TIME

*Please visit my new website:

https://ssdfilms.wordpress.com/

It is packed with unseen footage of my new documentary ‘Chasing Humans’, I am also using the website for one of my Master’s degree course. I would be publishing new articles on it today and every fortnight. I would also appreciate any comment and discussion on the blog.*

Thank you, guys! 🙂

Artist John Seymour Lucas 1849-1923. Dated 1885

The world is still reeling from the effects of Coronavirus, here in the UK, we have the second-highest number of deaths in the world. It’s nothing to be proud of, it is heart-wrenching. I know a few people who have been affected by the passing of a loved one, believe me, it is not a good place to be.

Life is beautiful and challenging at the same time. When my dad passed away, I thought the world has come to an end, and when my family and friends consoled me with the fact that, time is a great healer, I didn’t believe them.

Is time really a healer? How do we tell the thousands of people who have lost loved ones that time heals? In my experience, time doesn’t stop the pain, even time cannot replace a loved one. Time can only give you the space to grieve and come to terms with their passing.

I think of my dad every day, just like that painting of the artist John Seymour Lucas, we can never replace time lost. It’s gone forever. However, we can cherish the memories, and hold them dear to our hearts.

As I was rummaging through the cellar today and found this precious painting of the artist Seymour Lucas, so we can check through our memories and find treasures of loved ones, who have been locked safely away bursting forth in our hearts. We can recapture times of joy, of laughter permeating through the fog of sadness, shining gloriously through the tears and sorrow.

TIME doesn’t heal, it helps us in our moment of weakness, to reclaim everything we hold dear.

Much love, always! 🙂

The Human Story

Jan17

(Firemen tackling the Australian bush fires)

The scene was total and absolute destruction. It’s more like a disaster movie. A BBC reporter claimed on the news today that the acres of land burnt in Australia is akin to fifteen million football pitches. Throughout the Christmas and New Year celebrations, I watched with growing apprehension as Australia burns with such ferocity, it was like the end of the world. And in other parts of the world such as Indonesia, Kenya, and a large swathe of Africa, people were losing their lives in natural disasters such as flooding, landslides, etc.

Thankfully, it has started to rain in Australia, but we’re not out of the woods yet. The worrying climate event around the world forms part of our human story.

Climate change is a reality. Temperatures are rising as large sheets of ice in the Arctic continues to melt. And yet, some governments around the world were paying lip service to improve pollution. We are literally killing our home, planet earth. All our bickering, superiority, and worries pale into insignificance if we lose our home. We lose everything.

When I compared the drama surrounding the semi-retirement of Prince Harry and his wife, Megan, from active royal duties, to the heartbreaking news of our climate, it was a welcome distraction. Don’t get me wrong; I think the press has unfairly vilified Megan, but she is also human as we all are, but the challenge that is facing us all dwarfs any drama playing out in the Royal family. Or the Middle East, for that matter.

Speaking of the Middle East, I was on my way home in a cab earlier this week when the driver suddenly retorted.

”Solemaini is alive, everything is a conspiracy, President Trump is colluding with the Iranians to increase the price of oil!”

”Well, we can’t be sure,” I muttered nonplussed, and I didn’t know how to react. Then he continued,

‘The world is a stage; there are men in power who control everything that happens in the world.”

”You’re right, but what about climate change?”

”I don’t know about that,” he replied.

His response got me thinking. The average person may have an opinion about every topic and incidents around the world, but Global warming is still not that important. Sir David Attenborough hammered home another warning today, and we need to act now. I genuinely hope our human story will not end in tears because we live in such a beautiful world!

I’ll touch on other matters now. It’s a bit surreal that while I was busy running around, working, attending hospital appointments, I haven’t updated my website for months, although I feel guilty life’s been, well life. This is my first article in a long while, and I’m sorry if I’m ranting.

I am currently working on a short film, a documentary called ‘Chasing Humans,’ for one of my Master’s degree modules. The film touched on core topics around safety in London. I wrote and directed it, and I’ll keep updating on the progress of the film.

I have missed many awesome articles from my WordPress family. I will visit every one in a couple of weeks after meeting some of my deadlines.

