The American Troops are leaving Iraq- „We’re comming home“! These cries were heard throughout various Tv and radio stations as the news broke. They left as they came- in the dark of the night, days before they were scheduled to leave. As this historic moment takes place I’ve come to ask myself what is going through the heads of these young men. What do they feel? Are they joyous? Are they scared about the future? Did they ask themselves why they were fighting in the first place?
The war has caused some major media storm, it has split a country into pro- and cons- and has laid the foundations for various books and TV documentaries. All the while I think it is important to discuss pros and cons of every affair in today’s politics I’ve been shocked to see so many people condescend the soldiers fighting in this war. Surely, events which occurred in Abu Grahib and Guantanamo are not pleasant; they must be investigated and those responsible convicted- yet what about those thousands of honest men who risk their lives ever day? What did they feel when their own people turned against them?
Some of these men are young boys fresh out of high school who wanted to use their war money to go to college- many of these young, hopeful individuals have died. Sure, maybe they died for a war they weren’t meant to fight- but they did. Shouldn’t we honour their memory by remembering how brave they were instead of condescending them for invading another country?!
We humans have a great way of blaming those who really aren’t responsible- the soldiers didn’t make the decision to invade Iraq by themselves. They were serving their country as it was run by their leader- however qualified or unqualified he may have been. They were fighting for freedom, for the liberation of an oppressed people- and all we can do is harass them from our sofas.
Instead of complaining about their uselessness, maybe we should ask ourselves what we have done to fight for our beliefs. When was the last time you spoke out about injustice? When was the last time you got involved to fight for what you believe? I’m not suggesting that you join the armed forces, but rather you should take a cue from them! They fight for their country, their hope of freedom daily-yet when do we fight? Its time for us civilians to get up from that couch and make a difference. These boys are fighting for us- its time that we fight for ourselves!
No matter what your opinion on this war was, has been, is, we should all salute these brave young men who risk their life in the fight for a free, better world!
Montag, 23. August 2010
Sonntag, 15. August 2010
See no evil?
When we are born, we are born into a world that will shape out personality and our habits. Yet what do we bring into this world? Are we but a mere white sheet which will be splattered with the colours of our experiences or are we already an outline of what will happen?
People say, babies or the purest form of being- they are neither good nor evil. They become what society makes of them. We are what society makes of us. Or is it really that simple? Are we born free of any trace of evil or is there something in us that determins from day 1 who we will be?
Children who bite one another- are they simply a proudct of this world or is there something within them that makes them do things? When people purposefully inflict sadness and pain upon others do they do it because they were shaped into doing so by those around them?
When people say "They were a product of their surroundings" i believe its all talk. Can life really be as easy as saying "blame it on circumstance". We are who we are because we have what we are goign to be deep within ourselves. Surely, what we experience in our lives has some sort of effect on what we become, yet we have everythign we will be in life already within us.
When we are born, we are born with all the assets we will need for the future. Goodness and badness are embedded within ourselves and will surface. Dont blame circumstance, dont blame society- you are who you are.
People say, babies or the purest form of being- they are neither good nor evil. They become what society makes of them. We are what society makes of us. Or is it really that simple? Are we born free of any trace of evil or is there something in us that determins from day 1 who we will be?
Children who bite one another- are they simply a proudct of this world or is there something within them that makes them do things? When people purposefully inflict sadness and pain upon others do they do it because they were shaped into doing so by those around them?
When people say "They were a product of their surroundings" i believe its all talk. Can life really be as easy as saying "blame it on circumstance". We are who we are because we have what we are goign to be deep within ourselves. Surely, what we experience in our lives has some sort of effect on what we become, yet we have everythign we will be in life already within us.
When we are born, we are born with all the assets we will need for the future. Goodness and badness are embedded within ourselves and will surface. Dont blame circumstance, dont blame society- you are who you are.
Sonntag, 8. August 2010
Caricature du jour
Its Monday folks, and its once again time for some thoughts for your week! This week i've dedicated to caricatures- the ones we create of others and of ourselves.
