Voting Time!

The Blog-A-Day in May challenge is over.

Please vote by Sunday, June 6th at 12pm.

Blog Participants ONLY - Only use this link if you were in the competition.

Readers ONLY - Only use this link if you were not in the competition.

Paz.

Is that the end?!

Before:

Life going along as it does. Writing coming infrequently and sporadically depending on how much inspiration moves me. Reading blogs that I am used to and that fall in line with my personal interests. Writing focus more on larger projects.

After:

Consistent writing. Networking. A passion and appreciation for the before and after of everything. An interest in topics other than the norm. Connections made through writing and camaraderie within a competition.

Still:

Writing with a purpose. Inviting the web world to hear my voice through prose. Recording history as I see it and sharing history with each post.

Paz.

Zzzzzz...

Restless, exhausted, full from a hearty meal...just plain old tired.

Our pillow seems as if it is calling our name, asking us to come and rest. Sleep is a mental and physical regenerator. Our minds organize, store and discard information and memories and our bodies mend and heal and relax from another hard days work.

We welcome the rest at times, during others, it is though we are overcome by it, almost hypnotized by a spell.

As morning approaches, we a roused awake by our internal clock, jolted awake though angry beeping or serenaded awake from soft musical notes or the soothing voice of a loved one.

Depending on the activities prior to sleeo we may meet the world fresh and ready, groggy and dragging (until we get our morning coffee) or slowly approaching the new day at the same pace of the sun, creeping on the horizon.

Cheers to a Good Morning for all my readers out there!

Paz.

Sent by me via my BB!

Panqueques...

Prior to owning a home the thoughts of self maintenance and upkeep are someone else's responsibility. As we enjoy a space that is temporarily ours we are sure not to take it to home make over extremes or breaking down walls to create a personalized living experience.

Still unsure of the after myself, I have heard accounts and seen experiences of those who own homes and those that rent them too. The many leaves to be raked, the busted water tank, the lists of repairs and scheduled home depo visits...

Most of all the pride of cleaning and maintaining a home you own, basking in the comfort and relaxation of your space; full of the warmth you've added and welcomed into it.

Home is where your heart is? Or is it that home is where your home is?

We find ourselves looking for a place to settle, knowing that when we see it, when we drive through the city streets, that our heart will know it. Let's just hope that when our heart awakens to it, our mind will be open to listen, and our journey facilitated by Divine intervention.

Paz.

Sent by me via my BB!

zoom Zoom ZOOM

Dropped off

Picked up

Waiting on buses

Wearing down sneakers and sandals

After cozying into the driver's seat of your first car the memories of hopping rides and being confined to the mapped bus lines seem so far, far, away.

Life after learning how to drive you gain a sense of confidence. To add, life with a car brings a traveling freedom and possible financial stretch if not careful with planning.

Paz.
Sent by me via my BB!

Precipitation Granted

'when it rains it pours'

'there is always sunshine after rain'

'singin' in the rain'

'joy and pain, like sunshine and rain'

Dedicated to my Friday and your Friday too.

Mostly the day will begin with a damp breeze and clear skies. The sun will beam down on the earth as if wanting to embrace every inch of each leaf and flower. As the day progresses, the clouds swirl, much like the blending process of a McDonalds flurry.

The sky goes from soft blue to a purpleish grey rising from one corner of our horizon slowly to the next. They grey clouds dominate the sky and thunder is heard in the near distance.

Instant thoughts - where is my umbrella, ella, ella, eh - eh - eh?

Hey! Found it! -->
As the rain begins to fall, the clouds sigh in relief. No longer holding the weight of precipitation, but now free to float higher or dissipate. The ground filled with much needed water and nourishment and brought to life after being drained from hot afternoon sun.

The smell in the air following a power shower of raindrops is warm and sweet and woodsy. The moisture clings to the air surrounding us and our own feelings feel as fresh as the quenched ground we walk on.

Enjoy the featured clip...one of my favorites, a classic and inspiration on how to live and love life indeed.

Paz.

Niños

A blessing, a responsibility, a challenge and a reward.