It’s so good to be back. I hope 2020 would be an excellent year for us all.

Much love, always! 🙂

Here In Paradise…

Mar12

(Photo credit: Flickr)

On Friday, March 10th, 2017, it was precisely 7.25 in the morning as I walked up the steps of Westminster Station en-route my office. I walked briskly, mentally calculating ‘my-to-do-list’ for the day and then like an image out of a disaster movie, I saw two people, a man and a woman. The man was hovering over the woman, his lips quivering, his gait was like a man under the influence of alcohol, he tried to move away from the woman and almost fell. My gaze turned to the woman, her pale face had obviously borne the brunt of living on the street. Her face was lined with weariness, her eyes devoid of happiness.

I stopped in my tracks.

I didn’t know if I should offer money, or simply give a hug. People pushed past me, a man swore under his breath, but it was loud enough for me to hear the words. I fidget with my bag and moved out of the way, my heart broke into a thousand pieces as I watched them.

The man and the woman were oblivious of my presence, and sadly, I turned away.

Here in paradise, (at least that could be the thoughts of millions of people in other parts of the world) we shouldn’t have homeless people. Throughout the day, I couldn’t concentrate on anything. There was something about that couple, they may as well be working in one of the imposing offices in Whitehall, or maybe, as tourists keen to see where most decisions in the UK were made.

Centerpoint is a charity here in the UK helping homeless young people but what about middle age people, old men and women? I have a passion for the homeless, although I’ve read that some do make themselves ‘intentionally homeless,’ but still, I couldn’t expunge their image out of my mind.

I did some further research and realised that there are many homeless charities all around us. Below are some of the charities in London:

There’s also West London YMCA, they provide the same services as most of the organisations I’ve listed above. I think if we live in paradise, we should be able to do more for people less fortunate than we are (I know, we’re not all millionaires but we could always volunteer at a homeless shelter). I will volunteer at some of these wonderful charities doing such wonderful jobs, changing people’s lives.

If you’re living in other parts of the world, it wouldn’t hurt to give money to a beggar you see on the street or a homeless person. Some of you reading this may think, ‘well, she’s so naïve, most of these folks are drug addicts and rapists… maybe murderers.’

Maybe, some of them are, but some aren’t. Life’s just dealt them a hard hand.

Maybe Phil Collin’s song, ‘Another Day In Paradise’ would be a great way to finish this article.

I hope you’ll all enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Much love to you friends, always!

🙂 🙂

Treasured Links

Dec18

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(Now this little girl’s what I call a treasured Link. Photo credit: Flickr)

”The truth is that we can learn to condition our minds, bodies, and emotions to link pain or pleasure to whatever we choose. By changing what we link pain and pleasure to, we will instantly change our behaviours.”

Tony Robbins

Our pursuit of wealth (or survival as my dad called it) in life is ridiculously overshadowed by things that ought to be more valuable to us like family, friends, and scheduled times to reflect and truly enjoy life. We work all day, some of us are doing two jobs to make ends meet and that doesn’t really mean we would have enough. The only thing certain in life is time, and at a point, that would also end.

Time is certainly cruel. It flies by quickly and before we know it, the tangible things left are links. But some of us destroy those links, how, you may ask? By what we choose to link our minds and memories to.

If a poor man chooses to link his memories to struggles, he may find it difficult to actually overcome poverty. And if a rich guy links his mind to his wealth, he would lose himself in the pool of his assets, and everything else would pale into insignificance. Basically, everything still boils down to our choice and perception in life.

So friends, link wisely! 🙂

Grasmere lake with autumn colours and reflections, Lake District, Cumbria, England

I haven’t been able to write an article for a while because of certain projects I’ve been involved in, which would be wrapped up soon in the first quarter of next year, God willing. I know I’ve missed a lot of awesome posts. I’ve begun the pleasurable journey of visiting as many blogs as time would allow, I can’t wait to read to my heart’s content.

I hope you’ll all have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year. Hopefully, I would write one or two articles before the end of this year. Live free and enjoy every bit of your moment on this part of heaven.

