Things I’ve taken for Granted

17. Things I have taken for granted.

Oh gosh, where do I even start with this one? Do I start from the beginning of my life, or do I start with random thoughts I have about taking things for granted. Do I write about what I’ve taken for granted in the last week?

When I was younger I took for granted that everybody would just “like me”. Not even because I was spoiled in anyways or was a spoiled child, but just simply because I liked everybody else. So surely, that’s just the way the world worked? UNTIL I got to Year 6 when I first experience bullying and I had no idea how to cope. The worse part of it was one of my bullies was someone who had been my best friend, just a couple of years beforehand. You know something though, a part of that “naivety” has still stayed with me (being friends with everyone). Unless you give me a reason to “hate you” I will consider us “friends”. Even if you date one of my friends and they break up, if I’ve gotten on well with that ex-partner, I still consider them a “friend”. Unless they hurt my friend.

I think that I took being a kid for granted, just that freedom that can comes with being a child. Just being able to fob things off, not having many responsibilities, seeing the innocence in basically everything. It’s like that saying “Why do we want to grow up so fast?”.

I think what I’ve taken most for granted though, is just feeling safe. I used to feel safe all the time and I never realise what a plus I had it. I heard a great saying “We have learned our rights, but not the responsibility”. We talk about freedom of speech, free to be who we are, but at the same time, people with so much hate in their hearts, talk about having the same rights. Those hateful people make me fear more than anything, because they fear things that are basically made up in their minds. For example, there’s a Facebook page called “Ban Sharia Law in Australia” …. Except it is banned and very unlikely to ever become law in Australia, unless in some sort of alternate reality.

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Anxiety in Literature

(I’m not 100% sure that Babur is even a real person)

Dictionary Meaning

*Now I have putting this post off for a very long time, been debating whether to post or not…But I felt like it needed to be said. I genuinely see a worrying trend starting to happen*

The dictionary term of racism is as follows:

racism

ˈreɪsɪz(ə)m/

noun

 

1. the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races.

   “theories of racism”

   • prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior.

     “a programme to combat racism”

     I read this and not in one single term or meaning of racism ANYWHERE in the whole entire world does it say anywhere that racism only occurs in one group of colour of people? It does not matter what you “think” this is the facts of the case. There is no mention that racism occurs in only one colour of people. So why do everywhere do I read, it’s not racist if one colour is racist towards another because that person has experienced more racism than the other person? Bad English?

     No if you’re racist, you’re racist. What else is it?

     I know this is not my usual happy-go-lucky post. I am just starting to find it really disturbing though how someone can say they are not racist because the other person doesn’t “understand” but the comments and the hatred, while spewing hatred towards another colour, it feels very segregated. It disturbs me on a level I can’t explain.

     Racism is Racism and Hatred is Hatred, it knows no colour.

   I get that I don’t get what it’s like to be of another colour, but I do get fear and I get hatred. I don’t get going backwards and turning into something you hate and doing the exact same things as something you hate. I guess it’s like the situation with a bully, a lot of the times a bully is a bully because they themselves, have been bullied. I just want to understand I guess.

   I do get how putting people into boxes can lead to bloodshed and something much worse than opening up to communication and trying to understand. Let me in, let me understand what it’s like. I love people of all backgrounds, I know lot’s of people from different backgrounds. I’ve grown up with a lot of different backgrounds and I don’t understand racist people. Understanding our differences, it’s the only way we can understand what makes this world tick, what makes it wonderful.

   When has putting ourselves into boxes and categories and “they’re not us” mentality…EVER…worked?

Literary Fears

There is a website that I just LOVE called “The Reading Room” It is an amazing site that has good reviews, recommendations, featured lists/themes, podcasts…You name it!

I was scrolling through their site, as one does, and I came across this really funny article “9 irrational fears we can blame on books” It was really funny because they very last one was about Apples because of the poisoned apple in Snow White and I just personally thought it was hilarious because when I was younger, I lived in fear of red apples,lol … You know, because I am Snow White,lol

What is your literary fear? (Be warned, the very first picture on here is of the spider from Harry Potter…So, if you are scared of spiders! Be Warned!)

Harmony Day

I am so glad that this day has fallen on another edition of “Magical Monday” what could possibly be more of a magical day than a harmonious one?!

Harmony Day (well this particular one) is only really celebrated throughout Australia and throughout Australian Schools. Please go and have a look at the website “Harmony Day 2016 (Australia) and see how you can join and/or any activities that you can participate in. As the website itself says:

“It’s about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone. It is a day for all Australians to embrace cultural diversity and to share what we have in common. The central message for Harmony Day is that ‘everyone belongs’, reinforcing the importance of inclusiveness to all Australians.”

Harmony seems to be harder and harder to come by these days. To me, there is a lot of fear going around lately and a lot of putting people into their boxes, that others think they should be put into. I’m Australian and a wave of dread went through me when a certain Presidential Candidate announced if he didn’t get voted in, there would be riots…What kind of candidate says that?!

The Ultimate Fear Factor

The Ultimate Fear Factor

Daily Prompt – The Daily Post

People are afraid of all kinds of things: spiders, the dark, or being enclosed in small spaces. Tell us about your greatest fear — rational or irrational.

