Blog Archives
The Small Things
Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/royblumenthal/3297359139/
Author: Roy Blumenthal
Dear Readers,
We all have a lot going on in our lives that tend to occupy our minds and worry us more than we should allow. There are times when I am so focused on a project that I find it very hard to sit still or focus on something else without feeling guilt or anxiety. The little or big things that go on in our worlds tend to make us oblivious to the larger world that we live in. Your neighbor, a store clerk, a customer, a teacher, a co-worker, or whomever may not know what you’re going through, but even so, they are still in this world with you and may be going through the same problems that are probably even greater than yours. I believe that everyone could use a blessing, a good cheer, or something to make their day and perhaps, lives, a little brighter.
When I was senior in high school, my dance teacher took some of my classmates and me to a very expensive restaurant to celebrate our graduation. Little did we know that the gentleman who was dining alone across from us overheard our conversations and generously decided to pay for all six or seven of our meals. This was of course a wonderful surprise, but I’m talking about making a difference in someone’s day by doing the seemingly small and insignificant things that really matter:
- Looking someone in the eye and giving them a genuine greeting and genuinely wishing them a good day.
- Putting back unwanted store merchandise in the correct location.
- Stopping your car to allow a waiting driver to pull in front of you.
- Greeting people who you normally don’t notice or speak to.
I know these may seem meaningless or senseless to some, but from being on both sides of each scenario, I can tell you they make a difference. From the sudden gleam in a janitor’s eyes to the feeling of relief that someone cares, I can tell you that it’s worth it. So please, stop and see someone today and try to do so everyday.
Peace and Love,
Ariffa
Something is Enough
“This image was originally posted to Flickr by Trocaire at http://flickr.com/photos/8485582@N07/10882117144. It was reviewed on 16 November 2013 by the FlickreviewR robot and was confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the cc-by-2.0.”-Wikipedia Commons
Dear Readers,
There are and have been so many disasters in the world. And for some particular reason, my heart especially aches worse for those affected by Typhoon Haiyan — in the Phillippines and around the world. Lately, I cannot seem to shake the feeling that people seem to be ignoring the suffering of the world or have forgotten about it already. Now of course the media has a significant impact. Even so…
My own theory is that many of us feel that there is nothing we can do for those suffering in the world. Some may feel like they don’t have the money or time to contribute, and therefore they shut themselves off to the pain of what’s happening around them. I can understand that, and to those people I say Something is Enough. Prayer is enough. A thought of well being for others is enough. And if you want to take it a step further, do something in honor of those in need. Donate blood. Donate clothes and food. It can even be something as simple as giving someone a smile or a genuine, heart-felt wish for a good day. I believe that God placed us on this Earth to be of help to someone, no matter how far or near they may be. The greatness of our lives is reflected in how we devote it to others. So for today, for tomorrow, and the days to come, pray for someone, smile at someone, do something in honor of someone. And please don’t ever forget. As an author, my goal is to inspire you and touch your hearts and minds, make you see something different. And I hope these words have touched you.
Peace and Love,
Ariffa
You and The Characters of Kingdom of the Sun
Hi Everyone,
In Tuesday’s blog post I discussed the similarities that many of us share in terms of situations, difficulties, and even personalities. I briefly touched on how an author’s ability to create personable and relatable characters is key to making readers emotionally and mentally connected with a book. This is something that I enjoyed doing very much with Kingdom of the Sun, and I was asked a great question by Sarah at childrencount.wordpress.com about what the characters of my book are like. So, I have decided to provide a list of the main characters of Kingdom of the Sun for you.
Because I tried to create each character to reflect experiences you’ve had or heard and/or personalities you know or have, I decided to do this list in a unique way. Instead of listing each character’s traits like prideful, witty, etc., I will describe them in accordance to the type of person they are and represent. Their specific traits and qualities are things that I want you (the readers) to decide for yourselves.
Helena: The protagonist of the story who views the situation of the kingdom and her societal position as unfavorable. She represents someone who sees themselves as having more value than how they are treated. Helena also represents the person who harbors the desire and thirst for change.
