New Year, Same Me

So yeah it's the new year which is wonderful! To be honest I am mildly surprised we made it this far. But all that aside, lets chat new years resolutions.

Every year I make them, you probably do too. And I've noticed a trend. Every year they're basically the same things, just slightly different wording. It seems to be one the biggest cliches ever. Tat whole "New Year, New Me" attitude that everyone adopts on the first of January and forgets completely by the second.

Your resolutions are most likely along the same lines as mine, which are usually along the same lines as Bridget Jones'.

But this year I've decided to stray from tradition. Instead of having my usual "Get fit, stop swearing, start smiling" resolutions, I've decided to adopt a much more simple mantra: Be Good.

Luckily this is about the most ambiguous you can get, so there's lots of room for life there. I really cannot be more fed up with every year new years day, sitting in my room trying to picture where I will be this time next year and hoping that since i've followed my resolutions that I will have evolved into this Beyonce-like Goddess that  looks and acts like pure perfection. I figure there is no point striving for such perfection as I know I'll never get there, and whilst its a lovely ideal, its not practical. We can try all we want to be perfect each year, but being humans we'll likely fuck things up thousands of times. The reality is, we will never be perfect. But we can always be good. And should always strive to be.

So that's my New Years Resolution. I'm looking forward to a good 2014.

“And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good.”

-John Steinback, East of Eden

-Kate

You Can't Hurt Christmas

Yep. It's that dreaded time of year again. That one month where everybody thinks it's acceptable to blast holiday tunes throughout the shopping centre and cover their houses in every possible lightbulb they can find. It's christmas.

Don't get me wrong, I love celebrating the birth of baby Jesus. But there's celebrating and having a good time, and then there's celebrating. Call me a grinch if you must, but I really don't see the appeal. Why would you want to dress your house in grotesquely illuminated baubles for the entire world to see? Why do we all of a sudden love C-list celebrities that sing the same carols every year and pretend they're the next beyonce? Why is michael buble's CD stocked in every single shop you can imagine including the grocery store? Why do we dress our cars up as reindeers? THEY ARE CARS.

Most of all I think the thing that annoys me most is despite my protests every year, I still end up sitting around with my crazy family, belting out an assortment of Mariah Carey's carols, wishing every day could as good as this. As much as I say I hate it, the truth is, you really can't hurt christmas. No matter how many times I refuse to decorate the christmas tree, or refuse to sing carols at church, or refuse to smile in every family photo showing our bonbon prizes, I still end up loving it.

So whether you're a grinch like me, or one of those psycho's that actually willingly attends carols by candlelight every year, have a swell holiday season.

-Kate

The Green Light

Lets talk about Gatsby. It's high time this was discussed thoroughly. First of all, yes. Yes it is perfection. The book. The movie. Leo. Carey Mulligan. All of it. Absolute Perfection. Not to mention the soundtrack (marry me lana del rey).

I've always been a sucker for romance books. Every time, even when they're predictable I still end up in tears. But I think the thing that got me about Gatsby, was how hauntingly true it was, whilst at the same time, being so romanticised it was almost unbelievable (Baz Luhrmann, you've done it again.)

 I think it was eerily accurate as to the way we view people in our lives. Gatsby's love for Daisy Buchanan was tragic and beautiful all at once. His absolute dedication to her, his obsession with her reminded me so much of the silly crushes I've had over the years. I think it made it all the more real. The idea deep down it could still happen. The past could be re-written. That we can re-capture the moments we missed out on. That those we love will always find a way of coming back to us.

"There are all kinds of love in this world but never the same love twice"

The symbolism of that green light at the end of Daisy's dock was almost too much for me. That Gatsby, or we even, will always reach out for more. Always reach out but never quite grasp it. Every time we feel like we get closer, our dreams slip away from us. Unfortunately we will never be satisfied with just loving and being loved. We always want more. The absolute significance of our past to the dream of our future. 

"Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And then one fine morning—So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."

I feel like there is so much more I could say. But alas, that quote is perfect enough as it is.

-Kate

It's a Man's World

It really is. Don't get me wrong I'm not some sort of hard-line feminist who's gonna preach not shaving for four years and not wearing deodorant like some sort of high on acid-nature seeking hippie. But as a general statement, I'm all for equality, and feminism is definitely a massive part of that.

