an existentialist kid trapped in an adult's body
In the background I hear Elton, "Hold me closer Tiny Dancer..." Outside there's a whole other world of sounds. The loudest is a muffled whirring and whizzing melodic tune that dominates the air and blurs at times...the never-ending swan song of the crumbling Gardiner Expressway. Next, this timely visitor chimes in with its ceremonial bells,... Continue Reading →
It was the last house on the south side of King Street before a little open space and Roncesvalles marking the edge of gentrification. I was so young. So naive. So raw. Things were so big, so full of feeling, so dramatic, so careless. I made mistakes, and learned, and I didn't care if I made another.
Before you say it, please allow me. I broke my promise. The one about me writing something new every Thursday without fail. Well, if you look carefully, you'll notice I skipped a week and today is not a Thursday. So what happened? Why did I stop? The answer is simple. In the words of my... Continue Reading →
Your mind was trained to hold onto things, from simple information like birthdays and common recipes to academic knowledge traditionally retained and ready to activate. We used to be more self sufficient twenty some years ago. We used our brains more twenty odd years ago. We used to remember things better about twenty years ago.
Now we just Google it.
And its got me thinking...are there some negative side-effects to this over-reliance?
Our desire for pleasure and tangible reward leads us to hurt ourselves in a culture that glorifies being overworked. Living in a city like Toronto exacerbates an already high-pressure situation. The cost of living and overall pace of life here can raise the blood pressure of even the healthiest of chakra-aligned yogis. The cost of living goes beyond monetary. Something about the concrete, the sky-scrapers and the noise, it intimidates even the cockiest of bastards...into submission.
When the words just don't come And the blank page stares Ideas frivolous And void of purpose What motivates me now? A promise I made on February 22nd To write every Thursday Without fail So far... Fourteen weeks of success Fourteen weeks with something to say Fourteen weeks is all it took To run my... Continue Reading →
I was born here, in Canada. And I strongly identify as Canadian first, all else second. But I was raised in the most ethnic of ways. No really, I did not grow up white.
For example, I was in ESL until Grade 4. Did I mention I was born here?
In animals it is easy to see how being 'nice' can leave you worse off than your fellow creatures. If you've ever seen a mother dog, cat or pig feeding its babies from its tits, you'll see that sometimes not all the kids fit. I have no clue how many tits they come with, 5 maybe? But when there's more offspring than nipples, there's often a runt in the litter.
If you're reading this, you're lucky. Not because my writing is any good, but because you're here. Here on Earth. And there is nothing more precious. Earlier this week, something tragic happened to a distant friend of mine. Distant enough that we haven't kept in touch. Close enough that the news hurt when I learned... Continue Reading →
I like being a potty mouth. An indulgent tendency that increases exponentially in relation to my boozing. Nevertheless, even in my most ladylike state (a laughable attempt at best), I still love dropping a few F bombs to spice up the words coming out of my mouth. When precisely did my passion for dirty words... Continue Reading →
giselleandbeyond 