The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 5,500 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 5 trips to carry that many people.
Almost there.
I noticed that several colleagues of mine who live in other countries have begun to wish everyone a happy new year. But for myself, 2012 is still several hours away.
And as extremely taxing and difficult as 2011 has been for me, I can honestly say that there’s been a whole lot of good that I could possibly reflect upon.
I started this blog back in February. Hoping to use it as a tool of releasing frustration, confusion, and overall make it an outpouring of negativity to get it out of my system based on some events that were just plain awful. Naturally, the tone to a majority of the posts would change. And today, I’ve accumulated nearly 200 posts. And I’ve had over 6,000 views to my blog. I am quite proud of that. I enjoy writing in this blog and I do see myself continuing to write.
I’ve made some new connections with people. Acquired several new acquaintances. And even walked away with my head held high from the bad ones.
I’ve made new friends. And friends I’ve had before, have become closer friends. And what is even more endearing is the fact that some of them who had been already close to me, I now cannot fathom life without them. To remotely think about it, makes me cry.
I’ve met in person many wonderful people! I came away with some memories that I will never forget!! And in others, I’ve crossed the lines, shattered the boundaries, and still came out squeaky clean on the other side.
I’ve received so much support from others. More than I would have ever been able to imagine. And I am grateful for that, and for them.
I’ve been given so much help in my hour of need to the point where I probably would never be able to thank them enough or repay them. But knowing that “thank you” was just enough caused me to learn that there are some people still left in this world who genuinely do care for me.
I keep making progress in sledge hockey, even though I was not able to finish out last season due to illness and the fact of the matter is that this season has barely gotten off the ground.
I know that I have repeated myself time and time again about how desperately I wanted to get away from 2011, but I feel that there’s so much more to be thankful for that did happen this year. Many blessings were bestowed.
And I look forward to advancing in 2012 with the hope and faith that regardless of the low-times of this year, which were plentiful, I can stand tall and push forward towards a better year, with all of the lessons and experiences to take with me as I learn. And leaving behind the bitterness, sadness, and things that would drag me down so heavily.
May we all learn our lessons both from the good and the bad of this year and apply them to better living in 2012.
To those who have played such a pivotal role in my life, I want to say thank you and .. I love you!!
“But can one still make resolutions when one is over forty? I live according to twenty-year old habits.”~ Andre Gide
2011 is almost over. I’ve said it once before, I’ll say it again: I am so glad! I am ready to get to the year of 2012 and start over.
A fresh start and a fresh outlook that is more positive than ever is what I want to be aiming for!
Now comes the time where people are starting to think about their New Year’s Resolutions. What it is that they want to change about themselves in the coming new year.
I was reading the blog of author Leigh K. Hunt, and she had actually opened my eyes when it came to the whole idea of having to make “resolutions”.
“Make GOALS, not resolutions.” she says.
http://parchmentplace.wordpress.com/2011/11/24/hopes-and-dreams/
Suddenly it became clear to me. I think that making goals works far better than a resolution. With a goal, you have a set end date, your own personal deadline to achieve whatever it is that you want to do (or stop doing what you do not want to do.)
You always hear the same resolutions over and over again. I think the top New Years Resolutions are to lose weight, stop smoking, and excercise more often. Some of us make it, most of us fail horribly no matter what the resolution.
It comes down to whether or not you have the true deep down desire to do what it is you want to do in the following new year. Sticking with it also helps you become successful. So many of us (including myself) often don’t stick to our plans and then by mid-January, our lists of resolutions are thrown into the garbage.
Setting goals in the proper manner will actually allow us to be successful. Setting a goal and then not following up with it doesn’t work at all.
Example: If you want to stop smoking– then set a date. Say to yourself “I want to be stop smoking completely by ________ .” Then you have something to really work hard for. And all of that hard work will be worth it when you are rewarded with accomplishing that goal.
Sensible goals also come into play. I’ve written about that in a previous blog post.
Who knows what friends and family will make as their resolutions come the final day of 2011. But if you are not serious about it, you’re just wasting your breath and time as the clock begins to get closer and closer to midnight on the 31st.
