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Thursday, April 28, 2011

It's *my* birthday!

"Do not grow old, no matter how long you live. Never cease to stand like curious children before the Great Mystery into which we were born." ~Albert Einstein

It's been a good day. I took the day off (I have a firm policy - no working on birthdays). Didn't really do that much but still feel a measure of ... peace... calm... quiet... that I have not felt for some time. This might be due to the fact that I handed in all my MBA stuff on Tuesday (please Goddess... let me pass everything!)... or it might be that I went by the Ashram twice today... it might just be that today is my birthday. 

It feels like a return... circle around and this is where I am. I was born on a Thursday... it's why I particularly like Thursdays more than any other day. After all the craziness it feels like I'm at the right place at the right time. I am blessed. 

A run-down of stuff I did on my birthday:
  • Got up at 4 am... went to Guru Gita at the Ashram. I didn't fall asleep during it but was somewhere in that hazy world between sleep and non-sleep. Got Happy Birthday sung to me before 7 am... Got told I've got a good brain... 
  • Got three free apples from our market guy because it's my birthday... it's good when the market/grocery people know you.
  • Played with the kitten
  • Got presents! Books... 'Living in the Light' by Shakti Gawain- which I've already started reading, 'The White Queen' and 'The Red Queen' by Philippa Gregory - I received two of her books for Christmas and New Year's and she's now one of my favourite authors... historical-type-fiction which is amazingly written :)
  • Did a tarot reading [see below] (Tarot.com gave me a free one ... because it's my birthday)... It looks like it's gonna be an interesting year..
  • Did not have any falling out with my dad... It's only now that I realise this... there has been no strange drama this year... are we getting old? was he trying to be calm because of my having to hand in MBA stuff? There was no drama... wow
  • My brother made risotto ... and carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Thank the Goddess that my brother can cook.. and bake. I am blessed
  • Took a nap
  • Went to the Ashram (yes, again...) for discussion group otherwise known as "Sacred Conversations" ... most interesting topic for today... I admit I wondered what would be the topic today... Got told I'm a great critic... 
  • Went out for dinner... Got free dessert... with a candle that would. not. out. seriously...
  • Sang along with my brother to Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody [Thunderbolt and lightning, very, very frightening me|(Galileo) Galileo (Galileo) Galileo, Galileo figaro...] during dinner... (a song which my mom has either never heard or just can't remember... yet my dad, brother and I love it... :s)
  • Got a present! Earrings shaped like awareness ribbon... 
  • Sang along to the Masquerade song from Phantom of the Opera on the drive back home
  • Answered phone calls and messages... missed some... oops? Spent some time on-line responding to all the facebook messages of birthday greetings.. 

After all has been said and done, it was a day where I learned stuff, spent time with family, and had fun... not bad for a birthday :)  Many thanks to all who sent birthday greetings :)

love,
Ren

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Thoughts about life, death and in-between...

"How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?" ~Satchel Paige 

I can't seem to get my mind to settle... birthday jitters? lack of sleep due to new kitten? hormones? I can't get my mind to settle. Tomorrow I have to hand in the last of the MBA stuff... I'm anxious about it - I just want it to BE OVER ALREADY! Perhaps tomorrow evening I'll be more at ease? Am [somewhat] hopeful.

The birthday's on Thursday. When I say how old I'll be out loud it sounds like a lot but I don't feel that it is (most times... other times I feel.. creaky). My brother has a theory (or maybe it's not his theory and is some random psychological something he picked up somewhere) that the older you get the shorter the day/month/year seems... because you have more life experience to compare your current life experience with and therefore the fraction would get tinier as you age... so that for a young person they'd feel as though their year was a long time because they wouldn't have much life experience to compare it too but for an older person a year would seem to be a shorter span of time because of the amount of life experience. It's an interesting theory. 

