Beware, beware, beware.

I’m painting the upstairs now. The colour I chose was the one that I felt best suited the room. If I chose blue, it won’t have meant I was sad. If I painted it yellow, it won’t mean I was feeling bright. The same is true when I write. The mood or tone of the piece doesn’t necessarily reflect the mood I'm in when I compose it, only what I feel will best suit what I’m trying to relay, or how the character would feel. The emotional state I choose to put myself in while putting the words on paper rarely reflects what I was feeling when I sat down at the desk, or what I feel when I get up and walk away from it.
Our interior world has many rooms and every emotion unlocks a different door. I like to go exploring through the whole house. Sometimes even in the darkest corner of the cellar or up the creaky attic stairs, through the locked door at the top, terrified of what has been sealed away but curiosity forces me forward while I pray that I have better luck than the cat.
Sometimes, when I am feeling particularity daring, or I hear a story that begs the question why? I'll go rummaging in someone else's attic, or at my most courageous, into the dark corners of his or her cellar. But on such expeditions there is always the risk of not being able to find your way back out, or, that the person who comes up the cellar stairs won't be the same one who went down them.
In the interior world of the subconscious, in the land of imagination that often speaks in metaphor, all the ghosts, bogeymen, vampires, werewolves and creatures of the night that you buried as a child, are alive and waiting for your return. Sometimes they follow you back out. And once you see them again, remember what they looked like, their true faces revealed, you'll see them everywhere. Appearing as things that haunt you from the past, people who prey on children, others that suck the life’s blood right out of you with false charm and a constant hunger, people who seem fine at first but then turn savage, and so on. And now that you can spot them, they become aware of your vision and will seek to destroy you as to not be discovered.
So beware, beware, beware of the creaking attic stair and the ones that descend to the cellar. It's best to stay on the main floor, on the comfy couch in the living room and forget that there are other rooms and houses to be explored.
Now back to painting. I went for a cream colour with a deep red-violet trim. It's cheerful with just a hint of menacing. I think that's best, don’t you?

Copyright © Colin Frizzell 2009. All rights reserved.

I’ve never met a person who couldn’t tell right from wrong . . . when the wrong was being done to them. It’s only when he or she is doing the wrong that things become as ambiguous as hell.

Copyright © Colin Frizzell 2009. All rights reserved.

Life is like a rose garden. If you focus on the blossoms you won’t notice that it’s mainly thorn bushes growing in manure.

Copyright © Colin Frizzell 2009. All rights reserved.

At One with the Universe

My mind and my life are at one with the universe. Of course I subscribe to the Chaos Theory, so make of that what you will.

Copyright © Colin Frizzell 2009. All rights reserved.

A Touch of Hollywood @ the Hear/Hear Reading Series.

I had a wonderful night last night at the Free Times Café. We even had a touch of Hollywood with the surprise appearance of Will Patton(pictured at side), who was in the audience sitting almost right beside me. All the authors (as seen below: Andrew Daley, Rebecca Rosenblum, and Mariko Tamaki) readings were great. Though my own was a wee bit dodgy, I am tragically out of practice and I think my Mojo went on vacation without me. But it’s not about me; it’s about the program, making people aware of it, gaining support for it, while allowing a platform for the writers involved to share their work. And it did all those things wonderfully. The crew at Now Hear This: Mark Laliberte, Katie Franklin, Katie Mercer, and Jennifer De Visser, did a great job. And Jennifer De Visser was a spectacular MC. Thanks again to all involved and all who were in attendance at the reading, including Will Patton. To learn more about the Hear/Hear Reading Series, Now Hear This and the Students, Writers and Teachers program please visit: http://www.nowhearthis.ca/

Live!

