"Little Wonders" (Rob Thomas song & video!)

I just wanted to share this with you guys, in case you need a great song or a good laugh or smile.
This is one of the all-time greatest songs, and if you've never heard Rob Thomas talking about what his songs are about, then you're missing out! Whether or not you're a fan of his, this is one of those songs that can always make you feel good :) And his live performances are wonderful. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRngvVuTT5s
(You've gotta copy & paste the link, but it's worth it, & sometimes old school is cool)

G-d and Time

I have heard that a kind word can mean so much; sometimes, it's true.
And they say that only time will tell, but how do I learn to hear her?
For lo, she speaks within me, through my actions and my thoughts, laid out upon a dusty line.
And through my changing countenance, changing body, growing mind.
But also she resides outside, changing people, buildings, Earth.
Through ever-changing space she flies, taking me with her; I cannot let go or change her course. Or can I?
And for all who say you must be strong, beautiful, charismatic to stand out in life,
I'd say that she is all these things, just not in the way you might think.

Perhaps she is G-d's prized creation, or even part of G-d Herself.
I cannot separate the two, though G-d is much more than just this dimension.
But each second that passes has a spark of holiness, a bit of magic, as it was and now is not...but yet still is.
Just as Hashem once said, "I will be what I am becoming".
So too, the essence of time: perhaps G-d's essence is like pixie dust within it.
If it doesn't stand the test of time, it will fall, crumble, dissolve; but who's to say that time has this power? Could it be our own lack of power instead?

The truth I believe only G-d knows, but we cannot know it all.
For if we did, we would be as G-d, and G-d is one, yet infinitely unknowable.

I love my car

I love my car.
Some would say, this cannot be,
For feelings are reserved for life alone.
Really?
Perhaps feelings have more to do
With actions and connections,
Whether or not the other breathes
Or enjoys a nice meal of gasoline:
Love is blind to trifles like these.

I love my car,
Not for its speed, but for its
Steadfast loyalty, for all the times
We spent in song, for the
Times I cried and it was there,
My head buried against his side,
Tears streaming down the well-worn cloth.
He never once thought to drive away,
For he could not move; but here, I was safe.

A good friend listens, hesitates to judge,
Because there is much she cannot know.
And every person is beautiful, hiding much
But striving to let it go.
My car knows this instinctively,
Or should I say, fails to overthink,
As many of us, blessed with human minds,
Often struggle with thought, act like fools,
Or leave.

I love my car, not as human love,
But as love for something innately real,
A friend who never thinks too much
But waits for me, no matter what life brings.


*Side note:* My car has twice saved my life from really serious car accidents that didn't happen because he listened to my hands and felt the road and a way out. We can all learn from him, even though he is not alive in the sense we normally think of. He reminds me of the Tin Man, though you guys are free to make your own comparisons!

The Journey

The theme of American Idol this week was...INSPIRATIONAL SONGS! So, I suddenly felt inspired to write an inspirational poem. What a show, such a great influence, as are those brave musicians on it ;)
---

"The Journey"

If life was just one long smooth road
The journey would be easy.
We'd never have to shed a tear
Nor stumble over broken glass.
The night itself would never come,
Our life played out in one long day.
No sudden turns along the way,
No falls in holes,
No walls to climb.

A life like this might seem ideal
But like a book, each page the same.
And challenges, though not always fair,
Are driven by the winds of change.
Each turn and twist along the way
Gives life its sense of meaning.
And the obstacles we all must face
Unite us, and
Define our being.

Technology, Dogs, Cashiers, and You!

So, technology is the wave of the future, no? Well, hopefully they didn't mean this too literally, as in wiping out all of humanity in one massive tidal wave of high tech products. Don't worry, it hasn't reached nearly this level yet, but I can just imagine the headlines: "Want a dog? How bout one who doesn't pee, poop, jump on furniture, or need to be walked twice a day. Just select size, gender, personality, and type, and Fido will be at your door by tomorrow morning. Batteries not included." Oho, but I'm only talking about dogs, you say, what about people? What do dogs have to do with me?

Well, let's swap out "dog" for "grocery store cashier". Want a cashier who doesn't pee, poop, jump on furniture (eh, ok, maybe some do, you never know), require a paycheck, or need a lunch break? Then our computerized cashier is for you, no batteries required, no money needed, one more human out of a job. Seriously, this is already happening. Remember those automatic checkout lines in the grocery store? Those annoying computerized voices that are either way too loud, in another language, or just too darn demanding? "Please place the item in the bag." "Please place the item in the bag." "Please see the cashier, you are being too difficult for my computerized brain." AAAAAHHH, darn computer, what if I just didn't want a stupid bag? What if I wanted to save the environment? Do you even care? Heck, do you even know what food is? Besides credit cards?

It drives me crazy that computers are taking people's jobs and taking away the chance for a normal, friendly conversation and interpersonal relations. Not that kind, sheesh, I just mean a normal HUMAN interaction. Just a few weeks ago, my favorite movie store announced it was soon closing its doors. Several people out of work and the rest of us out of luck. Know what's gonna show up next? A Blockbuster DVD Kiosk, or else a Red Box, all electronic, no humans required. Heck, if I had wanted to talk to a machine, I would have ordered Netflix. Nothing wrong with Netflix, but let the computers stay computers, not trying to function like portable people. Especially in an age when people really need their jobs. But at least some stores, like Publix, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's are standing up for their employees. By keeping their store management and employees human...unless they've partaken of the newest wave of life-like robots. Uh oh, here we go again.

A beam of light

A beam of light falls down a tree
And rests on branches, leaves now golden.
This beam has friends, a sheet of light
In which it lives and becomes one.
Or perhaps the beam is very large
And sits alone upon that tree
So life and light together
Keep each other friendly company.
Whichever may be true, who knows, but there is more to teach.
Don't overlook the light within and keep a friend in reach.

If Time Is Life

If time is life, is life merely time?
A day is just a day, no matter how you paint it
--But no two paintings are alike.
Does time have character?
Can it change and evolve?
And just because our existence is confined to a time-line, both
Personal and historical, does this mean we are
Mere dots in the ever-evolving trajectory of time?
We can follow a point (or sphere) on its path, and see a life unfold in time.
Yet time cannot contain it fully,
For a living spirit knows no bounds, no space or time,
Only its eternal G-dly essence.
The lesson here is clear: we must not focus on just mere theory.
Objective points move on a line, their disappearance in time ends their story.
But are they truly ever gone, for the line in which they arose is eternal...
And all these lines and points and time, these alone are not life's true spirit.
To understand what life really is, well, you must go and live it!

Spring

A flower blooms a silent song of love,
And high above, a cardinal sings,
A squirrel flits,
A tree smiles.
But beyond it all, the sun looks on
And winks through clouds
Dancing on windows.
I feel the life around me
Moving, smiling, dancing, living.
If the world can light up with a smile,
then so can I -- look, I'm grinning!