Love and Acceptance

    It's Christmas Eve. The night before one of the biggest holidays in the Western World. It's a day that is supposed to be filled with love and peace. I really hope tomorrow is filled with all of that. I believe that it can be. I have hope that it will be. But I don't know.
    This year has been messed up. To put it very mildly. We've had mass shootings every single day around the globe. We've seen and experienced massive terror attacks both at home and abroad. Maybe it's foolish and juvenile to believe that tomorrow will be different. Maybe it's even insane, but no matter what is happening in the world, I still hold onto my faith in humanity. I need to.
     I know tomorrow is just a day, that there is nothing intrinsically special about it, it's what we do on it that makes it so special. Many people have fond memories of Christmas morning, of time spent with family in love and acceptance.
     Lets take that feeling of acceptance and spread to everyone. To the people we love, and to the people we don't like. Let us show everyone this acceptance tomorrow. And if we can do that, we can carry it on to the next day, and to the day after that. Our world is in turmoil right now. We have people who have been forced out of their homes coming to us for help, lets welcome them with open arms,
     That's what Christmas is about.
     Don't worry, my Christmas themed posts are almost done!
     Happy Christmas Eve. 

Christmas is love

    Alright, it's my last day of work before my Christmas holidays start, and I don't know what to blog about. A friend gave me a great suggestion, but I'm probably going to post it after Christmas. Just because it's so not Christmasy.
     Theme. Got it, What makes Christmas for you guys? Or the whatever holiday you happen to be celebrating this December. For me, it's Christmas, so that's what I call it. I'm not trying to force it on anybody or anything, don't worry! But what makes this time of year so special?
     I don't have a cliched answer for this. I can't say that "seeing the whole family makes it wonderful!" because I don't see the whole family. The last time Christmas was more than just me and my parents was close to twenty years ago. The rest of my family lives 2000 km away, which makes it difficult to plan things. I think what makes Christmas special to me is seeing all of the love when you're out in public. I'm not talking PDA here, just people being decent to one another, wishing everyone a Merry Christmas with a smile on their face. This time of year gives me hope that humanity is inherently good, and that we can make it past all the shit that goes on for the rest of the year.
     This hope for humanity is especially important to me this year. There's been a lot of terrible events in the world these past twelve months, and there has been a lot of negativity in my own life this year as well, and things got bleak for me. Everything started looking better as we rolled our way into December: things started working again in my life, and I saw less hate being spread the closer we got to Christmas. I see love and hope this time of year, and the love and hope that I see every Christmas is what helps me get through the twelve months that follow.
      Far too many have forgotten what Christmas is about, or the meaning of Christmas has just got too bogged down in religion and consumerism, but! Christmas, when you get right down to it, when you scrape away the frost (because winter), is about love. Everything about Christmas's origins (not Saturnalia, it only shares a date with Christmas) stems from love. The love of parents seeing their newborn for the first time, the love of a god giving his people a saviour, and the love of other people coming together to celebrate.
      So please, let us love each other this Christmas. Let us put away our hate and mistrust, and our greed and jealousy, and let us love each other. No matter what you believe, or don't believe, we are all on this planet together, and we are all the same species.
     Peace and love. 