This theme started when i stumbled upon a CV of some one who is campaigning for a seat on a committee this fall. having known this person for quite some time, im pretty abt at telling what her interests are and what her talents are. Under "languages" she listed that she spoke german, english, french and italian. I almost fell off my chair. The only thing the girl knows in french is "merci" and her italian ends somewhere with "espresso" and "pizza frutti di mare". She furthermore listed travel and photography as her hobbies- though i have my doubts about whether you can count the 2 hour drive home as "travel"?! Yet, whos going to contradict her CV? It was then that i started to wonder: When we write things about ourselves how far do we go? Let me be honest with you- i dont really like this girl. Nonetheless, if she had all the talents she lited, id have said nothing. But when people blatently pretend that they ca do things they cant it bothers me. Yet, dont we all do it?
When we write things about ourselves, we tend to exaggerate the positive and tone down the negative. Being good at organizing turns into "planning expert" and restlessness turns into "great motivation". Why do we feel the need to impress people on paper when we know that once they meet us in person, they will likely realize it was bluff? Surely, no one wants to write on their CV "I may be unmotivated at times and between 12 and 3 im not really into hard work" and thats not what im campaigning for. Shouldnt we all be honest with ourselves, first and foremost? Instead of creating these uber images of ourselves, shouldnt we just love the person we are? Worst of all- couldnt we risk loosing ourselves amidst all the images we so carefully create?
Worse than the caricatures we create of ourselves are the caricatures we create of others. They may be people we arent very fond of, they may be our family, they may be our lovers- It continues to baffle me why we insist on making them into something they are not. Shy people thus become "arrogant", funny people become "obscene" and slim people become "anorexic". WHY? Why do we make people into something they aren`t? Maybe its our own securites which force us to find flaws in the people around us to make it more bearable for ourselves. Maybe all we're really trying to do is bring down the people around us because they appear to be doing so much better than ourselves. The grass is always greener on the other side, after all. On the other hand maybe its also envy. We envy the quiet person next to us because we're loud. We envy the funny people because we dont even get the jokes in the morning papers. We envy the skinny ones because for us, standing in front of the mirror is a fight- every day. In order to stop making people into things they're not, we first need to identify why we do so: are we envious or are we simply scared? Are we doing it because we feel of lesser value or because we want what they have?
When we create caricatures of ourselves and of those around us, we ultimately seek to compensate for something. We hide our own insecurities and self-percieved flaws behind images we've build to distract others. The only problem is that these caricatures can fall apart faster than a sandcaslte. If we pretend to be something we're not, it will always come out. It might take years- it may only take a day. At the end of it all, shouldnt we be loved and appreciated for being who we really are and not for something we pretend to be? How can somebody love us if they think we're a spanish opera diva when really we're a music teacher from New Jersey?
We all have strenghts and we all have weaknesses- maybe its time we stopped hiding them and came clean.
This theme started when i stumbled upon a CV of some one who is campaigning for a seat on a committee this fall. having known this person for quite some time, im pretty abt at telling what her interests are and what her talents are. Under "languages" she listed that she spoke german, english, french and italian. I almost fell off my chair. The only thing the girl knows in french is "merci" and her italian ends somewhere with "espresso" and "pizza frutti di mare". She furthermore listed travel and photography as her hobbies- though i have my doubts about whether you can count the 2 hour drive home as "travel"?! Yet, whos going to contradict her CV? It was then that i started to wonder: When we write things about ourselves how far do we go? Let me be honest with you- i dont really like this girl. Nonetheless, if she had all the talents she lited, id have said nothing. But when people blatently pretend that they ca do things they cant it bothers me. Yet, dont we all do it?
When we write things about ourselves, we tend to exaggerate the positive and tone down the negative. Being good at organizing turns into "planning expert" and restlessness turns into "great motivation". Why do we feel the need to impress people on paper when we know that once they meet us in person, they will likely realize it was bluff? Surely, no one wants to write on their CV "I may be unmotivated at times and between 12 and 3 im not really into hard work" and thats not what im campaigning for. Shouldnt we all be honest with ourselves, first and foremost? Instead of creating these uber images of ourselves, shouldnt we just love the person we are? Worst of all- couldnt we risk loosing ourselves amidst all the images we so carefully create?
