Day 80

At a point I had no opinion on anti-Christian movies and books; I just said God was powerful enough to defend His own name. But in NJ, I read a Walt Disney quote,
"Movies can and do have tremendous influence in shaping young lives in the realm of entertainment towards the ideals and objectives of normal adulthood"

The mind of child wraps around anything around it, just like a baby grasping onto an outstreched finger; so to say that it is pointless to defend our children's minds against such things is analogous to saying that we all should walk headlong into temptation knowing that "we have overcome by the blood of the Lamb" even though the Lord's Prayer so rightly states: "...and lead us not into temptation."
Be wary friends:
"And if you do not do well, sin is couching at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it."

Day 80

You know, I wondered a couple of days ago about who read my blogs, but it does not really matter you see. The people who will read my stuff are the ones who are supposed to; it does not really matter what I do or how I try to popularize it; it's the same thing with life: things that are supposed to happen will happen. I started this blog hoping to impact people's lives with it; but I have ended up impacting mine. It's been an amazing journey so far, and I look forward to what the future holds. Now, this does not mean in any way that I will not try to find out who visits my blogs and all that good stuff; it just means that I got a revelation from "the only One who can give it", and my mind is renewed, so it does not really matter how much I stumble, I have overcome. What have I overcome? I have overcome it all. It's funny really; when you relax and give up everything, good things come to you; that is the way of life: our life; the life of Christians; the life of God's image bearers (not God, His image bearers). Can you imagine that? Image bearers of God? Who is a pawn really in this chess game of life; every little clog has its place and purpose; one little slip, one little oversight, one little act of pride can ruin it all, everything. Enough said my friends, enough said.

Day 78

The song, "Serious Times" is my chill song for this period: like I really can't act all krazy n hyped; i just reflect and know that I really have to set the ball in motion for my dreams. These are serious times people; school almost seems like a waste of my time but I'm here for a reason. Maybe I waste too much time...no more morbid thoughts; worry is stupid; action is divine.

Funny thought: Who reads this blog? Everyone who owns a blog really wants to know who reads their blogs; sometimes, ok most times, I look over the site manager, and I see a bunch of IPs and locations that only God knows who owns. I wish I had like a "picture capturer or something". Hah. Woohoo. Woohoo is a strange word; it's funny but also dorky in a strange kinda way so I searched it and found that it is actually a song that achieved cult status sometime in the 60's. It's funny what makes it big in the world.
You can listen to it and say what you think; just link to this:


I must add that even though I find the word "woohoo" humorous, I utterly hate thie song!

I'm reading some of my older blogs and I am humbled at some of the things I have written down; I had forgotten most of it. The wisdom therein astonishes me because my words were so simple; I remember when I thought I needed some overly extravagant and ostentatious word to pass across my point. I was wrong! God thank You so much; we forget too easy, too easy; and we rely way too much on emotion.

Day 77

There are just a few things more awkward after a shower than discovering that there is a patch in the middle of your towel where some "Head & Shoulders", which you packed tightly in your bag in the same place as your towel, has made its niche. Even more awkward is trying to dry your body and simultaneously avoid that patch that somehow always manages to find that little portion of your back. But don't worry, it didn't happen to me; "everyone is innocent in Shawshank".

I find that when I meet people, one of the first things I look at is their shoes; face first, I think, then shoes.

It's so easy to veer off while having a conversation with God; maybe that is one of the reasons why closing the eyes while praying is important. But then, closing the eyes for a prolonged period increases the chances of falling asleep.

There are times when a writer should give in to the gnawing desire to write and other times, he must close his eyes to the skies and roads because a poem shoots out right at him. But then, writing is more like a cat than a dog; it'll come at its leisure.

I'm finally back at Potsdam. My roadtrip is over!

Day 76

So I had a very interesting road trip session that commenced at about 9pm involving me in the back seat of a Dodge for about ten hours; then an additional hour to Maryland; and another hour and a half, probably, to New Jersey. During that time period, I did not brush my teeth at all; not an experience I would like to repeat, trust me. Atlanta was awesome and even though I sent quite a bit of money, I would not give it up for anything. I'm basically missing two days of school, and I have an exam on Wednesday. Tres sweet! Yeah, I'm a slacker! I need to figure out what I'm doing for Christmas though. Before I forget, NJ is officially a cool place; hung out with my sister's amazing friends, checked the mall out, you know, all that good stuff; and some kids and I talked about God and our futures, that was pretty cool. I find that I don't ramble in my blogs anymore; I'm keeping more of myself to myself (if that even makes sense, which it does). I don't do aposiopesis that much anymore, I find. Kool.

