13Apr 2015 by CJ

Keeping up appearances for the benefit of strangers

Life & Living, Youth
When I was in my 20’s, my physical appearance was very important to me. After all, we live in a society that often judges a person based more on what they look like, rather than who they are. With puberty plumping me up like the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man, rendering me incredibly insecure, I became self-conscious when it came to my appearance – even after I eventually trimmed down. But today, at the age of 40, my perspective on so many things in life has drastically changed. The other day was the first time I actually stopped myself and said, “I’m okay with the way I look now.” Yes my hair is greying (though I’m happy it’s still up there); yes I could stand to probably lose a few pounds…
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10Apr 2015 by CJ

Technology and anxiety – an unnecessary stress

Life & Living, Youth
In the April 2015 issue of Marketing News, there ran an article entitled Digital Disruption and the Death of Storytelling. Penned by Molly Soat, it featured professor and media theorist Douglas Rushkoff, and his thoughts on human connections in our personal lives, our businesses and our governments. One question asked of Rushkoff was: Q: What are the dangers of leading people into certain behaviors with digital technology? His response is an eye-opening revelation many of us probably never think about. “A: It’s dangerous for people, for companies and for governments alike. It’s dangerous for people in that they end up in an always-on, constantly pinged reality. They end up living to catch up with their Twitter feeds and their Facebook news, and all of the e-mails and phone calls, and…
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08Apr 2015 by CJ

Time means different things depending on age

Life & Living, Youth
There are 24 hours in a day; seven days in a week; 365 days in a year. Yet quite ironically, we still never seem to have enough time for everything life demands of us. The late Malcolm Forbes once comically quipped, “There is never enough time, unless you're serving it.” I remember as a young boy, time seemed infinite. Even when I was attending college, juggling my courses, extracurricular activities and an internship, I somehow managed to find time for everything. But today with each passing year, I find it more and more difficult to find the time required for not only the things we need to do but the things we want to do. I hear myself continuously saying, “I’ll make time tomorrow.” Sound familiar? My greatest fear however,…
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23Mar 2015 by CJ

Old photographs are a treasure chest of memories

Life & Living, Love & Relationships, Youth
I’m sure we all have them – photographs of ourselves taken by semi-professional photographers chronicling our outward progression in life. For most of us they were taken in school, or at the local Sears store - posed perfectly for grandparents everywhere to proudly display in ornate frames around their house. In my basement lives an old shoebox my mother bestowed upon me. Inside are years of such photographs - haphazardly arranged with no real order. Looking at them now is laughable from the fashions I wore, my bowl haircut or those awkward pubescent years I wish I could forget. But beyond all the poses lives something I consider infinitely more important. Real-life, casual pictures capturing moments we oftentimes forget. They’re snapshots of reality – holidays and birthdays, fun times swimming…
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09Mar 2015 by CJ

Let go of the past – it’s merely something that happened

Life & Living, Youth
Some nights it can be difficult to quiet the mind. To silence a host of random thoughts, which prevent us from enjoying a night of uninterrupted sleep. Such was the case last night. After doing a little reading, my eyes grew heavy and I hoped I’d soon be drifting off to sleep and staying that way until the alarm went off the next morning. But after about an hour or so I found myself restless – lost in a never-ending stream of subconscious thoughts about the past. Some were memorable - others were not. The majority seemed to hover in a grey area of neutrality. All in all I was unable to clear my mind of the constant distractions swirling around inside my head. When I did finally fall asleep…
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