Five Bright Stars to you Sensitive Steve

Five Bright Stars to you Sensitive Steve

One bright star for kindness,

because you guide People

with smiles, and words, showing them a good  way.

the sugar that cannot be in some loved ones

is spreading on your soul

 making you a sweet person.

A bright star to your finest style

dancing around chords and keys

making an audience for the  next movie

sharing the life of a cold country

to warm southern listeners.

A bright star for your compassion

nature salutes you

blooming every season

and offering flavor to your table.

You are an animal’s lover and

 a hands of service volunteer

fragile bodies with strong life experience

thanks you, for one day, one gesture,

 they ask  heavens credit for you.

A bright star for your verbal tone

clear like an October sky in one afternoon

and soft like clouds drawing imaginary pictures

politely answering people’s cell phones

but gently imposing rules.

A bright star for you

who floats scatters address and cell phone

to some are unanimous and future friends

Open like a rose but protected by its thorn

you are dignity  who loves to love

who loves life and the life of others.

Save Money for your Spring Break

Save Money for your Spring Break

Excuses to avoid a cultural trip during the spring break are numerous. Some excuses are traditional, for example, the world globalization; traditional places are boring, and the expensive long trips. Some people declare that because we are living in a globalized world there is no need for traveling. Some argue that the technology can take everyone to endless places using the computer as their way to travel. Yet the computer cannot express the feeling of walking on narrow street in an old city, the smell of fresh bread coming out of a bakery from a traditional family business, or the arts represented in parks, or public museums. Others complain that there is nothing interesting to do on a cultural trip. For example, they say old style cities it is not fun and there is old building everywhere. Young people who live in traditional places are combining old fashioned style and modernity, creating a cultural mix. People, who are thinking about spending their spring break visiting cultural traditional places, should not be afraid of the old nor the modern. The majority of college students mention monetary reasons for not making any cultural trips. A good student always makes plans ahead. Cultural trips can be bought in advance and with that one can save money. Also, accommodations for students have been offered around the world with many options. In the end, excuses are always there. Some students pretend they want to make a cultural trip, perhaps when they express this desire; they are giving an expression of being a person who cares about cultural knowledge. In reality, they just want to be on a cheap cruise, dancing half naked, and getting drunk until they lose their sense of self-pity. Having fun is always good, but it is important to have some cultural knowledge in the head because one day talking will be necessary after the hangover.

Mama don't go, Daddy come home.” John Lennon

                   John Lennon

Not only a shadow follows a person, but their childhood bad memories which usually grow and turn into a trauma in life. Most people prefer to ignore any psychological stress they might have in their childhood. There are some famous people who have suffered some kind of distress, and open to the public pieces of their problems. Years ago, I saw Yoko Ono, John Lennon’s widow, celebrating with her late husband’s fans, his birthday on TV. She reminded all John’s fans about how important it was to celebrate the day that someone was born, and consequently celebrate life. Yoko said that John Lennon had had a difficult childhood and he had suffered this sad feeling for a long time. I always saw John Lennon as an adult. I never thought about him as a child. It is very egocentric to say that, but it is true. Perhaps idols are like that, without personality, or any past before they became famous. It is depressing to admit. Last week, by accident, I had a chance to see a movie about John Lennon’s childhood. This movie was about the time he met Paul McCartney, John’s fellow band member. By that time, Paul was in his early teenage years, and the movie started right after his mother passed away. We, as the audience, never know if the movie reflects reality or not, but I felt so sorry for Paul, and I understood his pain when he wrote “When I find myself in times of trouble Mother Mary comes to me speaking words of wisdom, let it be.” On the other hand, inside John’s family, trouble was there as well. He was living not with his mother, but his aunt. It was very complicated atmosphere because his mother never told the complete true story about why his father had left from John’s life. The movie to continue open little by little fragments of a broken family. When finally John knew all the information about his father, he could put together pieces about his childhood, but the feeling of being rejected and abandoned from both parents, must be something he carries within his shadow. Here is part of John’s Lennon song that reflects his feeling and his pain.

“Mother, you had me but I never had you, 
I wanted you but you didn't want me, 
So I got to tell you, 
Goodbye, goodbye. 
Farther, you left me but I never left you, 
I needed you but you didn't need me, 
So I got to tell you, 
Goodbye, goodbye. 
Children, don't do what I have done, 
I couldn't walk and I tried to run, 
So I got to tell you, 
Goodbye, goodbye. 
Mama don't go, 
Daddy come home.”

