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"Follow your inner moonlight. Don't hide the madness."
~ Allen Ginsberg
Around this time last year, Ex-Tee, Dee, Ceke and I were chill stunting in the living room, reminiscing all the good and bad times we’d had in 2011, discussing what we’d like to do different in 2012 and what we’d like to accomplish - mostly in relation to our education. For sometime I had been contemplating starting a blog of my own where I can just rumble on and share my thoughts with those interested as well as learn through other people’s dissenting views. I knew I loved writing, in general (those who I talk to often can attest to this). I swapped phones with my sister over the summer and ended up moving from a keypad to a touch screen (such a drastic change for me that was). I was so used to a keypad that I could type messages so fast but this new technology stopped me from pouring my heart out in my texts (yeah, I’m kinda old school). I guess my friends noticed this too. In fact yesterday a friend told me I used to write such long messages that he chose to reply selectively. Talk of being rude!!!
But hey, I guess that’s a weakness my friends have learnt to live with.
I think I just got a little carried away there, my bad! :p back to my interest in blogging… As we were sitting, I started browsing through some old pieces of poetry and articles I had written on my computer, told the girls I was contemplating starting a blog and asked to read one of the articles to them to get an opinion on whether it was ‘blog worthy’ or so to speak. After all, if thousands of people have gossip blogs, this couldn’t be so bad right?
If there’s one thing I am thankful for and blessed to have (apart from my family), are honest friends. Friends that will not watch me walk into a fire and remain quiet or discourage me from doing something out of malice. So when I asked for Ex-Tee’s, Dee’s and Ceke’s opinion, I knew they’d be honest with me. If my writing were crap, they’d definitely tell me and if it were any good, they’d do the same. They all gave me a go sign and needless to say, that’s how I started blogging and I can tell you that this blog has been one of the best things I did this year. It has encouraged me to want to learn more, a sort of hunger for knowledge you can call it if you like. Not only has it been a good thing for me, with some of my work getting published, and in shaping me more into the person I want to become, it’s also served as an inspiration to a few people out there, or at least that’s what they say.
Now there’s this illusion that comes with a new year. I had to wait till the 1st of January 2012 to start my blog. Somehow that date signified a new chapter for me. A new year is seen as the time to make change, when really, every day is a chance to do something different, something you’ve always wanted to do, something you’ve always wanted to say or somewhere you’ve always wanted to go. Well, it’s that time of the year now. You know, that time you’ve been waiting for, saying “I’ll start doing … in 2013” or “I’ll change … in 2013”.
I guess the point of this blog today is to encourage you to go on and do whatever it is you’ve always wanted to do but kept waiting on a new year as a justification for why you never did it. Most importantly, do it for you. Do it because it’s what you love. For a minute there, forget the world because people will always try to make something out of you, be it good or bad and not everyone is going to like you because you can never please everyone. That’s just the way this life works. To one person your good deed may be deemed evil and to another, your evil deed, deemed good. And that’s fine because at the end of the day, we all have our own perception of things, different characters, different values and different ways of doing things. It only becomes a problem when your actions are not in line with your thoughts and the person you really are inside; when you do and say things, not because they are in line with your character but because it’s what others ‘expect’ of you. At the end of the day, when it’s all said and done, it’s what YOU make of yourself that will really matter.
With that said, I would like to thank all of you who take the time to read and share my blog, all those of you who leave comments and send me messages of encouragement. It really does mean a lot! So once again, thank you very much and I wish you all a blessed new year!
On a final note, As we all celebrate and welcome the new year, let us remember to pray that this year not only brings blessings to us, our families and our friends, but that it also comes with blessings and peace for the people of Gaza, South Kordofan, Nuba Mountains, Darfur, Congo, Afghan, among other areas largely affected by completely unnecessary wars and occupations. You might not be related to the strangers on the TV but you must relate because any of them could have been you. May we learn to love and appreciate each other more, despite our differences, this year. And may the art of giving become an all too well practiced craft.
With that said, I would like to thank all of you who take the time to read and share my blog, all those of you who leave comments and send me messages of encouragement. It really does mean a lot! So once again, thank you very much and I wish you all a blessed new year!
On a final note, As we all celebrate and welcome the new year, let us remember to pray that this year not only brings blessings to us, our families and our friends, but that it also comes with blessings and peace for the people of Gaza, South Kordofan, Nuba Mountains, Darfur, Congo, Afghan, among other areas largely affected by completely unnecessary wars and occupations. You might not be related to the strangers on the TV but you must relate because any of them could have been you. May we learn to love and appreciate each other more, despite our differences, this year. And may the art of giving become an all too well practiced craft.
And oh yeah, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEE!!! I mean whose born 5mins before newyears? Doesn’t that make your birthday somewhat irrelevant to the main occasion people are counting down for? I guess that explains why it just crossed my mind at the last minute. All I can say is OOPS… Wait, did I just make you relevant? Oh no, please, no need to thank me, after all that's what friends are for ;) LOL XD Much love!
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