Yettie One

Thanks Breeze. I love getting your feedback and thoughts and really do appreciate your time and effort to read and reply. You rock.

Thank you Ashi, you always encourage and read and appreciate. I love to get your feedback mate.

Joann this is perfect. Exactly what I mean. If we were a little more contented with what we have, instead of wanting more, or seeking perfection even more than we should, maybe we would learn to be happier. Man's best friend doesn't want perfection, all a dog wants is love and attention. I think that is a great example to follow and 'try' to be more like.

Too true Louis, I totally agree that if you draw parallels to personal relationships in this instance being cruel would certainly turn one away from another. However, I would suggest, that even if you are cruel to a dog over a period, and change your attitude and show love and affection to the animal it is quick to forgive and forget and love once more unconditionally again. Is this something that we can not learn to be more akin too? I dunno, maybe it is naive to expect humans to forgive and forget, but sometimes I think we hold on to the little things a little too much...

Africa, my Precious Africa Made of dust and sand, ripples on the waters body. Cast of gold and diamonds, ruby’s and pearls. Bought of blood and sweat, made of toil and war. Africa, my Precious Africa Your tears of heartache show the scars you mourn. Africa, my Precious Africa Men and woman, some fathers others mothers . Born to poverty, Sons of the soil. Rich in our culture, pure in your soul. Africa, my Precious Africa Shout your name from now till forever more. My Precious Af

Hey Stuart. Welcome. There are a good few from the UK mate. You'll find them as you hunt around I am sure, if not pointed in the right direction by the others.

They say that nature has much to teach us, and that the simplicity of the laws of nature give the complexities of life some kind of roadmap for understanding how things work. But then people say a lot of things, and not all of them make sense, or are not as easy to understand or work out as it would seem. I mean lets be honest there are some pretty complicated emotions and feelings associated with something like a relationship that nature hasn't got a clue about right? Hmmmmm, lets consider one of the most fundamental relationships that exist between mankind and nature. Man's best friend. The simplicity of the relationship between a person and their dog could in someways be used to give us some useful lessons about the dynamic of a successful relationship. Madness you think? Well allow me to get you to think a little... Think not about the dynamic from a human perspective. Try if you can for a moment to put yourself in the dog's shoes/paws. Love given unconditionally. Loyalty. Care and compassion. Forgiveness. Joy. Peacefulness. Dedication. Just a few words that you would have to consider in life as a dog. Yeah, if you think about it, as long as a dog gets a little attention, fed on a regular basis, loved and walked, it matters not what kind of life they lead, they are always faithful and diligent to their master, right to the end. They never hold a grudge. Never worry about anniversaries, birthdays, being early or late. They forgive endless mistakes. They can be forgotten outside in the cold, left to wait in a boiling hot car, be scared witless by our fascination with fireworks, yet will always jump and and give endless love unconditionally when we pay them the attention they crave. They are fiercely protective of our safety, jealous guards of our time and space, love to be near us, wait patiently for our return, and celebrate our return passionately. They love to see us smile, listen to our woes without judging or making comment. They give comfort and kisses, even when we don't really want them. They make us laugh, and make us frown. Even when we get mad at them, they never hold it against us, and when we may be harsh, or lash out unexpectedly, they are quick to put it behind them and move on. They are cautious of strangers and welcome friends. Now for heavens sakes I am not suggesting we all go out and start dating our canine pets. That would be just a little outrageous! However, I am suggesting that there are a few things that dogs do that we could learn from in our quest to build strong and long lasting relationships. Right, so give consideration for a moment to what makes a good relationship. A good friendship. Loyalty, dedication, compassion, trust, diligence, patience, forgiveness.... See a pattern beginning to form? Maybe the reality is that much as the fantastic ability of a dog to love its owner unconditionally regardless of its circumstances is the starting blocks of what true love really is. That magical word unconditional is something we talk about a lot in life. It is something that is elusive and difficult to achieve as we are by nature selfish beings. We are out to get as much as we can for ourselves as fast as we can for as long as we can. So this unconditional malarky is a complete reverse of our predominant characteristic as a person. If we aspire to be a little less caught up in our selfish worlds of me me me, maybe we could learn to be better people. Better partners, better friends, better lovers. Take the time to try understand, be more compassionate, more forgiving, a little more willing to listen and not judge, more willing to stand at the shoulder of our loved ones, even if we may not agree with their decisions or choices. If we could just learn to be more attentive, more patient, more willing to have fun, be excited about the simplest things like spending time in one another's company, regardless of where, when or why, maybe if we could just take time to appreciate that we are not alone, not forgotten, not ignored, we could feel more appreciative of all we have. I mean how hard can it be? Well take it from me, not easy. Heck to get it right is bloody tough, and while nature may show a lot of simplicity in its lessons, this is not a simple life, and it is never easy to change our ways or alter our characteristics to being less human in a way. But in the long run it can almost make life worth living. It could bring an extra level of something special to our relationships and emotional well being. Isn't that something worth trying? I don't know, but I do know this... We are not perfect, I have said it so many times before, and as I look around me in my daily life, there is so much to learn, so many places to draw ideas, lessons and new insight from, that maybe this is how we learn to become better people. Maybe this is how we are meant to learn... What do you think? Thought for today - "Try not to become a man of success but a man of value" - Albert Einstein Song for today - Some Nights by Fun.

