Posted by Raul on January 6, 2011
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Standing here in the cold, getting so much snow, freezing! I can’t wait to go again, move, go somewhere and do something! Get this cold feeling out of me while running around.
I wish I had a home like some other lucky ones that have a roof to spend the winter; a roof to protect myself from this blowing snow and wind that always get the best of me. Summer is fine and even that the sun can be really harsh sometimes at least doesn’t get me paralyzed like cold does.
There are times when I get myself lost in my memories of the times when I was young and stronger. Those times when I used to shine in the presence of others, older than me, and thinking that the whole world was waiting for me to see. Those younger years, how wonderful times!
Now I’m old and don’t get much attention and I know, they are mostly waiting for me to die and then get rid of me once and for all. How easily they forget! How many times they needed me and were dependant on me.
I am deteriorating, I know; maybe another winter, maybe not. Everything inside me is dying, I can feel it! Then I’ll be gone.
The kids, I remember, they were so happy to spend time with me, now they have grown and gone; they have their lives, kids of their own.
So what is the meaning of life? To be used when needed and discarded when old? Forgotten, like an old blanket worn out by time. And what is so special about me? Would someone be interested in me at this advanced age? Wanting to take care and make me young and strong again? Would I get to be loved again for who I am and not for what I can do for others? Am I so special for someone to say “don’t let him die”?
I guess is the way things are for an old family car like me!
Raul
(The actual owner of the car)
P.S. Old, battered car for sale!
Posted by Raul on December 27, 2010
It is said that the most intelligent creature born in planet Earth is a human being. It is said that the main characteristic of a human being is its capability of feelings; love, hate, distrust, confusion, etc.
Is it the capability of feelings proper and unique of human beings? Dogs can experience the same feelings at a lower degree, yet they aren’t considered humans.
At the other hand, there are “humans” that, throughout history, have shown very little “humanity” by their actions towards other fellow humans.
So what about extraterrestrial beings? If they aren’t considered humans since they weren’t born on Earth, but somewhere else in the universe, does it means they are not considered capable of love? (Being love a human characteristic?).
But if they have the capabilities of love (which they should have), then shouldn’t they be considered humans? Unless the capability of love is not a characteristic proper of a human being, or should I say, an Earthling?
In that case, feelings would not be the characteristic of being human, but just one of its properties.
So then, should we greet an extraterrestrial being as a fellow human? Or should we consider ourselves as human or not, mostly depending on our own actions, and not just because we were born in this planet?
Hmmm…
Raul
Posted by Raul on October 18, 2010
Perhaps one of the most criticized creatures of modern society. The segregated rebels; the elements of the movement that’s mostly about anti-movement. The silent heroes that quietly sacrifice themselves everyday in their quest for sustaining a materialistic society that, at the same time that claims minimalism, requires consumption of goods as a way of sustaining itself and its trading characteristics.
Before you start criticizing your resident couch potato…have you thought of all the goodness they bring to this modern society?
For instance; what would happen to the potato chip industry if only fitness conscious people existed? What would happen to the soda pop and beer industry? Even the remote control batteries need to exist for them!
Every year bigger TV screens and better sound systems are developed for what seems to be the satisfaction of couch potatoes, yet, if it wasn’t for them, there’ll be no need of such marvels of technology in a society that claims the best way to spend time is running, jogging, or simply practicing some form of sport.
What about the TV industry that have to supply endless programs and shows to be aired 24/7? What would happen to those aspiring actors and actresses that dream of the red carpet, and find an opportunity to show their “talents” in some obscure reality show?
To the couch potatoes we owe the existence and remain of such dedicated industries, and with it, the possibility of so many jobs for people to have.
(Violins playing in crescendo)
Products are created and distributed, jobs become available and money circulates around, sustaining the system by which this modern society survives.
It is not just the creation of products like potato chips, pizza, soda pop and beer, but also the distribution of those goods, even to the extent of home delivery.
No tax reduction or government incentive has succeeded in reactivating the economy. When the intention is to motivate consumers to consume, so the industry can remain, only couch potatoes have quietly, and without any government incentive, persevered in their quest for industry movement.
To them we owe a still alive economy that remains in a seemingly inexorable fall and that, maybe otherwise would not even exist today.
(A fifty people chorus singing in crescendo)
To those unsung heroes that quietly go away and disappear after death, with no tombstone reminding us of their sacrifice with a simple phrase like “Here are the remains of a dedicated couch potato; who persevered throughout his life in his quest for an active and financially fit industry, even to his own doom”
“Have you hugged a Couch Potato today?”
Couch potatoes are true human beings. They smile, cheer or criticize some characters on TV; laugh out loud and get emotional to tears with the tribulations experienced by some others in the screen.
Couch Potatoes experience the full range of emotions reserved only to those who dare to be openly human, without restrictions imposed by self improvement books that suggest the restrain of one side of the emotional spectrum, such as sadness, anger, confusion, desperation, etc, in favor of the other extreme of such spectrum as happiness, laughter and satisfaction.
They know how to freely scream and express their emotions in an unrestricted way when the player missed the opportunity to score. They can really express their happiness and satisfaction when seeing the funny side of a TV program, and even a TV commercial.