Our new kitten is about 2 months old - he has a lot of energy... he's somewhat needy (though I hear that's cuz he's a male...). It's interesting to see him discover the world... he's very curious - I wonder if I was the same. Was I needy? demanding? in need of constant attention? accepting? He's much less skittish than when we first got him. I feel slightly grumpy that I can't speak 'cat' as he's just leapt onto my lap, settled in and started talking... I know not what you say kitten. It makes me think about what we knew as a child... what we've learnt over the years... what we may have forgotten. 

Went to a wedding this weekend. A Hindu wedding of the sister of a friend. I got hit on by a guy that was maybe 8 - 10 years younger than me... apparently I look younger than him. Meh. I've always thought that I didn't want to get married or do the wedding thing (I think it's really more practical to spend money to buy a house than to spend it on having a wedding... if one can do both then that's amazing)... I find myself thinking now that I won't mind getting married. I find myself thinking whoa... why would I want to get married?! Is it that persons my age (and younger.. and older) are getting married? Is it a biological clock thing that has suddenly made an appearance? I won't mind being married (which is really not the same as I want to be married... just that I'm somewhat open to the idea now whereas 5 years ago... even 1 year ago... I'd have said no way... marriage + me = No). I find myself thinking of what a wedding (if I had to have one) would be like... It doesn't help that the Royal Wedding is the day after my birthday.. I'm happy for them as I'm happy for anyone that's taking such a step... it makes me think about myself though... is that a step I want for myself?

Read about (& heard about) two deaths this weekend... I think this is an interesting time for someone to die - Easter... resurrection... spring. Hmm.

The first death is known worldwide. Sathya Sai Baba has passed away... left this realm to move on to wherever. He left his body on April 24th (yesterday... Sunday) and his funeral is expected to be held on April 27th (Wednesday). It's a *very big thing*... on par I'd think with the passing of Christ or Muhammad... because of his reach and his followers. I think it's going to be interesting to see how his followers react as well as how the world reacts. 

The second death is that of Carib Queen Valentina Medina who passed away on April 23rd (Saturday)... the Caribs are one of the First Peoples of Trinidad & Tobago... they were here when Christopher Columbus came... that we still have some semblance of a community and that such culture still exists is something to be grateful for. A release from  one political party says that: 
"Queen Medina, queen for the past 11 years, represented the purity and soul of our First People. She worked assiduously to promote the philosophy and history of the great Carib community. Even though she was soft spoken she always made her passionate views heard. She epitomised the concept of religious and cultural diversity in Trinidad and Tobago, a feature for which she was well known,"
I wonder sometimes what people will say of me when I die.
I wonder what people say of me whilst I'm alive.
I wonder if it matters in any way.

Currently contemplating,
Ren

Friday, April 22, 2011

Happy Earth Day! Happy Good Friday!

"Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty." ~John Ruskin 

I'm not sure if it's that I'm moody cuz I've had the flu... or if it's just that I'm moody... or if it's after-effects of pill-taking (it takes a while for one's system to settle)... I have a lot to be happy about though... to be thankful for... and so this Earth Day/Good Friday that's what I'm doing...

Today rocks because:
  • it's a holiday! maybe not in other parts of the world ... in Trinidad and Tobago we've got a long weekend... Good Friday - Easter Monday = holiday! 
  • I can see in the sun again (somewhat)! - the thing with me and the flu (cold? virus?) is that my eyes get super-light-sensitive such that sunshine/glare is very evil. I'm mostly better though so yay!
  • I got a kitten! - for my birthday (next week - he's an early birthday present)... our cat Simone who is gorgeous and fabulous and the best cat in the world went missing a little over a month ago - I couldn't even bring myself to blog about it... Depression... sorrow... sadness... who knew what became of her?! Am hoping that wherever she is now she's in a better space. And today, my brother brought home a kitten... who can in no way replace my Kit Kat (Simone)... but... he's so cute...
  • My family makes me happy - I mean, my brother got me a kitten... I know how much drama he would have had to have gone through with dad to get him to agree to a kitten... and also... my dad agreed to us having a kitten (I'm a bit shocked by that... secretly I think he's also more of a cat-person)... and also my mom sent me this amazingly funny earth day card... I ♥ you people...
  • I had callaloo today... which I made... which I love... lol... so yes, my belly is important...
It's Good Friday... I tried the egg thing this morning... without my mom... am actually not 100% sure I did it correctly but... there were patterns... what do you all see in it? 
It's Earth Day... this video is amazing... makes you think really... how much can we do - how much do we do? Got this prayer in my in-box from Natural Rhythms - I think it's definitely worth sharing.