Worse than the caricatures we create of ourselves are the caricatures we create of others. They may be people we arent very fond of, they may be our family, they may be our lovers- It continues to baffle me why we insist on making them into something they are not. Shy people thus become "arrogant", funny people become "obscene" and slim people become "anorexic". WHY? Why do we make people into something they aren`t? Maybe its our own securites which force us to find flaws in the people around us to make it more bearable for ourselves. Maybe all we're really trying to do is bring down the people around us because they appear to be doing so much better than ourselves. The grass is always greener on the other side, after all. On the other hand maybe its also envy. We envy the quiet person next to us because we're loud. We envy the funny people because we dont even get the jokes in the morning papers. We envy the skinny ones because for us, standing in front of the mirror is a fight- every day. In order to stop making people into things they're not, we first need to identify why we do so: are we envious or are we simply scared? Are we doing it because we feel of lesser value or because we want what they have?
When we create caricatures of ourselves and of those around us, we ultimately seek to compensate for something. We hide our own insecurities and self-percieved flaws behind images we've build to distract others. The only problem is that these caricatures can fall apart faster than a sandcaslte. If we pretend to be something we're not, it will always come out. It might take years- it may only take a day. At the end of it all, shouldnt we be loved and appreciated for being who we really are and not for something we pretend to be? How can somebody love us if they think we're a spanish opera diva when really we're a music teacher from New Jersey?
We all have strenghts and we all have weaknesses- maybe its time we stopped hiding them and came clean.
Montag, 2. August 2010
Around the world in 30 days
Yours truly is back from her holiday and ready to spice up the rest of your summer with some mind dynamite!
Travelling the world is supposed to widen your horizon and to introduce you to various cultural aspects of the place, which you’re visiting. For me, travelling is more than just discovering. Its about immersing yourself in something unknown and to come out of the experience with an open heart and mind.
To my great dismay, many people seem to travel only to criticize. Just recently, I spent my lunch at an Ice Cream parlour in the U.S, only to hear the people behind me (nationality omitted) complain about “all the fat people”. Various studies have shown, that U.S citizens are, infact, heavier built than Europeans. This is no hidden fact, its widely known. So someone explain to me WHY you travel to the U.S and then complain about the fat people there? You’re in an ice cream parlour-you’re bound to run into some heaver people… My day got even weirder when the same people who complained about heavier built individuals ordered a super sundae which is intended for 6 people, at ate it…there were two of them.
There are other moments, like when people travelling to the middle east complain about seeing only veiled women- you knew this before hand! Why do you travel to a place you already have misconceiving about? Sure, sometimes you have to travel to places you’re not fond of- but why discern them immediately?
Throughout my time abroad, there was something, which irked me even more. “Urgh, our steak house at home is so much better!” I detest people who travel only to insist that everything is better at home. Please explain to me why you travel at all if home is so great?!? Sure enough, there are restaurants, which really don’t hit home, such as the “super trendy” steakhouse in New York City that served their filet mignon butterfly style, but there are so many great things to discover while travelling that you turn a blind eye on if you compare everything to home.
Travelling means seeing places- not picking them apart. What’s the point in stepping on the airplane if you’ve shut down your open-mindedness already? At the end its all about being open to new possibilities. Travel means seeing new things or rediscovering things you already knew.
Open your heart, free your mind and discover.
Travelling the world is supposed to widen your horizon and to introduce you to various cultural aspects of the place, which you’re visiting. For me, travelling is more than just discovering. Its about immersing yourself in something unknown and to come out of the experience with an open heart and mind.
To my great dismay, many people seem to travel only to criticize. Just recently, I spent my lunch at an Ice Cream parlour in the U.S, only to hear the people behind me (nationality omitted) complain about “all the fat people”. Various studies have shown, that U.S citizens are, infact, heavier built than Europeans. This is no hidden fact, its widely known. So someone explain to me WHY you travel to the U.S and then complain about the fat people there? You’re in an ice cream parlour-you’re bound to run into some heaver people… My day got even weirder when the same people who complained about heavier built individuals ordered a super sundae which is intended for 6 people, at ate it…there were two of them.
