Sandbox

When I hear “Life” I can’t help but picture a bubble web. Why shouldn’t I when it consists of many elements that are broken down into other elements which, when put together, form other elements. That was just one sentence and I have already used the word “elements” three times.

First there’s time made up of years that are made up of months, weeks and days all of which are made of minutes and seconds. Then there are places; the globe that includes your country, which includes your city that includes the streets you grew up on. And of course, there are all the people; people whom you call family, friends and acquaintances. All are yet again broken into groups of those you like and those you dislike. I find it hard to keep up with all the components of this web. But life, with all its elements, we live it!

There are times when, as human beings, we would like to be given the permission to think, feel and act like kids. We won’t stand responsible for our actions and someone else will always stand in the face of all bullets. We would make time stop and live with no margins. The only commitment in our schedules would be “bedtime”. So at such times, we do want to cut loose of all responsibilities because it is so exhausting to live as an adult. We adults are the best grads of Hollywood. Yes, we need to fake smiles, learn extra-sweet words and does it stop there? No, we have got to use them too.

Speaking of kids and childhood, sandboxes always held a special spot in my heart. Something about them is just very nostalgic. Back when I was a child, I remember our parents never had their eyes off us but as soon as we got into the sandbox it would suddenly become okay for us to stay unwatched. We had tiny bodies and the sandbox seemed like a whole desert. It was a different world, a different angle and a different climate altogether. What it did was more than just change the way we looked around us. In fact, it set a completely different mood. Not necessarily better, not necessarily worse – just different; more on “new”. In some occasions or situations, “new” would resemble “fresh”.

And so this sudden change or shift distracted us completely as we sank in the world of “imagination” and maybe “curiosity” too. That’s right, it gave our brains a little break from wondering why our parents were overprotective or why should they watch us all the time or why should we learn how to act a certain way or dress a certain way. And you know what I found out today? This experience we went through years and years ago is no different than the life we live today. Somehow, in my head, sandboxes represent that retreat we need to be at when adulthood gets so tiresome.

We should each find our own sandbox. Where we’re allowed to think that the entire world revolves around us – just for a while. Just for until we felt as though someone hit the “refresh” button. This sandbox of yours could be locking yourself up in your room for ten minutes, walking the dog, a quick drive, a quiet meeting room at your office, the theater or any place or activity that takes you as far as possible from “today” yet as close as possible to “you”. Consequently, Better decisions will be made, less conflict will take place and surely more smiles will be seen. My sandbox consists of a desk, a machine, my thoughts and the ability to express them in writing the way I just did!

Time: Destruction, Self-Construction, Happiness...?

Probably one of the most valuable gifts we have as humans is time and one of the most valuable talents is managing this gift in a constructive manner. Although it’s a gift, time is also our biggest challenge. It is a challenge indeed for if there is one thing that is unstoppable in this universe; then it must be “time”.
In the scope of our everyday activities the number one element that plays the biggest role is “time” - at lest in most cases if not all!
Person A: Hey what’s up? So, is our plan for tonight still on?
Person B: Yup! You pick me up or I pick you up?
Person A: You pick me up! What time?
Person B: 8:00?
Person A: Are you mad? Make it 7:00…. If you pick me up at 8:00 we will never make it on time.

In the very simply conversation above, we see that they had a target. This target is a plan they aim to realize. Also, within their scope we notice that the most perceptible concern was “time”. Every event has its own share of time so do our deeds and actions. In other words, the situation or status we find ourselves in is but a result of how we made use of our time.

Consider the below:

Given no.1: Time could be used for our own benefit and/or that of others
Given no.2: Time could be used for our own destruction and/or that of others
CHALLENGE: Time is unstoppable!


An old man I once sat with pointed out something I found really interesting. He said, with those exact words, “As’hab al hiraf” (people of professions such as carpentry, painting, hairdressing, baking…etc) are probably the happiest people. I then imagined a carpenter for a second. In the image in my head was a carpenter with sharp serious features. A busy carpenter who would yet smile and wave back if a friend waved from far. A carpenter with a busy life as he worked all day and who knows, he might have a million deadlines to meet! Was he really happy? I wondered.

I asked this man as I asked myself: Why do you say so? Why are those people the happiest in your opinion? And so he answered: It only makes sense! If this person, let’s say a smith, is busy all day, even if he was the poorest person in town, do you think this smith or carpenter would have the time to even think of the unhappy moments he lived through? Or would he have the time to even see his unhappiness? No, because he doesn’t have time to feel bored or empty.

The above does not suggest that we should all leave our offices and become carpenters or smiths. The above is but a reminder that as we still have the gift of time still in our hands, why not use it in something constructive rather than building more piles of emptiness and bareness. This “emptiness and bareness”, in our everyday life English, are represented through the word: “Boredom”.

Very often people tend to stress on how bored they are or how unhappy they are. Other times, they could be stressing on how they find their life empty and meaningless. After dissing their lives they then get to a point where they start hating themselves as they think that they are useless and life would go on with or without them. Here’s the question: Why even think that way?! Go back to point zero and take a different direction. Have you considered using your “time” differently?

Time, the constant power and energy of an unstoppable intangible flow can in fact, if used well, reconstruct the hundred thousand million destructed mentalities in this world. But even with spreading awareness it is still hard to make those people “realize” how they destruct themselves when they use their time doing nothing. Stop whatever you’re doing. Think for a moment: What is the one positive thing I do best? For God’s sake even if it’s baking cupcakes, it’ll keep you busy from building a wall between you and the society. If you did not take this step and found one day that you’ve become a miserable people, then know that you’ve only got yourself to blame.