Couch potatoes can, and do experience the full range of emotions reserved only for a complete human being!
With tears in my eyes I dedicate this post to those that, in a non selfish way, without expecting recognition and applause, standing the criticism and segregation of the others, the fittest ones, still persevere in their quest of saving the economy of modern society, so we can not only live, but have a decent place to be in.
Couch Potatoes of the world…I salute you! 
Raul
Posted by Raul on September 27, 2010
These are some situations that happen when you are in a new place without knowing the language; some happened to me, some happened to friends from different nationalities that also didn’t know the language at the beginning.
-After asking for directions in a store, she was told the place she was looking for was in Colorado Avenue in thirty seconds. She thought: “That Avenue cannot be just thirty seconds from here!” It was Colorado Avenue and 32nd.
-A friend just arrived to the States was lost after going out for a walk to see the new place he was going to live in. After finding a public phone and calling home he was asked where he was so someone could go get him.
(in Spanish)
-Where are you?
-I don’t know where I am, I’m lost!
-Read the street signs to me so I’ll know where you are.
-I am in “One Way” with “No Parking”
-Another friend had a hard time with hot and cold water. Every time he wanted to use water from the sink he got burned.
In Spanish cold is “helado” and hot is “caliente” so, forgetting things were in English here he always looked at the knobs and chose “H” for cold (Helado) or “C” for hot (Caliente). It took him a couple of months to get in his memory the real meaning of those letters in the knobs.
-I was told the story of a guy who was very happy with all the money saved in food after he found some specific cans in the grocery store; he didn’t know English so he couldn’t read, but he recognized the food by the picture of a dog in the labels.
-When they say Cowgirl, are they saying she is fat?
-How can I Get Lost if I’m standing in front of you without moving and I know my way around?
-Raining cats and dogs! Do the clouds get a lawsuit from PETA? (Just the thought of those poor creatures hitting the concrete floor! Bones, blood and flesh spread everywhere…yikes!)
Training: (noun) The action of teaching a person or animal a particular skill or type of behavior
Your: (possessive determiner) Belonging to or associated with the person or people that the speaker is addressing.
Mind: (noun) The element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think…
So “Training your mind” could be: “Teaching your dog for him to be aware of the world”
Strange indeed!
It is my belief that a language creates the way we think, so people who learned English as their first language think slightly different from people who learned Spanish as their first language, from people who learned German as their first language, etc.
The brain works in a different way moving the elements to associate in a different order, so conclusions and ideas take a different perspective and meaning.
That could become a barrier and a problem, but also can be a possibility to give ourselves the opportunity to see the world from other people’s perspective and learn something else from them.
Since living in the US I had the opportunity to meet many people from different countries and with different languages, and although some times it has been complicated to understand the way of thinking, it has always been a very rewarding experience.
The human brain is such an amazing thing!
Raul
Posted by Raul on August 26, 2010
Isn’t it the place where so many people cultivate themselves with a good book? Or get thoroughly informed with the daily newspaper?
The place where we learn, get informed, think about important issues and, in general, can truly spill our guts out in search of relief and wisdom.
So how comes that we don’t give the toilet its important place in our lives? We just keep it there, in a corner of the house, like we do with someone we claim is our loved one, waiting for us when we need them.
I’m not saying go now and give your toilet a hug, show it your love and real feelings, but how about a little more respect for such important artifact in our pitiful lives?
For instance…
Thank to the toilets we can be honest people; just think about it, and I‘m not kidding in this one; if it wasn’t for the toilets we would be, literally, full of shit
How important is that a toilet can receive and hold all our shit so it doesn’t hit the fan instead, have you thought about that?
When a water tap breaks you can cut off the water from the main source, call a plumber and wait until he arrives to fix the problem; it is not the best situation but you can manage in the meantime, but when the toilet back flushes you’ll be on the phone screaming: “I NEED YOU TO BE HERE NOW!”
And that’s a really sad situation (when a toilet back flushes) because your own shit comes back to you, and not only that, your neighbor’s shit comes along, so you start thinking; “What am I doing wrong? Could it be Karma?”
So what is the real meaning that in the end we are all connected by the same sewer pipe?
Another point to consider is that, no matter who you are, a president, a dictator, a saint, the Pope, a millionaire, a thief or simply an anonymous pedestrian, we all have in common that, at some point, we will have to stop by the toilet, so why then go on in this life pretending to be the smart one, the powerful one, the saint one, the “above the rest” one; we all end up in the toilet at some point, which proves we all have been carrying our own shit inside.
For those reasons, when I am in that less than elegant situation, I can feel myself as part of the human race, as another true human being; in that precious point in life when we are all equal.
To the toilet we show our real face!
Maybe replacing seats for toilets at the Senate would help reach better and faster agreements!
My apologies for the extensive use of the word shit, but in this situation the word “poop” just didn’t seem to make it, not with the same meaning, or at least the same “intensity”
Now, let me ask you a favor; if you feel that this post can be of help in someone else’s enlightening, then please feel free to re-tweet the shit, I mean, the post; thank you!
Raul
UPDATE
Marion, from The Second Half of My Life sent me this funny picture, she said: “It was taken in Bangkok where western style toilets in public places are a new introduction”
Thank you Marion for the picture; it is really funny
Raul
