It has been a long day, a long week, a long month, and a very long year. At the same time, this year, this month, this week, and today have zoomed by incredibly fast. Combine the two perspectives and it feels like I have been hit by the proverbial truck. I'm always astounded by the fact that time can pass slowly and quickly concurrently; I'm convinced that somewhere within this particular temporal phenomenon is the secret to time travel. (I have been watching Star Trek Voyager lately... can you tell?)
I am fascinated by time and memory though, I always have been. The whole arrow of time, entropy, the third law of thermodynamics, etc all have a special place in the back of my mind. I've even written a story or two about time, time travel, and the whole space-time continuum thingy.
I am fairly sure that we have all experienced the feeling that some things pass by quickly and other things don't. Ask anyone who is sitting in a dentist's chair how time is passing for them, and I am pretty sure you will get a different answer than that given by someone who is having the time of their life. Is there a real temporal shift going on here, or is it just perspective? The answer may seem obvious, but again, it depends on who you ask. I know people who are convinced that we control the speed of time without being aware of it, and there is no convincing them otherwise.
The reality of all this is that time passes no matter what. We can't change it, stop it, or even turn it around. Everything we experience throughout our lives is coloured by our perspective, even time... or should I say especially time. I have started reading a book and eight hours later realized that it was eight hours later but it felt like only a few minutes had passed. My middle child had to have laser treatment when she was six months old. The actual treatment lasted maybe 30 seconds to a minute, but my heart was breaking as she cried in pain and fear, and it felt like an eternity. I believe that there is a corollary here: The more enjoyable the experience the faster that time flies and the more un-enjoyable the experience the slower that time drags by. I'm sure that someone out there has made a mathematical formula out of this to torture math students with.
Back to the truck I mentioned earlier... We can get the license plate of that truck by simply adjusting our perspective. That's the easy part... saying it, that is... the hard part is doing it. It takes a lot of self control to be in control of time, or our perspective of the passage of time. We can easily make ourselves aware of it, but can we really control how we perceive it? Anyone who has watched a clock knows that just by making yourself aware of the time and counting the minutes along with it will slow the clock right down. If you don't believe me, try it. The second that you start counting the seconds is the point in time at which the universe seems to slow down. Conversely, the moment you lose yourself in an enjoyable activity, time speeds up, and you can't measure it, because again, the moment you do so... well, you get my point.
Speaking about 'time', it is time for me to finish this post. So without further time spent, I will end this in a timely fashion. I hope that you are looking forward to the next time I post. Until then, have a good time, be on time, and take the time to smell the roses. It's high time that more of us did so...
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Time off does not necessarily mean time off...
I've been meaning to update my blog for some time now, and I was looking forward to this week off to do so. I am quickly discovering that I may need a break from my break. The reality is that unless you plan every moment of the day when you are on holiday, life is very unstructured. Now, I am the last person to complain about the lack of structure since I find that flying by the seat of my pants and living life full on is the way to go, and this happens best when I don't actually plan. However, This week is not one that has allowed me to steer my course through it with only my behind to guide me; this week has consisted of doctor's appointments for my daughter and wife, visits to the in-laws, and grocery shopping.
I was very close to going on a school trip to France, but circumstances occurred to make that an impossibility. So, instead, I am changing nappies, feeding babies, and staying up late watching Star Trek Voyager until 0100 in the morning. I don't want to sound like I'm complaining though, because I'm not. I have a chance to support my wife, spend time with my family, and watch old episodes of Star Trek; these are things France would not have given me. I also don't want to complain because most of the working world doesn't get spring break off, and I don't want to come off as a putz.
You have probably figured out that this is one of my blog entries where I ramble. Rambling is good, though. It is very stream of consciousness type stuff and you never really know where it will take you. I knew that I would ramble as I sat down to write this, because I am writing more for the need to do so, than for the need to say something specific.
So, bear with me. This blog entry may not be the best thing that you have read today, this week, this month, or this year, but hopefully, it won't be the worst either.
I have only one and a half days left of spring break. Tomorrow, me and my son are going to the mountains to have some good solid father and son time, and when I get back I will take my daughter out for some daddy daughter time as well. Saturday will see and my wife going on a date, so I guess after all is said and done, France has nothing on my being with my family.
I will get some writing done this week, and I have almost finished this entry, so I guess I am not as far behind the game as I thought. I also made new friends on twitter, and making friends is always a good thing, and I will take friends and family over France any day.
