Instrument for Unsent Letters by artist Rebecca Adorno
Posted on Jun 2, 2010 09:36:30 AM
For those of you who yearn to write a letter, but are afraid to do so… You can still submit it here, and it will be completely anonymous.
Bless this incredible Puerto Rican artist. Enjoy the video!
Instrument for Unsent Letters from Rebecca Adorno on Vimeo.
“Changing the world…”
Posted on May 31, 2010 09:22:25 AM
“…one blog post at a time.”
That is going to be my new motto.
These months (for me) have been an accelerated course on life.
I helped a teenager pass his 7th grade, even when everyone else said: “You will fail!” I helped him study, gave him unsolicited advice, cried with him, and intervened when his tutor was ready to hang the gloves and give up. This wonderful kid is part of the hundreds, if not thousands of kids that belong to the state here in Puerto Rico. A kid that cannot get his driver’s license, (even the apprentice one) until he turns 18. A kid who’s dad died and mom neglects. Who has been raised in foster care for over six years with a complete stranger. A kid that stiffens when you hug him, and answered: “No.” when I asked him: “Do you know what love means?” I told him I loved him that day, and I meant it. This kid is thirteen years old.
I have also learned that the US alone puts to sleep (nice wording for euthanasia), at least 5 million animals each year. I became aware of this truth when I found two puppies in the middle of the night, trying to cross a highly transited road. I took them in without knowing what would I do with them, since I couldn’t keep them. I bathed them, removing their ticks and fleas (which was pretty nasty). I dewormed them, fed them, and gave them as much love as I could. I started looking for no-kill shelters in Puerto Rico, to find out that even if we have 78 municipalities that by LAW are required to have a shelter each one, there are only 5 or 6 in the whole island including Vieques. Oh, and those do NOT guarantee the animals will be killed the next day.
What broke my heart about this matter is that those kind souls who did have no-kill shelters, or sanctuaries, are in the verge of filing for bankruptcy because they lack the funding. I found around 3 or 4 of those, and only one was willing to take the dogs immediately. All of them were overbooked.
The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.
–Ghandi
I guess Puerto Rican’s can’t get mad when people call us a “Third World” country. Stray cats and dogs are part of our daily bread.
I did find them a home after two weeks of intensive searching and pleading for help. I thank the kind souls that helped these two babies change the lives of two families for the better. I also thank my husband for being such a rare specimen in this world, and having the courage to support my decisions with understanding.
Aside from children in need of love and care, and animals in need of love and compassion, I also learned that I can’t change the world if I don’t start by changing myself. Not only my actions, but my thinking.
I want to be the person that changes your day when you talk to her or meet her. I yearn to be the one infecting the world with just one smile. I pray to God everyday, to give me the strength to carry out my life in the best way possible.
I used to be a selfish, careless person. I did wake up from that trance a couple of years ago, and now, close to my 25th birthday, I truly know that a life without purpose, is a life not worth living at all.
Love is Patient.
Posted on Apr 30, 2010 06:58:46 AM
I would lie to you if I said I’ve never been a religious person. I have been. I don’t consider myself religious now, but rather, a very spiritual being. I have come to understand that by no means religion is a synonym for spirituality. I think I’ve mentioned this before. I have come to know the God of my understanding, yet religion has offered me a well of knowledge and I can never seem to forget this verse:
If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
And if I give all my possessions to the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
In a Fast Food Nation, where most things are categorized as instant gratification, marriage can often turn into a difficult road to endure. Feminism freed women from infidelity, telling them “Don’t take that crap from anybody sista’!”. Laws protected us women against domestic violence, and still women die each day from this. What ever happened to forgiveness?
Excerpts from The Love Dare by Stephen Kendrick & Alex Kendrick:
Love is built in two pillars: patience and kindness.
Love will inspire you to become a patient person. When you choose to be patient, you respond in a positive way to a negative situation. You are slow to anger. You choose to have a long fuse instead of a quick temper. But patience stops problems in their tracks. It is a choice to control your emotions rather than allowing your emotions to control you, and shows discretion instead of returning evil for evil.
Anger is often an emotional reaction that flows out of our own selfishness, foolishness, or evil motives.
Patience helps you give your spouse (or loved one) permission to be human. It understands that everyone fails. When a mistake is made, it chooses to give them more time than they deserve to correct it. It gives you the ability to hold on during the tough times in your relationship rather than bailing out under the pressure.
I’m not saying: “Go out girls! Get beat up by your boyfriends or husbands.” By no means I would ever say: “It’s just another woman. Big deal!” Domestic violence, infidelity, disrespect, and other great offenses are deal breakers for me and go against my rule book. Respect is as vital as air for a relationship to survive.
