Secret Sunday

We've had a nice relaxing day after our Christmas party last night, everyone had a good time but it's been a welcome break getting caught up on some writing.

It's time for the 50th round of Secret Sunday, a chance to share secrets and/or fantasies you've been keeping to yourself. Some are uplifting, some are heartbreaking and some are just plain naughty. All are valid.

Here's how it works:

1) This is open to anyone who wants to participate, from regular follower to casual visitor.

2) If this is something you'd like to run on your blog please feel free.

As always if there's anything you want to share, I'm listening...

Thankfulness

I give thanks my love

For the space to breathe,

For allowing my curiosities

Free reign to find treasure

In that which most would deem mundane.

I give thanks my love

For shared days and nights,

Summer rays

Warm blankets through winter's chill,

Rainstorms

Music

Strolls through Autumn's leaf-strewn streets.

I'm thankful for the comfort of family

To love and be loved in return,

For strangers who become friends

Friends who become closer

Through late-night conversation,

Grateful

For a chance to somehow help it all make sense.

I give thanks for acceptance and non-judgement

For eyes that see truth but still find beauty,

For passion

Desire

Warm oatmeal and hot tea

Children's laughter

Memories,

Secrets

Trust.

And you.

To all of my friends in the US, A very Happy Thanksgiving. ♥

Secret Sunday

"disturbed synapses" by waugh

Hey everyone time for the forty-ninth round of Secret Sunday, a chance to share secrets and/or fantasies you've been keeping to yourself. Some are uplifting, some are heartbreaking and some are just plain naughty. All are valid.

Here's how it works:

1) This is open to anyone who wants to participate, from regular follower to casual visitor.

2) If this is something you'd like to run on your blog please feel free.

As always if there's anything you want to share, I'm listening...

Keeping It Real

“People are screwed up in this world. I'd rather be with someone screwed up and open about it than somebody perfect and ready to explode.”

~ Ned Vizzini, It's Kind of a Funny Story

This is exactly how I feel!

What Is There To Love About Fall?

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   You'd think after being off work sick all day I'd have felt like putting aside a few minutes somewhere to write this post. Yet here I sit at 9:00 at night putting this together.

   So here it is...

   I hate Fall.

  The main reason I hate it is because I love summer too much and Fall brings an end to it. No more blissfully warm temperatures, no more days by the pool. Tanned bodies on the girls and boys of summer are once again wrapped in heavy clothing and packed away for another year. No more muscle cars cruising the strip. It's all quite sad really.

  But since there's no getting away from it I've decided there must be some things I like about Fall. So I made a list.

• the smell of a wood burning fireplace (this is definitely one of my favourite things about this time of year)...

• the spectacular show of colour in the vibrant yellow, orange and red leaves...

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• the sound of those leaves rustling as we walk around the neighbourhood...

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• coming in from the chill and sitting down to a cup of hot chocolate. Preferably with those tiny marshmallows...

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• the smell of Autumn in the air...

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• no more mosquitos...

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and finally...

• no more worrying about getting sunburned.

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   What's your favourite part of Fall?

Secret Sunday

Hey everyone, time for the forty-eighth round of Secret Sunday, a chance to share secrets and/or fantasies you've been keeping to yourself. Some are uplifting, some are heartbreaking and some are just plain naughty. All are valid.

Here's how it works:

1) This is open to anyone who wants to participate, from regular follower to casual visitor.

2) If this is something you'd like to run on your blog please feel free.

As always if there's anything you want to share, I'm listening...

100 Countries

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With the addition of Bermuda to the list, Life In Quotations has now been read in 100 countries. As my readership grows I'm becoming increasingly interested in what you guys would like to see here. I'm open to ideas so if you've got any let's hear 'em! And as always, thanks for reading me.

A Greater Understanding- Virginity

credit: DeviantArt

This is the latest in my "Greater Understanding" series, in which instead of taking a topic from a textbook I present real people's experiences in their own words. I had been speaking with a friend of mine about sex recently when I realized her views might be something you might find interesting...

 "I was asked to write about what it means to me to be a virgin. Barry, I guess, gave me free reins on this question. So I will attempt to not ramble on aimlessly.

  What does my virginity mean to me? It means a lot to me and yet it means nothing. It’s one of my greatest tests of will, strength and even pride, yet one of my greatest insecurities. I like to put on a show that I don’t care, that this piece of tissue that was once used to ensure that the purchase of a wife was securely made, that the semen that entered her body was his alone, and the offspring that came of that union could only be his and no others, is something I care little about. But I think I’ve been putting on a guarded exterior to keep the world from knowing that I do care and that this is a piece of myself that I have chosen not to take lightly.

  I used to hate telling people, and to be honest still sometimes do. I’m involved in several organizations that revolve around violence against women, where we talk about what it means to be sex positive. People always assume being sex positive means being kinky and pro-sex work and being accepting of all different sexual interests. But I find that they consistently forget that being sex positive also means that it’s ok to make the choice not to have sex till you’re ready. That’s where I fall, in this grey zone where I’m choosing to remain a virgin, not for religious reasons, or to conform to societal norms but because I love myself enough to not have sex before I’m ready.