I was very close to going on a school trip to France, but circumstances occurred to make that an impossibility. So, instead, I am changing nappies, feeding babies, and staying up late watching Star Trek Voyager until 0100 in the morning. I don't want to sound like I'm complaining though, because I'm not. I have a chance to support my wife, spend time with my family, and watch old episodes of Star Trek; these are things France would not have given me. I also don't want to complain because most of the working world doesn't get spring break off, and I don't want to come off as a putz.
You have probably figured out that this is one of my blog entries where I ramble. Rambling is good, though. It is very stream of consciousness type stuff and you never really know where it will take you. I knew that I would ramble as I sat down to write this, because I am writing more for the need to do so, than for the need to say something specific.
So, bear with me. This blog entry may not be the best thing that you have read today, this week, this month, or this year, but hopefully, it won't be the worst either.
I have only one and a half days left of spring break. Tomorrow, me and my son are going to the mountains to have some good solid father and son time, and when I get back I will take my daughter out for some daddy daughter time as well. Saturday will see and my wife going on a date, so I guess after all is said and done, France has nothing on my being with my family.
I will get some writing done this week, and I have almost finished this entry, so I guess I am not as far behind the game as I thought. I also made new friends on twitter, and making friends is always a good thing, and I will take friends and family over France any day.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Being lost in a place full of maps...
There are times when being lost is a good thing. When I lived in England, I would often take roads that I had never been on before just to see where they went; I discovered some of the coolest things by doing this. I have done this while traveling in Italy, France, and Germany; I have done it while traveling in Canada and the United States; and I have done it when hiking or climbing in the mountains where I lived when I was younger. I find not knowing where you are to be somewhat exhilerating. The fact is that not knowing where you are leads to new things and new experiences, which makes life that much more pleasurable and happy.
When we define ourselves, if we bother to try, we usually look back at our lives and use our past as a sort of rubric or template by which to base our definition of self upon. In many ways this is normal and natural. Plato believed that we are the sum total of all of our experiences. In other words, we are who we are because of what we have done, or haven't done; because of the choices we have made, or haven't made; and because of the way we have reacted, or have not reacted to the choices that others have made. I have said this before, and it is something that I will say again because I strongly feel that it is true.
However, having said all of this, there are times when being or feeling lost is not what we want to feel, or be, but it is what we are. There are times when the vagaries of the world combine against us and force us out of places we feel comfortable, into places that we don't. Although there may be exhileration connected with discovering that which is new, there can also be sorrow or fear. There are times when not knowing, or seeing the way can be frightening, if not terrifying, and if this happens too often, the feelings associated with things that are new may not be positive or happy.
We all feel like this at times. It's true... we all do. Even those people we look at and think have it all together, even those who seem in control, and even those who we turn to for comfort and guidance have found themselves lost and afraid. It often happens when there are maps and signposts all around, but we have, for some reason, lost the ability to read them clearly. However, the wonderful thing is that these times do pass and we find ourselves again, or we find the joy in being somewhere new, and we move on. It's like traveling through a field of roses. We see the beauty before we enter the field, we experience the thorns while we are within the field, and when we have left and look back, we once more only see the beauty.
Life is good, even when it isn't. This is because, like Bilbo Baggins, we go 'there and back again', and we are never the same person when we return as we were when we left. New places, new things, and new experiences shape us, and grow us, and teach us, and I believe that this is good.
When we define ourselves, if we bother to try, we usually look back at our lives and use our past as a sort of rubric or template by which to base our definition of self upon. In many ways this is normal and natural. Plato believed that we are the sum total of all of our experiences. In other words, we are who we are because of what we have done, or haven't done; because of the choices we have made, or haven't made; and because of the way we have reacted, or have not reacted to the choices that others have made. I have said this before, and it is something that I will say again because I strongly feel that it is true.
However, having said all of this, there are times when being or feeling lost is not what we want to feel, or be, but it is what we are. There are times when the vagaries of the world combine against us and force us out of places we feel comfortable, into places that we don't. Although there may be exhileration connected with discovering that which is new, there can also be sorrow or fear. There are times when not knowing, or seeing the way can be frightening, if not terrifying, and if this happens too often, the feelings associated with things that are new may not be positive or happy.
We all feel like this at times. It's true... we all do. Even those people we look at and think have it all together, even those who seem in control, and even those who we turn to for comfort and guidance have found themselves lost and afraid. It often happens when there are maps and signposts all around, but we have, for some reason, lost the ability to read them clearly. However, the wonderful thing is that these times do pass and we find ourselves again, or we find the joy in being somewhere new, and we move on. It's like traveling through a field of roses. We see the beauty before we enter the field, we experience the thorns while we are within the field, and when we have left and look back, we once more only see the beauty.
