Posts tagged with "childhood"
Sunday, 2. July 2006, 09:10:48
childhood, china, shenzhen, philosophy
I grew up in a family of builders, and became a musician, But then of course the builders were musicians as well. My mother could play very complicated classical pieces, and the house was usually filled with her playing. such a different world now, where the mother is working every day and the kids grow up with MTV, Sex, and drugs. I had never smelled marijuana until I was in my late teens. I wan not even sure what it was, but me and my pals figured it out. None of us used drugs.
I always lived in a single family house, until my university days, when my dad hired me to be the caretaker for some townhouses he had built.
Out on my own I played the real estate game well, buying low and selling high. that game has continued in my absence, and, having not played for 8 years, I can no longer afford to play the game in America. So, I play it in China... maybe. At least I bought while the prices were low and they have gone up, but I don't want to sell. Now, I live on the 20th floor in a flat of my own design. It looks larger than it is. I like to stand on one of the patios and take a look at the country around, noting the changes wrought by light and clouds, by construction and weather. I don't feel the need to move onward and upward. This feels like my home. It is a little island of Western Way, surrounded by an infinity of Eastern Way.
One strange little thought... I grew up Christian, and I enjoy talking to my friends and students about philosophy. I think I am growing my own beliefs about what is, and isn't. I feel closer to creation and miracles than I ever felt before. I don't think it is because I live on the 20 floor.
Saturday, 17. June 2006, 10:33:35
adventure, childhood, emotions, ethics
...
Consider the bonsai. Such disfigurement on the altar of beauty. Yet the bonsai lives on and can even bear blossoms and fruit.
No matter what melancholy and misery you have suffered thorough your life, your life is not over, it is still growing. So, use your wonderful powers of concentration to trim away the thoughts that are painful, the feelings of melancholy, and the scars left by your misery. Trim away the thoughts that are holding you back from becoming the wonder that is your future self.
Did your teacher ask you to write a metaphor: "What would you do if you were young again?" If so, I'm sure it was thought provoking and gave you many ideas. You would do many things differently!
You are now at the beginning of the rest of your life. Now is the time to do things differently and change the person who you will be, into the person whom you should be. You know you can do it. But perhaps you endeavor to reach true romanticism (the exultation of feeling above intellect, or of hope above knowledge), suffering your pain and loneliness forever and maybe writing romantic poetry.
I believe in your intellect. Do you? You can raise yourself higher than you can imagine, if you apply yourself and let loose your fetters.
( Fetters are iron rings placed around the ankle to which chains are attached.)
Don't chain yourself! There are plenty of others who wish to do that already. Don't join them!
Wednesday, 14. June 2006, 03:02:51
childhood, student life, study, parenting
Parents need to learn how to use multiple points of view when raising children. True, you are the adult and they are the kids. True, you are older and they are younger. True, you know more and have experienced more than they. These facts give you many advantages regarding them but limit your point of view to a superior one.
In fact, they are growing up in a world that is different than the one you grew up in. The challenges they face, the problems they must overcome, and the dangers in their environment are not the ones that you faced when you were young.
So, learn how to relate to them in more open ways.
Give them opportunities to chose real outcomes, even if you think you know what they should chose. Talk it over and explain as best you can what your ideas are and ask them to explain what their ideas are. In this you treat them as equals.
Ask them for help with personal choices. What to wear, what to prepare for dinner, how to spend the weekend. These kinds of things put them in the driver's seat and let them feel 'grown up' and experience the consequences of their choices.
When you must act as the parent, do it in a supportive way. It is easy to criticize without providing true answers or directions. Accepts some rebelliousness from their growing personality as they test limits. But adhere to the limits anyway, in a loving way. If they have homework, then they must do it. Help them or get a tutor for them if they don't understand it. Don't allow them to fail.
Maintain work diaries of their school work that will keep you informed of their progress and learning difficulties. Don't harass the teachers about these problems. Solve them at home with more reading or tutoring to cover the topics in ways that suit your child. The teachers may not be able to do this, and it does no good to demand more from them.
Provide an area at home where they and their friends can go to do the homework together. Encourage your child to set up regular study groups to tackle the harder classes.
These skills: Writing study diaries for reviewing, and creating and using study groups - will be invaluable throughout their education.
Watch out for the killers. Drugs and promiscuous sex are world wide problems. They were in your day as well but the drugs are 'better' and the sex is more dangerous. They face synthetic drugs far more dangerous and addictive than the ones you faced. They face a population with higher percentages of HIV than you faced. They face a more sophisticated user and pusher population than you faced. These dangers will up-end any loving home-life if you are not aware of what is happening until it is too late. So, make sure you are aware of that environment. Don't use drugs yourself. Don't be promiscuous yourself. Don't be a hypocrite. As a last resort, be prepared to move to another place to save your children. If you need to move, to get them away from a situation that they can not get away from themselves, then do it sooner rather than later.
All the hard work that is done in the early years can be wasted if the young person choses to use drugs. All the dreams will be lost if the young person has to start raising a family too soon. All the hopes and dreams will be lost if the young person dies of AIDS.
