Life in the Philippines

On By rsnoelIn Blog Posts, Online Journal Entries, Realism Posts, Uncategorized3 Comments

Recently, while I was in my Economics 102 class; my professor was discussing the time she spent in the Philippines with her family for 2 months during the summer of her Sophomore year transitioning to her Junior year of college. This was a part of our lesson on differing “economic growths” amongst countries. She was telling us that she had always been interested in listening to the news and also reading news articles on global affairs. This would certainly be a lesson I never forgot.

Certainly then, she must have expected that her trip to her family’s home country would be one of interesting encounters and experiences.

She told us that the moment they landed in Manila (the capital of the Philippines), her family and her could already see the heavy military presence roaming throughout the airport and the streets of the capital city. She remembered vividly picking up a newspaper during the walk, and reading about some governmental issues that were growing worse by the day.

This experience she had, happened in 2011-2012. Certainly, times in the Philippines have changed since then. In some ways, life in the Phillipines has become similar to life in the U.S., in that the economy is lagging a bit, and many working-aged individuals are finding it increasingly difficult to find permanent and somewhat consistent work.

At any rate, she remembered also reading about the drug problem the Philippines was faced with; and how the government was dealing with it. In truth, the government in the Philippines was dealing with this problem in a rather “direct” manner. The military had been given orders by the then-President Benigno Aquino III. He had told the military to “gun-down” any drug trafficking going on, and any drug users caught in the act.

Certainly, this kind of dictation of extreme orders was not taken lightly. It was seen as quite the upset throughout the Philippines. Many people understood that the implications of such a serious mandate.

In time, my professor saw both the good and the bad side of the Philippines. She remembers fondly though on the good; and reminisces on how the people in her family’s home village were always working hard, always finding meaning in their familial lives, and always willing to help a stranger out in need of aid. She remembers how connected she felt with these people, and how she even enjoyed having to go to the local village’s “water pump” to gather buckets of water for her family and neighbors. She felt as though she had a deeper connection with not only her family, but her community as well. To be looked up and praised by the elders and the children was something she remembers with a kindred heart.

Perhaps the lesson in her time living in the Philippines, is that she finally understood what it meant to live a life full of purpose. You see, even though we are certainly blessed in the states with the possible opportunities we may achieve; we are severely lacking any concrete community throughout our towns, our cities, and even our homes. There is a lack of deeper purpose, even though we may hate to admit it. Though America may have more security in terms of job prospects (even though it is quite low in security if you think about it), it doesn’t necessarily equate to happier lives. Of course, no country is perfect, and in these times of darkness, we must choose what we desire more.

That’s why there’s that old saying: “Would you rather be dirt poor and have all the unconditional love in the world? Or, would you rather be filthy rich and miserably lonely?” It’s a question we must all ask ourselves at different stages of our lives. I believe people, for a time, choose to be filthy rich; and then when they have invested some of their hard-earned money into long-term assets (for their personal income, that is), then they choose to work lower-demand jobs so that they can focus on what really matters in their lives: their family.

You see, life in the Philippines may not be anywhere near as “economically productive” as America, but let’s face it: America and the other 1st world countries are losing their “well-paid” workforce at a faster rate than ever imagined. We are, in some regards and respect, seeing a workforce which is paid lesser and lesser with every passing year. The quality of living is certainly still high in comparison to a lot of economically impoverished countries such as South Sudan, Venezuela, and countless others; but we cannot be so foolish enough to think we are “above” the competition. We are certainly like any other country, susceptible to loss and growth. No matter what happens though, we must remember that we are all a part of a community.

Of course, I also understand the other side of the argument. Many people may not feel aligned with this kind of thinking – and for good reason on their behalf. Competition in the job market is fierce; beyond any reasonable or rational demand. It’s quite disheartening to know that we are forever-competing against our fellow men and women. It leaves little-to-no-room for sympathy or compassion. In fact, it creates an environment of blood-thirsty psychopaths who understand all-too-well the alternative fate. Life is not all peachy after all; and some truths are better left unspoken.

So with that stated, I will end this post on a happier note. Remember, no matter your current situation or plight; you and I understand that what truly matters in the end are the memories we create in this lifetime. It is about the hard work we put into creating a life worth living; not about the hard work alone. Life is about making the best of the cards you were dealt from the beginning. No matter what you go through, remember that at the end of the day – you must sleep with the knowledge of your actions. Because in truth, nobody in the world is a winner. The only “winners” in life, are those who understand the importance of love and growth; who understand that pettiness are just a past-time of wasted energy and wasted potential.

Whether you choose to be economically strong or to be surrounded by people who truly love you; life is but a stage upon which we all play a part in. Don’t lose sight of what you truly desire in life, and remember that you must make necessary sacrifices in order to attain any semblance of economic riches and glory. But in the end; was it worth it all? Was that success worth the otherwise love and compassion you would have otherwise felt if you worked hard and led a life full of humbleness? The answer is different for every human being, and thus, only you and God alone must make that decision. Whatever you do, know that none of us leave this world without a few scars here-and-there. May your day be one of good intentions, for the light of night is upon us once more…

Forever in Your Debt,

R.S. Noel

 

Source of picture: (click me to view photo credits!)

Update on Life Thus Far!

On By rsnoelIn Blog Posts, Online Journal Entries, Realism Posts, Uncategorized9 Comments

Hey everyone, it’s R.S. Noel, here with a brief update! I hope you’re having a good day so far! It’s nice to finally get some time to catch up on what some of you guys have been up to lately; especially since I don’t have much of a social life anymore (thanks to school and work and YouTube and my dog and this and that…lol). At any rate, life after the holiday seasons seems to be the time of the year where we all transition back into our normal, daily habits (for better or for worse). It’s the time when we begin to fall back into our habits and also when we begin to break our “New Year’s resolutions”. Because let’s face it, only a small portion of people actually believe in New Year’s resolutions. If you really want to accomplish a goal, you’ll do it whenever the time arrives for you to make a decision.

With that stated; I’m sorry for being away for such a long time. College is kicking into high(er) gear and I’ve found myself swamped with my projects and assignments. I just took my Econ 102 Exam #1, and believe I got somewhere between a 96%-99% on it (UPDATE: I got an 86% lol, so much for the overconfidence xD). Of course, we’ll just have to wait and find out what I really got on it. Perhaps my professor will have it ready for us by tomorrow, but I doubt it since we just took it on Thursday. I already checked online and she hasn’t been able to update the grades yet; so my best bet is that she’ll have it up by tomorrow or Wednesday (U.S./Pacific Time).

(Also; side note! I’ve seen some success on YouTube lately, and thought of sharing it with you. So you can click anywhere on this sentence and it’ll take you to one of my more “popular” videos on my channel!)

Aside from Economics 102, I had two quizzes in my Accounting 120 class (computerized accounting), and got a 12/13 on the first one, and a 13/14 on the second one. There’s always a trick question on each quiz, so it really does add a layer of attention-to-detail to it. Not my favorite aspect to the quizzes, but nevertheless, I haven’t let that annoy me too much. In fact, I find that it helps me to realize what I’m missing whenever I’m looking at data sets or just questions in general when regarding QuickBooks or any other “basic” type of accounting system.

At any rate; when I’m not at school I’m most likely at work. I work only Fridays, Saturdays, and some Sundays at my place-of-employment (a boutique-like coffee shop). That definitely works with my schedule (It helps, because next semester I’ll be taking my last Economics class: Economics 101: Microeconomics, and I’ll also be taking my last novice Accounting class: Accounting 102: Managerial Accounting.) Not to mention, I’ll also be taking Business Law I (which is BUSAD 120) and and Written Business Communication (which is BUSAD 106). Both of those classes are “Business and Administration” classes (or as most college students abbreviate it to be: BUSAD). Luckily, I’ll be focusing almost entirely on Accounting/Financing/Computer Science once I transfer out of my community college to my CalState for my “Upper Division” requirements).

I suppose that leads me to what my major and minors will be. I’m majoring in Accounting; and double-minoring in Finance and Computer Science. In this day and age, you can never be “too-educated” or skilled. It seems like the job market is ever-the-competitive.

Now that all of that nonsense is out of the way; I did want to let you know that I have about 12 articles in reserve. They need a lot (and a mean A LOT) of reviewing and editing though before I even think of letting them lose into the wild known as the Internet. Again, sorry for the lack of content on the blog/website. I haven’t had any time at all to really just sit down and relax. However, I will try and find the time in the near-future (realistically, I should have some more time perhaps this weekend; and also some free time in about 2-weeks from next week). With that stated, if my schedule is freed up for this weekend, I’ll be dedicating it to primarily just editing my content here on the blog;  and also uploading another video to my YouTube channel.

Thank you to those who have decided to stick it out here on my blog/website; I can only promise you that I’ll have the next couple of articles (about 4-6) up within the next 3 weeks. After that, I have a week off (so I should be able to upload 4 in one week; and also write some more posts/articles in reserve). I can tell you right now that one of my articles in the editing process is about the Philippines and the social environment that’s currently been changed thanks to the President of the Philippines. Some of you may already know what I’m talking about, but I thought I’d just give you all a little hint.

Well, that’s all that’s really going on in my life at the moment. I’ll keep you guys posted periodically; but for now, I’ll be going back to studying and doing some more small projects here-and-there. You can expect the next post/article to be up by this weekend. Again, I appreciate all of the patience and support you’ve given me over the last couple of weeks. College is really crazy and hectic, but in the end- I’ll be better at networking and finding opportunities wherever they exist. No matter how hard it is for me to get through any obstacles, I know I can let my work ethic speak for itself. With that said, I will speak with you guys again in the future, till then ~

Forever in Your Debt,

R.S. Noel

Source of picture: (click me to view photo credits!)

A Truth Unspoken

On By rsnoelIn Blog Posts, Online Journal Entries, Realism Posts, Uncategorized5 Comments

Hey everyone, it’s R.S. Noel here hoping you had a fantastic New Year’s Day! Just a couple of small updates before today’s post (or re-post as it were). I’ll be in school throughout January and the first week of February taking my Economics 102 class and my Accounting 120 course as well. The winter semester begins on January 8th and ends on February 8th. It’ll be an intensive 1-month long semester (but I’ve done it 3 times before, twice during the winter semester, and once in the summer semester). Moreover, I’ll be working only weekends at my job – so that time will likely be when I get to upload some of my newer posts. For now, however, I should still be able to upload at least 2-4 posts a week (depending on the severity of the projects in college and what not).

And if you haven’t already checked out my revamped YouTube channel, here’s a link to view some of my recent uploads (I mainly upload compilations of funny videos on the internet, so if you’re in need of a good ol’ laugh, come check it out :).

With that stated, I wanted to share this post I had uploaded a while back. I decided to repost it because I felt like it was relevant to the times we live in. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!:

 

I feel myself steadily slipping into the abyss of life. It’s a great feeling really, I feel as though I’ve finally begun to see people for who they really are; for both the positives and negatives. It’s as though there’s a whole other world out there with endless possibilities, yet it’s a hidden realm. For the reality of our lives, are that we’re faced with adversity and obstacles at every turn. It’s a world riddled with riddles and marred with the inevitability of the world’s reality.

You see, there are numerous ways a person’s day could go. The probability that it could all end today is a very real reality. Yet that’s what makes life so enticing and enthralling, the rush and thrill of the chase, of the unknown variables lurking and hiding just beyond the bend. It’s one of the greatest things about life. There’s a sort of maddening sense of things to come, yet nothing ever does come. It’s a feeling of a new day arriving, and it fact, that new day does finally arrive – but not the way you would have expected it to.

There are times in which I wonder if life really is all about the small details. Perhaps it is, perhaps I’ve been living life all-wrong. I’ve always looked for the bigger picture, the grand opportunity to grasp a hold of something in which I know very well could be out of my humanly grasp. Yet I reach out to it nevertheless; knowing full well the risks and possibilities of it all coming down. 

Should we pick the pieces up? The pieces of our silently broken lives? Or, should we recreate a new self, in which we can try and attempt to fill the void of nothingness with senseless materialistic items which will never satisfy our true wants and needs in life. Of course I can go on and on, but I think it’s better to just assume that there are worse fates out there. Fates in which people must face their lives with humiliation and defeat, fates in which there are no possibilities for hope to grow again. It’s both a beautiful and cruel world. When one looks closer upon a second glance, they see the world for the first time ever.

So I’ll end with this: whatever you decide to do with your life, do it with full knowledge that you’re taking a leap of faith in risking it all. Do it wholeheartedly, and know that you won’t come out of this unscathed. Life has too many variables to consider after all, but if you consider them for too long, you’ll never get to living life.

 

Forever in Your Debt,

R.S. Noel

An Open Letter to the Universe

On By rsnoelIn Blog Posts, Online Journal Entries, Realism Posts, Uncategorized2 Comments

Hello world, it’s R.S. Noel just checking-in to see how things are going in the world currently.

I wonder…why are there so many possibilities? Why is there ab endless array of choices to choose from? There’s a bottomless list of items, destinations, and places I’ve yet to venture to – because, I’ve been so enraptured by the things I still feel are necessary to do before I ever get to that point in life. I’ve started so many things recently in my life, and oddly enough; I don’t feel overwhelmed this time around. I actually feel productive and ready to take on the world with all of its painful and glorious moments.

Feeling productive is certainly not the same as being enslaved by our limitless efforts to  find some semblance of peace in our lives; or is it? There are people who are less fortunate then me, and then, there are many other people who are more fortunate then us. I wonder, what is our lot in this life? To toil away for the rest of our days, to break our bodies down over time due to the natural progression of life? Certainly there is something more out there, or is there…?

Maybe it really is all about perspective. Maybe it truly does come down to “in the eye of the beholder.” Whatever each of us, on an individual level, seeks out in life will depend greatly on our secret wishes, dreams, and desires.

But then, there are those moments. Ah yes, those moments of complete and utter bewilderment, confusion, and delusion. I begin to feel myself slowly drifting off into nothingness, barely holding onto the single metaphorical piece of wood which accompanies me down this stream which leads to the vast unknown.

Oddly enough; in this moment of immense uncertainty, I feel more connected with the world and the universe then I have ever felt before. In this moment of absolute distortion and chaos, I see the world. I see what is and what was. I see the beauty of friendship and camaraderie grow like a wild rose in the plains of heaven. I see the injustice and cruelty of cold, callous hearts, and all of the injustices thrown onto the people of this physical world. I see the lines of society blur between the lines of humanity, for better and for worse. I see marriage between two souls forever intertwined in a moment of inescapable blessings and curses. I see the mingling of darkness veiled within the expanse of light. I see the truth, no matter the mood.

So I say on this finite note, the many esoteric words no other human dares speak.

Why are you willingly allowing the world to change who you are? Who are you even? You should be changing the world, not the other way around. There are no excuses, there are no good reasons. You must steady your hand and stand tall for what you believe in. Take your convictions and grow a garden of life, not of evil. Don’t be afraid of the darkness either, for both light and dark create the equilibrium of life. Always remember however, to tread carefully.

Lest you get lost in the void of no-return. Then, and only then, will you forever lose yourself within the abysmal and unfamiliar darkness of surreal realities…

 

Forever in Your Debt,

R.S. Noel

 

Source of Photo (Click Me for Photo Credits)

Gaining New Perspectives in Life

On By rsnoelIn Blog Posts, Realism Posts, Uncategorized7 Comments

When you write, a lot of the times there are many different angles to look at any given situation you’re focused on. Whether you’re writing a non-fiction or fiction book, you’ll usually find yourself wondering which way is the best manner in which to start or view your topic of choice. It’s always important to see something from multiple viewpoints, you never want to look at a piece of writing and wonder what the purpose behind it is.

Yet this post isn’t about writing. No, it’s about the new perspectives gained through being more aware of your environment (both imagined and real).

Some of the best methods of gaining a new perspective in your life is to imagine what your own experience would be like in a different person’s position. Better yet, you can also imagine what the world must feel like on a daily basis. Just imagine what the life of a mouse must be like. Or even how the sound of a clock ticks while an empty house remains silent amidst a time of vast uncertainty. The possibilities are endless with this type of thinking.

There’s no end to creativity, the only limit is yourself. Never be too afraid, always question the validity of a person, a situation, or even the state of our world. The more you start to question, the more you begin to realize that everything in life is permitted. With this viewpoint, you can better understand a lot of the current world affairs in today’s globalized society.

A defining moment in any person’s life, is characterized by a sense of awakening, or even a sense of understanding herself/himself in the world and where they stand in it. It can be a truly humbling, and sometimes even terrifying, realization when you begin to understand and come to terms with a lot of the realities of our existence and what it even means to be human in this ever-changing environment. To grasp your own identity is the single best thing you can ever do, not only for yourself, but for those around you who truly love you and cherish you for who you are as a human being in the world.

On a more transparent note, I want to let you know, that perspective also helps you to heighten your sense of awareness of the crueler fates amidst our globalized world. Because in some manner, you will realize that even if you’re just one person in a sea of others, you can change the world (even if it is at a micro-level, it’s still very significant in the grander scheme of life). Your actions, especially during times of hardship and uncertainty in your society, can help to further strengthen the bonds and connections you have with those around you.

Perspective of different people, different life-forms, and different ideologies, is probably the best tool to have if you are a writer. You’re able to understand so many otherwise mysterious concepts in mainstream society. You’re able to better analyze why something happened, and the many different things that caused it.

It’s kind of like being a detective, but the only thing is, no one in the entire world knows you’re paying attention.

If you choose to be naïve or willingly ignorant, I cannot judge you. I used to judge people on being ignorant, back when I was a teenager. But now that I’m an adult, I’ve come to understand that everything (and I mean everything) has a reason for being the way it is; and those things don’t necessarily change as quickly as they should. Some things can stay the “same” for a very, very long time. Inevitably, however, things do change. Whether it be in minutes, hours, days, months, years, centuries, or a millennia – everything eventually succumbs to change.

I could go on, but my time is limited today. I have a lot of work to do, and so little time to finish it. If anything, I’ll leave you with one simple thought: hold the deepest parts of yourself close to your soul, but also let the world see a part of who you truly are. In this way, you can better build your own personality through the different tribulations and trials out there in our shared environment.

After all, we show only the parts of ourselves which we want the world to see. Ultimately, this is what makes perspective so fascinating and intriguing. Different perspectives are the only hidden truth worth discovering in this estranged and chaotic world.

Forever in Your Debt,

R.S. Noel

In Times of Darkness

On By rsnoelIn Blog Posts, Online Journal Entries, Realism Posts, Uncategorized3 Comments

Some days are more difficult than others; but I’ve recently discovered that no matter where you are in your life, you can always make the best of any situation no matter the adversity. After all, there’s no true end-goal in our lives; there are only opportunities to succeed or fail.

Hi everyone, it’s me R.S. Noel coming to you with another post, and today I’ll be discussing the amazing power within you and me.

In times of darkness, we can become more than just ordinary people. We are all incredibly talented in one way or another; and as human beings, we have the chance and opportunity to truly take what is ours. In this society driven by pure competition and favoritism; we as people can still find ways to make a difference in the world. We need 3 things: hard-work, opportunity, and luck. Even if people try to sabotage you in some way, or even if you feel under-appreciated in your work, or even if you think you’ll never succeed; the truth of the matter is that you have to try first in order to know what you can do to better your chances of success at whatever it is you’re actively working at.

I’ve realized at 24 years of age, that nothing is impossible. Truly nothing. You can quite literally materialize whatever you so desire into the real world without any opposition. One way or another, you will succeed – even if it’s not the way you had once originally envisioned it to be like.

I think the beautiful thing about life right now is that we’re living in a very unique period of vast-knowledge and also a time of grave uncertainty. It is a clash of both something good and something incredibly bad. Of course, that’s how life usually works. There must always be a Yang to every Yin. No matter how bad we want life to be this easy road to success, we have to remember that reality is much harsher than that. We must make sacrifices in order to achieve whatever it is that we want. We must also remember that we must put in the necessary time in order to make things work.

For example, my older brother who is just about to turn 31 years old, has had a plan set in motion since he was 20. He has already completed college with a degree in graphic designing. But he’s content with his job, which is working at the local supermarket. He has gained about 12 years already with his store, and he plans to retire from there and eventually find another job to coincide with his retirement checks from the supermarket. This is something that he has actively worked at and I am really proud of him. Of course, other people may see this as a failure, but I see it as an achievement. He’s part of a union, and he’ll likely never get fired or laid-off, so he has more security in his job than many other people his age. That is certainly something to be proud of, especially since we live in an age of massive instability.

I digress though, back to the main topic at hand.

In times of darkness, we are faced with a multitude of personal questions which we must answer in order to move ahead in our own lives.

Like; where do I want to be in 5 years? In 10 years?

What kind of lifestyle do I want to live by?

Do I want to be married and have kids one day soon? Or am I a free spirit who would rather travel around America or the world?

These are the kinds of questions we must all ask ourselves as we grow older and more aware of our own surroundings. Life has never been easy or simple; that’s the truth of it. That’s why every time I hear “why do humans have to make life so difficult” I merely laugh to myself in silence. Humans were meant to make life difficult. We aren’t a docile or even quiet breed of creatures. We are intelligent, proud, and even opinionated (some more than others). EVERYONE’s lives are difficult, no matter what kind of government system we have. no matter what societal rules we construct, and no matter what expectations we place on our people.

Life for humans was never designed to be “simple” or “easy”. It was created to be challenging. It was meant to be a life-or-death experience. It was meant to be cherished and scorned. Life for humans was meant to be a life-long journey wrought with happiness and pain all mixed together. To push ourselves further than we could ever imagine. Life is a roller-coaster with only one end, that being death. So you might as well get out there and take life by the horns.

Nobody will make that choice for you; only you can make those hard decisions in life yourself.

That’s what I think is a potential problem with our modern day society. Our parents, grandparents, etc., etc., have really coddled us into being “too soft”. Four years ago, I was a completely different man than I am today. Sometimes I can’t even begin to fathom how I used to be. I would have never survived in the world by myself if I never evolved and matured. And even still, I have much left to learn and grow from. That’s a natural process to life after all. If you try and stop the inevitable change from happening, than you’ll never be fully prepared for what life has to offer us.

In times of darkness, there are moments which escape us that can never be recalled again. If we let slip those opportunities of hardship, we may never grow if we don’t accept the challenges that await us on the other side.

I once dated a girl for 3 years who was older than me and was afraid to live life. She was shy, a bit on the quiet side, and wasn’t completely sure of herself. Rest assured, after the 3 years we were together, she had blossomed into a woman who was sure of herself and of her goals in life. She wanted to go to New York City and live there; she wanted to experience and learn new things in life beyond college since she finished. She wanted to become an active participant in her own life story. That’s what I love to see; growth. Even though it didn’t work out for us, and we had our differences, I’m still glad that I was able to get her out of her shell. Whoever ends up with her as a partner will be very lucky to have her. She was an incredible young woman, and had become very communicative and open.

Things happen in life; and as you go through changes in your own life, you’ll begin to see the differences around you. You’ll begin to see the many different possibilities out there for you to grab. You’ll begin to understand that you’re bound to make mistakes. More importantly, you’ll begin to appreciate living your life a little more than you might take for granted now.

Conclusively, I think it’s safe to say that you owe it to yourself to go do that thing you’ve always wanted to do. Start that project you’ve always wanted to finish; see where it leads you. Perhaps you’ve always wanted to travel yourself; starting making a financial goal for your traveling needs. It’s never too late to start something new; we as human beings are never done learning. We are ever-evolving and always learning new concepts, ideas, and truths. Don’t let the fear of failure overrule your desire to try something new. That’s the biggest issue in the world, and especially at a time of vast uncertainty as we’re currently facing in our world, there really is no better time to get started on your life then right now.

