Words

Picture yourself in a boat on a river, 

With tangerine trees and marmalade skies 

Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly, 

A girl with kaleidoscope eyes. 

When you dwell in the Land of the Mountain Kingdom and have adjusted to the pace dictated by non-Western influenced society, you have the option of either venting and complaining or alternatively embracing it.

There are many factors to add to the collage that is my mind and imagination as I contemplate who I am and where I am today, a love lost, but 2 amazing daughters came from it. Retrenchment, unemployment and depression followed by grave moments of self-doubt that have brought me to where I am now, starting anew despite financial organisations that seek blood and marrow of my soul. 

I am in possession of a well maintained belly, one that has withstood the abuse and taunting of grass eating cow hugging vitamin popping aliens whose intent it seems is to die healthy, my belief is that entry into heaven will not be decided on how many push-ups or carrots I have endured, I will not be asked how many desserts I turned down or cups of dark sensual hot aromatic coffee I enjoyed either alone or in the company of friends and family.

Lesotho has reminded me that an evening playing Scrabble with a dear friend and chatting to a loved one via messaging is more meaningful than I ever imagined it to be.  You may be wondering about the quote at the top of the page, well it is a picture painted with words, embellished with imagery that is so surreal you could close your eyes and picture it. My point is that we do not play enough with words, tease with them, roll them around our tongues and then set them free with a twinkle in our eye. Do not criticise another if they do not have the words in an order specified by some ancient rule still enforced and tolerated, instead embrace the fact that they are prepared to share an opinion or conversation with you. The age of electronic messaging has brought about the emergence of a new language, to deny it would be as foolish as ignoring the importance of botox in the life of Sly Stallone, stupidity in Paris Hilton and swearing in the Kardashian household.

I have come to appreciate all communication from family, friends and loved ones in my time here, it is often the absence of something taken for granted that is seen as a pearl amidst all about us. A simple greeting and word of encouragement reminds one that they are not forgotten and still somehow needed and loved. Silence has a manner of playing havoc on the mind, almost like giving a 2 year old a fork and a bowl of peas. 

I have not enjoyed being away from my special people, but have learnt so much by being forced to be alone and sharing a confined space with my demons. 

Let me finish with a quote from Sore Klerkegaard, " Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced"

Nite All

My Idiots Guide to Raising Teenagers

Yes, you are the idiot. Accept it and you will be able to move on.
If not, read the first sentence until it dawns on you that you are, this is not rocket science.

Somewhere between the age of 13 and nineteen, supreme unsurmountable knowledge is bestowed on our angels and a level of all-knowing wisdom enters them. This will be extinguished upon them turning the ripe old age of 20 when worldly realizations of rent, work and somewhere to stay cannot be answered with mantras of "like whatever" or "just take a chill pill".

You have certain responsibilities as a parent and I will list them because like me, you do not have the capability to read and think at the same time. No, my dear fellow parent, you are not gifted.
You will work long hours, sometimes have 2 jobs to try and somehow make it to the third week of the month. You will beg, steal, borrow and refrain desperately from selling what you will consider excess body organs to keep a roof over your head, food on the table and purchase school items needed over and above school fees.

Clothing, torn costs more because it looks cool, so do not try to discuss it or refer to it as damaged or second hand, It does not matter that costs a fortune or is so cheap that the item may appear stolen, if it doesn't form part of an outfit it will be shunned, unless it is so desirable that all life on the planet will cease if it is not acquired. Are you following you me so far? Good.
This applies to the male and female teenage species and now we move onto the next item on the list, hair. We need to have access to enough products to survive a holocaust and must have both straighteners and curlers, branding is of the utmost importance because you, and I quote "can like to ruin your hair and like go bald early". Correct me if I misunderstand this, the hippies from my era had amazing hair, long and unkept and washed infrequently, did I imagine this? When mentioned that I used to just wear a cap when I overslept and didn't have time for a shower in my youth, I feel that somehow I am about to be swallowed up by the hair gods and spat out in a hell where there are no brushes, comb, shampoo or conditioner.

The environment is "super" important, UNLESS it somehow affects our sense of dress, hair, music, food to mention a few. More deodorant is spent in one session than I use in a week and I have a neutral body odour. Oh and have I mentioned the rolling of the eyes, the hand over the eyes and shaking head and the proverbial open mouth dropped jaw looks that you will receive as a parent? They are merely expressions of amazement and hero-worship for some act that you have carried out to be remembered forever and discussed with their peers. "You are SO not gonna believe what my Dad did in the shopping centre yesterday!" See, pride and acknowledgement.

So dear parent, how do you cope with this alien that has been forced upon you?
You love it, feed and clothe it and don't attempt to understand it. We are all in need of unconditional love without judgement, however this doesn't not mean allowing them free reign over your world. By no means, your house so your rules and consequences for actions.

Nite All