Live! In a rare public appearance. One night only. Tonight @ The Free Times Café in Toronto. Part of the Hear/Hear Reading Series. Authors Andrew Daley, Rebecca Rosenblum, Mariko Tamaki and me. Readings start at 6 sharp! :)

A Friend's Garden, in the Shade

Just arrived in Toronto; got a ride up with the friends I’m staying with. We're sitting in their back garden; little statues of gargoyles on my left, sitting amongst the ferns; a five foot statue of the Angel Gabriel on my right, beneath a Corkscrew Birch flanked by a Japanese Maple and a Russian Olive. To my south a Weeping Cyprus, a Rose of Sharon behind me by a wall covered in wild grape under a elm tree canopy. I sit and relax with good company, and get ready for tomorrow night's reading at the Free Times Café. Hope to see you there.
And thank you Tony and Dorethy for your hospitality.

Sticks and Stones

Chill is a part of the wonderful Orca Soundings Series of Hi/Lo readers for teens put out by Orca Book Publishers. The first Orca Soundings I read was Beth Goobie’s Stick and Stones. It’s about a girl that’s labelled a slut for not sleeping with a guy; but the guy spreads rumours that she did.
I enjoyed the book the first time I read it but having never really experienced anything like that, or been blissfully unaware of things being said behind my back, I didn’t fully understand. Like Leonard Cohen said, “When Jesus knew for certain only drowning men could see him . . . ” often we don’t find empathy and compassion until we’re the ones who need it.
Buddha said, “To understood everything is to forgive everything.” But, when words are used against you because someone is more worried about how others will perceive them than they are about staying true to their own conscience, or doing what’s right so that others don’t get hurt, it’s hard to forgive, even when you understand. And there is often little you can do to defend yourself, like Mark Twain said, “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes”. It seriously messes with your head.
But it also makes you realise how much of your own world, your perceptions of it and the perceptions you have of other people, is based on things that you heard and not what you've experienced and how your experiences can be tainted by what you’ve heard; scientific studies have shown how much words can influence perception.
Much of our world is created through words that may have been said by someone who was confidently mistaken, didn’t respect their power or the lasting repercussions of the things they said, or worse, realised the power of words and used them to manipulate others to go against their conscience and do things that they otherwise would never have done—in the extreme look at the Manson Family or WWII Germany.
The Quran says, “Have you any knowledge so you can bring it forth to us? You follow only conjecture and you only tell lies.” Without even knowing it, without meaning any malice, we have all heard something we believed to be true, and acted on it, judged people on it, or spread what we heard without considering the repercussions. And that thing later turned out to be false. That is our sin and others suffer for it.
Standing up and specking the truth is never easy; speaking from the heart using your own God given reason to find truth and compassion rather than create justification or just worrying about being politically correct. When Christ was facing crucifixion he spoke frankly and honestly to the high priest and the guard struck him for it. Jesus said, “If I said something wrong, testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?”
If you don’t believe in religion or the prophets, then believe nothing and weigh the words on their own merit, and don’t get caught up in semantics. “Truth has nothing to do with words. Truth can be likened to the bright moon in the sky. Words, in this case, can be likened to a finger. The finger can point to the moon's location. However, the finger is not the moon. To look at the moon, it is necessary to gaze beyond the finger, right?” – Zen Parable
When you hear a rumour, or a story, or even when reading a book or watching a film or television ect, try to do so with empathy, compassion and thought for all involved.“For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.” Proverbs 2:12
And keep in mind, as Socrates said, true wisdom is in knowing we know nothing.
Stick and stones may break our bones, but words can shape the world we live in. So respect them and always look past them until you see the moon.
“It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles the man.” Matthew 15:11

"It's so easy to laugh, it's so easy to hate, it takes guts to be gentle and kind." - The Smiths

Copyright © Colin Frizzell 2009. All rights reserved.

Taken from Eye Weekly

Taken from Eye Weekly
http://www.eyeweekly.com/bestbets/article/68707

HEAR/HEAR Reading Series
AUG 19, FREE TIMES CAFÉ

At first glance, HEAR/HEAR Reading Series might look like, well, just another reading series. Instead, the organizers promise a community experience, celebrating writers who get involved
with youth and the world at large. This month’s roster of readers includes Andrew Daley, Rebecca Rosenblum, Mariko Tamaki and Colin Frizzell. 6pm. Free. 320 College.
www.nowhearthis.ca.

