The way of Life...

There has got to be more to my life then watching and listening to people who don’t appreciate theirs and complain about things that don’t matter. At my workplace the bulk of those people are whom I deal with. They complain about things like not having their coffee machine for a couple days, or they want to pick something up on a day we are closed, if I have answered the phone after it rings longer then they want to wait and the list goes on and on.

There is nothing more draining and frustrating then being around people that do not care about what I care about, or people I know who have seen or heard stories of suffering and it doesn’t wake them up like it has woken me.

I feel like the more aware I am about the negativity in the world, the more I notice how selfish people are. Most people will say that the world we live in is a horrible place. But in my opinion there is nothing wrong with the world it’s the people in it.

“Death may be the greatest of all Human blessings.”

I read this quote by Socrates and instead of trying to argue it I agreed with it.

We label people that don’t make sense to us as insane…but aren’t we the ones who are insane? We live insanely, constantly thinking and working, we are constantly trying to create a life for ourselves because someone else says having a lot of money, a few cars and few houses is the way to live.

Have you ever sat still and paid attention to your surroundings? I sat on a step downtown at Bay and Bloor st and watched. I saw all the people who stepped over me, some would say excuse me and some didn’t. I watched the people that didn’t notice me and the ones that did, and out of the hundreds of people that did rush by me only one lady asked me if I was ok. I reassured her that I was fine and she continued on her way.

As I continued to watch I began to think about how scheduled we have made life. Everyone was in such a hurry to get somewhere, most may have been on their lunch break and was going back to work... but getting back to work was much more important than holding the door for a second longer so the person behind them could catch it. The thing of it is time’s speed never changes, but watching the people the day that I did I realized that a whole lot of us will never experience what it is like to have a peace of mind…we are too busy thinking ahead.

I work part-time at a warranty center and I had a customer come in looking for a part for a trimmer. I found the part she needed and explained to her that the part would be ordered and would be ready for pick up the following week. She looked at me and said “I have a life. I don’t have time to be running back and forth. Do you have any idea how much inconvenience you’re causing me?”

All I could think is ‘The lack of knowledge this woman had considering parts of the world have bigger problems then looking for a part for a trimmer. And is this what it’s come to?’ So first of all I must not have a life because I work a job that she doesn’t. Secondly I always thought people say thank you when something helpful was done for them. But instead I am told that I am causing an inconvenience to her…now this customer is one of many that I have encountered; it’s just beginning to feel like these encounters are starting to outweigh the good ones.

We have become so obsessed with what we want that we mistreat others. We concentrate and are so dependent on getting material things, that we overlook what counts and what is only noticed when the material things are gone or if it’s told to us.

We define each other, not the things we buy or the jobs we do. But I am beginning to think this cycle won’t change.

Shanna Armogan

JUST LIVE.

When I am feeling blah I wonder to myself…What’s the point?

When I have no motivation I wonder to myself… Will anyone notice if I stop trying?

When things are bad I wonder to myself…Why me?

The hardest part of being driven mentally is staying driven mentally. But through my encounters in life I have learned that that’s okay.

If you could solve having a blah day, losing your motivation and having a bad experience all on your own than you wouldn’t have or need friends and family or that great encounter with a stranger.

You wouldn’t have someone to tell you that the point of trying is CAUSE YOU ARE ABLE; we all forget that not everyone is.

If you could switch on that motivation when it’s turned off and you wonder will anyone notice if you stop trying, you wouldn’t need anyone to tell you how when you try it encourages and reassures them to do the same.

When things get bad in life and it doesn’t drive you to sometimes wonder WHY ME? You wouldn’t have someone who has been through worse remind you that it could be worse.

Life and everything that happens in it is not supposed to be controlled. If it could be then life wouldn’t be worth living.

Don’t over think, don’t regret, just live.

Nothing in this world belongs to us, the only thing we own are our choices and you never know how your choices may impact, influence, or motivate someone else. And if you mess up or fall off track, you can always have someone there to help get you back on track.

So, don’t over think, don’t regret, just live.

Shanna A.

Online and Traditional Dating

This post is dedicated to my little brother whom I promised if he received a good grade on this assignment I would post it. Congrats Noel I am so proud of you and your intelligent mind.

Online and traditional dating are options that society has created as well as taught for interacting with each other. In today’s social environment, online dating is favoured among people especially the younger generation because it is not as time consuming as planning a date or putting in the effort to go out and get to know someone. In my opinion, traditional dating is more interactive and effective on a personal level. When it comes to socializing, personal relationships and occupying your time, I believe traditional dating is a better option than online dating.

With traditional dating socializing is more genuine because you have the opportunity to receive and experience the feedback of body language and the natural laws of attraction when interacting with a person. For instance something as simple as eye contact can introduce or initiate an attraction, it is a physical action that shows interest or may get your attention of a person without using words. Another advantage of socializing with traditional dating is having conversations face to face. In doing so, the tone of voice and expression of the face and use of body language that is presented can tell the individual if they are joking or if they are serious, so there is no room for misinterpretation. With online dating face to face contact is lacking the personal chemistry between the two people. With the bases of online interaction being through messages it is more common for people to read into or misunderstand the message behind the message. Also with using online as a source of dating it is less likely for someone to see the reaction from a person from something that was said or from their overall presentation whether it is how he or she is dressed, how they talk or any other meeting of preference.

In addition, personal relationships manifest a bond that is in my opinion unachievable when using the internet as a tool to build a strong relationship. In comparison to online dating over a period of time or with a few encounters of face to face interaction trust is something that is developed naturally and much faster between two people. A sense of security can be created which can help the person’s social skills for future encounters or potential dates, which will better them as an individual. With online dating, bonding is not as fast as facet to face interacting. As mentioned with face to face interaction, you have feedback such as tone and body language to let you decide if you like someone or not, if you have anything in common, if you can relate to he or she’s sense of humour, and you can also get a better idea of who they are as a person whereas the online dating’ format is a letter or message without vocalized personality.

Comparably, occupying your time with traditional dating encourages you to get to know someone in an old fashioned sense. For example if you are in a coffee shop and you notice someone attractive sitting by themselves, you may feel an urge to go over and introduce yourself but before you do so you will make it a point to check that you look presentable, the result of initiating this action is it can lead to a date and a relationship may grow. Yet online dating options take away the pressure of how you may come across to the person. When sitting behind a computer, how you look and talk does not matter which creates a false sense of who a person may be, whereas face to face is what you see is what you get.

In conclusion, traditional dating is more beneficial for experiencing the chemistry, honesty and natural growth as an individual and between two people which cannot be experienced through online dating. It can also do more for a person’s self-esteem and help better them to deal with the natural routine that life presents to us when dealing with one another.

NOEL JARDINE

JUST WAIT

By Shanna Armogan

They say good comes to those who wait

I live my life right

I don't fuss or fight

and at the end of the night

I wonder what is my fate

I always do what others want

and all it has taught

Is when you're reliable

Your sweetness is mistaken for weakness

But I choose not to get angry and display hate

Because good comes to those who wait

You should never judge a book by it's cover

Because you never know whats hiding under

It could be cold

or it can be warm

personalities come in any form

Don't underestimate

Those that do

Find out rather late

That good comes to those who wait

Death... What can I say about it other than it is truly underestimated. From little I was taught death is a part of life, I think that is something that is said because no one really has an answer as to why death really happens. Why do some people live longer than others? Why do some people die from Cancer, Aids, or a blood clot to the heart and others soundlessly in their sleep? Your typical answer is it is a part of life.

There are so many different approaches you can take when answering those questions, if you are religious than your answer is God, God is the reason because God gives life and God takes it away. If you are more of a literal person then you try and find logic in which case if it is a disease than maybe you weren’t taking care of your health, if you live to be 100yrs old and die in your sleep then you have lived your life and died of natural causes.

My Daddy died on December 11^th 2010 at 58yrs of age in a span of three days to cancer. He was healthy, wasn’t old and he believed in God. There is no explanation, and if anyone attempted to give me one NOTHING convinces me that this was his time. There is an emptiness inside me that will not go away, my father was in my life ALL of my life than suddenly taken away, there truly is no explanation for it.

People say everything happens for a reason, through my father’s death things have surfaced...true colors of people in my life, and how much we take for granted. Life is this great gift given to us, life is what you make it and when I really paid attention all I’ve noticed is how much of a business we have made life. My father’s death is the most devastating time of my life, but it only impacted anyone who was close to him...Death is apart of life but we need to pay for life insurance so that when this natural action in life happens we are covered. We pay for health insurance so we can live...correction health insurance is a format of population control created by Man because not everyone can afford it, and it’s simple if you get sick and can’t pay for what you need to get better, you don’t get better. Life is a business Transaction that expires when you die. The other unfortunate part of the life that we make is it continues whether we are ready for it or not, two days after burying my father I was told I am expected back at work...selfishness overtakes compassion in our society of life.

After observing this I am beginning to think that that is why death happens the way it does, to show human kind that we can’t control everything, to force us to feel. When death is ready to take you, no matter what form it is, there is nothing you can do about it, death takes the control away.

Relationships...

