A Dreadful Sand Burial

A couple of weekends ago, a few friends came out to visit me. Being the kind host I am, I treated them to a trip to the beach. Being the mischievous friends they are, they buried me and left me to die....


Okay, so now for the real story. I felt like digging a hole so I did. I dug it as deep as it could go (due to water) and dug it big enough for me to get in:



I then had my friends carefully bury me while I held my breath so my chest took up as much volume as possible (so I could breath when I was buried). Needless to say after you see the last photo, I needed help to get out and it was not as nice of a process as getting in.

New Poem - A Lonely Longing

Watched the drama roller coaster that is P.S. I Love You and was inspired to write this, though it doesn't relate to the movie at all. It stems from the movie leaving me with a strong desire to hold my fiancee, who's far away in another country for a year.

A Lonely Longing

I need you baby
     as much as grass needs the sun,
     as people need hopes and dreams,
     as dreams need passion,
     and as passion needs love.
Without you, I'm not whole,
     as a man without legs,
     or a bird without wings,
     as shelter without a roof,
     and as a roof without support.
I yearn to hold you in my arms,
     to turn my mornings into your warmth,
     my nights into your caress,
     my days into your smile,
     and your smile into my home.
Just a little wait longer baby,
     and I'll give you my love,
     I'll then be your support,
     I'll provide your home and shelter,
     we'll make us whole.

Atonement

I watched the movie Atonement tonight. It was a great movie with a lot of symbolism (something not seen in a lot of movies these days) and some great cinematography. I'm absolutely in awe of one of the scenes of English troops on the beach of France...it's a straight shot scene over a few minutes that is absolutely cinematically beautiful yet raw and horrifying at the same time. While this movie was good, it left me empty and sad afterward (something this type of movie does to me easily). So, with an urge to write, I went to the beach to jot some thoughts. Here they are:

Sometimes I feel a deep sadness from this world. The atrocities people commit, the coldness, lack of empathy, disregard, and lack of love all sadden me.

Loneliness. Does everyone fight it? Sometimes, the weight of all the negativity in the world becomes too much for me and I just break down and cry. I cry not only for myself, but for everyone. I cry for the countless atrocities that happen every day, for the lack of empathy, and how so many people can cause so much pain and hurt with irresponsible indifference. My mind simply cannot comprehend how others can treat people with stoic cruelty. I also cry for the pain I, myself, have caused others. From this, I ceaselessly strive to atone for my poor choices that cause harm and unhappiness.

Yet, what is atonement? Is it creating or affecting an increase of happiness in the world equal to the sins and harm from past deeds? Is trading negativity quid pro quo truly measurable within the web of impalpable implications and effects our actions have on this world? Or is atonement merely a mechanism to placate internal guilt and shame? Perhaps in order to maintain our morality and sense of ethics we must each live indebted to the poor choices we make. After all, it is often through these poor choices that our true potential to affect good is unveiled.

I left this open as I wasn't sure I had a solid solution to the questions I raised. But even if atonement is a selfish mechanism to remove guilt, wise acts of atonement benefit others, thus the overall effects can't be ignored. Atonement is necessary despite the motivations driving it.

Painting Excursion Extraordinaire

Once there was this guy who had this certain fiancee who was coming to visit him after spending a year in France. After brainstorming ideas of fun activities for them to partake in, he stumbled upon the idea of painting pottery at one of those places where you buy the piece and they provide all the materials to paint and fire it. After a little hesitation on her part, claiming she was terrible at this sort of thing, the couple went, each picked a piece to paint, and spent the next few hours in artistic bliss while the plain white forms were adorned with a world of color and imagination. Turns out the owners really liked their results and show-cased the pieces in the front window for the local world to see.

Here's pictures for the larger internet world to see.

Enjoy!