A Quote to Share

Today I was stumbling as I often do when I can't think of anything better to do. In other words, I want to write, but lack the motivation. Which happens a lot lately, but I digress. I was stumbling and found this quote by Neil Gaiman that I find myself in almost total agreement with.

“Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up. You build up all these defenses, you build up a whole suit of armor, so that nothing can hurt you, then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life...You give them a piece of you. They didn't ask for it. They did something dumb one day, like kiss you or smile at you, and then your life isn't your own anymore. Love takes hostages. It gets inside you. It eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness, so simple a phrase like 'maybe we should be just friends' turns into a glass splinter working its way into your heart. It hurts. Not just in the imagination. Not just in the mind. It's a soul-hurt, a real gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain. I hate love.”

As someone who tends to keep people at an arms length, I really understand exactly where he is coming from. Once I let someone in I am much more vulnerable than I would ever let on.

It's something to remember. Sometimes, the people you think are the strongest are just the ones that are good at building walls. You may not know those walls are there because they may never show you....and when they hurt, you may never know it either, but that hurt is going to be so much deeper because they're not used to being hurt.

What I disagree with is the "I hate love". I hate what love can do to a person when things go wrong, but love itself is not something to be hated. It's just something to approached ever so cautiously...and the more one is hurt, the more cautiously it is approached.

I Love My Job

I'm always saying that I love my job. If you haven't read that here before then I'll say it again "I love my job".

Part of it is the people I work with. I do have a great set of co-workers for the most part. Part of it is the fact that I get paid decently to do a pretty easy (to me) job. Mostly though, it's those little perks.

Cakes on birthdays, lunch days, flexible time off, RRSP contributions, and time off with pay just because. For example, today is International Womens Day (and the start of Mardi Gras) so all the women got to leave an hour early with pay and go to the bar for a drink on the company's tab. Not too shabby eh?

Things like that actually happen fairly frequently. Not to mention the company christmas and summer parties. All booze provided in seemingly limitless quantities. Yeah, the perks are great.

How often can someone say that they love their job? That they actually like to go to work? There are better paying jobs, there are more interesting jobs, but this company definitely seems to be a "one in a million" kind of deal.

Of course, if you're on a diet, my company is a bad place to work with all the sugary treats that make their way inside! lol

Face the Challenge

for those who know me well, they know a few things about me and religion. I am not exactly a religious person. I don't go to church and I don't often talk about what I believe unless someone asks. I also don't exactly follow the holidays either. Especially ones like Lent.

However, this seems to be a year of me challenging myself. I have a marathon (okay, half marathon), I'm teaching myself to play the ukulele, I'm trying to focus on my writing more (and sadly failing currently) and I am trying to get my life in the right gear.

So when the topic of giving stuff up for Lent came up in the light of Ash Wednesday this week I thought that perhaps another challenge was in order. It appears that I will be giving up all refined sugars between tomorrow and Easter. Thankfully, Easter is the weekend before my birthday so I still get to have my birthday cake!

This is the first time in my almost 30 years that I've actually taken part in Lent. I guess there is a first for everything.

Oh...and as a side note, I have finally purchased my ukulele. I have no idea how long it'll take to get here, but I should have it before the end of the month! Yay!

Congrats

A bouncing baby girl was born today. My best friend's little brother is now a father only months before he gets to become an uncle. Pretty cool, eh? They don't read this blog and I doubt they ever will, but I still send out my congratulations to them.

I don't know if this little girl will know just how much of a positive effect she has had on lives of the people within her family. I sincerely hope that the positive changes, that she has unintentionally brought about by just being, continue to grow and multiply.

And, no, I'm not explaining that last paragraph to you. One, it'll take too long and two, I am in a lot of pain. My wrist is on fire again and I want to stop typing...

.....now.....