Life is good, even when it isn't. This is because, like Bilbo Baggins, we go 'there and back again', and we are never the same person when we return as we were when we left. New places, new things, and new experiences shape us, and grow us, and teach us, and I believe that this is good.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Writing...
One of the primary reasons I started this blog was to discuss matters of writing. I find it interesting that I have posted more entries about non-writing topics than I have actually posted about writing. However, I also believe that any form of writing, be it blogs, novels, short stories, poems, non-fiction, or whatever has a life of its own. That is, it goes in the direction it wants to go in. There have been many times that I have begun writing a post for this blog and what came out was not what I intended, or more accurately, I often sit down without any intentions at all and just wait and see what comes out. Today is no exception. I believe that what we write is what we need to write, even if it is not necessarily what we want to write. When we fight this tendency our writing suffers, or more to the point, our ability to write suffers.
Since I have been involved with tools such as twitter, this blog, etc, I have become even more aware that there is a vast population of writers and would-be writers out there. I always knew that, but now... well, let's just say that I am, as previously stated, even more aware of them... or should I say us...
I have found that, interestingly, many people who write often find it hard to understand those who do not, or cannot write, and it is also very much the other way around. Non-writers don't understand the need that we writers have to write, nor do they understand the feeling writers get when they do write. It is also something that is very hard to explain. In fact, it is much like describing the taste of salt without using the word salt, or salty. The best way to see into a writer's heart, mind and soul is to read what they have written since this is the way that writer's express themselves.
I, like most writers, have always written. I can remember no time in my life when I have not written. A while ago I was looking through some boxes of stuff I have from childhood and I found stories, or ideas for stories that I wrote so many years ago.
The fact that many writers do not publish does not make them any less of a writer than those who do. Some people write solely for the sake of writing, and not for fame, or financial reward... not that there is a lot of that for most writers...
So, those of you who write... keep writing... no matter what. Don't give up because you aren't published, or because no one gets or likes your writing. Write because there is that spark within you that demands to be released. Write because the thought of not writing is unbearable. Write because it is what you do and who you are. Write because of the sheer joy it, and finally, write because the world needs writers... it really does.
Since I have been involved with tools such as twitter, this blog, etc, I have become even more aware that there is a vast population of writers and would-be writers out there. I always knew that, but now... well, let's just say that I am, as previously stated, even more aware of them... or should I say us...
I have found that, interestingly, many people who write often find it hard to understand those who do not, or cannot write, and it is also very much the other way around. Non-writers don't understand the need that we writers have to write, nor do they understand the feeling writers get when they do write. It is also something that is very hard to explain. In fact, it is much like describing the taste of salt without using the word salt, or salty. The best way to see into a writer's heart, mind and soul is to read what they have written since this is the way that writer's express themselves.
I, like most writers, have always written. I can remember no time in my life when I have not written. A while ago I was looking through some boxes of stuff I have from childhood and I found stories, or ideas for stories that I wrote so many years ago.
The fact that many writers do not publish does not make them any less of a writer than those who do. Some people write solely for the sake of writing, and not for fame, or financial reward... not that there is a lot of that for most writers...
So, those of you who write... keep writing... no matter what. Don't give up because you aren't published, or because no one gets or likes your writing. Write because there is that spark within you that demands to be released. Write because the thought of not writing is unbearable. Write because it is what you do and who you are. Write because of the sheer joy it, and finally, write because the world needs writers... it really does.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Ponderings and mental wanderings...
I haven't blogged for a little while, so I thought that I should do so now. It has been a very strange time in the world during the last month. We have had earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, storms all over Europe, a death at the Olympics, and a death in Vancouver while the Olympics were taking place. With all of these sad things occuring, it is good to see that there are many not so sad things taking place as well. It was good to see Canada break two Olympic records. The first, never having won a gold while hosting the Olympics, and second, winning more gold medals than any other country who has ever hosted the Winter Olympics. From famine to feast, so to speak.
I was thinking about the earthquakes, and storms, and deaths; and I realised how blessed I really am. My children have enough food to eat, they have clothes to wear, they have a roof over their heads, they have each other, and they have two parents who really love them. I have a wonderful wife, and again, my children are awesome. I have a roof over my head, a job (for now) that I love, and talents and opportunities galore. Are there things in my life that I wish weren't there? Yes. However, my focus is on what brings me joy and gives me hope, life would be too unbearable otherwise. We all have a measure of both good and bad in our lives, and although that measure is not often very equal, we need to realise that everything is cyclical, and that there will be times that our measure of good will outweigh our share of bad.
