Wasted Time.

One million grains of sand,
Washed up one the shore
We could stay here forever,
And never count them all

Countless shining stars,
Up there in the sky
We will never find them all,
But still we hope to try

A field of sturdy oaks,
Dancing in the breeze
We could hide ourselves here,
Under a thousand leaves

But one day the grains of sand,
Will be swallowed by the sea
They’ll be carried far away,
And the beach will cease to be

The stars will hide themselves,
The night will be darker still
We’ll hope that they return,
But we know they never will

The trees will start to wither,
And the wind will cease to blow
And everyone will ask themselves:
“Why did we let it go?”

Big Exo Day.

On Saturday I was lucky enough to attend Big Exo Day, a Christian music festival. It was probably one of the best days of my life and was a great opportunity to worship God and catch up with friends. I was very happy to see so many great bands travelling so far just to help young people have fun and embrace Christ. Honestly, the tickets were very cheap and I doubt the bands got paid very much for being there, so good on them!

I arrived at my church at about 1pm with my friend Timmy, who’s lovely mother was kind enough to offer me a lift. From the church we were taken by Pastor Simon to the concerts venue in homebush.  We put on some Flight of the Concords but the radio was not working very well. As Simon attempted to use his natural mechanical skill to repair the radio the car jolted around the road and seemed to leave the lane multiple times. Luckily Simon realised that the radio was beyond repair and decided to put both hands back on the wheel.

After numerous dirty jokes delivered by the charming Lucas and a few sing-a-longs we arrived at Sydney Olympic Park. We met up with our beloved friend Jimmy and after the routine bag-checks we ventured towards the Hip-Hop stage. When we arrived I immediately noticed the wide assortment of people. There were some people right up near the stage, obviously having a great time. Others were further back break dancing or just having a picnic. It was a really awesome atmosphere. Deciding that Hip-Hop wasn’t really our style Lucas declared that we should go to the Hardcore area, we reluctantly followed him. While Lucas danced we laughed at how horrible Hardcore music is. Soon we were fed up. We dragged Lucas out of the mosh and immediately travelled to the Indie stage.

On the way to the Indie stage Rhett thought he saw an actress from Home and Away and decided to catch up to her and ask her if she was famous. After we found out she was not a Home and Away actress we continued on our journey to see Plagiarise at the Indie stage. They were absolutely brilliant, probably my favourite act that day. My friends and I decided to put our arms around each other and sway joyously to the soothing music. After Plagiarise we loitered for a bit before taking our seats in the stadium for the big night concert. Bands such as Reliant K performed brilliantly, but the speech delivered by Reggie Dabbs was by far the highlight of my night.

Basically Reggie talked to us about how, even when things aren’t going to crash hot, God will always be around to help us out.  I can vouch for him, every single word he said was true, I have experienced it myself. These days people tend to ask themselves why God lets their lives turn upside down, sometimes he has a purpose, but most of the time these people expect God to help them despite the fact that they refuse to listen. They don’t realise that God is trying to help but they keep on rejecting him. I encourage people who are struggling at the moment to consider accepting God into their lives. I encourage you to pray and ask  God to help you in your dilemma. As Reggie put it, God is a friend and always has been, he will never leave you. You just need to let Him help you. think of it this way, God can’t help you if you refuse to listen.

Our Star.

The cool air blows past my face
Now your gone, without a trace
As I gaze up towards our star
I wonder if your near or far

Thoughts of you, they leave me in pain,
Yet under our star, I wish to remain
Memories of you, they tear me apart,
Slowly but surely, breaking my heart

From my eyes the water drips,
The taste of salt now on my lips
A cloud floats in and veils the moon,
An ill omen to seal my doom

Without you, I feel so old,
The nights drag on, the world’s so cold
Is it true, what they say?
Are you in heaven, watching all day?

But even if it’s all a lie,
My foolishness will keep me alive
I’ll tell myself that your always near,
It’s the only thing that keeps me here

Times are Changing.

“Your old road is rapidly aging.
Please get out of the new one
If you can’t lend a hand
For the times they are a-changing.”

These lyrics from The Times They Are a-Changin’  by Bob Dylan cleary illustrate the controversial political and social changes that occurred throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s. Governments and people around the world began to embrace new ideas, recognise minority groups and enjoy many new freedoms and rights. Today, we, the citizens of the developed nations of the world are able to that enjoy a relatively free lifestyle. The majority of our actions are unregulated by Governments unless we break the law.

Is it possible that, in the midst of our social and political freedoms, many members of society are beginning to write their own definitions of morality? Unfortunate as it may be, in my opinion, the answer is yes. I’m sure you’ve all witnessed some meat-head getting yelled at for performing some foul deed. When he is told what he has done wrong he seems to dimiss the consequences and reply “It’s a Free country.” Australia certainly is a free country, however, this does not justify the harmful actions many commit.

