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Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Maybe I don't look like a traveller anymore?

"I have found out that there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them." ~Mark Twain 

There was once a time when if I had to go anywhere I'd either have to ask someone to carry me or, and this was the most common option, I'd travel. It's because of that time that I know how to get to various places in Trinidad using our public transportation system, and that I am somewhat known to the taxi drivers in my area. There are taxi drivers that have known me for over 15 years as I travelled with them to and from school and various other places. 


Today I had the opportunity to travel from my flyover to home (my car has been down... car drama... oy)... it's not very far and I was hoping that I'd get a taxi that I was familiar with... just because. I didn't though... got a taxi driven by an old man who looked as though he shouldn't be driving anymore. What I thought kinda funny? Driver and other passengers gave me a look... a 'why is this person travelling?' look... or maybe a 'how come this person is travelling?' look. I'm not sure which... It was as though they weren't sure how I'd come to be there and if I knew where I was going. 


It was very strange. 


Perhaps having a car has changed me in some way? Perhaps to the casual observer it seems as though I shouldn't be travelling? Perhaps I seemed to be too calm, cool and collected?


Ah well.


I think that each person should at some point try out their country's public transportation system. Figure out how to get from point A to point B and then just do it. I've found the experience to be entertaining and educational. There are times I've found it to be frustrating and tiring. As is the case for most things, I think that you can't really appreciate what others go through, the waiting, the hustling, the environment (people and places)... unless you experience it yourself. 


Maybe I don't look like a traveller anymore... perhaps I need to be out and going places without my car (or without being driven around by the cute guy or the cousins). 


Get out and go somewhere... walk, bike, taxi, maxi, bus, something...


:)


peace,
Ren

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Thoughts about (having) children...

"Children are the world's most valuable resource and its best hope for the future." ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

My coworker gave birth on Monday to a girl - 8 lbs some ounces. A healthy baby girl with long fingers (maybe she'll grow up to be a piano player?)... 

I've been thinking about writing a post on children for the past two weeks... it's just that I haven't quite figured out what I want to say.

My cousin visited with his not-quite-2-year-old son... A very active little boy who kept testing us - could he go here? Climb up there? Touch this? Lots of fun and very cute and he seemed to like me. Young children seem to like me. I've been told it's because I'm closer to their size... :-/

A little girl waved to me as I was leaving a food court last week. I'd met up with the cute guy, as I was without lunch and he was in the area, and there was a family of four sitting at the table next to ours. Little girl liked us... he says they are fascinated by him (maybe because of his size?)... but she waved to me when we were leaving.

I kinda blame him for these thoughts I'm having. The whole wondering about maybe I'd like to have a child... someday. When I was much younger I said I'd never have any (my mother was horrified... and said I shouldn't say that out loud... and I shouldn't call stuff on myself in the event that I did eventually want). As I've gotten older I've become more open to the idea... but I haven't really found anyone that I thought I'd like to have children with. Also, I'm not sure I'm in a financial position to be having children. Then there's the fact that little children scare me a bit... cuz they're so *small* and completely dependent on others... I can barely manage with the Cat!

There've been times though when I look at the cute guy and the thought occurs to me that it might be very awesome to have a child. Ergh. Is this biological? Is the whole ticking-clock thing real?

Ergh. It's way too soon in this relationship to be thinking such things.

*sigh*

There are things I'd like to share with/teach/show a child though... and I think it would be a wondrous thing to be able to see a person develop from birth to whenever and to know that I have a hand in their development. I think I've learnt a lot from my parents but I've also had a lot of outside learning as well... I value their discussions and time spent with them shapes who I am. I think I'd like to have that same impact.

There's also the practical bit... my dad has said (in a manner which I can't tell is joking or not) that the reason he has had children is so he'll be taken care of in his old age. I've been annoyed by that statement before but now that I am getting older and I've had to do some of that taking care (though more with mom than with dad) I have found myself wondering - who will be around to take care of me when I'm older?  

Do other people go through all this thinking? Ergh.