Day 74

You know, when I'm in Potsdam, I'm a lot more mellow (still krazy) but in the cities, I let loose and do my thing. I have come to like the serenity of Potsdam and the amazing friends I have there; I don't know if I feel more artsy there too; but then again, I take a lot more pictures here than I do in Potsdam, and I still write; so maybe it's just my mindset right now. I realized that I have all the tools I need to kick off my life goals, and God has been setting me up so that I can actually see that the time to start acting and stop dreaming is now; I will listen to Him and allow Him to guide me.

Almost Day 73

Didn't actually get A LOT done today...what am I saying? I did achieve a lot: I wrote two poems, watched a movie that made it to the upper echelon of my movie list, finished my Honors papers, so yeah, I'd say I achieved a lot. Back to Potsdam and the snow in a bit; i can't say I'm looking forward to it, but who am I to complain? I'm sure I'll be fine!

Day 72

So it's 4:41 am, and I just came in from a party an hour ago; danced for a LOOONGG time; it felt good. I haven't finished my projects and I must get them done today; God has really been merciful in so many ways. Confidence is a beautiful thing; but it can also take one away from God a lot. We get overconfident and we just don't remember God like we should; it pays to remember and acknowledge God in all we do. God thank You for the brilliant ideas You gave me today; thank You for life; thank You for a great family; thank You for friends; thank You is all I can ever say; and I love You.

Day 70

There is something serious that just came to my mind; it's about something the devil does.This is kinda strange for me to write: "the devil" (reminds me of "The devil wears prada" or something) but we must never forget that we have an enemy, and he is referenced as the devil and just like God is real, the devil is too. So, have you ever felt that you got this MESSAGE from God where you have to do something EXTRAORDINARY for God like FAST FOOD EVERYDAY FROM 6-12? Well, I know someone who has; infact, I think I know him better than anyone else. So, he did for a while and it became a routine and a burden for him; he did not look forward to waking up anymore because he felt obliged to do this "thing." And one day, after listening to sermons about how we bring God our works instead of Jesus, God talked to his heart; and he realized that it was not really God who spoke to him. God did want him to fast but He also realized that it was near impossible to fast everyday from 6-12 for the rest of the person's life; so He whispered, "I don't need you to fast everyday for Me to know you love Me. Why don't You fast on alternate days once a week?" And the man He talked to was so full of joy that he did not have to carry this HUGE burden around his neck; and he also realized something:

IT IS VERY EASY FOR THE DEVIL TO SNEAK INTO YOUR LIFE WITH WORDS THAT SOUND LIKE THEY ARE FROM GOD ONLY SO THAT THOSE THINGS BECOME STUMBLING STONES TO YOU. THE BIBLE SAYS "BE WARY FOR SIN LIES AT YOUR DOOR AND UNTO THEE SHALL BE HIS DESIRE AND HE SHALL RULE OVER THEE". SO BE VERY WATCHFUL; PRAY FOR THE SPIRIT OF DISCERNMENT!


I love this song:

Day 69

Listen to your heart when God speaks to it; don't try to rationalize things...if there is something that needs to be done, do it...procrastination is not a habit; it is a way of life...so is consistency. I love the little things that God does for us: like giving us music, and just consistently telling us that we have nothing to worry about even when we think we do...it's just like when you were going for the big game, all jittery, and your parents were like, "Hey, u can do it." That alone can stir up such strength in any heart...I still believe nothing is impossible.

I recommend "Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus" if anyone wants a good book on relationships...I found the first couple of chapters corny, what with the whole reference to men as Martian (yo, I'm no Martian); but the book is incredibly accurate. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not in a relationship or anything; neither am I an expert in relationships but in my opinion, that is a good book. Read it and give me your own opinion.

Day 68

Sometimes, we "cop out" of having a full conversation with God by coming to Him with questions, expecting immediate answers; instead of coming into prayer daily just to pour our hearts out to God. If we are his bride, then He wants to listen to our every desire, every insecurity, every joy, every low point; He wants to know what we think about the way our feet was made; He wants us to tell him what type of movies we like.
And sometimes, He just wants us to lay our heads on His lap, and just lie there, in silence...where do you think the desire for lovers to sit together holding hands and watching the stars comes from? "Every good gift is from God." God is so awesome...but we cannot know until we know Him.
Okay, look at it this way, even if we don't pray, we still wake up at the start of the day and possibly sleep at the end of the day. He is already watching over us, so the things we complain about sometimes are really irrelevant. Imagine you just tell God you have a pain in your left side, and you need a massage; isn't that what we really need?
God yearns to be known; He puts a huge prize for those who love Him and seek Him out; He prepared and nurtured wisdom (Proverbs 8) for the sole purpose of our comfort and increase in substance.
God wants us; and He will only take us if we give ourselves to Him. By His grace, I will; will you?

Day 63

God demands more of our time; there is nothing else more valuable we can give, at least that is the wisdom I have at my current level of "enlightenment." What does this mean to you? Talk to people He lays on your heart; do the whole Edward Bloom thing in "Big Fish" or Jacob in the "Big Bible and I can't deny": sow hours of your time in the lives of people so you can get a few minutes to share the gospel with them. That is faith; that is sacrifice; that is love; that is God!

You know, I wrote a poem called "It's Destiny" in the deep of the night, which you can check out at : http://easypoetry.blogspot.com, and I talked about being ready to give your every breath for the woman you love; but I honestly think it starts from God. Forget marriage right now; personally, I am happily single. I want to be able to say with genuine confidence that I have slaved my entire life just so that I could have a second (okay, maybe a few hours) to spread the gospel of Christ to the people around me. That my friends is DESTINY.

Day 62

Proverbs 6 has got to be one of the most incredible chapters in the Bible; I could not stop wowing at the enormity of the responsibility therein. I must confess it was somewhat daunting and scary to imagine myself committing one of those "7 sins" or the other things in the last portion of the chapter. God help us; save us from the temptations of our flesh.

In this walk of life, be very careful who you choose to follow; so that you do not end up waiting one side for someone who has lost his way, and has veered off to another path. I think about the giant in the movie, "The Big Fish", what would have happened to him if Frank did not return? Would he have survived, or would he have been destroyed by the city people because he had no direction of his own and followed after a man of uncertain ways? But, he waited, and Frank came through; it does not matter how long it took, Frank still came through. All I'm saying is be careful; choose your brothers in destiny wisely; choose men of valor like David did; choose men who follow after God and God alone...

Day 60

I may not make a 4.0 this semester, but I am content.

I am very content.

Day 59

A friend made an interesting comment on my Facebook wall; she said:
From your status, does it mean that you have just found yourself?

I think the answer is Yes; I don't know particularly when or why, but I can speculate. I was feeling a bit low a few minue ago, and thinking about myself; until I read the blog that I read a lot, and I thought to myself, Wow. How selfish I can be sometimes; I was contemplating making the decision to "back down on a friend" because I was afraid of getting into a situation where I would be at a "slight disadvantage" or not know EVERYTHING that was going on. But after reading the blog that I read a lot, it struck me how much people in general, and "my friend" in particular, need true friends...

I do not have to change my motives in dealing with friends, for my motives are pure; I have to change my actions, and understand that the fruits tell of the motive. Writing has such a profound effect, especially when one goes back and reads through the stray bits of wisdom once again.
I am content.

I am very content.

Day 57

The day has not really started...what do I mean? It's 1:41am...of course it has started!! and it is going to be an awesome day...as usual; but something seems different about today...
In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion stirs tonight
In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion stirs tonight!!

How did I overcome my fear of heights? I think it's because I thought and I was like, IF I DIE, I DIE...

Day 56

Saturday was pretty much awesome...well, part of Friday was too...hung out with some incredible kids at Labib's apt...I pretty much let go there...got back at about 3am...got up l8r and cleaned up my room "sort of hardcore", and no onez makin it turn back!! (yes, that is a threat!!)...
It's funny how much a breath of air can change so many things...with each breath of life taken, another second is taken from our lives...i reminisce; i remember my childhood...usher, wyclef, video games, backstreet boys, channel 5, big wolf on campus...i remember and i love myself, not because i am "pretty awesome" as La Bebe would say, but because i am me...cliche right? but no, think about it, what is there not to love? i grew from this kid who used to crawl into his younger brother's bed cos he was scared of the dark...a kid who was hugely insecure and "alone?" even tho i always had lots of friends in d latter part of my childhood (i was the cool kid on the block)...a kid who lied and took little bits and pieces of things that did not belong to him (i guess you can call that stealing?)...a kid who was scared of heights and would never take challenges...TO WHO I AM NOW!! my heart beats in defiance of obstacles, i've overcome so many already with the help of God...i have friends who i can see become a pivotal part of my life and not just an itching zit in my hippocampus...i write like never before...i'll randomly do chin ups on door hinges...jump off semi-high floor levels...i wear the clothes that i love...i can't remember the last time i was really ANGRY (not upset, or peeved, or anything, really ANGRY)...