For myself, I will no longer mention about resolutions. But instead I will talk about goals.
In the past few years, whenever I noticed someone who had broken their resolution, and I asked them about it, their response was always the same:
“Resolutions are meant to be broken.”
If that is true then why bother making them at all? Unless you are dealing with someone with a wonky sense of humor who claims that their New Years Resolution is to never make any more New Years Resolutions.
So as we get closer and closer to the new days of 2012, I hope that all will be safe as they celebrate the ringing in of the new year. Have fun, but be safe.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!
Having That New Year's Kiss
“I do not want to be anyone’s obligation. I’d much prefer to be someone’s option rather than their obligation. To be someone’s obligation means that they are feeling forced to deal with you. When you are feeling compelled or forced to do something, eventually it will grow old and you will become tired of it and not want to do it any more. And that is far worse than having someone make the conscious choice to do so from their own free will, because being the option means that they’ve made that choice.” ~ P.T.
I find myself sometimes very fortunate to have deep meaningful conversations with people one would least likely believe would come from. Mainly those who are in the professional fields, and I am someone whom they are working with.
But this conversation about “option vs. obligation” was rather interesting to the point that I really did agree with them. The basis of this conversation was the whole idea of people’s social interactions with others. Whether it be a pleasant telephone conversation or meeting for lunch somewhere or whatever it may be. And the bottom line was that there’s a vast difference between an obligation and being an option.
To be someone’s social obligation, means that you are feeling very compelled and responsible for socially interacting with someone. You do it, because you feel that you have to. But the obligation will eventually become a drag, and after a while of doing what you do to socially interact with that person, you’ll began to feel bitter and negative about it “because YOU HAVE TO” and far less because you WANT to.
Being someone’s social option, it was agreed upon, is far better. Nobody honestly owes us anything in life. Instead people take the option because they make the choice to do it. They choose to give you a call or go out to lunch… why? Because they truly want to! And not because they feel that they have to.
So the conversation ended with the desire to be the social option. Because people are going to socially interact with you because they WANT to. And they’ve made that decision of their own free will.
A lot of us crave social interaction. Some need it more than others. And even still, others will get it in any way that they can. But it is a necessity in life (to a degree).
I would not want anyone to call me, or hang out with me because they felt that they had to. I’d much prefer that they do so, because they genuinely want to. So I too, prefer to be the option instead of the obligation.
I would not want anyone to socially interact with me time and time and time again, in order to keep a social flow when they honestly don’t want to be doing it. Because then eventually, it will collapse and fail, and they will make the choice to stop interacting.
I know that on the Internet, there’s a quote that constantly pops up:
“Do not make someone a priority when they’ve only made you an option.”
Yes, I agree with that as well. Mainly because I translate it as “Don’t spend so much time on someone, who isn’t willing to spend just as much time in return.” But being the option is not so bad once you realize that people are actually doing something with you because they honestly like you and enjoy interacting with you, rather than feeling that they have to.
If they call you, great. If they don’t? Too bad, its their loss.
If they want to go to the movies with you or go shopping or something, well then that’s awesome! But if they do such activities because they feel that they are in debt: well then eventually their minds will change at some point in time in the future and they will believe that their debt has now been paid in full, and no longer interact.
Everyone makes choices. Allow others to make their choice to hang out with you. Never force their interactions with you, otherwise they will just be filled with regret in the long run.
A 99 year old Italian man is seeking divorce from his 96 year old wife, after 77 years of marriage. I could not believe the story when I read it!
After finding letters from a lover that was written to his wife over 50 years ago, the husband suspected an affair. The wife ultimately admitted to the affair- which happened in the 1940’s!!!
Understandably angry, the husband is now filing for divorce.
Whiskey-tango-foxtrot, over??
I get that he is angry. I get that he was betrayed by the woman he married. I get that he is hurt and his aging heart might be broken and what not. But 77 years together?? What in the world was their marriage like one year ago, ten years ago???
I don’t get this move. I think that they are both freakin’ lucky that when he found out the truth that he did not suffer cardiac arrest. Or worse.
