My most sincere apologies for my extended delinquency in posting more content. I have been completely engrossed in research on the topic of procrastination, dilly dallying, and other methods of avoiding what one should be doing. I suppose in actuality I have been distracting myself to avoid most of the holiday goings on which I typically find as annoying as the cold weather that comes around the same time. Now we are just a few hours shy of beginning another year which brings me to the focus of my dread. Designated beginnings and endings are something I'm not exactly fond of because from my perspective it's just a continuation
A quick note from the malcontent:
Happy New Years and what is your resolution for the new year? That is an awful lot of pressure to put on someone. I mean, what if I am still working on the one from 3 years ago or something. Perhaps I have a much larger scope resolution that requires an entire lifetime to complete. Maybe I haven't thought of anything at all because I have been so busy dodging deadlines of various kinds that I forgot to study for this little examination. Let's just stick with the general pleasantries and not cause anyone to have to think about anything as astronomical as "What are you going to change over the next year?". While we are at it, is it really a requirement for it to be happy? I have many friends who seem to prefer to spend their time wallowing in their on misery and self-loathing. Being the self-proclaimed malcontent, I will settle for "Have an not angry New Year".
Back to the regularly scheduled dribble:
Seriously, I have had a wonderful 2010. I have had some major improvements in my health which in itself is enough to have made it a fabulous year. I have also taken up these little excursions into my own thoughts that I have posted here under the guise of writing. I have learned how to be happy again after so much of my life being wasted with hate and bitterness.I was finally after 5 years able to decide on which car I would own next, of course I had to wait for them to make one I liked first. I have made many new friends that will be with me a long time. There were also some less that spectacular moments through the year. The passing of some old friends is always sad. Grief and heartbreak seem to be best dealt with by embracing them rather than resistance so I guess I have learned a lot more about living at the same rate at which life slams into me. Acceptance and forgiveness being 2 things that have a new meaning for me now.
I have no predictions for what 2011 has to bring and really have no desire to speculate on the what ifs that seem to being hovering around. My plan is to focus on being a better me that I was this last year. I have concluded that it is not really an act of conceit to say you are the best, as long as your goal is to be the best you that you can be. I have now chosen to hold all those around me in an esteem equal to that of a hero or movie star in hopes that everyone will make the effort to be a little better and not get discouraged along the way. I definitely plan to allow the inner malcontent to express many things in the coming year since I get a laugh out of it and hope a few others do too. I wish everyone to have the opportunity to be the best they can be for 2011 and thank you for reading my blog.
P.S. Be kind to animals, even human animals but especially the ones we are given the responsibility to watch over. Too many unwanted pets and too many wild animals trying to be kept as pets in this world.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Kindness and Generosity
For a bitterly angry malcontent I have found that one can still be a positive person who is pleasant to be around. I generally try to keep peace in my heart, happiness in my thoughts, kindness in my words and generosity in my actions, when I am dealing directly with people. When I find myself motivated to write, I typically have a burning desire to express what is keeping me from the four things I listed. I am trying to spend a little more time writing with I have these aspects in order. That being said I will now begin with the rant that has been building up for the weekend.
I have a definite problem with people who gather in protest at another person's funeral. Regardless of what the reason this is the one place that someone should never bring anger. I am especially upset about this when the group is organized in the name of their church or religion. There have been many protest taking place at funerals in the last year and it has to end. Protesting someone else's choices in life is a really bad idea at any point as long as it brings no harm to another. Choices are exactly that and nobody should be condemned for them. This last such protest was attempted at the funeral of a woman that had been very public with her personal battles including breast cancer. I didn't bother to try to find out what the issue they were attempting to protest was but I have hope for the group that made a human chain to block them from doing what they intended.
A quote from a favorite movie of mine, Oh Brother Where Art Thou, "Nothing like hard times to flush the chumps". It seems that when unemployment is at it's highest is also when insanity is at it's peak as well. Perhaps the nuts don't act out as much when they are at their job or are too tired to act out. The society is bound to it's black and white thinking and not allowing for many shades of gray. The unwillingness to find a mutually agreeable solution for problems has gotten to the worst it has been that I have knowledge of with the exception of the events leading to the Civil War. I am really sad that groups form at a church and bring hate to others as much as it makes me sad that the poorest people seem to be the most concerned about a tax increase on the wealthiest people. I find a lot of conflict in trying to resolve the differences I am seeing projected these days.