Sadine: She is the close friend of Helena who represents a good-natured, hard-worker who wants nothing more than to please her superiors and remain in good standing with them. This desire leads to her inability to see Helena’s frustrations and the kingdom’s real issues.
Aria: The nine-year-old son of Sadine. Aria’s level of understanding and maturity makes him a very close friend and ally of Helena whom he adores.
Queen Delilah Nightfall: Successor of Queen Daisy who desires power and respect but cannot seem to gain or earn it. Queen Delilah represents the person who sees themselves above others and yet lives off of praise and acceptance. She also stands for the person who received their societal position by means other than hard work.
Queen Daisy Dimday: The predecessor of Queen Delilah who achieved her societal status by outward appearances and masks. She is someone who thrives off of attention and will do anything to maintain her masks. As Helena states in the book, “Daisy and Delilah were quite different. However they were very much the same queen.”
The Scholars of Sooryan represent who educators are and should be.
Scholar Abel Godfrey: Scholar Godfrey represents the person who is always our greatest ally and friend when it comes to truly understanding how we think and feel. He stands for the educator and person that brings out the best that each of us has to offer.
Scholar Aiden Jenson: The assistant of the kingdom’s Royals who represents the person who does their job simply because they have to, love it or hate it—no questions asked.
Scholar Johnny Doane: The witty, flirty Scholar who brings smiles and still knows how to be serious when the time is right.
Scholar Mandela Lani: Scholar Lani represents the very strict educator who loves order and does not like to be challenged.
Scholar Cynthia Baxtor: The motherly figure of the story who is beautiful inside as she is outside.
Scholar Molli Martin: This Scholar represents the person who is fearful of speaking and showing their true opinion and feelings, the one who lets others do the talking for them.
Scholar Gerald Ramsey: Scholar Ramsey represents the person that always has your back. He is also a reminder of how one’s outer shell doesn’t necessarily represent who they are on the inside.
Other Scholars:
Scholar Hinatea Shaw
Scholar Leana Crossli
Scholar Jameson Radcliffe
Scholar Howie Griffin
Scholar Ken Himora
Scholar Nora Livingstone
So, that’s about all of Kingdom of the Sun’s characters. I hope that you’ll find some of whom you can relate to or “know.” I absolutely cannot wait to have this book published! You can actually read the synopsis here. When you read the book itself, I’d love to hear your own ideas and analysis of these characters.
Thank you, Sarah, for your awesome question, and I of course welcome them to any of you who have any.
Peace and love,
Ariffa
We’re All The Same And Yet…
Hi Everyone,
Throughout my life, I have listened to people who told me stories about someone they know or someone they used to know. And as I listened to these stories, I was reminded that though it may not seem like it, we are all similar in that many of us go through the exact same things. We face the same struggles, the same difficulties, the same happiness, and we meet and deal with people who eerily have similar personalities to someone else. Isn’t it amazing how someone may be describing a a situation or a person, and you find yourself picturing another scenario or individual that you were reminded of, leading you to nod or smile in complete understanding? This is something that I thought about a lot when I created the characters for Kingdom of the Sun. Although each one is different and unique, I enjoyed being able to craft each character so that you (the readers) can understand them. I wanted each character to be personal in that each of you would feel, picture, and relate them to yourself or someone you know or have known. The ability for an author to do this is the key to making readers emotionally and mentally attached to a book. I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I remember finishing some novels and feeling a sense of loss and melancholy that my time spent with the characters was over.
And as similar as we all may be, we are so different in many ways. Now of course this is a good thing because individuality would not exist. Yet, more importantly, if we did not have our differences, then there would be no such thing as acceptance, compassion, mercy, empathy, and more. Instead of tearing us apart, our differences, like our similarities, should bring us together and bring out the best of us.
