Ponderable

After Sandy, the Next Northeaster in Cliffwood Beach, NJ

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I am so happy to be writing this post, happy and blessed.  Happy that I finally got power and heat last night, and internet this morning, and blessed that our home was untouched by the storm.  As I write this post, I feel deeply for those who lost so much and still have no heat, as this new northeaster approaches – snow is already on the ground, and it is very cold outside.

I count my blessings; Sandy was a humbling experience for certain.  Here are a few pictures of some of the damage to my neighborhood in Cliffwood Beach, NJ, which is truly nothing when compared to other nearby towns.

Tree on my neighbor’s home.

Giant pine tree down.

The beach front – tons of debris, a surge at 2.00 am damaged the area.

The boardwalk was cut in half.

Neighbors survey the area the next morning.

Debris

The dunes are gone and the street becomes the beach.

Poles and power lines under water.

Whale Creek overflows, and at one point, meets the ocean and Treasure Lake.  Cliffwood Beach is surrounded by the Raritan Bay, Treasure Lake, and Whale Creek; however, it is set up high, in a small cliff.   Looking through the 2nd floor window, I saw waves were land was supposed to be.

Neighbors come together helping each other.

And this is how I count my blessings.

 

Getting Ready for Hurricane Sandy

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It is Sunday, but the sky is already dark, the wind is picking up, and critters are taking shelter.  Hurricane Sandy is scheduled to hit our area starting Monday night to Tuesday, but I can tell that this is different from last storm, Irene.  Right now, it is very windy and dark.  This storm is different; it is very wide, slow, has powerful winds, and comes with lots of water/rain.  Experts have called it “significant life threatening surge” referring to the waves and possible flooding in low areas.  We are getting ready for the storm since we are in a coastal town – Cliffwood Beach.  Here is how we have prepared so far.

Large windows and glass doors are getting hexed.  The Star of David is a powerful symbol of protection, so why not tape our windows and doors by using it.

The pantry is stocked with necessities and there is extra pet food, litter, cat treats, and extra water. (There is more pet food than human food – LOL)

I cut flowers from the garden to ease the cabin fever blues.

Lanterns, flashlights, laptop, meds, paper for writing, extra batteries, emergency radio … all checked.

I will have plenty of time to start reading this treasure that I obtained recently – The Royal Path to Life – an 1800’s thick volume that is the equivalent to a bible for a happy and productive life, according to the times.  Can’t wait to read this beauty.

 

Because we are a bit worried about this Frankenstorm or Mega storm or The Perfect Storm as the news reports are calling it, we need to have some kind of childish therapy to make us feel a bit better, so we got Glow bracelets to wear.

This morning I went to the beach to take some pictures and video and the wind had made a natural pathway of leaves leading the way.

The sky is getting dark and it is early morning, the winds are picking up.

The birds are trying to land, the wind is a bit strong and they fly very slow.

Sea Foam tries to form.

I hope that the storm weakens and that there is no damage to lives (human/critters) and property.

 

 

 

The Kids and the Seagulls

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Seagulls in Grand Marais

Seagulls in Grand Marais (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you have followed this blog, by now you know that I am an observer of life.  Sometimes, this is not so good as I tend to ponder if there is redemption for the human species.  Some behavior I don’t understand at times.  Over the weekend, my husband and I drove to a spot at the shore where we like to sit and watch the water, seagulls … and sometimes, we drink our coffee there too.  That day, they were just a few people walking along the shoreline – a woman collecting driftwood, a couple walking, and just a few people conversing sitting on a bench nearby.  The boats were sliding beautifully throughout the waters, and tons of seagulls were resting on the sand close to the water.  It was peaceful.  It was a beautiful sight.

Suddenly, I hear the cheerful noise of three kids heading towards the beach.  They were about 9-11 years old, at the most, possibly younger.  They appeared innocently cute, and I was enjoying the sight of their young energy and friendship.  They walked to the beach, and stood a couple of feet away from the seagulls, watching.  It would have made for the composition of a beautiful painting.  Out of the sudden, their behavior changed, and they started running towards the seagulls, startling them, and one of them even throwing rocks or shells at the birds.  And this is the part when I become puzzled, and my heart, that wants to believe that we deserve to be part of this planet, aches because once more, I see that we are a selfish and undeserving species, one that cannot appreciate beauty, and finds entertainment and contentment in destruction.

