Paul Kilmon: A Life Illustrated in Words & Photos: Grandiosity (A Rant)

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)

Friday, May 23, 2014

Grandiosity (A Rant)

I don’t believe people need to behave this way in order to get God’s purported word across. Instilling fear in people’s minds gets a big NO from me. Love is the cure-all, and so is kindness, understanding, devotion, empathy and more importantly, diversity. This woman makes me sick to my stomach because she reminds me of my childhood. It came with its share of fears and bullies. I adjusted, as no child should, to the bullies outside of my home, but the ones inside – that was probably the worst. Growing up fundamentalist surely fucked my head up. Freedom came at 30, and I never looked back. I left so much behind, including my family, and still I have no regrets.

My saviors – the beautiful people who helped me to find my worth, my path in life. They believed in me when I found it difficult to believe in myself, and they are a diverse group – Jewish, Catholic, Hindu, Buddhist, Atheist and countless others. There were never ever any judgments from these individuals, and if there were they hid their feelings very well. All I ever received were positive messages and the biggest one of all – I mattered unconditionally. That was so important to me!

That’s why I probably preach things like – put yourself on the list, the simple things matter, be present in the moment, find your joy, thrive and I am sure there are countless other mottos/slogans, but these are the ones I chant every chance I get.

My God is nature and I can always find contentment. With each walk I really do find my joy. There are times when it goes away just as quickly as it came, but it comes back sure enough. That’s what I call perseverance. One must stay focused, especially when it comes to what is right with the world.

I have my negative moments (I do! I do!), but this world is a beautiful place, and if you think otherwise, I feel sad for you because you need to see what I see – beauty in the simple things. They are very healing to my soul, and they can do the same for you. You just have to let go of the judgments and innuendo.

For the religious, faithful, devout – if you see my rant as an attack on your religion/faith, you have surely missed my point and you’re definitely the bigger part of the problem.

As I have said many times before, what I loathe about today’s Christians, so many are manipulators, cherry picking bible verses and all out of ignorance, fear and greed. That’s just logic talking. Most people need to believe in something because they can’t believe in themselves, and that’s painfully sad.

I’m about cultural intelligence, viewing and treating people from various backgrounds (that includes religion) with respect, dignity and love. No more judgments. It’s time we learn to let go and get along, to live in peace and harmony. Diversity is a beautiful thing.

My response is not so much to this video, as it is to the comments. Comments are an education. They can tell you all you need to know about the world, and then some. Live love – every day. Show it to friend and foe. 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