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Abyss of Obscurity

Jan20

Sometimes in life people fade into an abyss of obscurity. This happens by force, or maybe by choice. It is easy to occur. Maybe it is a necessity for the faded in order to be found elsewhere. Probably it is a requirement in order to achieve other goals. Still one’s ability to fade into obscurity may just be due to the fact that anything else would possibly compound a torturous situation.

Then, there is the obscurity which occurs by the ability of others who will not hesitate to quickly throw the obscured to the curb. Yes, that happens too. Sometimes the very people the faded gave most of the self to are the exact ones who will be eager to see them vanish. So want or want not, faded will the obscured be…straight into the hell hole of obscurity like they never existed.

In obscurity, there is a feeling of loss, deep grievance, frustration, and the faded individual is likely to border on a level of depression intermittently. Inspiration dematerializes, sleep depletes, and moods develop a pendulum -like behavior.

In the realm of obscurity, the faded will often be given the ‘third-party’ treatment. After all it seems safer for the illuminated super stars to extend a long handle which warrants no interaction of direct effect. Oh besides, that would make their high elevated self-pride and expected obligations to their secure circles decrease. So no they won’t reach out personally, instead they will watch the obscured dissolve to naught without a single budge. The faded has a choice then, but often feels no sense of courage to even trust, so obscurity may blossom. Does the faded like obscurity? Most likely not! But, often obscurity chooses the faded.

It takes faith, prayer, help, and genuine outreach to snatch the obscured from that sorrowful realm. It demands and requires, understanding hearts, attuned ears which hold no defense, non-judgmental mannerism, shelving of inferences, and an honest direct and personal effort to seek out and salvage the obscured faded soul in a domain of neutrality. If nothing else does, Christianity demands it. But alas! — Obscurity has lately grown long pants, jacket, and tie. The faded is ambushed, and held captive my Sir Obscurity.

Oh Christ, send some maps and GPS to the faded, that from the monstrous hold of deep obscurity, the soul and heart may return. That the faded may find inspiration within its soul, creativity within its veins and newly inspired love within its drum-like organ. Grant the faded the grace to curse the abyss of obscurity away from its soul, into the recesses of no man’s land, dispelling it into its own self, never to return to that human soul. Oh Christ…!

The following song seems very timely for a faded soul… I found it appropriate to share. This is not my own song. I pay all respects to the artists / creators of it. I hope it lifts your soul up if you ever feel like you have faded into a world of obscurity. God bless! http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8jreK–OGN4#!

Awarded – Liebster Style

Jan11

With gratitude I accept the honor of the Liebster Award. Thank you SomerEmpress for the award, and for reminding me that I am Beloved.
You may read the post and award details here. :) Also, please take some time to read some of SomerEmpress’ wonderful writing at Life As An Art Form. There is always inspiration to be found.
http://somerempress.com/2012/01/10/im-feeling-that-liebster-love-and-the-award-goes-to/

To follow suit, it is with great pleasure that I choose to award a favorite Tweep. The person whom I met, and have since followed on Twitter. Aline Hanle’s tweets over time, have captured my attention, inspired my spirit and encouraged me to keep seeking and harnessing my inner beauty. I have no doubt that her quotes, artistry and kind soul brings life to all her followers. I award The Sacred Sactuary with a double honor of the Liebster Award, because of what it does for me, and also because I would like you, and all my readers to benefit from her kind wisdom.

Inclusively, I would like to recognize someone whom I have just friended on Twitter, and whose blog I have read from time to time. He definitely helps to point me back to God, evaluate my faith, and strengthens me in my resolve to walk upright. Michael Bowes’ Journey of a Pilgrim is a real, humble, God fearing man who continues to seek direction as to what God wants of him. I enjoy reading some of his posts, and kindly award his wonderful efforts with the hope that he will keep blogging and growing.

Failure to recognize the next person / group would be a major oversight. BRBP TV (BE REAL, BE POSITIVE Television) has been a major joy to follow. This blog always takes me right back to my home country. Even more, it takes me to my hometown of Portsmouth. Lynworth (Mytelics) Mitchell is one of the key brains behind it, and he is multi-talented. If you want to know more about the Commonwealth of Dominica, to get a taste of his talents, or maybe you are just curious about what they present, please take some time to check out the BRBP TV’s page. Indeed they deserve this award and recognition. It is such a joy to do this. :)