What in the world are the two of them going to do now? And how do the split up everything? Who’s insurance gets to pay for the nursing home? Who’s retirement gets to pay for medical bills? It’s all so confusing.
And from reading the above article, what kind of is fascinating to me is that they have one great-great-grandchild. That’s a lot of greats!! The family lineage is strong and the family tree has many branches.
I wonder what this Italian family is going to do for holidays, birthdays, and other special events in 2012?
Insanity!!
So now this 99 year old man will be single again. The only thing that I can do is wish him well as he jumps back into the dating pool. But I really believe that for his age group, it’s pretty damned shallow!!
Good luck. But I don’t think e-Harmony, OKCupid, and other dating websites have a “70 and older” category for their members. It’s going to suck for him. And not in a good way either.
And the poor wife. Cheating on him so very long ago. People make very stupid decisions. And I guess that she is feeling somewhat relieved that she no longer has to carry this secret with her any longer, now that she admitted to her husband that she did have the affair.
I’m not sure as to why the husband cannot forgive her. MY GUESS is that the lover is probably no longer living. But, I don’t know that for sure.
77 years of matrimony, gone in one day.
Hello Guiness Book of World’s Stupidest Things That People Do? Yes, I’d like to submit an entry for your next publication.
“Merry Christmas! Shitter was full!!”~ Randy Quaid as ‘Cousin Eddie’ in “Christmas Vacation” [1989]
“May your days be merry and bright!!”.
“We’re kicking off our fun old fashion family Christmas by heading out into the country in the old front-wheel drive sleigh to embrace the frosty majesty of the winter landscape and select that most important of Christmas symbols.”~ Chevy Chase as ‘Clark’ in “Christmas Vacation” [1989]
It’s Christmas Eve. At least for most. Christmas Day is several hours away and we gather with family and friends to celebrate in love and harmony, not to mention in pride and avarice (for others).
Each family who celebrates Christmas throughout the world has their own holiday traditions. I know that growing up, my family sure did. But after having those traditions for many, many years- it is sometimes difficult to realize that others do not do the same thing as I have done for most of my life.
Growing up, my family did our Christmas celebrating and the opening of gifts and presents on the evening of Christmas Eve. For many years I just thought that was how it was done. Until I was much older and realized that the only reason why my parents decided to open presents on Christmas Eve, was because of the fact that my sister’s birthday is the 26th of December.
So many Decembers gone by, and I could never figure out why other neighborhood children had only had their toys and gifts for an hour or so when me and my siblings had ours freshly unwrapped overnight. I would learn after the age of ten or so why that was.
Most of my life though, and even into adulthood, I would open up Christmas presents on the 24th of December………. except for one year.
On the 24th of December in the year of 1982, our family stayed at home instead of attending Christmas Eve services. My father would go on without us and then return home. Meanwhile, a thunderstorm came through and by the time we had heard the garage door opening, signifying that my father was home and “Christmas” would begin, my younger sibling ran out the front door to greet him in the pouring rain. At that moment when the front door was opening, the tornado sirens began to wail.
Christmas was not going to happen for several hours later as the F4 tornado ripped through in the middle of the night. Two days later (on my sister’s birthday that year) we had twelve inches of snow. Go figure.
That year, so memorable. Opening gifts and drinking tiny glasses of egg nog well after midnight and practically falling asleep on the floor amongst the disaster area of torn and shredded Christmas wrapping paper and emptied out toy boxes and packages.
Christmas traditions vary worldwide as well. Not just from American family to family. Some have already opened gifts and presents. When I was studying German in school, we learned about something called “Saint Nikolas Tag” (St. Nicholas Day). That was the time when many children would open gifts and presents. Of course in Germany, they do celebrate Christmas on the traditional days of 24th and 25th, and even on the 26th. But what we learned, Saint Nikolas Tag was the day that the German version of Santa Claus would visit and bring gifts for the children.
Now as an adult, now that I am an uncle; things have changed a little bit. My niece and nephews will most likely be opening gifts tomorrow morning as many children will in this country.