Living life minus the responsibility of a dependent is carefree. Time to devote to self exploration or hours of thoughtless TV watching. Freedom of choice to uproot and relocate and planning for one. Minimal thoughts of what the future holds for another and focus mostly on our own goals.

The life of those with children are not the opposite, but instead, enhanced. Some parents are made by choice, others do the choosing. The time comes in a person's life, in a parents life, where you choose to involve yourself. You can be just as much of an active parent as you can a distant one, even when living in the same home. You choose whether or not to attend the games and performances or to devote your time to your personal work (hobbies, employment, nothing, etc.).

Your choices now become a part of the life of the dependent. The independence is lost but your identity remains. Feed both and you succeed.

Paz.


p.s. I posted to the wrong blog at first. Oops! That would have been bad.... ::sigh of relief::

Papyrus

Prose dedicated to pages everywhere.

As thin to drift in air it is weightless now. Prior to, written in stone.

Stone withstands and becomes stronger with heat. Leaflets and sheets vanish in heat, are malleable to crumple and mistaken for trash if not typefaced.

Writing in stone takes time. Letters etched with metal objects that were born in fire and molded to facilitate communication through script but with pictures first.

Symbols came to replace the oral histories and stories of the ancients.

Stone stories preserved, paper ones too.

Now? Intangible locationless space ridden words floating with no owner except if linked. And if not, a chance for anonymity and communication blogreaderworthy. But then, where are you when I need you? Oh, that's right.... Google Search.

Are we losing our grip on script or tangibility? Is holding more important than pressing send? Is publishing worth more when your text reaches a library and reaches me by chance? Or is your reaching me now heightening my need for you and your need to be recognized?

Last days of challenging have given way to inspired prose dedicated to the pages that remain unread of mine, unheard of advice, and still not published.

Finish line in sight. Keep running, keep writing, etch it into stone. All the while, remaining protected from the elements and forever ingrained in hearts, no matter the time -past or future- just presently scribed.

Paz.

Rainbows!!!!!!!!!

Prior to today, weather made sense. Rain came in Spring, Sun in Summer, Snow in Winter and the leaves fell in Fall.

However, after watching the ground swirl with leaves and getting caught in the rain while the sun was blindingly bright, I am not so sure of my weather expertise.

Before the weatherman, we leaned on the lived accounts of weather patterns and the smell of the air.

Now we watch forecasts and google temperature outlooks. We trust computerized technology to tell us when the sun will rise and set and what our wardrobe should reflect.

Except when it rains in the sunshine unexpectedly and is followed rainbows...

Paz.

Sent by me via my BB!

Track: Paper Planes - Artist: M.I.A.

Flight.

A blessing for the birds and a means of quick transportation for the rest of us.

This topic crossed my mind as I was myself thinking about travel and my next destinations. Prior to the advent of flight, we were restricted to bikes and skateboards, or for the balance challenged, walking and running. Our destinations were to the next street over, down the street, or more simply, to the front or back yards, even stoops for the city folks.

As we grew older more methods were introduced, cars, buses and the good old Greyhound...oh Greyhound...the stories you've given me to tell, lol.

And then....*imagine action building musical sequence* the Air Plane! Do you remember your first flight? Do you remember your most recent flight? What was the difference between the two, the most salient memories? Take a peek at the clip below, one of my favorite wake up calls to our new advanced reality...

Paz.

If you can't take the heat....

Get out of the kitchen!

As I prepared my early dinner today, I couldn't help but to think...how would I have done this sans stove?

My dish would be rearranged. Instead of enjoying a hot meal, I might have decided to have fresh fruit and berries, or a nice salad abundant with veggies, maybe a decadent smoothie.

Generations before us used stones to make sparks that started fires and clay to ground wheat for bread. The process for meal preparation was a long one, and the importance of maximizing use of everything was key.

Vegetables were cultivated and cared for. Animals were treated humanely and slaughtered with dignity. We took of what the land offered us and we cared for our earth as a partner in living.

But wait, some people still live like this. Bless them. It's us who don't and who wouldn't know how to plant broccoli, much less slaughter an animal as to make their exit from life quick and painless. So what do we do? We buy groceries!!! (That's what I do...)

