Mere Joy

Diving into a sea of mere euphoria. Polishing the insides of me with the thoughts I couldn't express and words I shan't say.

[merejoy-blog1]

Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting in an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.

George MacDonald, C.S. Lewis

[merejoy-blog1]

The only things we can keep are the things we freely give to God. What we try to keep for ourselves is just what we are sure to lose.

C.S. Lewis

[merejoy-blog1]

Art is lasting, art is patient, art is a gift. It is a gift of faith, hope, and love to the artistic life.

Budi Tek

[merejoy-blog1]

Ignorance cannot precede the choice. Decision must cede to knowledge.

Bernar Venet

[i-wildest-dreams]

[merejoy-blog1]

We all, of course, live with a permanent desire to surround ourselves with what is beautiful, but most importantly, with what is heavily instilled with a creative, artistic, and deeply meaningful content.

quote from artist-turned-collector Bernar Venet

[readcereal]

FOGO ISLAND

From Cereal Volume 11

Photo by Rich Stapleton

[merejoy-blog1]

기다렸다 가 . Nosedive.

다이나믹 듀오 & 첸

the feels. and the lyrics, damn. 

일이 피곤했나 오늘따라 Maybe work was hard today

한 두 잔에 퍼지네 Just a couple of drinks is getting to me

반 뼘짜리 위로  한숨 피우고   After letting out a long sigh in the empty space

나니 기분이 좀 나아지네 I’m feeling a bit better

요즘 들어 사는 게  봄 가을 같아 좋은 건 다 짧게 지나가 These days, life is like spring and fall. The good thing is everything passes by quiickly

어떤 이는 내가 아닌

Some people turn me into someone who isn’t me

나로 나를 만들어  들었다 놓곤 스치듯 내 곁을 떠나가 They put me up and down, then they leave me

내가 강해졌던 건지  무뎌졌던 건지 Maybe I got stronger, maybe I got indifferent

일년에 한 두 번  울먹임을 I used to cry only once or twice a year

다했던 내가 눈물이 다 나네 가리워진 길 But now tears are coming on this hidden path

그 노래가 내 마음에 들렸을 때 When my heart heard that song

조금 녹았어 이유는 It melted a little

다 스트레스야 It’s all stress

무너지기 싫어 버티고 I endured it all because I didn’t want to collapse

증발해버릴까  꽉 쥐고 있던 대가 Should I just endure and evaporate? It’s the price of holding it all in.

Chorus

힘들 때 아프게 When things are hard and it hurts,

그냥 울어도 돼  더 서럽게 You can just cry

슬픔이 갈 때  눈물이 그칠 쯤에 When sadness disappears and the tears begin to stop

내 엄지로 네 눈 밑을 쓸어 줄게 I’ll brush across the bottom of your eye 

짠해 다 그런 거지  뭐 라며 내가  소주병을 깔 때 I’d say it’s sad but everyone’s like that as I opened the bottle of soju

마흔이 다 돼 첨 배웠다는 너의 손에 You said you just learnt smoking at forty

어색하게 들린 담배가 The awarkward cigarette in your hand

뿜어내는 구름이 The cloud of smoke you exhale

우릴 안아주는 것 같아 Feels like it’s wrapping around us

참았던 기침 섞인 웃음이  터져 나와 잠시나마 Coughs and laughter mixed within, burst out for a moment

혼자가 아닌 것 같아 우린 서로를 친구라고 부르지 We don’t think we’re alone and call each other friends

때론 우울이란  불운이 날 막아서  나태라는 그물이 Sometimes depression stands in my way and the net of laziness captures me

다들 자기 갈 길 잘 가는데 It seems everyone is going on their own paths

나만 멈춰선 것 같아  이대로 괜찮을까라는 물음이 I’m the only one standing still, will I be alright like this?

머릿속을 떠나지 않아 That question doesn’t leave my head

계속 무력하게 현실을 겉돌다 보면 When I keep walking around reality helplessly

때론 내가 유령 같애 Sometimes I feel like a ghost

고독은 무덤 같애 Loneliness is like a grave

넌 그 속에서 날 언제나 꺼내줘  이 노래 후렴 같애 But you always pull me out of it, like the chorus of this song

Chorus

혼자가 되기 싫어  I don’t want to be alone. Again today, I’m holding onto someone

오늘도 누군가를 붙잡고 혼자 두지 않지만 Again today, I’m holding onto someone not wanting to be alone 

집에 돌아오는 길은 역시 외로워 But the way back home is lonely surely

TV를 틀어놓고 잠이 오길 기다려 So I turn on the TV and hope I fall asleep

수 많은 평점 속에 날 채점하지 않는 몇몇과  오래 함께 하고 싶네 For a long time, I want to be with those who don’t rate me

적막한 하루의 문턱을 넘어갈 수 있게 So that I can go through the door of a lonely day

내가 나로 온전히 살아갈 수 있게 So I can live completely as myself

가끔씩은 지독하게 허무해 Sometimes it feels so empty

왜 사나 싶어 도대체 난 어디로 가나 싶어 Why am I living and where am I going

그럴싸한 가면을 써 I’m wearing a pretty decent mask

이제는 익숙해진 가명을 써 Now I’m accustomed to using fake name

이게 내가 맞나 싶어 But I wonder if it’s really me though

이렇게 갈피를 못 잡고 헤맬 때 When I can’t grasp my direction and keep wandering

누군가 같이 있어준다는 건  계산할 수 없는 가치 Anyone who’d be with me is priceless

거짓처럼 껍질만 남은 세상 The world is like an empty shell full of lies

우린 서로를 장난처럼 간단하게 판단하지 않지 But we don’t judge each other liek it’s a game

힘에 부쳐 잠깐 눈 좀 Have strength, close your eyes for a bit

붙여 얼마나 고됐을까 How hard must it have been?

바람과 이 비가 지나갈 때 까지만 기다렸다가 Just wait until the wind and rain pass, then go

Chorus

[1000drawings]

by Emilio Villalba

[merejoy-blog1]

We all have a responsibility to be more creative in the way we think and behave, whether it's the public, industries, companies and individuals. I'd like to wake up and read some good news in the paper, for a change.

Karena Albers

It's all in the little things we do that makes a difference because ultimately, the total effect of the combined can maybe shift the universe by just the split second. Waking up thinking what have I done yesterday that made that minute significance and what shall I do today to amplify it. Come to think of it, we’re all creatives aren't we. Or at least we strive to be. I think our initiatives are like the effect of gravity on space-time, that maybe one day singularity can be achieved and that time shall stop altogether.