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Location : Chiang Mai, Thailand
Chiang Mai Daybreak
I woke up too early and can't get back to sleep. Wondering what to do, somehow, Wear Sunscreen came to mind. Of course, with that, Desiderata also followed suit. It's high time I write about these two.
DESIDERATA
A High School Manifesto
As an impressionable teenager back in the day, Desiderata was probably the moral Zeitgeist of the time - at least during my high school days. It was written in 1927 by Max Ehrmann but it wasn't until the 1970s, when it became part of pop culture, when he was identified as the one who wrote it. I lived by it, and I would quote it whenever the need presents itself. Yes, "I am a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars, I have a right to be here."
WEAR SUNSCREEN
Desiderata for the Millenials
Fast-forward to July 2013 when I strayed into Surigao, I met the elite local denizens of the town - the young, upwardly mobile 'it crowd'. One of them, Zati, was raving about the new craze of the time, a hip spoken-word called Wear Sunscreen. It felt like a modern-day version of Desiderata, 70 years earlier.
Gigit '22
The Glass is Half-Full
I'd been around the block long enough to come up with my personal version of Desiderata and Sunscreen. This is all based on whatever knowledge I've accumulated, whatever life experience I've gone through, and of course, my current state of mind and being. I'll call my version, The Glass is Half-Full.
LOVE
Your love for one another is vault-solid? Rubbish! There is no such thing as a vault-solid love. Love is forever fragile...handle it with care and don't take it for granted. Like watering the plants, it's a daily maintainance job...not a trouble-shooting job when it breaks. When kindness is offered, don't say, "Thanks, but I can manage." Make your partner feel needed. Don't be afraid to say, "I love you"..but only if you mean it.
Your love is forever? Rubbish! Love is never forever - it has a shelf life. Love is there because it serves a purpose. When that purpose is met, love fades away. Hopefully, you're not the partner left holding the bag - because it's heart-breaking. Yes, love is finite so while it lasts, make the moments count.
BROKEN HEART
When your heart is broken (trust me, it will inevitably happen), you can take refuge in the bottle, psychedelics or just calcify your heart. But stop for a moment. If you were given a choice to go through life without knowing what it's like to fall in love and have your heart shattered into a million bits, would you choose to deny yourself this powerful human experience? I'm glad you said no. But once is enough.
CAREER
When you're young, fresh out of university, take a corporate job. Most people off the grid will tell you it's a shitty place. They're not lying. Take the job anyway. It's a rite of passage. Deal with the tight deadlines, deal with a stupid boss who gives you stupid tasks, get by-passed for a promotion, get victimized by office politics, deal with unpaid overtimes and lost weekends. Be prepared to be slapped around. When you've had enough, tell your boss she's incompetent. You will be fired, but you'll get a nice severance pay.
Now, you've paid your dues. Leave the job. Nothing hurts after that. Follow your bliss all the way to the end of the rainbow. Three things will happen - 1) you'll make less money, 2) you're happier and 3) you'll never go back (you can't put the genie back in the bottle).
FAMILY
Sometimes, family can be toxic, but you feel stuck. It's an itch you have to keep scratching. Step back, and love them from a distance. Send them birthday cards, but keep your distance. You'll also keep your sanity that way.
To the benevolent few, make sure you invite them for coffee whenever you miss them.
FRIENDS
Friends will wish for your happiness...as long as it does not exceed theirs. In times of trouble, most friends will just stand there, pretend not to see, and do nothing. Some will even betray you. Don't despair, it's human nature. You can be jaded, or you can dust yourself off and move on, being more aware of the energies you allow into your space. And if that doesn't work and the cycle repeats itself, well, that's just life - take it or meditate inside a cave and never come out. Your choice!
But the rare one or two who'll go the distance with you through the gauntlet, go out of your way to make them feel valued. These people are rare and sought after...and they know it!
YOUR CHOICE
While the glass is half-empty, it's also half-full. Both are correct. It's the choice you make.
Ending Thoughts
These spoken words are compelling to live by. But I could imagine, one gets to realize the wisdom of these words when they're not too young anymore - in which case, the words simply become a validation of life. But to the rare few who embrace the insight, it's a headstart by a mile!
Desiderata was written almost 100 years ago, and Wear Sunscreen was written 25 years ago. It was cool during its time, and it's still relevant now. But I wonder if there are any modern-day versions of it in this A.I. | post-Covid | post-Trump time.
If you have a series of powerful life experiences that transformed you, I invite you to create your own and share for the benefit of us willing to learn (add it in the Comment below).
--- Gigit (TheLoneRider)
YOGA by Gigit
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Reader Contributions:
(note: My good friend Jeanne asked her Mom of 92 years of age, to give an inspirational talk about living a long life. Below are highlights of that talk.)
Mama Lily Torrefranca
(Aug 22, 2022) I am Lily Redulla Torrefranca, 92 years old, and mother of Jeanne. I believe that everyone is sent by God to our planet Earth on a special mission. In my case:
Jeanne requested me to give a short inspirational message for you, young people. I'd like to share with you my quick insight about longevity. Long life is elusive to many people. Many have different goals in life, but all have the goal for long life. However, long life is not enough. More than this, the desire to stay healthy and happy.
Interestingly enough, there are many factors which are determinants to a long life. I put them into 9 categories as follows:
Among the 9 categories, 7 depend upon personal choices. Only 2 categories - hereditary and Supreme Power, cannot be under your control. You cannot choose your parents. Your own life begins at conception. God is in control of human life. The bottom line of this message is - you cannot measure a man's life in the number of years he lives. Not how long he lived but how well he lived. Have you done something to help make our world a better place to live in?
Next story:
Movie Review: Vice (2018)
(Aug 27, 2022) Vice is a frightening true story about Dick Cheney's rise to power from a blue-collar high-tension wire worker to the vice presidency of the most powerful country on the planet. Cheney exploited the loopholes in the law that would enable the vice-president with powers unheard of and unused by anyone who preceded him. Hundreds and thousands of lives were collateral damage to his cold-blooded political maneuverings.....more »»
Can A.I. be Sentient?
(Sep 22, 2022) I'd been soaking up talks, podcasts and interviews about A.I. (artificial intelligence). More specifically, I'd been in debates about the Google Lamda conversation with Blake Lemoine (Google's QA on A.I. bias) where Blake was drawn to conclude that Lamda has now become sentient. But is the question even relevant to begin with?....more »»
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