Have written snail and will send an email through our friend in the morning.
Just slightly confused, got notification that you wrote a blog and when going to read it, its not there, looks like it has been deleted, any ideas why??
You are and always be my special man and all these strange thoughts I have been having are gone since you last email.
I'm sorry to hear you are not receiving replies from your family. Have you thought about being part of a pen-pal scheme etc? Although it doesn't seem the same as people you know on the outside, there are many people who would like to write to you and send you good wishes out there, even though they are strangers. Sometimes these people can care more than those we know.
In answer to the first part - what do you think the 'essence' of a person is? When we're born, there's little about us that is set in stone. We don't have any thoughts, beliefs, feelings etc until they are taught us by the people that raise us, experiences we have, the wider culture etc etc. Even things we are born with can be altered by the circumstances we are born into. Someone with a disability born into a supportive family who have many resources to help their child will probably view disability differently from someone in another situation. If we believe that sexuality is inbuilt, it's still true that someone born into a homophobic society or family can decide to be in a heterosexual relationship because it makes their life easier/happier. These are just two examples, I'm sure you can think of many more. So I don't know if there is an 'essence' of a person. Maybe some people are born with a mind that means they can't learn or change, or into a situation where inbuilt problems like mental illness become so severe that they can never be cured, but I think it must be very rare.
So yes, as I believe that we are born with lots of potential for flexibility in how we end up, I do think that we can also change once more if we have the right resources and motivation. However, I think that change is very hard. My therapist tells me that you can see in scans of the brain that patients minds actually physically change after going through therapy - the pathways they use are re-mapped. But it takes a lot of effort and help to change those pathways, and the existing ones are always more comfortable, even if they lead to negative consequences. People need a lot of resources, education and other people to help them be able to change. It can take years of attempts. For those in bad environments, with no money, or no support, or no knowledge of how to change then it might be impossible.
In answer to your question, I don't know that you can change the essence of a person. I think who we are by the time when we are adults is hard to change completly. An angry person will always have a tendency to anger. But I think we can change how we react to things and how we lead our lives. However it can be very difficult, and many people will not be able to succeed.
Hi Scott, For whatever reason I have recently received email notification of your reply to my comment. Is'nt it great that my honesty had a positive reaction on you way back a year ago almost, and then in turn, your honest and positive reaction to me was received welcomely too. I always remain impressed by how exchanging kind words when they are from the heart have a profoundly positive effect. More than a thousand almost sincere words. I hope you have a great christmas and if I for whatever reason don't hear from you or write back for some time, remember you have support from me and all the others you have touched from a distance. From Emma
Bruges means in Spanish Brujas, which means witches. They burned there witches as well, like in some other countries with the inquisition! You certainly know of it, do you? I now read a book i took from my shelves, in Spanish, with the titel: El libro de la mujer. Sobre el poder de lo feminino. Translated: The book of the woman. About the power of feminity.
Is that about any interest of you, Kelly? Written by Osho. Do you know him? He was described as one of the 10 people (together with Gandhi, Nehru and Buddha) who changed the destiny of India.
I just read an article about the burning of witches ands why? Tell me what you know about it exactly, Kelly? He said he had many lives, prior to the man he was. He was ever women as well. Women ask him questions about the difficult situations they encountered in life. He knew women so very well! Really very interesting to see his view on it!
Kelly, did you get my second letter? Did you write me a second letter as well? I only saw one letter of yours in my mailbox.
Great season greetings as well !
The kids are just great! They got this morning toys from San Nicholas. Candies, mandarins. They were and are so very excited!! It is a special day. It rains and that is rather unusual here. The family will hatch a christmas tree at a farm now. We will decorate the tree this evening.
Tomorrow then we have the feast of the saint, together with the Dutch families as well. San Nicholas ever was a bishop who reported toys to the children. He is helped by black helpers. Now they are called rainbow helpers, to not the be racists. Although those helpers were black from going into the chimneys to throw the toys in the houses. S N walks every 6th of December on the roofs, with his white horse. He has a beard like Santa Claus. And a stick (?) like a real bishop. ;-))) On his head he has a miter (?). And dressed in a long red clothing.
We also celebrate Christmas with Santa you know.
Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving, Kelly? My family belated this day till I was here in America. Then we celebrated it again with friends the next day .
Good to see you writing again. Well, we like what we like. Christian love has just plain taken all the wind out of my metal sails I'm afraid.
I do, however, look upon it as a valid form of art, and I don't criticize it negatively, as I feel I lost that right when I ceased to enjoy it personally, as an art form. I hate it when somebody who obviously has no appreciation for the art that I do love becomes a critic of it. You can sense their disdain in their fakey reviews in things like "Rolling Stone" magazine and such.
I break out a little Staind every now and again still, (though I don't think they're Metal, but merely harder rock). This is in large measure because of Aaron Lewis' marvelous lyrical ability and introspection. That's about as close as I can get anymore the the thrash and riot of metal music.
For the dark side, give me Johnny Cash's last few years of sparse, haunting redemption songs, and apocalyptic imagery, with his mournful, pain laden, "been there, done that" voice.
