We talk about how people are free to be who they are in America and yet, I find that to be a big load of bullshit. If people were able to be themselves, people wouldn’t live in fear of their bosses, families or strangers mistreating us because of our differences (which if you think about it is minor in the scheme of things). Oppression still happens, it may not be visible, but it is there.

Remember people, we are one race (human), created by a power that is supernatural and blesses us with life everyday. We come in the world the same and go out the same. Yet because of superficial differences, we end up tearing each other apart or fighting and killing each other!!! It’s STUPID!!! Why fight your fellow human being?

Who are we to judge others when we our selves are not perfect?

Who are we to believe that we know everything? No one knows everything!

Be who you are, but don’t mistreat others because they are not like you!

Be open to what is out there and give everyone a chance, they may surprise you!

Be open and realize that…

Check out http://www.onehumanfamily.info for more information and to get the awesome bumper sticker above!

ONE LOVE, ONE FAMILY, ONE EARTH!!!

Peace, Love and Cooking Grease!

Guys… you all can misbehave too. I just picked that image because it says so many things that I just can not type!  I should change that thing… think I will…

Yep I said it. Now, when I talk about behaving badly… I don’t mean murder, assault, dealing drugs, stealing cars or anything bogus like that.

I mean… question authority, stand up for yourself, take risks, have goals, hold people to standards and if you can… make changes to yourself in turn help the world be better. Albert Einstein, Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, Ghandi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Bill Gates, Oprah, Steve Jobs and Sir Richard Branson did not help the world the way they did by being uptight goody two-shoes who put their heads in the sand. They pushed and questioned and well… look at what is out there now.

So, push on!

Seize the day, don’t be a slack ass, love, forgive and connect!

Be who you are and pull the broomstick out! Take a risk and be free!

Peace, Love and Cooking Grease!

When you remember the assholes, that is when you want to disconnect.

Who is who in your life?

Me on Facebook

Interesting thing posed to me today. I was reminiscing about my past a bit. The great, the good, the bad and the ugly. Funny thing is… I remember the awesome people who kept me grounded at times. The folks who I had a good time with. I’m Facebook friends with most of them as we’re all spread out through the world. On a regular basis we talk and laugh. However, there are some people who were and I suspect are still good people and for whatever reason, we’ve drifted. We don’t talk via e-mail, Skype or whatever. Honestly, it makes me sad. I’m on a mission to rectify that though.

Thing is, maybe the reason the drift occurred is because of a disagreement or just… life happens! People are busy creatures. They run like headless chooks (chickens) all over trying to do stuff. It’s alright to get stuff done, but what if it leaves you feeling lonely and empty? Was it worth it? Or would you have rather had a conversation with someone or a relationship (not talking romantic either, just connecting)?

With all the technology we have, you would think that connecting to people would be so much easier. Sadly though, I would say that is not the case. Technology has actually made communication more difficult. Think about it, hearing someone’s voice is replaced by e-mail and text message. People have gadgets that multitask instead of just doing one bloody thing. Needless to say, they become distracted and the communication they are supposed to be having with one person is degraded because they are too busy trying to do a million other freakin’ things.

Guess what! We’re losing out on many a great opportunity to truly embrace how connected we truly are! Stop texting that person who is 3 chairs over from you and go talk to them.

Someone asked me the other day about understanding my life’s purpose. I was able to answer him honestly, that I did and yet I am still evolving with it.

• Smile and embrace life. Joy comes in smiling at all aspects of life, whether good or bad. Smiling and looking at things through the “half glass full” is far more fun and calming.
• Go explore, share stories and learn. I suffer from wanderlust very fiercely, so I am going to explore; learn and share.
• Understand that the world is ALL interconnected. The differences are only superficial! We all come from the same place and go back to it.
• We are of the Earth when born and when we perish, we return to it. Regardless of all material things as they can not go with us.
• The material things do not live on, just the memories and legacy of the person who has passed on.
• You can’t have memories and a legacy if you are too busy with material things to pay attention to those who you’re connected to whether directly or indirectly.

Now, in saying all this, there is an understanding that things happen, so people don’t want to connect to another human being. Misunderstandings happen. Anger and drama cloud us at some point. In a blog from 2010, it was about making mistakes and burning bridges.  These issues cause a lot of unnecessary issue, however honesty is needed at times, especially if it is towards one you love. I know I have pissed off a few people something bad. We all have said or done something that has hurt someone else or ourselves. Let it go, don’t forget, but let it go. Don’t let it ruin something that could be beautiful. In an earlier post titled Forgiveness, Finality and Finishing things…, the issue of forgiveness and finality came up. In short, it is truly just about forgiving, moving on and where possible, reconnecting.