Children. I think I'd be happy to have them (I seem to be thinking in the plural... ergh?!).

peace,
Ren

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Interesting Reads: The Electric Typewriter's 150 Essential Articles and Essays

"Acquire knowledge. It enables its possessor to distinguish right from wrong; it lights the way to Heaven; it is our friend in the desert, our society in solitude, our companion when friendless; it guides us to happiness; it sustains us in misery; it is an ornament among our friends and an armor against enemies." ~Muhammad

When I saw this link floating around my timeline I had to check it out. I haven't read all of the articles and essays as yet but I'm slowly working my way through them.

Hope you enjoy...

peace,
Ren

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Responsibility...

"I want to remind us all that the world is listening, all the time. How we are ripples out from us into the world and affects others. We have a responsibility – an ability to respond – to the world. Finding our particular way of living this responsibility, of offering who we are to the world, is why we are here. We are called because the world needs us to embody the meaning in our lives. God needs us awake. The world we live in is a co-creation, a manifestation of individual consciousness woven into a collective dream. How we are with each other as individuals, as groups, as nations and tribes, is what shapes that dream." ~Oriah Mountain Dreamer

There's a lot of talk happening on my Twitter stream about the recent turtle deaths. It is heartbreaking and I'm wondering just what will come out of all the talking.

This article best reflects my thoughts... who bears responsibility for what has happened? People are talking about the Government and how this could be allowed to happen and what is to be done about it... this situation did not just spring up in a week. Who allowed the hotelier to build so close to the nesting site? Who is supposed to monitor our waterways? A river does not shift course suddenly. Yes, bulldozers moved in and devastated a nesting site. Who sent them in? Who were the drivers? As I told my mom - if I were driving a bulldozer that unearthed so many eggs/hatchlings I'd have stopped to consider the consequences.

I think we all need to look at ourselves, at how we think and at how we respond to circumstances. If we are placed in positions where we can effect major change, as in the case of persons in Government, then we should realise that such positions carry with it a responsibility and a trust from the persons that have bestowed that power. If, in the course of our daily lives, we see opportunities for us to further develop ourselves... it is our responsibility to consider how such development would affect the environment around us.

My thoughts of course... feel free to disagree. I'm just wondering how deeply people are thinking about such things at this time.

peace,
Ren

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

My life, as it were...

"How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong because someday in your life you will have been all of these." ~George Washington Carver

I think my life is interesting... or perhaps it is that life is interesting and people don't take the time to appreciate it? There's always something happening... something to learn or see or do. Every moment brings a lesson if we're in tune enough to realise it... I know I'm not always tuned in... I don't always pay attention. Ah well.

I've been thinking about my parents and about growing older. My mom's birthday was last Sunday. I think she's been through a lot in her life... I am older now than she was when she got married and also when she had me. I'm wondering what lies ahead. New experiences and new relationships... Hmm. I think that people my age don't have enough awareness about what their parents have been and continue to go through. I may be wrong. I've spent this past week thinking about the fact that my parents were my age once... I've been hearing stories about what life once was and about stuff that they have done. I've been thinking about how they are now... and realising that there are things I'd like to have in place for them and for myself as we get older.

I've been thinking a lot. I'm much more of a 'thinker' than a 'doer'.

I've been grumpy with my country... or rather the people in my country that are supposed to be doing stuff/organising stuff/making the country [world] a better place. Should I really feel this way given that I don't know how I'd change any of it? Hmm.

I went to Mango Festival 2012 - it's the 4th one that's been held apparently. It was interesting, filled with mangoes and mango products. I could see that some persons were very earnest about getting information out about growing mangoes and sustainability and the benefits that may be obtained by investing in our agri sector. Overall a very good event to have. I wasn't quite satisfied with the execution of the event... Could have been more polished... could have taken much more advantage of the opportunities present. Did come away with photos of mangoes though...


I'd written much more to this post but ... I posted and it didn't show the rest... I guess it should be ended here.


peace,
Ren