I often wonder how the world would be if everyone spent 1 day a week trying to have the four aspects I mention earlier. After all, it is a choice which attitude one has and attitudes spread like a wild fire. It takes someone willing to let go of their own negativity and to have the inner strength to not be brought down by their surroundings. I understand anger and hate very well, well enough that I try to keep it from taking over my life and causing me to do things I regret. I find I have no regrets when I speak with kindness and act with generosity. Even on the occasion that someone takes advantage of my generosity, I am able to stay focused on where the generosity comes from rather than how it was received. If you can find peace in your heart, the rest is easy to follow through with. Finding peace was a very long road for me but today am can say I know as much about being happy as I do about being angry and the choices involved with both.
I have a definite problem with people who gather in protest at another person's funeral. Regardless of what the reason this is the one place that someone should never bring anger. I am especially upset about this when the group is organized in the name of their church or religion. There have been many protest taking place at funerals in the last year and it has to end. Protesting someone else's choices in life is a really bad idea at any point as long as it brings no harm to another. Choices are exactly that and nobody should be condemned for them. This last such protest was attempted at the funeral of a woman that had been very public with her personal battles including breast cancer. I didn't bother to try to find out what the issue they were attempting to protest was but I have hope for the group that made a human chain to block them from doing what they intended.
A quote from a favorite movie of mine, Oh Brother Where Art Thou, "Nothing like hard times to flush the chumps". It seems that when unemployment is at it's highest is also when insanity is at it's peak as well. Perhaps the nuts don't act out as much when they are at their job or are too tired to act out. The society is bound to it's black and white thinking and not allowing for many shades of gray. The unwillingness to find a mutually agreeable solution for problems has gotten to the worst it has been that I have knowledge of with the exception of the events leading to the Civil War. I am really sad that groups form at a church and bring hate to others as much as it makes me sad that the poorest people seem to be the most concerned about a tax increase on the wealthiest people. I find a lot of conflict in trying to resolve the differences I am seeing projected these days.
I often wonder how the world would be if everyone spent 1 day a week trying to have the four aspects I mention earlier. After all, it is a choice which attitude one has and attitudes spread like a wild fire. It takes someone willing to let go of their own negativity and to have the inner strength to not be brought down by their surroundings. I understand anger and hate very well, well enough that I try to keep it from taking over my life and causing me to do things I regret. I find I have no regrets when I speak with kindness and act with generosity. Even on the occasion that someone takes advantage of my generosity, I am able to stay focused on where the generosity comes from rather than how it was received. If you can find peace in your heart, the rest is easy to follow through with. Finding peace was a very long road for me but today am can say I know as much about being happy as I do about being angry and the choices involved with both.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Big Cats Need Love Too
Now that the secret is out of the bag that I am a sucker when it comes to cats, I should share with you what has become my new obsession. I have been aware that the big cat population around the world has been on the decline for quite some time now. Thanks to a new friend of mine I have been given a little more insight into the issues that lions, tigers, and all the other types of wild cats face. We have a responsibility to not only our planet but to all the occupants on it and we really need to look out for those that are being destroyed by our negligence. My beloved cat, Spike, is related to all the other cats on the planet and because he brings me so much joy I feel it is up to me to try to help his cousins as much as I can.
Domestic cats have adapted well to living with humans be developing a symbiotic relationship. Cats were allowed into the house as a trade of warmth and food in exchange for keeping some of the pest under control. Cats have a way of showing their humor a type of affection that makes them a unique member of the family almost immediately. Cats also are able to provide a lot of entertainment with the various games they like to play whether chasing a string or hide and seek. It is very comforting to have a cat sit in your lap and start purring when you pet them, it gives your actions meaning because of the pleasing response you get.
Big cats are also very playful but they aren't safe to keep as a pet because they are wild and do not share the need for humans in the same way as their indoor cousins. Even the smaller wild cats have a need to live as a wild cat even though some people think they would make a good pet. Bobcats are commonly taken as kittens because they are cute and cuddly as kittens but as they age the wilderness calls and they become a serious danger to their keepers and in many cases become caged or chained in an attempt to control them. Keeping wild animals confined is essentially then same as a person being imprisoned for their beauty. Large cats require a great deal of expense to properly set up a habitat for and to maintain. Even when all of the best preparations are made it is still common for a cat to have health issues as a result of being kept in an unnatural environment.
