Thinking of the past

Do you ever do that? Just sit back in your chair/bed/sofa/bamboo mat and think about the past? Not just the immediate past (what did I have for dinner last Thursday?), but times gone a bit longer by. You do. Excellent.
How about people that are part of your past (not were, they are and will always be parto of your past)? I'm not talking about ex-whatevers; rather, I'm talking about old friends. Or people you considered to be your friends some time ago and have now drifted somewhere into the realm of acquaintances, usually resurrected in stories of old ("I remember, this one friend of mine once" etc). Do you ever wonder what these people are doing now?
That old best friend from primary school, with whom you used to share everything... Where is he/she now? Highschool buddies? Even uni friends... Obviously not the ones that you still hang out with, or get to see around Christmas, but the ones you haven't had any contact for in ages. What are they doing? Do you care? Do they care? What if you've completely put them aside, but they're still hanging in there, looking your name up in Google (don't give me a moral lecture on this, we all do this, even you *points a finger towards the back of an imaginary meeting hall*), just because they care for you and want to know what you're doing?
Is this the right thing to do? Imagine being on the receiving end of this, getting an invitation for the realm of acquaintances from one of your best friends (soon to become "of old"). How do you react? Do you just accept it? Do you get mad at them? Do you simply say "I don't care" and spend the small hours of the night quietly weeping?
Is acceptance one more the key to (a) salvation?

That's all for now, I'll pick this up again later.

Random thoughts

I've no idea where I left this blog (well, I could look, but where's the fun in that). I also have very little idea about what I'd want to write about. Therefore, all you'll get today is random thoughts.

Old people... I feel like my stomach ever so slightly clenches when I spend time with them. I still have a good time (can do, as with any other age group), it's just that I cannot helo but have this feeling of an imminent loss and sorrow. Perhaps because it is a clear view into the future, my future. It just feels a bit strange, that's all.

The human species will split into two, just as "predicted" in H.G.Wells' "Time Machine". I'm not saying that, the bbc is. Oh well, maybe, maybe not. I'm just a bit perplexed as to what an evolutionary theorist is doing in the London School of Economics.

I was reading on a website last night (ok, it's the Sinner) that, just in case any girl should be subjected to rape (or attempt of), she should carry with her a sharp object (knife or pen) with which - I kid you not - "it's sharp enough to cause some damage, and if stuck into a temple or an eye can be a lifesaver". For the love of God/Buddha/Brahma/Monolith/Zen! I could say a lot (oh, trust me, a lot), but I've grown so bored of feminists over the past years that I'll keep my mouth shut. I'll just say that the incident reported occured when a drunken girl let a stranger into her appartment at 3am. I SAID, I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!

I think this is all for now. May the Monolith quietly overlook all of us again tonight.

Something a bit different

Going over the past couple of posts, which seemed to please only myself, and given that I am alone in the flat (therefore feeling lonely and a bit sad, meaning that a post is in order), here's what's going through my mind right now.
I've been watching TV, following a number of movies/documentaries revolving around international policy. As you know, I refuse to comment on that, about who's wrong/right/sane/crazy/benign/evil. However, a thought has sprung into my mind watching both sides (there's usually two sides, itelli can correct me on this, but I feel like you can always define two sides, and a bunch of pars that go one way or another, choosing one of the two sides in their doing so) develop their arguments. Both sides believe in something, both sides have faith/confidence in something higher; not necessarily a divine being, but in things such as "these people are wrong", or "we are doing the right thing", or "we're confident this/that is happening and we will react in such and such way". People/countries/groups around the world believe in some things and choose to act upon their beliefs.
To explain, I will not look into what beliefs are better/more righteous/more cool than others. Some things are right, some things are wrong, and I'm not the judge of that for anyone except myself. I have my opinions and everyone else have their own. I just find it really hard to allow myself to do this, or in any case to get into that way of thinking.
Could it be God? A lot of people find hope/consolation/guidance/advice in God, one way or the other. Could it be dedication to an ideal? A country? A financial or political system? A simple sport, even?
Nope. Blessed are the ignorant, for they shall inherit the earth. Damned are the knowing, for they shall only make their lives harder. But what side am I on?
Since I chose not to strongly believe in anything, am I part of the knowing, using my critical ability to examine, weigh and accept or reject anything based on hard facts (well, hard for me anyway). Or am I the ignorant one, not being able to see the truth that believing in something provides you with, the strength that you can get from shear force of will?
Brief example: Fear of death (I'm reading a relevant book, by the way, "A spot of bother" by Mark Haddon - highly recommended once you go below its surface). The knowing person understands that, lacking any evidence for an afterlife/reincarnation/ext from the Matrix, when you die your consciousness seizes to exist, leading to a complete and utter end to everything as far as the deceased are concerned. The believing person believes in something happening when you die, be it being reunited with one's beloved dead or finally turning into a billion trillion gazillion molecules and becoming a part of the universe. Again, without looking into where this leads, the knowing person is the one more prone to despair. Who is the blessed?
I'm sure I had a point to make, but it seems to elude me for the time being. I assume it has to do with the slight sadness that I feel whenever I see people truly and wholeheartedly believing in something. Something big, life-defining and life-changing.
Not sure I'd like to be one of them. I just believe (ha!) that it would make life a lot more certain, comforting and easy (believe in this to be right, act upon it, it's all good). It pushes people forward, it motivates people. Tom Cruise.

Doing a very amateur self-analysis, the above text is a testimony to me lacking motivation about my work and my future. Oh well.

Blogs of Boredom (BoBs)

Right, let me pick up where I left things… Given also the interesting comments I received, let’s try and make this a bit clearer by using an example.
Imagine you have a guy (or a girl, doesn’t really make much difference). You give them a ticket for a trip somewhere. You also give them a camera that they’re fairly comfortable using. You set them free. My personal experience has shown me that:

“The amount of photos taken on any journey is almost* directly proportional to how bored that person was during the journey”

Following so far? Feel like disagreeing? Just a second then.
I’ve observed this on others, and I’ve observed this on myself. I like taking pictures. I really, really like taking pictures. It would take something of biblical proportions to stop me from doing so (first rider of Apocalypse shaking his head…). And still, fact remains. I will take a lot of photos when I’m having a good time, but if I’m bored I’ll even take photographs of my toothpaste. The same thing goes for my writing, be it in a blog, a notepad, a book (ha! I'd wish!) or a wall.
So, where am I going with this? Itelli is right, even if I was in Antartica / paradise / Fidji / padded cell, I would still find something to write about, because I find a lot of things interesting (especially in my head – hence sfranky’s comment is kind of relevant), and somehow I’m always looking for things to write about. However, when I feel really happy, I will not put a single damn entry into my blog. That explains why you very rarely see any mention of happy events in my blog (something which caused my girlfriend to wonder as to why exactly am I writing a blog, since I usually moan to her all the time anyway). And if I’m in a state of bliss, I might even only take a couple of photos per week :)

In any case, when my posts take a long time to be renewed, I’m probably having a good time. Or I’m in Guantanamo. Or both.

Elvis.

*The “almost” part accounts for two parameters, namely a) people doing a journey in order to take pictures and b) going to a place with really interesting things to take pictures of - not the same!