Anyone who knows me knows that when I start thinking about something I investigate the thought or idea until I am tired of thinking about it. The topic that has been on my mind for the last little while (more than usual) is relationships...I asked a handful of people of all ages and status what they thought was needed to make a relationship good, or last. The number one answer from all was TRUST. The second most common answer said from most but not all was communication, one person out of the handful said “being comfortable with yourself.” Another person said “Working as a team.”
Observing these answers I thought these are all very good answers, but they seem so conventional, so standard. It got me thinking that every single person I asked said trust is the number one most important factor to a good or lasting relationship, which shows me that a good majority of people will follow this act or believes it, if so many people are aware of this factor then why are there bad relationships? Is it because when people say “It is important to trust your partner.” It means you should not trust your judgment? If I am suppose to trust my partner and I come across a situation where I’ve gotten a bad feeling about something involving whether or not I trust them, do I ignore it because If you don’t have trust in a relationship you have nothing?
Whatever happened to trust being earned? Let’s face it when something valuable is given to someone for free, the appreciation would not be as rewarding as it would be if it is worked for. That saying has been a rule for as long as I can remember and maybe that is something that should be thought of when trust is acknowledged as a factor. Another person out of the handful when asked the question responded “taking the time to make the effort.” This inspired another thought that I feel is overlooked.
The fact that relationships overall are WORK, and in order to do any job well, it takes interest, patients, the willing to learn, the ability to make mistakes in order to improve, being able to adapt and accept change because there are always changes, and a key factor is the effort that is put into the job. The effort really determines the results of whether it will be a short-term or long-term job, trust is a foundation that comes later...I want you to keep in mind that when I say job I speak of both relationships and workplace (they can be very similar) for instance; when working a job in the beginning there are expectations, once the expectations are met then comes TRUST... because in order to meet someone’s expectations you have to show that you are capable,and willing to put forth the effort on being consistent with meeting or exceeding the initial expectation, in which case you are now trusted to do the job. What if you applied this method when in a relationship or do you? Think about it the difference is the reward.
No two people are the same, there are so many different races, cultures, and beliefs which leads to different methods of thinking, different levels of sensitivity, in which case you have some people that are extremely sensitive and do not take direct communication well, and then you have some people that are not as sensitive and communication is all they know. What is my point? My point is when answering a question such as what makes a relationship good or a lasting one. After breaking things down as much as I could, I would say that there is not a definite answer. What works for one person may not work for another...but if I attempted to try and answer it I would say remember it is WORK and with any job as long as you upkeep the effort that is in the beginning of any relationship you will maintain that relationship.

Shanna

MONEY...

MONEY...
What a powerful substance. It is mind blowing how much control a substance that has no pulse, no feeling, no intelligence, no common sense, no remorse, and no guilt can drive people whom have a pulse, feelings, intelligence, common sense, remorse, and guilt to take extreme action to have it. We will hurt even kill for it, and yet it is a material item that can’t perform, influence or teach you right from wrong but we respect it more then we respect each other, we respect it more than we do the things that matter. A common question I ask myself frequently “what is my purpose?” I sometimes would come up with an answer but the answer was always something I wasn’t for sure about, nothing I can really explain I just wasn’t 100% sure that it was what I truly want. In the last year I have come across and answer more than once and I chose to put that option aside because I felt like it was almost impossible to achieve. But every time I try and avoid that answer I find myself stumbling upon it and each time I do I am more sure it’s what I want. If there is anything that is consistent in doing its job it’s the news. Have you ever sat still and allowed your mind to wonder? Have you ever sat still and thought about the world we live in, the people in the world and what makes you different? You might be surprised with the answers that pop in your head. This is something I do a lot and unfortunately I am not happy with my answers, I think about situations such as the seal slaughter, cruelty to animals, situations where they are being skinned and even worse they are skinned alive, let’s not forget the lovely oil spill, the G20 summit and how the people were not only inappropriate but just out right wrong in the sense that we can hurt each other so easily, forgetting that the people held accountable for things leading to what they did are people we have chosen and trust to LEAD US AS A SOCIETY. And also how during the chaos of the G20 a lot of the reporters would make comments such as “this behaviour is not the Canadian way”, I think about being at work sometimes and witnessing people get angry about having to wait a few more minutes to be helped, or getting mad at someone making a mistake. I think about people thinking they should be treated better or different then someone else because of what they do for a living. I think about how people worry about money and the difference it can make in their lives and not about themselves and the difference they can make in someone else’s life. With thinking about these few things on a regular my goal is to want to change it, I want people to care, but when you live in a world where value is about power, money and personally benefiting how do you compete with that? How do you get that larger percentage of people who don’t care to realize that if they did care the world would be a much more fulfilling place? How do you get people to realize that the people (called our government) are only in power because we give them the value to be classified in a position of power? How do you get people to understand that if there wasn’t citizenship, money, and racism we would actually realized that we all breath the same air, need to eat the same food and survive the same way, we would see that we are all equal? This proves that we put more value into money then we do each other. When I read this out load it sounds like a very crazy task...but if I focus on it as much as I do it’s got to be worth giving a shot, don’t you think?
Shanna Armogan