All journeys must come to an end, and, as it happens, this is the end of my blog. I am moving on to a new chapter in the book I call life (both literally and figuratively) and I will be unable to continue writing for the Oakland Press.

I started writing this blog roughly two years ago with the simple intention of opening up a line of communication. I wanted to share, with those who wanted to hear, my thoughts and perceptions on a few matters. Some articles were deeper or more profound than others; but, like all things, there will always be fluctuation in both depth and quality. I thank all of those who took the time to read my writing, especially those of you who responded with open minds. Most of the material came from a deep place within me, sometimes inspired by the day's events or occurrences, others by random thoughts on particular subjects rolling through my mind; and, of course, there were the times where I had five minutes left in the night before there was a deadline for posting so I rushed one in (those too were just as fun). For those who were offended, put off or simply found my work "pathetic" I really don't know why you bothered reading. Clearly there was something you got out of the blog or something you got off on; whether it was a feed to your addiction to drama or some other self serving unconscious factor. But, either way, I'm glad I was there for you too.

It's amazing to look back and see the ripples you've left in your wake. While not always seen as the best, my intentions were certainly to share what I feel and know to be truth and honesty; hoping to open people up or even confirm something they have felt within. While not all tides will clash together, I for one am glad to have had the impact I did, big or small.

Thank you Oakland Press and thank you Readers for your support!

Good Bye

Peace Out

Ciao

Au Revoir

Sayonara

And…

再见！（zai jian）

 

Stagnation affects us all at one point or another; there are many causes for this murky feeling. The world around you may insist that stagnation is just fine because it is both safe and comfortable, but deep within you feel an urge or desire to free yourself from the shackles of laziness. Strangely, however, it may feel as if cannot change that notion of "I want" to "I will". Thankfully, it is indeed possible to make this shift and quite simple. Often it only takes a step forward in the direction of action; other times you may have to find motivation to obtain that kick-start. One of the first things to notice is your mental dialogue. Are you constantly reminding yourself of the things you want or are you working towards the things you want? Are the majority of things you want indulgences or are they of higher value and service towards a better life? I ask the later because craving after a new TV, automobile, cell phone, and the like are likely to only create more of the same feeling.

Changing our mode of being to a state of "I will" is truly empowering. You may not be able to fulfill every desire that comes to mind, but you will become far more independent and self reliant. And while there are plenty of people to drag you down, call you narcissistic or claim that you are selfish, fear not, they are only barking at objects foreign to their thought process. As a great professor once said to me "People on Earth will always to drag the man flying into space back onto their level; they simply don't understand anything else".

It's a difficult task to stay neutral in the conversation of religion. There's simply too much to talk about with lots of fuel to feed the fire. This topic can be compared to an electronics shop with many beautiful models on display. To the left are the Mac's, to the right are the PC's and somewhere in the back are all of the old models which are looked upon as old garbage with laughable functionality. However, in just a few short years all that is on display now will be seen as outdated and the people will wonder just how they were able to live under such "barbaric" standards.

One would think that in this day and age the general human populace would have the insight to see and understand this process; yet, laughably, most humans are just as stuck in their beliefs now as they were four thousand years ago. People truly feel that their particular "higher authority" is the one true higher authority and all others are laughably false.

The truth is: your upbringing, social settings and trials and errors are what determine your beliefs. If you were born into a brothel, brought up by prostitutes and told that sluttin' it up was the way into heaven, chances are high your "good book" would be the Hooker's Handout Guide. So, before heading out into the world and screaming damnation upon those who seem different, take a good look at the origin of your beliefs and see what rehashed material it spawned from. You might find that those crazy Pagans and their wild, white haired, jealous god Zeus has more in common with good ol' JC and the big guy than you imagine.

The average person encounters thousands of individuals on a daily basis. Within the short lifespan of these brief relationships little more than a glance will be exchanged. Yet, a glance on its own is powerful. It can brighten a dreary day and it can put a thorn in an otherwise pleasant afternoon. People rarely think about their importance in regards to those they share the world with. Somewhere along time people began to feel isolated and alone. However, this general feeling has not changed the symbiotic nature that we live in; it has only changed the daily interactions between people. If you take a look, a good look, at those who have impacted your life you will see that their intention was most likely not to make a mark in your history, but that they were simply acting as they do, going about being who they were. This is important to know because if we begin to notice our interactions with others and thus choose consciously our actions (more so than we did prior) we can begin to create a world that reflects more of a heaven than a hell.

Yes, one's inner frame of mind does indeed lay the foundations for our morality, our sense purpose; in fact all of the actions in our lives. This is the very essence of free will and inner reflection; it allows for us to choose what we do in this life and so gives us the option of making better choices as we evolve along our journey. The question is: What sort of ripples do you wish to make in this pond we all share?

 

Throughout history, humans have found ways to cover up their insecurities; some have been clever while others are downright pathetic. No excuse, however, has been more overused than that of religion. People cling to it like the saviors they read about, as if the religion itself were a self feeding autonomous being pulling the strings in their life. I do indeed see the beauty that springs from religion (or at least the origin of most religions). They seem to come from a desire to explain a connection that is truly unfathomable to human mind. Religion can give hope, it can give insight and it can offer guidance to those who feel lost. Sadly, however, religion's largest use has been that of a weapon, which is ironic due to the preachings of peace and love. Speaking specifically (though this applies to many other religions) about Christianity, people refer to the bible as their guidelines for moral fiber and even mental strength. The implication is that God wrote the bible for this purpose (and that humans are naturally empty of morality) and we should all refer to its pages to discover this lost treasure. Those who do not are lost souls dangled by Satan himself. Personally, this aspect alone seems like the biggest Ponzy scam ever created, but aside from that religion, in any form, is a tool. Use it to better who you are within, not to judge other people to make yourself feel better for your shortcomings. If all that comes from the "Almighty" designer is a world ruled by the wicked, I'd say the programmer made the mistake and should have done a better job. This, of course, is silly, as it is your responsibility (within) to be a good person and to make your own damn decisions in your life.

(It cannot be both "all part of His plan" and we "all have free will" at the same time.)

There is a common notion amongst people that true change is impossible. One often hears of this in terms of relationships; whether family, friend or lover. This concept just simply is not true. Change is quite possible. Those who need it most are, in many ways, seeking for a way to change. Because of the way we live and way we've grown up we are encouraged to look outside of ourselves for responsibility and place blame on those we deem our enemies. However, looking within instantly sparks the process for change and continuous introspection can and will alter a life course in ways the mind can only begin to imagine. This is not to suggest that people undergo years of abuse by the hands of someone close; I certainly am not suggesting anyone try to change another person. The greatest catalysts for change are changes in environment (it's hard to see light in murky waters), inspiration (knowing others have done it can light a big fire) and support (having loved ones there for you nourishes change like nothing else). Remember that it is rarely, if ever, too late for change. After all, our world survives by this very act.

Little else spreads as quickly as does bad information. Founded in fact or fiction, hearsay seems to spread at the speed of sound, even before spoken. Oddly, the more incorrect the information the quicker it seems to spread. What is worse is that people base much of their decision making off this sort of information. An example of this would be a woman I recently chatted with. We were unacquainted thirty minutes prior to this conversation, but in the midst of our chat she rather frankly stated "Oh, I am afraid of Oriental people. They scare me." My eyebrows raised and my head slumped ever-so-slightly as I wondered what on Earth could be the origin of such ignorance. However, as she began to describe these "Orientals" I began to form a clearer picture of why such stupidity flowed from her mouth. These "scary" Orientals paraded through the desert, wore turbans, carried curved swords, yelled "Allahu Akbar", and were, of course, responsible for 9/11… those silly "Oriental" folk just can't get a break.

Of course, any semi intelligent being will realize that it was not Oriental people but a very general Middle Eastern stereotype that scared this woman. However, while this seems like an extreme case of ignorance, it is, in fact, quite common. People are often afraid of what they don't know. And rather than finding out the truth many continue on with their assumptions and ignorance as if it will one day give them the upper hand in life. And while it seems safe to say that "if it weren't true there would be no stereotype, it is important to remember that these caricature images held in our heads are based off of poor observations of individuals; and while a group of individuals may share similar behavioral patterns or physical traits, to dehumanize people based on such a poor assumption only leads to the degradation of your own quality of life.