this year

This year certainly does not conjure up reflections of Christmases of yore. Packing up the apartment, feeling completely ungrounded and being completely discombobulated is not how it usually happens. I suppose this is part of the beauty of life: the unpredictability. I feel the joy of the season, that giving spark in my soul. Now if I can just remember where I put all those presents I already bought.

holy cute...nephew!

for those who believe that pit bulls are a vicious breed

documentation of slumber or lack there of

Woke up with a start
to a strong nightmare.
Sparks showering down,
Rafters engulfed in a torrent of flame.
Heart pounding like a taiko
and thoughts that you had called.
With observance that everything was calm
Quiet with a winter chill
I climb back in the safety of our bed
Realizing it was just the Earth
raping the Moon.

happiest aunt alive

i became an aunt today.

life is grand.
it's a boy,
and he is gorgeous.
i can't wait to meet him tomorrow.

dancing with polaris

I do not care about celebrities,
I want to dance with the stars in the cosmos.

I do not care about TV families that are famous for pumping out children,
I want to meet my soon-to-be-born nephew.

I do not care about the latest fashion trends,
I want to see a poor child get a warm winter coat.

I do not care about shows that promote plastic surgery as prizes,
I want to know a doctor is working without borders.

I do not want to see women being told they are not good enough by advertisers,
I want to see every young woman find their own unique beauty.

I do not care about true blood,
I want to donate my next pint to save some lives.

I do not care about which celeb has the next chic dog,
I want to donate blankets to a local shelter.

I do not care about what overpaid sports figure is sleeping with which starlet,
I want to see local sports fields being maintained to promote childhood activity.

I do not care about being the first to post about the latest death in the news,
I want to see an elderly person being heard while they tell their life story.

I do not want to get angry about the nonsense,
I want to continue taking action to make a difference.

get off your ass, stop posting on facebook...

...and actually DO something.

As I watch more and more people changing the profile pictures to cartoon characters "to promote awareness of child abuse," "to help end the cycle of abuse" and "to join the fight against child abuse" I find myself getting more irritated.

Awareness is great but how about doing something more than just changing your profile picture and copying-pasting a blurb from the last person's post? How about going out and volunteering a few hours with Big Brothers/Big Sisters or the Boys and Girls Club? How about donating needed items or money to organizations that are helping? How about volunteering at an adolescent/teen shelter? How about becoming a foster parent and giving a loving home to an abused or neglected child?

First start taking action, then post what you are doing. Don't post for the praise and admiration of being a good person, but to encourage others to take action, too. I am sure an abused child does not look at your facebook picture and think, "Wow, that guy posted a picture of Underdog so now my father won't beat me anymore!" When you take action, that same child can believe that there are people that will truly care.

Thanks for hearing me rant. If my anger encourages even one of you, I'd be satisfied.

In gassho,
Melissa

what's it say about me...

...that one of the few Christmas songs I can tolerate is The Kinks Father Christmas? I think I was an English hooligan in a previous life.   



When I was small I believed in Santa Claus
Though I knew it was my dad
And I would hang up my stocking at Christmas
Open my presents and I'd be glad

But the last time I played Father Christmas
I stood outside a department store
A gang of kids came over and mugged me
And knocked my reindeer to the floor

They said:
Father Christmas, give us some money
Don't mess around with those silly toys.
We'll beat you up if you don't hand it over
We want your bread so don't make us annoyed
Give all the toys to the little rich boys

Don't give my brother a Steve Austin outfit
Don't give my sister a cuddly toy
We don't want a jigsaw or monopoly money
We only want the real McCoy

Father Christmas, give us some money
We'll beat you up if you make us annoyed
Father Christmas, give us some money
Don't mess around with those silly toys

But give my daddy a job 'cause he needs one
He's got lots of mouths to feed
But if you've got one, I'll have a machine gun
So I can scare all the kids down the street

Father Christmas, give us some money
We got no time for your silly toys
We'll beat you up if you don't hand it over
We want your bread so don't make us annoyed
Give all the toys to the little rich boys

Have yourself a merry merry Christmas
Have yourself a good time
But remember the kids who got nothin'
While you're drinkin' down your wine

Father Christmas, give us some money
We got no time for your silly toys
Father Christmas, please hand it over
We'll beat you up, so don't make us annoyed

Father Christmas, give us some money
Don't mess around with those silly toys
We'll beat you up if you don't hand it over
We want your bread, so don't make us annoyed
Give all the toys to the little rich boys

baffling

Despite how far technology, knowledge and societies have evolved, we (the collective we) still haven't figured out how to accomplish avoiding war, fixing the economy and ending world hunger.

forecast

I am unseasonably tired
with a chilly front moving in
Waves of exhaustion are expected to enter the area at 3pm and again at 5:30.
Watch out for moments of ambivalence that may occur concurrent with these waves.
Red, dry eyes are not uncommon with such conditions.
When approaching such weather patterns take shelter swiftly and always wear-rubber soled shoes.