I heard once that “when people say for better or worse, they usually mean for the better.” I understand that now. My grandparents have been together for 54 years. My parents have been together for 27 years. There is a saying in Puerto Rico: “Nadie sabe lo que está en la olla. Solo el que la menea”. It translates to: “No one knows what lies inside the pot. Only the one that stirs it.”
I recognized there is a mystery in every lasting, good relationship. I will never know what my grandparents and parents have gone through to learn unconditional love. Nowadays, such love seems like a myth. People such as myself ask themselves daily: “How much is too much?” “What if there is someone better out there?” “What if I’m making a mistake?”.
Truth be told, you are the only one who will know when too much arrives. There is ALWAYS someone better out there. The only problem is, once you find that someone better, there will always be someone better out there. What if you are making a mistake? I believe nothing in this life is coincidental.
Life is a tough school to master. Whatever the lesson is, you have to give it your best, or else you will fail. And by you, I mean… ME.
“To be or not to be?”
Posted on Apr 28, 2010 07:07:02 PM
I read a few weeks ago that in order to have a popular blog, you should not write about yourself and you should be resourceful (write about a particular topic like baking or writing, etc…). Someone else told me I had to define my audience…
I tried to do this. I failed. Why is that?
“I would rather be hated for who I am, than being loved for who I’m not.”
I write for others, true. But I mostly write for myself. This is my online diary if you will. I’m still working up the courage to write about deeper issues like overcoming bulimia or alcoholism, but “change is a process, not an event”.
I’m thinking about going back to college. Maybe get a Master’s Degree or a second BA. I don’t know yet.
I’m waiting for the Glee Auditions to be over (hopefully I’ll get a call back), and also waiting on the Alicia Keys’ Head Blogger contest.
I’m waiting on a full time job at Walmart. I decided that financial insecurity is a dream killer as well. I remembered “The Pursuit of Happyness”. How this one guy goes through so much trouble in order to get his life together. He committed. He endured. He persevered. And he succeeded.
I go back to reading Jack Canfield every now and then. I think about The Secret. I think about Ghandi, about Lennon…I think about Dr. Bob and Bill W. I think about every single human being that has made a difference in this world, and I too want to become part of that history.
I don’t know if I’ll ever get to be on Glee. To work for Alicia Keys. To be a famous writer, or a famous singer. I definitely don’t know what next week will bring me. I never have. I never will.
But what I do know is this, “The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.”
-Albert Einstein
Thank you for reading my thoughts. Thank you for caring.
Please, Become a Bone Marrow Donor.
Posted on Apr 21, 2010 12:53:49 PM
This is Maruja and her brother…
Maruja is a 32 year old woman, a fantastic artist, an incredible human being, and was diagnosed with Leukemia some time ago.
When I first heard the news, I couldn’t believe someone as upbeat and positive as Maruja could get sick with cancer. I learned quickly cancer does not discriminate against anyone.
I started researching information on the web, and found out 3,000 people search the National Bone Marrow Donors list every DAY, looking for a compatible donor who may save their lives. The odds of two individuals matching range from 1 in 20,000 to 1 in 50,000 depending on such factors as ethnic background. Yes, it is that hard to find a compatible donor. Even after you find someone that could be your perfect match, many tests have to be performed before approving the transplant.
According to Be The Match, “If you do not have a donor in your family, your doctor can search the Be The Match Registry®, operated by the National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP), which provides access to more than 13 million potential donors on the global donor listing. This includes more than 8 million potential donors and more than 100,000 cord blood units on the registry as well as donors available through agreements with international cooperative registries.“.
A lack of minority ethnic groups registered as donors, such as (but not limited to) Hispanic, African-American, Asian and other races/ethnic groups, prevent thousands of patients from receiving a single transplant that may grant them the gift of life.
You only need to visit http://www.marrow.org and register. They send you a FREE kit, consisting on 4 swabs and a returning envelope. You then follow a couple of easy steps, which mostly consist of rubbing the swabs against certain parts of your inner cheeks and that’s it. If you get selected as a potential donor, they fly you to the States, test you and if you donate, the risks involved with the surgery are very minor (mostly those for general anesthesia).
Maruja’s beautiful hair is gone.
Her knees have given up on her because of the chemotherapy, and she is now unable to walk. My husband and I already sent our kits back and it did not cost us a cent. You too can become part of a worldwide cause to save millions of life. Next year it can be someone you know… Or perhaps, you will be the one who will save my friend’s life.
