Tag Archives: life

Good Evening Jim Barr

Jim Barr, probably the strangest and most sour fruit on the vine. I know exactly why you left me. Jealousy, vengeance, contempt mixed with bad blood, all that good stuff. Of course, I won’t get down to the specifics…. we never do anyways. You are merely an echo of the past. Your presence wreaks of a treachery that forebodes bad luck. If venom originated from fruit then you would be the seeds, but knowing me I would fall for your petty tricks and indulge on the nectar. I wish I could forget you. But it’s hard to forget the ones that made you who you are, and unfortunately, I love myself.

Life Is Uncertain…

The same could be said about the weather in Calgary. Oh, how mysterious it is, like an MC Escher drawing. Oh, how it echoes with musical vibrato, as winter does. Unlike a book, this weather has no structure. It has no layers. One might compare it with incomplete lasagna. It is a melancholy horror of which I love. A melancholy horror that probably doesn’t love me back. A melancholy horror that I desperately need.

 

Generations Wasted

roll-dice-of-fortune

We are the ones we have been looking for.

I have thought about this statement for years now. Because of this, each and every day I feel I must do something great. I have to be able to leave a footprint on Earth and most of all, I must be able to change this world somehow. We can never change the past and time will not wait for us. We must be able to make the right choices and take the right paths at the correct time in order to achieve the best possible outcome. One small decision can completely alter one’s destiny and that is what I am most afraid of. We as humans have the power to completely change someones life with every single decision we make. Each and every step counts. For this reason, I hate chance. Chance is pure evil. The problem is that we can never avoid it. Everything we do in life is essentially us taking a chance. Whether it’s going out for a stroll or riding a bike or even going to your freezer to get some ice cream. You are always taking chances.

Now reflect upon your life. Think about every decision you have made. Whether it is small or large. Now think about what would have happened if you said something else or did something different. Could you imagine how different things would be? Do you now realize the significance of your choices? It is honestly quite frightening once you really delve deep into your memories. The chance that you could very well be doing something different right now instead of reading this. The chance that I could be somewhere else instead of writing this. It all comes down to chance. While it may be frightening, it is also very fascinating at the same time. Your chances determine your fortunes.

Let’s get to the point. I have exhausted the fact that everything we do in life formulates our path to the future. The reason I am sharing this is because I feel we should stop looking for the hero that will change the world. We as humans imagine this ideal “hero” to have made perfect choices. Why can we not be this hero? Why must we wait for this individual to bless us? Generations after generations, we have complained about numerous things in this world whether it be global warming, over use of fossil fuels, currency rates, or any other diplomatic situation. The choices we make in life now at this moment count and we must choose wisely. We must be the ones we have been looking for and we must not have any regrets.

However, this is where chance comes in to play. If there is ANYTHING that will truly destroy humanity, it is taking chances.

I Am Graffiti (Extended/Spoken Word Edition)

retna_graffiti

I am graffiti

You may know me by the hatred you bear

You may know me from the beautiful streets you once happened to walk on

You may recognize me  from the news you control ever so…diligently

You may recognize me from the wall you stared at whilst a single tear rolled down your cheek

ever

so

slowly

We might happen to share identical features including…colors

But that is where our similarities come to an end

Our conflict lies within our differences

I know an incredible amount about you sir, I think it’s time you got to know just as much about

me

I am a message that should be acknowledged

I am art blinded by a curse from the past

I am ballistic expression

I am admirable

I am despicable

I am beauty coated by the viscid and dark paint of YOUR paintbrush atop MY canvas

I represent the aftermath of the bloodshed you waged on the land where lambs and mockingbirds reside

I will be an immortal representative

I will never cease to exist

I am an eternal flame

I am the people

I am merely words yet one should be reminded that

still water

runs

deep

I am truth written in colours

I am truth written in style

I am a voice of the people

My message will stay for a while

 

Can you really say the same?

Spoken Word ~ A Boy’s Epiphany

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In school, there was a boy who hated what he saw.

Was it the atmosphere? The ambience? maybe it was the call

of teachers telling him he wasn’t smart enough, wasn’t good enough.

Yet this boy stayed, no he didn’t depart.

He took it to heart and spent the rest of the day in shame.

The boy cursed her name on the way back home until there were no more steps to take or dreams to break.

And I say dreams because this boy had dreams, oh he had some big dreams.

In fact, this boy daydreamed constantly.

Pouring all his passion, love, and thought into fantasies that may or may not become a reality.

But It was an escape from the solitary environment where he couldn’t create.

The next day he returns to school, hoping he learns the tools to be what he wanted.

He was taunted with worksheet after worksheet,

dozens of questions.

He hated it all, whether it was review or lessons.

“Why does he live this way?”

“Why does he live at all?”

These are what his teachers say to him on a daily basis.

Because they don’t understand the dreams this boy dreamt

They don’t understand the competition this boy carried

They don’t understand the future he fights for

They don’t understand the salvation he sought

They don’t understand.

His life was a mess

All he wanted was to turn it around instead of turning it off because he knew he was worth more than a blade cutting into his soft skin or a noose wrapped around his throat.

 His dreams were too big

Yet they were so small

This boy wanted to prove them all wrong, wanted to show the futility of the education he was held captive in.

His dreams were worth more than school

He wanted to show them that he had a place in this world

But…then why do people hate him for this?

Last night this boy had an epiphany.

One that rocked him to the very core of his existence

An exhilarating thrill shook up his spine and throughout his body.

Maybe it wasn’t meant to be.

Maybe his dreams were truly worth nothing

But these thoughts were not without reason

History has repeated itself over and over again

If each individual was destined to be great then why is there such a big disparity between people?

Why have we not yet achieved universal peace?

