Shedding light...

‘You are the Light of the World. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.’
-Matthew 5:14
(To my friend Jason, shine brightly)

A room is busting with the laughter and murmurs of all those inside. Quiescence seems to reign when a particular person walks in and, without saying a word, seems to brighten the room more than the strongest of lights.

You have certainly been there, maybe as one of the already present, or maybe as the one who walks in.

What does that newcomer has that attract others like moths to a new source of light? No one knows for sure, and that’s one of the reasons why people often think they are ‘falling in love’ so quickly. This new person has something they seem to lack, and their ambition, being stronger than their self-esteem, will drive them towards the source.

Is that person truly so handsome? Is it charisma? Oftentimes it is just a sense of security, the security we lack. On many other occasions it is just the feeling of happiness or completeness that someone irradiates.

Since it is easier to try to get close enough to bring something to our life rather than work inside ourselves to achieve it we yearn, we fight, we obtain, and then we yearn for the ‘next best thing’.

Look inside yourself and find that light that attract others, or that can attract others. Learn yourself, and change what you must change to shine a brighter light into the world, not to be the object of everyone’s attention, but so that you can help others find the joy of being the best they can be too.

Now be wary, your own light may blind you, if you look at it from the wrong angle.

Lesson learned: Shine your light as bright as possible, but beware of moths, for they flock around, they blind, and with their dying breaths and burning wings they dim you.

Becoming someone...

The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.
-Anna Quindlen

Have you ever watched a person from a Third World country work your lawn, paint your house, cook for you, or clean your dirt?

Have you ever helped them when they work your backyard? I’m not saying ‘have you supervised them’ or ‘have you given them instructions’. What I’m saying is, have you knelt on the ground and shared the same tools, sweat under the same sun, and drink the same warm water on a similar dirty plastic cup?

Probably not…

And if I ask you ‘why’, you would probably think or say ‘because I don’t have to’.

If so…then YOU HAVE TO.

Life, God, or perhaps destiny, has been gracious enough to you that you have lived a blessed life of comfort. You have been blessed enough that you probably haven’t had to leave your children, career, friends, family, and the land you grew up behind in order to clean the plates where someone else eats. Much worse, you haven’t left all that behind to have that someone look at you with disdain, or even treat you as if you were less.

You may have a rough time at work trying to get a raise or to grow in worth to your company, but at least you CHOSE to work where you do.

So if you ever feel another person needs some help to ‘become someone’ then pause your life for a moment, think again, and BECOME SOMEONE.

Lesson learned: The closer we walk at the bottom the closer we are to the top.

Express yourself...

'...so you can respect yourself, hey hey'

-Madonna, lyrics for Express Yourself

How do you define expression?

According to the American Dictionary, expression is the act of conveying or representing in words (art, music or movement) a manifestation.

Musicians, actors, and other famous artisans are well known for their multiple expressions, and are seen or heard by the masses.

Now, what makes you so different from them? Are you free to express yourself fully?

It’s funny, that we live in a society where freedom of speech and expression us valued highly, yet we can rarely exercise that freedom.

Are we truly free, then?

Expression can also be defined as the outward manifestation of a mood or disposition.

When was the last time you expressed something, whatever that was, and felt a great weight lifted up of your shoulders? You finally felt free, even if just for a single, brief moment.

Remember that feeling? If you don’t, then you are surely holding yourself back, shielding yourself from the warm light of freedom.

Curiously, even mathematicians understood the value of expressions. They define expression as a statement that has a value.

It is not just a matter of communicating what you want to say, but to have it appreciated, considered, or even acknowledged by the recipient.

Are you being listened to? Are you being valued by others? More importantly, how much to you value yourself?

Lastly, expression has also been defined as the act of pressing or squeezing out.

You have surely felt like squeezing out the life of someone who is making life hard on you, oh, we all have felt that way once or twice in our lives.
What I want to convey is that you need to squeeze the last ounce of worry, of sentimentalism, of grudging, out of your system. You should use all your strength to break those chains that bound your freedom. Only then will you be free enough help those who cannot express themselves, be it due to politics, hardships, status, or low self-esteem.

After much struggling, you will see it was not too hard, for those chains have been set by yourself, and only you have the strength to break free.

Lesson learned: Whatever you leave trapped inside will become stagnant water. Express yourself and you will walk more freely.

Unequitably equal…

‘She lives a life she didn't choose
And it hurts like brand-new shoes’

-Sade, in Pearls

What time of the day is it?

What has transpired since the moment you woke up after sleeping for…how long? Eight hours?

Did you have breakfast/lunch/dinner already?

Are you at work?