Peace and Love,
Ariffa
Do Not Forget
Hi Everyone,
This past week, I have read some blog posts that really reached out and touched me. That is because they reminded me of these important things:
No matter how much money you have or what job you do, our purpose in life is to help one another. From something as small as a smile, to something as quiet as a prayer, to something as big as a hug, we are not alone on this Earth because we’re supposed to act like we are. We are all together in this world to serve one another. That is a direct reflection of spiritual, Godly beliefs and His light. It is a direct reflection of who we are as a person. Do not forget this. And do not forget these quotes:
May you cultivate a servant’s heart so that if wealth comes your way…you will be generous to those in need. -Bill Tonnis, http://billtonnismusic.wordpress.com/2013/08/20/enter-the-kingdom/
Humility does not mean you think less of yourself –it means you think of yourself less. -Ken Blanchard
And finally, I will leave you all today with this amazing, beautiful story of kindness and compassion from Quotes Via Text’s blog:
One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, “Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd.” I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.
As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. My heart wen out to him. So, I jogged over to him and as he crawled around looking for his glasses, I saw a tear in his eye.
As I handed him his glasses, I said “Those guys are jerks. They really should get lives.” He looked at me and said, “Hey, thanks!” There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude. I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to a private school before now. I would have never hung out with a private school kid before. We talked all the way home, and I carried his books. He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play football on Saturday with me and my friends. He said yes. We hung all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.
Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again. I stopped him and said, “Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!” He just laughed and handed me half the books. Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends. When we were seniors, we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown, and I was going to Duke. I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem. He was going to be a doctor, and I was going for business on a football scholarship.
Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about being nerd. He had to prepare a speech for graduation. I was so glad it wasn’t me having to get up there and speak.
Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him. Boy, sometimes I was jealous. Today was one of those days. I could see that he was nervous about his speech. So, I smacked him on the back and said, “Hey, big guy, you’ll be great!” He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled. “Thanks,” he said.
As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began. “Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach, but mostly your friends. I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. I am going to tell you a story.”
I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn’t have to do it later and was carrying all his stuff home. He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile. “Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable.” I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile. Not until that moment did I realize it’s depth.
Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person’s life. For better or for worse.
http://quotesviatext.wordpress.com/2013/08/21/story/
Peace and Love Everyone
Ariffa
In Honor Of…
Dear Readers,
I’ve been feeling a bit down lately, so to cheer myself up, and perhaps some of you as well, I have decided to write today’s post about compassion. It’s actually a repost from when I first started blogging, but its meaning is the same, nonetheless:
I sometimes get the feeling that we as a society are afraid feel and let others see our emotion and compassion. And sometimes we can just be flat out cold. I’m sure some of you have seen the show “What Would You Do?,” well this is a story from a first hand experience. I used to live in New York City (NYC), and as most know, NYC has thousands of homeless on the streets and in the subway trains. Sometimes that person is not homeless, but a severely disabled or scarred member of society that needs some change for surgery or what not. More often than not, these people are asking for money and food. As a child, you learn to adapt to your surroundings and you observe and blend into what is “normal.” Therefore as a child, I thought it was completely normal to ignore a person in need and pretend that they are not literally standing in front of you asking for help.
I moved away from the city when I was ten, and it wasn’t until I was an adult that I rode the subways and walked the streets of NYC again (I was visiting family). I cannot describe the immense pain and heartache I felt. The majority of that emotion was not only because the person was disabled or homeless. It was because 1) That person was being ignored by a train full of people or by hundreds of passerby and 2) I could not imagine how that person themselves felt to hear complete silence or no movement of help towards them when they ask for it (not to say that there weren’t some noble souls). Whenever I could, I gave to those on the subway some money and offered a prayer of blessing to those on the street and to those I did not have cash for. Like most, I sometimes wondered if they would actually use that money for good, and you know what I thought to myself? I say “it’s on them.” It’s on their soul if they decide to take advantage of person when he/she is doing something that they see right. I say to myself “don’t worry what others think, or what that person may do with the money. You’re doing what you think and feel is right.” I sometimes feel like we use the “they’ll use it for alcohol” excuse because we are afraid to show compassion for fear of being looked at as weak or foolish. If something is the right thing to do and it feels good, why not do it?