We all take these things for granted at times and especially when the microwave comes into play. Impressed, we enjoy a piping hot meal that went from frozen to consumable in just under 3 minutes! Amazing.

Paz.

Agony of defeet

As little ones shoes were not necessary but worn out of cuteness. Other places around the world may not have a need or not have the ability to don footwear.

What is the purpose of wearing shoes anyway? We can look at shoes as protecting our feet and providing comfort on the city streets, or we can see them as fashion statements that determine our social status and identify our wealth.

Do take some time though, if you can find a safe place and roam shoeless. There's nothing like the feeling of cool plush grass beneath your toes on a warm summer day...

Paz.

Sent by me via my BB!

You, "The fairest of them all"

Down to the wire with an hour left to post...yikes! Time sure does fly when you're preoccupied!

Life before mirrors has its merits. You are not as concerned with how you look to others because you cannot see what you look like. There was less emphasis on enhancement and more focus on survival.

Nowadays, we look to ourselves as we pass by our reflection. Some of us enamored with our own appearance, some hoping what is inside will be reflected with favor.

When you look in the mirror, what do you see?


Paz.

What do you MEAN it's not working?!!!!

The many Mountain Dews and Coca Colas consumed during college years...We've all be introduced to things that wake us up and keep us going.

Prior to those additions, the day started with sun and ended with sunset. There was no turning on lights, letting the oil burn all night or maxing out energy needed to fully function for the new day ahead.

We've instead incorporated longer work days, less time for naps, and late unproductive nights filled with flickering web pages and television screens. All this to get up and do it again - wash, rinse, repeat.

The incorporation of caffeine into one's diet can be beneficial, harmful, and expensive. Especially if you are stalking these guys every morning... It can also be inconvenient when you are unable to get what your palate most desires - hence today's blog title.

There is also a joy in discovering the brewed stuff. Christoph Niemann, who does the Abstract City Blog for the New York Times gives a great account of his before and after coffee experience, enjoy it here.

Paz.

FML

No, I am not implying what you are thinking.

Prior to Facebook, many of us used instant messenger to connect, used cellphones, two way pagers, pagers (like, seriously.), and dare I say, wrote letters. A fellow blog challenger had the right idea for today's post, and some good advice for us techno-drones.

In using those methods of communication we kept what needed to be communicated sent and what we wanted communicated, said over the phone or in person.

Now, depending on our comfort and sharing levels, we put the most intimate things on Facebook (and everywhere else for that matter). Does this fill the void of seeing the shock or look of pity from a friend's face after revealing a secret? Nope. Will the friend requests and acceptance or ignores build/break ties? Maybe. If we take notice, it is the in person follow ups or prologues that determine friendship which does of course happen, offline.

Just take care if you are going to take the "Facebook My Life" road, you don't want to end up saying "FML" (now I am implying what you are thinking) later.

Funnies about online social media...

Paz.

This one goes out, to all my fellow Blog Challengers :)

Scripted

...


Those were the days. But why was writing in cursive so dang on important? Words written in print are just as good...aren't they? Cursive writing gives an elegance to words but gives us such a hard time if we are not well developed.

Script vs. Print issues aside, we now find ourselves having this issue more often, and realizing that our script isn't good enough for others to view. Oh indeed it is good enough. Although, there is a reason why those who are not great with writing have been said to use "chicken scratch."

You know, with this whole blog them progression, I have realized that chickens are often the subject of many jokes...

::sigh:: and pa'lante pollo, pa'lante!

Paz.

¿Cómo?

If you lived your life without the use of language you would still be able to communicate. Amazing isn't it? Prior to our development of language, we were all a drooling, cooing, squirmy bunch of tiny persons in need of an overseer for our most basic needs.

Acquiring language and actually using it however, is a choice. We learn by emulating and by letting inspiration and motivation guide us. However, we fail when we are at a loss of words, we fumble when we said something we didn't mean, and we fall when we step away from human interaction.

Think about the last time something "spoke" to you. Was it a piece of art, a quote, a film, a familiar scent from your childhood, a brush of fabric against your skin, or the warmth of the sun when you tilted your head back to let it warm your soul?

