Lauren

A whirl of paper, a blast of sound, instruments buzzing, ringing phones,  the racing of people, cars, lights . . . days and nights. 

Maintaining a steady course, in the midst of a social and materialistic catalyst for confusion. 

What is there to hold onto? 

Climbing the mountain, ensuring that your hold will maintain, making sure not to slip, and with each step climbing higher and higher.  
Order.

by Lauren Sweetland    
4 March 2008  

Happy New Year 2008

We welcome in the new, pushing the old to the far corners of our minds.

Reach for a new day, and understand that this is your gift.

Love your friends and family, remembering that we are all together on this vast journey called life.

Admire nature, the beauty of the world around us, and respect it.

Take notice of other people’s creations and projects, for that is what builds our world.

by Lauren Sweetland

photo by Lauren Sweetland taken Dec 31st 2007

Sit and wonder,
in mystery.
As the days pass and seasons turn.

Questioning,
anticipating,
precipitating madness through inaction.

Walls closing in.

Chains breaking,
escaping the prison of vacillation.

Emancipation.

by Lauren Sweetland
11 Sept 2007

constellations spackeled into the endless ocean of darkness …
vibrant lights stretching to never ending heights …
surrounded by the smell of the night air …
wishing i was somewhere but happy to be here …
angry mobs rushing in with no power …
laughing in mysterious wonder …
staring blankly into an ocean of information …
waiting, standing still, refusing to be moved …
unable to push what can’t be moved …
invisibe, perennial, inextinguishable …
immortal.

by Lauren Sweetland
11 Aug 2007

Where are you?
Fulfill my yearning desires.
Relieve me of my throbbing heart.
Help me escape from my wandering mind.
Paint another landscape.
Turn reality into surreal immortality.
Love me until this feeling goes away.

by Lauren Sweetland
24 July 2007

See Things DIFFERENTLY

i love this …

Green light in front of my face.
Rain drops on my wind shield.
Flags blowing in the breeze.
The night is cold.
I am warm inside my car.
Alone.
Waiting for someone to arrive.
Excitement.
Anticipating exhilaration.
The night has not yet begun.

by Lauren Sweetland
April 2007

A week ago I was driving in down town San Jose. I stopped at a red light.

My attention went to three boys, all about 15 years old, that were waiting to cross the street.

They were all so happy in each other’s company, it looked like they had spent the majority of their lives together.

I then looked closer at each boy.

The first was a tall, skinny, white boy on a mountain bike. He was your typical kid from the suburbs.

Next was a pudgy african american boy with a back pack, reminded me of a mini, younger Ice Cube. He looked cool and independent, had ear phones in and was just chillin with the other two guys.

The last boy was oriental. He had a skate board that he was playing around with. Dressed like a typical scene kid.

Sometimes if you look beyond the news and the hype you will see the reality … that we are all in this together … no matter what we look like or what type of music we listen to.

I want to continue to make this more of the norm in America. If you agree check out Youth For Human Rights.

Eric is one of the most phenomenal people I have ever had the privilege of knowing. He showed me this poem in 2002 and I told him that all parents and kids should read this. He has an ability to impact people with his communication that is beyond anything I have known. The message is true.

The most gut wrenching cry that ever you heard,
Is frustration that follows the misunderstood word,
The child is restless and can’t sit quite still,
He’s nervous and angry and feeling quite ill.
He wants to go home or go play in the sand,
His pencil is shaking inside his right hand,
He’s blank and washed out and not present or there,
He’s kicking the desk and he’s pulling his hair,
He’s yawning, distracted and won’t settle down,
Instead of a student he’s now the class clown,
He can no longer read so he’s playing the fool,
He’s got no more attention or focus for school.
PLEASE make him look back - oh - a sentence or four,
And clear up the word so he’s bright and RESTORED!
If you don’t know the strength of a dictionary,
The psychiatrist will move in and SCREAM, “A.D.D.!”
Then watch as your child takes a nice little pill,
That darkens his spirit and dampens his will,
You’ll be sorry years later when he hasn’t a thrill,
Well look at it this way - at least he’ll sit still.
The lesson’s so easy it might seem absurd,
But all that needs fixing is ONE LITTLE WORD!
Do you hear me? You get it? Please tell me you heard:
NEVER LET YOUR CHILD PASS A MISUNDERSTOOD WORD.

Based on the Study Technology of L. Ron Hubbard

On Saturday I got in my car to drive back from Sacramento.

I usually have music or something that I am listening to. I pushed play to listen to the CD that I had.

Then I just decided to turn it off.

I drove the entire way from Sacramento to San Jose with no music or talking - 2 hours.

I had made that drive at least 100 times.

But this time I saw things and noticed things that I had never seen before. It felt like I suddenly owned the road … funny feeling.