Ok did a search and didn't find any topics that actually ask about what nicknames you have had along the way in life. So what personal nicknames have you had, and how did you get them? Ok, as a kid my mom always used to call me Chubby. Apparently it came from the fact that as a baby I had really chubby cheeks, and so it was what she used to coo to me when she was trying to get me to sleep, and kind of stuck from there. I can't say it really bothered me much as a kid, mom was the only one that used the nickname, but once in a while she still comes out with it now, and that can be just a little embarrassing. hehe My other nickname, The Yettie, comes from my time in the forces in Africa. I have Canadian heritage, and am a rather hairy bugger that does not really like the heat. Some of the guys I worked with in my squad figured that Yettie was a fitting nickname for me, and it kind of stuck. At one time I used to wear a New York Yankies cap a lot of the time, and have always been a fairly spontanious person who enjoys getting up to mischief, so the nick was developed into the Nutty Yettie, and to many of my friends, even to this day, that is still how I am known. So what nicks have you had then?

I have never tried Rum with Lemonade. Hmmmmmmmmm. Something I will be trying out tonight then James. Another new one that I have discovered that is really rather nice is Port and Coke. Had it served to me in Scotland recently and it's quickly becoming a fav of mine.

Actually yeah, I do have a thing for having to have the latest book by my fav writers.

Oh please don't bring back another Dynasty. Heck the competition between the two used to confuse the hell out of me back in the day, I don't wanna have to go through that all over again! Jeeeeeeesh. It's a bit like the British soaps. They all do the same thing pretty much at the same time. Can never tell which story line is original anymore.

Now that sounds LUSH!!!

I envy those that don't seem to get a hangover. Grrrrr. It always seems that they can drink whatever they like and it never has any effect. No Fair! Still I do like to have a good old session every now and then.

Well in terms of tunes that I really enjoy, some of them are a little trancy maybe, but here are a few that I get a kick out of! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY2OFztWiuY

Rio is the very first time W_L

Well I have heard of Anti Ageing creams, but this is taking it a little too far. lol Erm to be fair, I can't say that I would understand what sex is like from a woman's perspective however I have read that if a man is too big it can be uncomfortable and an unpleasant experience, so does making it tighter add to the pleasure for the man or the woman, and if it is just about pleasing the man, you have to ask what is the point? Maybe if your planning on having a fling and want to be in the best possible shape for the fling? Must admit there are some crazy ideas in this world, lol. Anything to make money ey!

OMG! NNN you naughty boi! Lol My Thingymajig certainly does not go by the name of temptation, however, a nice cute derriere on the other hand............. Well that could be temptation all day every day!