Mind you, it can be difficult to reconnect after a misunderstanding, especially if it was a very nasty one. However, one needs to realize that the after effect of the misunderstanding might be worse than what the misunderstanding was about in the first place. If the misunderstanding was simple, then give it a shot to reconnect. You’re open to it, and who knows, so might the other person. A good connection shouldn’t be lost just because of a misunderstanding. Remember the good moments and go on.

The exception to this is, if the connection is toxic. They do exist out there. Toxic friends, family members and/or work colleagues are out there. If the connection is toxic to your well-being, let it go then. Maybe… maybe in time it can be reevaluated, but for now. Let it go and you be in peace.

There are people out there I want to connect and reconnect with. I hope they find this blog as my way of requesting that connection. Matter of fact, if you are in the same place, share this blog with those you want to connect with. Let them know that “hey, let’s hang out or at least talk on the phone with full concentration on each other.”

When you connect, give your full attention.I will bet you anything that when you are being mindful and open in the communication you’re having with the one you want to connect with, it will have more meaning. Kick out the distractions!

Check out the post Life According to Crayons to see why being open can be awesome. Give yourself and the other person a chance to be open-minded. I know that is difficult because everyone has an opinion, but connections get shot to hell because no one is being open to the other. Give it a chance and breathe when you feel anger or frustration breathing up within. Let go and be.

The last connect… the one that people miss out on a lot? Nature. If you can, by yourself or with those you are connecting with on an intimate level, go for a walk in a park or a forest. Take in the sights and sounds. The trees and the birds, the other critters and the breeze. In their own way, they are all talking to us, take the time and listen!

In short, Let go; connect; be and smile. We are all one family, one love, one Earth. The differences are minor in the scheme of things. They just make us human. Share this blog with those you want to connect with.

Peace, Love and Cooking Grease!

Back when I was a kid, you KNEW you were cool if you had this…

If you had this…

You were THE BOMB! The Man or Woman! The SHIT!!!

As kids, life was that simple. The bigger the box of crayons you had, the cooler you were. You could express yourself in all sorts of colors and variations.

Now they got this big box…

Which really ranks up there in coolness. Hell, even as an adult, I want this big bitch! It just reasserts my coolness. I want to color!

Here’s the thing though, the size of the box of crayons, if you think about it, relates to one’s openness to life.

Think about it. If you have just 8 crayons, that’s 8 colors and unless you know how to mix well, it is still a limited perspective. The bigger the box of crayons, the bigger the possibilities are. Same with life, the bigger the mindset, the bigger the possibilities. Life, like a box of crayons is filled with colors and possibilities.

Now, there are Crayon Nazis out there. You know the ones I am talking about. If you don’t, they’re the kids who organize their crayons by color family and don’t share because they don’t want or are afraid of something happening to their stuff. I read a blog called the Crayon Fascist. She admits to being one of those kids. Read here at http://wp.me/1jGJS.  It’s kind of funky honestly. Sure, they have the big box of crayons, but the perspective could be still limited. For all they know, the kid who wants to share the box might have other ideas about color combos. Either way though, it’s all good! At least they got the big box of crayons!

Crayons, colored pencils, paints… all reflect that of life. A diversity that is ever expanding based on mixes and possibilities. The cool thing with crayons to me though… they are one of the first things we are given as kids. It was our time to expand and play. It’s true, kids have the best ideas and keep things simple while at the same time have a wide idea about what could be. They express that when they color with crayons or paints.

I still use crayons to this day. However, like the selection, my choices have expanded. So my current friend along with crayons are…

OPEN UP THAT BIG ASS BOX OF CRAYONS!

LET THE POSSIBILITIES COLOR A BEAUTIFUL IMAGE!

Buy Crayons or whatever!

Crayola http://www.crayola.com/

Rose Art http://www.roseart.com/

Sharpie http://www.sharpie.com/enUS/Pages/Home.aspx

Peace, Love and Cooking Grease

Let me start off by saying, we all have a light and dark side. Everyone single one of us. For some, the light shines all the time. For some, it’s a balance and for others, it is always dark. No matter how hard they fight it… it is dark.

I have that balance. At times, people see my light. At times, they see my dark. Most times, I am balanced. When I am in the light… I am creative, giving,full of a warped sense of humor and always doing my damnest to harm no one. When I am dark… well… it’s not pretty. Insecure, angry, not caring about myself. When I was in the dark… it wasn’t pretty at all. I hope to reconnect with some of those people I have wronged. Some of them were really good people. Only time will tell. This is the start though, by admitting I was wrong and asking for forgiveness. You all know who you are.