Earth Honouring Prayer
Precious Earth, the beauty of your nature uplifts
and nourishes our bodies and souls.
The majesty of your mountains reminds us
to structure and form our lives.
You remind us to take solid, grounded steps
as we build firm foundations with gratitude.
Through your ability to contain, you give us the
ability to walk, skip, and dance.
You teach us to celebrate the gift of our bodies
and the treasures of the physical realm.
With you, we are able to touch our loved ones
and to feel the tenderness of a kiss.
We open to embody wholeness as we learn to honour
the sacred in your realm.
You train us to value the deep wisdom of the body
and to tend to its needs.
Thank you for your cycles which help us align
with the organic timing of change.

peace,
Ren
 

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Putting together the puzzle pieces...

"Listen to the clues. The next time you feel real joy, stop and think. Pay attention. Because joy is the universe’s way of knocking on your mind’s door. Hello in there. Is anyone home? Can I leave a message? Yes? Good! The message is that you are happy, and that means that you are in touch with your purpose." ~Steve Chandler

It's Holy Thursday today... It's a week before my birthday. It's a different feeling this year... less excitement... more tired and what's the point really? I took the day off from work today... got some rest (am almost fully healthy!)... did some school work (it will end soon... it will)... continued making puzzle with my mom... tried to find doubles with my dad (failure... apparently all doubles vendors have been replaced by gyro vendors)... it was a good day really. 

I just keep feeling that I'm missing something. What's my purpose really? I look at the quote above and think that he got it wrong... I feel real joy... you can't make a living out of a lot of things that bring real joy (can one make money out of making puzzles? let me know if one can...) ... is it that I'm practical (too much so?) ... is it that I don't have faith (how much is too little?).

Perhaps one day this blog will have a post reflecting my enlightenment... my found purpose... until such time I continue to try putting puzzle pieces together... figuring out life day by day... moment by moment. 



Night all,
Ren

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Things that can annoy me at 3 a.m.

"Every failure to cope with a life situation must be laid, in the end, to a restriction of consciousness. Wars and temper tantrums are the makeshifts of ignorance; regrets are illuminations come too late." ~Joseph Campbell 

In no particular order:
  • being ill - especially when there's a lot going on right now.
  • the family dog - who apparently does not sleep but talks to other dogs in the neighbourhood throughout the night. My mom has told me repeatedly that he's just an animal (and our pet! - there must be love) but... he's not barking outside your bedroom when you're trying to sleep mom. This is why I will forever love cats more than dogs... cats do their own thing in the night... have never been awakened and kept awake by any cat... cats are just quieter.
  • mosquitoes - because even when you try to clear out all from the room before bedtime they're still there... and they don't annoy you in groups... they annoy you one at a time... we need to get more mosquito swatters.
  • webbing - because webbing in my house = huge xyz spiders... I'm comfortable with tiny little spiders but not huge spiders bigger than my hand. After being awakened by the points above I decided to use the bathroom... I go through the door and there is webbing... across my legs... O_o I hastily back out of there (not gonna turn around - who knows what's in there?!) ... I actually know what's in there - a spider bigger than my hand - I know because I saw it yesterday morning before I left for work and then told my dad to get rid of it - of course he said he couldn't find it (am not sure he even looked!) but... until such time as it is found and removed (I don't care how it is removed) I'll be using my parents' bathroom... because I have seen Arachnophobia and the shower scene was very memorable.
  • school-work- because it's on my mind.
  • work work - because I'd like to take today off as I'm not feeling well and would like to spend all day in bed but I also want to take two days off next week for the birthday so... hmm.
  • the fact that I'm annoyed to start with - I'm a big girl... I know about the world and whatnot... none of these things should bother me yet I am annoyed... and also not sleeping. 
*sigh*

Hope you all have a good day...
peace,
Ren

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Dear Universe...