Well, this has been a change

    I'm in the process of writing my first professional article right now. I've had stuff published in the past on smaller scales, but all that was stuff I had written for myself. This is the first time that a publication has given me a topic and a deadline. It's exciting and terrifying at the same time. If all of this goes well it literally means my dream of becoming a professional writer will come true!
    This is a new experience for me. I'm going out to find people to interview, and then I'm going to write an article based on their experiences. I'm expecting complete strangers to trust me with the intimate parts of their lives... I'm going out to talk to people with the express purpose of telling other their stories. Some of these people have hid their entire lives, but I'm asking them to trust me. It's mind-boggling. I've always wanted to do this, and I am so excited, but what if I'm not good enough for this? I'm trying to tell the world some important things! What if I falter? What if I don't do their stories justice? What if I fuck up?
    I know I'm a good writer, but I've never really had major things hanging off the results of my writing (university doesn't count). How this article is taken can literally affect my entire future, and where my life leads me.
    It's strange thinking about this. A month ago I was unemployed and completely lost in the seas of my life. Now I'm working at a film festival, and have a magazine wanting to publish my work. A year ago I thought I was going to stuck in my job at a High School. Life's crazy.
     I am so happy right now. I haven't been this happy with my life in a very long time, and I don't want to lose this feeling. That's another thing hanging in the balance.
    I know I can do this, I know I can. But this piece of writing has more riding on it than anything I have ever wrote before. Everything else has been for fun. Has been just because I wanted to write it. I've always had the hope that people will enjoy it, but this is so different.
    This year has thrown a lot of punches my way, especially October and November, but December switched that all up and started giving me opportunities. Started a new job, got a writing opportunity, and have made a bunch of new friends.
    Maybe things are getting better. They're really looking up right now anyways.



Being happy is nice. 

Global Family

     I am so behind on these posts omg. I am so sorry. Honest.
     I do have a topic today, it was inspired by a comment a friend of mine made last weekend. I had a quick phone call from a friend of mine from New Mexico (which I forgot, and said she was Cali (sorry)), and after the call another friend asked me why I talk to people all over the place. It's a valid question, and I'm going to go into it here.
     I have friends all over the globe: US, Norway, UK, South Africa, UAE (mostly in Dubai), Australia, Italy, and scattered over other places in Europe. I talk to most of those people on a daily basis. We're important to each other, and have a role in each other's lives. Can be as simple as just a check-in to deep conversations about life to offering encouragement during the dark and confusing times.
      But that doesn't answer the core part of that question. Why do I have friends in other countries? We live in a world where we can instantly connect with people thousands of kilometers (sorry, miles) away. It is amazing and something that should be taken advantage of! And contrary to what some think, being connected to these people through digital means does not take away from the relationships we have with those geographically close to us. We live in a world filled with opportunities, anything we want to do, to create, we can. But it takes connections, it takes networking. I used to hate that thought. I hated that I had to know people to get things done, but now I see it as something beautiful. Networking and connections don't have to be impersonal. You can be friends with the people in your "network", and when they're your friends they aren't just a network of people anymore. You've made your network something more. You've made it into a family that wants to help you, instead of just a list of people you can try to ask for things.
      In the past to be successful you had to be well-liked and respected (or feared if you're a dick) in a certain radius, but now you can successful all-over the globe, and have your next door neighbour not even know your name. We live in this strange paradigm where millions of people know who you are, where you can be a household name in Europe, but in your home country people from the next town over haven't even heard of you.
      This makes it sounds like I talk to all these people out of selfishness, but that's not true. I started talking to all these people for reasons that basically boil down to the fact that I wanted more friends. I didn't want a network, or connections, I wanted a more global family. Everywhere we look these days we see hate. And that makes me so sad, and in my attempt to be a more global citizen I've made friends all over the globe. Could these relationships benefit me in a more businesslike manner in the future? Yes. Is that what they're for? Hell no.
      I guess the basic answer is simply because I want to. I want to have friends in other countries. I want a global family.
      And now I have one. And if any of you are reading this, and you should be, I love each and everyone of you. Even if I haven't said it directly. Thank you for your encouragements, and for being there for me. You are all amazing and wonderful people.  

Sorry...

     I am getting so sporadic with these posts... I'm not trying to miss them! Honest, it just happens... I've been getting home so late from work, and I've been so tired that even the thought of writing something puts me straight to sleep. I'm falling so behind! I'm sorry. 

     Maybe I should start posting poetry and short stories on the days I don't have time for original posts... that's probably what they call a good idea. 