The final award which carries just as much weight goes to a young woman of faith and her team. If you know me, you know faith matters a whole lot to my daily living. Thus, some time ago, I stumbled upon the next blog – Live WTL Ministries, which I choose to award today. Avery is probably not even interested in being awarded due to her modesty, but she deserves to be. What I love about this blog is the faith component, the cool pictures, and Avery’s self decription. She says, “I’m Avery. 15 years old (almost). Sophomore. Catholic. I’m imperfect, flawed, a sinner, and a hypocrite. I don’t have a theology degree, I’m not a nun, and I’ve only gone to Catholic school for a month. But if I know anything, I know that God is the center of my life. And I am desperately in love with Him and His Church. Jesus Christ is my best friend and my savior, and I’m striving to live out my hope in Him one day at a time. I long to be unhindered and authentic. I’m tired of the motions, of feeling like faith is stiff and fake. Because it’s real. It’s SO real. And it’s amazing. I’m trusting, I’m searching, and I’m falling head over heels in love.
God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called. And I consider it an incredible blessing to be called to serve Live WTL Ministries.” This helps me to remember to stay grounded, humble and earthed.

Conclusively, Liebster is a German word that means beloved or favorite. The Liebster Award is an award from fellow bloggers given to up and coming bloggers that have less than 200 followers.

These are requirements that you need to fulfill should you accept this award:

◦Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog.
◦Link back to the blogger who awarded you.
◦Give your top 5 picks for the award
◦Inform your top 5 by leaving a comment on their blog.
◦Post the award on your blog.

Congratulations to all the wonderful Bloggers out there who have been contributing to the wealth of knowledge left for us. Be blessed today.

I am DAVID so are YOU!

Nov17

I am DAVID! Of course you know
I was somebody’s son, so are you!
I was not a perfect fella,
But, I tried to make a genuine Dollar.
I didn’t always obey my parents, but I acknowledged their guidance.
Today, I lie cold like ice, because of a nuisance.

You have a son, maybe more than one!
You said you are a man, you love what is yours?
Don’t you think my parents love me too?
Don’t you think they wanted to see me grow?
I am DAVID, so are YOU!

Oh you didn’t know? Well Yes you are David too.
Today I speak because you refuse to act
You decide the best thing is to stay in the dark!
My life has ended, my days are done
What about yours? One day they’ll be gone
But before you leave, and hope not like me
Do you think I David was really somebody?
I had a body, a heart, a mind,
As a matter of fact, I was one of a kind
I have a soul that will always be alive
I rode my bike because that was what I could drive
But, did that make me less than you or your sons?
Did that make me worth being killed by your cow?

Today my father is left without his boy
My mother lost her son – that is no joy
Do you even care to remember that?
I am somebody, and THAT is a fact?
Is it because we are poor without much
That you can get away with the law and such?
I am David, I speak English not Dutch
You are David too, just watch, just WATCH.

Possie people tell me what you think
What kind of silence pill all you drink?
Because is your friend’s cow you will let it slip?
Or are you going to stand up and speak against it?
Tell the owner I gone already
But he and you behind, that is somebody.
Will you allow more Davids like me to die, without doing something positive for I?

Tell the law, the culprit, and the judge,
I don’t want vengeance, show me some love
But, justice MUST come from the one above
Speak out my name, speak out my name
Tell them I am DAVID, though not the same,
I had a life, a hope, a dream
Now all that’s remained is a quiet scheme?

Possie come on you are David Too
Rise up and speak, show them what you can do
Tell them I say I will rest in peace
While I hope they find the real culprit.
I won’t harm, I won’t hurt, and I won’t do any bad
But I expect some justice for that (life) which I had
Speak on my behalf, tie up the calf,
Don’t leave it to become a monster
If its owner cannot come forward and answer
I am not asking you to make daybah
All I am saying is take cover
Before you lose a David, – another
before you become a victim of my disaster.

I am David, YOU are DAVID TOO
Now what more can I tell you?
I done speak – this is it!!!
I am DAVID, So are YOU!!!

YOU may view the video of this poem here….just hit the link. Thank you for checking the blog!http://www.facebook.com/v/10150371105185965

The time when I become…

Nov10

Feel free to view the video to the following Prose here. Just hit this link and you should be able to follow along with my flow :) Thank you for visiting the blog. And please leave me a comment. Thank you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qbJS70YzEE

The days the music stops, are the days the soul goes still.
The day the music fades, is the day connection is no longer established.
The time I close my eyes to the surrounding, the moment, the fact,
is that time when I lose sight of my vision, decision, inspiration to rise.
The occurrence within which I falter, drown, fail to be me,
is the occurrence of a malady, one of a thieving nature, one of a crime
The time I forget that people, things, assets, ducks are lined up FOR me,
is the time my gratitude fails, falters, become sour, become null, I grow
greedy, selfish, hateful, judgmental, rude, disagreeable, ugly.

