In a world with gene editing technology, humanoid robots, opioid epidemics, mass shootings, and lastly, gender neutral bathrooms, one can’t help but wonder if we live in the twilight zone. Is this for real?
What happened to the good old days when real people did their own jobs and men were called men and women called women? Was it so bad that we had to look for even more technology to liberate all and any aspect of human life. What is going on people? What happened to simplicity and living normal lives?
Everywhere you look, someone is trying to outrun or outdo someone or something. Through social media, we do it by either trying to achieve more likes on facebook, twitter, and youtube. Through science, we’ve achieved gene editing technologies and created humanoid robots because we have a need to be more creative because innovation is success, right? Let’s be serious here, to what extent does innovation plan to take us? Where is the human race headed?
Hey, I’m all for vacuum’s and dishwashers and whatnot but once innovation leads us to a world where we can no longer be human, that’s where I’m done with it. After all the ultimate goal is to alter DNA and build more robots because the human race is just not good enough the way it was created, right? Even the concept of man and woman has to be changed to gender neutral because science does not understand why or who created that concept to begin with.
Don’t get me started with the gender neutral bathrooms. Are we so confused that we can no longer identify what gender we are, or do we just want to be given a choice to become whatever we see fit. That does not sit well with me. I do not understand this concept at all. If people choose to believe that they are a different gender, that is their choice but please do not impose those beliefs on everyone else. So by passing laws that mandate gender neutral bathrooms, we are being forced to accommodate those beliefs. What has this world come to?
Am I the only one concerned here people? Do I live in some parallel universe or am I imagining all of this?
On a side note: The saddest part of all is that the whole world is looking to become like us. Third world countries are fighting for liberation from their dictatorship governments and uncivilized lives to become like the west. What exactly is it that seems so attractive? Western civilization has become less human and more scientific in thought, theory and actions and to what extent? In our so-called politically correct world, people have less compassion and more greed. So what exactly is so attractive about our innovation and leading technology, I dare ask.

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed how everything that used to be considered taboo, illegal, unconventional, unusual, morally demeaning, (you pretty much get the idea), is now being highly commended or supported on television.
The bad guy of yesterday is now the hero. The sad part is everyone is cheering for the new day hero without any hesitation. This definitely tells us how the media has so much power over us.
I find it unbelievable how our beliefs can be easily manipulated and/or controlled by the media. Some people might argue that it is merely entertainment and should not have any influence on our ethics. Seriously? Have you not seen the drastic change in this society since the early 1900’s? The only common factor that directly has any influence on society is the media.
It is not to say that this only happens here but everywhere around the globe. Media has changed our lives in a way that we depend on it for everything from fashion to romantic advise to how we treat everyone around us.
Once upon a time we were taught to respect our elders, to be considerate to others and to give to people in need . Now all you see on television is rebellious children acting out and treating their parents as if they had no authority over them whatsoever. Reality shows with famous people who waste money on materialistic things like there is no tomorrow. I mean really, how many shoes do women actually need? More and more shows supporting adultery. What has this world come to?
So am I the only one concerned here or what?

So where do I start….

Yes, it’s been a while since I last posted anything. I’ve started to doubt my ability to write. Well, not the actual writing part but the thought process before the writing. Well duh, it is the creation of words that make the writing. Oh my, sometimes I think I’ve become senile because of the way I talk to myself. That was me talking to myself, btw. 

There are times when I sit and have a complete discussion in my head about random things and my perspective on how said things affect our lives and how I can make an impact by writing about them. Then someone walks into the room and my in-head discussion is cut off.  Then I think, “who am I kidding, I have so much going on, I’ll never find the time to write.” So it’s this endless cycle of yearning accompanied by self doubt that has my brain lacking any enthusiasm whatsoever. I feel like I’m brain-dead sometimes.

One would think that I’m trying to write an essay on the theory of quantum entanglement and not just a simple blog post. The thing is, I don’t want to merely write random posts about the vegetable garden I grow every spring or a new recipe I’m learning. I want to write about issues of greater importance. I’m not trying to belittle anyone else’s writing, this is just my personal preference.

So what’s keeping me you ask. I know this is going to sound strange but the lack of interaction with individuals who can challenge my way of thought is what has my brain cells in a coma. I’m surrounded by people with a different mindset. I know that must sound arrogant but that is the actual truth. It is not a matter of egotism because I never once thought that I was in any way better than anyone else in my life, this is just the environment I’m living in.