So go out there and make a difference, even if it’s a small one. After all, all great things in the world have relatively small and insignificant beginnings.

Forever in Your Debt,

R.S. Noel

Arkanim: Tales of the Enlightened Ones

On By rsnoelIn Blog Posts, Online Journal Entries, Realism Posts, Uncategorized3 Comments

Hello everyone! It’s me R.S. Noel coming to you with another post. For today, I’m going to make it short and also provide another excerpt from Arkanim: Tales of the Enlightened Ones. This is another work-in-progress book that I’ve been writing for a while now. To be honest, this is the very first work-in-progress book I had originally started on when I was young. But through the years, growing-up got the better of me, and I had put this story aside.

Now, however, it’s come into my life once again.

 

The following is a work-in-progress by me, R.S. Noel. I hold and maintain all the rights for the work presented below. Thank you for your interest and understanding. Enjoy!:

 

It was growing. All around her, she could hear the sounds of light footsteps, of silent windy whispers gliding through the jungle’s vines, of the many different sounds of nature that were now engulfing the foreigners. Rhea couldn’t distinguish between what noise belonged to a human and what noise belonged to the wild life of these unruly jungles.

There was no doubt in her mind that they were being watched closely, it was only a matter of time before something immensely uncertain happened.

Rhea could hear Merthus beginning to breath slightly faster now as the boy had undoubtedly noticed the subtle changes in the Flurrus Jungle as well. Rhea wished at this very moment that she could just comfort the small child, but she knew that it was hopeless to even pretend that everything was all right. She knew that they just needed to survive through this experience. Their lives had become nothing more than the basic instinct of survival. Nothing else mattered; just their willpower to make it out of this mess alive.

Moving a bit quicker through the narrow path they were walking upon, Rhea could tell that Zante was increasingly growing worried as he appeared to turn his head slightly left and right from time to time. Rhea knew that the man was surely trying to figure out if the hidden Urksinians were going to show themselves right now or not.

She knew now at this very moment that Zante Qitzo truly did care for their wellbeing. If Rhea had any doubts before, they were put to rest as her eyes maintained a steady gaze on the back of Zante’s head. This was the only thing that Rhea could manage to look at, as she feared trying to avert her gaze even slightly away towards the noises that were only continuing to grow around her. It would only serve to bring more trouble to them.

In the distance from this curving road riddled with dark soil, Rhea could see two large arching gates that were closed shut. She could not see beyond that point, as there appeared to be plenty of large vines and roots covering the otherwise visible sight of the village certainly behind the gates.

Some of Rhea’s hair covered her face lightly now, as a tailwind swept to the left side of her. She knew that this was no natural occurrence. Her eyes grew wide with fascination. Someone was running unimaginably fast now behind the veil of the thick jungle life to her left. Rhea did not dare to remove her hair from her face, as she now looked dead straight ahead without even entertaining the thought that she could look elsewhere. Her eyes were wide with paralyzed fear. She knew her inner fear was showing, and she cursed very silently underneath her breath as she wished for nothing else but to hide such vulnerable emotions.

It was without question that Rhea, Merthus, and Dasca were simply not welcomed here. Even before she had seen any of the Urksinians within the village of Kinkuly itself, Rhea was now starting to understand the workings of different people from different parts of the world.

As the group neared closer to the heavily vegetated gates that surely led into the village of Kinkuly, Rhea could see four guardsmen standing ever so silently amongst the vines. Rhea had not seen them before, and likely because they were wearing armor that was the same shade of green as the verdant gates. She was in awe at how unmoving they were, better than statues. Certainly the messenger that Zante had sent ahead of them had let these guardsmen know that they were nearing the village. And by they, Rhea knew she was thinking more along the lines of Dasca, Merthus, and herself.

Gorgirians were not exactly on friendly terms with Urksinians.

Rhea could feel the intensity of those behind her, as she momentarily shut her eyes to allow her fears to subside just a little more.

Then, that’s when it happened.

Jumping from the many trees that were grouped tightly together on both sides of the narrow path – came down about nine native Urksinians. They all appeared intimidating and full of untapped energy. Most of them were men, broad shouldered and towering in size. About two of them were Urksinian women, still equally intimidating with their bulging muscles and unfamiliar physiques.

Yet it was one of the Urksinian men that started to walk straight up to Zante that really caught Rhea’s fearful attention. This man had the broadest of shoulders amongst the newfound Urksinians, thick arms the size of tree trunks, and powerful legs that could likely crush even a newborn gorgus.

He landed squarely in front of Zante as he stared at the man with an unflinching gaze that appeared to bulge out with deep hatred. “Zante Qitzo…vena’lu hega nemno qora-dod belsion!” [Zante Qitzo…you’ve come back home with slaves in tow!].

Though Rhea had no idea what this unknown new man had just said, she could tell Zante was guarding any sign of emotions as he responded back clearly and with a deepened voice. “Jersde leme’neleno, cirlee; nem belsion.” [They are foreigners, guests; not slaves].

 

Forever in Your Debt,

R.S. Noel

 

Source of Photo: (Click Me to View Photo Credits)

A New Writer

On By rsnoelIn Blog Posts, Online Journal Entries, Realism Posts, Uncategorized5 Comments

To be a new writer is to be born into this world for the first time ever.

It is to experience the wonders of such light and dark places. It is a thrill, a wave of feelings and emotions which drown you until you are reborn again, over and over. The process never changes, and the feelings never fade away. Yet new emotions will always take over old ones; making your heart beat wildly with silent joy, with unheard excitement, with untold fears. It all builds up in momentum and tempo, as you begin your journey with gusto and zeal.

To be a new writer means to stumble and make mistakes. Mistakes, however, that need to be made. Because without mistakes, there is no progress. Without imperfections, you will never attain the true potential housed deep within your heart, soul, and mind. To stumble recklessly and with feverish devout, is to be a new writer.

To find your voice, and your path, is what makes us new writers.

To see other people for the first time; to really see them, is what makes us new writers. 

We may never meet, yet I feel as though I’ve known you my whole life. We share an interest, a singular experience known to us as writing. What makes us so unique is this experience alone. We are the scholars of the world, the educators of generations yet to come into existence, and the dreamers for those who are not fortunate enough.

We teach others what life is truly all about. To remind people that if we were to lose everything; society, materialism, structure – all that is left is us.

Us; who have felt naked and lost for centuries upon centuries.

Us; who have been misunderstood by those who are not in-touch with their human emotions and thoughts.

Us; the truth seekers of the very fabrications that make up our collective existence.

This is what it means to be a new writer.

It is, to be human.

This picture you see in the header, is the very same one I took one year ago when I embarked on my final journey to become a writer for life. I’ve never looked back since that day I made this singular promise with myself. Life has never been the same since then.

I can feel the sun’s rays falling on my shoulders as I make my way down this familiar path.

This place, which I will not name, is the single place I come to whenever I have the free time to do so. To be able to wonder and imagine all the different worlds and lives I can experience life through. To be lucky enough to see different people for who they truly are at the core of their beings. To find strange and quizzical creatures who have a mind of their own. The gardens I get to walk through are timeless, the forests I can explore with my imagination take me to places I never knew existed; and most importantly, the lakeside that resides in this mysterious place holds a special place in my soul.

I can only imagine what life would be like if I never began writing.

I would probably never know the true meaning of friendship, or the real depths of hard-earned love. I would have never sought out to make a difference in this sometimes very estranged world. I would have never felt the need to stop time in my life and truly work on the only thing that has ever held any relevance in the world of reality.

Because in the end, all that really matters is you and I.

Don’t you ever forget yourself, or the power you hold inside. Because at the end of the day, only our memories and emotions for those who have passed, and for those who have yet to come, are the only things in life worth fighting for.

Forever in Your Debt,

R.S. Noel

Photo credit: (picture taken by me)

An Ode to Her Soul

On By rsnoelIn Blog Posts, Realism Posts, Uncategorized30 Comments

The soul of her existence inspired life in me.

The energy of her presence reminded me of the true meaning of life’s quarrels.

Her unique aura reminded me of a time when chaos and harmony clashed together to create beautiful and wicked life as it once was before.

Her doubts and insecurities reminded me that we’re all just humans full of emotions which I may never fully understand and will never completely appreciate.

But my manhood is the compliment of her womanhood. Her soul is the Yin and my mind is the Yang. Her ethereal being is the light to my darker reality which I will never show her. Her blossoming life force is what attracts people to gather together and become happier. My life force reminds people of the necessary harshness of our natural world and order.

My coarse hands interlace with her soft and reassuring palms. Her existence is both significant to me and a nuisance. For she is both as necessary as the air we breathe; and ironically so, she is also the metaphorical pain in my heart reminding me that we must deal with emotions even if we wish emotions could just disappear.

Her emotional intelligence far exceeds my mathematical mindset. Her natural intuition senses things I’ll never see. In contrast, the man’s perception of the physical life we live will never quite phase her own life force. For her heart is beyond the physical manifestations of our being. Woman is not of bleak reality. No, she is of boundless creativity ready to burst open at the seams with unapologetic life.

Yet she also has a strange way of keeping me grounded when I begin to try and live past the physical manifestation of this existence. For I will never know the world a woman lives in; and I’ve accepted that I am okay with such a truth.

I will never know her secrets, her wisdom, her thoughts, or her own personal desires for a truly balanced life.

But in that same regard, she will never know the secrets I know, the adventures I go on, or the memories created. She will never know the many loves of my life. For even though she is a huge part of my life- she isn’t my entire life. I appreciate her existence and presence, but I also must have my own space just as much as she needs hers.

I feel selfish, and I wish I didn’t feel this way.

But life is about the golden memories we create, not the overarching society. It’s about enduring through the pains and heartache and remembering that as a man, I can’t afford to stop and remorse for lost loved ones.

For the same society that hinders her personal freedoms, also forbids my emotions and thoughts. For she may not realize it yet; but her existence far exceeds my own. She is the bearer of all human life, and I am merely a man. A man who can certainly do great things; but does not care for pandering to the society which holds us all back.

For I champion not my own success, but the success of brighter and smarter individuals. We are all faced with adversity, and in this ever-changing world full of automation and machine; I have reverted back to being human. I have been reminded of the true world of possibilities and imagination once again. It rests with humans, not with machines.

Through these last couple of years, I’ve come to realize that a woman’s life is full of so many interesting, sad, funny, horrifying, amazing, unique, and miscellaneous moments. Her existence is one of pure good and evil. She lives knowing the truth of our being, knowing that humans are her children to raise. To know that the world will one day take her children’s innocence away without her consent or forewarning. She knows that all of her loved ones will fade away, and one day, she will find herself alone and reminded of our boring, bleak, and uneventful reality.

But unlike man; she will also have her own secret memories to cherish forevermore through time immemorial.

And moreover, she still has purpose in her life. She will guide the hand of the misguided, the abandoned, and the forgotten. For she will remain steadfast in her judgment of what’s truly right and what is wickedly wrong. For even though my own judgment may be clouded by unchanging circumstances a man must go trough in his life; she will fight with a voice mightier than any lion; louder than any howling wind, and more potent than any poison. For her words sting the hardest, grow the thickest, and blossom the brightest. For she has a way with her presence that sways me to secretly believe her every word. Love has a funny way of blinding a man from otherwise obvious signs of danger or misgivings.

I know she will never truly understand a man’s world – but at the end of the day, as long as we both know that our love burns brightly in this small moment in time; then I can live with the fact that we may never see each other again.

My days are filled with meaning only because of her joy. My sorrows only exist because of her true and feigned emotions. My heart only beats due to the boundless love and bottomless anger she makes me feel at times. It’s passion, and I don’t know what I would do without her love. I would find another, and another, and another. For I could never live without a woman’s love. A woman’s love is the purest form of love there is in the world. She may not realize it right now, but her heart and her thoughts are what makes this world magical again.

We see eye-to-eye and understand that we will forever be at-odds. She understands we have roles to play; temporary parts to a fading play. She knows that this lifetime is short, so she makes the best of her days. I may have just realized my own mortality; but she knew of death the moment she realized she could create life.

I could go on about my admiration and amazement at woman’s existence; but I won’t. I know she understands our existential manifestation, and our never-ending love for passion. She knows man is nothing with woman, and in that same regard- even if she never voices it; she understands that life would be meaningless without man’s toil and aggression.

But in the end, when the curtains of this fading play finally drape down at the end; I will die knowing that I’ll never find another one of her. She was my first love, and she’ll forever be my last.

 

Forever in Your Debt,

R.S. Noel

 

Source of photo: (click me to view photo credits!)

Mythos of Azernos (Poetics 1)

On By rsnoelIn Blog Posts, Greek and Roman Mythology Inspired Epic, Online Journal Entries, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Accompanying music to listen to while reading the excerpt: (click me once you’ve put on your headphones and are ready to read some more of this epic known as the Mythos of Azernos)

Warning: Content may be graphic for younger readers, discretion is strongly advised

Inspiration: The sometimes absurd, outlandish, crazy; yet vastly entertaining Greek/Roman Mythologies of the ancient world.

 

Poetics 1 (Excerpt from Mythos of Azernos)

“Captain, we’ve lost the citadel!”

“We must pull back, we’ve soon to lose the entire city!”

As the crisscrossing Athenian soldiers spun around to face the new threat from behind them, they soon thereafter faced their death as a huge eruption exploded right in front of them.

An unseen bomb had fallen through the night sky from a gliding airship above. It had landed with a devastating blow to all the soldiers and innocent bystanders still amidst the City of Athens.

This sprawling ancient city was slowly beginning to become overrun by technological weapons and the humans from high-above; the Heaven-bound humans, as they had been labeled so long ago. As such, the Earth-bound humans were no match for their opposition.

Yet unbeknownst to either side of this deathly war; the gods and goddesses were also fighting throughout the battlefield amongst their mortal counterparts.

A few thousand yards behind the now two deceased Athenian soldiers; was Goddess of Opportunity and Prosperity – otherwise known as Change.

She had transformed herself into a mortal man. As strange as this transformation had been, Change had disguised herself well enough – for no mortal eyes could ever see her true form.

She had moved upon the battlefield in this disguise for quite some time, as she made her rounds in protecting any such soldier who was unfairly outnumbered; comforting any such souls who were to pass onto their eternal slumber; and guiding those who yet still had a fighting chance to survive in this lifetime. Unfortunately for her though, her ruse wouldn’t last for much longer.

For truth be told, she was not the only immortal upon this field of drylands and dead bodies.

For opposing her at this very moment, was both War and Death. War was God of Discarded Life. He was a god worth a million tales and feared by many mortals and immortals alike. Having seen every battle conceivable to man and woman; he had plagued the lives of so many innocent souls throughout the eons. But perhaps the most disheartening actor to come onto the scene of this newfound and unfolding situation, was that of Death. Death was the Goddess of Tainted Souls; for she was precise in her extraction of any mortal life. Though she feigned a false sense of sorrow, once she had her prey within her grasp, Death was as wicked and mischievous as any god or goddess. She never left any opportunity open for Change to intercept her actions; for Change and Death were sworn enemies.

“Well, well, well – it appears the lonely Goddess has come out to play now?” Death stared curiously at Change as she spoke these haunting words with relative ease and comfort.

Change, not one to buckle down from mere emotions, slowly begun to revert back into her true form. All the while, Change had grasped her Spartan’s sword tightly in her right hand and tightened the hold on her Aspis shield in her left hand. “You think your words have any meaning to me? You’re a fallen Goddess; Death. You live amongst the darker side of Utopira now. Nothing you say or do will ever matter to me anymore!”

Change was getting heated up, as she felt her immortal blood boil for just a mere second.

War remained silent as he readied his large battle ax. Yet he did begin to walk towards Change as he grunted shortly with unknown displeasure.

But as the God of Discarded Life came ever the closer to Change; something was different about him now. War now slowly bellowed out in full-rage as he began to rush towards Change ever-the-faster. Change, not one to be clumsy; was quick on her feet as she leaped out of War’s way just in time to counter-strike War’s bulky head-on attack.

Spinning around with ease, Change agilely leaped at War and struck him right in his left shoulder blade. Temporary anger seeped through Change’s face as she glared at War with a knowing stare. Change knew War was the reason Death had left the ranks of the holier gods and goddesses.

Change could hear a deep guttural laughter build up within War’s mighty chest, as he laughed at Change’s seemingly foolish endeavors to ward off their advances on her.

“You’ll never learn Change! You’ll never see the truth of our shared dilemma. We’re living through troubling days full of dangerous possibilities. Yet you have still not realized the truth of Judgment’s call!”

Change stuck her sword even deeper into War’s shoulder blade as War let out a deep roar of pain. Responding to War’s forward comment, Change glared daringly at the hefty man in disgust. “What gives you the right to change such a fate? Whatever Judgment rules as fair and morally right shall eventually come to pass!”

Before War could say anything in response, Death had glided silently behind Change and was about to stick in her a small sword drenched in godly poison.

But just before Death could make another move, an arrow came whirling from behind Death and Change; just as War had turned around to face the two goddesses.

The direct arrow was followed by an unknown voice. “Watch your back, Death was upon you.”

Change leaped airily out of the way as she had quickly caught sight of Death’s poisoned drenched sword. She just barely dodged her foe’s otherwise swift move; thanks to her unknown ally.

Turning her head to where the unknown voice had originated, she could see that it was Risk, God of Fortuity.

Raising his angled bow once more, Risk aimed it right for War’s head now.

Letting his arrow fly valiantly through the winds, Risk closed one eye as he watched his arrow jettison through the air. Nothing in all of godly life made Risk more at peace with himself than his bow and arrows. He was a hunter by nature, ever the willing and hungry to capture his prey; no matter what side they were on.

As this was going on, Death smiled shortly behind her veiled mask. The Goddess of Tainted Souls knew when it was time for her to take her leave from a scene. And as such;  a dark swirling portal appeared beneath her feet at this very moment. 

Falling deep within the confinements of The Unknown, Death had just as readily left the battlefield as she had entered it.

The arrow, which had been let loose from Risk’s bow, had hit War directly between the eyes.

Change thanked Risk sparingly as she spun around to see War bellowing out his infamous cry of battle.

Enraged by the unexpected turn of events; War caused a rippling affect of unyielding aggression and deathly recklessness to befall any mortal who’s ears could hear his calling.

Change, not leaving anything to chance, took Risk’s hand and began to run at inhuman speed as both goddess and god made their way far away from this battlefield.

They were moving at the speed of light almost. Change could easily ride the rippling currents of winds better than any god or goddess in existence. She had found comfort in knowing this truth. For if there was anything Change had learned, it was that she could never trust War to be sympathetic – not even to his fellow gods and goddesses.

****

As this had been going on; on the opposite end of the battlefield – where the City of Athens was now in shambles and torn into millions of pieces, there were two other gods facing off with each other.

They were rivals since the day they had been born. Bad immortal blood had run deeply between their families, and even through the ages; these two gods were a testament of that deadly rivalry that had fostered between their separate families.

“You think Love has any such feelings for you? You think she even cares that you’re still among our ranks? Ha! You’re more of a fool than I had originally thought.”

“Our relationship is of no concern to you Triumph. Though she may very well be your sister, she is the light of my life!”

Opposing one another, Triumph, God of Victory; and Passion, God of Livelihood, were at adds with one another.

“Failure as always; even though you try so valiantly – you’ll never be god-enough to protect her. I won’t allow it my young, foolish lovebird.”

Triumph was instigating Passion, trying to coax some sort of slip-up.

For Triumph, this was merely his way of preparing for his eventual victory. To make his opponent second-guess himself and to make him mentally weaker than humanly imaginable. 

But Passion was not one to be taken down so swiftly. He was a god not taken to provocation so easily. He had learned his lesson long, long ago during the War of the Immortals. The very same catalyst that had caused the wide chasm of hatred between Passion’s family and Triumph’s own to grow wider and wider with every passing century.

As Passion remained silent, he readied his hidden daggers. He glared at Triumph with a cold, and somewhat blank, stare.

All the while, Triumph brought forth his spear. A mighty weapon if any. Even Passion knew that his opponent was well-beyond his level of battle expertise.

But Passion had one thing Triumph would never understand fully. God of Livelihood knew all the secrets of life. He knew every weakness, and every strength, to his opponent. Even if his opponent happened to be his lover’s older brother.

Moving in an almost-hypnotic dance of battle, both Passion and Triumph were now slowly maneuvering around each other with hidden honor.

But just as readily as the two Gods were matched to fight, the sound of rain began to echo throughout the ruined city.

From high-above, came the low, yet booming, voice of Judgment.

“Lay down your weapons. Neither of you belong here amidst the battlefield on this day.”

Triumph looked the most displeased as he maintained his steely gaze at Passion while simultaneously speaking firmly to Judgment. “Judgment – this isn’t your battle to interrupt!”

Without even another moment’s notice, the sound of a loud thudding noise was apparent as a huge boulder had fallen seemingly out of nowhere.

It nearly took out Triumph’s head. Passion had flew out of the way quick-enough to avoid an otherwise catastrophic; yet temporary, godly-end.

“Turn back now, else I won’t miss next time.”

Triumph; grunting with massive disapproval, took his leave as he turned-tail and rushed out of the scene. Passion, looking onward at his escaping opponent, sighed in silent relief as he grunted in small displeasure himself. Passion was not always so foolish as to believe every situation looked promising. He could be just as level-headed as any of the other gods and goddesses if he tried hard enough. And today was one such day in which he knew better.

*****

Change and Risk had made their way far away from the City of Athens. Change had taken them to the east-end of The Alps. Yet she was not out of breathe, for the immortals had more energy than any mere mortal could ever wish to harness in his lifetime.

Glancing over her shoulder, Change sighed with small relief as Risk questioned Change’s actions.

“You were suppose to be at The Banquet tonight? Yet you chose to disobey Judgment’s order. What of his wife, Intuition? Did you not think of helping her likewise? Surely she would have welcomed your presence. You know better than anyone else that she’s temporarily sick; as gods and goddesses are want to do from time to time.”

Change scoffed lightly as she looked out to the distance now. “You can’t assume every time Intuition falls ill, that I’ll be at her beck-and-call. Anyways, Honesty and Hope are by her bedside.”

Risk looked somewhat suspiciously at Change as he questioned her motives. “Surely it was at your behest?”

Change closed her eyes and smiled slightly. “I’m the lone goddess for a reason. Wherever I’m needed here in the mortal world; I’ve no ties to bring me down. We’ve all our own parts to play, and you have yours certainly.”

Now Risk knew Change was speaking in double-meanings. There was something alluring about her, but also, something strange. Either way, Risk knew that Change never wasted her precious energy. She always had a rhyme for her reason.

Shrugging lightly now as he placed his arms over his head, Risk stared at Change as he begun to try and decipher what she was after.

“So, what was it that brought you down here anyways? You’ve yet to answer me directly.”

Change was quiet for a moment before responding in short. “Personal business, that’s as far as you’ll get with questioning me on this day.”

And with that, Change had left Risk’s presence in the blink of an eye. Risk was now alone.

But he knew what to do next. He also had personal business to attend to. A trio of special guests were waiting for him back in a different place; but not too far off from where he was standing at this very moment. He would be off to the City of Rome; and not a moment too soon either. For two other gods and a single goddess were awaiting his most pressing message. He certainly couldn’t waste anymore idle time; least of all on this night of nights…

 

Forever in Your Debt,

R.S. Noel

 

Source of photo: (click me to view photo credits!)