There are other moments, like when people travelling to the middle east complain about seeing only veiled women- you knew this before hand! Why do you travel to a place you already have misconceiving about? Sure, sometimes you have to travel to places you’re not fond of- but why discern them immediately?
Throughout my time abroad, there was something, which irked me even more. “Urgh, our steak house at home is so much better!” I detest people who travel only to insist that everything is better at home. Please explain to me why you travel at all if home is so great?!? Sure enough, there are restaurants, which really don’t hit home, such as the “super trendy” steakhouse in New York City that served their filet mignon butterfly style, but there are so many great things to discover while travelling that you turn a blind eye on if you compare everything to home.
Travelling means seeing places- not picking them apart. What’s the point in stepping on the airplane if you’ve shut down your open-mindedness already? At the end its all about being open to new possibilities. Travel means seeing new things or rediscovering things you already knew.
Open your heart, free your mind and discover.
Dienstag, 8. Juni 2010
Easy way out?
Throughout these past few weeks i've been thinking about the reasons why young people end their lives. Suicide is still such a taboo yet i really wonder why so many youngsters each year make the decision to take their lives?!
Some people say that those who comitt suicide just seek the easy way out because they cant deal with their lives. I severely disagree. Todays world is a tough place be or grow up in. People expect things from you all the time anywhere-and sometimes these expectations are too much to handle. Admit it, even you have been exhausted by people who are constatly in your face, forcing you to do stuff and fullfill expectations you never wanted to fulfill. Some may argue now that "thats life- you're always going to be faced with expectatiosn from people." Yes, i agree life is a set of expectations but shouldnt you be able to chose which expectations you get confronted with?
When you're young you're still finding your place in life and you need guidance and a helping had-yet more often than not these expectatiosn come from people who jst want to force their lifestyle upon your back. Expectations should motivate you to excell and not to hide in your closet and cry your eyes out day in day out. I do believe that you should push yourself but you should never let other push you. Encouragement is great if it comes from the heart and is intended in a warm loving way and not in the cold, "you're not good enough" kinda way.
Some people ask themselves why so many young celebrities in Hollywood take medication and drugs on a regular basis- but i wonder:how can they not? They live such public lives with people constantly criticizing them, commenting on their looks, their acting that it gets hard to know where to turn to! We expect so much from them that we forget that they are just humans. Its us with our craving for Paparazzi shots of Lady GaGa in her newest outfits, of Britney having a melt down or of Paris Hilton without panties who force people to turn to meds to numb the pain.
When faced with high expectations some poeple just turn their backs and do their own thing-which is admirable. Yet there are also those who cant just turn their backs because they want to live up to expectations even if it will break them. We should consider walking in their shoes before we judge them.
So ultimately, ending your own life is never just the easy way out because, prior to doing so, you've gone to hell and back.
Some people say that those who comitt suicide just seek the easy way out because they cant deal with their lives. I severely disagree. Todays world is a tough place be or grow up in. People expect things from you all the time anywhere-and sometimes these expectations are too much to handle. Admit it, even you have been exhausted by people who are constatly in your face, forcing you to do stuff and fullfill expectations you never wanted to fulfill. Some may argue now that "thats life- you're always going to be faced with expectatiosn from people." Yes, i agree life is a set of expectations but shouldnt you be able to chose which expectations you get confronted with?
When you're young you're still finding your place in life and you need guidance and a helping had-yet more often than not these expectatiosn come from people who jst want to force their lifestyle upon your back. Expectations should motivate you to excell and not to hide in your closet and cry your eyes out day in day out. I do believe that you should push yourself but you should never let other push you. Encouragement is great if it comes from the heart and is intended in a warm loving way and not in the cold, "you're not good enough" kinda way.
Some people ask themselves why so many young celebrities in Hollywood take medication and drugs on a regular basis- but i wonder:how can they not? They live such public lives with people constantly criticizing them, commenting on their looks, their acting that it gets hard to know where to turn to! We expect so much from them that we forget that they are just humans. Its us with our craving for Paparazzi shots of Lady GaGa in her newest outfits, of Britney having a melt down or of Paris Hilton without panties who force people to turn to meds to numb the pain.