Is sharing what makes things easier? Can people really help each other? Do we really want help, or are we too stubborn to see the truth before our eyes? I ask myself these questions and many like it dozens of times each week. I go over things over and over again, searching it for anything that can explain what, why, when, how. Some days I lie in my bed at night and the rage of thoughts, feelings and emotions that swirl around in my head is more than I can stand. Sometimes I feel like I am my own worst enemy and it is me that is defeating the chances that I have of find a way out of this darkness. There are days where I just want to scream. Days I just long for a hug. Days I just want to hear someone's voice give me reason to forget the reality of my circumstances for a moment as we chat, laugh, smile and enjoy the warmth of friendship and understanding. I guess I am just a guy who is not prefect. I have flaws, weaknesses and problems. I am not unique, I am not alone, I am not something special or someone that is going through stuff that no one else has felt or experienced or had to deal with, and you see this is the key. This is the link, the thing that helps, the strength that each of us need, the shoulder that is there when leaning back is all we can do, the understanding that shows we are not going mad, or falling from the very sight of society and the love of our fellow man/woman. You see, I have come to realise that it is not about seeking for an answer. It is not about trying to be better or different. There is no need to feel alone or isolated and unsure. All we can do is share. Sometimes our words will inspire, sometimes they will offend, but in the great big scheme of things, we are all alike, all here together and all able to be the support that each and everyone of us need at some stage in our lives. These posts, these cries, shouts of frustration, rants and raves, the words of comfort or encouragement are how we reach out and give each other hope, how we carry each other to the dawn of another day, how we open our hearts to show our deepest hurts, our biggest fears, our darkest thoughts and feelings. It is beautiful, heart warming and gives me strength in ways far greater than I can ever really express in words alone. This is our place to be me, you, us. No pretense. No hidden hurts, no false smiles. We can come, open our heart and lay our stories, experiences, frustrations and hurts on the table for all too see, and in venting through this forum we build a community, a web of love, understanding and acceptance, despite our differences, despite our prejudices, aside from our daily lives. I am learning that we are all exposed, vulnerable, weak in some way. It is human to be imperfect. It is natural to be striving to be better and not always able to make it. This is what life is all about. Walking this road and learning that we are who we are, and who each of us are to each other. A bit of a random post, and one a little out of the blue I know, but I just needed to say, that as hard as things get sometimes, it is a simple forum post that I daily draw encouragement, hope and strength from. Each of us come here with our rants, our problems and we share, and it is through that ability of each of us to open up and give me a chance to learn, understand and appreciate the complexities of life and living more each day that gives me what I need to go on. This post has become a place for many of us to just be able to express so many things, and for each of you that share and take part in this community of support and love, thanks. Thanks for being honest and open enough to show me that I am not alone. Thanks for the kind words of encouragement that you give to me, thanks for the love that we express to each other. You may or may not know me, we may speak or may not, but each of you are important in your own special way. Keep smiling, keep fighting, keep striving to be you, better, bigger, happier and brighter. This world is a better place for our honesty and this type of community.

This has been in the Top 40 for a few weeks now, and I find it quite catchy. Sat down to check out the music video today, and heck, even I am tempted to go out looking for Molly now. Hehe Enjoy

ROFL How camp is the Lead Singer. Got a real kick out of this. Thanks Andrea.

Ya know, as someone living here, and wondering what it would all be like, I think London 2012 was pretty damn good. We didn't half the money that Beijing threw at their Olympics, we didn't have the military precision and fantastic firework displays. What you got was uniquely British, a celebration of the things we enjoy, live with and take for granted. You can't please everyone, and as hard as they tired to make it cater to all tastes, heck someone wasn't going to enjoy it. Personally I was a little worried that the games would be seen as a juicy target too tempting to avoid missing by some lunatic, and I had a certain amount of worry that something awful may happen, but it didn't, and I think that not enough credit has been given to the massive security operation that took place around, before and during the games by men and women dedicated to keeping us safe. To all the Police, Armed Forces and Security Personal of the London 2012 Games, I think you guys did yourselves and our nation proud.

A few years ago I came across this video on YouTube and was really tickled at the concept. Not only is it actually really cute, but it got me wondering about temptation and how we all have a "candy" in our lives that is like just too much temptation for us to really handle. Ok so have a watch, a bit of a grin and then share with us all what YOUR cotton candy is in life! (Just for a bit of fun ey!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EjJsPylEOY For me I would have to say I have a soft spot for computer technology, and always like to have the latest tech gadget when it comes to the wild wide world of Computer Hardware and Gadgetry. So go on then, what's yours? Have a great day!