I do love reading essays on virtually anything, as long as the writer is sincere on the subject they're writing about. Enthusiasm is enthusiasm, and it is always infectuous. Your essays bring that out. You make me wish I could love this music that is so precious to you. That's what honest, good writing does. Welcome back.
RSS
Have written snail and will send an email through our friend in the morning.
Just slightly confused, got notification that you wrote a blog and when going to read it, its not there, looks like it has been deleted, any ideas why??
You are and always be my special man and all these strange thoughts I have been having are gone since you last email.
I love you so much
xoxoxo
I'm sorry to hear you are not receiving replies from your family. Have you thought about being part of a pen-pal scheme etc? Although it doesn't seem the same as people you know on the outside, there are many people who would like to write to you and send you good wishes out there, even though they are strangers. Sometimes these people can care more than those we know.
I hope your exam in November went well.
Best wishes,
Elizabeth-Anne.
That's a pretty big question!
In answer to the first part - what do you think the 'essence' of a person is? When we're born, there's little about us that is set in stone. We don't have any thoughts, beliefs, feelings etc until they are taught us by the people that raise us, experiences we have, the wider culture etc etc. Even things we are born with can be altered by the circumstances we are born into. Someone with a disability born into a supportive family who have many resources to help their child will probably view disability differently from someone in another situation. If we believe that sexuality is inbuilt, it's still true that someone born into a homophobic society or family can decide to be in a heterosexual relationship because it makes their life easier/happier. These are just two examples, I'm sure you can think of many more. So I don't know if there is an 'essence' of a person. Maybe some people are born with a mind that means they can't learn or change, or into a situation where inbuilt problems like mental illness become so severe that they can never be cured, but I think it must be very rare.
So yes, as I believe that we are born with lots of potential for flexibility in how we end up, I do think that we can also change once more if we have the right resources and motivation. However, I think that change is very hard. My therapist tells me that you can see in scans of the brain that patients minds actually physically change after going through therapy - the pathways they use are re-mapped. But it takes a lot of effort and help to change those pathways, and the existing ones are always more comfortable, even if they lead to negative consequences. People need a lot of resources, education and other people to help them be able to change. It can take years of attempts. For those in bad environments, with no money, or no support, or no knowledge of how to change then it might be impossible.
In answer to your question, I don't know that you can change the essence of a person. I think who we are by the time when we are adults is hard to change completly. An angry person will always have a tendency to anger. But I think we can change how we react to things and how we lead our lives. However it can be very difficult, and many people will not be able to succeed.
From Emma
what a beautiful poem.
You certainly know of it, do you?
I now read a book i took from my shelves, in Spanish, with the titel: El libro de la mujer. Sobre el poder de lo feminino. Translated: The book of the woman. About the power of feminity.
Is that about any interest of you, Kelly? Written by Osho. Do you know him?
He was described as one of the 10 people (together with Gandhi, Nehru and Buddha) who changed the destiny of India.
I just read an article about the burning of witches ands why? Tell me what you know about it exactly, Kelly?
He said he had many lives, prior to the man he was. He was ever women as well. Women ask him questions about the difficult situations they encountered in life. He knew women so very well! Really very interesting to see his view on it!
Kelly, did you get my second letter? Did you write me a second letter as well? I only saw one letter of yours in my mailbox.
Great season greetings as well !
The kids are just great! They got this morning toys from San Nicholas. Candies, mandarins. They were and are so very excited!! It is a special day. It rains and that is rather unusual here. The family will hatch a christmas tree at a farm now.
We will decorate the tree this evening.
Tomorrow then we have the feast of the saint, together with the Dutch families as well. San Nicholas ever was a bishop who reported toys to the children. He is helped by black helpers. Now they are called rainbow helpers, to not the be racists. Although those helpers were black from going into the chimneys to throw the toys in the houses. S N walks every 6th of December on the roofs, with his white horse. He has a beard like Santa Claus. And a stick (?) like a real bishop. ;-))) On his head he has a miter (?). And dressed in a long red clothing.
We also celebrate Christmas with Santa you know.
Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving, Kelly? My family belated this day till I was here in America. Then we celebrated it again with friends the next day .
I do, however, look upon it as a valid form of art, and I don't criticize it negatively, as I feel I lost that right when I ceased to enjoy it personally, as an art form. I hate it when somebody who obviously has no appreciation for the art that I do love becomes a critic of it. You can sense their disdain in their fakey reviews in things like "Rolling Stone" magazine and such.
I break out a little Staind every now and again still, (though I don't think they're Metal, but merely harder rock). This is in large measure because of Aaron Lewis' marvelous lyrical ability and introspection. That's about as close as I can get anymore the the thrash and riot of metal music.
For the dark side, give me Johnny Cash's last few years of sparse, haunting redemption songs, and apocalyptic imagery, with his mournful, pain laden, "been there, done that" voice.
I do love reading essays on virtually anything, as long as the writer is sincere on the subject they're writing about. Enthusiasm is enthusiasm, and it is always infectuous. Your essays bring that out. You make me wish I could love this music that is so precious to you. That's what honest, good writing does. Welcome back.