Recently, I've been noticing how much people change; often within a matter of minutes. It could be that it's dependent on who we're with, how we're feeling, where we are. But sometimes, spending a full day with one person can feel like a a few hours with a few different people.
People are constantly branded 'fake' or find themselves victim to accusations of not being themselves. But, I've started to notice, myself, that people do change; everybody changes from time to time. I change. We aren't all one persona. And as we grow up, we realise that we have to act differently in different situations with different people and approach different things in certain ways.
I look at it as each of us having two personalities; we are two people. There's the person we want to be and the person that we think 'they' want us to be. So, yes, we are acting, but we do it so we fit in and so we feel comfortable. Is that really a bad thing?
Saturday 31 December 2011
Wednesday 28 December 2011
Just a few keepers
As I looked around my bedroom, I realised it was unsuccessful in portraying my age. I'd struggle to pinpoint why and what exactly made me think this, but I felt like I had grown up whilst my bedroom stayed in it's 6 years ago state. I'm not sure if state's the right word, because it wasn't so much of a mess, it's just the fact that every space, or empty place on a shelf, was occupied by something I probably didn't need.
So I began to have a 'quick' tidy up last night, whilst mum and dad watched some morbid drama on the tv. For saying that was on for 90 minutes, and I began to tidy before it started, and finished whilst the next programme was on, it wasn't so much of a quick tidy!
My tidy turned in to a mass clear-out. My tidy resulted in 5 rubbish bags and endless amounts of charity bags and my room looks just about like my room does whilst I'm away at uni; it's tidy and semi-empty, except I'm living in it.
I had to be ruthless but it was hard. To anybody else, half of the stuff were pointless teddies or useless notebooks, but to me they all had a meaning or place. Each thing was a gift from a special person, or something I'd bought from somewhere as a souvenir. And it might be that that person has died and I'll never receive something from them again. And, that place which i remembered with the notebook may no longer exist, or I'll never get the chance to go there again.
But, at the end of the day, most of the things were unused dust-collectors and my bedroom had to grow up with me.
So after 2 hours, there's me, my bed and a just a few keepers.
So I began to have a 'quick' tidy up last night, whilst mum and dad watched some morbid drama on the tv. For saying that was on for 90 minutes, and I began to tidy before it started, and finished whilst the next programme was on, it wasn't so much of a quick tidy!
My tidy turned in to a mass clear-out. My tidy resulted in 5 rubbish bags and endless amounts of charity bags and my room looks just about like my room does whilst I'm away at uni; it's tidy and semi-empty, except I'm living in it.
I had to be ruthless but it was hard. To anybody else, half of the stuff were pointless teddies or useless notebooks, but to me they all had a meaning or place. Each thing was a gift from a special person, or something I'd bought from somewhere as a souvenir. And it might be that that person has died and I'll never receive something from them again. And, that place which i remembered with the notebook may no longer exist, or I'll never get the chance to go there again.
But, at the end of the day, most of the things were unused dust-collectors and my bedroom had to grow up with me.
So after 2 hours, there's me, my bed and a just a few keepers.
Monday 26 December 2011
Season's Greetings.
Christmas is a funny one. We class it as one day, despite the endless weeks of preparation, stress and expense. It'd be silly to say Christmas began at 1 minute past midnight, the day after christmas eve.
I'd say Christmas was more of a season which begins start-mid November and ends around New Year. Christmas Day is purely the day whereby everything we have done beforehand becomes pointless (wrapping the presents, sealing the cards, etc.) but the day wouldn't be 'the day' without it. It's weird to think of it like this, but it's true! We 'unwrap' everything - it's the day of unveiling.
I'm still not quite sure what we are celebrating at Christmas. Of course, it's all supposed to be about Jesus, but it's more about the food, alcohol and presents to most people. An excuse to get drunk and play Twister. But I can't help but look at Christmas as a year target; we seem to work all year towards Christmas. We save up money throughout the year and we buy little things along the way, throughout the Summer and in to Winter, before we hit December and we panic buy!
Christmas, for me, is like the finale of the year. New Year is just an excuse to be lairy.
I'd say Christmas was more of a season which begins start-mid November and ends around New Year. Christmas Day is purely the day whereby everything we have done beforehand becomes pointless (wrapping the presents, sealing the cards, etc.) but the day wouldn't be 'the day' without it. It's weird to think of it like this, but it's true! We 'unwrap' everything - it's the day of unveiling.
I'm still not quite sure what we are celebrating at Christmas. Of course, it's all supposed to be about Jesus, but it's more about the food, alcohol and presents to most people. An excuse to get drunk and play Twister. But I can't help but look at Christmas as a year target; we seem to work all year towards Christmas. We save up money throughout the year and we buy little things along the way, throughout the Summer and in to Winter, before we hit December and we panic buy!