"Life is not merely to be alive, but to be well." ~Marcus Valerius


Now is not a good time for me to have the flu (cold? virus?)...

Also, I need my eyes to drive.

That is all.

Thanks,
Ren

Friday, April 15, 2011

Current Status: Hooked on the song 'I feel pretty...' from West Side Story

"I feel stunning... and entrancing... feel like running and dancing for joy!" ~Maria: West Side Story

It is of course a most wonderfully, happy song. It is stuck in my head. I feel like listening to it over and over again. When a song is stuck in the head of a friend (or two - as is my case)... and then they mention it repeatedly... singing... posting it on facebook... posting it on twitter... searching all the different versions of it on youtube... it tends to get stuck in your own head.

This song has been stuck in the head of my girlfriend since she heard we were going to see West Side Story a few weekends ago. It was a girls' lime in support of local theatre (and because we like musicals). It was produced by Caribbean Theatre Productions and the cast was made up of mostly teenagers from different schools throughout Trinidad (and Tobago? - am not sure) and some older, established actors. It was well done I think... set design was amazing, singing was really good, dancing was fairly good, acting... was alright.. lol... I had a good time with my girlfriends (we loved the singing... oh, the songs - they are wonderful!)... Since that weekend which was maybe 2 or 3 weekends ago... this song has kept popping up. Which song? This song:


This is the Julie Andrews' version which is the most beautiful that I've heard. If you want to see how it looked in the musical/movie though, here's the version with Natalie Wood. My friend from work (who also went with us) has found versions of the song done by Sesame Street... and Jack Nicholson (with Adam Sandler)... it's such a fabulous song... and one I think all girls (ladies, women... any female anywhere) should sing to themselves.

When it's not this song, the other song in my head is this one from Rent... which incidentally my workfriend and I saw the week before. I'm really happy that local companies are doing these musicals. Rent, produced by Proscenium Theatre Company, was EXCELLENT. Set design could have been better... but the singing was amazing. The actors were fabulously wonderful. *sigh* ♥

Wishing you a weekend filled with song (or dance... or whatever is your thing)...

peace,
Ren

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Body awareness...

"You don’t have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body." ~C. S. Lewis

I've been feeling achy lately... in an I've been in this position too long (I'm at a desk most of the day) or I've not stretched much kinda achy. I know that exercise would help. I know that this is what my body wants and really that I should get involved with some sort of discipline... yoga, tai chi, dance - I've been exposed to a lot of stuff but at the moment I'm finding it hard to get going, to start something. Inertia... I'm feeling it myself.

I'm a fan of America's Next Top Model... It's interesting to me to see the poses they can drop into (or have practiced or are coached into). This week one of the models was told that when she's not modelling - not in the photo-shoot moment - she needs to be aware of what her body expresses cuz for models they're judged both on and off camera. It's the same for everyone I think...

In yesterday's talk, Sri Vasudeva speaks about body awareness... it's an interesting talk and the discussion (which I missed most of because I'm at work) was even more interesting... what really stands out to me (and to my mom too apparently) is this paragraph:
"It is therefore extremely important to understand, "What does my physical body truly need to be well and supportive, and to be resilient in the human experience? What does it need from me that it can serve me the best, so that we can co-exist in a harmonious and purposeful relationship?" This requires cultivating physical body awareness in an objective way. In a way that you truly understand the body, its intelligence and its needs, being able to see the difference between its needs and your desires, covering or masking those needs. That is extremely important. Be in touch with your body."
I remember, when I was in secondary school, one day as I climbed the stairs with my friend that she said to me, "Ren, you always have the best posture...". I need to get back to that. Need to stretch, to move, to breathe a little bit more.

Maybe you can encourage me?

peace,
Ren

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Interesting Vid: RSA Animate - Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us...