When faced with high expectations some poeple just turn their backs and do their own thing-which is admirable. Yet there are also those who cant just turn their backs because they want to live up to expectations even if it will break them. We should consider walking in their shoes before we judge them.
So ultimately, ending your own life is never just the easy way out because, prior to doing so, you've gone to hell and back.
Montag, 7. Juni 2010
Judge Betty
Its time for some more monday thoughts!
This weekend i was at a housewarming party of a friend of my sisters. It was your typical mix of PC nerds, stylers and young parents. The night was quite amusing until the talk turned serious- to children. One of these nouveau parents asked my sister, once he learned that she was 33 and had been dating the sam man for almost 4 years, why she didnt have children... Way to kill a party people!!
This is when the inevitable question popped up in my brain- do we have the right to infringe upon others life choices? Are there things people should just do after a certain time and age? Or is this just empty talk by those who have been pressured by society into being a certain way?
Fact is, a woman who says she doesnt have kids or doesnt want kids is regarded as odd! One of my favourite scenes in the new sex and the city movie is when Carrie and Big are asked when they will be having children- and the shock reaction upon their response "it'll just be the two of us!" What is WRONG with it just being the "two of us"?? Whenever people ask a couple why they dont have children they always seem to insinuate that being a couple is not enough- why?
Society dictates that a family is a man, a woman and some children. Yet with time flying by and new ideals forming, what is wrong with a family just being man and woman? Or man and man? Woman and woman? What is wrong with the choice of NOT having children? Funny enough, the question mostly comes from couple who have children themselves-"because children are just such a joy!" How about you enjoy your kids then and leave the rest of us alone? If i were mean id say that they just want to flaunt their success in our faces yet i dont believe its that simple. As i mentioned above, society says that we should procreate and many do- so for them seeing people who freely choose not to is uncomprehensible.
What bothers me though is that we make people feel inadequate because they choose not to procreate. Maybe they cant,maybe they didnt want to raise a child in poverty or maybe they werent sure they'd be good parents- these are all valuable reasons for staying "just the two" yet we constantly condescend couples for it. What about those people who have children just for the sake of child benefit money? Or because with 6 kids they are entitled to a larger flat from social services? Why dont we judge them?
At the end of the day, whether you have children or not is a lifestyle coice you have to make by yourself because noone knows how its like to walk in your shoes. When confronted with the question "why dont you have kids?" maybe its time to smile to yourself and pitty the poor person opposite you who has succumbed to what society has prescribed for him. You should make your own rules in life and even if you're judged for it- stand by your choices and stand proud. This is your life and the choices you make only need to sit well with you.
to all the others: Maybe its time you stop judging...!
This weekend i was at a housewarming party of a friend of my sisters. It was your typical mix of PC nerds, stylers and young parents. The night was quite amusing until the talk turned serious- to children. One of these nouveau parents asked my sister, once he learned that she was 33 and had been dating the sam man for almost 4 years, why she didnt have children... Way to kill a party people!!
This is when the inevitable question popped up in my brain- do we have the right to infringe upon others life choices? Are there things people should just do after a certain time and age? Or is this just empty talk by those who have been pressured by society into being a certain way?
Fact is, a woman who says she doesnt have kids or doesnt want kids is regarded as odd! One of my favourite scenes in the new sex and the city movie is when Carrie and Big are asked when they will be having children- and the shock reaction upon their response "it'll just be the two of us!" What is WRONG with it just being the "two of us"?? Whenever people ask a couple why they dont have children they always seem to insinuate that being a couple is not enough- why?
Society dictates that a family is a man, a woman and some children. Yet with time flying by and new ideals forming, what is wrong with a family just being man and woman? Or man and man? Woman and woman? What is wrong with the choice of NOT having children? Funny enough, the question mostly comes from couple who have children themselves-"because children are just such a joy!" How about you enjoy your kids then and leave the rest of us alone? If i were mean id say that they just want to flaunt their success in our faces yet i dont believe its that simple. As i mentioned above, society says that we should procreate and many do- so for them seeing people who freely choose not to is uncomprehensible.