Then you are lucky…

Many out there sleep much less than you…

Many don’t have anything to eat…

Some can’t even hope to get a job…

…and we live under the same blue sky, our beautiful days lit by the bright sun that blesses us as it caresses our skin, and curses others with its scorching flames.

There are people out there in different countries that are so unfortunate they don’t even have our help. All they get from us is pity.

Well, for those of you who are blind, let me tell you one thing. You don’t have to cross the oceans to find people in misery.

Was that beggar in the corner truly a drug addict? Has he/she always been one? What if she was someone like YOU in the past?

Extend your hand to help another.

Lesson learned: Don’t think good things, DO good deeds.

Moving out...

'There's no greater treasure than the memories we hold dear'

-The Puppet Master

I remember lifting that last box which, though smaller than the ones before, carried all the weight of that ending chapter in my life. Quietly I stood at the doorway and looked all around the room that had once been my place, the echoes of precious memories bringing it back to life in an instant.

From laughter to sobs, prayers, comments, jokes, arguments, and even silence lingered still inside that now empty place. I could only look out the window to the distant downtown and wipe away the mist in my eyes. Moving out can be harder than moving in.

My departure serves a double purpose, it would open the way to my newer and brighter future, and will help me analize my recent past, appreciate it and treasure it deep in my heart.

It is not just what we do in our lives but what we remember of it that makes it truly valuable.

The neverending pages of the book of my life shall contain a section of this chapter to each powerful event that has shaped me forever:

Land of the Fountain of Youth

Tasha's coffee

The Three Musketeers

You Jew

The Tiger with Sapphire Eyes

The Puppet's Tears

Holiest Cross

Chu Chu's Train

Reign of the Empanadas

Marco Polo

Smile Again

Volley Ballers

I will continue to grow, I will continue to remember, and I will continue on the journey I have embarked with you all in my heart, my friends...

Lesson learned: Moving out can be harder than moving in...but even so, we must move on

Train stop…

(to Aramis, for stopping me from publishing Spy game…)

‘How can you stop a train with but a thought?’
-The Puppet Master


All the energy I was accumulating inside was eating me like the most powerful acid would eat a piece of paper. It would have ultimately blown me to bits.

It was a time of glory in battle.
It was a time of vengeance and retribution.
It was a time of confrontation, of cleaving a heart until you would hear ‘I surrender’
It was a time to finish it all…

What would have followed would be a time where the vultures and crows would have feasted on the corpses of those two armies which had originally been the staunchest of allies.

…and I would not let that happen.

For in a time of vengeance the best thing to do is to stay still, and let the winds of wisdom blow away your pain, your anger… In those times just quiescence itself will bring peace.
‘He who listens and studies his opponent’s attacks will always be victorious.’

Now, this is not about being victorious over those who have attacked you, rather being victorious over your own weakness, your own faltering, and your own misjudgment.

Do not judge another. Do not destroy that which has cost so much to build with but a single thought, insult, or word. You know…or you think you know the present, but you do not know someone’s past, and you certainly cannot read someone’s thoughts.

Interpretation is an art, and a rather difficult art to practice. As with painting, we can all do it, but can we do it right?

Lesson learned: ‘With love, you can stop the train that would wreck your life forever’

Park walk...

‘Not every day is a walk in the park’
-CN

I’m pretty sure all of you can relate to this in one way or another. No matter how optimistic you are (or try to be) there are some days that are just…not the best.

It’s funny, if you come to think of it. Count the number of people you know who engage is various activities to try and keep an air of optimism in their lives. Some go to the theater, some play sports, others travel, and some even read books (very many books) in search of that spark that will light their souls and keep it that way for the longest time.

Well, got news for you, although those things might help you feel as your life is like a walk in the park they won’t make it a walk in the park. What do people mean when they say life can be or not a walk in the park? There are many things to do, and many things to see. While walking in the park you will find playgrounds, children with their mascots, you find your friends there, romantic couples, trees, nature beauty…but you will also find the occasional bum, a thief, a dog leaving a little ‘surprise’ behind, and sometimes even trash in the ground…
Anyways, in our search for optimism and ultimate happiness we want our walk in the park to be the best experience ever, and we long for it.

So, what can you do to live that way? Well, in order to live like you’re walking in the park you have to just do that, you have to LIVE THAT WAY.

Lesson learn: No matter what, I will always live walking in my park

Peace pieces…

‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God’
-Matthew 5:9

Most of us want to live ‘in peace’. Isn’t it ironic that even military personnel prefer peaceful times? And what is ‘peace’?

Peace is defined as ‘an absence of hostility, a nonviolent way of living’. It includes lack of agitation or disturbance. It can also be described as a relationship between people involving mutual respect, justice and goodwill. Peace leads to calmness, serenity and sometimes even silence.