"What we really want to do is what we are really meant to do. When we do what we are meant to do, money comes to us, doors open for us, we feel useful, and the work we do feels like play to us." ~Julia Cameron 
 


I think it's an excellent video... am not surprised it's up for an award (you can vote for it here).. 

peace,
Ren

Monday, April 11, 2011

A fantasy land story ...

"Imagination is the true magic carpet." ~Norman Vincent Peale 
 
Inspired by this statement from a guy friend: "in fantasy land, where corporations were evil and work was punishment, of course I'd be delighted to bring you a joy filled cupcake on my loyal steed"

----------xxxxxxxxx----------
Once upon a time in a land not-so-far away, a maiden was doomed to slave for an evil corporation. Each day she arose hoping that it would be the last, but such was her fate that until the time that she (or some other close member of her family) won the lotto she must continue to toil. Weekends offered a brief respite from her punishment though this often led to a dismal Monday morning as the truth of her situation settled in on the maiden.

One day, the maiden learnt of a new and magical place… over the highway yonder… which sold joy-filled cupcakes. These cupcakes were said to boost one’s happiness through its magical chocolate ganache, to increase one’s positivity through its heavenly butter-cream and to raise one’s spirits with its divine deliciousness.

The maiden plotted with her friend to escape the clutches of the evil corporation … just long enough to obtain a cupcake. Alas, it was not to be… at the very moment of escape, the maiden was called upon to use her powers of editing and writing to create documents that would further the work of the evil corporation. The maiden's friend was also thwarted in her attempt as her steed was corralled by minions of the evil corporation. In desolation, the maiden retreated to her cubicle… chained to her desk by the powers of darkness. All hope was not lost however, as the maiden was able to send out a single call for help through the ether.

A wizard, feeling the vibrations in the ether, took note of the call and determined to assist the maiden (and her friend) by journeying forth on his loyal steed, Hoss, to obtain the magical cupcakes. He battled through the fearsome maze known as Cross-crossing and then ventured forth through hordes of crazy Trini drivers. Finally, under the heat of the noon-time sun, he arrived at the magical place. Quickly, he exchanged a few pieces of silver for a box of joy-filled cupcakes and then took the most direct path to the evil corporation.

The wizard soon learnt that it would not be easy to get to the maiden. Calling upon his own powers of charm, he outwitted the Golem at the Gate and made it through to the maiden upon whom he bestowed the box of joy-filled cupcakes...

No more was the Monday miserable... the cupcakes immediately lifted the spirits of those that consumed them... and further, brought thoughts of freedom and escape to that magical place. 
----------xxxxxxxxx----------

Of course, none of this took place. I had to work all day. No-one was able to bring me cupcakes though I did get after work with my mom and brother. There's a new cupcake place (open as of last Wednesday) in Price Plaza, Chaguanas... known as the ButterCream Cupcake Bistro Ltd. Very posh... very pretty... very yum... 

Happy Monday all!

peace,
Ren

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Some insight to Trini Food...

"Food is our common ground, a universal experience." ~James Beard  

My family is obsessed with the Food Network... maybe not my dad so much... but the rest of us? We ♥ Food Network. Perhaps it's that we like to learn about new things... perhaps it's that we like to eat... perhaps it's that we like competitions... perhaps we like to cook (this is true in my brother's case... only sometimes true in my case)... I'm not sure what it is really but the most watched channel at home is - The Food Network. It's particularly exciting when we see them feature something we're familiar with in T&T... e.g. karela known here as carailli (known in the U.S. as bitter melon) was an ingredient in one of the baskets in the recent Chopped All-Stars Competition. Oh excitement! my brother and I would have had so many ways to cook that if we were there... lol...