Finally, i am Stanley (Jr.) Ifeanyichukwu Onyewuchi aka Stanley (wierd huh?),Stan, Big Stan, Stan the man, Hot Fudge, The Monster, The Concept Man...and I'm ready to take on the world...one God step after another...
one...
after...
the...
other...

Day 55

Sunday...so soon, and yet so far...I can't particularly remember what happened last Sunday at church...ahh...now it comes back; I haven't been in church now for two weeks, I had BASIC!! The most impressive thing about BASIC is that it is still having an impact on my life; I really feel like a new man; and I can comfortably call myself a man...not because I am living up to all my responsibilities; I am not!! by any means!! But I am getting there; opportunities abound, and I have taken quite a few of them. I must give some credit to myself: I have overcome at least two of my most outrageous fears, fears that "plagued" my childhood and destroyed a lot of things in my life. Then, of course, there are the more subtle things that I can feel change in me...I just talked to a friend from back home, someone I have a deep respect for because of how truthful she is...She asked me how things were and I ambiguously answered: "It's crazy; I am going through a stage in my life", and she replied, "That is always how you describe things. You are always going through a stage in your life." This makes me think; not deeply, just wisely, I hope...Does that mean I am not actually going through stages, and I am actually going around in circles? Does it mean that I have gone through so many stages in my life (I told her that in my little under 20 years, I would expect that I would go through at least six stages)? Or does it mean that maybe in the past, I said those things frivolously, the fruit of my immaturity and inconstancy, and now, these "stages" have more meaning in my life? As a boy, some two or three years ago, I still talked "deeply", and I went through "stages", a lot of them exaggerated by my childlike mind; but, with maturity and tutelage comes a realization that there really should be a lot of stages in a man's life: he must overcome ever growing obstacles..the path ahead is always easier as we give all up to God but it really is the really minute things in our lives that we hold onto the most, so it is really never easier as we continue along this path...That is probably why the Scripture says he who endures till the very end shall receive a crown of life...I am yet at the start, and I know the burden lessens but I still get apprehensive as I cannot imagine what else God will ask for from my life...I've already given my pride, my gifts, my praise...my, my, my...really have I given anything? I don't think so...I have not given anything that was not already given to me on a platter; even the expensive stuff I've sowed into people's lives, I have received, mostly not by my own strength (nothing really is by my own "strength" since the way I was brought up has played a large part in the things I am able to achieve, so the praise there goes to God and the people who "influenced" my life...so I am still largely a "victim of circumstance"). What can God possibly ask from me? My life? God take it; maybe I am "too young" to understand it; but teach me, for my heart is willing but the flesh is weak. Teach me thy voice and I shall come...Teach me Lord...teach me...
for I must become a man of God, in all the fullness of God's glory. 1:07 signout..

Day 52

Here I was studying, with God continuously keeping me in line: "Don't go on Facebook...finish your work," even when my reasons to go on are quasi-legitimate. Instead, I ask Him if I can check out this blog I usually go on (almost everyday, as a matter of fact); I don't hear anything, so I take it as a "Yes." I look at a couple of pictures there; some made me sad, others made me smile...one made me smile; I didn't dwell on it too long though. So, I see something about a woman who lost her husband, on a Black Hawk over Italy, and it says:

"She clung to him and cried. That was the Sunday morning when we prayed for them. We prayed for his safety. We prayed for them as a couple"

And a shudder ran through me...No..no...no...it cannot be...it cannot be...I remember that day...I remember the couple...I remember the way they held onto each other...I remember what I heard that day...Immediately I heard it, I shook my head like I usually do when stray thoughts come into my head; but I still prayed over them, like everyone else. Now, this...did I not pray seriously enough? Did I take for granted what I heard? I feel no guilt; but Father forgive me...teach me to discern your voice...
Now, I fear for one of my friends who is about to leave the country to see his girlfriend...God, let that one, at least, be a stray thought...if not, let Your Spirit breathe into me a burden of responsibility to pray fervently...