How then do objects that have no language speak? And as blessed as we are to be endowed with language, why have we chosen to replace it with silence rather than use it as a means of sound?

Maybe the chickens can better explain...


Paz.

La Push

Time takes time. And time management is a feat that we all have won and lost throughout our lives. The key is to keep managing it. A wise scholar I had the privilege to learn with shared a traditional saying about time "Time is like a sword. Either you cut with it or it will cut you."

It is when you are least reliant on time that it brings you benefit. You can look past the clock and into projects. You are able to look beyond steps in a process or relationship and instead begin to enjoy each spark of discovery and newness. But, does managing time mean forgetting its existence?

Yesandno.

Balance is the key to any manageable anything. If you are able to remain vigilant and use your productivity when it is in its prime then you are gaining on time itself. And although we do not control time, we can make it work for us by managing it properly. Whether that means opting out of an outing, or tapping yourself on the shoulder to rise from your comfy bed; it is the motivation to act that moves us.

Time can be an enemy when we are attempting to slow the process of an inevitable doom, but to release it instead allows time to be your friend.

As time management is a process, a goal, and a challenge -- just know that it keeps ticking and moving along whether you're with it or not.

"Time is not a renewable resource."

Savage Chickens on time:
Paz.

Letters falling from the sky...

Dear Blogger,

Your most recent victory over snow has impressed me. I am however intrigued by your next venture and hope that you will overcome it. This one is of a timely nature and requires the most intellect and control. The essence of this nemesis you will encounter is of the ancients but those in prehistoric times did not need it. At times it may be your friend but mostly you humans see this as an enemy that is elusive and unable to be recreated. Your test is to use this enemy to your advantage, to demonstrate your skill publicly and privately, and to defeat it once and for all.

Good luck with that,

Anonymous.

Paz.

PostBB

If any of you out there come from snowy cities then you know what I mean. Before and after life with a winter season that includes snow is something a beach child may never understand.

The beauty of it falling the amazement of the quiet hush that descends on the cities and towns. So much fun had building snowpersons and hashing out snowball wars. Sometimes not so fun, the digging out of cars and houses...

Then, when you least expect it...*singing*"Here comes the sun..."

Living Southier and Sunnier and in a State full of Sol can bring an awakening that you never though was possible because the clouds blinded you from the sun you deserve.

You never know where your life happenings will take you in life and to be unsure of where it will lead is ok. The point is to appreciate the contrast that the weather brings and find a place that you can call home. Home is where your backdrop is so that you can shine on stage. It is you who chooses the lighting the props the main cast and the most Divine navigates the weather. The rest of us are here to enjoy to show. Action!

There was a quote once that fully described how one should live life in terms of environment. Not super sure what the exact words were but it went something like "live in a city but not long enough to become hard, live close to the beach but not long enough to grow too carefree" and maybe something about living in the country? Do you know this quote? Share it with us in the comments if you do!

Paz.


Sent by me via my BB!

Hotness...

Dearest Blogger,

Your tackle of camera was impressive indeed. Your willingness to be captured and shared in the limitless web world is courageous and forward thinking. Allowing others and yourself to put history on film and use photography to share life moments is appealing as it is pleasing.

It is up to you whether or not you take on the challenge ahead. An elusive thing, this next one. You cannot quite catch it but you have the ability to see it. Once captured it disappears, but also can be reproduced by machines although different than its natural form. There are areas where it is extinct and where it has never been seen by humans.

The assignment is to describe the many experiences others have had before an after encountering this, and what it means for the future of the human race.

Good luck with that,

Anonymous.

....to be continued.

Paz.

Point. Click. Noooooo!

Success.

The invention of photography and later use of it, has changed all of our lives. We can reflect on memories of childhood, remember times that we selectively chose to forget, and share with others a part of ourselves that words may not be at liberty to express.

Prior to capturing lives and happenings on film, all we had were stories handed down and told to us by our elders and shared during meal and travel time. All the while us hoping and those that told us hoping that the stories would stick and regenerate themselves into an accurate history that would be known for generations to come. However, stories get jumbled and our own life experiences can taint our interpretations of stories which morph the retelling of them....