Think of it this way. A person who lives in Millville, Tennessee, a rural farming town of 2000 people moves to attend college in a major city. After receiving a Doctorate in Computer Science, said person goes back home due to family circumstances and ends up living there. Now imagine the discussions that go on with this person and members of his/her family, friends, and neighbors. Of course life goes on and this person readjusts to his everyday life in Millville, but envision the poor guy/gal trying to remember a complicated algorithm while he/she is milking a cow, or working the tractor in the fields. Do you follow?

The last paragraph was a hypothetical image for those who couldn’t comprehend the concept of my situation. That’s another thing I do when I want to explain things, I always seem to overdo the explanation process, thinking that others won’t understand. You see how dealing with others who have a different mentality has affected me psychologically. My kids call it the 9/26 syndrome, which is an inside joke.

It may seem like I’m a loner or an introvert but it’s actually the total opposite. I’m a people person. No matter what age, background, religion, or culture you come from, I can totally relate to and befriend anyone I come across. I see people as human beings. Each individual has a history that has shaped them into who they have become. You have to understand a person’s background to understand who they are. Have I not told you about my obsession with psychology.  Don’t even get me started on that. I’ve always been captivated by the study of it. Understanding the human mind and human behavior has long been my passion. I believe that the study of psychology helps us understand our fellow humans. I’ve always loved learning about people from different cultures, even before I was attracted to psychology, which was my main driving force to reading about it.

I believe that is one of the reasons why when I’m sitting within a group, I prefer to sit and analyze everyone rather than join in the everyday conversations of the latest shows or who did what last week. I try to dissect every aspect of each individual and understand their way of thought. I honestly believe that is the best way to understand where everyone is coming from. Especially people from different backgrounds. That is why I know how to approach each person differently. Does that make sense?

So like I said, not having the opportunity to reach my full potential is very frustrating. It gets lonesome at times when you think about what could’ve been. It seems like you’re living someone else’s life. Knowing I have the ability to do more yet I am bound by my circumstances makes me resentful sometimes.

Does it matter that I’m an Arab American Muslim or that my parents come from Yemen? Not really because everyone has a different background but the one thing that unites us as human beings is our every day struggles. But you will obviously put that into consideration because everyone seems to believe that only Arab women are denied their rights to reach any certain potential. Which is totally untrue. I’ve met and heard of women from different cultures and religions who have the very same struggle. It is not a cultural dilemma but a human one at that. It also does not discriminate because even men have these problems.

Another interesting thing is the mainstream public can not relate because in this day and age, the only thing that seems to matter to the new millennium is whatever is happening on TV. People are not as inquisitive as they used to be. It’s like everyone stopped their thinking process and just relies on the media to do it for them.  What’s also funny is how the media preaches about individualism, when in reality it is their goal to change everyone’s mindset into one of a united and very limited mentality. I’m totally off track again. This is a separate discussion for another post…..hopefully. I’m going to keep my hands crossed.

But like I said, life goes on so I try doing whatever I can in the moment to make up for what I can’t. The process can get very exhausting and frustrating most of the time because when I run myself thin trying to reach an unknown goal, It makes me bitter. I’m pretty sure it’s something in my head that tells me that whatever I’m doing is never enough. Yep, I also analyze my own actions too.

One would actually think that I sound depressed and bitter. Which I totally understand because after reading my post, I was a bit concerned too. The truth is, my thoughts are just a simple backdrop of my entire existence. These are thought processes that only strive in my mind. What actually goes on in my everyday life is the opposite. I love my family and my children are my world. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde much? Lets not go that far ; )

So there, this is why I chose to blog in the first place. I can at least discuss issues that are significant to me with people who have gone through the same struggles. You’re probably wondering by now how I got from trying to write a post to the subject of psychology to mainstream media. That’s another thing I do, I get off track once I’m into discussion/writing mode. “Huh…good luck with becoming a writer,” I tell myself.