Much love to you all! 🙂

Somehow… We’re All Connected

Oct1

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(Photo credit: Flickr)

My office is in a prestigious and historic building in Whitehall, and every day on my way to the office, I love saying hello to the cleaners making the place a beautiful sight.

They are as important as the Prime Minister, Theresa May.

Maybe some people might not agree with me, but we’re all important. From the bus driver struggling through the morning traffic to the chef in the restaurant trying to bring sanity to the chaos in the kitchen to the cashier at the grocery store who might endure muffled abuse from disgruntled customers to the care assistant who takes care of our older relatives or the nursery assistant who has to endure the incessant screams of restless babies and yet, has to smile and reassure parents that all has been well when it hasn’t.

I reckon, we’re all the same.

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The feeling of ”I’m always right and I know everything all” has the hallmark of a ‘jerk syndrome.’ I respect all the men and women holding two to three jobs, trying to make ends meet while also bringing up their children at the same time. They are superheroes.

Now don’t get me wrong, life isn’t a straight line, but it would augur well to appreciate people who appear to be doing menial jobs. I once got into an argument with a former boss who refused to allow his driver in the same lift with him, I didn’t mince my words when I told him in no uncertain terms that he was wrong. You can imagine what happened after that, I got fired? Hell no (forgive my language), he apologised to his driver and increased his pay. Although I later realised that the truth is a bitter pill to swallow.

We’re all connected.

Imagine the scenario where we’re all rich, every single soul on this planet is wealthy. Where would you find the shopkeepers, drivers, butchers, child-minders, just to mention a few? So, why not give that sweaty waitress a sincere smile and the cleaner at your HQ an appreciative grin? Maybe I’m wrong, let me know what you think.

Have a wonderful weekend friends, and may the coming week bring you peace!

Much love, always. 🙂

Love, Aging, And Everything In Between

Feb12

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(Photo credits: Flickr)

We are special species. The human race is resilient in the face of adversity, we come up with interesting concepts about love, aging, and survival. I love the way Jamais Cascio puts it, ”resilience is all about being able to overcome the unexpected. Sustainability is about survival. The goal of resilience is to thrive.”

I couldn’t agree more. We can thrive when all hopes seem lost, the secret to an ageless, carefree life is contentment with who you are. People with disembodied image of themselves tend to continually conflicts with life.

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(Lines of wisdom)

When everything seems to go pear-shaped, humanity always has a way of making things better. Yes, sometimes, we fail dismally, however, that has never stopped humanity. I believe in humanity, I believe in love and I am a forever optimist that things can always get better.

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(I love The Hope In Her Eyes)

Valentine shouldn’t be about love only, I reckon it should also be about hope, faith, and perseverance.

Hope for the parents of a six-year-old girl afflicted with cancer that she would get better with the right treatment, faith that a job seeker would get a befitting job and his life wouldn’t be a constant struggle, and perseverance in the face of overwhelming defeat. Never giving up because there would be a time, when a breakthrough actually looms beside defeat.

22055347934_0ca6270d9a_o (2) (I love his carefree smile)

I believe in humanity, do you?

I’ll leave you guys with this simple quote by Kushandwizdom, ”faith makes all things possible, hope makes all things work and love makes all things beautiful.”

I hope your lives would be filled with faith, hope, and love.

Have a wonderful Valentine. 🙂

Much love always!
🙂

Don’t Feed The Troll!!!

Jul28

You Can Soar Above Your Haters!

I love cartoons, and I watched one today with my kids called, ‘Wander Over Yonder,’ it’s hilarious! My kids loved it, and I did too. The story was not quiet childish though. There was a lovely planet inhabited by goats, every year, a troll would come visiting and steal all their food. These goats were strong, and very brave but so fickle minded they could hardly take an unkind word. The troll would insult them, and the more they listened and fight back, the more the troll grew bigger and stronger!

That’s more like us isn’t it? When we listen to haters, they have the upper hand, when we ignore them, believe me, they would disappear! Words hurt, I know, but we can rise above the hatred, we can fight by ignoring evil people because when we trade insults, they would grow stronger.

