Experiences… like walking-in a new pair of shoes.

Like the very soles which protect our feet against the ground, there are many shapes, sizes and high-heeled experiences that charm their way into our lives. There are those shiny moments where the glitz and glam of a fascinating pair of soles scream out at us: “Take me! Take me!” These reflect experiences that we just have to have.

Sometimes “walking-in” a new pair of shoes can be a painful experience. It rubs in swollen red blemishes at the sensitive spots on the feet. It hurts so bad that plain ol’ filp flops come to the rescue. Some stunning pair of heels slim the body and adds that diamond touch to the outfit, but hours later the feet retire and succumb to the pain for beauty. The soles of our feet sometimes feel so abused that we could have put them through that awful experience that they paralyse themselves from allowing us from walking any further.

Even though this can be a painful experience, once those very shoes have been worn-in and our feet have adapted to the soles of our shoes, a comforting journey begins until it’s time to toss the old shoes and set out looking for new ones.  And the experience begins all over again.

Life is like “walking-in” a new pair of shoes. It’s the journey and excitement of choosing the experiences which are best-fitting to our souls. It’s the pain of discovering that not all experiences are what we would like them to be and sometimes, in those unwanted moments, they leave behind blemishes which remind us to surge forward.

The excitement and joy of having found the perfect shoes that make our soles feel at peace reflect experiences that truly make us feel like it was worth coming through. These are the shoes that we would so badly like to hold onto even though we know that their trusty time has expired. We wish that we could relive these moments. These are the experiences that have changed us, molded us.

For those with no shoes on their feet, their raw soul has trampled and stumbled on more than those of us fortunate enough to wear shoes. Their soles are more developed, stronger and matured in a way that protected soles would never be.  Their soles are to be admired because their experiences are heightened in an even more complex way.

 Even though some might wear expensive shoes and others might wear cheap shoes; some might wear high heels and some might wear flats; some prefer bright-coloured shoes whilst some prefer plain; our feet may even be walking in polar directions but we all share common ground. We feel hurt when are trampled upon, we feel abandoned when we are stranded, we feel joy when things go our way and we feel at peace when we are loved.

All of our soles seek the need to be taken care of. Pedicure, soak and treat your soles to a worthwhile existence. Dress up, glam-up but always remember to remain grounded at the core of your soul. Walk in such a way that others follow the shadows of your footprints. Leave behind admirable footprints which serve as a reflection of your soul. Let those shoes be like fossils that no sole is too big or too small to fill.  

Hearts against Guns... How EQUAL are we?

If my heart was pushed with a gun, how genuine would my smile be? Soldiers patrolling and their guns as necklaces hanging around their chests. Innocent eyes behold the weapons which force a country to be kept intact. Those innocent eyes behold the violent measures used for man's greed for power and money. And even in those moments, those soldiers refuse to hide their guns from children's sights. My heart storms with sadness at how hearts need to fight against guns. How fair is that? How fair would it be if I asked you to take the physical organ of your heart out of your body and ask it to defend you, to protect you? A man stands with his gold around his neck, ready to fire at his own command versus a man with dry hands and his heart beating frantically within his own skin. Does the word UNEQUAL come to mind yet? If that shiny harm was removed from his neck will he fight with his bare hands MAN-to-MAN? FIST-to-FIST?

If the word UNEQUAL has come to mind then would it surprise you that those very hearts against guns are humble. That come what may they persevere against all odds and above all they believe in God as their only means for survival. That come what may they say: "algamdoelillah" and they are at peace. Like a sleeping giant,  victory awaits them. You can see it in their patient eyes, the battle grounds aren't what the soldiers think it is. It never was. The soul has been battling long before their feet hit the ground of the very country they force to kneel to them. Somehow the plot was lost along man's cloudy needs for his power-thirsty ambition. He drains from a country which somehow he believes he owns.

Has God made any other human life's blood more special than the next? Does one individual's family mean more than the next? Just think: If one individual stands up for his family because he believes that danger cannot stain his family, how can he snatch the life of another's? What does it take for the soul to gaze with hatred towards a life he doesn't know and at the same time: What makes him think that his gun can claim that life at his will?

My heart against a gun. Your heart against a gun. Let us count the ways we would falter. Courageous and brave: People of Palestine. Patient and enduring: People of Palestine. Ultimately victorious: People of Palestine. Whether a situation is good or bad, it's taken in their stride: People of Palestine. A butterfly flaps its frail wings against a gushing wind as the fierce storm reels it in. The storm calms and the butterfly conquers the storm. Imagine that. With God anything is possible.