What is ironic about this topic is that emotion is treated completely differently when it comes to the media. Although it is their job to tell the news (and stretch the truth), the media tends to focus much too much on drama, and it is at times ridiculous and even offense. I will never forget when Steve Irwin died and the media asked his beautiful daughter, Bindi what she thought Steve would be saying to her at that time. Can you get any more invasive that? And with a child? Bindi smartly responded (and I’m sure her mother wisely prepared her for this intrusion) that the answer to that question was private. When the media was interviewing survivors after the 2011 tsunami in Japan some of the first words that they used to describe a man was “he looked like he’s been crying for days.” Then there was the question of “I know it’s hard on you, but can you describe how you’re feeling right now?” In tragedies of the past and tragedies of today this stupid question has never failed to be asked. We as viewers see the damage, destruction and the same horrific and saddened faces of people who have suffered because the media shows them over and over. We do not need to know how they feel because we can see it.
Good deeds of course happen everyday, and sometimes the media does capture it. I’m sure that most have heard the story about a cop buying and giving boots to a homeless man. Although it is great to hear good news often, I sometimes wonder why this has to be news in general. Then I remember my past experiences and realize that it is quite rare to see something like this happen. This is a good thing, and yet it is a reminder of something sad. With that being said, good deeds should be done in the shadows (when it can be helped of course). And whether we feel brave enough to do it in the open or do it when no one is looking, we can sometimes feel helpless, which can make us not help at all. We can feel helpless because we may feel like we are not able to effectively reach those in need whether they are near or far away (so we can therefore feel like our help has no impact), or because we simply don’t carry cash to give to those in need (I rarely carry cash). And to that I say “in honor of.” What I mean is, if you feel like you cannot help someone for whatever reason, do something in honor of them. For example, you can donate clothes in honor of those in natural disasters who lost everything. You can donate blood in honor of those who lost their lives. “In honor of” can also simply be giving someone a thought or prayer of hope and well-being. Even if you have the money in your pocket to give to those in need, just giving them a simple blessing from the heart is doing something. Do Something. I promise it will make you feel good and perhaps make you a little happier.
I hope today’s post has reached you. Let it light a flame inside of you.
Peace and Love,
Ariffa
Kingdom of the Sun Theme: Seeing
Dear Readers:
What does it mean to see someone? The line of “I see you,” was used very often in the movie Avatar, and it means just that: I see you, I acknowledge you, I feel you, I hear you, I see you.
Seeing and one’s inability and unwillingness to see is such a significant theme in Kingdom of the Sun (coming soon). Being unseen is something that I have dealt with for all my life, and many of you deal with the same in several ways. The way that I would like to talk about pertains to age.
When we think of age, and the stereotypes that come with it, we often think of senior citizens. However, how often do we associate these stereotypes with the younger generation? Growing up, I never “acted my age,” and because of that, my face, words, and body language reflected such. To those who did not know me, I was always mistaken for being at least 5-10 years older than I actually was. And as you can imagine, I was placed in many awkward and embarrassing situations. And although it was annoying at times, it felt good to be acknowledged as someone I felt on the inside as opposed to a number. However, there were many times when those who did not know me assumed that I partied, drank, was addicted to social media, and had no plans for my future.
To many of those who did “know” me, I was looked down upon and still judged. I cannot tell you the amount of times that I was called a “kid” and a “child,” or the number of times when I was told “kids your age should be…” or that I was boring for refusing to go out to clubs or stay out until 3 in the morning. The most painful was having to literally sit in front of “superiors” and older colleagues and be ignored, not spoken to, and not even looked at because my words meant nothing. And when a rare opportunity was given for those words to be spoken, my listeners’ eyes would gloss over or I would be asked a question that I only just answered when I had spoken.
There is something called the Role Theory in which people behave the way society expects them to behave. Think about for a moment…
I firmly believe that 70% to 80% of the youth that does ridiculous, outrageous, and stupid things are because society and media portrays and expects them to. They therefore believe the behavior to be okay in thinking that it’s the norm. This Role Theory can of course be applied to many other types of groups…What would happen if society were to be more supportive and encouraging of these groups? What if the movies and news stations were to remove these groups from their stereotypical roles and place them into something different? What if people no longer allowed themselves to be fed garbage and propaganda and instead think for themselves to see, truly see. Focusing more on age, for the honor and respect of not only the other person but yourself, see people for who they are.