The goats were finally able to destroy the troll – they simply ignored it. It was an ‘it.’ That’s right, some haters are ‘it,’ inconsequential, powerless. Believe me, sometimes, maybe many times, we encourage people to hurt us… We could always change that by not feeding their hatred! We can soar above them.

I learnt a valuable lesson today, I hope someone, somewhere is reading this, and they can just get on with their lives, leaving the trolls behind!

*****

Children are on summer holiday, mine included, which explains why I’ve not updated my blog in a while. However, I’ve been visiting as many blogs as I could and would continue to do so when my troops allow it.

Have a wonderful week my friends! 🙂

Much love, always!

Insatiable Fools…

Jul16

We Only Have One Shot At Life!

Like ducks, they suck up wealth, gulping with little regards to the poor.

Like darkness, they attract light but powerless to overcome it.

Like mould, they dance with filth in their regale splendour.

Like moot, they put argument forward and steal joy.

Like hurricane, they devastate and destroy.

Like dirt, they accumulate.

Like ghost,

It would all float away!

They are the insatiable fools…

******

I watched a very interesting, and rather unnerving drama called ‘The Joneses’ with my husband yesterday. It was such a very unexpected film. The film dealt with greed, and how humans just like the idea of accumulating wealth, jealous of other people’s successes and the mad, crazy, rush to have it all. It might be because I’m approaching the big four zero, but life isn’t really about all we can accumulate materially but all we can do to reach out to others, and being better people!

Phil Collins said it best in his song ‘Another Day In Paradise.’ It was and still is, one of my favourite songs of the nineties! Check it out;

Enjoy the rest of your week my friends! I hope you’ve all had fun so far, please, keep safe!

Much love, always!!

🙂

If The Sky Should Fall…

Feb23

(Photo credit: Flickr)

Have you ever felt an intense feeling where you can hardly breathe and nothing else matters? Where you feel taller, more beautiful, and the mountains could take a hike for all you care? Where you seem to float endlessly in the midst of continuous, uninterrupted bliss?

I felt like that when I first met my husband. I loved him with everything and I believe I could attain the impossible with him by my side…

Pass forward…. twenty-one years later.

Do I still feel like that? Do I blush when I look into his ever youthful face? Do I shiver with emotions when I stare into his brown eyes which seemed to dance with merry? Do I have the time to skip with him and steal him away from life’s endless concern?

Oh yeah… 🙂 I still do. And I consider myself fortunate! Although we have a very easy relationship, my husband knows I’m also blessed with friends who would stand by me when I need them. Why? Because I’ll do the same. I invest a lot in my relationships – not necessarily to get a healthy return but because I enjoy making people happy. And I want to use this medium to appreciate you the reader, my friends. 🙂 I am one lucky woman to be blessed with such awesome, lovely people. So if the sky should fall, I am safe, and you are too! 🙂

If the sky we look upon

Should tumble and fall

Oh and the mountains should crumble to the sea

I won’t cry, I won’t cry, no I won’t shed a tear

Just as long as you stand, stand by me

I hope this week would be peaceful, joyful and that we would achieve our goals! I intend to have a pleasant week, and I sincerely wish you the same!

Much love, always!

🙂 🙂

I GOT YOU BABE!

Feb17

Through the rain, the sleet, the snow

I got you babe.

Through the tempest, the hailstone and storms,

I got you babe.

Through the tough times and pain

I got you babe.

Through the laughter and moments of madness

I got you babe.

Through everything life may throw at us

I got you babe!

****

I’d always loved Cher’s voice and while the kids were screaming downstairs, (they’re on half term break) I sneaked upstairs and immersed` myself in their song, ‘I Got You Babe.’ It was nice, simple and full of love. Though Sonny (Cher’s former husband) passed away a few years ago, and they did divorced before his passing, I believe Cher and Sonny truly cared for each other. You can listen here if you want. 🙂 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80QHRTQ3Kmw

This week, I hope we’ll all find what would cheer our hearts. It would also be nice to send cheers to others. I wish you peace and joy friends. Have a fantastic week.

Much love, always!

🙂