When people write their own definitions of morality it seems that acts such as stealing and profanity suddenly become perfectly acceptable. Is this because people are starting to live for themselves rather than others? Is it because of heavy influence from the media? Is it because of our impulse to rebel? Or is it because of societies hunger for wealth and power? I believe that it is a mixture of all of these things. In many nations our propserous lifestyles eliminate our dependance on others,  the media portrays immoral behaviour as normal and acceptable, many people wish to rebel against the norm and others have become corrupted by the lust of wealth and power.

On the other hand, differing views of the concept of morality may be a direct product of increased diversity. For example: I, as a Christian, try my very best to live my life following the moral code presented in the Bible. Simply because It feels right. People of other religious groups and the non-religious will obviously have a different moral code. Increased feelings acceptance mean that people are beginning to live their lives based on their own concepts of morality.

However, if you believe that differing views of morality are a result of increased diversity, you must also believe that morals can be changed depending on religion, upbringing, environment and experiences. I do not believe that the concept of morality can be changed. I perceive morality as a tree branch. Although circumstance can often bend this branch the core ideas and values can never be changed. I believe that this is why we feel guilt when we commit immoral acts, our hearts are telling us that we have snapped the branch of morality.

Yet, it does not matter what you believe, you must ask yourself how our society would be if our morals and values were not influenced by things such as religion, media and upbringing. If we all simply did what we thought was right, rather than listening to others, perhaps the world would be a much better and more hospitable place. I believe that deep down all of ours hearts are in tune. Perhaps the world would have a unified concept of morality if we just stopped and did what we truly believe.

 

A Mother’s Love.

She would always try to please him
He was never quite impressed
She could never quite appease him
It left her quite depressed

She gazed into the mirror
Examining her face
She listed all her faults
Was she a disgrace?

She stared across the room
Hoping to catch his eye
Her heart became a tomb
When he turned his head aside

She lay upon her bed
Imagining his voice
To him she was nothing
How could she rejoice?

One day when she got home
She recalled all he said
And sitting there alone
She tried to clear her head

However, it was hopeless
She thought that she would die
She felt her heart breaking
And her eyes began to cry

Upon hearing her reaction
Her mother ran upstairs
The best course of action
To show how much she cares

She held her in her arms
And whispered in her ear
“I love you more than anything”
You’re all that I hold dear”

The girl stopped weeping
She forgot about her lover
For no love is greater
Then that shown by your mother

For when the days are dim
She’ll be there to see you through
And when the future looks grim
She’ll never give up on you

After Work.

I practically danced out of work today, I was so happy to go home. This is when a fun filled afternoon adventure began. As my beloved friend Zach had called me whilst I was working, I decided to drop by his humble abode on the way home. After a few phone calls and some L.A Ice Cola we set of towards my house, on the way we whined about  the stupid people in this world and how worthless they all are.

Finally we arrived at my house, Zach began to stuff his face with cookies while I was getting changed. Just at that moment my Parents and Grandparents arrived home. Because Zach does not know my Grandparents very well he was worried about looking like a thieving delinquent in front of them. He therefore ran upstairs and finished the cookie, leaving a multitude of crumbs on my wonderfully clean carpet.

After this episode, we decided that we would go to the local shops to waste our hard earned money on food that we probably wouldn’t even eat. Upon arrival we noticed the new “Cadbury Freebie” offer. 1 in every 3 bars contained a coupon entitling  it’s owner to a free chocolate bar. When Zach heard this news he became extremely excited and purchased three chocolate bars. On the way out we expressed our excitement to the rather attractive girl manning the register. She thought we were mentally deficient and sent us on our merry way.

Zach became elated and began performing his celebration dance when he discovered that he had won a free bar. This hyperactivity was probably due to the crack cocaine that the lovely folks from L.A Ice Cola now mix into their drinks. But honestly, their was something seriously energising in the Cola that we consumed earlier at Zach’s house. Anyway, after Zach had finished dancing we rushed back into “Coles” and claimed our valuable prize. The nice girl on the register was glad to see us.

After some confusion concerning the “Cadbury Freebie” deal I complained, saying that the issue was time consuming and needed to be rectified immediately. Nonetheless Zach was glad to lay his hands on his prize, a brand new chocolate bar. After all, chocolate tastes better when it’s free, or so they say. Unfortunately we did not win any more free bars. Our spirits crushed, we began walking back to Zach’s house.

When we walked into Zach’s house his father noticed our sombre moods, he began to council us. He told us that everything would be alright and that it wasn’t the end of the world. Due to the fact that Zach’s Dad is normally incapable of showing affection, I was extremely touched by his efforts. It was finally time for me to go home, I walked with Zach half the way and then we said our farewells. It was an extremely interesting day, filled with both joy and disappointment. Nonetheless, despite the turbulent nature of the day, It was still great to catch up with young Zach.

Icarus.

All the birds keep up high,
In the paradise that we call “sky”
They glide about in gleaming light
And sing amidst the cool of night

But it is “sky” that keeps me from home
Her powerful winds keep me here alone
I sit and think of the shores of Greece
But I know, I’ll never see release

The ocean crashes on the beach below
It brings back memories from long ago
Of swimming and dancing in the sun
Of laughter and joy when the days were fun

But now the ocean is my prison
It struck me down when my spirit had risen
And now I’m left broken and lost
For the ocean can never be crossed

Yet still I take up my makeshift wings
I will soon see what destiny brings
Into the sky, half way there
Now thrown deep, into despair

For sometimes one can soar too high
But it matters not, I had to try
I went higher than my father allowed
But in my death, I will be proud

Why Do We Lie?