Pictures however are a captured moment that no one can recreate or tell/paint differently (unless you're this guy). One moment is displayed that can be taken out of context or may evoke conflicting memories with each viewing. A moment in time that normally shows felicity, hilarity, celebration or adventure, but seldom show sad or distraught emotion unless planned. Interesting. Is it that we only wish to capture positive moments? I disagree. There have been some known times where folks have taken pictures at funerals...

Just received another piece of mail, this one took an interesting turn...

Dear Blogger,

You may not remember where we first met, but I was there to remind you of who you are and where you came from. Congratulations on your latest defeat of wall. We have known each other for quite some time. Your defeat of wall is the least of your problems. Get ready for your next assignment.

Your next quest involves a new and improved weapon. This time they are planning to capture you. They capture at the most unexpected moments. There are many of their kind and they have the ability to quickly transfer you to an endless timezone. Their goal is to capture regardless of desire, want or need. They are extremely powerful and have a special flash that may blind you. The sun is their greatest nemesis. If you drop them many times, they will perish.

Good luck with that,

Anonymous.

Paz.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

Blogging everyday is more difficult than this ambitious chicken would like to admit. Got this letter in the mail today. What the crap?!

Dear Blogger,

I would like to introduce you to 'wall.' Wall comes from an unknown place but meets everyone on earth from time to time. Your task is to overcome said wall and continue your blog with renewed enthusiasm and fervor. If wall defeats you, you will cease to be as you have described yourself ('ambitious chicken') and subsequently be known to the web world as 'the ambitious chicken that would have liked to cross the road but quit because the ideas stopped flowing.' Wall's only goal is to keep you where you are and prevent you from progress.

Good luck with that,

Anonymous.

Paz.

Flash Mob....

Day 10 of the blog challenge, and I feel myself getting a little burnt out...ut oh...

I think I am going to change my theme for the next 10 days except maintaining the thread 'before an after' but focusing on the 'BB' - the vehicle that carries us from before to after.

An Ohioan to the core, I love my state and when I saw this Flash Mob I was super excited and my energy renewed. It was the first one that I paid attention to because of my connection to The Buckeye State. My favorite part is the inclusion of The Ohio State University President and what would make it even better? Brutus! (For more redonkulous school mascots, click here)

Anyways, my point is that the before and after are worthy to note, but the actual agent of change is what we see and what we are living right now...

Enjoy the show! O - H - I - O!!!!

Paz.

Escuchame!

Music. A part of my life since I was a wee tot, and influential even now as I often use music to distract, motivate, and heal.

This is becoming a continuation of my thoughts from a previous post...

However, there is a point in life where our tastes change, our preference gravitates more strongly to a particular genre, and our antennae mature and rank quality over hook.

Sesame Street tunes were music to our tiny ears as we sang along with letters, numbers and friendship tunes. That turned into pop, classical, rap, rock, etc. and then as time moved, all that jazz too.

There is something in aging that produces a special appreciation for tastes of an older nation. Perhaps we received these receptors through osmosis as children and are now imitating our parents with an upgrade in taste.

Music changes and motivates us to do better and can even have an affect on us that we may not always see. Has music changed you? How so and what genre?

Paz.

Run Fat Boy Run!

Watched (with more to go) many films this weekend - Run Fat Boy Run being one of them - and I pulled out a piece that would go with my blog challenge theme. Exercise and living an active life before and after BB (i.e. getting older, growing up).

Youth gives plenty of time to run and play and enough energy to bring elders to their knees! As I've moved forward in my own journey of healthy body healthy mind, I've recently placed my focus on healthy body (ok...this weekend - NOT included, lol).

As we all reach this pivotal point in life, either we were a part of an active and healthy family that played sports, ran together, or ate a very healthy balanced diet. Or, we were a part of families that had other priorities in play and we have chosen (or not) to include physical activity as we have identified it and made it a part of our lives (or not).

The choice to be healthy, to upgrade to healthy eating choices and a balanced physical regimen is a difficult one. However, how much does that change or continual implementation of having an active lifestyle fit into being healthy and fit?