But I really don’t believe that it matters all that much on WHAT DAY we open our gifts and presents for the Christmas holiday. It’s more towards what the real meaning of Christmas is about. And being with family and loved ones.
And that’s just me.
For those of you reading this blog post, and celebrate Christmas– MERRY CHRISTMAS. May your holidays be full of love & joy.
“Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings is a short instrumental piece for orchestra. The work is a slow, minor-key lament, which evokes a deep sadness in those who hear it… The Adagio has captured the emotions of millions of listeners since Barber first wrote it as the middle movement of a string quartet in September 1936.”~Thomas Larson, on Adagio for Strings
Samuel Barber (1910-1981) was an American composer. His most famous and well-known composition is Adagio for Strings.
I believe that his composition by now is known worldwide. It can be heard in numerous soundtracks on television shows and in film.
Adagio for Strings was written in 1936. It made its premiere in late 1938 when conductor, Arturo Toscanini lead the NBC Symphony Orchestra. The performance was recorded for posterity. It was selected in 2005 for permanent preservation in the National Recording Registry at the United States Library of Congress.
After the piece was performed in 1938, Alexander J. Morin wrote that Adagio for Strings is “full of pathos and cathartic passion” and that it “rarely leaves a dry eye.”
I believe that to be true. After hearing it for the first time from watching the “edited for television” version of the film Platoon, I was captured by it. At the moment I knew what it was and who had wrote it, I set out on an adventure to find the recording. When I did, I brought it home and played it endlessly for hours, crying most of the time because I was very moved by the entire thing.
I would then find it in someone else’s music collection and began to play it. But I was asked to turn it off because it made them cry.
Adagio for Strings was played over the radio at the announcement of the death of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It was also played at the funerals of people like Albert Einstein and Princess Grace of Monaco. In 2001, Adagio for Strings was played at “Last Night at the Proms” in the Royal Albert Hall to commemorate the victims of the attacks of September 11th. 
It was also played at the openin ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
And still I believe that many of us have heard it at one time or another. The use of the piece has been everywhere in the past several decades.
As I mentioned, it was on the soundtrack for the film, Platoon. It was played throughout the entire movie. Over and over again.
But it made earlier appearances in such films as Lorenzo’s Oil, and The Elephant Man.
In 1967, Samuel Barber transcribed it for an eight-part choir, as Agnus Dei (Lamb of God).
This too, has been widely used in soundtracks for films. From what I have researched, it was including in American television and films such as:
Either played as Adagio for Strings or Agnus Dei.
The one time that Adagio for Strings was used in a soundtrack for film that was very moving and haunting was HBO’s television film from 1996 called Crime of the Century.
It is a dramatization of the Lindbergh kidnapping. Stephen Rea plays the role of Bruno Richard Hauptmann. The man who was convicted of the crime and put to death by execution in the electric chair in New Jersey.
Ironic foot note: The execution of Bruno Richard Hauptmann also took place in 1936. The same year in which Adagio for Strings was composed.
Adagio for Strings is played in its entirety. (Most recordings of either piece run about 8 minutes in length or even more.)
The piece begins as Hauptmann is led from his jail cell in the New Jersey State Prison, and begins his journey from his cell to the point of his death. The fortissimo and crescendo comes as he is being put to death. I really thought that it was intense. The use of the music was very well timed, and I also wondered if the film “was going to show the execution and death”. In which it does to a degree. The rest of the piece along with the film shows the grief and sadness and confusion of Hauptmann’s wife as she waits at home and is told that now she is a widow. One couldn’t help but shed a tear.
In 2004, listeners of the BBC’s Today program voted Adagio for Strings the “saddest classical” work ever.
Accentus performs Barber's 'Agnus Dei'
Either version of the music, choral or instrumental, it is a timeless masterpiece in my opinion. It totally envokes and draws emotion from within. And still with its overwhelming power of sadness and intensity, it is one of my favorite pieces of music to listen to.
However, since I discovered the choral transcription, I tend to listen to it more than the orchestral.
