Child’s Play September 13, 2011

The cost of living in Kenya has been rising steadily over the past three to four years and there does not seem to be any let up. I was in the supermarket the other day and I realized that cooking oil has risen by 100% over the past 18 months. Now, if that is the case for one commodity, can we say that it is now twice as expensive to be a Kenyan today as it was two years or so ago? Probably not but it is definitely more expensive. The shilling continues to languish in the doldrums with a low of 95 to the green buck recorded today. The Central Bank of Kenya seems unable to mitigate this while the Governor, ever the technocrat, has stacked his chips on the market “normalizing” itself due to “macroeconomic factors” and other such BS. So, why do we have to keep on “digging deeper” into our pockets while the people in charge leave us to the mercy and whims of the market?

Two things, speculators and economy.

Let me start with the economy. We like to pride ourselves as being the larges economy in East Africa, maybe even in East and Central Africa. This is epic, but on a global scale, it is like two mice in a burrow measuring their “tools” while a herd of elephant graze above them. Our economy is tiny. Weighing in at a mere 100 billion dollars, three Bill Gate’s can buy out Kenya (figuratively). So, when the Governor of the Central Bank comes and tells us that “macro-economic” factors will sort out the economic woes of the Kenyan people, it’s  just a bunch of intellectual sounding BS. We, as an economy, have not reached that depth or size for the economy to just right itself without any specific measures. Why do you think Greece is self mutilating? It’s because in the larger Europe, Greece cannot be open to all fiscal pressures and still survive. It’s like living next to a rich neighbor and expecting to live the same standard of life that they do. You cannot.

So, what about speculators? The president the other day said something very telling that may not have registered as anything important to the media. He said Kenyans need to be protected from international speculators. This may not sound like anything big but let’s put this is perspective. Supposing the Kenyan GDP is roughly $100 billion and market capitalization at the bourse (NSE) is 1 trillion KES or roughly $10 billion. If an international speculator with a fund of maybe $5 billion (50% of NSE and 5% of GDP) decides to come and speculate, what do you think will happen to the market. Let me give an example. If this speculator came and said they wanted to sink $1b in the NSE, what would that do to the market? It would run amok. We saw this happen when the suspected pirate funds came into the country and were sunk into the real estate market; real estate prices shot up, and they still are. Historically, the more liquidity is pumped into the market, the more inflation goes up. Unfortunately, this money being pumped into the market is not diffusing actoss the market, but remaining in the hands of a few, with the masses having to bear the brunt of the effects.

My final take, the government must realize that we are not yet even half a century old in the global playing field. In historical terms, we are just infants that have been thrown out to play with the grownups. It’s a rough and merciless world out there and if these guys don’t protect the Kenyan economy, we are only seeing the beginning of a disaster unfolding.

A Kenyan Tragedy September 12, 2011

Today there was a tragic accident that occurred in Nairobi, in Kenya. Through a fuel leak, close to 100 people lost their lives and similar number have been hospitalized with 3rd degree burns. It’s hard to say whether all those hospitalized will survive. I’m angry and sad about the whole thing. Sad because so many lives were lost, angry because so needlessly so. Over the last couple of weeks we have heard of gruesome road accidents in which numerous lives have been lost and yet again… What is going wrong, what HAS gone wrong?

I want someone to blame. I want someone to blame so badly I’m willing to rant and rave at the least culprit. I want to blame the government, or politicians or the city council or KPC…I even want to blame the poor Kenyans who were out siphoning fuel and neglected the numerous warnings and also historic fact that this event poses mortal danger. But, who is to blame? REALLY? Is it the poor guys in the Sinai slum who scrap around for some form of survival. Or is it the Kenya Pipeline guys who discharge fuel into the open sewers when they “clean” their machines? Or is it the local government that allows houses to be built in non-designated areas where tragedy can happen at any moment? Or is it the government that is mandated to create decent housing for those that come from the poor section of society?

I have only ten fingers and if I continued, I’m sure I could find enough people to blame for this tragedy. But closer to home, I have to ask myself some even harder questions. Am I to blame? Not for the Lunga Lunga tragedy, but for the tragedy that Kenya is becoming. You see, I don’t see Lunga Lunga as a localized tragedy, I see it as a symptom of a larger tragedy, the Kenyan tragedy. We have become a society so consumed with consumerism, the need, no, the addiction to wanting bigger and better things that we have made the vulnerable sections of our society to languish in the results of this addiction.