Spent most of the day doing a rewrite on the film script. Then cut the lawn. Then went for a swim in Lake Ontario with my dog, Oreo. Now I'm going to have dinner (marinated pork chops) with me mum. Life is at its sweetest when it is at its most simple.

Originally Published in 'The County Weekly News', July 23rd edition.

Originally Published in The County Weekly News, July 23rd edition.

Dear Editor,

In response to “Leaving religion out of Canada Day", in the July 9, 2009 Letters.

Freedom of religion should be just that, freedom to express and celebrate your religion. It’s one of the great things about being a part of the mosaic that makes CANADA, CANADA: freedom to be who you are and accepting others for who they are.
If someone wishes to hand out Buddha gift bags next year they can. Considering that the bookstore in Picton has a window display of Buddhist books, Buddha statues are available at other stores, and I haven't heard anyone complaining about it, I don’t think you’ll have to worry about any letters to the editor if you do.
You can even give out little Buddha Loves You rings, if you like. I’m always happy to hear that anyone loves me, and I love learning and hearing about other people’s faiths.
I’m Catholic, but I appreciate Buddhism, since, like Christianity, it is about love, acceptance and understanding. Finding happiness within. “Peace comes from within do not seek it without.” – Buddha. Or perhaps Jesus would be better here, “The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” Or Buddha’s “Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” And if your faith does bring you peace and joy, why not share it and encourage others to do the same?
So much can be learned by not just allowing but encouraging one another to speak, and listening to what is being said, instead of trying to silence anyone who doesn't tell us what we want to hear. When we recognize what is common and celebrate what is different. Isn’t that what CANADA is suppose to be all about?

Colin Frizzell
Cressy

I know it’s some sort of optical illusion. But, if you stare a screen long enough, without typing anything, you see a pint of Guinness.

Copyright © Colin Frizzell 2009. All rights reserved.

Someone Left To Speak

I was just at the Quinte Mall in Belleville, Ontario where I saw, and picked up a plaque that read:

I believe in the sun
even when it is not shining,
in love
even when I am alone,
and in God
even when He is silent.

- Inscription found scratched into a wall in Germany by someone hiding from the Nazi concentration camps.

It filled me with both hope and dread. Like a voice from the past raising a warning for the future. Will we ever learn?

If I wasn’t totally nuts, I think I’d go completely insane.

Copyright © Colin Frizzell 2009. All rights reserved.

If You Don't Have Heart . . .

When the Egyptians mummified people, they removed the brain and left the heart. I think they were right. You don't need to be clever to get into heaven; you need to be compassionate. And if you don't have heart, you don't have anything at all.


Copyright © Colin Frizzell 2009. All rights reserved.

Addition to last entry (and fun with words)

Just thought I should add to the last blog entry that I also really like the word ludicrous. Ludicrous; definition: so foolish, unreasonable, or out of place as to be amusing; ridiculous. See note at absurd.

Let’s see if we can’t put it together with the last fun word, discombobulated, from the July 22nd entry Discombobulated and Thank You. We’ll throw in absurd just for fun.

Here goes:

The comment was so ludicrously absurd it left me feeling discombobulated.

Isn’t that fun to say?

Deleted Comment

I had to delete a comment. I just wanted to say that while I always welcome truthful and constructive comments, I have little patience for lies and personal attacks constructed out of lies. The one made wasn’t just slanderous but ludicrous and sick. Such comments will always be removed.
Chill is about standing up to bullies, and the world is full of them. They really seem to like the Internet where they can shout nasty comments from the dark little corners where they hide.
Beware and be strong.

Peace, love, truth and justice.

Chill's First Chapter.

Hi, I’m Sean, Sean Fitzsimmons, the narrator of Chill. Chill is about . . . Chill. He's coolest kid you’ll ever meet with the hottest Mom you could ask a best friend to have. It’s about more than that, but that’s the important stuff.

Here’s the first chapter.

CHAPTER 1


Chill’s foot dragged behind him like a murder victim being taken to a shallow grave by a killer too weak to do the job, but he still stood straighter than any other kid in school.

Apathy

Apathy is emotional suicide. And the urge to become apathetic is one we need to fight against daily.


Copyright © Colin Frizzell 2009. All rights reserved.