I was singing to God early yesterday; when He said something to me: "Stop singing and talk with Me." I was blown away, to say the least...Father, grant me grace...I have been made worthy by redemption into Your family by Jesus Christ...This world...I'd like to say it is incredible, because that is all I've been speaking into myself...even the weather doesn't affect me too much these days...but...but...this life is tiring...sometimes.

I can't wait to stop thinking deeply and start thinking more wisely; at a certain age, a man begins to understand that deep thought about unimportant things is a waste of his time...it's less about the random things I think about; but more the approach to it...instead of thinking philosophically, I'd rather think Godically...another new word...just like BMEs (biomedical engineers)...im sure this has been used before but I like the way it sounds: CivEs (civil engineers), EEs, MechEs, ChemEs, PhDs...

Day 50

I'm on a study break; I've been working on some Calc and reading my Bible, and taking ten minute breaks from time to time. I must confess that I took a short 40 minute nap from 7:10 to 7:50...On this break, I just read a news clip about a girl in India, Lakshmi, who was born with 8 limbs; who had just been successfully operated on. Interesting thing is that the operation costs about $625 000 to perform (about half the price of the Bugatti); so how did this girl's INDIGENT family wish this money from? Definitely not a shooting star! Get this, it was done for FREE!! Where does all that money come from? An amount like that can totally change the financial situation of a medium sized third country town in a reasonable amount of time if invested properly.
The doctors at the Sparsh Hospital in Bangalore had this to say about Lakshmi:

"She's a very cute girl," hospital spokeswoman Dr. Patil Mamatha said. "She's very playful and gets along well with others."

That really does not answer my question. Where did the $625 000 used to operate on this seemingly "unimportant" girl come from? Is the health care system in India that extraordinarily organized, or is there something that some other third world countries need to know about borrowing money for health care issues?

Day 49

I'm going to share some more BASIC thoughts:

During the conference, a lot of things impacted my life, all of them incredible; but this rocked me quite a bit. A Sri Lankan professor encouraged us to donate to the BASIC leadership using a Biblical analogy that can be found in Luke 6:38. He cited an instance when he gave to God and God rewarded him extraordinarily; he said his one regret was not giving more. He then challenged us to give to God and he said that if God did not give us back in portions running over, we should contact him and he would reimburse us. He said this with such conviction, and I was physically rocked by his faith. I thought, this is what the Christian walk should be: boundless faith.

Pastor Pierre made some mind-blowing statements that I just had to write down. One of them was when he said to the women: "Wait for the husband of your dreams." A lot of women settle for so much less, I think, because so much is expected of them and yet they are regarded with little respect. Society has oppressed the woman for countless centuries that she does not know her role and worth anymore. I think society will never allow the woman to live down "her role" in the banishment from the Garden of Eve. It is a mark of irresponsibility on the male part to blame the woman for a sin that should be borne individually. Adam took of the apple and ate; he made his decision, it really is that straight-forward. They each sinned individually and they both suffered together. Women, reclaim your beauty, reclaim your dreams: twirl around in your golden ball gowns, stand on tiptoes under the mistletoe waiting for your "Prince Charming" to sweep you away; dream!! God is not unfaithful that he casts his pearls to swine (Matthew 7:6); I do not mean to take this scripture out of context, God is referring to giving His Holy things to holy people. Now, I think a "man or woman after God's own heart" is a Holy gift from God; and I also believe that, as Christians, we are made a holy people by the blood of Jesus. So, yeah, wait for your perfect man; NEVER settle for anything less, not one inch!

Scripture refers to "all tribes and races" worshiping God; and I thought what about all shapes and sizes? I find that sometimes, I look at a people who I think are not made "beautifully" and question their deformity. How often we do that, not regarding God's brilliance.

"How loud shall the whispered words of the righteous be heard in due time?" I thought about how much impact the "silent" and seemingly inconsequential things that we do will have in due time on our present generation! It's incredible how much like a mustard seed the kingdom of God really is.

I watched someone dance; listened to someone sing; listened to the sounds of the drum sticks as they resounded against the drums; and I thought, I can sing because open my mouth; I dance because I release my body; I write because I open my mind and free my fingers; I love because I release my fear. What are the things that we do not claim because we hold back so much? Just like we heard English being spoken and picked up on it intuitively, we should hear music and sing, see a dance and try it; it is the human prerogative to learn new things. Release your inner self!!