I say this because if I mapped out these issues, they would all track back to a something common to all of us, the fact that we have lost the truth of being our brother’s keeper. Where were the neighbors of the people siphoning fuel to warn them? Where was that engineer in KPC to write a letter to the NCC that his company was dumping petroleum products into open sewers? Where are the city planners who will deny building permits to those seeking to build shanties in un-designated areas? Where is that MP who will take time to fight for the right to decent housing for his constituents? Where? Where? Where?

I don’t know about you but I’m feeling a bit conflicted about this Kenyan identity. One moment I was so proud of being a Kenyan during the Kenyans4Kenya initiative and the next moment I feel sad because this Kenya we love has deteriorated to a point where we can no longer distinguish between patriotism and capitalism, selfishness and ambition.

As we mourn the loss of those lives, let us not forget that we have a bigger tragedy unfolding before us, the tragedy of selfishness, greed, capitalism and apathy. Let us remember that nationhood has more to do with individual responsibility than it has to do with the government. Play your part. Be the difference you want to see. God bless Kenya.

The Proverbs 31 Man September 6, 2011

In my last post, I talked about the life-giving traits of the husband of the Proverbs 31 woman. Today, I’m thinking more about this man. Who is he and what is his role in the family? If the woman is so successful, where does he fit in? Does he become redundant and obsolete with time? Does he make any material contributions to the family now that his Mrs. is doing such an amazing job?

I think the answer lies in a number of small statement in that passage.

23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.

Let’s take on some theology to break this statement down. To be “known” here means he has a reputation. This must be a good reputation because he “sits with the elders” which means he is an honourable man. The “Gates” in those days was a place of judgment. This is where the wise elders of the land, appointed by the king went to dispense justice to the people. They were of course appointed based on merit.

Now, to the next part of the statement; he sits amongst the elders of the land. Let me point out two things. First, to “sit amongst” means to be a peer amongst these elders. This tells us that he is not only an honourable man but an influential man. Also, the elders of the land were not drawn from the poor. They were wealthy AND virtuous men that were qualified as able to become an elder or sit amongst the elders. So we see he was influential, he was a man recognized by the other influential persons of the land and he was also wealthy. The next thing I’d like to point out is that he was amongst the elders of “the land”. Notice it does not say estate, town or even city, it says land. This means his influence, respect, and wealth and so on was recognized across multiple towns and cities.

So, he is not just some random chap, who has an amazing wife, he is a man deserving of such a woman. But that’s not all.

11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

Let’s take this verse apart piece by piece. “The heart” means he has let his wife into his heart. He is not just giving her lip service but has a heart-relationship with her; he has given her his heart. To “safely trust in her” means he does not fear to be naked before her. His trust is complete and he hides nothing from her. He does not feel the urge or find the need to manipulate, con, connive and control because he is totally sold out, stark naked and unafraid before his wife.

“So that he shall have no need of spoil”, in other words he does not have the need to have a “mpango wa kando”, or better yet, in urban Kenyan lingo, “so that he shall have no need of chips funga”. That is pretty self explanatory as it shows he is loyal and faithful to his wife.

28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.

Finally, this is the best part. First, her children AND her husband give her a standing ovation. When was the last time you gave your woman a standing ovation, or you got a standing ovation from your man for what you did, both large and small? So here we see he recognizes his wife’s efforts and honours her for them. He is way proud of his wife and her achievements and he does not hide them or assume them away, he recognizes and rewards this in a genuine and extravagant way. No pat on the back, no curt compliment but a whole standing ovation for his first lady, in the presence of their children. Secondly, to praise someone you must be able to have seen their efforts and what it took to attain those achievements. This tells us that all through the things she has done in the chapter, he has been aware and supporting her. This is why at the end he is able to rise up and praise her because he has been by her side through it all.

One last thing I just saw and it puts a nice bow to the Proverbs 31 man:

31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Remember those gates? Guess who has been bragging proudly about his wife and how awesome she is when he goes off to hang out with the other influential wealthy chaps in the land? I mean, how else would her own works praise her in the gates?

Now that we have a glimpse of his resume, how does he fit into the home and beside his (highly successful) wife? I see it this way. Through his CV we see that he is responsible for bringing honour to the family. That he is responsible for leadership and direction in his home. That in as much as his wife is so successful; her efforts are towards making her house a home. His efforts are towards ensuring his family; his wife and children, has a future in the land, has an honourable name, and has a position of honour in the society.