Raise the children as if they were the hope of humanity. Love them as if they were the most important things in your universe. Guide them in ways that show the results of love and the consequences of fear.
Sunday, 29. January 2006, 06:13:36
childhood, friends, life
Here are some statements about me. Some are more important than others. Some will always be true. Others will become false.
1. I was born in March
2. I am an American, and more
3. I have one sister and two brothers
4. My childhood was happy
5. I have many friends, but I don't know all their names
6. I have a life-long fear of spiders
7. At 8, I was attacked by a roving pack of dogs.
8. I have had my tonsils removed
9. The ladies in my life - I still love 'em all!
10. The first time I saw a Mac I loved it - and I still do!
11. I play Marathon Infinity derivatives
12. I am that I am. I will not fear.
13. I believe in the power of love
14. I am searching for dreamers
15. I have never tried marijuana
16. I tried cigarettes twice hated them. Still do.
17. I rarely use alcoholic beverages
18. I'm not a good cook except BBQ
19. I love my wife
20. I love my job
21. I love The Great Outdoors
22. Graceful, kind women are the prettiest
23. I liked designing my own home
24. I wanted to be an architect
25. I like cats because they are wise
26. I dislike dogs because they are pushy
27. I look great in a suit and tie
28. I prefer living on the top floor with a view
29. I love to ride motorcycles and dirt bikes
30. I never get drunk with alcohol - with love, yes
31. Bailey's Irish Cream & Kaluha are my favourite drinks
32. I think there are too many selfish people around
33. Politically I'm to the far out
34. I believe the best society is one where the people trust each other
35. I know a lot about Chinese culture but not enough
36. Chinese American children are very beautiful
37. I left my friends and family for love
38. My favourite foreign city is Hong Kong
39. My favourite foreign country is China
40. My favourite food is Pizza (Is chocolate a food?)
41. If I were rich, I would build my own school
42. I believe in Miracles
43. My aim is to become more understanding
44. I am fascinated with dreams and prophesy
45. I live in a bubble of sanity
46. I Know what the opposite of love is (not hate!)
47. I live in a crowded city
48. I am usually the first to say 'Hi!'
49. I read some books again and again
50. I am a frequent visitor to Wal-Mart
51. I hope never to lose my mind
52. I watch DVD movies rather than TV
53. I listen to a lot of music I downloaded
54. I knew that we 'are' what we remember, but..
55. I found that we are also 'a result' of what we agree to forget
56. Sometimes I write poetry
57. My favourite season is spring
58. I don't like cold drizzly rain
59. I don't like tropical moist heat
60. The worst crime is cheating your friends
61. I miss driving on the wide open road
62. I like watching sci-fi and action-adventure flicks
63. I think astronomy is facinating
64. I gave my first love a tiny bottle of perfume
65. She took one whiff and threw it over the back fence!
66. I can still remember the first girl I ever kissed
67. She had long red-gold hair
68. Listening to the surf relaxes me
69. I often get sick from eating too fast
70. I love composing on my guitar in the dark
71. I have visited many countries in this world
72. I think civilisation is over rated and self destructive
73. I want to get a beautiful fountain for my patio
74. I know that societies must be responsible for revenge, so individuals aren't
75. I am a chocoholic: Raspberry+Semisweet+Macadamia!
76. I usually drink one cup of coffee a day
77. I wonder why computers are so interesting
78. I have been a 'techie' for most of my life
79. I got my first bike at the age of 6 I think
80. My brother taught me how to ride without training wheels
81. I treasure sweet memories of my parents, both gone
82. I am happy when people respect my writing
83. I can see how my beliefs have evolved over my life
84. I know that most people don't believe what I believe
85. I am not very talkative
86. I believe that beauty is deeper than skin
87. I started losing my hair recently - bummer!
88. Too many people don't care about anybody else
89. I have probably lived more than half my time on this planet
90. I think it is better to make love than war
91. I lost a fight with my best friend, and lost my best friend
92. I have a powerful temper buried under a lot of patience
93. I have never been a vegetarian
94. I have had more girlfriends than boyfriends
95. I don't like repetitive boring conversations
96. I like clever humor rather than slapstick or anal
97. The smell of pine trees is relaxing
98. I think I am a procrastinator, I haven't decided
99. I might finish this list later
Tuesday, 20. December 2005, 00:38:23
poetry, childhood
My home town is in a valley near the mountains.
It has four seasons, Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
When it was Spring, I loved it!
The warm breeze, the new green leaves, finding Easter Eggs!
When it was Summer, I loved it!
Sliding down the giant slippery slide into the cool water of the swimming pool!
When it was Fall, I loved it!
Running through the crisp brown leave, sleeping in the backyard with my friends, (We called it 'camping out!) and eating turkey!
When it was Winter, I loved it!
Sledding down the snowy streets, skiing down the tree lined hills, giving and getting Christmas presents!
When I was little I would play in the snow.
I don't remember feeling so cold.
When summer came, I played in the sunshine.
I don't remember being very hot.
Now I seem to feel too hot or too cold so easily.
Maybe I am too spoiled! hahaha
I remember being spoiled when I was a child!
WIDGETIZE