What bothers me though is that we make people feel inadequate because they choose not to procreate. Maybe they cant,maybe they didnt want to raise a child in poverty or maybe they werent sure they'd be good parents- these are all valuable reasons for staying "just the two" yet we constantly condescend couples for it. What about those people who have children just for the sake of child benefit money? Or because with 6 kids they are entitled to a larger flat from social services? Why dont we judge them?
At the end of the day, whether you have children or not is a lifestyle coice you have to make by yourself because noone knows how its like to walk in your shoes. When confronted with the question "why dont you have kids?" maybe its time to smile to yourself and pitty the poor person opposite you who has succumbed to what society has prescribed for him. You should make your own rules in life and even if you're judged for it- stand by your choices and stand proud. This is your life and the choices you make only need to sit well with you.
to all the others: Maybe its time you stop judging...!
Dienstag, 1. Juni 2010
Home sweet home
Its the start of another busy weeks folks, and as usual im bringing you my thoughts of the week so that you can start off inspired! Although ive previously taken to the theme of "home" id like to look at it again yet from another angle!
What makes a home a good home? When is a home really a HOME and not just a place you spend your days at between work and parties?
When you suffer of homelessness, like moi, you need your home to be a place that looks and feels like you. I for one wnat my home to be warm, cozy and filled with light. Others may want their home to be a stylish designer haven filled with art and crafts and thats amazing too. What a home really needs to be, thus, is a place that makes YOU feel "at home".
However, more than once such a home is hard to find. I cant stand to be at my parents house for more than a couple of hours because not only does the place itsself feel cold and hard, the atmosphere is too. Just like the pale beige sofas will not forgive a wine stain, the people living in it will not forgive the free spirit. Its funny, when living at home you get the impression that your house is the only home you'll ever have yet once you move out you realize all the things wrong with it. Dont get me wrong, i love my parents and i am grateful for the way they raised me, but as im growing up i simply cannot find myself to be drawn to the same "beige and white" household style that they covet. Everything in my appartment screams comfort and coziness- from the sheepskins on my floor to the 3000 pillows and comforters stewn around the place- i want people to feel like they can just fall down and be whoever they are when they're with me.
So maybe thats the secret to your perfect HOME: its the place you create for yourself in between all the deadlines, meetings, lunches, dinners, cocktailparties and disputes: its the place where you can be who you are and say what you want. Its where you can spill wine on the rug without hearing how ungrateful you are and where you can stand gazing at your open fridge for hours (i know you do that too!!) Its the place that you love to come home to because you know its exactly the way you need it to be.
What makes a home a good home? When is a home really a HOME and not just a place you spend your days at between work and parties?
When you suffer of homelessness, like moi, you need your home to be a place that looks and feels like you. I for one wnat my home to be warm, cozy and filled with light. Others may want their home to be a stylish designer haven filled with art and crafts and thats amazing too. What a home really needs to be, thus, is a place that makes YOU feel "at home".
However, more than once such a home is hard to find. I cant stand to be at my parents house for more than a couple of hours because not only does the place itsself feel cold and hard, the atmosphere is too. Just like the pale beige sofas will not forgive a wine stain, the people living in it will not forgive the free spirit. Its funny, when living at home you get the impression that your house is the only home you'll ever have yet once you move out you realize all the things wrong with it. Dont get me wrong, i love my parents and i am grateful for the way they raised me, but as im growing up i simply cannot find myself to be drawn to the same "beige and white" household style that they covet. Everything in my appartment screams comfort and coziness- from the sheepskins on my floor to the 3000 pillows and comforters stewn around the place- i want people to feel like they can just fall down and be whoever they are when they're with me.
So maybe thats the secret to your perfect HOME: its the place you create for yourself in between all the deadlines, meetings, lunches, dinners, cocktailparties and disputes: its the place where you can be who you are and say what you want. Its where you can spill wine on the rug without hearing how ungrateful you are and where you can stand gazing at your open fridge for hours (i know you do that too!!) Its the place that you love to come home to because you know its exactly the way you need it to be.
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