Ask any single person what they want to do when they retire. They will all answer, in one way or another, ‘be at peace’.

Like love, peace is sought by the masses. It is more desired than gold and more precious than a perfect diamond. It’s curious that sometimes we fight or argue in order to achieve peace.

And why is this so? Because we want to be strong, we want to ‘appear’ strong. In the end, it’s all about appearances, some may think.
Let me tell you, you are the weakest when you want to LOOK strong. By the same token you are strong when you decide TO BE strong. We must learn to yield. When you yield you are not weaker, you are being wiser.

The main reason why we are unable to achieve peace with others is because we are not at peace with ourselves. That alone is reflected when we sometimes feel a little jealous when seeing someone with a peaceful aura entering a room. People gather around the peacemakers like flies. They all want what that person has, even when they themselves don’t know what that is.

Do you want peace? Then start by living in peace.

Lesson learned: There are no enemies; there are people who think different.

Ironic contradictions...

(to my friend Tean-Su)


Along the winding road
Comes smiling
The eastern western
The western eastern
The small giant
Of contradictions

With spirit like hyena
The rowdy laughter
Of a drunken man
Or a happy one
Enriching aura
To saddened souls

But all I know
Is you brought me
A reason to smile
Despite your sadness

So here I am
My loyal friend
I owe so much
You can’t imagine



Now take my hand
I'll walk with you
For you have helped
Without request


My sentient sun
Oh friendly clown
Eastern western
Little giant
Of the western east
Of contradictions

Iron man…

‘Stand strong, stand firm, and nothing will sway you’
-Some idiot

We remember those words of our fathers, or forefathers saying ‘be strong, be firm, and you will reach your goal in the end’. When you stand firm you are like a lighthouse in a stormy shore, a monument to persistence.
Now that sets me to think. Is this the best way to progress in life? Is this the road to becoming a better person? I honestly think it certainly isn’t.
A lighthouse, thought bright, sits alone amidst the storms and beating of the waves. It can do nothing but stay there, in waiting, until its foundation falls from underneath it by the power of change. It will then be nothing but a memory of distant past.

Whereas it’s good to be firm in your convictions, it’s best to be smart, to study, to read situations carefully and adapt.
Adaptation is defined as the changes in an individual organism over the course of its existence that makes it more suited to the environment. Adaptation does then help one survive.
Not only that, adaptation does let you not just go by in life, it helps you enjoy it with minimal struggle. Difficulties we have, hardships we live through, but we shouldn’t struggle, we should live and enjoy our life with its ups and downs.
Athletes train hard, day by day, and they certainly become strong enough to reach their desired goal. In order to become stronger, however, they need to adapt. They modify their programs so that they may be able to perform better.

Many people say ‘this is the way I am, and whoever doesn’t like it, can **** himself’.

Sad, isn’t it, that with so many advances today, with so much to see and experience in the World there are those who still want to be Iron Men; these unwavering, unflinching, unyielding “strong” people who can withstand any and all things.

Lesson learned: Every Iron Man, in time, gets rusty

Twin blue...

(to Casey)

Once again they appear
Before me
Seeking understanding
Awakening from deep slumber
Hypnotizing dance
Of identical twins
Mesmerizing those who fall
Under their spell

They glare
They study
And hide high
Up in the sky
Their camouflage
Blue as a shallow sea
The irony of glacier blue
Kindling my flame

Even the sun’s
Attempt in vain
To bar the door
And close the entrance
So my soul can be saved
From that trap
That twin bluebirds
So stealthily placed

Silent hunters searching
They find me
And drain my strength
So in my weakness
I become
A victim
A statue
Under medusa’s reign

No mercy shown
I am devoured
I am aflame
I am sacrifice
I am full
And captivated
By the blue Danube
Of your eyes

Silence speaks...

‘If you really knew yourself you’d never feel alone’
-The Puppet Master

Try to recall the last time you sat alone in quiescence…

Was there ever a time where you left the noises of daily life behind to immerse yourself in deep thought? You probably can’t even remember.

Why…
Do we turn the tv on while we’re cooking on our own?
Do we listen to the radio when we’re in the shower?
Do we yearn for a partner, or roommate, or friend to come by?
Or oftentimes we go out of our homes to see more people?
We have come to fear being alone.

Why do we fear being by ourselves? Maybe because we are afraid of what our conscience will reveal to us about ourselves.
Or probably because we confuse loneliness with solitude…

Loneliness is the emotional state in which a person experiences a powerful feeling of isolation and emptiness. It involves a feeling of being cut off, disconnected and alienated from others.

Now, solitude is a state of seclusion or isolation that may stem from deliberate choice. Short term solitude can often be valued as a time where one may work, think or rest without being disturbed. It may be desired for the sake of privacy.

