Another day in Paradise, a tribute to homeless.

Three years ago, a giant of artist was retired. Phil Collins was and always will be an amazing musician, not only for the songs but for the lyrics. One of my favorites is precisely “Another day in paradise”. This song was the first single of his LP ‘But seriously’(1989) and was kept on the top along four weeks, between 80’s and 90’s, so we can consider one of the most popular high hits in both decades. It is a tribute to homeless, as it were. A very beautiful way to explain that all of us are in the same fix, our situation can be changed in a moment. Even if sometimes we are not aware of it. Now, very close to Christmas time, we should make a self-reflection of our situation. Stop thinking about us, stop complaining about everything. It is time to believe in us, as the same universal thing. It is time to stare at the present, face to every problem, enjoy with your people. It is time to live another day in paradise for you and me.

My speech

I was thinking about sharing to you the speeh I prepared for you. As you can see, all these words have not told, but all these things that the ones I wanted to speak about. You can see here how different are the thing that you want to say, and the things that you really say...

Cutbacks

Today I would like to speak about two things we are worried about, things that are affected by cutbacks: these are health service and education.

The first point I’d like to comment is about health service. You know that guy who go to the doctor and say… ? Doctor, I cannot eat, I cannot sleep, I cannot drink anything… what´s wrong with me? And the doctor tells him. Sir, you are hungry, you are thirsty and you are tired.  Jokes apart from that, this is the feeling we have when we go to the hospital. We feel lost and it seems anyone cares about us. I’d like to tell you two stories.

The first one is about me. I went to the doctor because of some panic attacks. The pretty knowing disease of 21 century: the anxiety. I like my doctor a lot. He has been with my family for ages and I trust him. In that case, I think that this man loves his job, but the solution was: buy a treatment for your hair that the social security doesn’t pay, which is cost 90 euros, because it is falling due to your anxiety. After that, take a lot of pills which are going to cover you problems and keep you sleepy all day. If you can, pay a psychologist and end with that. The same answer I got in Madrid. The second one is about my sister. She has stones in her vesicle. After three days going to ER with her because of terrible pains, they decided hospitalized. She spent 6 days there, with a weekend in the middle. In those days, my brother in law and I had to be care of her with no information about the situation. I remember everybody saying nothing, my sister overwhelmed and we so worried. The last day it was supposed her blood had to be analyzed, so I had to go to remember the nurse she couldn’t eat anything. She said she had no order to analyze anything, so she had to advise to the doctor. All the hell we lived there made me asking some questions: what’s happened with people who work here? Are they happy? Are they worried about the patients, or about their money? Fortunately not all of them seemed so unmotivated. But you were there and noticed the desperation, the apathy, they didn’t want to work in these conditions, I understand, but who is blame here? They, us, other people? I don’t know if the problem is less money, more work hours, maybe humans, we want everything at the moment and we are worried just about pleasure and material things.

The words mentioned below are connected with the other thing I would like to speak: education, with another story, of course. When I was at the university studying to be a special educational needs teacher, a discussion emerged. The question was… can be happy children with special educational needs, like autism, or kind of syndrome, or maybe some living with a wheelchair. It was awesome!!!! Most of the pupils said no. They cannot be happy because they probably prefer being normal. Define normal, I said. I saw the link speaking about Jacob, the link in Emilio’s blog. If you have seen it, do you think this child is unhappy? Because he doesn’t look like that. I realized that most of people there thought that children with “problems” have to be treated as a problem into itself. Poor children, we have to speak with them making disgusting noises like ohh, my dear… poor, wait, please! They are different among them, most of them are not silly, they just have difficulties making some kind of things, but so developed to do others…  The point here is that some people are not ready to deal with the profession that they have chosen. In case of education, you must have clear that this is what you want to do, because you have a huge responsibility. The child nowadays will be the man tomorrow.

To conclude, and joint the two points mentioned before, I have to explain why I think it was important the stories I’ve just told you. Both of them speak about people who don’t care about their job. About people who cannot see the magnificence of the world. Education is a primary resource, health service, too. Government must spend more money in things we are going to prepare to the future. We’re grown with the idea that we can get all that we want, this cannot be good. Everything is like a chain. If you invest in education, you will make good adults who can be able to govern. If you invest in health and medicine, you can look after these children who will be your future. If we become good citizen, smart, worried, ecologist, searching for the good and not the bad, whatever… we could create a better world. Regretfully, all of these are not in our hands, but we can start with a little step, peering around and helping in every moment we were required. Indeed, we can stop to close our eyes and talk so aloud that someone has to hear us. 

Life again

He works

He has a young lost glance in an old face

He won once

He is not going to do anymore

Time flies, he could not hold it back

He had everything we wanted to, but now…

Now he has nothing

He tries again and again, tries to catch the air, but he is blowing in the wind

He lost her, he lost the most

He wanders through a narrow path looking for an eternal youth, 

wondering if she was there, waiting for him, like always did.

