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’