I’ve noticed that a lot of the kids in my year act different depending on who they’re with. One minute there extremely nice and the next minute their insulting you due to the large size of your nose. Ofcourse, I personally have never ever been insulted during one of these strange outbursts. Anyway, In my mind acting differently around different people is a form of lying. Think about it, your actions are not representing your true self. This prompted me to do some research to figure out why humans lie in this way.

I already realise that these days it’s really hard to fit in. Therefore people are hardly ever themselves. While researching I read an article on the issue. It claimed that we are so worried about what others think about us so we lie about who we are. I tend to agree with this statement. I’m certain that almost everybody has lied to fit in at some stage in their lives. I’ve done it, people have lied to me, I see it everywhere. We lie about who we are, what we do and what we believe. You can make up as many excuses as you want, but in the end, these lies are simply a product of low self-esteem.

In fact, studies have shown that when a persons self-esteem is threatened they immediately start lying more.  The same study also revealed that some people become so caught up in their lies that their minds cannot tell truth from fiction. This truly stresses how frightened we are to be ourselves. Is it possible that our world is so horrible that we can’t even be ourselves anymore? Has lying become so common that we don’t even notice it anymore?

Trust is the building block of all relationships, therefore It’s very sad that society has deteriorated like this. Lies hardly ever turn out good, but we still do it every day. We breach trusts and undermine our friends. Perhaps if we didn’t lie so much we would have stronger and more enjoyable relationships with our peers. Unfortunately, being human, we have a lot of really bad characteristics. 

 I know this post seems boring, all this talk of research and studies. However, the point I wish to make is a simple one. Being an optimist, I believe that once we realise our faults we can also fix them. People need to become aware of what they say to their friends. If your a person that lies because your worried about what others think, you should stop. Often you end up hurting the people you love with your false claims. If you be yourself and our friends don’t like it, well, maybe they were never real friends at all.

Best Friend.

We walked together under a sky so bright
Sitting by the road, we counted the cars
We walked together through the darkness of night
No lights ahead, we followed the stars

And you told me of the wrongs in your life
And I just frowned with concern
And then you told me of your inner strife
I hoped that the tide would turn

But the raging sea had it’s way
It drowned you in your sorrow
And I guess that fate had it’s say
Or was I just too weak to follow?

And mabye one day you’ll swim to shore
I’ll meet you on the sand
And if ever again you stumble and fall
I’ll catch you where you stand

Life will return to how it used to be
We’ll talk until the sun goes down
And you’ll always be  there next to me
For never again will I let you drown

Changing People.

People aren’t perfect, that’s for certain. It’s strange that sometimes we love the bad things about our friends just as much as we love the positives. I can only spend 4 hours with my best friend before I go mentally insane. Yes! He’s that annoying. But it just wouldn’t be right if he was any different. What I’m trying to say is that everybody is different, everybody has faults but in the end that’s kind of what makes a person who they are. Unfortunately I have found myself in quite a predicament. Occasionally people have characteristics that we just can’t fall in love with. It doesn’t matter how hard we try. When I notice these unlovable characteristics in a person I would normally try to change them. Recently I have been constantly asking myself whether it is morally correct to attempt to change a person in any way.

Now I’ve had numerous wayward friends in the past, I tried to change them all. Ofcourse I wasn’t looking to make them somebody else, in fact I was certain they had no idea who they were and what they wanted. I wanted to help them find themselves. Unfortunately it has never worked. In my experience the person just pretends they’ve listened to what you’ve said or they just ignore you completely. If you keep trying the whole friendship just falls apart and you haven’t achieved anything. People are who they are because of what has happened to them. So therefore how is somebody else supposed to change a person for the better? Perhaps one can only really change by experiencing life themselves.

And now I have encountered yet another another wayward friend. This time I don’t know what to do. What gives me the right to interfere in anothers affairs? I wonder why we even think it’s acceptable for us to change another in the first place. Is it because in reality we’re all selfish and want everybody to think and act how we think they should ? Or is it because we genuinely care about others? Maybe it’s different for everybody but in the end we have all tried to change people at one point or another. I have come to the conclusion that the ethics of changing another differ depending on the circumstance.

For example, trying to make your gay friend straight is clearly wrong. He surely knows that half the world thinks he should like girls. It would be rather mean to remind him again, he has made his decision and he most likely wants your support. However, lets say that somebody you love goes out and takes a fair few drugs every night. Not only is this affecting his emotional well-being but it also entails physical risks. In this circumstance is it acceptable to try and help the person? even if you try to change them in the process? I stress to you, everybody is different. Do not try and change people because you do not approve of their beliefs. Remember that people are entitled to opinions and free thought. However, If somebody you love needs help, I think you should do your best to aid them. I suppose that occasionally it’s possible that people just don’t know what’s best for them.