Being physically fit is not always equivalent to a clean bill of health, although it does give benefit and stamina and serves as preventative medicine; our genes can at times be the boulder rolling down the hill behind us...

Paz.

Chasing Sunshine

While on my patio after work, I found myself eager for more of the daylight hours. As children see the days as never ending, we can sometimes as adults miss them altogether.

We constantly find ourselves chasing sunshine. Whether that light comes from within through self discovery or through pursuing passions that ignite energy within us that keep us moving forward, we chase the sunshine always.

In chasing anything we have to now be vigilant ourselves and prepare for the journey as our parents or elders prepared us for any pursuit.

Be sure to wear sunscreen....at times we underestimate the power of the sun.

Wear light clothing...you want to make sure the breeze from the trees reach you to cool you down.

Pack light...because we all know, baggage weighs you down and just takes up too much space!

Beware of jellyfish...they may look beautiful in pictures but they sting and you don't always see their tentacles [funny connection to prior post mentioning cut up hot dogs].

Think smart...because as we all have learned in our journeys to adulthood the skill and importance of common sense - sense isn't always common.

Paz.

Is That A Word?!

As we continue to grow and develop into the adults we are to become, how important is vocabulary?

We use it to communicate verbally what we are thinking internally and sometimes to cover or in place of words that we deem inefficient.

Even if we decide to decline words that align with what we see, say, or feel it will be communicated regardless.

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose. By any other name would smell as sweet." ~Juliet

Paz.

Sent by me via my BB!

The Art of Breaking Glass

Toys are missing from the lives of most adults. Instead we replace the concept with gadgets and gizmos that take us further away from reality and at times, each other.

Take me back to a time where play was meaningful. As children rode bikes and played with Barbies and race cars and toy soldiers in groups on the playground. Or that dizzying ride that spun around and around and we jumped on laid on our backs and watched the clouds and sky swirl into a light blue and white smoothie.

But now we work. We work and we pay bills. Where is our play time? When do we relax and let go and how do we let ourselves do it? When was the last time you raced someone down the sidewalk to see who was faster? How do you unwind while cherishing your childhood as an adult? Or the real question is, do you?

Moving forward we should do things that keep us laughing, keep us smiling, keep us believing in the joy of doing something that may equate to others as nothing, but to a child means a world of creativity. Find that today, even if for only a moment.

Paz.

I shouldn't have fried my dinner...

I should have photographed my dinner from last night, but it disappeared so quickly...ah well. However yummy it was, I'm sure it was filled with preservatives and some not so good goodness. Yummy?! Yes.

What did you eat lady?! Ok. So. I had 3 ground beef samosas (the fried part of dinner) a small bowl of brussels sprouts (my attempt at making my meal healthy) a large glass of agua (those samosas were SPICY!) and a fruit roll up for dessert! Mmmmmm-spicy-mm-spicy-spicy-mmm...

When I think about a young child's taste buds, I am met with thoughts of macaroni and cheese, McDonalds chicken nuggets with fries and a toy, many times a hot dog cut into strange rolo form becoming cold before consumed, and of course candy Candy CANDY!

But maybe that is from the children I knew then and the few I know now.

As we grow older, us children from picky-eater-ville begin to see walls crumble around us leaving our taste buds free to grow and roam about the earth vicariously through food. Score!

Encountering many unpleasant things on the way...a fish that's too fishy, a something that's too slimy, or an anything that tastes like that whatchamacallit that I had a long time ago.

It helps though, growing older, when we are met with folks who encourage us to try new things - be them colleagues, friends, family and sometimes strangers. However, there are still things are on the 'no deal' list for many, so don't even go there.

When did you first begin to broaden your taste horizons? What was that first 'out of palate' experience like?

Paz.

Crank Yankers

Yaaaaaaaay! Power Down.

What if someone pulled the plug?! Gasp!!!!

Technology runs our lives. If we let it. Just think about if someone pulled the plug on the internet and we could no longer use it. Firstly, I'd be like (in the words of my colleague) What the crap?! And I would also realize that we'd all lose the Blog Challenge ::sigh::.