Those who have suffered because of me during it. I am asking for your forgiveness. People hit walls. People go through shit. I went through shit. I’m sorry.

I’m forgiving myself… for all of what I have put myself through. It’s not easy though, there are days that well… yeah. It sucks ass. However, in this process… I am awakening to the fact that I know now that I have both the dark and light. I acknowledge that there is a gate between the two sides and it is a two-way gate. One can overwhelm the other at times. It depends on what I am allowing to influence me.

Now, with forgiveness… it’s a hard road. We either have been wronged or have wronged someone. I have had some discussions with a couple of people I know have gone on about this subject and I draw one conclusion. Forgive them and forgive yourself for allowing them inside your head. Forgive and move on. Otherwise… we get eaten up and that sucks.

Finality… it’s where you have issues that you’ve been hung up on stuff. I’ve burned bridges and been hung up on it. Living with regrets and all sorts of issues. At some point, some of you all can relate to this. Being hung up on stuff and while you’re hung… life has passed you by. There is something though about finding the finality of whatever it is that has you hung. Knowing that I have made mistakes and that I am learning from them brings the finality to certain things in my life. It’s time to move on now. A new chapter is here. Roll tide roll… life is that ride and it rolls on.

Finishing things…

Well… hell you all know I am not an academic. I dance to my own marching band (complete with color guard and cheerleaders). Being in a classroom and doing lots of theory makes me… a bit antsy. Ok… it scares the hell out of me but, I am here, doing it anyway. Kicking arse, taking names and taking the piss out of myself at the same time. I wasn’t sure if I was going to finish my masters because of my fears/insecurity. I’d be lying if I said I was hella cocky about this. I’m not, yet I am going to finish this master’s degree. I will finish this.

I am saying this because there have been times where, I haven’t finished or followed through. It’s not been often, but when it has happened, I end up regretting it which then goes back to the top two subjects.

If you can relate to this, this not finishing things because of fear, take a deep breath and think for a moment. What is it that needs to be done? Do you have any reason (you or another person) to finish it. If so… dig in and do it. Push on. We can all push on together.

My goals for this year are simple. I will follow through and finish. Get my arse overseas, train hard and just be. My goals beyond that… finish this degree and be the best damn photographer I can be. Do some music, travel and be.

Not sure what else to say… I know I just need forgiveness and finality so I can finish things. Push foward, always forward. Forgive, love and be.

Peace, Love and Cooking Grease Y’all! Drop a note and say hey!

CALL FOR COMEDIC SHORT FILM SUBMISSIONS Please “SHARE” on your Facebook page. Do you or your friends make short films or webisodes? Did you attend a film program or know current students (high school? college?) Do you have a funny short you’ve been dying to film and just needed a reason? Here’s your reason.

These comedic shorts will be screened INTERNATIONALLY. For a meager $15 (entry fee through January 30th) their short will be submitted for consideration into the Laugh Out Loud Friends of Film Funny Film Fest (LOLFFFFF).  Screenings will be March 31, 2012 at the Guild Cinema in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

All shorts that make it into the LOLFFFFF will also screen at the June 2013 Nickel Independent Film Festival in Canada!  Plus there’s $200 in prizes and awards! Application available at: www.filmvideoarts.org/Library/LOL%20App_2012.pdf If January 30th isn’t sufficient time; the fee is $30 up to the final deadline February 25th

Contact for more info

Sheryl Brown LOLFFFF (505) 321-6806

When you do though it ends in a fray.

Why walk constantly on eggshells?

The outsider looking in

The constant tension wears thin.

Those who hide behind a wall

Trust me let it down or it will have a hard fall.

If you want honesty then allow it with no conditions

Else someone falls in with negative traditions

If you don’t like the words then delete me now

It only says for me not to deal with you anyhow.

You can’t handle the truth and want no one else to speak such

Be honest and admit that damn much.

Happy New Year! Manuia lou Aso Fanau! Akemashita omedetoo gozaimasu! (from my best bud R)

–HH the Dalai lama

Which do you choose? Regardless of what the situation is in life, love and compassion is far better than hatred and anger. No matter how someone else may treat  you, love & compassion are what will save you. We all have moments where people hurt and make us angry, but when we are filled with love and compassion, we don’t stay angry long.

Today, I realized that love & compassion are far more important that anything else. They make the world easier.

If you are angry, let it go and let love fill you. It’s that simple Just let go!

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