Take some time to be with yourself, to learn yourself and love yourself. Do not read, do not sing, just be…
Sit in front of the beach, gaze into the horizon, and let your mind wander. Try not to force yourself to think of something, do not even force your mind to go blank as in ‘meditation’. Do not act like someone, do not act like something else, just be…

By being yourself, and knowing yourself you will be able to change what you must change to do what you must do.

And you will grow, in silence…



Lesson learned: Do not fear your own consciousness, for doing so you’ll fear yourself and thus, you will never be at peace.

Boomerang effect…

'Give...and you shall receive'

-Anonymous

How do you define giving?

A gift is the transferring of something without the need for compensation. It is a voluntary act requiring nothing in return. Even when, socially, it involves expectation or reciprocity, be it in the form of prestige or power, a gift is meant to be free.

Voluntary…what is it? It means of our own, free will.

What have you given to the world? What have you given to others? To life?
Selfishly (or many thereof) you may have lived for yourself, for self-gratification, in order to ‘enjoy life to its fullest’. In other words, you may have been but an immature child.

In some Asian countries giving has become a form of art. Just the act itself, the unselfishness involved, and the sacrifice made has even become a fundamental part of Buddhism.

It is curious, that even when we recognize we should give expecting nothing in return, our very human nature sets us to think of how we will directly or indirectly benefit from the act.

There are those who think that somehow the universe is connected, and the energy you spend (or send) you will receive back. Is it really so? Who knows, and discussing these beliefs goes beyond the scope of this blog, at least for now.

Some others believe that you give, and you perform acts of good, and you won’t necessarily get something good back.

Why would we complicate our lives thinking about such things? Why will we trouble ourselves with such trivialities?

Give…
Give your knowledge…
Give yourself…
And only expect back the gratification that you are doing the best you can for others. Just realizing that you had the power to hold something back, yet you decided to become part of all that is good, and that your contribution helped make a good thing will be the best reward you get.


Lesson learned: ‘A boomerang rewards you by not returning when it hits the desired prey. If it returns it accomplished nothing, it may be aiming for your head.’

Inactivating inaction...

‘If we would each contribute a small grain of sand we would make a beautiful beach for the enjoyment of all’
-The Puppet Master


Save the whales!
Save the trees!
Save the wolves…the ozone layer…the rivers…the hippos…the bald eagles…the polar bears…

We’re so eager to save the World…yet we destroy it every day with our ignorance, with our indifference.

How much time have you spent in the last month reading articles about the Greenhouse Effect, about the contamination and endangered species? How much time have you dedicated to be sitting in front of the television, watching the news or documentaries on the planet’s current situation?

It is important to educate the self, you may say. I, for one, am not going to argue that.
What I do have to ask you is this ‘HOW MUCH TIME HAVE YOU SPENT ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT?’

Easy, it is, to just sit down behind a desk sending ‘some help’ (in the best of scenarios) to those braver than us, those with the willingness to act.

Remove that crown adorning your head, intensifying the illusion of that fantasy world where everything revolves around you. Grab your sword and be a knight that fights for all of us, and let’s walk side by side, for the betterment of all.


Lesson learned: Caring is not enough, in itself, at least. Action is what gets things done.

Spiritual autobiography...

‘Our lives are open books waiting for an avid reader to digest and interpret its words’
The Puppet Master


What is your favorite movie? Is it an epic film? Is it fantasy, romance, or horror? Whatever the type, you surely remember the events that took place in it and, more importantly, you remember the characters that caused them.

You surely don’t remember the type of trees or the direction the wind was blowing when the queen of the elves rejected the One Ring at the Lord of the Rings movie. You do remember, however, when Frodo was standing before her, and you surely remember the inner struggle she felt and how she almost failed, but didn’t.

You don’t remember, I’m sure, how many people Chucky killed in the first 3 movies (if you do you might need professional help). You do remember, however, who Chucky was, and you remember the child he was after, and perhaps the child’s mother.

And I’m sure you don’t remember which way Nettie went when she was kicked away from Albert and Celie’s home, in The Color Purple, but you do remember Nettie, Shug, and Sofia, and what each one of them represented.

Now, what does each one of your friends represent in your life?
Think of your enemies, opponents, nemesis, however you want to call them, and what does each one of them represent to you. How has each one of these people shaped your life? Think also how have YOU SHAPED YOUR LIFE in response to what these people have represented in your eyes?

Take a minute to think of these, and analyze your life as if it was your favorite film.

…

Think of how you see yourself, how you would describe yourself before continuing.

Think…

Now, think of what role have you played in other’s people’s lives, and how you have helped shape and mold the way they see the world. Who have you been, and what have you represented?

Have you been the loyal sidekick always ready to lend your aid? Have you been the stalwart guardian watching someone's back? How about a benevolent scholar always giving the advice needed, or the wise mentor teaching the ropes? Have you portrayed a fickle dancer, a clumsy bufoon or a charming entertainer? Have you been the street whore, the evil queen, the hated witch, or the murderous assassin of the heart? Maybe you have been just an insignificant passerby like many others, part of a huge crowd of forgotten faces...

Are you, or have you been who you think you should’ve been?

Think now of the role you want to play in the lives of others…and start doing it today!

Lesson learned: Focus on what I want to be to others rather than what I want others to be to me.

Hurt less...

'It really doesn't matter if the person who hurt you deserves to be forgiven. Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself. You have things to do and you want to move on.'

-Real Live Preacher

The memory is still fresh, like the scent of your favorite perfume, of that one moment when he/she hurt you. That moment when those words were pronounced, and like a poisoned dagger cleaving the chest of its victim, you were in deep pain.

It is hard to ignore, as much as we try, for a wounded leg will make you limp even if you stop paying attention to it.

What exactly happened that made you feel so? What hurt you? I have to say no one hurt you but yourself, for it is your view of things that has made you feel this way.

So, open up your eyes and your mind, and try to see more of that particular event than the stuff you have chosen (consciously or unconsciously) to remember. Things will seem so different then.

Did you feel unimportant? Why so, what made you feel that way? Were you ignored, or did you just feel you were ignored because you wanted all attention to yourself?

Were you laughed at, or did people try to laugh WITH you, but you took it the wrong way?

Whatever happened, there’s always at the very least two sides to a coin, so will you choose to dwell in the gloom of defeat or bask in the light of forgiveness and reconciliation?

Forgive. It is a learning process and it takes all of our lives to become really proficient. That way your wound will start to heal, and your burden will become less cumbersome.

Lesson learned: Ignoring your wound will only help spread the infection. Deal with it, heal it and continue your journey to maturity.

Pursuing happiness...

‘Happiness is not a destination. It is a method of life.’
-Burton Hills


Funny, isn’t it, that we spend most of our entire lives in the pursuit of that elusive thing we call happiness? And yet, somehow, it always seems to be able to avoid us.

Could you say you are one of those hard-working people, one of those dreamers who strive against all odds daily to achieve the happiness we all want? Could you truly say that you are one of those?

Then you are a fool.

Why do we have to think of happiness as something that ought to be pursued? Is there a need to go out hunting for it, to climb a cliff or cross a river to attain it? Do we have to fight for it? Reach into harm's way to get it? It seems that way, for we make it seem that way.

Close your eyes right now, just for a single minute. Breathe in, relax, breathe out…

Relax…

Now, after opening up your eyes and forgetting about all around you just think. What do you possess, or what around you makes you happy. You have been perhaps ‘too busy’ to see that just the flowers growing in your garden, that seeing your dog wagging its tail this morning, and that seeing a little sunlight of the few rays that escaped through the dense clouds in the sky can make you feel happy.

Perhaps watching your partner sleeping and cuddling in between the sheets like an innocent child, watching a cartoon, or reading a book have made you feel happy too.

Maybe even arriving on time to work, seeing a co-worker smiling, or just plain, good health can make you feel happy.

Live this very moment! Think of the things in your life that you should be happy about, and don’t be ungrateful with yourself.


Lesson learned: Finding joy in everything you do will make you richer, and happier than all the riches in the world.

One year…

"True friendship, unlike love, always lasts forever."

-Anonymous

"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words."

-Anonymous

Time seems to pass by so slowly when you’re suffering…
Yet it does so fast when we’re enjoying life!

This last year has been a year of much introspection, of getting to know myself better, and to see things differently. It’s been a year of becoming stronger after healing wounds that have been inflicted by others, and by me.

After careful evaluation of the events that have transpired I can surely say I have been a traveler, a journeyman who has traversed from the deep valleys of love, to the uncertain waters of betrayal. I’ve crossed the jungles of despair, the deserts of solitude and have lost myself in the dense woods of uncertainty. I have survived a relationship conceived in hell, almost sunk myself in the swamps of emotional blunting.
In the end, and thanks to you my friends, I have been rescued and brought to walk again along the plains of eternal and unconditional friendship.

