Harvest Moon comes and goes

It's the last week of October and just 3 days until the 31st, which is a day that has a different meaning for all.  For most, it is a day of fun and scary costumes with the passing out or collecting of treats.  For some of Mexican descent, it is the Day of the Dead.  Of those with Celt roots, it is the time of Sahaim.  For stores, it marks the start of the holiday shopping.  Shelves are already being moved around to make space for more merchandise.  

I worked retail many, many years ago, so I understand the pressure to make sure a sale is made so the stuff has to be put out early but too many stores were putting out the Christmas stuff right next to the Halloween stuff at about the same time.  I feel insulted for the holiday of Halloween that it couldn't even have a week to itself before Christmas was pushed up front and center.  Poor Thanksgiving may as well be skipped if you went by how much decorations stores use to signify the importance of each holiday. 

I give each day its due respect.  The night will end and the new day will begin in its due time, no sooner or later.  Autumn is ending and winter is coming.  It is time to give thanks to the earth who provides for us, blessings to those who are no longer with us and love to those who are with us everyday.  

  

growing older does not equate growing up great, no matter how bright the star

Child stars are an interesting phenomenon that no one really seems able to comprehend.  They're cute, talented kids but then they grow up and no one quite knows how to handle them.  America wants them to stay the perpetual child but no one wants to stay a kid forever.

There are 3 routes that can be taken.
1. Too much, too fast, not enough parent--The one thing that a parent stresses to a child is that success leads to a fulfilling life so go in order of get an education, get a job and then get married to have kids.  What does one do with his or her life if they become success before they hit puberty?  How does one fulfill their life then?  It's the parent job to instill ethical values to their child because without a direction in life, it leads to boredom and an empty life, which can lead to the drugs, the party and so on.
2.  Too much, too fast, too much parent--It's a parent's job to guide their child, point them in the right direction for success.  In the case of a child star, what if the parent is making all the choices, pushing the child to do things?  As with any kid, whether rich, famous or dirt poor, he or she rebels.  Unfortunately, their meltdowns are public and once again, alcohol, illegal drugs and so on.
3.  Goldilocks area of just enough work for success but enough childhood milestones and caring parents--This area is few and far between but occasionally, the successful transition from child star to success adult happens.

The point of this post?  A person needs goals and values beyond the materialistic point of view.  A child needs to know there is more to life than how much a person makes.

http://wonderwall.msn.com/movies/where-are-they-now-child-stars-16771.gallery

serenity of mind

I once tried to count the stream of thoughts that constantly run through my head.  I actually got up to about 16 and decided to stop as it seems like my brain continues to work on levels that even I'm not completely aware of.  I have scenes of movies or tv shows that constantly play through random scenes, bits of music from different genres that like to make themselves known along with random melodies that  my mind is making it up come out of nowhere.  There are of course random passages from books and stories that like to stream right with the different flashes of stories that I'm personally working on.  I don't even have a number of how many observations I've apparently made of people and their actions and never realized I had paid attention to at all.  That's just the background thoughts.  There's the constant planning of budgeting, to dos, preparations and contingencies.  I've been known to multitask 7 things at a time and not drop the ball of quality at all.

No wonder I'm a pretty severe insomniac.  I can't shut off my brain.  Switch off one thought for it to just be replaced with another and it's a never ending process.  Like any other beast, music seems to tame my mind.  It doesn't turn it off but the right music can speed it up and even slow it down.

Just to share, here's one of my current favs: