The Other Side of the Sun

Here’s a little story I wrote this morning. It is not quite astronomically correct but I think it’s a nice metaphor. Hope it can motivate and inspire you!

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SUN

I don’t remember the last time I woke up at dawn. The freshness of the air. The birth of a new day. I don’t see the other side of the Sun.

I am stuck in my ways. It doesn’t necessarily feel like being stuck. Most of the times it feels like being snuggled in a comfortable space, ensconced in a quiet, peaceful nook.

I don’t venture out of my place until afternoon. Until I can no longer partake of the noble ascent of the Sun. The caressing of a gentle light beam. The majestic backdrop of the firmament. I don’t see the other side of the Sun.

Such choices are solely mine. Life is like a day. I decide what parts of it I make good use of and what I miss.

The blazing orb hovering so high above the Earth. In its prime. Vain. Or maybe it’s just the way it seems to me. That’s all I know. I don’t see the other side of the Sun.

We start blaming others before we question ourselves. We put ourselves in the center but never look around. Never look inward.

Instead I spend more time observing darkness. It’s very different with the Moon. We only see one side of it. No matter when we look up. It’s not like that during the day. But. I don’t see the other side of the Sun.

We don’t value the kind offers that others make. We look for answers in all the wrong places. They’re all there. Just look.

Today I’m waking up at dawn. Sip the cool air. Enjoy the touch of a nascent ray. I look up. Finally. It’s as old as the world. New for me. Here it is. I’m seeing the other side of the Sun.

It Does't Take an Atticus

To Kill A Mockingbird is one of my favorite books. I remember when I first read it I was really struck with one simple concept that Atticus was trying to teach to Scout throughout the book: you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. I guess if you think about it, this approach can solve many if not most of the problems our society has. The book, being a masterpiece that it is, is of course a powerful tool to spread this idea, but I also thought, isn’t it just a very natural concept? Why do we even need a book to see this? And so I wrote a little poem about that feeling.

It doesn't take an Atticus
Or any little girl
To state this simple truth
I'm sharing with you all

There's just a single pair of shoes
That you own to be found
But you can try some others too
Put on and walk around

One simple trick, as old as is
The story of mankind
The only way to understand
Another person's mind

It doesn't take an Atticus
It doesn't take a Scout
To learn this lesson you will need
To see what life's about

Dreams from My Father

I finally got to read the book that has been on my mind for quite some time – 'Dreams from My Father' by Barack Obama. Before saying anything, I have to point out that this book was written well before Mr. Obama even became a senator, so I think that it will only be fair if I try to discuss its contents absolutely independently of the successful career he subsequently made as a politician.

This is one of the most meaningful, insightful and important books I’ve read in a while. It may not have given as many answers as it raised new complicated questions, but therein lies the true power of this book. Although it’s been a long time since I set out on a quest to learn and understand as much as I can about the complex and intricate system of concepts like race and cultural identity that our society rests upon, trying to tap into the collective experience of those whose fate I can never share due to being white, this book quite unexpectedly offered a new and unique insight, an honest introspection, making me ponder various things I had not given due attention to before. There must be quite many people whose circumstances are similar to those of Barack Obama in one way or another, yet his story will strike one as truly notable not only because of its expansive nature spanning two continents and binding together so many distinct individual voices, but also because of the keen perception and an increasingly astute understanding that its main character has of the world around him. I also have to praise Barack Obama’s literary talent, an asset on its own, which allowed him to bring forth the book which in its structure feels like a well-paced and interesting novel.

Of course, there’s always something I’m trying to find in any book that I can personally relate to. I will never be able to feel what it’s like to live a life being trapped between the color lines and not having a solid understanding of your own inheritance and what to make of it. However, I do know what it’s like to be a part of two worlds, sometimes conflicting and ready to clash where you least expect them, not knowing whether you can claim any of them as your own nor understanding whether or not you belong to both of them or to neither. In that, this book also resonates with me in a special way.

Needless to say how big a desire there is to embed the contents of this book into a larger context, how exciting it is to have a new unexpected perspective on Barack Obama's presidency and to get a more nuanced look into the foundations from which his career arose. Whether you approve of what he has done as president or not, it’s impossible to neglect the fact that we are very fortunate to have this man do the most important and the hardest job in the United States of America. His upbringing, the multifaceted picture of the world he has acquired throughout his life in the polarized world of black and white, being an American who is also able to dive into the everyday reality of a Kenyan, or more broadly an African, not an insider yet not a stranger either, inevitably translates into who he is as a person and as president. This is a difficult journey, but knowing the destination Barack Obama has reached so far makes it all the more worthwhile and exciting!

The Oncely Show

Welcome to The Oncely Show! This is the first and the last program the sole purpose of which is to mark an occasion of great importance – the final episode of The Daily Show with its much beloved host Jon Stewart.

Jon, you've been here for us when we most needed you, through thick and thin, reporting on the issues that America faces on a daily basis, drawing the nation's attention to the disharmonious and incongruous state of modern politics, exposing lies that pour into the mainstream media's partisan trumped-up narrative at the ever increasing rate, questioning the very foundations of our society with its division into the privileged and the oppressed and disenfranchised, ridiculing the irresponsible rhetoric of your fellow TV hosts and, most importantly, providing parental care and guidance to the unruly aggressive child with a disposition to lie sired by television and the Internet that Fox News is.

Your integrity, dedication, political acumen and a caustic sense of humor elevated you to the rank of the most trusted man in America, much like Walter Cronkite years ago, which is a surprising and remarkable achievement for a comedy show host. This may be well deserved but you shouldn't forget to thank Bill O'Reilley, Sean Hannity and their equally blissfully ignorant companions who truly bring out these wonderful qualities of yours.

Trying to pin down the location of your show on the political spectrum many will accuse you of openly leaning to the left. Yet their more conscientious counterparts will understand that your lobbying for certain political causes comes not from the affiliation with a particular party per se but rather just because it is the right thing to do.

Summing up I have to say that despite being a comedian you have been able to do a great deal of work with serious implications. At the same time the scale of the work of many serious news agencies and networks has proven to be, sadly, comedic.

These sixteen years did not go in vain. It's been a terrific and transforming journey for all of us. While I have high expectations for Trevor Noah, neither the show nor television and the Internet will be the same without you. I most definitely hope you'll find a medium through which to reach us, be it producing movies or acting or something else. Thank you for everything you've done. I love you Jon!