Christmas, for me, is like the finale of the year. New Year is just an excuse to be lairy.
Friday 23 December 2011
Christmas is CANCELLED
The world scares me; it's a big, bad place and, if we spend our time watching the news, we're led to believe it's full of big, bad people.
Studying Journalism, I spend a lot of time studying news and I'm beginning to think there's more bad people in the world than good. Everyday you hear about a murder, or a burglary at the very least, and it makes you wonder what and who we're living with.
I'm thinking about this because of something I heard in the news this week. It's sickened me to the core and I can't find the words to describe it.
Donna's Dream House is a holiday home for terminally ill children and their families; a haven where children can forget about their illness and enjoy some of their last hours in a care-free environment. This is a place where happiness comes above everything and the focus is on 'living, not dying'.
The charity began with a girl called Donna and she had three wishes. They were found in a box by her bedside when she passed away at age 20 after having fought cancer for 4 years. Throughout the 4 year fight, she saw how children were suffering and decided that she wanted to help terminally ill children to live their last days a little more happier. So, in order to fulfill their late child's fairy-tale dream, Donna's parents set up the home and named it 'Donna's Dream House'.
This week, the house had to be closed down. And for a few families, this means Christmas has been cancelled.
Burglars have broken in to the house and set fire to pictures of Donna, causing over £80,000 of damage. Donna's father, Len Curtis, said it's 'ripped the heart out of the charity'. I don't understand how anybody could be so heartless to do such a thing. It's obvious to anybody what the house stands for, from both the inside and the out. The signing on the front and the illuminations in the garden stand for excitement and joy, like the atmosphere which sits inside the house. But all that's been ruined.
Laptops, TVs and cameras have been stolen but it's not about the materialistic items; it's about the house in terms of the charity, the hard work of those involved and its emotional state, not the physical solid state as it stood. The pictures and memories which sat inside the house were priceless and non-renewable. The only thing Len and Barbara have left of Donna was the pictures and her dream house and somebody, with one heartless blow, has been sick enough to destroy that.
Reading the articles about this brought tears to my eyes. I still feel sick. I hope Len and Barbara find a way to get through this and bring Donna's Dream House back up to where it was. This is the type of place we need to help in its fight, we spend far too much time worrying about materialistic things, this is about people's lives and their happiness. Children.
Some things are irreplaceable, like the photos of Donna, but with a little help, we can help Len and Barbara help other people.
Helping doesn't just mean money, it's using your initiative and emotion to make somebody else's life or job a bit easier. Helping is whatever you have to offer.
Studying Journalism, I spend a lot of time studying news and I'm beginning to think there's more bad people in the world than good. Everyday you hear about a murder, or a burglary at the very least, and it makes you wonder what and who we're living with.
I'm thinking about this because of something I heard in the news this week. It's sickened me to the core and I can't find the words to describe it.
Donna's Dream House is a holiday home for terminally ill children and their families; a haven where children can forget about their illness and enjoy some of their last hours in a care-free environment. This is a place where happiness comes above everything and the focus is on 'living, not dying'.
The charity began with a girl called Donna and she had three wishes. They were found in a box by her bedside when she passed away at age 20 after having fought cancer for 4 years. Throughout the 4 year fight, she saw how children were suffering and decided that she wanted to help terminally ill children to live their last days a little more happier. So, in order to fulfill their late child's fairy-tale dream, Donna's parents set up the home and named it 'Donna's Dream House'.
This week, the house had to be closed down. And for a few families, this means Christmas has been cancelled.
Burglars have broken in to the house and set fire to pictures of Donna, causing over £80,000 of damage. Donna's father, Len Curtis, said it's 'ripped the heart out of the charity'. I don't understand how anybody could be so heartless to do such a thing. It's obvious to anybody what the house stands for, from both the inside and the out. The signing on the front and the illuminations in the garden stand for excitement and joy, like the atmosphere which sits inside the house. But all that's been ruined.
Laptops, TVs and cameras have been stolen but it's not about the materialistic items; it's about the house in terms of the charity, the hard work of those involved and its emotional state, not the physical solid state as it stood. The pictures and memories which sat inside the house were priceless and non-renewable. The only thing Len and Barbara have left of Donna was the pictures and her dream house and somebody, with one heartless blow, has been sick enough to destroy that.
Reading the articles about this brought tears to my eyes. I still feel sick. I hope Len and Barbara find a way to get through this and bring Donna's Dream House back up to where it was. This is the type of place we need to help in its fight, we spend far too much time worrying about materialistic things, this is about people's lives and their happiness. Children.
Some things are irreplaceable, like the photos of Donna, but with a little help, we can help Len and Barbara help other people.