Secondly, I would go back to recording all of my thoughts and ideas on paper, along with my 'to read' lists and 'to watch' lists and any other 'lists' I have.

I do encourage journaling as a way to reflect on your current state of being, location, profession, trial, blessing, successes and failures. That way we can after some years revisit and build a sense of trends and happenings that tell us who we are instead of us shorting a fuse trying to figure it out! And it would also help us in finding tangible ways to curb the negative aspects of ourselves or the areas in which we need work and encourage us to hop to it!

Back to the matter at hand...pulling the plug on something that has inspired more connections, even if impersonal due to its online nature...will it bring us closer to each other and help us in forming our identities or will it keep us further apart because that initial Friend Request is not as easy as pointing and clicking? Check the video and don't try this in real life mmkay? Thanks!

What would you do?

Paz.

Never Judge A Book By Its Cover! (real meaning --> be judgmental anyway)

Many many blog template options later, I chose a template that kinda sorta reflects the mood I'm looking for with this blog challenge which may turn into a regular part of my day, we'll see.

As I went looking for options, I began to think about what type of mood I aimed for. Not too busy, not too bright, but transparent with color. Bingo. Annnnnnd! The template is called AMBIent Wave. Goes with the whole AmBBi theme...like that don't you? :) I do.

On to today's thoughts. Society has for centuries judged by the outer appearance of a person. Be it a person's style of dress, skin tone, facial features, hair color and style, etc., our minds immediately judge or create assumptions based on unconscious filters that society has fed our families who have in turn, fed us the same B.S.

I say B.S. because we grow up with constant contradiction simply because the society around us has used the wrong language to promote a non-judgmental atmosphere. Ooops?! I guess.

We should strive to correct this language and instead say 'don't assume.' Two words. That's it.

The idea behind never judging a book by its cover at times will take the same amount of work as saying don't assume. As we encounter more persons different from us, be it in the above described markers, or many more not listed, we are challenged to challenge ourselves to act on an individual, case by case basis. Rather than the implicit stereotype method, which does sometimes ring true, but a word to the wise, don't make history repeat itself by expecting a repeat. Instead, write your own story, to challenge the pages that are being written around you.

Oh, and I plan on being an Ambitious Chicken with my blog and writing every day of the month. Count it!

Paz.

Blog Challenge (i.e. inspiration)

I decided to join in a month long blog challenge. I already have a blog, however, posting on a daily basis is not the norm for me just yet. Writing is a hobby and personal passion of mine, be it prose or composed and this challenge is serving as an inspirational challenge for me to do more substantial writing regularly. An added bonus...I get to read blogs from my other colleagues and help hold them accountable (this is a challenge after all)!

The blog name has many meanings. Firstly, Ambitious as a root word, story to follow. BB as an acknowledgment of my most recent major purchase and a common thread that we all have faced at some point in our lives (or I at least hope is coming) -- that of growing up and inclining towards who we are destined to be, despite the world around us which can at times be welcoming or unforgiving.

Be an ambitious chicken. That's right, I typed it, said it too. You should try it. Not too long ago, one of my first trips outside of Tallahassee, Florida a group of us drove to Koinonia Farms to give our time to serve the community and learn more about ourselves and to push our limits physically, mentally too.

Our team was charged with building an additional fence that would attach on top of an already in place fence that surrounded one of farms gardens. The chickens, normally in one area of the farm where the manure is kept would often fly/jump over the fence to peck around in other areas of the farm which, when tending a garden became bothersome and affected the garden's produce.

The morning of our day of labor I took a walk over to the farm, a short walk from our living quarters. By the time we were beginning our work and moving the material for the fence over to our building area, the chickens had 'moved' from the manure area to the larger land area behind the garden where the fence would be. I am sure they were upset that we thwarted their plan to roam and graze in the garden!

The moral of the story -- be an ambitious chicken. These fluffy chickens were using their natural talent and ability to get to where they were meant to be and desired to be. They pushed the limits (ours too since we built the fence) and made the once impossible possible and I'm sure the new fence addition won't stop them. Neither from jump/fly-ing over another fence, nor subduing their desire to use the wings and ability Divinely given to them.

Paz.

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