Sunday, April 14, 2013

Unfinished Business

We all know the phrase.  We find ourselves facing the task.  Whether it be work or something different we know it needs to be done.  But why did we leave it in the first-place?  Was something more important?  Why did this business have to wait when it was so important to begin with?  It strikes a cord with the absurd.  People should never have anything to do with it.  Yet, if you ask somebody if there is something left to finish in life, chances are--there needs to be something done.



It can be very unsettling to think about.  Thoughts of regret may pop up or feelings of unimportance will consume us.  If you stopped then, why think about starting all over again?  It needs to be done!  How can one live with unfinished business?  Certainly the feeling of completion is a relief.  Perhaps it shouldn't have been that way but what other way could there have been?  There is only one way: finish what you started.  Then again, what if you didn't start it?  Maybe someone else put you into a position you didn't want to be in.



It could have been finished... if.  If what?  There can be many reasons you decided to stop.  All sorts of factors could have impeded your progress.  When something can't be done it must be finished later.  That is when you will stop doing what you are doing to start finishing what should have already been done.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Memories Passed

We all like to visit new places.  There is so much to expect and so much excitement waiting for us.  We see new things and take pictures and experience feelings and times never felt before.  The growing anticipation for something new gives us the opportunity to feel refreshed by truly living free.  However, going places never gone before bring about some anxiety as well, because we don't always know what might happen.  That feeling can also add to the fun but people are always drawn to comfort--think about when your plane lands or when you walk through your front door after a vacation.



Speaking of comfort... we all like it.  We enjoy a routine.  We enjoy it so much we create our own, being just a little careful not to sway to far from it; knowing all too well it could lead to a bad day.  No surprise is an unfortunate one because we knew it was going to happen anyway--at least that is how we justify it.  The problem with our routines are that they become boring.  And why wouldn't they?  It is the same thing over and over again!  The same movements and the same repetition; who wouldn't want a new experience?  Events in our life become dull and frankly, tiresome.  "Been there, done that,” people will utter.  Give me something new no matter how frightening, one may think.  Then, of course, this also repeats itself.  Routine for a while, then a brief escape, but only for a short while.  We certainly wouldn't want to leave our comfortable place for a long time.



Or would we?  If we want something truly new and different we leave for a long while.  We say, "goodbye," to ones we used to know and say, "hello," to those we are sure to meet.  While we are gone, time passes.  People forget.  We come in and out of existence while we still are living.  That is, if we ever leave.  One of the best feelings is to visit a place that you had been at for a while and then decided to leave for a while too.  We call it, "going back."  But is it really?  One had been gone so long it certainly doesn't feel that way--it seems new but our memories let us know it isn't.  A return to what once was is certainly different.  Why are things so much smaller?  That is probably because you were just a child then.  I wonder what ever happened to that store and where all the people went?  One may be so detached that the place just, "isn't the same."  So you leave. 



As you look around though you notice and remember certain things.  While the landscape has changed a bit you still hear the same sound and still breathe in that same smell.  It triggers your memory and for a brief moment you may find yourself lost in a dream--something conjured up by your own imagination.  You may even remember things that didn't really happen--or maybe they did--you just chose to remember them differently...for you.  Returning to an old place may be more new than you originally thought, it just depends on how long you've been gone.

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Social Media Matters

Social media is a great way to stay connected to friends and family.  It is also a great way to see what your favorite celebrities and athletes are thinking and talking about.  It can be a great way to meet new people too. Look at all the upside to creating that first account.  Haven't you ever wondered what's going on in the world.  News-feeds are a vital part of social media.  Businesses can gain an advantage by promoting and advertising on social media sites.  Looking for a job, there are sites for that as well.  What can't social media do? 

It can break up families.  It can dissolve a relationship.  It can create social problems.  You may just want to stay home and talk--for now.  The question is: will you let it?  For all of the great things these websites do, there will always be a deviant variable attached to it.  Not because these websites are 'bad'.  But because were humans relate with one another and gossip; connections are made and loss.  This isn't a "drama" issue, this is human nature.  People talk and we all know it.

What motivation would lead somebody to post a pic to a friend in front of hundreds of others?  What incentive does someone expect from mentioning a rumor at your local grocery store?  These are basically the same situation, just played on a different "court" at a different pace.  The faster we are able to interact, the quicker we will enter and exit our places we frequently visit. 



On another note, there are also questions of identity.  We all think about what we want to post.  What type of person are we going to portray?  Will a picture be posted of yourself?  Will it be good enough?  How will people react to something you write?  Do you have an aim?  Will you make people happy or sad?  Perhaps most people don't care one way or the other.  Nevertheless, it all boils down to basic social principals: each and every person will create a different perspective about who you are.  You may have friends who defend your character outside of the cyber-reality you decided to speak on.  Are these character references?  No. They are friends.  All of our intentions are good in nature, but will they be understood?  Does knowledge have anything to do with morals?  Whatever the case, our intentions will continue to be questioned no matter how we communicate.