Disappointment... should we be guilty?

Yesterday, I went malling with the kids. We did the usual thing of dining out and buying a few things for school. Teens passing by were sporting the latest mobile phones and Ipods together with their branded jeans and shoes. With this trend, I would not be surprised if my eldest son ditches his mobile phone and MP3. And when he does ask for a new phone and I say no, should I feel guilty?

Today's parents are so focused on giving the "best" for their children that they end up giving everything for fear of depriving their kids. But often, we confuse deprivation with disappointment. Yes, we disappoint them when they want something and we do not give it but we definitely do not deprive them.

They need to experience disappointment from time to time to prepare them for what lies ahead. It will equip them with the necessary emotional maturity needed in handling the "downs" of life. Even if you can afford to buy what they want, let them feel disappointment. Remember, not only are we raising kids but we are also raising future fathers and mothers of this nation.

Rude Drivers

Being the designated driver of my kids during school days, I can't help but shake my head in disbelief over the lack of discipline of our drivers. The usual scenario would be a two lane road becomes three which leaves one wondering what are the lane marks' for? You patiently inch way your though traffic when an arrogant driver would try to get ahead of you by putting his car bumper to bumper to your car. A public vehicle cuts you then suddenly stops in the middle of the road to load or unload passengers. Unbelievable!

When a car tries to squeeze his car in front of mine as I wait in the rush hour traffic, I can't help but be annoyed by this driver's inexcusable behavior. Does it mean that his time is more important than mine that he had to cut his way ahead of others? I don't think so. Being on the road does not give you the right to be rude and arrogant.

Driving by instinct rather than the Right of Way policy would make any foreigner give a quick no when asked if he would want to take the wheel. I believe that the this road discipline thing can only be resolved if the requirements in getting a driver's license would be more rigid. Hmm, I wonder when will this happen?

Topic Hunting

Imagine this. You start typing a few sentences then after that, a complete stop. Nothing follows. The harder you try to finish this, the more difficult it gets. I think every writer's fear is not having something to write about. I, for one, experiences this from time to time. Having days wherein I would feel that I could no longer squeeze any creative juices out of my mind is not new to me.

I observed that I would find it difficult to write when I am jaded by the day-to day events of living. When everything seems to be ordinary and nothing seems to be interesting. What could be worst than staring at your computer screen and nothing comes out? For bloggers like me, it is but essential to update one's blog regularly and doing this would require effort. So, I'd like to share some of the things that I do when hunting for a topic.

• Step out of the computer. This means diverting your energies by doing something else. It could be taking a walk, talking to a friend, playing with my kids or doing household chores.
• Ponder on the day's or coming events. Often, this could be a good kick start for a topic.
• Ask friends for ideas. You can't think of everything so you can seek suggestions from your friends as to what could be a good topic that to dwell on.
• Experience something new. Routine zaps out the creative juices that we have inside us. Now, I don't mean you have to go bungee jumping or skydiving for you to be able to write. Just try to step out of your comfort zone so as to encounter something new. It is through this occurence that one would be able to fertilize that creativity in us needed in writing.
• Read newspapers. This is a good way to know what's going on around you and writing your opinions about current events could be a start.
• Write your ideas. Sometimes, ideas can come to you when you least expect it. If this is the case, having a pen and notebook with you always will enable you to jot down your idea and not forget about it. You can then go back to it later when you are ready to write.
• Be sensitive to inspirations. Inspirations do not always come handed down in a silver platter. You just have to attune your senses to look for it and work with what you have.

Inadequate or so it seems...

"What have you accomplished so far?"

A simple question yet when given much thought is very hard to answer. An innocent question but when asked in the middle of an argument can hurt so much. In a flash, you will re-examine your life and in so doing, whatever accomplishments you may have achieved would make you feel inadequate.

I know it was not the intention of that person to make me feel insufficient. I was just taken aback by the tartness of the question. But what is the true measure of one's accomplishments? Is it through the grandiose of material things that one has acquired, or through the number of plaques you have on your wall or is it through the number of zeroes your bank account has or the number of organizations you are a member of or the wideness of your network activity?

Accomplishments or success can have various meaning depending on the person being asked. We all have taken different paths, different directions in our lives. Through the course of things, we have prioritized what is important to us at that time. For some it may be career, for others it may be further studies or building an empire or starting a family.

What is important is that you do not compare your achievements with someone else's unless you want to be miserable all your life. Just remember that this is your life and it is only you who will be accountable for it.

Simply put, "Life is what we make out of it."