As I say in my book’s dedication, Kingdom of the Sun is “For anyone who has been subject to the constraints, stereotypes, blindness, and contradictions of society.”
And as the character Helena states “I believe that to judge another by age is to lack the wisdom and respect that seemingly comes with it and the gain of foolishness in its stead.”
Peace and Love,
Ariffa
“It’s Not That Easy”
(Photo Credit: Wikipedia Commons)
Dear Readers,
Do you remember the show called Meet the Natives? It aired in 2009 on the Travel channel, and it was about a group of men from the island of Tanna in the South Pacific. The cameras followed them as they made trips to various areas of the world and experienced things that they never would have if they stayed in Tanna. Examples being riding a roller coaster, going to a national park, etc, etc.
One moment that stood out to me the most was when the men took a trip to New York city’s Central Park. While exploring the park, the men came across a homeless man sleeping on a bench. They could not comprehend why this man was sleeping in the cold when there were so many buildings and homes surrounding them. They also could not comprehend why other people were ignoring this man and not doing anything to help him. Now, I haven’t seen all of the Meet the Natives episodes, but this was the first and only time that I had seen them visually upset and angry. One of them said “I can see that there are many buildings in New York, how is it possible for a man to sleep in the street?” Another Tribesman tried to provide an explanation for this sad situation in saying, “It is clear that nobody loves him. That’s why he is sleeping out in the cold.”
And so, I ask, should there be an excuse for homelessness? Whatever the reason be for the man’s situation, should we accept it because he lost his job or was on drugs? Is that what someone or anyone should deserve? It’s interesting because we tend to think and accept things as the norm until an outsider comes along and opens our eyes. The Tanna men’s concept was so simple: brotherly love and camaraderie. But sadly, so sadly, it is not so simple in this world.
“It’s not so simple,” “It’s not that easy.” I unfortunately hear these words a lot. I tend to ask a lot of questions that have seemingly easy answers and solutions such as: why is that several countries have free healthcare and we don’t? Why is that Japan recycles all of their waste, yet we have disgusting mounds of garbage on the Earth? Why is that commercials and schools preach that going to college will guarantee one a great career, yet those “great careers” never come for most, and those “careers” end up being extremely low-paying jobs for many. I can go on and on. And I can keep asking “why?” But though the solutions may be simple, it will more often than not, tie back to whether or not it will be an inconvenience for someone or if it will mean less money in someone’s pocket. And it is because of these things that life is not as simple as it used to be. It is because of these things that life is not as simple as it should be. So let me ask you: Do you accept it?
“Everyone is the same, and no one is homeless”- A Tanna Tribesman
Peace and Love
Talk of Weather
(Photo Credit: Wikipedia Commons)
Dear Readers,
Ah, the topic of weather. Do you realize how much the discussion of this topic is part of our daily lives? I don’t mean in terms of making plans or wearing clothes in accordance with the weather. I’m talking about it in terms of how it is used as a means of connection and communication. Whether (no pun intended) it be at the bank, grocery store, or park, the talk of weather is almost always the first, if not only, topic that is discussed. This happens so often, so on point, and so expected that I sometimes have to stifle a chuckle when I overhear it being talked about or when someone discusses it with me.
So, now I ask “why?” Why isn’t the talk of weather replaced with sports, politics, etc.? Of course these other topics are discussed, but I seriously believe the weather to be the number one subject discussed among strangers. I think it is because weather is something that everyone can agree on, relate to, connect with, and understand. Think about it: We all live under the same sky. We are all affected by this Godly, almost magical phenomenon called weather. Isn’t it interesting how something that influences our lives in so many ways is something that can bring us all together, even for one moment? As far as I know, people aren’t killing each other over disagreements on why the sky is blue and if there is really a pot of gold at the end of rainbows. Because of this, the subject of weather also signifies safety. I will say that it can get redundant at times. I love to talk about sports, but I cannot stand talking about politics, and I still remember giving my 12th grade history teacher the death stare whenever he discussed it. But if it means interacting with someone and connecting with them in some small way for a brief moment, the topic of weather is fine with me.
Peace and Love