Well now, I hope you found this post useful.

Just When You Think You Know

You started by knowing nothing. You knew absolutely nothing except what you’ve been spoon-fed at a very early age. You were fed, other than the baby fruity snack, the knowledge your parents wanted you to have. Little did you know and little did they know. A couple of years later, you found yourself in another circle where there was more than just your parents. Oops, school! We really thought that an error in this paper or a mark deducted from that test or this quiz was actually the end of the world. And here we are today amazed by the fact that some of the world’s most known inventors and scientists have struggled in school to the extent that some were considered slow and dumb. Little did those teachers know, huh!

Now, back to our present and back to our everyday life -

An interesting line I once read stated the following:

What’s popular is not always right, what’s right is not always popular

Such a captivating thought. While these words indicate that what the majority is doing is not necessarily the right thing to be doing, it also puts forward the search for deeper shrewdness and logic. Looking at the big picture: If “Yes” could be an answer and “No” could be another, interestingly enough you could be amazed by the other billion hundred possible answers between the “yes” and the “no”; such as “Why not…” or “yes, but…”.

There you go, not all tunnels lead to dead ends.

People struggle to reach to a point in their life where they feel satisfied as they hit a target. Then they realize that it completely does not meet their expectations. Now, these words are not said to make you think that every decision in your life was wrongly made. On the contrary, you could be the happiest person living a perfect life. The point is: Always be prepared for the better and the worse as life could be a bumpy ride at times.

Why does it not surprise you if someone were to tell you that the one person they thought they could trust is actually not a trustworthy person? Why does it not surprise you if someone were to tell you that after having spent ten happy years in a relationship they suddenly figured out that this is definitely not what they want from life? Why does it not surprise you to see someone apologizing to the person they’ve always accused wrongly and now realized that they are indeed innocent? Well, in short words: because these things happen!

Look at life from all angles before stepping into one of its doorsteps. Look at it this way: if you were standing by the window it is only normal that you would be able to see everything including the bed, the sofa, the doors but not the window. Likewise, if you were standing by the door you would be able to see everything but the door. In my opinion, this is the main reason why people get into arguments and land on situations of deep misunderstanding.

So, just when you think you know that you are right about something, think twice. And just when you think you know what makes you happy, think twice. And just when you think you know you are on the perfect path, think twice and picture a variety of options… because at many times you do not know, you just THINK you know.

Image taken from: http://gailsussmanmiller.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/thinking_about.jpg

Feelings

Feelings, it is so amazing what you are. You are a ticking bomb waiting for a word or an action to occur so you could explode inside our bodies either to evoke a rush of anger or a sprinkle of joy. Sometimes it is neither this nor that and our brains think you’re dead. We do sometimes fear that we have lost our feelings and have become heartless, don’t we? Huh, humans! What do we know? Controlled by our feelings, our feet drag us to where our desires long to be. To what our curiosity longs to explore – sometimes to the future and sometimes back to years and years long forgotten only remembered because of a rush of our feelings. Oh well, humans are indeed so weak.

Feelings O’ feelings, what is it about you that has so much control over us? You have this force that contains us. Our thoughts, beliefs, actions and desires are all under your mercy. Sometimes you frighten us to death because we know you could lead us to hell. Yet, sometimes, we couldn’t describe the glee that fills us when our heartbeats flow slowly at steady tempo, knowing that we’re not broken. What is it about you, you intangible thing?

You are a vague dish with different seasonings. Every bite is a flavor and we just can’t hate you because just when we start despising you, you pinch us with a new reality – one which we love and want. Yes, sometimes it is us who choose what we want to feel. It is not completely out of our control. And here comes a sense of hope, optimism – yet still wowed by the force which overtakes us when controlled by our feelings.

I’m going through a rough day, excuse me if I have totally lost it and made no sense! Moving from the “za7ma” stage (previous post), I now find myself living the “Turning in Circles” stage.

I now leave you with one of my favorite old songs Time After Time (year 1984) but this performance is in 2006:

My life TODAY

My life at the moment is

"ZA7MA"

Za7ma: Arabic term referring to "crowded"

Media Law and Ethics

[ Studying "Law and Ethics" is nonsense because we all lie and we all cheat. If you start denying, you will only prove me right ]

I threw that statement in a moment of anger just because I knew I will have to get up very early each morning to attend this extra boring class (Media Law and Ethics). But now that I am in a good mood, I am rethinking and wondering about what I said.

having given that statement.... to what extent do you think it's true? And to what extent do you think not?

I think that it is essential and vital to study the law and ethics especially if you are entering the media field, but come on, we do all lie and cheat to some extent. (Generally speaking, at least)

Autumn Leaves - Eva Cassidy

One of the best sad songs I ever heard. It really touches the soul with the beauty of its lyrics. At some point, a tear ran down my cheek when I heard it for the first time.

The Lyrics:

The falling leaves drift by my window
The falling leaves of red and gold
I see your lips, the summer kisses
The sunburned hands I used to hold

Since you went away the days grow long
And soon I'll hear old winter's song
But I miss you most of all, my darling
When autumn leaves start to fall

Since you went away the days grow long
And soon I'll hear old winter's song
But I miss you most of all, my darling
When autumn leaves start to fall

I miss you most of all, my darling
When autumn leaves start to fall