That time when like a lighting strike grace met me,
The moment when like a thunder bolt, smiles captured me,
The time when it dawned that I should become a lover, not a hater,
The occurrence when that organ of stone was transformed into sweet, red, awaiting flesh,
That time when the dark of my comeliness became like dark chocolate,
The situation within which I become confident, wise, taller, smarter, brighter,
That time when I become, what I was – Lovely, lovelier, lovable, self-loving,
That moment when I become unselfish, selfless, when mine eyes are opened to a new reality
That time when I knew that I could say, Thank you! I could say, I believe in me
That time when generosity transformed me into – trusting..
That day, that time, that moment, that occurrence..

What a situation! A part of me sees the day, within which 30 will fade
A part of me sees that day, within which new leaves will become scrolls,
A part of me views that day, like it has no end, for there is a beyond
That part of me is curved, wrapped, established, pronounced in Faith!.
That part of me sees beyond that 30.

A time, a day, a moment, occurrence, situation, REALITY!!!
Eventful, occurred, pending, due to be, REAL!!!
The Time I Become…

World in Chaos? – What about the Commonwealth values?

Aug10

Is it me, or just my stupidity? Is this injustice or is it a travesty? Could it be poverty or inequality? What is really happening today? In one part of the world where people still have food on their tables, schools to go to, gadgets to play with on a regular basis, the young have taken streets to seemingly protest what they think is “rich people making their lives a living hell.” In another part of the world, which over decades has been raped by the forefathers of more affluent lands, poverty, disease, hunger and massive deaths are occurring by the seconds all concurrently. Is this a coincident? What is this?

Like many in the world today, I hold no answers, but I seek some sort of over-standing. What a travesty our world is turning into. Don’t get me wrong, wars, riots, and all the societal ills highlighted above were existing before today, but somehow I beg to construe why young men and women in affluent countries would choose to burn down their cities, kill and rob each other, loot businesses within their neighborhoods which no doubt create some form of employment for people like them, and blame the very people for their hardships. My question is; What Solutions are they hoping to find? The Plasma televisions, cell phones, clothes, gold, and all the other stolen goods they have harpooned are they expecting these to ease their burdens?

Imagine coming from the Caribbean, where you have been taught that England was the mother land before your dear island nation gained its independence. You learned that on the 2nd Monday of the month of March every year Commonwealth Day will be celebrated. No doubt it is observed, and or celebrated within the entire 54 Commonwealth nations in the world. Note: The head of Commonwealth is where? – In the mother-land in the United Kingdom. I recall learning about the countries, and preparing to perform for that event as a child, and once grown, I recall planning big events in my work district bringing together a handsome number of young men and women, and children along with key community leaders in order to recognize the day, all in the quest to pass on the values of the Commonwealth.

So, what are these values of the commonwealth? – they are mainly – International peace and security, democracy, human rights, tolerance, respect and understanding, separation of powers, rule of law, freedom of expression, development, gender equality, access to health and education, good governance, and civil society.
(consult http://www.thecommonwealth.org/document/181889/34293/35144/216908/commonwealth_values_and_principles.htm for a clearer understanding of these values.)

Today, I look at the riots in London and other parts of the UK and I wonder – what are they teaching their young people? What are parents doing to instill and instruct core values in their children? Or is it that they are too poor to instruct? I don’t know, I don’t hold the answers, but these are matters due to be explored. Meanwhile, Somalia is in dire need, 600,000 children could die out of starvation, people fleeing homes in droves, and heading to overpopulate Kenya. Could this be yet another time-bomb in the making mainly to breed more chaos?
While one could argue the concept of poverty is relative or subjective from one nation to another, it is clear the dichotomies that exist in our world. The above mentioned values are lonely, and seemingly unused.

It is clear; this world is made up of corrupt leaders, greedy politicians in high places, some dishonest aid-agencies claiming to help disadvantaged populations, and rich money mongers seeking for more to hoard; rather than share. Everybody knows his or herself. The fact remains, while all is not well in any part of the world, I firmly believe if people lived in a state of respect for human life, sharing the wealth around, toppling corrupt governments before they show their ugly faces to the masses, many of the world’s problems would be null or safely minimized.

