Answer to Life

Every person, at some point in time, ask themselves: What is the real meaning of life and why am I here?, What is my purpose in this life? Am I someone special? Have I done the right decisions throughout my life? And frankly we all know the answers to those questions. But how many times have you actually stopped and listen to them? Just what I though, we haven't!
Today I see myself at the beginning of a new year, 2014 that is. And as the year starts I wonder again over the things I did at the beginning of last year and the year before that... Have I find the answer? maybe not, but I am close I'm sure. So what I am gonna be sharing with you, the brave one that stopped to read a piece of my head,. is what I believe is the closest answer to those questions.

Lets go back in time a few thousand years... Nah! just kidding. Actually we just have to analyze a few of facts:

1.- Nothing natural is meant to destroy for no reason: You see, nature in its very own masterful ways has created a perfectly functional chain. From the smallest little cell to the biggest whale, from the tinniest splinter to the largest tree. And what do all this things have in common? Yes! they all have a job to do. You see those trees that we so mistreat are the reason why we don't suffocate, and do they ask themselves why they exist even when we humans destroy them for no good reason? Do they quit their job? No! OK, ok lets not get to "Greenpeace" but seriously, what do you think is the reason for humans to exist? Take out everything man made, from ideologies to technologies, and leave only the very raw essence of a human as mother nature intended us to be in the first place... Or do you think that humans are superior to nature? (if so you might not want to keep reading this post) So what did you get? I tell you your tools if that helps of anything: You have opposible thumbs thus making you the one species that can hold things in a very different manner that any other creature in the world, You can adapt to pretty much any environment on Earth, making you the one creature that can go anywhere and co-exist with any other creature, You have the ability to accelerate the process of growth for any plant in the world (you can plant a seed instead of letting the seed wait for time to do it), the most important of them all but not the last one: You can learn, reason, and express feeling like no other. So where do all that leaves you? Just think about it, do you really think that a possible reason for you to exist could be to destroy what nature has given?

2.- The very essence of who we are, whether you are a Saint or a Psycho killer (which I hope you are not and if so please stop!) is to be around people, animals, trees, water, fire, air, etc. Basically what I am trying to say is that we are compelled to be part of everything. Because trust me, even that Psycho wonders "What If...? Whats next?..." You see, no matter how good or bad we are, we all are drawn to exact same center of energy. OK, that is perhaps getting a little confusing so lets put it in a more mundane way: Religion. You may believe anything that works better for you, christian, catholic, Mormon, Jewish, Hinduism, Etc., but you wont be able to deny that that that you believe is inspired on a Deity, an almighty been that created you and everything around you, an ultimate power that will see you in the after life to take you to the next thing. Well here is the greatest secret of them all: These power has no gender, no skin color, no race, no favorite son or daughter, no desire whatsoever for a social media user id and more importantly NO religion. So, where does that leaves everything we believe in as in what we need to do in order to keep God happy? a little far from where we are don't you think? You see this power is everywhere, is in everything, is the very energy that wakes us up every morning. Is the butterflies in our stomach when we meet that special person, is that chrysalis where the caterpillar becomes butterfly. It is every breath we take and every dream we have. But you already know that right? I mean isn't that what your religion tells you? Or is one of those that require your presence inside a Man Made building? If so I have news for you, they might not be telling you the whole truth! But we can get into that another time. So anyway, As you know this energy creates, it does not destroy. And if you need a more "reasonable" way to put it, here it is: "energy is not created nor destroyed, it's simply transformed" Basically you are everything and everything is you.

Now that we have analyzed those very important yet forgotten facts, lets get down to business. The answer to every man and woman's question out there, and if you havent figured it out by now:

You are meant to help creation to continue, evolution to happen and to protect what your God has put in front of you... And no! I do not mean computers, cars, shoes, cellphones, houses, jewels, diamonds, jobs, money, property, etc. I mean the very world that made you possible, and that if you haven't noticed, made all those silly things I just mentioned possible as well... Stop whatever you are doing and just say "thank you God, thank you Nature, thank you for giving me the perfect world and the perfect life. Now let me help you out" And really all you have to do is hug more, love more, pet a dog or a cat, sing a song to the sky, plant a tree not kill five, walk more and drive less; and more important, quit complaining for what you don't have, be thankful for what you do because, and if you didn't know this, it is exactly what you need to be happy! you are fully equipped to make the best out your life and have the best gift of all: Life.

The easiest way to change the world is by not trying to change it, this world is perfect. What really needs to change are those "social rules" that have out staged God laws. Lets not be vane or egotistical we are better than that, we are children of light.