     I guess today will just be an update on life? Sure. Why not. I'm enjoying work! It's been fun so far, and I'm getting to do some pretty cool things! The drive is super annoying, and I am still looking into finding a place to stay. But I work this week, and then I'm off for two weeks for Christmas, so there really isn't a point in getting a place there for a week right now, so I will officially start my hunt in the new year! 

     This is so boring, I'm putting myself to sleep. Wow. 

     Go watch my vlogs: youtube.com/shran100 

Night

Light enveloped by the descending dark,

Make treacherous the once sane paths,

The twilight beasts coming hither,

Yearning for a last embrace of sun's loving light,

Steadily on doth the traveller go,

Winding mindfully the myriad miseries,

From each angle could they approach,

Never ceasing, unceasingly eyes darting,

There

                             There

And

          There,

Seemingly the uncommon common everywhere,

Until,

Where once was nothing,

Pinpricks of light descend,

Engulfing the darkness. 

I am a feminist

    Remember when I said that my next blog was going to be an important one, then I didn't even write one? And when I did, it was just an apology? No? None of you remember that? Thank goodness.
     Well, the time has come. This is it. The foretold important one. Usually when I do this, I say something really lame and unimportant after it... maybe I shouldn't be building this up so much.
     I am a feminist. I believe that all humans, man, woman, and everyone else (myself being part of the else, calm down) deserve to and should be treated with equality. I realize that I appear very masculine, and I know I may draw a lot of flak for that reason by talking about this, but it's a chance I'm willing to take.
     Feminism is an important topic and issue, that everyone should be talking about. That being said, it is beyond ridiculous that it is still an issue! As Prime Minister Trudeau said when asked why his cabinet was equal, it's 2015. We shouldn't be worried that people are being paid less just because of their gender, we shouldn't be worried that there's a second class of citizen because of their gender. We live in a civilized world where we can watch our favourite teen dramas online whenever we want, but we can't have equality? Instead we have people arguing that feminism is stupid, that the facts behind inequality are wrong, and we have rampant sexism "mansplaining" things to us lower beings who believe it!
     The mansplainers don't just target women either, they go after the male feminists too! It's like they can't believe that a man could want equality! It's happened to me! I used to think mansplaining was one of those things that happened to other people but would never happen to me. Boy, was I wrong.
     I'm off topic.
     I felt that it was important that I come out as feminist. I'm pretty sure no one thought that I wasn't, but it's much better to actually just straight up say that I am.
    I believe, possibly controversially, that it is very important for males who believe in equality to label themselves as feminist. If we could have every person who believes in equality stand up and declare themselves a feminist, what are the mansplainers going to do? Mansplain to all of us why we're wrong? Actually, they probably would take the time and at least attempt to do just that...
     Equality shouldn't be something that we need to fight for. It's something that should be automatic. More and more people are coming to realize this, but the people against it (wtf people?) are getting more and more vocal. I know there are a lot of males out there who support the movement, but won't come out in vocal support in fear of their peers calling them names and personally attacking them! That's what the enemies of feminism have in their arsenal: name calling. That's extent of their armoury. And they think they have a point! They don't see how backward and damaging their thinking is to the world. The sad thing is, these are the people who are super vocal about the "evils of Islam", and as more ignorant people agree with them on that, they'll start agreeing that feminism is wrong too! They'll start using terms like "feminazi" whenever a woman speaks out, they'll start making the sexist jokes that they've always secretly believed, and we will stay exactly where we are.
     I am feminist. I believe in equality for the entire human race. I've spoken out against racists and Islamophobes, but I haven't publicly spoken out against sexism, and by not doing that I'm enabling them. I don't want to enable them. They are wrong. They need to spoken against. I need to be more outspoken in my stance on feminism. My support needs to be more visible.
      Feminism isn't some evil plot by women to take over the world. It's a fight against an outdated, sexist, racist, and xenophobic system that needs to be torn down. The fact that people take offence to term, shows exactly how much it is still needed in our world.
     I am a feminist. I hope you are too.