Because of my admiration and fascination of Adagio for Strings, I’ve always wanted to write a screenplay about Samuel Barber with the focus on his composition. Or I have often thought about conducting it for a performance. Perhaps one day I will work on those projects. But for now, I will always enjoy listening to it.
You can find many different adaptations of it on YouTube. Including the performance by Accentus.
If you are reading this relatively close to when this was posted, I hope that this finds you well. Or at least better than when I met you last night at the bus stop near Cherrywood and Manor Road.
Although you are probably wondering what in the world happened last night.
I cannot help but feel that there were some things that you were unaware of that caused you to leave empty-handed from your bold request to give you money. You were probably very confused, so I’m writing this to you to explain just how in the world you got your ass kicked by a man in a wheelchair. I hope you pay attention:
You clearly did not know who I was, otherwise you would have addressed me by my first name, instead of “hey man”. You obviously did not know as to the reasons why I am in a wheelchair. But instead, you thought that I was going to be an easy target. I hope that last night I have cleared that confusion up for you because you thought very, very wrong!
Perhaps you should have just asked me for the time first before you came along begging for money. That could be your first mistake when you are pandering.
Did you know or are you aware that there was a woman about fifty feet in front of you that had asked me the same question that you did? I turned her down as well. Perhaps your super-sonic hearing doesn’t work after the sun goes down. If you would have heard that conversation then you probably would have been able to walk by me without bothering me. But maybe I should give you a break. Not all bums have that super-sonic hearing.
Although I do not believe that it is illegal for you to come into physical contact with me, it is probably not a very intelligent move for you to ignore my request for you to remove your hand from my shoulder. Especially after using the profane and vulgar vocabulary that I used in order to make that request. And your obvious stance to disregard my request and grip on to my shoulder tighter in an aggressive manner.
How is your stomach feeling? I know that you lost a lot of breath when I pushed my fist into it. And while we are on the subject of asking how you are doing- how is your jaw? I imagine that too was a surprise for you once you recovered from the air escaping. I sure hope you didn’t lose any teeth. That would be bad, especially since its so close to Christmas.
Too bad you were standing too close to the edge of the sidewalk. I think that’s why you tumbled over and fell into the street. But all of that fancy foot work that you did while trying to remain standing was probably just bad timing as that vehicle was driving down the road that you fell in front of. Luckily you were not hit by it.
But I understand that because I told the driver of that car what you were doing that they went to go talk to you. Did you have a nice conversation? I think that it is always nice to have pleasant conversations with strangers. Especially if it ends happily. When they drove off after you, I heard them come up with a cute nickname for you. However, I don’t know how cute a “motherfucker” is. At least not in my experiences.
I just don’t know how that visit went because once they took off after you with their tires squealing, I got on the city bus and came home. Maybe it was a fun time. Who knows?? Perhaps you should have asked them for money instead!!
All in all, I think that a lesson could be learned. Never underestimate someone in a wheelchair. I mean after all, how could you have known that I have incredible upper body strength, and the fact that I play sledge hockey, and pretty much have large biceps from pushing the wheelchair wherever I go. And the fact that you are not the first person that I have dealt with in my life, nor even this year alone who have come up to me in the same regards as you and ended up with the same result, or worse.
How else were you to know that I was going to let you have it and ultimately kick your ass?
Perhaps if those pieces of information about me where available to you- you probably could have made the smarter choice of leaving me alone. And then you wouldn’t have had to deal with what you did as I protected myself.
If you are going to continue a life of pandering, maybe it will make you think twice about even THINKING about bullying someone that is in a wheelchair or someone whom you think is weaker than you and would be easier prey. I might suggest getting a job somewhere or asking a family member for a cash loan if you are that desperate for “loose change”.
One thing that I will include additionally is the fact that I am tired of this. This kind of thing happens far too much and frequent for me. So who could blame me for “giving you the business and kicking your ass” when you refuse a simple request to get out of my personal space and leave me alone.
In conclusion, Happy – WHATEVER you celebrate.
A grandmother that I met this morning has this to say for you. I agree with her sentiment:
“Meeting someone for the first time is a lot like Forrest Gump’s interpretation of Life.”
Dambreaker 