Paul Kilmon: A Life Illustrated in Words & Photos: My Wish

Welcome!

Through my writing, photography, career, and personal challenges, you will discover I am just like you, a person on a journey. My goals are simple, to be healthy and happy. You will learn I have many interests. The driving force for all I do is communication, the sharing of ideas and my passion for laughter. It really is the best medicine and a great stress reducer.

I consider myself a down-to-earth guy, who is just making it up as I travel through life, adding a virtual laugh track here and there to amuse others and myself. I have a friendly personality, which is expressive, warm, upbeat, fun, and positive. I love meeting new people. I thrive on communication, organization, diversity, creativity, and laughter. – Paul Eric Kilmon (paerki)

Thursday, November 29, 2012

My Wish

It’s hard to believe the season of holidays is back in my heart and ready to be explored with a thoughtful mind. It’s during this period when I think about age and time, and how quickly it passes before my eyes. This is good reason to pause, reflect and be present in the moment, enjoying each little nuisance, allowing me to create additional memories to last a lifetime.

There are so many challenges before all of us this season, with a troubled economy, a divided nation and people of power not lifting us up, as they should. There are too many with a divide and conquer mentality, sadly forgetting about the beautiful diversity that is us.

I won’t let that get me down or cloud my judgment, and I certainly hope you are of the same mindset, dear friend. This is an opportunity for happiness not sadness, giving not taking and, more importantly, loving not hating. This is a time for making peace with our enemies, for war should never be an option.

I’m hopeful we’ll be a bit kinder to each other, truly sharing, caring and giving from a genuine open heart. I pray we’ll be cognizant of our spending habits, not buying what we don’t have. There’s no denying we are a "give and get" society, but responsibility must be at the forefront of this endeavor.

Don’t forget there is more to giving than a store-bought gift. You can bestow the gift of words spoken from the heart… time without feeling the need to be quick… arms that can hug or be used to build or protect, and just being there in the moment is one of the best gifts anyone can give.

One of my favorite things to do this holiday season (besides the parties) is going to concerts and events that are community based. I love being with a crowd of people, laughing, smiling and being gay (pun intended). This is a wonderful way to celebrate with old friends and meet new ones, while keeping it real on all levels.

My wish this season is that we all learn to better coexist – respecting and appreciating our planet more and, more importantly, each other. I hope leaders will truly lead, and followers will follow with responsibility and not out of fear. May this truly be a period of reflection, looking back to see what didn’t work and moving forward into something that will, but only if we open our hearts to see that we won’t get anywhere if we don’t see the value in all. Cheers! – paerki

What would life be like without memories? It’s fair to say, there would be no life at all. Memory is our communication, reason, coherence, our action and more importantly, our feeling. Memories create our path in life, developing our psychology and leading us emotionally.

One of the best ways to create and store memories is with video. These simple effortless little snippets of time create diaries and become perpetual time capsules, which justify our walk on earth, telling all with great enthusiasm… I was here! I mattered! I lived! Please, don’t forget me.

Share your views, thoughts and opinions in the written word. Snap photographs so your eyes can travel back in time, remembering the happy and sad moments that made you the person you were, are and became in life. But, whenever possible, capture video to enhance the memories you leave behind, so that others may pass the essence of your life on to future generations. – paerki

I love photographs! They have this amazing ability to tell stories of fun places, special moments, memorable events, and exciting places. They give us reason to pause and remember friends, family, coworkers and so many others. One photograph can conjure up a flood of memories taking us on a journey. They help us remember the past, enjoy the present and ponder the future.

On a cold and rainy day I love sitting in my living room with a roaring fire, a glass of wine, classical music playing in the background and my many photographs scattered about me. I love sifting through what I call my special collection, which refers to my favorites. They remind me of the saddest and happiest moments of my life. They remind me of challenges and overcoming.

My large collection of images are a testament to a life lived. Life happens all around us so it’s important to collect special memories, and what better way than with a photograph. – paerki

It’s hard to believe I’ve been blogging for more than 12 years. This art form has allowed me to showcase and express my creativity. It has bolstered my confidence (not that is was lacking). At times it has been therapeutic, but more than anything it has given me a much deeper view of the world and how I see myself in it.

I use my insights as a barometer for self-change, which helps me reconcile the past, adapt to the present and navigate carefully into the future. I have enjoyed the roller coaster ride of thought as my hands write it and my eyes see it. As always, I hope you can relate to my stories, appreciate my views, savor the wisdom, reflect on the concepts and, more than anything, respect my friendly and genuine interest in connecting with others.

Find you own voice. Think about writing your own blog. Learn your style, share your views and open a whole new world of possibilities for you and your readers-to-be.. – paerki