Neighbors

Neighbors

“Do to your neighbor, what you would like your neighbor do to you”. For most people who live in communities, knowing something about our neighbor and create a civil communication with them that is very common. Neighbors can be an extension of family, a friend one can ask for help and one to share culture in the case of living in a diverse community. It is easy to think about neighbors in one community, but applying the same rules to our neighboring countries, should not be different. First, people should treat my neighbors as a part of my family or at least part of my relatives; for instance, help each other’s families in case of emergency. It is very important even in case of financial need. For instance, if a neighbor needs to borrow money, and that money will be very difficult to be repaid, even those, neighbors should help each other. It does not matter in what locations they live to be able to receive help. Sometimes, it seems that my neighbor from the North does not need any help, and sometimes it seems my neighbor from South is one always in need. Having rich or poor neighbors should not be the imposition of any distinction between them. One can be rich in money and poor in behavior. Suddenly, these thought reminds me my own neighborhood.

            Another way to be a good neighbor is to feel some confidence in asking for some help. In a small community, friends can borrow some tools to fix their house, ask some ingredients from a family culinary secret in case of a special occasion, or watch over their house in case of an unexpected trip. Treating close neighbors like a friend should be the same for friends who live thousands of miles away. For example, an open front door of a good neighbor’s house is the good way to show friends they are welcome, no matter from where they come, either if they live in the South, or in the North.

            Sharing lives, traditions, and cultures is a very pleasant thing to do with good neighbors. One could get involved into different music styles, learn a few words in some different dialects or languages, and understand the history and geography from neighbor’s background. Once cultures and history could be shared and understood, complaints about any land ownership could disappear. There will be no more adventurous discoverer or destructive invaders. Everyone can enjoy his or hers neighbor’s home town geography. For example, mountains covered by snow will be appreciated in the same way as empty deserts with cactus. It is beautiful to hear my neighbor from the South playing guitars with his or her twelve friends. When they sing, it seems like crying their drama in life. The same beauty I can see from the folk music comes from my neighbor from the North. They play the soft sound of a folk music that probably comes from the mountains. I wonder if the both music styles can get together, the situation would be great!

In sadness, people still need tall walls, wired fences, dense forests, and camouflage clothes to separate what at the beginning was just one big neighborhood community. Accepting different cultures, seeing neighbors as a friend, and treating them like a family could give our community a good example to the future.

Giving Forward

Giving Forward

It is the time of the year that people start to be nicer than usual.  Donations are from all types of citizens on many different types of items. 

Food items for instance:  There many needy families all over; while shopping for your household; please purchase a few items donate to a local food pantry.  This amazing gesture from everyone involved because it will help feed many homeless families during a time that most families will be enjoying time together. 

Donate clothes:   Many people have tons of clothes in their closets that are saving for when they lose weight.  However, those clothes could be useful towards someone now.  There are plenty of people that live on the streets and need fresh clothes to both changes to clean fresh clothes and also to keep warm. Bring those clothes to the local Good Will or the Red Cross and at the same time get a receipt from any local location for accountant and utilize your good gesture as a TAX – Write – off.  Your donations can be beneficial to you and others. 

Bring your donations to your local facilities and assists others during a time of giving; your donations are appreciated!   

Ready,Set,Go

 

Get Ready, Get Set, and Go

I am not a car aficionado but, by osmosis, I have been surrounded by people especially men, who enjoy the gasoline smell. I can classify those men who are and used to be in my life circle as those intrigued by automotive engineer parts, crazy racing car fans, and men devoted to car design.

Observing and learning how car engines work, were my father and father in- law’s way of life. They raised their families by combining necessity and passion. My father loves to rebuild and engineer for economic reasons, and my father in law, fixes people’s cars. Both of them taught me how to appreciate a good hand for service. One taught me how to use stich shift and how to drive uphill, how to stop there, and how to park there. He also shows me how to save money reusing a car’s battery. The other taught me how to clean a tool and how to listen to the engine. I could write a book about those men and their intriguing car garages.

Heritage, and the knowledge about the basics of car mechanics, allowed me to follow my husband’s passion for racing cars. Suddenly, I was learning about Juan Manuel Fangio, Emerson Fittipaldi, the great battle between Nelson Piquet and Nigel Manssel in the 80’s and the legacy of Ayrton Senna, which is the name of one of my nephews .Every time I am bumping into someone who is crazy about Formula One. Some are crazy to following beyond the TV. They go to the races. Others do not have the impetus yet to stand up and actually to the races.

 If we see life as a car, life runs fast as a racing car, and it brought a devoted car design fan into my life. My son knows how the Ferrari 1982 is distinguished from the Ferrari 1984, something that I never knew about. He keeps asking me about car design and manufacturing and if I know how much they cost. I keep saying, “I do not know. “I remember one day, I saw a car that at one time I was interested in, but I could not read the name of the brand. The only thing that caught my attention was the front of the car symbol. It was a small, silver statue of a woman with wings, and her arms were reaching to the sky. I t was a beautiful image that I never forgot, but I did not know about the car. Later my son easily found out which car I was referring about. He said, “Among many cars in the world, why do you have to choose the most expensive to like?”

Being surrounded by car lovers indirectly makes me appreciated these machines that, in my opinion are developed to serve mankind, not to be served. Because I love those crazy, affectionate, and intriguing car fans, I do like cars as well.