But oopps, I just realize I am living in an imperfect world, where such tranquility seems highly impossible. Still I want to believe that we can hope, that we can dream, and we can more assertively promote values like equality of distribution of resources, protection of food and freshwater, respect for all people, democracy and consensual decision making, peaceful problem solving strategies, promote social programs and good Christian values, (or upholding the faiths / religious values of the people where they live which I sure hope should be promoting such core values.)
Meanwhile like the creole expression which encourages us to “wet our own beards when the neighbor’s own is on fire’” I exhort smaller nations in our region and the rest of the world, to do everything in our power to prevent such riots, and chaos from taking root in our lands. It will take all of us to make the difference in the world. Let’s do what we can then, to make a better world.
—–Like a hopeless romantic, I prayerfully hope this world can be a better place. — But Alas!!!

A New Social Form – The Facebook-er!

Jun25

I wrote the following paper for a sociology class last year, and thought I should share it here. Hope you find it interesting. (10/25/2010)

Facebook, a social network of prominence today has a clientele which grows daily. I have chosen to refer to users of this social network, as “The Facebooker (s).” According to Courtney Ramirez, “Facebook is the most dominant social networking site in the world.” This project which started in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg, who initially created something called Facemash in October of 2003, has taken wings beyond the very comprehension of its creator. This new social form began with an aim to attract University students. It has since opened its doors to high school students which have only served to increase its usage. In his article, Ramirez says, “In April of 2008, Facebook outranked MySpace by total number of visitors for the first time. Facebook had 123.9 million unique visitors and MySpace had 114.6 [million] unique visitors.” Such clear evidence substantiates the formation of such a term as “The Facebook-er.”

It is my view that if Georg Simmel was alive today, he would see the entire social network world with all its diverse names and forms, as a new social form with many sub-forms. Such form would most likely captivate him, hold his interest, and thus, would become one of his many butterfly-ish pursuits. He would take a particular keen interest in “The Facebooker” form. According to our class text , Illuminating Social Life, “Simmel argued during his professional life for “the conception that society consists of a web of patterned interactions, and that it is the task of sociology to study the forms of these interactions as they occur and reoccur in diverse historical periods and cultural settings.” As if Simmel had long seen the future, the development of the World Wide Web, the formation of social networks and more so, as if he was ready to study Facebook and its impact on society, his above mentioned statement is so timely. It captures the concept of connection. The use of the word “web” to refer to a pattern of interaction is right on target. The Facebook-er certainly lives in somewhat of a web.

The Facebook-er lives in a world where he or she becomes both connected to a community, with several sub-communities within it, yet is often alienated, or separated from his or her actual immediate community. It is so easy for the Facebook-er to get entangled into the Facebook society while time elapses often without their actual notice. Work, study, family togetherness, and personal one on one time with friends, all suffer when “The Facebook-er” gets immersed into their virtual world. Productivity is said to decrease in many sectors, people’s personal life stories are shared with “facebook – friends”, walls become news papers, love letters, poetry boards, prayer rooms, and an unending means of self expressions. With such vast usage of the virtual space, where the user becomes an addict in many instances, one could argue that the main, if not sole underlying purpose behind the use of this social form is the need for interaction. According to Simmel, “the major field of study for the student of society is, therefore, sociation, that is, the particular patterns and forms in which men associate and interact with each other.”

As a budding sociologist, I can’t help, but to see this as an area or pattern worth studying. While one may see all the odds of the life of the Facebook-er, who must return for a daily fix of the Facebook drug, it can be argued that this social form allows for interaction. It gives the voiceless a voice, allows the angry to vent, empowers the coward to try bravery, constantly asks the Facebook-er “what’s on your mind?” and still creates the avenue for its user to reveal his or her best face. The Facebook-er feels a sense of belonging, they gain interaction with people in various parts of the world, they forget their problems, if but for a moment, relish the chances to befriend new people, fall in love, relinquish relationships as they please, and build bridges where they see fit. All these activities are frills on the border of interaction, and are experienced by “The-Facebook-er who is seeking to maintain a sense of connection with his or her world, be it virtual and or real. Interactions, resulting from the need to socialize, to form society, to feel important, and to get needs met, are the reasons for the development of such a social form and its counterparts.
“In terms of Simmel’s famous form/content dichotomy: any social phenomenon is composed of two elements which in reality are inseparable (distinction is only analytical).

1) Content: the interest, purpose, or motive of the phenomenon or interaction
2) Form: the mode of interaction among individuals through/in the shape of which the specific content achieves social reality. Furthermore, the existence of society requires a reciprocal interaction among its individual elements, mere spatial or temporal aggregation of parts is not sufficient.” – Donald Levine. This above quote confirms to a large extent the experiences of the Facebook-er. Facebook creates the platform for reciprocity. People affirm each other, like each other’s comments, share their lives updates with others, read the stories of others and remain updated about their progression or regression. The Facebook-er finds more than a mere spacial or temporal aggregation in their world, for Facebook has both content and form. I have no hesitation in concluding that this concept of interaction via the use of the internet is indeed a social form itself.

