Grains of Sand
by
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As we search for an ethereal happiness that escapes us as we are about to catch it. Like the butterflies we caught as children, running playfully from flower to flower never quite understanding the greater symbolism of the elusive butterfly- Like elusive happiness. We spend our lives waiting for things to get better, better relationships, better jobs, better lives, better dreams, better manifestations, not realizing that this is the best life has to offer us and this is the best it is going to be. We miss the beauty and essence of life by never fully living in the present, always looking forward or backward. Like the evasive butterfly, we flitter from flower to flower looking for that flower that has the perfect nectar. We spend our lives in search of that special nectar not realizing that each flower contains its own special and unique nectar that only that flower can possess. Like the days of our lives, containing so many precious moments to embrace, affording us growth, changes, renewal and continuous opportunities to look optimistically at life. Yet, that optimism escapes us, like the perfect day, the perfect relationship, the perfect life. We waste time in confusion, self-annihilation, self-flagellation, narcissism, naivety, effrontery and manic-depressive states. We wither with the flower as summer turns into autumn, then winter, and we experience our own winter as coldness and pessimism envelop us. We find solace in the shivering cold as if offering us the comfort we could not find in summer’s heat and life. The coldness brings the stark understanding of our innermost negativity. The bitter, biting cold, reflecting our bitterness as we resent this body that keeps us perennially trapped:
Like the rabbit caught in a trap waiting to die and not wanting to die yet unable to be released
Like the mute filled with expression and unable to communicate, we drift through one experience after another never understanding the necessity to embrace the present, past, and future- Never fully present.
In her mind’s eyes she sees the butterfly growing tired as the girl’s strength grows and in that moment the butterfly is captured. Gleefully, the child placed the butterfly into a jar with a punctured cover to allow air to enter. The butterfly’s wings were damaged and the girl looked at her captive happily and quickly to the sadness of butterfly as it tried to escape only hurting itself.
Like the human condition trying to defy the dictates of destiny with freewill, believing in the freedom of choice. Men delude themselves into believing they are free to chose when the ultimate choice lies in destiny itself. The butterfly continued expressing its freewill, flying and hitting the glass jar, only hurting itself more as the wings deteriorate, like the human condition in times of stress when it breaks down, panics, and confronts fear in the face. Scared of its own shadow lost in a world and a Universe of fatalistic pre-destiny where the rhythm of life determines the life we have. The quote from Dale Carnegie persists like the roll of the tassa drums at an East Indian wedding or the beat of the African drums on Emancipation Day.
Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying to when there seemed to be no hope at all.
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About the Book
Have you ever thought about expressing some of your ideas on paper? This book comprises issues that continue to persist in our lives. The first story depicts the current trail of kidnapping in Trinidad, West Indies. The second story exemplifies 2 seemingly diverse individuals sharing dissimilar lives because of their different beliefs. The third story shows how we all feel that we are biologically trapped andunderscores freewill and destiny. the fourth story illustrates a ravaged, old man in a nursing home reflecting on lost love. The final story reveals the need for clarity in our lives as we are enticed by materialism over altruism. The single element linking all stories is the persistent grains of sand.
About the Author
She is a native of Trinidad who lived 11 years way from Trinidad. She lived in Turks and Caicos, British Virgim Islands, and Bermuda. She considers Bermuda her second home. She taught Spanish for 20 years and is currently adjunct faculty with University of the West Indies School of Business and Applied Studies (ROYTEC). She completed her Bachelor's degree with the University of the West Indies, Trinidad in French Literature with minors in Spanish and Linguistics. She completed her Diploma in Teaching Modern Languages with the University of the West Indies in Trinidad. She completed her Master of Arts in Education in Curriculum and Technology and her Doctorate in Organizational Management and Leadership with University of Phoenix online. She presented the findings of her dissertation at the American Society of Business and Behavioral Sciences in Hawaii September, 2008.