Coolcat's Jottings

The past couple of weeks have been nothing short of DRAMA. Two misunderstandings, one showdown, one muggery, one battered victim, all rolled into one. That's how dramatic it was.

And I still managed to read two mystery novels to completion. The thing was, I realised that real life IS stranger than fiction. I read ferociously to escape this crazy world that is mine for a while. Reading about other peoples' problems and bafflement about dead bodies that insist on turning up when you least expect it made me instantly grateful that there are no dead bodies embroiled in my dramatic couple of weeks.

Also, having friends who understand helped an awful lot. I know that I'm not alone.

This Too Shall Pass

If I can endure for this minute
Whatever is happening to me,
No matter how heavy my heart is
Or how dark the moment may be-

If I can remain calm and quiet
With all the world crashing about me,
Secure in the knowledge God loves me
When everyone else seems to doubt me-

If I can but keep on believing
What I know in my heart to be true,
That darkness will fade with the morning
And that this will pass away, too-

Then nothing in life can defeat me
For as long as this knowledge remains
I can suffer whatever is happening
For I know God will break all of the chains

That are binding me tight in the darkness
And trying to fill me with fear-
For there is no night without dawning
And I know that my morning is near.

...Helen Steiner Rice

Got this in my inbox today. What a nice way to encapsulate timely truths!

Easy is to get a place in someone's address book.
Difficult is to get a place in someone's heart.

Easy is to judge the mistakes of others
Difficult is to recognize our own mistakes

Easy is to talk without thinking
Difficult is to refrain the tongue

Easy is to hurt someone who loves us.
Difficult is to heal the wound...

Easy is to forgive others
Difficult is to ask for forgiveness

Easy is to set rules.
Difficult is to follow them...

Easy is to dream every night.
Difficult is to fight for a dream...

Easy is to show victory.
Difficult is to assume defeat with dignity...

Easy is to admire a full moon.
Difficult to see the other side...

Easy is to stumble with a stone.
Difficult is to get up...

Easy is to enjoy life every day.
Difficult to give its real value...

Easy is to promise something to someone.
Difficult is to fulfill that promise...

Easy is to say we love.
Difficult is to show it every day...

Easy is to criticize others.
Difficult is to improve oneself...

Easy is to make mistakes.
Difficult is to learn from them...

Easy is to weep for a lost love.
Difficult is to take care of it so not to lose it.

Easy is to think about improving.
Difficult is to stop thinking it and put it into action...

Easy is to think bad of others
Difficult is to give them the benefit of the doubt...

Easy is to receive
Difficult is to give

Easy to read this
Difficult to follow

Easy is keep the friendship with words
Difficult is to keep it with meanings.

I lay on my bed. Blinked unseeingly at the ceiling. Hugged the bolster closer to me and chewed on my lip. I get like this whenever there's some great big thought churning about my head.

It's been a long while since my dad sat me down to talk about my future. And that would be the time right after I finished my SPM examinations.

"So, what do you want to do in life?" was the question.

So many things raced through my mind. I wasn't sure about choosing just one thing to do. I wanted to do all of 'em! Seeing that I was suddenly struck dumb, he asked me if I would like doing computing stuff. And if I should discover that I don't like it, I can always do something else. Like accounting. It was a no-brainer choice, really. I'd give computing a go and by jove, I will LOVE it. Anything but accounting for me. It would make my heart weep to pore over financial statements and puzzling over numbers all day long.

As far as he's concerned, my siblings and I have achieved what he and my mom wanted us to. All of us did all right in our studies, graduated and got stable jobs. My folks have done their part and did it well. And I am every grateful to them for providing so well and doing their best for me.

But I have a gnawing feeling in my gut that my Heavenly Father has something more in mind. That this is not all there is to the one life He has given me. The future is still one big blob of blur to me. I always thought that the older we get, the more certain we are of what lies ahead of us. But alas, that is not so. In fact, I was more certain and convicted of things when I was in college than at present.

Perhaps it's the realisation that life has more shades of gray than black and white that influenced my present mindset. That I should always listen to both sides of the story first and try to see the bigger picture before making snap judgements and conclusions.

Perhaps also, it's the disappointments that came one after another when things I was so certain about end up crumbling to pieces. It makes one think twice before being certain of anything.

If it were not for the hope that life is not yet done, and that the future is affected by how I respond to present setbacks, it would have been extremely difficult to let go and move on and not give up on myself. It would have been impossible to believe that yes, this, too shall pass.

As I lay on the bed, my heart was awashed in a great surge of joy and gratitute. I am but an unfinished story. This is not the end. There are many more chapters to go through. And with the Great Author by my side, I know it will be beautiful.

I had a mixed weekend. Pleasant and meaningful because time was spent with dear ones who came to visit. And bleh because I needed to churn out reports at the boss' last minute request.

Someone sent me this link and really, to a music lover/guitar player, it's one of the greediest things in the music industry we've witnessed.

I really don't see anything wrong in publishing guitar chords/lyrics/tabs online. If anything, it is a good marketing tool. Just look at More Than Words - the favourite song a budding guitar player would pick up on. It has only succeeded in endearing the song in the hearts of many and kept it evergreen.

For the same reason, I don't/couldn't sing songs by certain Christian music labels because the lyrics are not made available online. Sites who used to feature them have been told to remove the content or risk being sued. And I can't introduce these songs to others because I don't have the lyrics nor the chords to play it for their pleasure.

I also heard that the fees to play music online will be/have recently been increased. This means that online streaming music services like Pandora will have a sizeable chunk of their profits gobbled up. As such they are forced to consider if it's still a worthwhile business venture to be in and whether they should close shop. Horrifying thoughts indeed.

With such calculative moves, is it any wonder that piracy is on the increase? I don't support nor condone theft and piracy, but removing lyrics/chords/tabs and increasing music streaming/airtime rates are just making music more difficult to access to the general public.

After all, sharing is caring.