Thank you.
Thirty Readers! Yay!
Posted on Apr 13, 2010 07:42:07 PM
Good evening! I am in a fantastic mood today. I just realized my readership spiked from 12 to 30! Thank you for reading what I have to say and taking an interest in me. I hope in time I come to meet all of you, and learn from you as well.
Something strange happened today. I have been struggling a little (maybe a little is an understatement) with the money issue. Some days I feel incredibly faithful… But on occasion, those days I let fear take a hold of me yank me back to reality, or at least the reality society wants me to believe. “Fear is the absence of faith”. I don’t know who said that, but I have felt the truth in every letter of that sentence.
I got a call yesterday for an Assistant Manager position at Office Max. I actually rejoiced and felt excited. Why? I am convinced a conventional job is not for me. I am convinced my dream life is out there… waiting for me.
“Why would they want me? I don’t have management experience.” I thought to myself. The inner battle begun.
I slept. I woke up. And I got ready for my interview.
2:00 pm Ring Ring
“Hello?” – Me
“Limari?” – Bob (I totally changed his name)
“Yes?” – Me again
“This is Bob from Office Max. I obviously called you for the interview. Let’s start. First I want to review your work history. So… you were a Store Manager at Guess?” – Bob
“Erm. Definitely not. Maybe you have the wrong person.” – Me, extremely confused.
“Oh…I am so sorry. I do. I-I” – Bob (was very ashamed. I could tell).
“No problem Bob. Just call the other person, O.K.? Have a great day!” – Me, (very relieved).
“Bye.” – Bob almost choked, but eventually hung up.
“Bye.”
The moral of the story (or the juju, because I believe in juju) is: Before the interview, I visualized, I prayed, I meditated and did all things possible to concentrate on what I wanted. I asked my Higher Power for guidance, since I was too concerned about money to think straight.
Isn’t it a wonderful feeling when God/The Universe/ or however you want to call it, does for you what you couldn’t do for yourself?
Here I am, on a Tuesday night, knowing that the life of my dreams is just around the corner. I can feel it. I can smell the fresh air (or the smug from NYC). I can see the people I’m shaking hands with. I can see myself taking vocal lessons from Brett Manning. I can see everything… I am captivated, because these ideas grow and live inside my self.
SUPER tiny note: I have two new videos. Check them out here on the Music page. Thanks!
Freelance Writing and, The Dream Quest
Posted on Mar 19, 2010 11:59:59 AM
Good morning world. I have the intention of writing daily on this blog, but evil forces lure me into other tasks, and I end up succumbing into not writing here.
This post is meant to be a light at the end of the tunnel for aspiring writers.
I used to have the notion that having a conventional job (meaning five days a week, eight+ hours shifts), was mandatory. Fortunately, I matured enough to realize, no one can force me into doing something I don’t want to.
If you have been following this blog, you know I quit my extremely, annoying, conventional job, two weeks ago. At first, I was terrified. Psyched, yes. But also, very scared. As a result of quitting that job, I have landed in the course of two weeks, two steady freelance writing jobs! I also have one more possible project, the ability to write on this blog as I please, and the upcoming rewriting of my first novel. It does not end there.
I had forgotten the passion that ignites inside my soul every time I play, and sing. I used to be this incredibly passionate musician, always with my guitar, or piano, singing my heart out. What happened?
I thought having a $7.50 per hour job was all I needed. I hated it…
I constantly felt lost, drained, breathless — I know now I was depriving myself of my endless capabilities as a human being. The capability of going after a dream.
My aunt recently sent me a message via Facebook. It was a casting for a local TV show here in Puerto Rico. I went. I got it. Come Sunday, I’ll be singing one of my songs in front of a camera thousands of people will be watching. You can even watch it if you live in Florida, New York, or any other state that has Univision. All because I said: “To hell with the world. I’m doing my own thing.”
Deciding to live life in my own terms has been liberating. I have trusted, I am trusting the God of my understanding to guide me every step of the way. People come along to help me from Africa, Australia, China, Canada, Kansas City…
Somehow, following my desires, and rooting for myself has brought opportunities I would have never imagined. Seizing those opportunities takes a lot of courage, but after I’m done, the second I realize I trusted myself and God completely… I feel the most joy, the hope, the love, the happiness, the peace, and the certainty that God is doing for me, what I couldn’t do for myself. Every day I drift further from the past, I become closer to my freedom. Not only because I am doing what I want, and not what is expected of me, but because I feel grateful, and happy by doing so.
Guest Post by Kari Haywood, Author of Life!