What's also exciting is when we see shows featuring T&T or Trinis abroad. My cousin posted this video on facebook - an old Diners, Drive-ins and Dives episode featuring Pam's Kitchen, a Trini restaurant in Seattle, WA. I had to share... it's something to be proud of I think - that our food is loved by many people :)



It reminded me of how excited I was when I saw the Chicken Wings Throwdown... Bobby Flay was defeated in this throwdown by Colette of Super Wings NYC



Finally, this show is not from the Food Network but from the Travel Channel... it was actually one of the first shows featuring Trinidad & Tobago and our food that I saw... Andrew Zimmern of Bizarre Foods fame visited our islands and did an entire show on it... this video below is video 4 of 6... chosen because at this moment I feelin' for some doubles... lol


Am not going out for any at this hour though... ah well. 

Wishing you all a fabulous week ahead.

peace,
Ren

Friday, April 8, 2011

Interesting reads & vids...

"Life is a conspiracy to shower you with a nonstop feast of interesting experiences, all of which are designed to help you grow your intelligence, shed your pretensions, and master the art of ingenious love." ~ Rob Brezsny

I confess that I spend a lot of time online... a good bit of it is due to my job but apart from that I truly enjoy being able to access information and learn about situations/ideas. I thought that today would be a good day to share some of the wealth I've found.
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend :) Be open to whatever experiences/ideas that may come your way.

peace,
Ren

Thursday, April 7, 2011

A pill a day...

"To keep the body in good health is a duty – otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear." ~Buddha


I have a headache - I've had it since Sunday so today is Day 5 of me-with-a-headache. Constant  pounding pain in my head though today it's down to a dull roar. I fear it still makes me think that I'm dying. I don't do well with headaches... I'd rather any other body part ache but really? my head? OW. ow. ow. ow. I'm also somewhat nauseous... and I admit that the world tilts sometimes when I stand up. By Tuesday (day 3 of me-with-a-headache) I started wondering if something was seriously wrong with me. Pain-nauseau-dizziness sorta indicates non-healthiness.

By yesterday though (day 4!) I figured out what it was. In fact I had an epiphany... what was wrong with me? I came off the pill. Ta da! I'm having withdrawal symptoms I guess. I must say they suck extremely... and it's kinda unfair that it was easy to go on (no side-effects [that I'm aware of] apart from clearer skin - which admittedly is a great side-effect) and now that I've decided to give my body a break and let it get back to regulating itself I'm having issues. Aargh.

I was put on the pill by my doctor... and I'm going to lay the blame for this bit of drama squarely at the feet of this MBA (I'm still not convinced it's worth it). Apparently I was so stressed (and you can probably read about that stress in earlier posts) that my hormones and therefore my cycle went out of whack. What was needed? Pills. Or just one pill a day really. I started in October and now that it's the beginning of April I thought I'd stop... or take a break... or something so. Because the truth of it is that I hate pills / tablets  / syrups / medication. I'm near completion with the MBA... I'm not having sex... it's my birth month... all good reasons in my mind for coming off the birth control pill - cuz that's what this pill is. Yes, there are benefits to the pill... I'm just not sure that the side-effects (listed [by the pill's maker] and non-listed [has there been enough study on the effects of the pill? each woman has a different reaction from what I've heard]) are worth the benefits. Especially not now that my head feels as though it's splitting open. Am going to try to figure out how to manage my hormones, my body, myself without the aid of pills.. patches.. shots.. any other thing that the medical community may come up with. It's not that I don't think medications and the like aren't useful (lord knows right now I can use some painkillers)... just that in this case - this area of taking care of my own health - I'd like to go as natural as possible.

It's World Health Day today - this year's theme focuses on 'Combat Drug Resistance…..No Action Today, No Cure Tomorrow’. So much is happening in the world ... I think that if we focus first on our health then we can focus on the health of our families and communities. I need to remind myself of this at times. This year's theme for the Blue Star's Forty Days is 'Secrets to True Well-Being - Tap into the Transforming Power of Consciousness'. It's something I'm following and speaks to the development of ourselves through development of our consciousness - our spiritual self - of healing from within. Thinking a lot about my health today.  

peace,
Ren

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

My love/hate relationship with heels.

"For women, shoes are the most important. Good shoes take you good places." ~Min Seo Hyun

I was minutes away from buying a new pair of shoes yesterday. Good thing my brother was there to stop me [remind me I have no need for/no money for such shoe]. It was pretty though and as I think about it now it occurs to me that I should have taken a photo (I wonder if it's still there?!). Picture if you will: a stiletto heeled-closed toe-pump in a sorta turquoise-blue ... shiny (patent leather? I don't know - tried not to spend too much time with it). It was pretty. In a statement-making way. *sigh* I secretly want it - and yet at the same time I don't. I tried it on you see... and whilst it looked *amazing* on my feet if I had to spend time in it I would surely have squashed my little toes. Because women's shoes aren't made in the shape of actual feet. I know not why. If I'd gone a size up - it would have fallen off as I walked... it's a good thing that I did not buy it. Really. *sigh*.

All this shoe talk may make you think I am shoe-obsessed. I'm not (really... I'm not). I am female though... footwear is something special. I tend to value comfort in my footwear over style any day. This is why I own a pair of Vibrams which are beyond comfortable and yet, according to my friend, make me look as though I've got hobbit feet. I also own a pair of FitFlops (since maybe 2008?) which are by far the best slippers I've ever owned. My work shoes? I'd like to say they are fabulous and skinny-heeled and make me look like a sexified-professional woman... but... I walk a lot - I'm on the third floor... it's all stairs (today I've been up and down the stairs four [4] times thus far)... My feet would give up on me if I did that to them - so I wear a moderate-non-skinny closed-toe heel. I like sneakers. My most favourite shoe of all time? A pair of black Timberland hiking boots that I wore till I could wear them no more. Flat shoes rule.

High-heeled shoes? Makes a woman feel a range of emotions starting at powerful... passing through fabulous... ending up at sexy or super-confident. I've had my share and I will continue to buy them... because they're pretty... and make my legs look like wow. In fact, read this post by my friend and shoe-a-holic and you'll get some understanding of why I'll still buy and wear high-heels (and high-high-heels... or any shoe with a heel) even though I know that at the end of the wearing either my arches will hurt... or my toes... or my soles... or my knees... or all of the above really (seriously .. some high-heels are just made for sitting in).

Flat shoes rule ... but heels are oh-so-fabulous.

peace,
Ren

Monday, April 4, 2011

The Power of the Group...

"We must remember that one determined person can make a significant difference, and that a small group of determined people can change the course of history." ~Sonia Johnson 

I've been thinking about people coming together... it seems that now more than ever it's easy to form groups according to our likes, dislikes, principles, beliefs, choice of entertainment, choice of food... anything really. It's so easy to become a part of something or to speak up about something without actively getting out and about. I'm an on-line activist - I sign petitions with Avaaz.org, Greenpeace, WWF and miscellaneous Care2 petitions that I take an interest in. It makes me feel like a part of something - gives me the assurance that even in my everyday life I can make a difference through my signature and contributions. 

One organised event struck me this week: SlutWalk Toronto - which took place yesterday (April 3rd). This event was organised in response to an officer of the Toronto Police Force suggesting that 'women can avoid sexual assault by not dressing like a “slut.”' I'm in full support of any event like this - it should not matter in any way how a woman is dressed and in fact this reminds me a bit of my short skirt post... What struck me from the event page? These paragraphs below - clearly a call to action and clearly showing what is needed:
"We are a movement demanding that our voices be heard. We are here to call foul on our Police Force and demand change. We want Toronto Police Services to take serious steps to regain our trust. We want to feel that we will be respected and protected should we ever need them, but more importantly be certain that those charged with our safety have a true understanding of what it is to be a survivor of sexual assault — slut or otherwise.
We are tired of speeches filled with lip service and the apologies that accompany them. What we want is meaningful dialogue and we are doing something about it: WE ARE COMING TOGETHER. As people from all gender expressions and orientations, all walks of life, levels of employment and education, all races, ages, abilities, and backgrounds, from all points of this city and elsewhere."
I guess it struck home for me. People (men and women) need to know where they stand on issues such as this and then it can follow that further issues can be discussed and developed. 

peace,
Ren