About hope, my new job and Obama

It's been a while since I followed CNN, but getting out of your bubble physically (currently in a short trip to Guatemala, writing from the airport), does help realising there's a world outside. So I felt like I should read Obama's inaugural address - you know, to get some ideas since I feel I am as well starting a new era with the change of job (though the same company), the knowledge of being at last the girlfriend of my boyfriend and in general the state of the affairs inside of my head.

I do not have an opinion on Obama but it kinda feels good that somebody who seems to have a brain stepped into the biggest shoes on Earth. His choices might affect my everyday life - that's a fact. So there were three things I'd like to highlight about his speech. He said:

1) Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.

Hard choices, tough decisions, that is what got my attention. Easy decisions can make you sail peacefully towards something that can turn on right or wrong - hey, it is the nicest path, let someone else decide... who will ever take ownership when it involves being also the responsible of a catastrophe?

2) On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear.

So fear leads to anger, anger leads to the dark side. It is not that simple. Recently I was in a period where I was not dreaming (on demand) because I tried to live reality. I have never been sadest in my life. Fear is not only not knowing what lies ahead, but being pretty sure shit has a decent possibility of happening. If a politician relies on hope to motivate his people, why can't I to motivate the hamster in my head?

3) We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

Amen. It is not bad being a child in regards of enjoying life and making friends, but to 'choose our better history' is minding that what you do today does have an effect on the future. Karma, darma, schawarma.

4) Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions -- who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

And he talks about imagination meeting common purpose. I would say common sense though, and imagination comes again with the idea of dreaming.

Let's see. Let's hope. Let's dream.

Today's balance: Thicker skin

So I wanna say thank you, cause it...

Makes me that much stronger
Makes me work a little bit harder
It makes me that much wiser
So thanks for making me a fighter

Made me learn a little bit faster
Made my skin a little bit thicker
Makes me that much smarter
So thanks for making me a fighter

-Christina Aguilera, Fighter

Kiddo

Pues he de decirte que en estos días tan llenos de activo, pasivo, tesorería, gente que aplica, gente que se va, cuentas, números, juntas, cierres... es siempre un placer dejar todo a un lado mientras comemos y hablamos de lo que de verdad importa. 

Quizá no lo sabes todo Kiddo, pero puedo decir que me conoces bien. También me has dejado ver tu vida sin barreras y tenemos planes tan divertidos que ya espero que sea ese día que hemos pospuesto porque la vida, nuestras parejas, la familia... se nos atraviesan. 

Qué fácil era hace unos meses, pero qué feliz es hoy. Gracias por estar. 

And who was the guy wearing Adidas sneakers?

Mexico 1968 - Tommie Smith and John Carlos do the 'black power' salute at the podium. In this Olympics, we've only seen an angry Swedish fighting his personal cause.

So many things happening in the world, so many more who prefer to believe there's nothing to do...

I can stand musicals...

...as long as they don't dance while singing. 

'Across the Universe' was actually pretty okay - the whole dancing in the movie is saved by the bloody-strawberry sequence. Beautiful. And very (berry) red.

The Centre of the Universe (galactic mail quote)

Although we only got to be in the same city for about one year you were in
the very centre of my universe...

-Mike

(Since I tried and failed to locate that universe now, I have a new quantum physics theory: the universe does not expand... it hides.)

Passion. Reloaded.

Why oh why I only have love in me-head these days? Seriously, there are many other worries competing and I spend heaps of time organising finance-geek thoughts, gym sessions thoughts, re-visiting old friends thoughts... then lazy Sunday and I feel like writing on how when you grow up love does as well.

It goes like this - I've been taking one step back in love matters since I started to spend time outside the matrix (and actually by listening to LuiZ on our oh-my-is-it-really-5am? talks).

So the breakthrough is that when you grow old, you don't throw yourself to a feeling with the confidence of when you were 15. Love is dubiously forever. Maybe I'll just try to make this one work. And then you decide which battles to win. All of a sudden you are actually in A relationship again. Call me when you get home. The passion is there, reloaded with cynicism. And so is hope, and good faith. Amazingly enough, the shape of love is of a more permanent nature. It might not make you believe in fairy tales; it makes you believe in you as being lovable - and rather awesome too!

One year ago I was addicted to the rush of falling. The love-orphine has turned now into something that provokes more smiles - the joy of being loved exactly for what you didn't know you were.

Private Perfection

Precisely because I am generally (and not particularly) in love, I think about love. And humanity. Nothing philosophical to brag about-my thoughts are always random, pretty much like hitting the improbability drive before the morning coffee. So if I give my heart to you/I must be sure from the very start/that you would love me more than her...

Well, here's my two cents: what we love about someone is his/her humanity. I do not talk about infatuation or self-marketing, I talk about this kinda feeling that makes you find a comfort zone that you wouldn't abandon. It goes like this: the most painful break-ups are those where your 'checklist' was bigger -for guys the 'bigger' sometimes starts with 'boobs'-. What I mean is that sometimes you find someone 'perfect' for you, not for the universe. His smile, her free-time, his family, her hobbies, his head for foreign languages... And then your 'awesome' list grows and grows without you noticing that you are even starting to love what you cannot stand in anyone else.

Loving the other's humanity is aching with the possibility of not having his/her imperfections around anymore. That's how I found out how hopeless in love I was with a friend. It takes two seconds: in one you realise you are afraid to lose him; during the second you get truly annoyed to figure out life without that hysterical bundle of feelings won't feel the same.

So that's how love starts: with a mix of fear and annoyance. Oh what a night...

I want a movie and I want it now

The Empire Strikes Back

Directed by Irvin Kershner

1980

Ultra-Condensed by Keith Reilly

Luke

I have to go to Dagobah.

Yoda

You have to use the force.

Luke

I have to go to Cloud City.

Darth Vader

You have to go to the dark side.

Luke

No I don't.

Darth Vader

I'm your father.

Luke

No you're not.

Darth Vader

Fine, I'll cut off your hand.

THE END

Pretty much...