I think that in the end, we will see God and realize how much like him we really are. In those days, "when we see Him face to face, not as through a glass", I think we will be astonished at how short we cut ourselves; we will remember the judgmental statements we made about our beauty or our talents, and they will clatter to the ground in the presence of God's glory. I think that is what the Bible means when it talked about Jesus' new form; His glory was totally revealed to the world because He was going to see the Father.

A young man, Kevin, gave his life to Jesus at BASIC and I asked God, "What will you do for him?" God answered me, "Everything," and all I could do was laugh, ecstasy rocking my frame.

Day 45

BASIC started yesterday; so I'm just going to share some of my undeveloped thoughts, and feelings thus far:

Christians, even after being brought out of the darkness by the redeeming blood of Jesus, still stay in the shadow of darkness. By living a life of lies, which they have created as a cover for their still miserably insecure lives, they stay in the outskirts of God's love. These insecurities, brought about by a painful or sinful past are a stumbling block to the gifts of God, or I think I should say the gift of God: which is seeing His glory as we give up everything to Him, not caring about what the person beside us will say or think as we do whatever radical thing that He requires of us.

Every time the devil goes to God to accuse man, he is trying to tell God that He was wrong by creating man and that God should have been content with having Lucifer as the morning light. Satan is the not only the great deceiver but also the great accuser and pervert: he takes our weaknesses as an "offering" unto God; instead of repentance, he still seeks to justify his rebellion. He tries to use man as his pawn to wrench back God's heart.

The renewal of the mind is more important than having immediate works, because renewing the mind brings us out of the shadow of darkness. Like an issue like pornography, we all have perceptions of it that the world has imposed on us. But, what is pornography? Isn't it just lust of the flesh, where we are so overcome with sexual passion that we look upon a thing or a person with lust? So, if we look upon a person, having lustful thoughts, do we not just then partake of pornography?

Every time I hear a worship song, I abandon all I'm doing and sing and worship God; I know it pleases God to know that I am choosing him over everything else.

God said to me, Home is where I say it is.

At a time, I could not see beauty in some certain races, like Asians and some African nations; but God opened my eyes to the beauty of His works. It is not just a mindset that has changed; I see things how I am supposed to, through God's eyes.

Day 43

Someone once said to me: "You're a bad influence", carrying a tray of freshly toasted waffles in his left hand as he walked over from the small kitchen, the aroma permeating the not too small bedroom, "waffles at 12 am; now all I need is some grapes and rice."
I laughed at the thought (grapes and rice, and by that I mean grapes in rice, is one of my special treats). At least, I am an influence.

A lot of times, true to our human nature, we refuse to ask things of God (mentally pounding ourselves for allowing such a stray selfish thought become an obsession)because we do not understand His nature; and see that by asking God to accomplish our desires, we are acting upon His own desires, desires which we bear, as stewards, in our own hearts. So I asked God, What will You do for me? What will BASIC do for me?

I wonder if there is a better way to dry clothes without shrinking them.

I sat up at seven fifteen am, reading my Bible for about thirty minutes, and dozing off, midthought, for about five; I looked upon this day, and I remembered my other "days" of encounter with God. They all started off simple, the routine stuff...but at the end of it, I knew something had changed in me; I felt something change in me; and weeks and months and years later, I see the change in me.
Today, I wait for it; knowing that these day, and ultimately, the rest of my life is mine to take.

Day 42

I think that because I laugh and smile so much, people associate my moods with my facial expression. I am not trying to disprove the importance of attaching the lightening or darkening of the face to an emotional change; if I did that, how then will we know when someone else is happy or sad or depressed or sorrowful? I find that a lot of times, I just watch; if you have hung out around me long enough, you should quickly notice that I am a very silent man. I can love something or someone deeply and just look at it/him/her for a while, without any very visible change in what a normal expression is expected to be; so, yeah, I believe expressions are wonderful; they are a way of communicating to people and even animals how we feel...But, not everyone is the same; some of us are crazy and we stare blankly when we love; but the eyes are never blank if you look deep enough and know what you are looking for. In some cultures, red is a sign of fertility; in others, it represents war; sometimes, it says death. I am a man of strange ways but if you look deeply, past my laughing one-sided dimpled face and jocundity, past my brooding looks and distant moments, past my strange ways, you will find me; and I believe I, too, will find you.