The kids ran at a distance and headed to climb some rocks, until they disappeared from my horizon.  There were no seagulls, they flew away, scattered, some into the ocean, others landed at a safe distance.  The beauty of the moment was ruined by the future of humanity, and I was left with an aching heart.

 

Don’t Undervalue Your Art

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Mass-produced hamburgers.

Mass-produced hamburgers. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Would you sell your soul for a penny?  I think most of us would answer NO to that question.  To me, Art comes from the soul, whether it is a novel, a painting, a handmade piece.  When an artist creates a piece, he/she pours soul into it.  I wrote artist, because there is a difference between someone making something for commercial purposes, mass-produced, rushed, or repetitive, and someone who pours his/her soul into creating something.  I can see this in the self-publishing industry, were writers are taking advantage of the boom, and writing quantity, many times, priced very low, hoping to get momentum and creating a stream of constant flow of income.  There is nothing wrong with that, if that is what someone wants to do; however, when you love the craft and pour your soul into it, most likely, quantity will not matter.

That is the difference between product and art, the soul’s passion that goes into it.  Of course, eventually, an art piece/novel becomes a product in the market and will generate income, however, for the artist, the rewards go deeper than that.  It is the satisfaction of presenting art to the public, knowing that it is a part of him/her and has been crafted in due time – when it is ready and perfect enough in his/her eyes, to be released.

A hobby can be easily commercialized, mass-produced if you want; art is beyond that, bigger than money, however of value, extending from the inner self of the artist and going as far as it can reach the souls of others, and therefore, not disposable, but becoming immortal in the souls of those who appreciate it.

Ask yourself, am I an artist or a production leader?

 

Dear Child

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Photo by M. Diaz

 

 

Dear Child,

Find me in the stillness of your soul, in the nature of things, their purity, their essence.  Find me in the song of the day, the sounds of a new beginning, the voice of a start as pure as the essence of your soul.  Dear child, find me in the time, the seconds, the hours… find me in the voice of the unknown yet to be revealed.  Find me, but most of all, find yourself, for there I reside.

Where to Go from Now

/ inkspeare / 3 Comments

Where to go from now?  This is a question that many of us ask, as we tend to worry sick about the future – career, finances, relationships …  We make plans, lists, life maps … you name it, in the hopes of being too careful about how we live our lives and plan our future.  We dream of better days, success, and happy lives … and that is good – planning for the future is good; however, we forget about the Now.

It doesn’t matter if you consider yourself a worry wart or  not, we all do it – we lose sleep about the promotion, the query, the bills … however, we forget to live the life that we have been gifted on this day.  Sometimes, it takes an unfortunate event, or a series (in stubborn cases) to make us realize that the important moment is the one that we have been given by our next breath, and the gift of a brand new day.  NOW is what truly matters.  I was having this conversation with one of my sisters and we agreed on how futile it is to sweat the big and small stuff when it hasn’t even showed up.

One of my favorite quotes from the bible Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 reads,

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to
embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.”

I like it because it reminds me of the Now and of the human condition and nature.  In my opinion, this verse “gets us.”  Sometimes, we don’t even understand our purpose under the sun; however, the Now is always there, and all we have to do is live it.

Next time the question “Where to go from now?” pops in your mind (or heart) answer it with a simple NOW.

Creating the Space that You and Only You Need

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English: Reminds me of the book & movie about ...

English: Reminds me of the book & movie about Jonathan Livingston Seagull. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You need space to breathe.  You need space to think clear.  You need space to fuel inspiration.  You need space to unfreeze the soul.  You need space away from the heavy load that your dreams may present at times.  You need space away from them (whomever that might be).  You need space to feel again.  You need space away from the person you have become (and whom you don’t seem to recognize).  You need space to come back.  You need space to exist.  You need space to be.