In more practical terms, his role is to for example move his family to a bigger house while his wife’s role is to make that house a home. He is concerned with the future of his family, his lineage, leaving an inheritance for his seed while his wife sorts out the home front. His role is to travel to other cities and cut deals while his wife holds the fortress. He’s out there fighting to elevate his family, advance his family, discover and conquer new frontiers while his wife ensures that when he comes home; he lacks none of the homely comforts he needs. So essentially it’s a team effort, he tackles the big picture while she handles the details, he is the CEO, she is the COO and so on. Have a concerted day. Cheers!

 

Proverbs 31 Woman: How Does She Do That?! September 6, 2011

So, of late I have been hearing or at least reading a lot on the Proverbs 31 woman. It has mostly been polarised with some saying she is a myth while others say, well, I can see how she does it, but it is a lifetime thing and so on. This blog especially puts it rather well. So, the chapter talks extensively about the traits of the woman and so on and so forth. But many people and especially women ask, what about the man? Where is his description, and what kind of man does the Proverbs 31 woman deserve to have.

I fully agree with this argument or questions because in this chapter the woman has been given some pretty lofty ideals to live up to and what’s the guy doing, it only mentions three things;

v.11: The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil

v.23: Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land and

v.28: Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.

(I talk about this in my next post, The Proverbs 31 Man)

However, I draw my insights from across the word. The Bible says that man was created in the image and likeness of God. That means that the very traits that God has, He put into man (the male). The most obvious of this is the ability to give life. The same way God gave life to man through breathing into him, is the same way man gives life to an egg through his sperm. Now, let’s draw some parallels here. The Bible says that God is the head of Christ, Christ the head of man and man the head of woman. So it follows that there must be some similarities in these roles. For example, God gives life to the sinful man; man gives life to the woman’s egg.

So, we see the role of a man as a life giver as central to his likeness to God. How does this connect with the Proverbs 31 woman. Here’s how I see it. The man’s role is to give life to his wife, or in other word, be a life giving source to her. Now, by life I may not mean literally but figuratively. Let me illustrate. When a farmer puts a seed in the soil and waters it and ensures it has sunshine, life is born. In the same way, the woman is the earth and the man’s work is to sow into her life and she, having that God-given capacity to incubate, brings this seed to life.

In more practical terms, when a man provides a house for his woman, she “incubates” it and makes it a home. When he gives her money for groceries, she adds value or brings this “seed” to life in the form of a meal. When he gives her money to save for the family, she “adds value” by taking this money and putting it in the best savings or investment scheme possible. In a less tangible way, when he frees up her income by providing for her and the family, she takes this excess income and puts it to good use (as illustrated by the Proverbs 31 woman). Notice it says her husband praises her. This praise is also seed that he plants in her in the form of encouragement, and emotional support and so on.

So, in conclusion, you see a woman who does a lot but I see a woman who has been “freed” to do a lot. The man through is love, provision, encouragement, guidance, leadership and so on, plants in her the seeds of life that germinate into the amazing things the Proverbs 31 woman does. The opposite is also true, when a man plants laziness, abuse and so on, what comes forth out of a woman is nagging, insults, disrespect and so on. Ultimately, the God-given nature of the man is to provide seed (or life) and the woman’s God-given nature is to “incubate” this seed and multiply it/bring it to life. Parting shot: Ever wonder how a woman can do so much with so little? Well, now you know! God has given her the gift of taking something small and multiplying it. Same as a baby, the man just gives her one sperm and what does she do, she turns it into a baby! Have a gifted day. Cheers!

 

Epiphany of Deception September 5, 2011

I was sitting with my mom the other day and she began to narrate to me this incredible breakthrough that scientists have made in explaining why the world is undergoing climate change. Well, I did not really get it but it went something like this. There is a lot of space debris or meteorites that are pummelling the earth’s ozone layer. And when they do this, they weaken the integrity of the ozone layer and this in turn, with the effects of the sun’s rays, manufactures or produces extreme weather systems that are pummelling the earth through cyclones, hurricanes and other freak weather conditions.