 

What is it that makes life more enjoyable? Some would say money, others prefer status, being healthy, or maybe even the  freedom to do whatever pleases us. Let’s face it people, when are we going to be satisfied or content with what we already have? We never stop hoping for more, do we? Don’t you realize it yet? Every time we are granted what we wish for, there is always something out of reach.  Is it human nature that makes us this way?
What do we call the lack of satisfaction, is it greed or higher ambition. Although ambition does not really fit this particular issue, we’ll use it for now. This is just my way of making myself feel better because this is not a general topic, this is something personal but generalizing does make me feel less alone.
This subject has always confused me in a way. I try so hard to feel content about my life but there is always a void that cannot be filled. As a Muslim, I acknowledge that this is from shay tan(Satan), the feeling of discontent.  I used to think it was because I didn’t achieve the goals that I planned for. That was back in the day when I used to plan things. You know the saying, “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him about your plans”? Unfortunately, I figured that out late in life, the fact that God’s plans are above all.
I feel like there is more that I need  to accomplish in life, yet I lack the ability to do so. I am open-minded, I know what I want and I have the power to write. In fact, writing is my way of making up for what I lack in life, but sometimes I feel like my brain has accumulated cobwebs. There is so much that I want to talk about, yet nobody is interested.
Most women I know want to talk about clothes, handbags, and shoes.  I want to discuss religion, politics, global warming, different cultures and traditions and how they affect humanity, the relevance of education, and all that interesting stuff. Now you see how confusing this is? I feel like I have to alter my intellect just to fit in my environment. Is it a curse to have a passion for higher intelligence? Maybe this is why I don’t feel content. I don’t feel any relevance in what I’m doing. I cook, I clean, I care for my children.  Although I do realize that having to care for a child with CP is challenging enough, yet I still feel that there is more to accomplish. For now, I’ll just stick to writing.
One thing that I’ve always wanted to do is have a part in spreading the faith of Islam. Islam is the most significant aspect in my life that keeps me going, in addition to my children that is. I believe that in order for a person to represent a certain faith, one most have the proper education or at the least, proper knowledge of that faith. I know the basics about Islam, as most Muslims do. What I dream of is a higher education that will allow me to spread my knowledge with confidence.
If there is one thing that I’ve learned, it’s that speaking with confidence is a very powerful tool in influencing those around you. I read a lot of books, watched videos, and listened to lectures about Islam. One thing I know for sure is, I don’t want to be one of those people who lacks clarity in a very significant topic.
I should not allow my lack of education to deter me from spreading what I already know about Islam, but that is just me, there is no grey in my world. You either do it right or don’t do it at all. Does that mean I have to throw the “open-mindedness” out the window? You think? Limiting myself much? Did I mention how complicated I am.

By now your thinking, “this is so self explanatory, how could she not see it.”

A majority of what I write is about life in general and sometimes
I write about my perspective regarding religion. As a Muslim, I learn
new things every day about my religion. Actually, the right word is
relearn. I love everything about Islam but sometimes I need a
reminder of my priorities as a practicing Muslim.
You’re probably wondering why I would need a reminder.
Well you see, life is a very complicated and complex journey.
Sometimes we humans can go astray (yes, I know there  is a very
broad definition to what going astray may mean, but in this case
I mean religion wise) because of our imperfections. We are created
that way, to make mistakes every now and then. Whether we learn
from our mistakes or not is optional since some of us are not too
bright. (Yeah, I like to crack jokes too). So every once in a while
we need reminders of our priorities in life.
You might even ask why religious people lose their righteous
path. What.. you think that people with religion have an armor
that protects them from an impure and contaminated world.
Well, think again, we are just as weak and vulnerable as
everyone else. We go through life challenges and tragedies
which consume us to the point of weakness and vulnerability.
The only difference is religion helps us heal and persevere.
It reminds us of why we are here.  It keeps us strong in our faith.
Because it is exactly that, FAITH.  We have faith in God…Who created
us for a purpose, to worship Him.
I believe that the most significant way to keep faith strong is in unity.
I’ve realized that when I am in a group discussing religion I feel
empowered by the strength the union creates within us. I suppose
that is why every religion has a place (mosque, church, or temple)
where groups unite to worship Allah (God).
I know it to be true that when I don’t discuss or read about my
religion for a long period of time, I tend to forget my religious
commitments and I start to indulge in temptation. Does that
make a bad Muslim, I don’t think so. It just shows that I’m human.
You know the rule that says the first thing a person needs to do to
change is to admit their flaws or insecurities,  that’s what keeps me
humble, acknowledging my flaws.
Humans were not created to be perfect, we were created to worship
Allah and to “learn” how to be better humans. It is a daily struggle to
fight temptation and better ourselves as humans because we have a
very strong adversary (shaytan) whose main goal in life is to distract
us from worshipping God, therefore leading us to evil.
Like I said, life is complicated and complex and the only way you can
survive successfully is with a manual (Quran) created by the only One
who knows everything there is to know about this world, our Creator,
Allah (God).
Of course I know there are a lot of people who believe that our entire
human exists began by chance because that makes sense, right? NOOOOOO!
Seriously though, how does a world of total complexity create itself. Do you
seriously believe that spontaneous production of a living organism is possible.
How does a living cell just pop out of nowhere and start reproducing other cells.
Nobody can even prove that. Which is why “the theory of evolution” is just that,
a THEORY. Of course scientist will argue that the common folk like myself couldn’t
understand scientific theory because we lack education or knowledge. You
only need common sense to realize that every living thing on this earth
cannot exist and continue to exist due to chance. If this was the case, why
can’t these scientist create one of the simplest creations on earth? They do
make it seem so simple. Oh yeah, they are waiting on another spontaneous
self-creating process to help them prove their theory. Another thing, even if the
evolution of a certain species is proven, how does that clarify how human existence
began?

