Real British!

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Want to read (more of) my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon

Meditation

These days I meditate a lot.
More than I used to.
Twice a week I close myself off for the outside world,
fill my water bottle, get some tissues ready because you never know, feed the cat, get in a comfortable position
and close my eyes for some twenty minutes.

Breathing in through the nose, slowly exhale through the mouth.
Just me and my breath. Just being. There, here, now.
Everything else fades to the distance.
Except that sometimes it doesn't and I feel restless,
bored even, not being able to ignore the neighbour drilling a hole in his wall, the clatter of kitchenware through an open window of one of the people in my block. Feeling slightly frustrated. Maybe angry. And that's okay too.

See, feelings are not human so you can't attribute human emotions to them. Some make you feel at peace, some crank up the rhythm of your heart, some are painful. But what is 'bliss'? Annoyance? Pain? Or even 'happiness'? Are those feelings we are taught? If we'd let go of everything we are taught about feelings ('Oh, you fell down the stairs so you must be in pain!' 'Your girlfriend left you for another woman? What you feel now must be heartache!''You failed a test? Aha, you're frustrated!')...

What if we'd let go of all those - no doubt well intended - teachings and actually allow ourselves to feel and let those feelings be what they are: feelings? And simply acknowledge them?

Then I open my eyes, take a deep breath and a large gulp of nice cold water (and sometimes empty the half full bottle over my head), stretch my limbs, shake my head and slowly take in my surroundings. Often I see my cat. At my feet. Awake. Starring at my phone that shows a friendly face guiding me through the meditation. Or simply staring at something that I'm not aware of. That's fine.

I also see a little diffuser (an even tinier rubber penguin just in front of it), filled with a bit of water and a few drops of lavender oil, eucalyptus or whatever I sense is right for me and my breath at that particular moment in time.

A friend asked: 'Do you meditate with your eyes open?' And I replied:

Do you meditate (pray, burn a candle for a loved one, send out good thoughts to a people in turmoil, close yourself of with help of headphones, listening to gentle music)?

Care to share your experiences? It's okay if you do. It's okay if you don't. It's okay, it's okay.

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Want to read (more of) my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon

Blind Poet (a poem)

Left with the remnants of a special night
she dared not dream
of what might have happened
if their paths hadn't crossed
and she'd taken a turn
that would have led
to uncharted futures
with adventures
that would have made her feel unsettled
without knowing why
she felt an inexplicable sense of urgency
(without knowing that was because
they were not jointed)
trying to find a reason
for the things she wanted to do
while being in love
with a blind poet

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Want to read (more of) my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon

On social distancing and bullies

Social distancing because of the pandemic labeled 'corona' brings out the best in people. And the worst. People walking the dog of a neighbour who sits at home with signs of corona, whole neighbourhoods with people standing on balconies, singing the same song simultanously, people who bring food to doctors and nurses who work around the clock to help the sick, et cetera.

On the other side of the human spectrum there are US senators who made a quick buck by selling stocks just before the market collapsed, knew it would happen but kept the public uninformed, government officials that take in protective gear delivered at the border and sell it to private companies who in turn sell it at huge profits to the highest bidding states and simple thieves and crooks who take money promising to deliver face masks they never had.

Grown men punch 12-years old girls in the face in the supermarket 'because that's not a meter and a half, kid!' and use 'Yeah, but she wasn't practicing social distancing, police officer. I only did my duty as a concerned citizen.' (Maybe she wasn't. But you are an agressive bully who deserves to spend a few months showering with 'real' agressive criminals in jail. 'xcuse me, young miss. Could you please step away from me a little? Thank you! By the way: I think it's great you get your grandma her groceries!' would have sufficed. That's the adult way. Your way is the way of the schoolyard bully.)

The behaviour of these police officers (click) and this one (click) reminded me of 'Die Welle',

a gripping story (click here to see the American remake) about a social experiment in which a teacher shows his pupils how easy it was for Hitler to make people turn on their friends, how a rather docile kid can simply be molded into a weaponized piece of walking propaganda and a downright bully.

Above mentioned police officers used the corona-measures as an excuse to behave like a neo-nazi: intimidating and threatening people. Now they've shown their true nature I sincerely hope they get fined and fired.

Want to read (more of) my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon

In Heaven (a poem)

The sound of your voice
speaking my name
speaking of consideration
for my feelings
without actually showing it.

You allowed me to watch
how you moved
under my touch
as you determined the rythm
as we rode to hell
and you decided
to try a shortcut

and ended up in heaven

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Want to read (more of) my short stories?
My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon

Phantom of the Opera

How the lead singer of a Goth Metal band and an opera singer get together for a beautiful version of 'The Phantom of the Opera'. Here are Floor Jansen of Nightwish and Henk Poort:



'That's what we call singing, my darlings!'



Want to read (more of) my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon

It's okay (a poem)

Broken glass on the floor,
a toppled chair
and an aimless bottle.

Feeling like an unfinished drink.

A young fellow
lies on the floor,
a skateboard
clutched to his chest.