Thank you all for being there for me,

Thank you Marielys, for filling my life with laughter…
Gladys, for honesty like I’ve never seen before…
Jaime, for trying to understand me…
Ivonne, for always saying ‘yes’…
Ada, for humbly being the victim of my jokes…
Limaries, for all the memories…
Toby(my dog), for love unconditional…
‘Carlos(Javier, Johan and Eric)’, for joining the ride of my life…
Luis Daniel, for being the sweetest guy alive…
Pablillo, for putting up with my failures…
Danny, for all the help…
Nietzsche, for keeping me on my toes…
Idamis, for watching my back when I went blind…
Eva, for reminding me that miracles happen when you believe…
Humberto, for seeing the best of me…
Alkelis, for friendship that transcends time and distance…
Brian(Athos), for being more than a brother…
Jorge(Aramis), your faith gives me strength…
Frankie(D’Artanian), for music that moves my heart…
Whitten, for being the perfect nemesis…
Justin, for being fair and just…
Roberto Victor, for being the best of friends…
Armando, for all the joy…
Cynthia, for being my stalwart defender…
Jometh, for a song that touched me…
Laudy(Junito), for inspiring so much in me…
Miguel, for being honest when I needed it…
Angel & Emil, for all the good times…
Rafa, for being a true friend…
Danilo, for accepting me as I am…
Amarilis, for being as crazy as you are…

Thank you all for responding to my summons. And thanks for making my life one worthy of writing a book, one in which each one of you would deserve a chapter.

You have helped me throughout my life, and you have helped me be who I am today.

I am The Wolf,
the Puppet Master,
the Game Freak,
but, most importantly, I am...
…Your Friend

Lesson learned: "If all my friends were to jump off a bridge, I wouldn't jump with them, I'd be at the bottom to catch them"

Perfect harmony...

My eyes have seen the glory
Of a pure song unsung
The one produced by a singer
And the musician’s heart in love

A voice so clear it shakes your soul
It sings inside and echoes
It draws a smile and soothes you
With all its charm it beckons

The air you filled with perfect blend
Vibrating strings and fragrance
The songs you played will never end
Inside my heart’s ambiance

Departing seemed a cursing
Threatening that one song’s spell
But I see it just a blessing
We will survive and it’ll all be well

For…

My eyes have seen the glory
Of a pure song unsung
The one produced by a singer
And the musician’s heart in love

Friends forever...

‘Take that, Puppet Master, muhuhahahaha!!’
-Brian, one of many times

As we rode into the darkness of the long road back home, like the four musketeers in a single black horse, time would seem to pass us by, smiling. The wind, the lights, the heavens, nature in all its glory seemed to stay content with just being witness to the event that was unfolding. It was as close to Nirvana as anyone could say. It was friendship in its purest of forms…and it was perfect.


Think of the one moment when you had the greatest of fun with those close to you…

Think of that one day, one hour, or even one minute when you laughed, smiled and even cried out of joy forgetting all the worries and problems you had been facing daily. It is one treasure we all have had, and somehow it slipped through our fingers and fell once again into the ocean of memories we float on.

The waves have abated it. The salt may have eroded these great times we lived in, but only because we believe so.

Open your eyes to a new future. Look at how clear the water underneath your feet is. You’re drowning only because you have chosen to lie down and surrender in what can be just a shallow pool of crystal clear water.

Seek inside, however deep, for those memories of old. See for yourself that the little treasure you forgot about once is still shinning, and feel the joy of those good times revive your dormant soul.

Lesson learned: Become the greatest pirate of all and dig for all the treasures you have, and may have just forgotten or ignored. Even better, be the greatest buccaneer and hunt for even more, filling your life with the joy true friendship and love can bring.

Passion's fruit...

Spoil me with the flavor of your lips
Bewitch me with their gentle touch
And I will traverse the deepest valleys
Of your body with my own

Captivate the beast inside of me
With the mesmerizing eyes of yours
And my own eyes will pierce your veil
To plant a seed and make you mine

Let your fragrance invade my pores
And fill me all whenever I breathe
So I will choose to continue living
And thus keep you inside of me

So mix your steam and passion

To hold me closer every second
And feel my burning pleasure
Warm your hearth forevermore

Life’s drinks…

‘There’s only 1, 284 simple steps to be taken to achieve happiness, now for step 3…’
-The Puppet Master

Stop whatever you’re doing for a second, just for a split second. Now think, and answer truthfully. If you were to represent your life with a drink, what would it be?

Could you say life is like fine red wine, well aged and with a great capacity to bring up the flavor in the reddest of meats?

Would you otherwise say it is dry sherry used just for cooking, an empty shell of who you once where?

Is your life sweet and powerful like Orgasms?

Are you like the strongest Vodka, leaving people breathless as they imbibe you?

Some may feel like sex-on-the-beach, fruity, colorful and enjoyably sweet.

Yet some other’s lives are as varied as all the Sangria in the world.

Can you say you resemble Eggnog, seen only on special occasions?

I know a few who can probably feel like Tequila, they make other’s go through a carefully planned ordeal before drinking the substance.