I guess I'm just a bit fed up with the whole "you must look like a victoria's secret model at all times of the day" stigma that is present in our society. As a girl who is definitely not 100% happy with the way I look (which girl is, lets be honest) I am so sick and tired of hearing comments like "oh you look tired, are you not wearing makeup?" or "I prefer your hair straight you should straighten it more often". NO! Look, don't get me wrong I love to hear the compliments. But I'm always thinking, why do I need to change the way I look because you prefer me another way? Why can't you just be happy with me?

To all the ladies out there I say: Don't ever think you have to change to please someone else. You're pretty much already great the way you are, and no guy ever has the right to tell you otherwise. Feel proud, to walk out of the house without makeup, flaunt your 'haven't shaved in three days' legs, embrace those few days your hair gets a bit frizzy or messy. 

As my girl Christina would say: "We are beautiful, in every single way. Words can't bring us down. So don't you bring me down today"

-Kate

Head Full of Egg

Today I came across something rather spectacular. It's a book,  a collection of poetry by some kid named Bo Burnham (I'm sure if you know him you'll forever hate me for referring to him as 'some kid' but please bare with me) who is kind of this incredible god-like poet (told you it would get better!). The book is called Egghead: Or, You Can't Survive on Ideas Alone.

Now I have to admit I am quite a fan of poetry (and by poetry I mean I love me some tumblr browsing) and I have read my fair share of poems that all seem to revolve around sex and death and all that lovely/terrible stuff. But when I read a poem from Egghead, I knew I'd found something different entirely. 

And I love it, I love it I love I love it. It's all kinds of wonderful. I may even buy it.

Seriously though, worth a read this Egghead. Yeah, I dig it.

-Kate

Beautiful Things

This week I went away with a bunch of mates and we chatted a lot about the story of creation.  I think no matter what your beliefs on the creation of the world are, there's no arguing its beauty. I felt so humbled by the notion that we were created from the dusts of the earth, yet here we are, purposeful beings, with beating hearts and breathing lungs and eyes to see and mouths to speak.

In the first book of the bible, creation is described. After God makes each element he states "It is good".  On the sixth day, God created human beings;  "³¹ And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good". The original hebrew is 'Tov Meod'.  This means that not only are we good, we are created in the image of God, and we were so much greater than He ever planned.

"You make beautiful things out of the dust, you make beautiful things out of us"

These song lyrics from Beautiful Things by Gungor basically sum it all up perfectly. It reminds me that we can see the broken restored. That even the dirtiest of objects can be wiped and washed clean. God has made us new, and is still making us new. 

For all of this - cheers God!

Amen and out-

Kate

Lovers In Broken Places

"The stars are always there but we miss them in the dirt and clouds. We miss them in the storms. Tell them to remember hope. We have hope."

Today is World Suicide Awareness Day I've been told. Which I think is bloody marvellous. Mainly for the reason that things like mental illness, things like self-harm and suicide are so often simply swept under the rug by our society. We ignore problems like these because we think it's easier. I saw a billboard once aimed at raising awareness for depression. It read "Imagine if you got blamed for having cancer..." This is one of the most profound statements I think I've ever read on a billboard. The problem with mental illness is so often we think its not a real problem. We think that people bring depression upon themselves. In my experience, I don't think this could be further from the truth.

A while back, I came across a story. Written by guy who is part of the charity TWLOHA (To Write Love On Her Arms) which is aimed at raising awareness about, and offering support for, those dealing with self-harm and suicide.  After helping in the rehabilitation of a young adult named Renee, he wrote this. 

I have watched life come back to her, and it has been a privilege. When our time with her began, someone suggested shifts, but that is the language of business. Love is something better. I have been challenged and changed, reminded that love is that simple answer to so many of our hardest questions. Don Miller says we're called to hold our hands against the wounds of a broken world, to stop the bleeding. I agree so greatly.

We often ask God to show up. We pray prayers of rescue. Perhaps God would ask us to be that rescue, to be His body, to move for things that matter. He is not invisible when we come alive. I might be simple but more and more, I believe God works in love, speaks in love, is revealed in our love. I have seen that this week and honestly, it has been simple: Take a broken girl, treat her like a famous princess, give her the best seats in the house. Buy her coffee and cigarettes for the coming down, books and bathroom things for the days ahead. Tell her something true when all she's known are lies. Tell her God loves her. Tell her about forgiveness, the possibility of freedom, tell her she was made to dance in white dresses. All these things are true.