Happiness is a choice. Sometimes it is a very difficult choice, but it is still ours to make. It becomes easier when we focus on the things in our lives that are wonderful, joyful, and positive. This doesn't mean we ignore the sad or hurtful things, it just means that we relegate them to the appropriate shelf and deal with them as they deserve, never forgetting the things in our lives that make life worth living.
Exult in all that you love and enjoy, take pride in your accomplishments, and remember that good things will happen, even in the midst of great sorrow. Be happy, no matter what...
I was thinking about the earthquakes, and storms, and deaths; and I realised how blessed I really am. My children have enough food to eat, they have clothes to wear, they have a roof over their heads, they have each other, and they have two parents who really love them. I have a wonderful wife, and again, my children are awesome. I have a roof over my head, a job (for now) that I love, and talents and opportunities galore. Are there things in my life that I wish weren't there? Yes. However, my focus is on what brings me joy and gives me hope, life would be too unbearable otherwise. We all have a measure of both good and bad in our lives, and although that measure is not often very equal, we need to realise that everything is cyclical, and that there will be times that our measure of good will outweigh our share of bad.
Happiness is a choice. Sometimes it is a very difficult choice, but it is still ours to make. It becomes easier when we focus on the things in our lives that are wonderful, joyful, and positive. This doesn't mean we ignore the sad or hurtful things, it just means that we relegate them to the appropriate shelf and deal with them as they deserve, never forgetting the things in our lives that make life worth living.
Exult in all that you love and enjoy, take pride in your accomplishments, and remember that good things will happen, even in the midst of great sorrow. Be happy, no matter what...
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Reading and writing...
My wife gave me a couple of articles to read the other day. One was about having a good relationship between father and son, and the other was about travelling in Turkey. I enjoyed them both, but soon gave up trying to find a connection between the two. I guess it just goes to show how eclectic my wife and I are in what we read.
Anyway, I started thinking about these two articles and then I started thinking about my life. I lived in England for over two years, which means I have a somewhat intimate knowledge of the place, so why haven't I written anything about it? I also remembered that I had the opportunity to spend a lot of one on time with my son over there doing things like swimming lessons, father and son camping trips, etc. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I love my family... very much, and I enjoy and have enjoyed almost every minute we have had together. Every day is a gift as they say, and I don't want to take them for granted, but I digress.
I guess my point is that there is always a connection between every aspect of our lives, and we can find them if we but look. I love to travel. I love my family. Therefore, it stands to reason that I would love to travel with my family. I love to write, I love to travel, I love my family. Therefore it stands to reason that I would love to write about traveling with my family, or that I would love to write about family travel, or that I would love to write about places to travel to. I could go on and on, but the I hope the point that I am trying to make is obvious, and that is, again, that everything we do or experience is connected, if only by experience.
So I have decided to write about my past travels, and about England, Italy, Canada, etc. Sometimes I will write about these things here, other times I will try to publish them wherever I can.
For those of you who regularly follow my blog, (and thank you very much for doing so, and thank you to those who actually click on the follow button on my blog to publicly let me know that you are following) you will notice that there isn't always a rhyme or reason to what I write about, and I don't think that is about to change. I feel that I can express myself much easier if I can express whatever needs to be expressed instead of sticking dogmatically to a particular theme. Having said that, leave comments and let me know if there are things you would like me to write about on the blog, or just leave comments on the blog itself about anything you want. I enjoy reading your comments, and it helps me to know that you are reading and thinking about what I post. I feel a sense of pride and joy when I write, and this blog is a really great venue for doing just that. I would suggest that many of you should start up your own blogs, if you haven't already, and if you do so, let me know and I will happily read and follow yours.
This post has turned into a mishmash of first person and second person narrative, the ideas and thoughts of the moment, and even a bit of pleaing and bargaining. Thanks for staying with me through all of this, and all of the typos, etc. You really are my hero, really...
Anyway, I started thinking about these two articles and then I started thinking about my life. I lived in England for over two years, which means I have a somewhat intimate knowledge of the place, so why haven't I written anything about it? I also remembered that I had the opportunity to spend a lot of one on time with my son over there doing things like swimming lessons, father and son camping trips, etc. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I love my family... very much, and I enjoy and have enjoyed almost every minute we have had together. Every day is a gift as they say, and I don't want to take them for granted, but I digress.
