The Manrilla Blog | Life. Art. Religion. Culture.

Life is short. Life is long. Life is not just the linear passing of time. Years to months. Days to hours. Minutes to seconds. Life is so much more than this. As I continue to grow older and hopefully grow as an individual as well, I see life in a constantly changing way. Matters of importance shift and are in a state of flux. Or more perhaps, it’s akin to silt settleing to the bottom - things finding their own weight and place. I am in Wisconsin this weekend shooting a wedding and came to learn that a former co-worker of mine passed away. I was not shocked per se, because I knew she had been ill. But none the less, it still impacted me. It is impacting me. When I left Wisconsin for California, she and I weren’t on the best of terms, though I didn’t dispise her. In fact, it was something small and childish that we both let get in the way of our friendship together. I feel the fool now, because no matter how I’d like to go and say, “I’m sorry for what I said or did”, it’s too late now. What we do with our time is so very, very important in this life. It has full weight and baring on what will happen in the next.

I wish I had taken the time to let her know I still thought well of her. She and I had many things in common and for the majority of our time together as co-workers, we got along very well. We shared a common interest in design and art - I would often help her with the Web site (she was the webmaster), helping her resolve issues and bugs. We would go to lunch from time to time and I never minded the sibling like teasing that ensued when we went out for group lunches at work. But that time has come and gone. I can only offer my sincerest sympathies to her husband, Pat, and to the rest of the staff at work, some of whom were good friends of hers.

I guess all that I mean by any of this is take the time while you have it to live with those as you really and truly want to live with them. Don’t put it off tomorrow if it can be done today. We are promised no time and believe me, writing about it in a blog is small recompense for what would have been the right thing to have done.

I know that I talk a lot here of interfaith coalitions and Muslim, non-Muslim relationships. I also talk a lot of finding the middle ground so that we can all fit in and coexist with one another without strife. So, while I have said and do maintain all of that I’d now like to voice my opinion on this concept of Mother Nature. Read more this entry »

It’s amazing how fast time flies. Here we are, in the middle of July and I feel like I’m still catching up to May. I find it hard to believe that I left Madison just a little over a week ago. It seems like that place is a lifetime away. It’s not change per se, in the sense that it’s something new. More like returning to an old way of being. And yet I miss my friends from there everyday. Pete. Julia. JW. Nick, who became a real friend in need. Käri – I’m sorry we didn’t have more time to do things together. We have so much in common. They are the part of my life I feel is out of place right now. But I am glad that I left. I feel good about my decision to come to Philadelphia. Imam Luqman is a good man. I feel we may have some good things we can do together. It’s good to be here with my brothers as well. It’s never been easy for the three of us to get along like the Partridge Family but perhaps we can grow closer – get to know one another better. I look forward to what Philadelphia has in store for me and what I have in store for myself, as I try to take more control of my life at this juncture. We shall have to wait and see.

Some of you may know that I am muslim. This statement may also shock many of you since I haven’t “acted very religious” in the last several years. Some of you have only known me post-religeous zeal. I have not talked very much about religion with many of you. As a matter of fact, I have kinda made a resolution to not discuss religion. It’s not always been the greatest thing to do in the past. People can get really sensitive when it comes to religion. But I happened to be surfing the Net and came across an article by Hamza Yusuf, one of the founding members of the Zaytuna Institute, a non-profit, educational institute in the manner of traditional Islam. I have and still have a great deal of respect for Mr. Yusuf. He has a very sensical way of looking at Islam and the world. He touches on some points I found very interesting in an interview on the BBC. Give it a whirl (you’ll need the RealPlayer). There are also a number of interesting interviews on the same page as well. Check it out here: 1 | 2 | 3.

What does it mean to be courageous? Does it mean to do larger than life deeds? To run into a burning building so save someone’s life? Or perhaps to face those inner demons that each and everyone of us carries inside us. Well, I will certainly not thwart the former but I suspect it’s more of the latter. Many things in life take courage. To stand up for what one believes in takes courage. To do what’s right in the face of adversity and injustice; that certainly takes courage. But to be happy? Could that possibly take courage? Why not, I say. To enjoy oneself and pursue that which makes one happy certainly takes courage. Letting oneself go and releasing holds on bonds that we have placed upon ourselves is key to happiness and that act certainly takes courage. Some times it’s much easier to be bold and courageous if we feel others need that courage. But often we leave nothing for ourselves. What about the courage that we need, as individuals, to live out happy and fullfiling lives? Obviously I am writing this in response to something or more pertinently, someone. I hope that that person can achieve that level of fearlessness that they no longer have to build walls around themselves - walls that are oh, so easily knocked down. Walls that have become a tomb or a prison. I pray you find the strength and the vision to knock down those walls and embrace the life you’ve been given. It’s never too late to make a positive change. It’s never too late to find that courage that’s hiding somewhere inside the fearless warrior in us all. If I only had a heart…