The world cat population is on the decline for many reasons but one that is the most serious is as the humans use up more resources and continue to overpopulate the planet, we are destroying the homes of numerous species of life in the progress. One thing that sticks in my mind is the plight of the horned toad that used to be very plentiful in Texas which lived on a diet of red ants. As people began to develop neighborhoods they wanted to rid their yards of the red ants due to the uncomfortable experience of the sting. In destroying a large number of red ants, the horned toad population began to dwindle as a result because their food source was removed. This is happening with way too many species and it makes me sad that the worlds population of large cats are down to numbers that can easily be counted. These majestic animals need love as much as the furry little guys we keep in our houses, but they need a different kind of love. The large cats need to be shown the respect to be able to live and prosper in their homes without having to migrate into other area to find food, water and shelter.
The delicate balance of the food chain is teetering on the possibility of collapse. Use of chemicals is destroying bees which we depend on to handle the task of pollinating the plants that we use for food, without bees we become much like the horned toad because even the meat we eat relies on the plants to live. The use of paper is destroying the forest and driving its residents into urban areas where they are considered pest and are subject to some type of control. The development of new neighborhoods is constantly destroying the habitats for many species driving them towards extinction. The food chain is just that, in order for us to live we require a very complex system of other forms of life to sustain us. This makes it increasingly important for us to help the other species survive otherwise will can will this planet to the cock roaches that will be here to clean up after us.
I ask you to think about the things you do with consideration to how it impacts other lives, not just the humans. We consider ourselves the keepers of this planet and it is too late in most cases for us to make a difference but we really must try now to save what we can. Their future is our future.
Domestic cats have adapted well to living with humans be developing a symbiotic relationship. Cats were allowed into the house as a trade of warmth and food in exchange for keeping some of the pest under control. Cats have a way of showing their humor a type of affection that makes them a unique member of the family almost immediately. Cats also are able to provide a lot of entertainment with the various games they like to play whether chasing a string or hide and seek. It is very comforting to have a cat sit in your lap and start purring when you pet them, it gives your actions meaning because of the pleasing response you get.
Big cats are also very playful but they aren't safe to keep as a pet because they are wild and do not share the need for humans in the same way as their indoor cousins. Even the smaller wild cats have a need to live as a wild cat even though some people think they would make a good pet. Bobcats are commonly taken as kittens because they are cute and cuddly as kittens but as they age the wilderness calls and they become a serious danger to their keepers and in many cases become caged or chained in an attempt to control them. Keeping wild animals confined is essentially then same as a person being imprisoned for their beauty. Large cats require a great deal of expense to properly set up a habitat for and to maintain. Even when all of the best preparations are made it is still common for a cat to have health issues as a result of being kept in an unnatural environment.
The world cat population is on the decline for many reasons but one that is the most serious is as the humans use up more resources and continue to overpopulate the planet, we are destroying the homes of numerous species of life in the progress. One thing that sticks in my mind is the plight of the horned toad that used to be very plentiful in Texas which lived on a diet of red ants. As people began to develop neighborhoods they wanted to rid their yards of the red ants due to the uncomfortable experience of the sting. In destroying a large number of red ants, the horned toad population began to dwindle as a result because their food source was removed. This is happening with way too many species and it makes me sad that the worlds population of large cats are down to numbers that can easily be counted. These majestic animals need love as much as the furry little guys we keep in our houses, but they need a different kind of love. The large cats need to be shown the respect to be able to live and prosper in their homes without having to migrate into other area to find food, water and shelter.
The delicate balance of the food chain is teetering on the possibility of collapse. Use of chemicals is destroying bees which we depend on to handle the task of pollinating the plants that we use for food, without bees we become much like the horned toad because even the meat we eat relies on the plants to live. The use of paper is destroying the forest and driving its residents into urban areas where they are considered pest and are subject to some type of control. The development of new neighborhoods is constantly destroying the habitats for many species driving them towards extinction. The food chain is just that, in order for us to live we require a very complex system of other forms of life to sustain us. This makes it increasingly important for us to help the other species survive otherwise will can will this planet to the cock roaches that will be here to clean up after us.
I ask you to think about the things you do with consideration to how it impacts other lives, not just the humans. We consider ourselves the keepers of this planet and it is too late in most cases for us to make a difference but we really must try now to save what we can. Their future is our future.
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