I guess my point is that there is always a connection between every aspect of our lives, and we can find them if we but look. I love to travel. I love my family. Therefore, it stands to reason that I would love to travel with my family. I love to write, I love to travel, I love my family. Therefore it stands to reason that I would love to write about traveling with my family, or that I would love to write about family travel, or that I would love to write about places to travel to. I could go on and on, but the I hope the point that I am trying to make is obvious, and that is, again, that everything we do or experience is connected, if only by experience.
So I have decided to write about my past travels, and about England, Italy, Canada, etc. Sometimes I will write about these things here, other times I will try to publish them wherever I can.
For those of you who regularly follow my blog, (and thank you very much for doing so, and thank you to those who actually click on the follow button on my blog to publicly let me know that you are following) you will notice that there isn't always a rhyme or reason to what I write about, and I don't think that is about to change. I feel that I can express myself much easier if I can express whatever needs to be expressed instead of sticking dogmatically to a particular theme. Having said that, leave comments and let me know if there are things you would like me to write about on the blog, or just leave comments on the blog itself about anything you want. I enjoy reading your comments, and it helps me to know that you are reading and thinking about what I post. I feel a sense of pride and joy when I write, and this blog is a really great venue for doing just that. I would suggest that many of you should start up your own blogs, if you haven't already, and if you do so, let me know and I will happily read and follow yours.
This post has turned into a mishmash of first person and second person narrative, the ideas and thoughts of the moment, and even a bit of pleaing and bargaining. Thanks for staying with me through all of this, and all of the typos, etc. You really are my hero, really...
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
My future as a teacher... An aside...
Today, at 3:00 pm Ted Morton will be releasing the Torie's budget for 2010. There has been a lot of supposition and discussion about the upcoming budget, especially among teachers. I am sure that there are other areas that will be affected by the new budget, but as I am a teacher, and education and teaching are the waters I swim in, I have a special interest in how the budget will affect me and my fellow swimmers.
It has been somewhat frustrating that many of the people I talk to have already supposed that my job is going to be cut from this school, and even though I have been given assurances that nothing has been decided as far as my future here, the fact is, that almost every day someone commiserates with me and tells me to have hope. I wonder if hope is necessary when there is nothing to worry about. One big issue for me in all of this is that I find it difficult to think positively when very few people allow me the opportunity to move through my day without focusing on negative possibilities.
I love teaching, and I really enjoy teaching at this school, and I am very frustrated at the timing of all of this.
Having said all of this, I am trying very hard to be positive and hopeful about next year. In fact, this may most likely be the one and only time that I post my thoughts and feelings on this particular topic. Being positive and hopeful means not complaing, not worrying, not being afraid, and not being negative. Besides, I don't want to spend the majority of my time suffering and worrying about a decision that hasn't been made yet. Having said that, it is only human nature to do so, and it is also natural for those who are not threatened to try to comfort those who are, whether said comfort is asked for or not.
I have a wonderful family. I love my wife very much and she and my children are the greatest source of joy in my life. I am greatly blessed, and I am glad to be able to recognize this. Life is change, good and bad, and the reality is that no matter how much or how little we like it, the future is not written in stone, and that is something to be extremely happy about, really. We make our own futures in response to the things that happen in our lives. We can choose to make a positive future, or we can choose to make a negative one.
Life is like that... and I for one, would not have it any other way.
It has been somewhat frustrating that many of the people I talk to have already supposed that my job is going to be cut from this school, and even though I have been given assurances that nothing has been decided as far as my future here, the fact is, that almost every day someone commiserates with me and tells me to have hope. I wonder if hope is necessary when there is nothing to worry about. One big issue for me in all of this is that I find it difficult to think positively when very few people allow me the opportunity to move through my day without focusing on negative possibilities.
I love teaching, and I really enjoy teaching at this school, and I am very frustrated at the timing of all of this.
Having said all of this, I am trying very hard to be positive and hopeful about next year. In fact, this may most likely be the one and only time that I post my thoughts and feelings on this particular topic. Being positive and hopeful means not complaing, not worrying, not being afraid, and not being negative. Besides, I don't want to spend the majority of my time suffering and worrying about a decision that hasn't been made yet. Having said that, it is only human nature to do so, and it is also natural for those who are not threatened to try to comfort those who are, whether said comfort is asked for or not.
I have a wonderful family. I love my wife very much and she and my children are the greatest source of joy in my life. I am greatly blessed, and I am glad to be able to recognize this. Life is change, good and bad, and the reality is that no matter how much or how little we like it, the future is not written in stone, and that is something to be extremely happy about, really. We make our own futures in response to the things that happen in our lives. We can choose to make a positive future, or we can choose to make a negative one.
Life is like that... and I for one, would not have it any other way.
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