Now, it was not so much this “interesting” theory that caught my attention but rather the excitement and relief with which she was explaining it to me. A Eureka moment that brings relief, comfort, liberation and so on. It made me sad and angry at the same time. Angry because I know that developed countries, especially the highly industrialized countries pay colossal amounts of money to the best scientific brains in the world to come up with a bunch of poppy cock/drivel/ rubbish and sell it off to those without so much understanding as “scientific fact” while in fact it is actually scientific fiction. We have seen this happen in our country as well with the government using the Food Safety and Biohazard agency to rubberstamp its desire to authorize importation of GMO maize. We saw it with the use of certain drugs in Germany in the mid 1900’s which resulted in hundreds of babies born with extreme birth defects, etc.

So, that made me angry. What made me sad is the fact that for many of us, we are waiting for that unifying truth that will liberate us from a harsh reality. We want to one day hear that Kenya’s debt has been written off instead of stopping the borrowing and working hard to be a net surplus economy. Closer home, we each want to hear that there is an organization-wide restructuring and that will give us that promotion we have always wanted plus have our salaries and benefits back dated. Or for yet others, we want to hear that a cure for cancer and AIDS has been found and so on. But ultimately, I know most of us live our lives hoping to find out that one piece of “truth” that will deliver us from the harsh reality we either live in or perceive.

I read the following quote somewhere and it really got me thinking, “Do not confuse realization with revelation, and do not confuse revelation with liberation”; deep and unsettling words. Just because I have realized that my customers won’t mind if I overcharge them does not make that my revelation that will lead to the wealth I desire. Also, just because I have an “aha” moment does not mean it is the thing for me to do or pursue; some opportunities or aha moments are just not meant for me, my freedom, or liberation shall come from elsewhere. As I think about this, I’m reminded of the timeless truth from the bible, “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free”. There is only one truth out there capable of liberating, and it is not achieved through revelation or realization but through faith. Have a truth-full day. Cheers!

Thou Shalt Not Steal September 5, 2011

Have you watched the latest episode or season of True Blood? Or is it the OC or Greys Anatomy… What about the latest box office hit? Do you have a clear copy? All these are common things we tell our friends or speak with our friends when we meet. So, do we know how these latest entertainment DVDs get to us and cost only 50 bob for a movie that cost $100 million dollars to make? Do we maybe think Hollywood is an NGO determined to provide cheap and affordable entertainment to the poor Africans and Asians? Probably not. We know how we get these digital contraband and we turn a blind eye to it.

So, I personally never thought about it in this way. There I was torrenting my way to glory and entertained from here to the Mohave Desert. I was imbued by the Robin Hood nature of these Pirate Bay chaps who were hitting back at the big fish for the sake of the small fish. Why should big multinationals and super rich actors and directors take my 10 bucks or so at a cinema hall? They probably won’t even notice with all the billions (of Kenya shillings) they gross. What about music, artists making millions of dollars and we should somehow feel sorry for the 2500 shillings we won’t spend on their latest album. I mean, torrents restore balance to the universe, or so I thought.

Then one easy Sunday morning in church and the Pastor M drops a bomb shell. Pirating is stealing and as a result, he made a vow not to pirate any more to honour God and His commands. Wow. Scrap that, double WOW. Man, I was bummed, I was on the brink of starting a business selling digital contraband and amassing wealth and there was this audacious chap calling it like it is. So, from that day I decided to take my faith a step further, stop pirating. It’s said in the bible that those who know not what they do have the lesser sin but those who know their sin but do it have the greater sin and therefore punishment. Drat. You know what that meant? No more latest movies, no more series, no more trips to The Pirate Bay, no more… entertainment!

So, it’s been close to a year now and I’m pleased to say the journey as sucked as much as I thought it would. You have not known boredom until you have fasted off the Hollywood opiate, entertainment. Sitting at home on a lazy Sato and all I have to watch is good old boring TV. Oh, and did I mention, no more MotoGP or NFS either!

But I have learnt during this whole ongoing episode. One of the things I have learnt is that entertainment is not a basic human need and that it is also not enshrined in the constitution as a universal human right. Secondly, it takes GUTS to live a righteous life and to let God tell it like it is. Paul says when we are children God gives us milk, but we should be weaned off milk with time and take on meat. This is some serious meat. Lastly, that being faithful does not mean not having a life. Now, whenever I can, I go to the cinema and watch me a good flick, with a clean conscience. I’m also planning to take up a DVD rental subscription or DSTV so that I can have the entertainment less the conscience drama. So there, off pirating it and I’m none the worse for it! Or am I… Have an entertained day. Chee-AAARRRR-s!