Is your life as vibrant as an energy drink? Is it watered down like american coffee? Does it, like green tea, make everyone else go to the bathroom?

Can you otherwise say your life is as salty as Gatorade, as ‘bubbly’ as Hydrogen Peroxide or as flat as an old Coke?

Is it water, clear and pure served with ice on a crystal cup?

Analyze this, funny as it may seem and write it down. You have just found a perhaps somewhat humorous way to evaluate your life as it is. Now, think of which drink would you want your life to be comparable to and strive towards that one goal. Let it be your belated New Year’s resolution.

Lesson learned: I will learn to enjoy every facet of my life, and better myself in the process…CHEERS!

My Valentine…

‘There is no greater feeling than feeling loved’
-The Puppet Master

What are you going to do for St Valentine’s?

Will you have dinner with your partner? Are you sending flowers to someone that has been ‘rocking your world’? Have you thought about chocolates to him/her? Staying at a hotel? Are you traveling to meet somebody?

Now, what have you planned to do just for yourself on St Valentine’s?
GOTCHA!

You probably haven’t thought of anything because once again you’re waiting for someone to love you and show it instead of loving yourself first.
Get a postcard and write what you honestly think you deserve to hear about yourself. Write about those good things in you that attract other people. Seal that envelope and wait for St Valentine’s to open it. You surely will have forgotten exactly what you wrote, for you wrote it exactly when you wanted to make yourself feel loved and, sadly, we don’t feel loved all the time. Accompany it with your favorite flower, with your favorite chocolate and ask yourself ‘Would I be my Valentine’?

Only then you will truly appreciate what others do for you on that very special day, for you have already given yourself a 'pat in the back’.

With that said, I have to say something to those of you who are my friends.

'I have made it here with all your help, in one way or another. To those of you who have smiled at me. To those who have lent a helping hand, to all those who lend their ears to me...to all those who cry with me. To all those who have seen me through the worst year of my life, living with the devil himself and making it safe, ready for a new year unfolding its blessings like a flower of myriad colors...

To all of you, will you be my Valentine?'

Thanks for all the love

-The Puppet Master

Lesson learned: There is no greater feeling than feeling loved…and loved by yourself…just as you are.

Te regalo...

Y casi me vuelvo loco

Pensando en que darte

Para poder probarte

Lo que estoy sintiendo

Regalarte la luna

Con gusto lo haría

Y de soledad

El sol lloraría

Pondría los mares

Frente a tus dos pies

Los peces y corales

Traería después

Adornaría tu almohada

Con aves más de una

Que susurrarían en tu sueño

La mejor canción de cuna

Peinaría tu cabello

Con la brisa del viento

Y acariciaría tus labios

Con mi mismo aliento

Y te daría el espacio

Si de todo fuese dueño

Aunque para tí aún eso

Sería muy pequeño

Por tanto te dedico

Lo único que tengo

Mi alma y corazón

Y mi pensamiento

Y casi me vuelvo loco

Pensando en que darte

Para poder probarte

Lo que estoy sintiendo

Sin todo...

Un día más sin algarabía

Con mis sueños vacíos

En mi cielo sin nubes

Sobre un mar sin peces

Un segundo sin tiempo

En las playas sin palmas

Como ríos sin cauce

O animales sin cría

Cual bebés sin aliento

Viene viento sin fuerza

Cazador sin presa

Un león sin rugido

Discurso sin oído

Canción sin letra

O represa sin agua

Lucha sin enemigo

Actor sin fama

Fuego sin llama

Sangre sin herida

O la muerte sin vida

Así sin sentido

Con nada y sin todo

Cual mi isla sin coquí

Son mis días sin tí

Assistance needed...

'When the going gets tough...some people run like crazy chickens'

-The Puppet Master

Do you know a person who you feel is running a hundred miles an hour in the wrong towards their own doom? Have you been able to picture a very probable future where that someone has ended up colliding against a wall that is most immovable, only to end up bleeding, crying, if still alive at all? If you have, you surely have felt pity, sadness.

Have you done anything about it?

Knowledge of the outcome is not enough. Being able to point a finger and recognize the problem isn’t either. They are part of the solution, sure. The true solution lies in our lending a hand, not in our pointing a finger at the victim sinking in their own inner maelstrom, for that is more the job of modern religious figures.

By lending a hand I don’t mean ‘get so involved that you’ll be immersed in the problem’. I don’t mean ‘solve their problem’ either. Each to its own, each person must learn from their own hardships. Each one should grow like a cactus, through the desert on its own little piece of dirt.

Even though it is not your job, you sometimes will still go out of your own way to extend some help to a doomed character in the film you’re currently living through.
You will many times lend a hand to someone in need who will not only ignore it, but maybe even scorn it, or even bite it. I know that as a fact, I lived through it myself.
You know what you have to do then?

