do you ever feel like you are in the wrong place?

that is how i feel at this very moment.

there are a couple ways to address this problem:

1) self pity party. i don't suggest this. it doesn't get you anywhere, except more upset.

2) go somewhere else. this could be a good idea, but make sure you first know why you are currently in the wrong place. you don't want to drag the problem with you.

3) pray. i do believe this is the best option, but its tough. you are still in the wrong place and you usually feel like you aren't going anywhere. but the more you pray, the more you trust, and the more you let go, the more you can see Him preparing a great place for you.

waiting = not doing anything.

I was minding my own business one day when John Mayer's "Waiting on the World to Change" came on the radio.

I know this song has been out for a while, but I finally just recently listened to the words:

me and all my friends
we're all misunderstood
they say we stand for nothing and
there's no way we ever could

now we see everything that's going wrong
with the world and those who lead it
we just feel like we don't have the means
to rise above and beat it

so we keep waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

it's hard to beat the system
when we're standing at a distance
so we keep waiting
waiting on the world to change

now if we had the power
to bring our neighbors home from war
they would have never missed a Christmas
no more ribbons on their door
and when you trust your television
what you get is what you got
cause when they own the information, oh
they can bend it all they want

that's why we're waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

it's not that we don't care,
we just know that the fight ain't fair
so we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change
and we're still waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

one day our generation
is gonna rule the population
so we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change


I have a lot I could say about these lyrics and the video, but I'm going to keep it short.

Yes, this world has some big problems.
Yes, most of us do not have the ability or means to tackle many of the problems.
Yes, waiting is a HORRIBLE idea.
Yes, I like grafiti art (see video), but...
No. No no no no no. Posting the word "THINK" on a billboard is not going to cause someone to stop and think about how they can change the world.
Even if they stopped to "think", they wouldn't think about how they should wait for the world to change. They would think about what they could do to change the world.

I'm commenting on this song because I'm afraid that John Mayer's words actually sound like a good idea to many people who hear it. Truth be told, the first time I heard it I was glad to hear a song that focuses on the fact that the world needs to change. It isn't your typical, "I love her," "I hate life," "he's a slime-ball" song. Mayer's song feels fresh, different, and to many it might even sound meaningful. But there is a huge problem with his message.

If we all wait, nothing will change. At least nothing will change for the better. Maybe we can't fly to the middle east and end the war, the suicide bombings, the hunger, the murder, the death. But we can help our neighbors, we can mentor children, we can get involved in communities, we can support non-profits that are feeding the hungry, giving medical care to the sick, and helping people get on their feet. We can be kind to the environment. We can pray.

You don't have to be a doctor, politician, lawyer, movie star, or millionaire to change the world. You just have to stop waiting for a better doctor, politicain, lawyer... and start doing something.

anything. help an old lady walk across the street if you can't think of anything else.

Hidden in Pasadena

When most people think of Pasadena, they think of Old Town, Paseo Colorado, parks, trees, coffee shops, bars, restaurants, stores, the Rose Parade... good old, fun, cute, south-of-the-210-freeway Pasadena.

Most people wouldn't even know that in the past month, there have been 4 gang-on-gang shootings. Most people wouldn't know that a teenage boy died in one of those shootings. Most people wouldn't know that I often times fall asleep to the sound of a helicopter flying around our blocks, patrolling the area or responding to a call.

Why do people not know this part of Pasadena, the part north of the 210 freeway, the part that we lovingly call North-West Pasadena? Because the city is really good at keeping secrets. Like any normal booming city, they want to continue booming, they want people to continue to move in. Thus they keep their secret hidden. It's working too. I know of several people that are moving here this summer. I was talking to one of them, telling him where the more affordable apartments were, and warning him that these places were more run down and in more dangerous areas. He literally laughed and said, "What?! Dangerous?! In cute little Pasadena?"

Not only does Pasadena keep people from hearing about the crime and violence, the city also keeps them from seeing it with the magic of one-way streets. These one-way streets are incredibly inconvenient, so along with everyone else, I never use them. As it turns out, these one-way roads are home to some of the most run-down residential areas in north-west Pasadena. No one drives through there, because its too much of a maze, and so no one sees it. In fact there is about a 3 by 5 block area that only residents and their visitors ever drive through.

And so they remain hidden. Fortunately for me, Pasadena can't completely hide their wound. Contrary to most, my housemates and I moved here because of Pasadena's little secret. And I love it here. I love my neighbors, I love my little run-down home (most of the time), I love that it never gets boring, and I hate that the lives of the people I have grown to love have been buried by secrets.

what's wrong with this picture?

Nigeria's vice-president slightly injures himself and has to travel to the UK to get medical treatment.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/africa/6442855.stm

Good thing he has enough money to get there.

I'm not judging Atiku, I don't have much of an opinion for or against him, I don't know enough about him, but I do have an opinion about this little medical trip.

I wonder where all the normal Nigerian folk get medical treatment, and why Atiku couldn't go there. There could be a lot of reasons, but I don't think I would like any of them.

Want to know more about Atiku? He is running for president. He is part of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), which has a very admirable mission statement:

“Faced with the tragic consequences of underdevelopment, our mission is to qualitatively transform the Nigerian economy and society. Therefore, we shall tirelessly work for:
-The creation of a dynamic economy designed to serve the people’s interest and in which market forces are combined with the forces of partnership, solidarity and co-operation to create and produce goods and services for all.
-Establishment of a free democratic society in which powers and actions of government are lawful and where those in authority are held responsible and accountable to the people.”
http://www.atikuabubakar.net/index.php?page=static/pdmpdp.html&topimage=images/politics.gif&menuid=6,0

Really, I don't know much about the PDP, or Nigeria for that matter, but I thought this was interesting. If you know any more about Atiku, the party, the impact of this party, the country, or anything else related, let me know by posting a comment, because I'd love to learn more about this country.

Don't be shy. We are all friends here. I know there are a lot of you out there that read this blog. And I know that a lot of you know a lot of stuff.

That's all. Goodnight.