  In my younger more naïve days I most definitely thought that I was saving myself for marriage. But as time passed, it no longer felt like it was enough to save myself for an imaginary man that may one day sweep me off my feet and marry me. As I developed, and learned more about my personal views about the world, being a virgin became a political symbol. I found myself getting sick of the notion of waiting for marriage, of waiting for a man; a man who would maybe possibly, hopefully, someday find me, a perfect man who’s been waiting for me to give myself to him. I’m 26 and though I am still a virgin I’m no longer waiting for a man. Why should I save myself simply because societal norms dictate such notions? What is marriage but a contract binding two people together for as long as they choose. Marriage is a symbol, just as virginity has become.

  There was a point in time where marriage was nothing more than a property transaction. Where the man bought himself a wife, to take care of the household and of course produce an heir. It was required that she was purchased as a virgin, he needed to take note of the virginal blood to ensure that he made a sound purchase. She was a piece of property, she belonged to him, her body was his and any product of that union absolutely had to belong to no other man. It was the only way he could ensure paternity of any child born within the marriage. Those were the origins of women saving themselves for marriage. As soon as that concept came to play in my mind I knew I could never save myself for another human being, whether it be a man, a woman or anything in between. (I should probably add this caveat….for those who have saved themselves for marriage I see nothing wrong with that, these are simply my views on my body).

  So what am I saving myself for? I’m saving myself for….myself. I’m saving myself for that moment in life where I go, you know what? You’re ready. Is it still about the other person? I can’t say it’s not at all about the individual I choose to sleep with but all I know I that the weight won’t be on him but on me. On feeling like I love myself enough to give away something I hold precious. The only requirement I have of him is that he has to be worthy of my body, my soul, my heart. I hope that whenever I lose my virginity that just happens organically, like I’m naturally supposed to move in that direction. I don’t hope for candles and rose petals, just myself and that other person, ready to take another step into life. Maybe this will be the person I spend the rest of my life with, maybe it won't. I don’t know, but what I do know is that it won’t matter because it won't be about forever, it will be about how I feel about that person and how I feel about myself in that moment. What I want to remember years from that day is…it just happened and it was great."


 Thanks L. for contributing. Your words, as always, are appreciated. :)

Staying True to Myself...and to You

 
There are two types of people in this world. Those who blog and those who don't. People who choose not to claim their own little piece of the internet and put themselves out there will never understand how therapeutic and freeing it can be, despite how scary it feels sometimes. They'll never experience, especially the people closest to us in our everyday lives, the kind of acceptance and non-judgement we discover from these perfect strangers we grow to call friends.

  When I first began blogging after my car accident I revealed nothing of myself. Over the following two years I slowly rediscovered who I am and became more comfortable with what I found. I consider this a victory, because for a while I had lost some of my self-confidence and sense of self-worth. I not only pulled out of the place I was in but became what I think (and hope) is a better version of myself. On a few occasions, most recently this past weekend, I've had people I'm closest to tell me I should change the way I present myself online. That's not going to happen.

  I'm a very curious person, emotional and at times intense and I like writing about what I feel or what I find in myself or others. Once in a while I lose a reader or two (usually coinciding with a post involving sexuality). I'm fine with that; everyone has their likes and dislikes and I only want people who are comfortable with me to follow this blog. There are members of my family who won't read me for the same reason, and to be honest I prefer it that way. I think the biggest mistake someone starting a blog can make is to mention it to somebody who will eventually want to censor and mould them into something they think they should be.

 I make every effort to be open with people, I welcome different points of view and I accept those who disagree with me.  But I expect the same in return. I believe we shouldn't be afraid to be ourselves and express that to others, whether we know them or not. Some people will love us for it, some will tolerate us and some will be uncomfortable with it all. That's just life. During my time blogging I've discovered writers who are constantly uplifting, some who are negative, dark, spiritual, Aetheist, worldly, naive, and in some cases people who face significant psychological issues. I accept whatever people share with me publicly or privately, if it's something I take serious issue with I may choose not to get to know them. But I'll never expect someone to change to suit me.

And I'll never hide who I am here just to make someone feel better. Ever.

Secret Sunday

"Goodbye" by Sugargrl14 

 It's a beautiful sunny Fall morning in Toronto. We started it off with our usual breakfast of pancakes, oatmeal and bacon, followed by a big cup of latte. The second best way I can think of to start a day. ;)

  Time now for the forty-seventh round of Secret Sunday, a chance to share secrets and/or fantasies you've been keeping to yourself. Some are uplifting, some are heartbreaking and some are just plain naughty. All are valid.

Here's how it works:

1) This is open to anyone who wants to participate, from regular follower to casual visitor.

2) If this is something you'd like to run on your blog please feel free.

As always if there's anything you want to share, I'm listening...

Through My Eyes...

I'll always believe that people are inherently kind. I believe there is more beauty than ugliness in the world, for every moment of evil there are ten moments of goodness and that there are more people willing to love and be loved than to hate. I believe our lives move in the direction our minds steer them and that no matter how dark or hopeless things may seem for any of you reading this, they will get better.

I believe we each have something in us that no one else has. We can change the world one person at a time, I'm working on it and I want to thank you for making a difference in mine.

If

If you want to make a difference don't move mountains, move people.