A mirror in the sky

A few years ago I watched a film named ‘Kathmandu, a mirror in the sky’. The film is about a teacher who moves there to volunteer in a local school. There is a scene where a man, who she had married out of convenience, told her that everyone has their own place on Earth, which at the same time is a mirror in the sky. In fact, every person must find it. I was wondering if it could be real or not. I have ever believed that we do belong to nowhere; we are part of the planet, so we should stay wherever we want to.

            All these thoughts take me to consider about our goal in life. When I was younger I would have liked to go fighting against poverty to another country: helping people to build houses, farming lands with them, whatever. It only was one of my dreams. I would have visited Buthan, (I did not know what is called, for instance), just for the Buddhism idea, or some other paradise on Earth. I have read a lot about this kind of thinking; living as a Buddhism monk could be interesting as the same time as close to perfection. I will add that many ideas come into my brain, like being a writer locked into my room, being a tourist forever, travelling forwards to the East lands by transsiberian train, I do not know…

            According to these points, I realize that I do not really want this way of life. I would not wish to live as a hippie, or as the mother Theresa, or be a traveller. I want to be free (as Queen said) and just me. I am not sure what is the future preparing to me, but I am going to catch a brief glimpse of the fate. Wherever I will settle, I wish I found my own way, so I will have my mirror, the one which moves on with me.

          I strongly recommend this film. If you want to know a curiosity about it, the director and the main character are not getting on well with each other, or something of that I have heard. The rest, you should discover yourself.

SHE

        The light is so weak; dawn is about to break, a crisp winter morning is coming. She is standing opposite the sea, with a blank stare. The sound of the waves splashing quietly surrounds her. She keeps her eyes closed for a moment, waiting for something. However, nothing at all is happening. Her eyes open slowly, but now, everything is blinding; the sea is sparkling, the sand is brightening. It is starting to rain, she hears some drops trickling. The day is getting darker. The desperation returns as an old memory. Her heart throbs like a drum, into a magic melody which she knows pretty well. A thunder rumbles far away from her, but clearly. Suddenly, it is raining cats and dogs, a very strong storm happens, she is soaking wet. She grimaces into a little smile and thinks… ’Everything will go on, the downpour sweeps along my problems. Our whole life changes like the weather does.’ The rain stops but the sky is full of fluffy clouds. Seagulls cry above her. She lays on the hard, wet sand and breathe for the first time. Everything will go on. All her life will be right. 

When science is useful for something more than money

    It is my pleasure present for you a video about an important discovery nowadays. I saw when I was surfing by the net, on facebook, by the way. I started to investigate because I have not usually believed in everything I read and, surprise!! It was true!!

    The point is that a very young boy has discovered a method to detect pancreatic cancer in a quick and cheap way, with a paper sensor!! This guy was only 15 years in that moment and has really given to us an extraordinary gift. I do not know how this awesome revelation will have been taken by pharmatical industry or whatever is being making money with this kind of things.

    I guess is the same with the bulb which never turns off, or the panties which cannot be broken. Gossips we have heard about once at least. Actually, we are round of powerful people’s interest, aren’t we?

http://www.ted.com/talks/jack_andraka_a_promising_test_for_pancreatic_cancer_from_a_teenager.html

This little big  man called Jack Andraka, from Maryland, has shown that more could be done with a bit effort and interest. 

Courage is not the absence of fear

                “Newspaper was not talking about you…” Joaquín Sabina sang, also María Jiménez. News does not say anything about us, we are not important to the media. So, how to deal with the fact that we are not relevant? What is the purpose of our life? Someone commented once that we should be famous in life to live forever. True enough. However, I ask to myself whether this is the reason of my days: being remembering, or being happy.

               This controversy can suppose a big trouble for some people, not me. I know exactly what I prefer. I choose happiness. The thing is… how to get it? I am going to give you some clues, if you do not mind.

• Yourself: who you would like to be. I strongly believe that all of us have a mission to complete before dying. Find yours. You will do if you look into your heart. Watching yourself will reach this knowledge. When you have it, fight to finish it. This is the way you are gazing at the man in the mirror.
• Hobbies: How you do enjoy in your daily routine. Easily, if you do not discover how to get enough time to feel pleasure, just let things happen. Do something for you, so some tasks will be done tomorrow (uups, pity!). Read, fly, go skiing, wander along lost streets, whatever… but do something. Find everyday this moment for you before getting crazy.
• Job: do you really love your job? How do you feel on that? Steve Jobs made an interesting speech where he advised we have to love our way to earn money. Indeed, he does. Do not work in your company whether you are not fulfilling. You might change if you would have the courage of looking forwards.
• Family: in my opinion you have to put a great deal of effort into your relation with them. No matter parents, children, partner… any relatives, even roommates. You must try to get on well with them, no matter what, because of your quietness. Neither proud nor being right are to achieve a good coexistence.

               To conclude, according to the title of this reflection I would like to point that, for sure, courage is not the absence of fear, as Nelson Mandela used to express. All that I mentioned above is about being courageous. Nevertheless, fear is an innate talent. We should feel frightened when we face the facts. In other way, we would never run if we saw a lion. So do not be afraid of changing anything in your life, as much as people try to beat you. Probably it is because of envy, or jealous, or simply they hate you, perhaps they are scared. Please, do not think in anyone when your happiness is in play.