For those of you who are like me, clueless to evolution,

see picture above, that surely explains everything.
Was that totally off topic? You think?

I read a post about mesothelioma and I wanted to share it with everyone. This is a post about Heather’s experience with mesothelioma.

Heather’s Story>

 

I spend a lot of time thinking. I think about my past, present, and my future.  Most of the time, I dwell on the fear of not being a good enough care taker for my daughter who has cerebral palsy. I know for a fact that I will never be able to make her life any more comfortable because I have done everything in my power to try to make her as comfortable as possible, considering her condition. I make her happy by giving her the best gift I can, love.

I guess, as any parent does, I tend to blame myself for her condition. I think back on the things I could’ve done to avoid what happened to her. Which in retrospect is basically impossible. There is nothing that I could’ve done to change her condition. Nonetheless, that doesn’t change my constant feeling of guilt. 

These feelings consume a major part of my life. There are so many things I wish I could change to accommodate her needs. Things I have no control over. When these thoughts get the better of me, I pray and ask Allah (God) for guidance, because I know deep down that I have this responsibility for a reason. I also know that Allah has a plan for me. Someone once told me “God only bestows the greatest responsibilities upon the strongest of his worshippers”.

So whenever I’m feeling bad about my situation I know that at the end of the day, I have done everything there is possible to make my child happy. Which is basically the most important gift you can give to your loved ones. I am not here to find a cure for her sickness. Nor am I here to change her condition. I am here to love and support her and make her as happy as I can. Knowing that helps me wake up every morning with the strength to keep doing what I’m doing for her.

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 5,600 times in 2013. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 5 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Do you ever stop to think about the things in life that make us happy.  Are the tangible and materialistic aspects of life more important to us or are the  psychological and more sentimental things what we appreciate more .
First of all, being happy and content all the time is somewhat unachievable if you ask me. Not trying to be pessimistic here, but seriously, there is no such thing. That is why we struggle throughout our lives. That is what makes life worth living, the struggle.
Secondly, depending on who you speak to, every individual has a different perspective on how to achieve happiness and whether it comes from a materialistic or psychological point of view.
One thing for sure is, every time we reach a certain goal, we are never content. There is always something missing. This is definitely the case when it comes to materialistic achievements. There will always  be space for more.  We are humans, right? It is in our nature.
On the other hand, sentimental goals seem a bit more simple. After all, all we want in life is love. To be loved by our families, our spouses, our children and our friends. That doesn’t seem like much to ask for, does it? What is so hard about loving the people you care about.
The problem is, even though love seems like such an easy achievement, conflict is what complicates it. Conflict is always there lurking, finding a way into our lives, building walls between us and our loved ones. Which means that achieving loving relationships is not necessarily the ultimate goal here. Maintaining those relationships is what is required for us to achieve the ” perfect and happy life”, I’m playing along here.

So in the end, whether our goal is materialistic or sentimental, there is always something keeping us from achieving total happiness. This is the way of life. What is the solution? You just need to understand how to live accordingly with what you have. All our obstacles come from our psyche. This does not mean that it is simple to program our minds into believing that we can overcome every negative aspect that we come by. It simply means that we need to be patient and humble in our quest for a simpler, less complicated life.

One does not need to achieve every possible aspect in life that they believe will make them happier, but instead should  love  and appreciate what he/she already has. Always putting into perspective  those who are less privileged will also help you appreciate what you have.

One more very crucial fact is that you will need to open your mind and accept that not everyone is open to simplicity and humility. In this day and age, most people seem to believe that these characteristics are only for those who are week, which is definitely not the case.

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 12,000 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 20 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.