Man Enough September 5, 2011

The other day I was listening to the Man Enough sermon series by Pastor Simon Mbevi and he laid out the four characteristics of a man, he called him the Tender Warrior. He said he has to have traits like being a friend, a warrior, and so on. I was not able to take notes but what struck me as I listened was the striking similarity to the four faces of the four creatures under the throne of God that Ezekiel describes in Ezekiel 1:10. He says, and I quote “As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle”.

So, Lion, Eagle, Ox, Man. Listening, I realized that those are supposed to be the four faces of the regenerate man. Let’s talk about each individually.

Lion

A lion is known as the king of the jungle. Within the description of a lion we have adjectives like bold, brave, leader, king, and so on. So in the Lion we see a leadership character trait. In the regenerate man, he must be a king, a leader. He must be bold and brave. He must fight for those who are around him. Think about it, in the wild, the lion has a pride under him. He is responsible for defending this pride from any foreign males. He is responsible for fending off hyenas as well. Studying a lion in the wild gives us a perfect picture of leadership and bravery in responsibility.

Eagle

Eagles are compared to wisdom. When you study the life of an eagle, you see wisdom personified. From the way an eagle finds a mate, to the way it trains its children to the way it hunts even to the way it renews its youth. All these things teach us wisdom and as such, this is the other trait the regenerate man has. He has and personifies wisdom. From the way he conducts himself, to the way he finds a mate and the way he relates to her for the rest of his life. Wisdom is a trait that must not be lacking from the regenerate man.

Ox

Oxen are known for one thing, at least as far as similes go; as strong as an ox. The regenerate man must be strong. He must possess a strength that goes beyond him. He must not be easily moved. He must have the strength to take up his responsibilities as a man and expedite them much as an ox will pull a cart a thousand miles and not wake up one day and quit. He must keep going, even when it gets hot, even when the load gets heavy, he must be a man and show his strength. Remember what David told Solomon in 1 Kings 2:2,3; show yourself a man.

Man

Man stands for humanity, emotion, friendship and relationship. As a regenerate man, it makes no sense to be a leader/king, wise and strong and yet you lack the soft skills that allow you to have compassion, pity, kindness, tenderness, and so on. If you noticed, all the former traits are rather brutish, if I may use that word. You’ll never expect kindness from a lion you meet along the road, will you? Or if you were some random rabbit that an eagle will swoop down on you and suddenly have a change of heart and give you a lift to some carrot patch instead. All the former animals are built to do best what they are built for. Man was also created to do best exactly what he was created for, relationship. And this is why the Man represents relationship. The regenerate man must be able to relate with his fellow man and with his God.

Putting all these together, you see created a picture of a man who is a king (with kingly traits), has wisdom, has strength and is capable of relationship with his fellow man and with his Maker. Now THAT, is man enough! Have a manly day. Cheers!

In The Name Of Love September 5, 2011

So I was having a discussion yesterday and we were talking about two very different situations yet that both had some striking similarities. One had to do with watching movies and the other had to do with intimate matters of the sexual type. Now, I was telling my companion that love does not have to equal a license to sin. To mean, just because you love someone, it does not mean to say that you can or should give in to their requests to fall into sin. At the same time, we spoke about some challenges I was having about sticking to my convictions. You see, I realized one day or was convicted that piracy is stealing (I bet you didn’t think of it that way!). And the Ten Commandments of course tell us thou shalt not steal. I talk a bit more about it here. So, I told all those around me that I would not be pirating any more (believe me, I was almost taking up a paid membership on Pirate Bay and buying a T-shirt!).

This worked for a while until my brother (God bless him) started pressurizing me to watch this latest movie he got, etc. Now, I was in a fine dilemma. I know he only means well, maybe is looking for some platform to bond and so on. So I gave in, not once, not twice, but a couple of times. You know that feeling of holier than thou you get when you have to keep repeating your convictions to people over and over? Well, I got it and I hate that feeling and so I gave in.

So there I was, talking about the dilemma I’m in and my companion reminded me that this scenario and sex are similar. In our society today, many people are giving in to premarital sex in the name of love. They feel that because you love someone, you should show them by giving them your “gold”. This is especially so for women. Their men come and tell them if you love me blah blah blah.