Guess what!

Nothing…


Lesson’s learned: Don’t get in someone else’s shoes, walk with them, and let them go the way they choose.

Celebrating celebrities...

‘Elvis has left the building!’
-Unknown

Do you have a picture of yourself with a celebrity? If so, where is that picture? Is it on a high place in your house for everyone to notice? Is it close to your bed?

Who’s your favorite celebrity? What’s his (or her) real name? What movies or songs can you name where your favorite celebrity was involved?

Can you see yourself running inside a mall (or at least rushing) just so that you can get a glimpse of that one celebrity you heard was buying there? Have you done it?

Why?

What is a celebrity but a person who is just recognized and followed by a bunch of people almost blindly?

What is a celebrity but someone who, by their own effort, fate, luck, or backstabbing of others has reached the floors where the spotlight of the world awaits for their entrance to the stage?

You never know when you’ll meet one of them, and when you do it is all a big event…

So, a piece of advice I give to you. Buy yourself a really good camera. The best you can, and get ready to photograph the greatest celebrity of all, yourself.

You have lived through a lot, enough for many movies and even sequels. Enough for books to be written, yet you have dedicated yourself to praise and recognize other people’s success. Just as true celebrities, perhaps you don’t see yourself as such. They run away from paparazzi, while you hide away from your own recognition.

In reality these so called ‘celebrities’ would run towards you to get pictures taken with you if they knew what you know about yourself. They would perhaps see more in you than you do, for that is exactly what we do with them.

Lesson learned: Smile, you are the best of actors in the best of films, My Life…all Oscars are yours!

Finders keepers...

‘I remember when you asked me for a cigarette, then cast it to the ground and stomped on it. I remember you saying “it’s kidding, give me another one” and did the same thing again. I remember your reply to me when I asked you: man, I just care for you enough to want to keep you from smoking, even if it makes you angry. You were the only one who seemed to care about me back then, thank you’
-Xavi



Where is your best friend now? Where is the one who you dared call ‘best’ at one time? Where is that person whose very name, when mentioned, still brings you back memories that draw a smile on your face? That being whose name you will never forget, for it was a person you loved…

Is your friend close to you? Is he/she far? Is that person even alive? Have you abandoned ‘that special someone’ because ‘life is way too busy so we went our own ways’?
If so, I can’t help but wonder…if he was the best of friends, why would I repay him with just relegating that person to a second tier in the ladder of my existence?

A friendship is defined as ‘a relationship which involves mutual knowledge, esteem, and affection. Friends will welcome each other’s company and exhibit loyalty towards each other, often to the point of altruism.’

Altruism by itself is the selfless concern for the welfare of another. Even Jesus Christ(is said to have) declared “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”.

So, if this is said about friends, imagine what could be said about the BEST of friends.

If that someone’s love kept you going at one time, if that person’s smile gave you strength, or if the mere company of that person made you grow up, even when your own immaturity may have separated you in the past, that person ought to know. Maybe he’s going through hard times and we, in our own ‘being too busy’ have forgotten to repay the greatest favor of all: WE WERE LOVED.

Don’t be ungrateful, make all the phone calls you need to, check the internet, write a letter and find out about your friend (with the same eagerness as you would find out about that very special Christmas’ gift you badly wanted) and say, in addition to whatever you need to say: ‘Thanks for being there for me, and thanks for being part of me, I love you, my best of friends’



Lesson Learned: Friends are friends forever, despite all wrong.

Unexpected flowers...

‘Light a candle in someone’s heart and you will illuminate the world’

-The Puppet Master

Coming back home from another day at volleyball I would laugh at the many jokes my friends and I told. As I stepped out of the elevator a most surprising event unfolded. A flower arrangement sat right in front of the doorway to my apartment. Pink, green, yellow and orange…if I’d only known anything about flowers!

My soul trembled in wonder, who could’ve sent flowers to me? Or, more than who could have, who would have? Whoever did has not only changed my day but also perhaps influenced the course of my life’s river.

Why would a single flower cause an earthquake of emotions that would shake the very foundations of our existence? Why would colorful petals mesmerize me like the best poem ever written would do to a poet?

Know that it is not just the action itself, but the fact that it was performed by a stranger that gives it strength. It would be easily expected to receive anything on a holiday, but just on a simple, regular day?

If you want to change the World, if you truly want to leave a mark behind for your children and their own children to see you don’t have to write a book, sculpt a masterpiece or paint marvelously well. You can just give a flower to a stranger or if you’re too shy, just leave it dedicated to a total stranger and perhaps they will do the same.

Lesson learned: Don’t underestimate your power to change the course of history with but a single, simple action.