Sources Cited

http://socialnetworking.lovetoknow.com/How_Did_Facebook_Originate

http://ssr1.uchicago.edu/PRELIMS/Theory/simmel.html

Illuminating Social Life, 4th Edition – Classical and Contemporary Theory Revised – Edited by Peter Kivisto.

Inundated!

Jun11

Today, I am thinking and feeling like I am totally “Inundated.”   This word has played on my mind for a few days now, but particularly since my recent heightened usage of the internet for educational purposes.  We must be grateful for the multitude of information that is out there in cyberspace.  Everywhere subject you are interested in, or anything word you type into a browser can bring you a wealth of information – often more than you desire.  With such wealth at our fingertips, gratitude is in order for its existence.  Yet, sometimes too much is just too much, and it hurts our heads.  We can never read all the information thrown at us.  There emerges inundation.

The first known use of the word, inundate was in 1590.  It is of Latin origin, and stems from the word inundatus, as a past participle of inundare from in- + unda (wave) – more at water.  Inundate is defined as: “to cover with a flood: Overflow or overwhelm.”      http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inundated

This expression has come alive over the past week, with me juggling the requirements of my personal life, while trying to buildhttp://ceezpaul.wordpress.com into something meaningful.  Along with that, I have been making a considerable effort trying to learn how to properly utilize www.twitter.com.   Twitter is proving to be a wonderful tool of knowledge for me, and most certainly I am grateful.  But, I have to say, it certainly has contributed to this recent feeling as well.

So why am I feeling so inundated?  I think it is because when I visit www.twitter.com I see a long thread of tweets on my homepage.  But isn’t this the nature of twitter?  Thus, that should be expected.  The thing is, these tweets, spur my interest to the extent where I feel like I want to read them all, or click on most of the links offering some sort of knowledge, or opportunity.  But, in reality, that would probably take me a long time.  Then, there are the tweets that I receive directly on my phone where there are usually an exorbitant number of them awaiting my viewing.  Mark you, the majority of tweets directed to my phone is important and interesting.  Then, inundation holds me again, because there is no way I am going to get through reading all the information coming at me on this android.  My phone after all is still limited in its capacity, so though I often follow some links via this medium, most of my reading is done using a computer.  This too, can complicate the matter.

On the computer, twitter is one, then there is facebook, personal emails, blogs that I want to develop, and just the basic catching up on past events (news / shows) using the computer.  With such demand for my attention, how do I cope?    Inundation is the result, and if not controlled can spiral into frustration, depression and who knows, maybe even a feeling of hopelessness.  I personally don’t want to get to such a low point.

Somehow, I don’t think I am alone in this predicament.  Maybe many of you have felt overwhelmed at just having to focus on more than one thing at any given time?  Multi-tasking, with several opened pages on the computer, trying to get more than one thing done at the same time can cause inundation.   I call it craziness, but isn’t that what is required in order to stay on top of everything?  Can we really be effective or efficient in that way?  These questions are lurking right now, as I seek new ways to deal with this feeling of being inundated.

Having given this some thought, I have concluded that the following should help me cope.

  1. Just like I can filter what emails I want to go to my inbox, a folder, or straight to junk mail, I should think about filtering which tweets I want to hit my phone.
  2. Review the content of the people I follow on twitter, and evaluate whether it is necessary to have their tweets come to my phone prior to deciding.
  3. Create meaningful “lists” on twitter.  Making those which pertains to my interests or niche be the ones that hit my phone, since I won’t want to miss pertinent and timely information.
  4. Focus on one matter at a time, making sufficient time for each important online activity.
  5. Waste no time on facebook.  I realize the use of facebook can be a sucker of time, and if I am not careful, it can certainly distract my focus.  So, the best thing is, when I need to focus on my reading, research, or other forms of usage of the computer without distraction, I should put facebook to rest.  Just don’t log in, or just log off.  That calls for discipline, but why should we let anything online control us?  WE have the ability to override any distraction online.  :)
  6. Take time to be quiet.  I know I like listening to soft background music while using the computer, but there are times when I just can’t stand it.  Failure to turn the music off when it is really needed is likely to result in that feeling of inundation.  So, spend time in the school of silence.
  7. Create a to-do list, and then prioritize it.  Follow that list ardently while using computer.  Do not procrastinate.
  8. Take control of what you want to do online, avoid distractions and stay focused on your goal.

With some effort, these can be achieved.  Now, let me get on it, and surprise myself over and over again.  “Procrastination and inundation move aside, make room for productivity! – Yeah :) ”