And as we get older we tend to downsize, prioritize. Trim the corners of our lives, keeping what’s important and discarding what isn’t. Sometimes we stop needing people in our lives and it isn’t even conscious. No one wakes up in the morning actively thinking “Hmm, I think I’ll stop being friends with so-and-so today.” It just goes out with an empty fizz, like a cigarette hitting the bottom of a Coke can. (via Thought Catalog; Losing a Best Friend) 

Desiderata- Max Ehrmann

A tattoo that I saw reminded me of this poem once again, and it couldn't have come at a better time.

If you really miss me, you come and see me.

I was shooting a scene in my new film, in which I say to Natalie Portman:

“If you miss me. you can’t text, you can’t email, you can’t post it on my Facebook wall. If you really miss me, you come and see me.”
- Ashton Kutcher (No Strings Attached)

Halloween Stitch

Heehee Stitch dressed up for Halloween!

My bro gave it to me and I just realised it is retardedly cute :p

Article 2 is up! :)

This time, my writer's block was horrendously long. This was a really painful article to write. Took me days to finally get something down. Ahhhhh, feels so good to finally see it up on the blog! Go read if you're bored while waiting for your toenails to grow! 

When I close my eyes, it still looks the same to me.

Well I'd never want to see you unhappy

I thought you'd want the same for me

this is best viewed with the heart.

i've been alone all along

and suddenly i see.
whatever has been blurry in the past is so clear now, i think i've been a fool to believe.

i wish you understood.
but love, you don't know me, and you don't know my heart.

---

"Goodbye," he said to the flower.

But she made no answer.

"Goodbye," he said again.

The flower coughed. But it was not because she had a cold.

"I have been silly," she said to him, at last. "I ask your forgiveness. Try to be happy . . ."

He was surprised by this absence of reproaches. He stood there all bewildered, the glass globe held arrested in mid-air. He did not understand this quiet sweetness.

"Of course I love you," the flower said to him. "It is my fault that you have not known it all the while. That is of no importance. But you--you have been just as foolish as I. Try to be happy . . . Let the glass globe be. I don't want it any more."

"But the wind--"

"My cold is not so bad as all that . . . The cool night air will do me good. I am a flower."

"But the animals--"

"Well, I must endure the presence of two or three caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies. It seems that they are very beautiful. And if not the butterflies--and the caterpillars--who will call upon me? You will be far away . . . As for the large animals--I am not at all afraid of any of them. I have my claws."

And, naïvely, she showed her four thorns. Then she added:

"Don't linger like this. You have decided to go away. Now go!"

For she did not want him to see her crying. She was such a proud flower . . .

Paradox of Our Time - George Carlin.

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less.

We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time.

We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less.

We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships.

These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes.

These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.

It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember, spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

---

I remember this passage was shared with me by my brother. I remember reading it, feeling inspired and awed by this crazy wise guy who cracks jokes for a living, but who wrote these lines too:

"We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. "

Fancy that - for one who isn't supposed to take life too seriously, this guy sure seems like he knows what he's talking about. Kinda reminds me of Feste from Twelfth Night. Hmm...

But anyhow, I really like this.

Someone to love, with my life in their hands.

"It has nothing to do with you, Jamie, or what you did," Allie said slowly , carefully picking her way through her own words. "I just don't want to hurt him."

A smile stole across Jamie's face, so completely transforming him that Allie would not have recognised him if she'd seen him on the street.

"Then you're the one."

Allie blinked at him. "The one what?"

"The one who loves more." He moved closer to the desk, and the handcuffs tapped against the metal edge as he inadvertently made gestures. "You know it's never fifty-fifty in a marriage. It's always seventy-thirty, or sixty-forty. Someone falls in love first. Someone puts someone else up on a pedestal. Someone works very hard to keep things rolling smoothly; someone else sails along for the ride."

***

"I'm the one like you," Jamie said. "The one who fell first. The one who would do anything to keep it the way it was at the beginning."


"But you killed her."

Jamie shook his head. "I loved her," he said quietly. "I loved her so much I let her go."

*** ***

Now, to put things into context, Jamie had killed his wife because she asked him to help her die. She was suffering from cancer.

So, I guess the question to ask is no longer, "Would you die for the one you love?" but

"Would you help the one you love die?"

I'm guessing this is a terribly painful choice to have to make, and I sincerely hope that no one ever has to make such a decision. Doesn't it seem like such a terrible thing to do at first? It's a treacherous thought- murdering the one you love. In the past, I'd have questioned this claim, and asked how much do you really love that person if you can end his/her life, despite whatever justification given. I'd have chosen to fight against fate, life, and the odds; just to keep that person by my side. And fight I did, too.

But I'm not so sure of myself this time. Because I realise (and admit now) that I've been selfish, so selfish all along. Love is not keeping someone by your side. It's about respecting that someone's choice even when he wants to leave, and though such a decision may render you completely heartbroken, leaving you in anger for that moment, love forgives. Love is overlooking all the pain and hurt you've suffered, and choosing to see things from the perspective of your loved one. To understand, and to consider their stand fairly. It's not about giving in; it's about giving what's best for that person you love.

Rather than let his wife suffer, he chose, by her request, to let her go (first).

Jamie's wife died, because he killed her. True story.

But what we overlooked was that if he was able to do such a thing for her, he must be dying inside too, slowly but surely. How much would you have to love a person to be able to do something like this for her? It must have been difficult, for Jamie to kill the love of his life; but even more difficult was probably living life after her death, facing condemnation and possibly a life sentence too, for his act of love and mercy. For his gift to her.

Then now I'd say that maybe in this scenario, I would make the choice that would suffer the condemnation of many people too; that maybe I would, like Jamie, choose to let the one I love go, because I know that he will be better off this way. Rather than making him fight against the odds, and suffer while staying by my side, maybe I'd see this choice as the better of two evils. It'd hurt, no doubt, but it would not hurt quite as bad as the latter.

With all that said, at the end of the day, we don't really have the right to judge and say that Jamie did wrong, and that a murder is a murder; do we?

Because we are all murderers, in some way or other.

*** ***

And dammit this feels too right, it's just like deja vu
Me standing here with you

That's My Favorite Piece

There was a couple who had celebrated their golden anniversary with a big party. Presents were exchanged, and congratulations were expressed before they got in their car and drove home.

When they got home the woman made her way into the kitchen. As was her custom, she brewed some tea, and took out a loaf of bread. She had baked one daily for years. She cut off the heel, warmed it, and buttered it for her husband before cutting another slice for herself. Then she served him the warm bread.

Now, this guy who had been married for fifty years loved his wife greatly, but the stress of the day had taken its toll. And he blew up.

He said, "Honey I love you. You know that. But quite frankly this is it. For more years than I can even count, you have baked bread for me every day. But you always give me the heel. You always pass off that crusty piece of bread, that heel on me. I have had it! I won't take it anymore!"

And this is true - she looked at him, blinked back the tears and said, "But honey, that's my favorite piece."

funny, that's my favourite piece too. :)