Helping doesn't just mean money, it's using your initiative and emotion to make somebody else's life or job a bit easier. Helping is whatever you have to offer.
Sunday 18 December 2011
A new experience...
A few days ago I went to church. Yes, this is a revelation!
Me and my friend saw a poster about a carol service a couple of weeks ago and kept note of the date. Somehow, we didn't forget about it and set off trekking to find it the other morning. We arrived at the local Parish Church in Jesmond to find ourselves in the company of a dozen old ladies. But, at this time, we were in the empty church and it was too late to leave.
We walked down the aisle towards the choir, as we were directed to 'fill from the front'. At that moment, the word 'fill' seemed very inappropriate as the turnout was very poor. But, before we knew it and before we had chance to sit down properly, the place was bursting at the sides with people! We spent the whole time joking about how much busier church was than the nightclubs we had been in the night before. It was mental. Although, it was clear that these weren't the people we'd spent the night before with.
And I didn't expect anything else from her, but my friend spent some of the time creeping round the church looking for what she described as a 'wholesome man'. I can't take her anywhere! However, the only men that I saw were those lighting the candles around the church and at the end of our rows because it was a service lit by only 1000 candles. It's amazing how light it was and we didn't have any lights on... just candles!
I must have been the most uneducated person there - regarding religion anyway! We had to bow our heads in prayer a few times and we sang a few hymns, but I didn't know some of them so had to keep a low key and sing quietly out of tune. And when we sang the Christmas songs that I knew, I sang away like a church regular.
The choir was amazing and the people were so dedicated. You could tell by the way they sang, the way they looked and the feeling they gave off as they sang in a group. It was obviously very well rehearsed because the vocals worked so well together.
It was obvious which people were part of the church and which ones had just gone along to a carol service in a bid to find some Christmas spirit (like us!). Whilst we were there, I found myself gazing at the choir and the local members; admiring the children singing their hearts out in the choir. It was beautiful. I really admire people for believing in something and for something. And in a way, it makes me want to be part of it. It's a group of people who all hold something in common and it's nice to see. Especially the children, spending their day in church rather than messing around the city, causing havoc and wasting their day. I can't really explain why but I felt inspired and it was a really nice feeling.
When we left, we were all individually spoken to and wished a happy Christmas before being given roasted chestnuts and mulled apple juice. It was nice to escape the hectic life of being a student for an hour; the noise, madness, alcohol, parties, work and all the students!
I'm not religious, but it can't harm to give the place a visit a few times a year and show some respect.
Me and my friend saw a poster about a carol service a couple of weeks ago and kept note of the date. Somehow, we didn't forget about it and set off trekking to find it the other morning. We arrived at the local Parish Church in Jesmond to find ourselves in the company of a dozen old ladies. But, at this time, we were in the empty church and it was too late to leave.
We walked down the aisle towards the choir, as we were directed to 'fill from the front'. At that moment, the word 'fill' seemed very inappropriate as the turnout was very poor. But, before we knew it and before we had chance to sit down properly, the place was bursting at the sides with people! We spent the whole time joking about how much busier church was than the nightclubs we had been in the night before. It was mental. Although, it was clear that these weren't the people we'd spent the night before with.
And I didn't expect anything else from her, but my friend spent some of the time creeping round the church looking for what she described as a 'wholesome man'. I can't take her anywhere! However, the only men that I saw were those lighting the candles around the church and at the end of our rows because it was a service lit by only 1000 candles. It's amazing how light it was and we didn't have any lights on... just candles!
I must have been the most uneducated person there - regarding religion anyway! We had to bow our heads in prayer a few times and we sang a few hymns, but I didn't know some of them so had to keep a low key and sing quietly out of tune. And when we sang the Christmas songs that I knew, I sang away like a church regular.
The choir was amazing and the people were so dedicated. You could tell by the way they sang, the way they looked and the feeling they gave off as they sang in a group. It was obviously very well rehearsed because the vocals worked so well together.
It was obvious which people were part of the church and which ones had just gone along to a carol service in a bid to find some Christmas spirit (like us!). Whilst we were there, I found myself gazing at the choir and the local members; admiring the children singing their hearts out in the choir. It was beautiful. I really admire people for believing in something and for something. And in a way, it makes me want to be part of it. It's a group of people who all hold something in common and it's nice to see. Especially the children, spending their day in church rather than messing around the city, causing havoc and wasting their day. I can't really explain why but I felt inspired and it was a really nice feeling.
When we left, we were all individually spoken to and wished a happy Christmas before being given roasted chestnuts and mulled apple juice. It was nice to escape the hectic life of being a student for an hour; the noise, madness, alcohol, parties, work and all the students!
I'm not religious, but it can't harm to give the place a visit a few times a year and show some respect.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)