Through the KALEIDOSCOPE…

Have you ever had a journal or a diary? It’s where your deep, dark secrets are thrown into a fray where there are no dark corners, no narrow alleyways just black and blue pen inked in pieces of paper. A blog is kind of like that except instead of being this really personal thing that you keep to yourself, it’s more of a really public circus for the entire world to see.

You all probably know the difference between blogs and journals anyway. I really don’t think there’s enough reason for me to explain what those differences are. I will, however, explain to you the difference between blogging and actually speaking to someone, about whether or not blogging is a good way to capture moments in your life.

Do you know that there’s a difference between writing in a blog and actually talking to people? Writing in a blog is easy– no one can judge you midway through the process. There aren’t any interruptions, no breaks in the turn; the ambience that you create stays till you’re done speaking.

And when you blog, you’re safe from mistakes. A small typo in the fray is your biggest concern. You can just type, untype and retype everything ’till you’re finally done with the post. You’re virtually as grammatically correct as you can get here– you don’t stutter, mumble or slur your words. You don’t repeat yourself over and over again. It’s a fixed, set block of words and letters. 

In speaking, however, anything can go wrong. You can stutter, mumble and slur what you’re saying - forcing you to say it again and again till you finally say it clearly enough for the person to understand you. You can forget what you’re saying and just sit there, looking all retarded and quiet. You can be interrupted at any time, even before you get the entire message out. It just kills the ambience, the mood that you’re trying to set in the conversation. And you have to face who you’re speaking to– see every reaction, every frown and smirk that they make at what you’re saying. It’s a painful process, speaking in person…

One thing I like about speaking though is that there really is an ambience. When you blog, it’s just there when you’re typing. After you finally post it, the mood you set is dead and gone. It was only when you were writing that the mood was actually something real, something around you. You set it for yourself, basically, when you blog. You can pour your entire heart out in a post while you’re typing it and realize that it’s just another block of words when you’re done posting… it really doesn’t mean anything anymore, it’s just there, really.

So does a blog really do justice to what one feels at a precise moment? Does it capture the passion of the writer in blocks of words, paragraphs written in verse? Well, it’s really up to how good a writer you are, Maline, Grace, Nelson, Andre, Yeng, Danny, Ize & Goldwyn.

There you are guys, I made it! I mean, I was able to tagged you in a different and simple way. So, keep them flowing. . . Good luck!

Are on-line games taking over our kid’s lives? Our world today is filled with brand spanking new gadgets and technology. What would have been perceived as impossible 50 years ago is commonplace in our time. And, as with everything in this world, the good comes with the bad.

One of the popular pastimes is spent playing games such as video games, online games, and of course computer games. A big hit today is an online game called DOTA, short for Defense of The Ancients. It is a custom up for Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne.  

DOTA is a well-made strategy game that is very absorbing. But perhaps, too absorbing? Aside from being very popular in the Philippines, in some cases replacing Counter-Strike as the most played game, it is also popular in European countries.

Now, we all know that teenagers, especially teenage boys, are very interested in these things. Video Games can be very addictive to our youth, especially with the development of games such as: Counter Strike, Ragnarok, Flyff, 02-Jam, and many more in a long list that adds up everyday. We all know of at least one person who has played these games, if not addictive to them. And it’s scary to think how addicted someone can get to these seemingly harmless past times.

There have been cases where kids become so addicted that they spend every waking moment playing games and spending thousands of pesos on load or computers in the process. In some countries, there have been circumstances so serious that they have special programs to counteract this growing addiction. In China for example, there are even rehab centers for those addicted to computer games, much like the centers for those with alcohol and substance abuse problems. One has also opened in Amsterdam.

Now, some people might think that rehab centers for computer-related addictions are over kill, but I agree with the concept. Video game addiction is quite common here and in other parts of the world. We should really address the problem now and try to find a solution for this. After all, don’t you think that it is serious enough considering the fact that a chart-topping song that is repetitive and mindless exists? Or that there are already rehabs for these sorts of things? One can be addicted to anything if one has a chance to be involved in such. And video games aren’t exactly harmless. We should stop them from becoming a serious threat to the youth before it swallows up their lives. 

To let go doesn’t mean to stop caring; it means I can’t do it for someone else. To let go is not to cut myself off; it’s the realization that I don’t control another. To let go is not to enable, but to allow learning from natural consequences. To let go is to admit powerlessness, which means the outcome is not in my hands.

To let go is not to try to change or blame another; I can only change myself. To let go is not to care for, but to care about. To let go is not to fix, but to be supportive. To let go is not to be protective; it is to permit another to face reality. To let go is not to deny, but to accept. To let go is not to nag, scold, or argue, but to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.

To let go is not to criticize and regulate anyone, but to try to become what I dream I can be. To let go is not to regret the past, but to grow and live for the future. To let go is to fear less and love more… You’ll experience a lot less anxiety in life when you learn to let go.

All men are created equal. . If this is so, why is he rich and why is she poor? Why is she bright and he — dull? Why can he draw better than her? God gifted the doctors with talents to become doctors. God gifted professors with talents of educators. God gifted artists with skills and talents to be artists. If all men were gifted with talents to become doctors such that all men are all doctors, who will teach us in school? Who will build buildings? Who will entertain people and take care of aesthetics and beauty?

Likewise, if all men were professors, who will take care of our health? With all these thoughts, I can only perceive that God has gifted us with equal blessings but in many different forms and ways. The gift within us as persons makes us capable of supporting others and the gift within them makes us depend on them. In other words, “We are all persons, gifts to be shared, so let’s have a grand exchange of gifts”.

As all men are equally loved and blessed, they are also equally given free will and freedom. But freedom does not mean doing whatever you wish without considering what effects they will have on others.  This calls for self-discipline so as to live in dignity. 

If we only count our own blessings instead of looking at other’s blessings as greener grass; if only we make the most out of the gifts that we receive from God, then, we can live in dignity and self-respect, … then, maybe we would realize that all men are created equal, then, maybe we could mean well for ourselves and for others, … then, maybe we could motivated to serve others, think and speak of others well, as well as relate and work with others with respect. 

“Tayong lahat ay may pananagutan sa isa’t-isa. . Tayong lahat ay tinipon ng Diyos na kapiling Niya.”