foreign land or get to know the locals on a more personal level. No offense to those who work on the tour industry but I must say, guided tours are mostly boring and restricts the movements of tourists instead of allowing them to actually enjoy the country they are visiting.

Now back to that point of over-planning, yes, some of those who perished in that tragic incident may have lived a life with no regrets. Sure, they get to travel to their chosen destination or perhaps they might have enjoyed their brief stay after all. But what about the plans they made beforehand? Those plans now went for naught because of their short-lived existence. So the case is where one sector should have really thought things over and prepared really well (the authorities), the other should have just enjoyed life while they can. You can only plan and prepare so much.