But, let me take us to the bible to see a man who did something really stupid for love:  Adam. We all love to hate him and hate to love him. He let mankind down and screwed us over by not being there for his woman when she was vulnerable. But, have you for a moment thought about the drama that must have gone down when Adam came home from work to find a half eaten forbidden fruit on the table and his wife seated nervously twiddling her thumbs? What must have crossed his mind as he realized what had gone down? This flesh of his flesh, etc. had just done the unthinkable and there he was, left with the ball in his hands. God did not command Eve, He did not tell her you call the shots, He did not even create her first. So, what was Adam going to tell God?

This is how I see it going down. Adam sat and realized that because he loved his wife so much he would not let her suffer the fate that was awaiting her alone. So what did he do, he ate the fruit so that they would both suffer the consequences. So that when Eve stood before God accused, Adam would be standing right beside her. A friend of mine likes saying a good friend will call you in prison, a great friend will visit you in prison but a true friend will be sitting beside you in prison saying “how did we get here?”.

So there, the bible seems to say that Adam screwed all mankind for the sake of his wife, who am I to say otherwise? The bible goes further to say lover covers a multitude of sin… Well, you be the judge!

As for my little dilemma, I may not go back to pirating but I also will not alienate myself from my brother just because he seems to find nothing wrong with it. God calls us to love and accommodate each other, that even if someone invites you to his idol temple, go with a clear conscience; don’t condone what they do and do not imitate them, but also do not short circuit love for the sake of being fundamentalist or radical in your beliefs. Besides, your beliefs are for your benefit but charity is for your neighbours benefit. Have an oxymoron day. Cheers!

Britain’s Gulag: Inhuman Humans April 18, 2011

Have you ever seen or heard of such extreme inhuman behavior that you were tempted to rally up all the hate and displeasure you can muster and direct it at the perpetrators? Think about a public lynching (mob justice) like the one Alexandre Dumas so horrifyingly depicts in his book Black Tulip; men acting like animals and tearing fellow men into pieces with their bare hands. Well, I’m going off a bit into the deep end but perhaps I have succeeded in conjuring up that taste of bile in your consciousness that is necessary to the exploratory argument I pose.

Humanity has been described as many things; our heritage, the human tribe, etc. This sounds like all flowers and popcorn while watching a terrifying horror film. In the face of the most recent wars; Operation Iraqi Liberation, a.k.a. OIL, Afghanistan, Ivory Coast, and the Word Wars that claimed millions of lives all in the name of “freedom” Where were the dandy and never-too-handy beliefs in humanity and the brotherhood of Sapien?

My argument is simple, we are all inhuman humans. To think of and deliberate on all the atrocities man has afflicted on his fellow man over history is to assume the obvious. I’m currently reading Britain’s Gulag, by Carolyn Elkins, which I must be quick to point out is well deserved of the 2006 Pulitzer it won her. This little droplet in the flood that is the human history portrays perfectly the inhumanity of humans. I shall not delve much into the details of the book as I hope to write more as I read more of it.

The overarching and consistent theme in the book is nonetheless obvious from the first page, that every human being has the capacity, innate and inborn at that, to be inhuman. I’m on page 90 and have just been through the horrifying “Screening” sessions that the Mau Mau and their supporters within the civilian population of the Kikuyu were subjected to. Falling short of ethnic cleansing, the British sure did learn a thing or two from the very demons they vanquished from Europe in the person of Hitler and his Third Reich.

Hippie Days April 14, 2011

I write all day. You see, I’m an editor slash professional writer. I write for pay. Today, I missed writing for the heck of it. Just putting pen to paper and letting my mind wander to the deserts of the North of Africa, or the lakes of Scandinavia or the barren lands of Siberia.

Today, I want to be free again. It sort of like wanting to live just for the heck of it. Do you ever feel that way? Like you just want to drop all the robotic seriousness of life and just exist; like the grass, the birds, the wind, that somehow seems purposeless because it does not do anything significant to the minds of men but yet blows and huffs and puffs with such determination that poets have written odes to it.

Today, I want to be the wind, purposeless but passionate, blowing in full force yet not caring where I blow. To roam the nether regions of the earth and come back again and again, living infintely yet suddenly seemingly dead when no one can hear you. The dead stillness of a windless day is not devoid of air, the very soul of the wind. Today, I want to be the air. Not there yet there. Not forceful yet indispensable. Invisible but potent in every way.

Today, I want to be the inner me; that inner wind that is my soul, that blows through eternal places unknown and unseen yet intimately known and comprehended. I want to blow and huff and puff, passionately but with seemingly no purpose. To be everywhere and nowhere, all at once, within and around me.

Today, I want to be me.