After reading a very inspiring book, I found myself searching for more.  I enjoyed this book immensely, and got from it much more than I was expecting; however, it puzzled me to the point of wanting to know why I was ready to slap some of these characters, when I could read between the lines of their soul, and all I saw was little bits and pieces of me.  That book touched my soul, deep enough to want to retreat for a few days, in the safe space I needed to create for me and only me – and so I did.  And so I searched.  And so I found.  And so I understood.

Sometimes, it is necessary to stop and look at your current space, abandon it for a while, create a new one where you feel safe enough to meet with yourself, so you can come back, and make the necessary changes – if needed.  The soul needs a nest from time to time, where it can renew, because the journey never ends.

I love books since  I can remember, but I can count with a single hand the books that have touch a chord in my soul throughout my life, and at different stages of it.  When I was a child, “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” by C.S. Lewis left a seed growing in my soul.  When I was a teenager, “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” by Richard Bach gave me wings.  A few weeks ago, “The Grievers” by Marc Schuster gave a piercing jolt to my soul, which sent me back to visit the child and teenager long-lost forgotten.

I don’t know if any other books will talk to my soul as I continue in my journey, but I plan to read tons more, as I’ve always done.  And if there is a time when I need to create the secret space that me and only me needs, I will do so, and I will nest for a while, rest my wings, and let go, so I can come back to my Narnia.

About Isolation and Inspiration

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Namib desert dunes

Namib desert dunes (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Isolation – To cause to be alone or apart … (from the American Heritage Dictionary)

Inspiration – The excitement of the mind or emotions to a high level of feeling or activity … (see American Heritage Dictionary)

When we look at the common definition of these words, it is easy to see the relationship between being isolated and becoming inspired.  One can lead to the next or may cancel the other.

Sometimes, it is necessary to remove yourself from the daily grind for a while and look for solitude, to isolate yourself, to be able to reconnect with the source of inspiration.

Sometimes, too much isolation can kill inspiration.  This happens when isolation has led to boredom or lack of excitement, rendering the mind and soul victims of lethargic existence.

While a dose of separation from the world is good from time to time, an overdose will kill the spirit, which needs a flow of the senses, a flow of ideas, to create and rejoice on its creation/inspiration.

Isolation can fuel inspiration in short doses, but it can kill creativity when it becomes self-imposed for long.  A bit of both is refreshing to the soul.

Have you experience this relationship between the two?  Feel free to relate your writing or artistic experience.

 

Sad Message in a Bottle

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This morning I became irate when I heard a comment from one of the PIX 11 news cast members about a message in a bottle that was found.  The reporter encouraged people to go to the beach and deposit their own messages.  Although she said it  in a casual tone and probably she did not think twice before saying that, I was angry because I expect more from a person who is well-educated and many times, has done a segment on eco-friendly products.  Imagine what would happen if 100 idiots, followed by another 100 morons, decide to do just that?  100 message bottles a day = 36,500 bottles dumped into the ocean yearly.  What would you think of 100 people dumping 100 message bottles in your front door or lawn?  Well, the ocean is home to many species and just because you belong to the human species does not give you the right to trash another species home.

The point of this post is not to ridicule anyone (hence the name of the reporter is not mentioned) but to make you think about how every little step that we take impacts this planet – for better or worse.  A more appropriate comment would have been – “Oh, let’s try not to throw more bottles into the water, send a virtual bottle instead, or next time you are at the beach, why not pick up one bottle and dump it in the trash can.”  Imagine the impact of 100 people doing just that.  However, what is in our hearts, comes out through our mouths, eventually.

We are not perfect, we are human, but we have been given a little gray matter to use it from time to time.  I know that the idea of a message in a bottle has been romanticized, and we humans fall for romance.  I am learning to live more eco conscientious and have much to learn; however it saddens me when I see people who should know better encourage dumb and irresponsible behavior.  Don’t complain when the planet’s resources start lacking or when Mother Nature’s fury unleashes near you – we have created this environment and as we give we get back.

Next time you think is cute to send a message to the other side of the world, think of the possibility that a marine animal may get injured with that same message – not so romantic.

I know that I sound as a preacher, but when I see educated people making these silly and irresponsible statements, which may encourage others to do stupid things , I have to wear my preaching gown.