We are only asked to love, to offer hope to the many hopeless. We don't get to choose all the endings, but we are asked to play the rescuers. We won't solve all mysteries and our hearts will certainly break in such a vulnerable life, but it is the best way. We were made to be lovers bold in broken places, pouring ourselves out again and again until we're called home.

I have learned so much in one week with one brave girl. She is alive now, in the patience and safety of rehab, covered in marks of madness but choosing to believe that God makes things new, that He meant hope and healing in the stars. She would ask you to remember. 

Now whether you choose to believe in God or agree with this or not, I don't think this can be argued against. 

Wherever you're at personally, whether you've struggled with depression, self-harm, suicide, eating disorders and the like, or even if you've never experienced anything of the sort. I challenge you to dwell on this, during the week.

And if anything, remember this. "Love is that simple answer to so many of our hardest questions".

- Kate

An Abundance of Perfection

“What is the point of being alive if you don't at least try to do something remarkable?” 

So i've just finished reading John Green's 'An Abundance of Katherines'. Truth be told it wouldn't have been my first pick. But given my undying obsession for the amazing work of the god that calls himself Mr. Green, when i received it as a birthday present, I knew I would enjoy it.

The book was everything I loved and more. Of course the quotes in it are amazing and are so very true. I guess it made me ponder the profound truths of life.

I always struggle to move forward in life. As in I feel like 98.6 percent of the time I'm just living in the past (It's all awfully Gatbsy to tell you the truth). But I guess I was challenged by the book in the sense that it explores what it means to feel empty, to miss someone.

And so finally I came to the following two conclusions with the help of the book; 

“You can love someone so much...But you can never love people as much as you can miss them.”

“I don't think you can ever fill the empty space with the thing you lost....I don't think your missing pieces ever fit inside you again once they go missing.”

Enough said.

-Kate

The Great Dictator

So a while back I came across a clip from the movie The Great Dictator (Charlie Chaplain!). It's a pretty old movie, as in old black and white movie and I've never actually seen all of it but this clip always stood out to me. 

Long story short the movie revolves around a barber who looks exactly like the Great Dictator (his  name isn't hitler, but lets be honest, he's supposed to be hitler). At some point in the movie the two characters get mixed up and this barber ends up being mistaken for the great dictator and having to lead.    Near the end of the film (I think) the Great Dictator has to give a speech. Since everyone is kind of scared shitless of him they're all thinking he's gonna be really scary and talk about how he hates everyone and how the soldiers should kill everyone (or something along those lines).

However Charlie Chaplain, the barber, delivers this amazing speech to the people. Oh and whoever put this clip together used the inception soundtrack so that's definitely a bonus.

 

In the 17th Chapter of St Luke it is written: “the Kingdom of God is within man” - not one man nor a group of men, but in all men! In you! You, the people have the power - the power to create machines. The power to create happiness! You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure.

Times like these i just love people. Humans are great sometimes they really are. 

-Kate

J.K "greatest lady in the world" Rowling

Ok, let's talk about JK Rowling. I mean not only did she come up with one the greatest stories ever told (not to be confused with the bible, she actually wrote harry potter) but she is just incredible.

Now I could easily go into a never-ending ramble about the 4087452 reason why I love her. But I think  they can be summed up by either reading one (or all 7) of her fantastic hp books, or by watching the video below.

In 2008, JK Rowling delivered the Harvard Commencement speech (no pressure). After listening to this I can honestly say she is perfection.

So just briefly I want to draw on two things she has said. If you haven't watched the video (or really don't want to) then these would definitely be the two points to take away.

Firstly; 

"You may never fail on the scale I did, but some failure is inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all -  in which case, you fail by default."

My Lord, I cannot emphasise enough how true I believe this to be. Never be afraid of failure for it is in our moments of greatest weakness that we find our greatest strength.

And Lastly; 

"We need not magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better."

Yes, yes, yes and yes. She nailed it. Never underestimate the absolute incredibleness (probably not a word) of human beings. We really can change the world.

In conclusion, safe to say I have a lot of love for this girl (should I say woman? she is a mother I guess)

She is quite incredible.