Posted on Mar 16, 2010 04:16:28 PM
To me, writing is not a job. That is not because I’ve never made more than about twenty bucks doing it, however. Writing is a way of life. It began as my creative outlet as a child. I’d beg my parents to buy me a spiral notebook for my “novels” and I would write constantly! My classmates would read each page I finished and would beam at what a wonderful writer I was. At this point, I wasn’t even contemplating any careers in writing. In fact, I wanted to be an obstetrician. Weird, I know. When I wasn’t writing, I was reading. My reading led me to the knowledge that, if I wanted to be a doctor, I was going to have to go through years of medical school and endure the worst part of the educational journey-learning how to use needles! None of these sounded appealing to me in any way! Then, my career sights landed on the education system. I went off to college fully expecting to walk out ready to teach. Here I am about seven years later, working as a medical billing manager in a doctor’s office, and pouring my life into a blog that hasn’t been made into a best-selling book or popular movie. Yet, I am writer.
I started blogging about 6 years ago. At the time, I didn’t fully understand how blogging was really “writing.” However, the more people I came in contact with that connected with things I had to say, the more this therapeutic outlet became a passion far surpassing anything else I’ve enjoyed. So, January of this year, I decided to take my life’s journey one step further and accomplish a list of items within 365 days. Some of these items sound so easy. Yet, in the life of a busy woman, it’s much harder to find the time to do something like watch the sunrise. Not to mention, it’s much harder to get my rear out of bed for something like that! Then, there are items on the list that seem impossible. However, I had a clear goal and a determination to seize my own life. I had to wave my quarter life crisis goodbye and do what I’ve always wanted to do. However, instead of just saying that I want to do something “one day”, I decided to plan it out and make it happen. My journey with this list has now become the driving force behind my blog “Life.” Will I accomplish everything on the list? I have no idea! However, I have hope! Will I gain the respect and admiration of my peers? No idea! I still have hope. Will I create a future for myself with the words I write within the next 365 days? Again, I have no idea. What I do have is hope.
You don’t become a writer when you sell your first published book. You become a writer when you realize that you’d rather be writing than doing anything else. This thought process doesn’t bring you wealth or fame at the mere decision, but it brings about an awareness that your words hold meaning. If not to anyone else, they mean something to you! That, beyond anything else, is the most important attribute of a writer. So, pick up a pen or turn on that computer. The things you have to say make you more than just a human with words. If you put them on paper, those things make you a writer!
I would like to thank Limari Colón for allowing me the opportunity to be a guest here! Her words have inspired me to do more with my writing and her passion is something I can certainly connect with. She has a very bright future ahead of her! Good luck and God Bless!
-Kari Haywood
Author of Life.
www.karilife.com
Life, a wonderful source of inspiration…
Posted on Mar 15, 2010 06:45:50 PM
Photo blog!
Posted on Mar 11, 2010 02:33:09 PM
Good morning, everyone. I am hunched in front of my computer, and have a really intense coffee breath, making it a great moment to write. I took several pictures a little earlier, to share with you my morning routine.
First things first. These are my essential morning items:
I don’t like this type of milk so much. “I love meself som’ good ol’ fresh cow milk! Argh!” *Twitches eye* The sugar tastes delicious though. I hope it’s organic. After watching Food Inc., I ended up sucking my thumb for a week while sleeping. And the coffee, well — it is Puertorrican coffee so, who can beat that? Even the Vatican chooses our scrumptious coffee, which I am totally aware that it is very bad rep at the present time. These three ingredients combined at a ridiculously high temperature create *fanfare* :
My perfect cup of coffee.
I also tried photographing my cats, whose cute whiskers and annoying scratch habits inspired one of the characters of my upcoming novel.
These are the pictures that came out:
Yes, my cats are deranged. This one insisted I cook her for dinner,
since I’m not receiving any income right now, she fears for my health. Don’t worry PETA affiliates, I assured her we’re doing O.K., and she decided to live a long healthy life.
The following pictures are not a product of Photoshop. This is my backyard, and my beautiful Puertorrican sky.
I love mornings. Every day I wake up like a zombie, feed the cats, or brush my teeth and go to the bathroom (whichever I feel like doing first, depending if they are making crazy hunger noises). I brew fresh coffee, sit in front of the computer, and write. Occasionally, I go outside and look at the mountains in search of a little elf, or strange creature that might provide some sort of inspiration. So far, I’ve gotten a stray dog licking my fingernails, and birds chirping. I love writing!
Do you have a sacred writing ritual, or routine?
Oh, I almost forgot. An awesome flower my aunt gave me yesterday… For you ^_^