So it has been a tough couple of weeks for me which culminated in a bit of a disaster yesterday. Here is how it unfolds... As a person I tend to be a pretty private person, but when I find I like someone I will open up pretty quickly, and hey I think we are all like that to a degree. You have to let the people you want to become close too, to see the real you. Sometimes slowly, but once in a while you do it a little faster than at other times. Well, time and life has taught me that this is not always the best thing to do, coz once you start to let those walls down, you expose yourself to hurt, and people are fickle. They build impressions, make assumptions and guess an awful lot, and when things don't pan out quite to what their expectations were, you find yourself carrying the can. Yep, you may assume from this that I've been disappointed, and the answer to that would be yes, but then haven't we all at some point in our lives? So pick myself up, quit moaning and move on. Fair enough. Now this is where I open myself up to share a little piece of me with those of you that bother to read. I could easily allow such an experience to sour my perception of the world. In 38 years of living it has happened enough times to make me fed up of having my feelings trashed at the feet of people that couldn't care less, and yeah at times I just wanna scream. I wanna smash something, lash out and be nasty. What would I gain though? We cannot change who we are! This is a fundamental fact of life. You may be able to alter little things, you might be able to harden your heart, but you are who you are, and you have to find a way to be happy living in your own skin. I can honestly say that this is not as easy as it may seem. Some people have a marvellous ability to appear happy all the time. Some of them really are happy, but for the vast majority of us we are smiling to the world to hide our scars, laughing with friends to fit in, and giving the impression of happiness to fool ourselves into believing that life isn't so hard. This is the thing. Life is tough, for me, for you, for any one of us. We look at the rich and famous and think they have it all, but reality knocks and truth is happiness isn't found in wealth and fast cars, trendy clothes and expensive gifts. Sure money might make things a little more fun, but money can't buy you the one thing that you really need to be happy. Wanna know what I honestly believe that is? Simple. People around you that honestly, truly, and without compromise love you. Happiness lies in the people that are there to pick you up when the chips are down. Happiness is being able to share with someone that listens as much as they speak. Happiness is knowing that you have someone that you can call any time you need them, be it 4am in the morning or 8pm at night. They will cry with you, laugh with you, go shopping with you. They have the courage to tell you when you are being an idiot, they will tell you when you are heading for disaster and they will always be there to help you pick up the pieces. These are the things, no, hell no, these are the PEOPLE that you must learn to treasure, and if there is one thing that you have to do in life.... Tell them you love them. Tell it to them each and every day if you feel you must. Tell them how important they are, how special and unique they are, and how much they make your life worth living. Don't assume these things are known! Tomorrow will come and it is always too late when the chance is stolen. See this is the stark realisation that I came to this week. You may or may not know that I care full time for my mom who as an elderly woman has a fair few things wrong with her, so it is little wonder that at some time in the near future she will pass on to that special place where she will be happy and free from our worldly woes. But I shudder to think how I will deal with that day when it comes, and on Friday afternoon, I almost thought the day had come. My mom collapsed in my arms and lost consciousness for a period of time. My initial thoughts when she went down was that she had died in my arms, and while that may sound awfully dramatic and maybe a little over the top, when it happens to you one day, you will appreciate the fear, horror and alarm that suddenly courses through your veins and races through your mind. I was sitting there on the floor, with her head on my lap on the phone to the ambulance people begging her not to die because I hadn't told her how much I love her. Now in my case, I am a mummies boy. Probably why looking after my mom is actually quite a pleasure for me, and while it depresses the hell out of me to watch her slowly deteriorate, and I feel so useless sometimes to stop it, I do get an element of satisfaction out of being there for her just as she was for me once. Now please, I know that every one of us has different circumstances, and some of us have had wonderful home lives and others have not. Some of us are close as families and others not, so please don't feel that this post is trying to tell you to bridge gaps with your family or something. Your circumstances are your own, and you know them better than anyone, so will know what is right and what is wrong for you. But..... we all have someone special to us. A friend, a relative, a pastor, a partner. Who ever it is, don't be stupid like me. Don't just assume that they will know. Heck obviously my mom knows that I love her right? She is my mom for crying out loud, it is fairly natural to expect that despite our differences and arguments and fall outs over the years, to expect that she knows I love her, but the truth is, when I was sat there with tears running down my cheeks looking at her pale body on the ground, all I wanted to do was tell her how much I loved her. And this is the point I try to make today. People in life will let you down. People will hurt you, abuse you, tear you apart emotionally, but a small handful of very special people will be there for you every step of the way, and it is only right to let them know how much they really mean to you. It doesn't have to be some big display of affection or a statement of intent. Simple words like, 'Hey you are a really special person to me, and I love you.' This is only my own humble opinion, but we need to let those special people know how important and loved they really are. It is for your own good as much as theirs, and heck it really ain't that hard. Hope that these words will encourage you to go away from here today and tell someone close that you care enough to tell them they are loved. Thought for today "When you are up, your friends know who you are. When you are down, you know who your friends are!" - Brian Marijeni Song for today - From a Distance by Bette Midler

Wayne I am not sure that you receive enough credit for the time and effort that you put into creating these prompts for us to challenge and inspire each one of us individually as writers. So hey, thanks for the work you do, and even more for taking the time to actually read our efforts and let us know what you think.

Joann, I can always count on you to let me know what you think, and thanks so much for taking the time to read and enjoy the piece. It was a lot of fun to write, and I'm glad that it was good to read too!