- Kate

The Whole is Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts

For quite some time, i've loved this quote by Aristotle. I cannot even begin to talk about how much i agree with his thoughts, so instead I thought I'd share some more from my favourite book, Looking for Alaska by the one and only John Green.

This short passage is about how the main character, Pudge, tries to cope with the death of his friend Alaska (SPOILERS!). Green interweaves Aristotle's quote and seems to explain it perfectly. 

I thought at first that she was just dead. Just darkness. Just a body being eaten by bugs. I thought about her a lot like that, as something's meal. What was her—green eyes, half a smirk, the soft curves of her legs—would soon be nothing, just the bones I never saw. I thought about the slow process of becoming bone and then fossil and then coal that will, in millions of years, be mined by humans of the future, and how they would heat their homes with her, and then she would be smoke billowing out of a smokestack, coating the atmosphere. I still think that, sometimes, think that maybe "the afterlife" is just something we made up to ease the pain of loss, to make our time in the labyrinth bearable. Maybe she was just matter, and matter gets recycled.

But ultimately I do not believe that she was only matter. The rest of her must be recycled, too. I believe now that we are greater than the sum of our parts. If you take Alaska's genetic code and you add her life experiences and the relationships she had with people, and then you take the size and shape of her body, you do not get her. There is something else entirely. There is a part of her greater than the sum of her knowable parts. And that part has to go somewhere, because it cannot be destroyed.

Although no one will ever accuse me of being much of a science student, one thing I learned from science classes is that energy is never created and never destroyed. And if Alaska took her own life, that is the hope I wish I could have given her. Forgetting her mother, failing her mother and her friends and herself—those are awful things, but she did not need to fold into herself and self-destruct. Those awful things are survivable, because we are as indestructible as we believe ourselves to be. When adults say, "Teenagers think they are invincible" with that sly, stupid smile on their faces, they don't know how right they are. We need never be hopeless, because we can never be irreparably broken. We think that we are invincible because we are. We cannot be born, and we cannot die. Like all energy, we can only change shapes and sizes and manifestations. They forget that when they get old. They get scared of losing and failing. But that part of us greater than the sum of our parts cannot begin and cannot end, and so it cannot fail.

Now there's some wisdom for you. 

-Kate

Emotional Times

So recently in my studies, I was posed the question "To what extent do our emotions reside in the realm of private knowledge, in the sense verified by others" To be honest, I was rather unsure how to tackle this massive unknown. I've been looking a lot at both emotion and reason as of late and pondering which of the two govern my life (OVER EMOTIONALS ANONYMOUS!). But this question really had me stumped.

I mean first of all how the hell do we know what we are feeling. How do I know that I'm happy? Is it because I'm smiling? Or because I just kinda get that good feeling, I just know? This was starting to really bug me.

However after a long chat with a friend, i realised that often the problem is not that we need our emotions to be verified by others to be real, but rather we need them to be verified so we can admit them to ourselves. I think so often we are afraid of feeling things. So afraid to admit we might be in love with someone, or afraid to actually tell someone that we're really not feeling that great recently, and are really struggling with all the crap life can throw our way. I think it takes a true friend to help us realise how we feel. And not how we want to feel. I think this is the only way to cope with our emotions, by acknowledging them. In John Green's novel Looking for Alaska the main character Pudge states that "It always shocked me when I realised I wasn't the only person in the world that felt such strange and awful things" I think what made this resonate with me was that I really do believe one of our biggest flaw as humans is thinking that we are the only ones who suffer, thinking "No one else understands me". The truth is, as humans we all feel emotions from time to time. So my answer to the impossible question?

It is our own minds, that tell us how we want to feel, but it takes true courage to reveal the truth within our hearts.  In this way, and to some extent, others can help to verify our emotions.

Over and out.

Kate

Hello?

I wanna say something, I'm gonna put it out there; if you like it, you can take it, if you don't, send it right back.

Yes, this is my first time blogging. Yes, i opened with a quote from Ron Burgundy. Yes, this will probably be the most atrocious attempt at blogging you will ever lay eyes on. But hey, Que sera sera, right?

First, Hello. (Is it me you're looking for?) My name's Kate. I basically have a passion for anything and everything. This blog is simply an outlet for my many ramblings in regards to just about every aspect of life from human rights to food, maybe we'll chuck in some religion somewhere there, even a few humorous happenings from my life every now and then. And of course a healthy level of good music.

So here's to new beginnings!