I am almost ashamed to admit this because it seems like such a silly fear to have. I have a fear of … *insert dun dun duuuuuuuuun music here* Octopuses! I am NOT kidding! I watched a program on them once and ever since I have these odd fear of them. If I start thinking about it, I cannot even sit on the toilet comfortably, I spend the entire time completely freaking out.

The program that I watched, demonstrated not only how intelligent they are, but also they can fit into any space, small pipes included. They are SO intelligent, it is crazy insane how smart they are. They are not only just smart but they know how to play us as well! They are evil I tell you! … Evil!

Saving the Barbie!

I have been seeing Barbie copping a lot of flack and I feel like somebody needs to speaks up for her because I find it frustrating. I used to play with Barbie when I was little and I think I turned out, reasonably, alright =P Barbie should be a role model for the imagination which is exactly what I used her for.

She’s a doll, and although I am not a parent and understand I may cop flack for saying “parenting things”. Maybe your biggest fear shouldn’t be a doll. Maybe your biggest fear is thinking that a doll, repeat doll, should be the one teaching your children about their self esteem in the first place? I never once thought that I should look like Barbie, I wanted all her careers, I used my Barbie’s and created many different worlds with them. I use to host a radio show with my Barbies, had them be rock and roll stars, psychic, mummies and daddies. I even learnt about disabilities because my Ken lost his legs. Barbie has had many different careers and many different versions, she (and Ken) how to imagine.

Even with her television show, she’s not a “mean girl”, she’s all about friendships, how to work hard and how to be kind to others? So I am not really sure why suddenly we are putting Barbie in a category she doesn’t belong in?

I think as adults we put too much of our own fears into children and that’s when the problem happens. We do not give children enough credit, they will notice that you “fear” Barbie. Technically shouldn’t you fear ALL dolls then and the self esteem issues that they will give your children?

Stop letting other “things” teach your children, because they learn from us. It never once crossed my mind once to want to look like her? I’m going to be blunt here and maybe some wont like it. If your child has self esteem issues because of a doll, repeat doll, maybe it’s not the dolls fault? Maybe it’s the adults in her life? Maybe we should start taking responsibility again for raising our children?

Most importantly Barbie taught me how to play, by myself and with others.

(Picture Credit: Mattel)

Share Your World…Week 32

http://ceenphotography.com/2015/08/10/share-your-world-2015-week-32/

Are you a collector of anything? 

Over the years I have collected various things, such as: Tazo’s, porcelain dolls, stamps…Just a whole wide range of things. I seem to get “into” things and then just as fast as I get into them, I get “out of them” just as quickly.

What is your biggest fear or phobia? (no photos please)

This is going to sound funny, but my biggest fear is Octopuses. They are really smart and are able to get into really small and tight spaces. Sometimes if I think about it before I got to the bathroom (so to speak), then I can’t go the bathroom.

Do you prefer reading coffee table books (picture), biographies, fiction, non-fiction, educational?

I honestly like all books, if I enjoy reading it. I enjoy reading it, that kind of deal. My favourites are probably fiction mainly because I get to drift away with it, but as I mentioned before. I enjoy all sorts of books.

Complete this sentence:  If I Must Be Reincarnated, In the Next Life I Want to Be…

A rich person…lol…I would love to be all humbled and say that I would love to be some kind of animal, but I see how tough their lives are, especially wild animals.

Do I or Don’t I?

I am having a bit of an conundrum and I would love my readers to give me some advice. At the moment there are not many people who I know who would be able to help me with this ‘situation’. Once I’ve gotten a clearer mind and am more sure it’s what I really want to do, I will know which step to take next.

While fighting with my ex last year, I bumped into another ex of mine. Literally in the middle of a fight with my last ex and I literally bumped into the one before him. We had a pleasant exchange (apart from the total and utter fear on his face). Recently in my state we had huge devastating bush-fires and I know that his parents house was in this area. He doesn’t know that I know he now lives with his current girlfriend. However, it has made me think a lot because the place we “bumped” into each other was actually where I work.

I don’t hate him anymore and I don’t want him to fear coming into where I work. Especially with the bush-fires it’s made me realise that I know he wasn’t a bad guy and a lot of his lying was to protect me, in his own weird way. I was his first ever girlfriend and he was so used to being a “player” that lying is honestly the only way he knows of.

My question is, should I unblock him from my Facebook and write just a little message saying that I hope his family are alright and he does not have to fear coming into where I work?

 

A letter to you, to know that I made it through

So I made it through today and here I am sure that everyone expected me to fall. I am so proud of myself today, I thought that I was going to fall as well. Even with everything wrong and hard that is going on around me, I made it through. I made it through and I did not have to pretend once. Every single smile was real, every joke I made, everything was real.

It would have been your birthday today and I hope that it was one you enjoyed and hopefully with this event may you grow and learn even more about all the wonders with this world, instead of the stagnant life of getting drunk every day. We will never be friends, we are just two completely different people, but I still want the very best for you. I will not forget what you did to me and I don’t think I should.

My heart is healing and I have another to thank for that, he is so honest. It is something that I can honestly say that I’ve never experienced, he keeps me safe but doesn’t play around. If he doesn’t like something he tells me, and he expects the same from me. I feel safe, truly safe.