Why do we resent what we do not understand?

If you believe racial profiling is a thing of the past, then you probably don’t know who Treyvon Martin is

The world is a cruel place

Your dreams will be shattered and you will be lost

Years upon years of living an optimistic lifestyle has given this boy nothing but a false ray of hope beaming down upon him like was standing on the stage of tragedy

It was not the kind of spotlight he had in mind

However

He saw now

People hated him because he wanted to change these sayings

 He would ruin the norm

He would be superior

This was the attitude that changed the world, generation after generation

Einstein, Walt Disney, Steve Jobs, Abraham Lincoln, Nelson Mandela, Thomas Edison, Marilyn Monroe have all had this attitude

This boy realized he was destined for greatness no matter what the crowd has to say and no matter where the spotlight lands

It is just a matter of time before each and every individual realizes this

Until then, let there be hate in this world

This was an epiphany this boy would never forget.

The Interview. No, not the one with Seth Rogen

I decided to interview my cousin who also lives here in Calgary. I felt that it would be a crime to not know someone that is related to me who also lives relatively close. We have gotten closer because of this interview and the questions I asked so I recommend anyone out there, that wants to get to know someone, to try and use some of my questions. Also remember to talk to them with blurred eyes. Take what you will from that.

-Arsal

Q: Who are your heroes?

A: Heroes as in people I look up to? Well one of them would be Batman. Sure he’s a fictional character but he really shows a lot of qualities that a leader would posses. Courage, strength, dignity just to name a few. In my opinion he surpasses a lot of “leaders” in today’s society even though he doesn’t exist.

Q: Where did you go to school?

A: Well i’m still going to school.. but I go to Connect Charter School

Q: What are your parents like?

A: As you can probably guess, they’re pretty strict and only care about my grades! I’m sure you can relate to this. They also didn’t let me go to my friends halloween party so that was just great.

Q: What would you do if you won the lottery?

A: Probably go on vacation for the rest of my life. But really I would buy a few cars, some houses, and a lot of food.

Q: Was there anything that you had to overcome as a child?

A: Well I was afraid of the dark for the longest time and up until when I was 9 I thought I had permanent nyctophobia. My parents eventually got really fed up and forced me to face my fears and well I did it.

Q: If you could choose one superhero power, what would it be, and why?

A: Hmm… you know what, I think I’d like to be invisible. I could get away with pretty much ANYTHING if I was invisible. That being said, I would want anything I touch to become invisible as well. Could you imagine the things I could pull off?

Q: What sort of travels have you had?

A: I’ve been to multiple places in the US although I can only remember a few off the top of my head like Boston, New York, Anaheim, and Las Vegas. I have also been to Pakistan multiple times as most of my relatives live there. Other than those places I haven’t really been anywhere else.

Q: If you were an animal, what would you be, and why?

A: Ugh a tough one. I think I would be an eagle. An eagle specifically because not only can it fly but also because an eagle symbolizes strength and courage or whatever and I think that’s pretty cool. Being better than everyone AND being able to fly. What more do you want?

Q: Have you ever had any pets? If so, can you describe them? 

A: I’ve had 2 goldfishes once. They didn’t last very long and they were expensive. At first I really wanted them and I really wanted a pet to keep but eventually my hype died and in turn, so did the fishes. Not that I deliberately killed them or anything its just that they happened to die right when I didn’t care anymore.

Q: What has been your most terrifying moment?

A: It was in a haunted house in Universal Studios. First and foremost i’m pretty easy to scare so I wasn’t really going in with much hope. I was walking along a dark and narrow passage and then suddenly a guy with a chainsaw appears at the end of the passage. The worst part was that it seemed like a real live chainsaw. He was at the end of the passage and there was no way of getting out. They sealed the doors behind us and the only way to go was straight ahead. I screamed so loud when he came right at us. Suddenly he disappeared right when my heart was about to give way. Say what you want but that was pretty damn scary, for me at least.

interview

Interview with Jeff Hussey CEO of Tempered Networks

Blind Games ~ Narrative from my Life

It was pitch black outside with the moon being completely cloaked by the clouds. The only source of light came from the light bulb on top of my head, an idea fresh in my mind. All I had to do was grab the flag from their basket and we would win our little game of Capture The Flag. “I see the flag” whispered my friend. Even in the dark I could see the bright red flag sitting in the basket, waiting to be retrieved. In an instant I ran towards the flag as fast as my legs could bare, and ferociously snatched the flag. At this point I was thinking about the idea I had. I’m going to make it. We’re going to win. My thoughts were abruptly interrupted as I tripped on what seemed like a large, hard rock. I tumbled towards the ground, still clenching the flag, and as soon as my head hit the ground, my glasses had fallen off. My eyesight isn’t exceptional and, of course, it was near pitch black outside. The moon had still not come out of hiding and at this point I knew we had lost.

My friend had ran to the spot I instructed him to go to, according to my plan. He was long gone. I started looking for my glasses, although it didn’t help that it was pitch black outside. I still had the red flag clenched in my left hand. I had to win, it was my desire. I looked around carefully, straining my eyes by squinting as hard as I could. I tried to step very carefully so I wouldn’t accidentally step on them. Eventually I heard my friend call out to me, exclaiming that the game was over. At that point I had felt heartbroken and I had the sudden urge to punch the ground, which i did. Unfortunately that blow had landed right onto the middle of the lens of my glasses. “Guys wait a minute” I proclaimed. I quickly grabbed my glasses and examined them. Thankfully no harm was done. I quickly ran towards the spot where all of my friends were and they had said that they could not play anymore. Thank God I said in my mind. Although my idea was never brought to bloom, I was glad that my glasses were alright. If only I could recall what my idea was… it seems I had forgotten.