Music that was last performed
before his parents' first kiss
on the turntable
blasting from outstanding speakers
and talks about existence,
the meaning and loss of life and love.

It’s okay, dude, it’s okay.

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Want to read (more of) my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon

Their own Right (a poem)

Children's laughter
interrupts the story.

The storyteller laughs
and continues his tale
of a journey without heroes.

The listener remembers
he left home in a hurry
and may have left
some shavings in the sink.

They agree
all stories are true
in their own right.

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Want to read (more of) my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon

Moment in Time (a poem)

She knew how to knit words
into the perfect sweater that he loved to feel wrapped in.

Feeling assured they knew nothing could touch them
in this David Lynch movie they used to call life.

Simultaneously being afraid to touch and to be touched
they chuckled and snivelled at their fears
and unexpressed desires.

With all her fragility
she was the strongest person he knew
and he wanted to know more about her
but his brain kept him away
from the right questions to ask.

That was all right
because he liked the feeling
of his brain jumping around
from the sheer joy of shared occurrences.

And thus they proceeded, not knowing where what would end
but relishing the future memory
of a magical moment in time.

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Want to read (more of) my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon

Climate change! A hoax?

There was this story (click) that says climate change is not caused by human behaviour: 'Even NASA admits it!' Of course the story was shared multiple times. But 'not by mainstream media!'. The story was written by Mike 'The Health Ranger' Adams, owner of https://www.healthrangerstore.com/ (Don't click! The site will try to convince you (in a very intrusive way with lots of pop-ups.) to buy products you really don't need but will think you do.). For 'only' 30 US dollars you can buy 680 grams of Flax Milk Powder. Flax milk is a cow-milk substitute for people who are lactose intolerant and is plant-based. But other than that not actually healthier than cow milk. Besides that you can make it yourself at home for a fraction of the cost.

His website (click) attracts 7 million visiters a months (what was the definition of 'mainstream media' (click) again?) and Adams has been described as a 'snakes-oil salesman' who gives sick people hope while making money from their gullibility. He has claimed to be against 'people who profit from selling food and medication like 'Big Pharma' ('Big Pharma' defined as 'charlatans who sell drugs that will not make people healthier but often makes them sick and is only out for financial profit by misleading the public!') but has absolutely no problem making a profit himself with selling products with almost zero proven positive effect on the human health.

Mike Adams really is someone with lots of marketing tricks up his sleeve, dating back to the 'Y2K' scare. Meaning that with cleverly placed tags and scare tactics he redirects his readers to one of his other over eighty websites where they can 'read more on this subject!' and in the end somehow leading to his webshop where you can buy tin foil hats organic foods, oils and vitamins. All 'lab tested!' but never mentioning who performed the test, how it was performed and what the outcome of the test was. Although most of those products won't hurt you (except in the wallet) you can often create the same state of health by sleeping properly, exercise more, eat less fast food and eat oranges in stead of Oreo's.

He also seems to advocate 'total transparency!' but as to this day it is unclear in what year mister Adams was born, or what methods his lab uses to test his own 'Health Ranger' products.

But millions of people believe him, stating that 'because he had to retract many of his articles because people who followed his fake instructions got sick, proves he is trustworthy!' 

Mike Adams just posts anything that's populair amongst his milk cows followers to get them to click links on his various websites. His followers are anti-vaxxers? So is he! His followers are against Mexican immigrants 'because they bring diseases because they refuse to get themselves and their kids vaccinated!' Mike says so too!

And yes, friends of mine are falling for this type of charlatan and buy his words and products.

Like the story this post started with: 'Yes, I know it's debunked, NASA never said that (click) and Mike obviously lied to mislead his followers and trick them into making him money. But what if it is true anyway?'

They base themselves on their 'gut feeling': 'I think we can't know for sure. Many scientists disagree. Do not listen only to the ones who are on the payroll of governments through subsidies. We can only feel what makes the most sence and to me it does not make sense at all that climate change is our fault.'  

By 'gut feeling' people really mean a link on Facebook directing them to articles written by self-declared health rangers (click).

What seriously baffles me is: How can people who spend 60 hours a week reading fake news stories, listen to fake news pod casts, share fake news Facebook posts, watch fake news Youtube videos and watch fake news television claim they 'don't have time' to do a two minute Google search?


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God will protect us from the virus!

'God will protect us from the virus! If you got it, you obviously didn't pay your favourite evangelical enough money to send you his prayers' https://buff.ly/2xKYLiV

With if God send the virus to rid the world of hypocritical lying religious zealots?

In Israel Orthodox Jews make it harder for the government to contain the coronavirus. They refuse  to practice social distancing claiming 'religious freedom'. Does that freedom give them the right to endanger others?

Of course this doesn't mean religious people are stupid per sé but it's a proven fact that when you talk to dumb people a surprising number of them calls him or herself  'religious'.

Not only religious fanatics spread fake news about the Coronovirus but even presidents and newspapers think it's a great idea (Click) to act like life-endagering racist idiots. Those newspapers and presidents don't lose their followers en masse. And that's what really bothers me.

Or perhaps the virus is punishment for people who eat animals:

Want to read (more of) my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon