People Help The People

I was listening to Birdy's cover of Cherry Ghost's song "People Help The People", a cover which I absolutely adore because of the beautiful piano in it, and it got me thinking about the world. My favourite lyrics are in the chorus: "People help the people/ And if you're homesick/ Give me your hand and I'll hold it." It's all about being kind to one another. Now, it sounds like the song is talking about specific people like those less fortunate but the messages in the song can be applied to the world as a whole. Some other lyrics are "God knows what is hiding in this world of little consequence/ Behind the tears, inside the lies/ A thousand slowly dying sunsets." I think that these specific lyrics really speak because so much is happening in the world these days and it seems like people aren't thinking about how it affects everyone. People seem to just want to do whatever they want. They think of themselves. They have certain opinions, and we're all allowed to have our own opinions about things, but do we really want to hurt people because of the way that we think about things?

People fight each other. They hurt each other. And it's all because they think a certain way or they are a certain way and they don't like things that are different from them. It seems like if someone doesn't like someone else for whatever reason, they think that they don't have to show that person respect. The thing is, if the world was that way, then no one would be shown any respect because everyone is different in some way and there are some differences that we have that other people don't like. Differences are what make this world amazing. If everyone was the same, life wouldn't be as interesting. We need to be more accepting of differences and we need to be more kind to each other. A lot of problems could be solved or wouldn't even exist if we were just more kind to each other and showed each other more respect.

Lately, it feels like we're just going backwards into the past. We are seeing problems similar to those faced by the people who came before us. We are still seeing discrimination against all sorts of different types of people because of their race, religion, gender, sexuality, etc. It's 2017... shouldn't we be getting along with each other by now? Shouldn't we be accepting each other's differences, whatever they might be? People are being disrespectful towards people that they don't even know, just because that person is different from them in some way and they think that it's bad. Hate is not the answer to the world's problems and it certainly will not help us get anywhere closer to having a more peaceful world.

I'm proud to be Canadian and to live in Canada because my country is becoming more and more accepting of all sorts of different types of people, and we also tend to be friendly, but even my country still has some improvements to make. Every country has some people who are not as nice as the others and the whole world still needs to become more accepting of everyone and make some changes so that everyone can live peacefully.

I understand that animals fight and are territorial but we, as humans, have evolved and developed so much! Shouldn't we be past that? I always think: We all walk this Earth. Why don't we walk together? In other words, we share this Earth so why don't we live together in harmony? It doesn't take much. Just smiling more or thinking more before you speak can make a big difference. Accept others who are different from you and hopefully they will accept your differences in return. Be respectful. Treat others how you want to be treated. We are all human. We all share this Earth. Hopefully one day, we can all live together peacefully and celebrate our differences instead of hating them. Imagine how much better the world would be then!

Cheers,
Kaylie

Sweet Surrender

A huge challenge that I struggle with is figuring out what I want to do with my life. I've talked about it in the past and then again more recently. There are so many things that I enjoy doing but, at the same time, I can't figure out what I am truly passionate about. I get mad at myself sometimes because I wish that I would just pick something already! When we're kids, we're told that we can do anything that we want when it comes to what we want to do when we grow up. We are encouraged to follow our dreams. When we're teenagers, it seems like we're expected to know what we want to do with our lives and we're still encouraged to follow our dreams but we also need to think about the real world and if what we want to do is actually a good idea. Not all adults are that way towards us, though. Some adults still encourage us to follow our dreams no matter what and they don't judge us.

That's another thing that I deal with. I always feel like people are judging me when I tell them about what I am currently doing or what I want to do. I feel like, to them, it isn't enough. I feel like they're judging me for not having it all figured out and for not being at the same stage that other people are at right now. I hate it when people ask me what I'm doing now that I've graduated from university or what I'm going to do. It is the question that I always dread. I know it's such an innocent question and it's a great conversation starter but I'm at the point where I don't want to answer that question. I know that people aren't actually judging me, or at least not everyone is judging me (yes, some people may still be judging me because that's just the way that some people are), but it still feels like they are. I hate not living up to the expectations that people have for people my age. I'm in my early twenties. I'm an adult. I should have this stuff figured out.

But I'm a creative person and I'm a dreamer. It seems like a lot of people around me are just going to work and living pretty similar lives to each other but I'm different. I want my life to be an adventure. I want it to be full of magic. I want to truly love my life and be passionate about what I do. I don't want to pick something just because it's considered to be a "real" job or because it's a "safe" job. I want to pick something that I look forward to doing every day. I want to love my life. I don't want to be one of those people who can't wait until they retire. I want to be one of those people who love what they do so much that they never really retire.

It isn't easy to choose to follow this path though because it isn't always easy to plan it out. It's much easier to make a plan for following the "usual" career or life path; the path that people expect from you. I already know that many parts of my life are going to be different from what society expects, without even thinking about my career, but it's the career part that's harder to accept. I am perfectly fine with the other parts of my life being different but it's hard to be okay with choosing to go down a more interesting career path when it's engraved in our brain that we need to do things a certain way when it comes to getting a suitable job. I need to be more flexible. I need to stop putting the pressure on myself that I think I feel from other people. I need to just relax and let myself explore. Yes, of course I'm going to do planning. I'm a planner. I can't just "wing it." That's not who I am. But I need to accept that the planning is going to be a bit different for my life.

I was choosing songs for my Spring playlist when I decided to look at John Denver's music and see if there was a song there that would fit into my playlist since I love his music. His lyrics are true poetry and I not only found a song to add to my playlist, but the lyrics to this particular song are words that I really need in this time of struggling with the fact that I don't know what to do with my life. His song, "Sweet Surrender", puts all of my thoughts into words. The words that I really connect to are "Lost and alone on some forgotten highway, traveled by many, remembered by few./ Looking for something that I can believe in,/ Looking for something that I'd like to do with my life." I have felt so lost because I don't know what to do with my life. I don't know what to concentrate on or what direction to go in. I'm still figuring out who I am as a person but I definitely know that I am different from other people and I don't care about following the same paths that they take. I am quite comfortable following my own path but I haven't exactly figured out what that path is yet. The words that I am learning from are "Tomorrow is open and right now it seems to be more than enough/ To just be here today" since they are words that I really need to remember. I need to accept the fact that I don't have to have everything figured out, even if it feels like I do. There are plenty of people of all ages who will say that they still don't have their whole life figured out. And it's okay. Life is a crazy thing. Nobody can say that they have it figured out. Nobody can say that they know the right way to live it. And certainly, nobody can tell you how to live your own life.

Cheers,
Kaylie

Braving the Winter 2017 Playlist

Here in Sudbury, the snow just keeps coming. It's really pretty though. I love the look of fresh snow on tree branches. It's quite magical! But, Winter is kind of tough for me because my feet get cold worse than other people and it doesn't seem to matter what kind of boots I wear... my feet are going to get freezing cold no matter what to the point where they feel like they have actually frozen. There's not much that I can do about it unless I want to take medication. I just have to try to layer up enough. That is, if I actually decide to go outside in the Winter weather, which is not as frequent as during all of the other seasons. Also, the almost constant cloudiness of the sky really affects my mood. Having said all of that, I always look forward to Spring. Always. So, I decided to name this year's Winter playlist "Braving the Winter" because I think we all need to be brave during this tougher season.

Here's my Winter playlist that I put together for you on Spotify (make sure you have an account first!): Braving the Winter 2017 Playlist

Also, check out the Winter playlist that I put together last year: Frosty Winter 2016 Playlist

And you can always listen to other seasonal playlists that I have put together in the past by checking out my Spotify profile: thewanderingchickadee

Cheers,

Kaylie

Dreamy Summer 2016 Playlist

Summer solstice was on June 20th!! I am so happy that it is finally Summer! It seemed like it was never going to come but we are having beautiful weather at last! We were having a heatwave here in Sudbury last week but then it changed to stormy weather and now the weather is perfect! Not only does Summer bring nice weather here in the North, but it also brings feelings of possibility, opportunity, and pure bliss.

For my Summer playlist, I decided to make it extra special and double the number of songs. So, instead of the usual 15 songs that I add to my seasonal playlists, this one has 30 SONGS!! Woohoo! Lots of songs to enjoy all Summer long! You'll need them too... for listening to while you hang out by the pool... while you lie in the grass and watch the clouds... while you work on all of those Summer hobby projects that you plan to do... the possibilities are endless! All of these songs remind me of Summery things: beautiful weather, the great outdoors, lots of fun, and the feeling that anything can happen!

As always, I made this playlist using Spotify so make sure that you have a Spotify account! I hope you enjoy my Dreamy Summer 2016 Playlist!

Enjoy,
Kay

Awakening Spring 2016 Playlist

I'm so happy that the snow is melting here in Sudbury. Winter is always a difficult time for me because the lack of sunlight seems to affect my mood and motivation and I also have a circulation problem in my feet so staying out in the cold isn't very fun for me. I'm excited for all of the snow to melt and for the flowers to start growing and the leaves to start appearing on the trees again. I'm really really looking forward to spending time outside again; going for walks and sitting on our front porch and planting our garden. I am determined to spend more time outside this year during the spring, summer, and fall than any other year.

Since Spring Equinox was on Sunday, I decided to make a spring playlist for you guys using Spotify so I hope you enjoy my Awakening Spring 2016 Playlist.

I chose songs that I associate with spring. To me, the songs are fresh, pretty, relaxing, and lively. There's a whole mix of different songs so I hope you enjoy!

Cheers,
Kay

I Wonder What Became Of Them

I love cemeteries. That statement right there can get you strange looks, maybe even frightened ones. I'm not afraid to say it, though, because it's true. I love cemeteries. I love them because they're full of stories. You might be wondering what I mean by that. Most people just think that cemeteries are full of tombstones marking the final resting places of people who have died. In many cultures, cemeteries are very important and are considered sacred. These are very beautiful ways to put it because some people simply think of cemeteries as creepy places where a bunch of corpses are buried. My way of thinking makes cemeteries seem like very romantic places, which is lovely, don't you think? Cemeteries are full of stories because each person buried there has a story, the story of their life. Whether they only lived inside their mother or they lived for over 100 years on Earth, they each have some kind of story, and that's a pretty amazing thing. To have your own unique story is a magical experience and it's a blessing, whether you think of it in a religious sense or not.

When I visit cemeteries, I enjoy looking around at the names and dates on tombstones. I enjoy reading extra information or images carved in stone. I use what I see to piece together what life might have been like for those who have passed on. What did they like to do? What kinds of accomplishments did they have in their lifetime? What kind of person were they? Sometimes ornaments that friends and family leave in front of the graves provide clues as well. Or, sometimes the times that they lived in reveal how their lives were different from our own. It's interesting to know that so many different people lived out their lives before yours has ended and that so many different people will continue to live so many different lives for a very long time after you're gone.

The most interesting graves, though, are sometimes the graves that reveal very little about their owners. Mystery graves. Perhaps there's a name, or maybe even some dates, but the rest is unknown. Perhaps it is only known to the family or friends or maybe it is now only know to those who are buried beneath. These are the graves that really make your mind wander and wonder what their stories might be. Fleet Foxes' song "The Shrine/An Argument" begins, "I went down among the dust and pollen/ To the old stone fountain in the morning after dawn/ Underneath were all these pennies fallen from the hands of children/ They were there and then they were gone/ And I wonder what became of them/ What became of them". This is how I feel when looking at tombstones in cemeteries. Of course, in this case, I know what happened to the people: they died. But I don't know what happened throughout their lives before they died and that makes my imagination run wild and I think, along with the fact that each of these souls had their own story, that that is a very beautiful thing.

I guess one very important thing to remember throughout our lives is best said by the Eleventh Doctor from Doctor Who: "We're all stories in the end. Just make it a good one, eh?"

Cheers,
Kay

Frosty Winter 2016 Playlist

Here in Sudbury, we had a green Christmas. It had snowed prior to Christmas but it never stayed. It wasn't until after Christmas that we got enough snow. Now we have a beautiful sparkly blanket of snow covering everything and it actually feels like winter.

Since Sudbury is finally a winter wonderland, I decided to put together a little winter playlist for you guys using Spotify. It's my Frosty Winter 2016 playlist!

There are 15 songs in total and the playlist includes music from both Canadian and non-Canadian artists, newer and older artists, new songs and old songs, and various musical styles. Basically, it has a good mix, and all of the songs either have the word winter or a winter related word in the title.

Enjoy!

Kay