Basorexia

As it turns out, must people believes that kisses are a sacred action that should be kept between lovers. Although it is important to say that there is several types of kisses. A very important kind, mostly predominant it Hispanic cultures and romantic areas such as France and Italy, is the famous kiss in the chic. Here in the States, this kind of kiss is very popular among women and gay men. And what do this to communities have in common? well they tempt to be very happy among each other and have a bigger connection with their conversations. On the other hand straight men keep their communication levels to a very basic set of norms that, unconsciously, have existed since the dawn of civilization.
Moving back to the kiss, I have to say that I love kissing and I love to do it every day and with everyone! And no I don't mean french kissing... Is more like a simple kiss to the chic to anyone that is willing to take it. And why would I like to kiss people? you might wonder. Well here is why:

1. Kissing a person automatically destroys any type of boundary that could have existed between the kisser and the kissed.
2. after a kiss, it is very difficult to feel as a stranger around someone. Therefore you act more naturally with no need of "acting according to the norm" meaning trying to fit in.
3. Have you heard the expression "let me kiss it better"? I am sure you have. Well let me let you in a little secret, this is not only an expression but a fact. The moment someone lips come in touch with your hurting skin, your body automatically produces enzymes that attack the pain and help heal faster. So maybe when you say hi to someone with a kiss in their chic you could be making some pain go away. You could be making someone's life better every day.
4. People has this idea of the "personal space" which I personally find to be nonsense. You see, nowadays there is a tendency to be intimate with strangers that were met at bars or even art galleries. And the way I see it it is a way for people to fill in a blank in their life. I could be wrong in this but I'll tell you something, if people kissed more often, the need for random attention would decrease since we would already have a bit of love in every kiss we receive.
5. Finally and foremost, kissing is the greatest sign of appreciation you could give to anyone and what better moment to let your friends and family how grateful you are of them being in your life than with a gentle kiss on their chic at the very moment you see them for the first time every day?

So don't be afraid of a little physical contact, after all and unless your friends are not made of poison, is doing only good things for you! And yes, I suffer of Basorexia, the overwhelming desire to kiss...

Happy holidays!
Much love Alex

Photo Courtesy

The Journey After Journey

The following article I wrote as a response to what Mr. Steve Aujery represents. He has not only touched thousands of people across the world but he has remained human and ready to inspire others.

On October the 5th, Autmus Fest brought to Texas A&M International University a great number of performers and musicians that entertained the student body and other locals who attended. Among these groups, there was one particularly star, Mr. Steve Augeri. Augeri is an American rock singer best known for his work with Tall Stories, Tyketto and Journey. Journey was founded in 1973 and has become one of the biggest American rock bands of all times; the band has earned 19 Top 40 singles and 25 Gold and Platinum albums.

Augeri arrived to Laredo early Saturday October 5th and had little time to experience the culture and the town itself. However, he tells us he was excited to be this far south. Even though Journey has a great number of fans in Texas, Augeri had never been to Laredo. Even though the time has been short, Augeri says “I love the architecture, I love the weather and especially I love the food!” “Sadly” he says, “we won’t be able to stick around very long.”

The singer shared with The Bridge his excitement of being here at TAMIU and that he doesn’t know what to expect. “Every time you are in a university setting, there is a great energy from the crowd, you know I am easily twice their age so I am going to feel like a vampire sucking their youthful energy and then I’m going to throw it back at them filtered through this old body and this old mind full of experience; I think we are going to enjoy each other very much,” he commented.

Even when the road was over in Journey, Augeri has put together his own band that he finds very appealing since it has members from different places in the country such as New York and Chicago. He believes that this can help the band to create material that would appeal to a larger audience. Augeri has, so far, released two singles, For the Rest of My Life and Behind the Sun, both available on iTunes. During the event, Augeri assures us that some of the greatest hits of Journey such as Don’t Stop Believing will be sang as well as his new material.

Augeri left the group Journey back in 2006 and had then to find his way up from there. He tells us that leaving the group was not only heartbreaking but also represented a “healing experience” as he calls it since by the time he left Journey, he was facing health issues. However, after a couple of years of recovery, Augeri was able to bounce back and do something that he loves “I was able to fulfill my dream of singing” he says “I was an astronaut not being able to go to space” he added.

Augeri gave us a little insight into what we should expect from him for the future and all he can say is that “we are just evolving, just like music, like the world is evolving and unfolding before our eyes; we welcome what the future brings and hopefully create more interesting music” “I think that what the world need is art, more and interesting art” he concludes.

Without forgetting about the university crowd, Augeri gives us a few words for the young people out there, “Certainly I was never a role model, nor do I think that I have the credentials to give advice, but one thing I can give is that ‘rather that success and money’, your main goal in life should be happiness, and that if you can make the world a little better, even a little better than you found it, you should feel fulfilled; be honest and listen to your heart.”

For more information about the artist, visit www.steveaugeri.com.

(Alejandro Meza can be reached at jalejandro_mezalopez@dusty.tamiu.edu)

Photo by Alejandro Meza