So my design finger was itching this afternoon so I sat down for a few hours and compiled a new background for the theme that we were using to give the site an updated personality.  I’d like to get everyone’s opinions on it so just comment on this post and I’ll make the modifications as I have time.

I do plan on slowly tweaking the rest of the aspects on the site (ie: font type, font size, colors, logos, footer, etc…).  Right now I’d like to just concentrate on the background.

Here was my source of Inspiration.

Other areas of updates:

• Favicon
• Comments
• Footer
• Header
• Sidebar

Areas of comments / concerns:

• Background not dark enough – I have modified this to be darker, please let me know what you think of the new color and if it makes the text on the first post any easier to read.

Thanks in advance for the comments.

Its been awhile since ive been able to actually write in person on the site. I miss it and glad to see that people are really active. Ive still been writing slowly but have no internet access. I am trying to piece together a longer than average writing for my style. I am really pleased with it so far and have exciting (for me) plans for it. I dont have a tittle for it yet, still searching.

The midnight mist brings here the bagpipe’s song
among many to guide the light to an always returning sun
lonely, black, dark, and cold doesnt bring the same meaning now
not used cautiously and casually spoken
not given they full respect they deserve
Those to indulge their pain, those who find themselves in the shadow of darkness make way to the great lakes of fire, teased and tormented by the memory of love only found in the arms of angels.

The somber songs follows until your new soul is born. Here the strong wind, a broken record, always with you to remind of the Hell that consumes your heart and the peace thats never been found. The Wind, here the Wind is the only you can trust. The Wind will tell you where you are and where you could be and where your not.
“Great and powerful wind can you show me what its like? The soft touch of love. Bring me a dream of love that has no end. Tease me of what ive never had. Torment me with the dream i fight so hard to gain.”

Her name was Sarah. Its always “Sarah”. Clenching my hand, it feels as if a dark room is lit up for the first time. The feeling of warmth is always with me but the details seem to fade away Here. Not like they used to. The Wind, my blessing and my curse, the bringer of light and darkness.

I cannot set still,

Surely there must be a way,

Something I can do,

To ease my mind of the

Ever flowing thoughts, haunted by you.

Never ceasing,

Your face, steady and strong

Is seemingly imprinted on the inside of my eyes

Whenever they are closed I stare into your soul,

Now I must cover my own sobbing cries.

Finally it becomes apparent

I am wishing only for goodbyes.

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Written in 2003

To watch people

Simply to look at them

To witness as insecurities

Become arrogance

When fear transforms into anger

Eventually that which was order becomes basic chaos

How is it that a species

Once created in such perfection

Intended for reigning supremacy

Has somehow now resulted in

Absolute and constant conflict in diversity.

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So hard to pull away from you

Like giving up smoking.

My addiction overwhelms me

I wanna give in to you.

My world spins out of control

I stand still while the earth hurtles below my feet.

Rushing through a torrent of emotion, over the falls of passion

to be dashed against the rocks of desire below.

The stars are like daggers in my eyes

when I look up to the sky.

The moon is so cold, like a frozen heart.

The falling stars, tears from my eyes.

I want ro press my lips against yours

and hold you in my arms tonight.

How can I break this spell you have me under?

We called it quits

but you still call me.

What spell did  I put you under?

Taking a step forward

Only to sink back into the ground

The mud sloshes up around her feet

Into the same haze of dragging emotion, she is sucked back down.

Take this step forward, to move on from past mistakes

The roots are reaching up, grabbing at her ankles

The leaves of the trees tell her it is an impossible feat

The next step forward, a little more determined

The wind whips around her in laughing pessimism,

As the grasses sway and whisper with discouraging jests

How do they see this as humor?

Dragging down another, another that has simply fallen like so many others.

But not this one, she cannot fall

For if she falls, there fall with her the hopes, the dreams, and the respect

Of those whom have built her up on this pedestal of unrealistic sainthood.

Yet when she cries out, when she takes that step to walk herself out of the darkness,

The darkness that is keeping her from the shining Sun,

The shadows that had seemed so sunny in times before,

These are the shadows that are now showing the true darkness of their fibers.

But she will not give up now.

Take another step, she must move forward

A drive urgently presses her through the start of the storm she knows is coming.

The uphill struggle will not dampen her resolution now.

She must keep her eyes toward the sky, her heart uplifted; this will make her lighter

To carry her across the top of the muck that so easily pulls her back in,

To guide her through the rustling of the leaves and the murmuring of the grasses,

She sees the next step

Almost looming with ominous anxiety

As she approaches, she resolutely reminds herself of the happiness,

The happiness she will bring out of the calm of this storm.

As she takes that next step, she cannot resist the smile

Even as the rain begins to pelt her face and the trees creak with movement in the howling wind.

For she knows that this is only the beginning

The beginning of the drastically beautiful changes that make us appreciate the darkest of miles.

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Why would this be considered a problem?

Driving emotions as a natural simplicity;

The instinctual reactions that are so often frowned upon,

Those that drive us ever onward toward love, education, success, and wisdom,

Love in the sense that we cannot discount what we are willing to do,

Education in a manner that only such can give us the knowledge needed to escalate toward success.

Our instincts are that which drive us,

Our emotions are that which spur us on,

Our education is what equips us,

And our successes are that which result from our driving emotions and education, in a combined form.

Lastly; our wisdom, as a product of each, learned only through generations of living.

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“Experience is the artist’s most valuable canvas.”

“Knowledge is power; but power unrelenting if not guided by wisdom.”

“Wisdom is the currency of experience.”

I’ve come to find in this tantric life that knowledge isn’t everything.  Building a vast library of information that can be used in most situations is nothing less than a well-equipped tool box.  The carpenter in we all can appreciate the fact that he has this at his disposal.  However, the problem exists when you consider the fact that knowledge and information alone are relatively useless.  Consider how difficult it would be to convince someone to believe what you were saying about a particular subject if you were the resident expert, yet you didn’t have the required people skills to relate and relay to this person.  Consider also the flipside – where you possess the ability to convey, yet don’t have the information or knowledge to actually inform.  Neither of these situations are desirable.  I believe somewhere in the middle ground, where a person possesses the knowledge and the social skills necessary, is the goal.

The rather successful author and private speaker, Stephen Covey said in his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”  He lists this as one of said habits.  These words speak to me because true communication is a method of extracting from the soil of experience the nutrient that is wisdom.  In this way, wisdom is the currency of experience.  Because there are such an infinite number of methods of gaining knowledge and wisdom from experience, there must also be varying degrees of one’s ability to do so.  First, you have the majority, which remains content absorbing the necessary nutrients for survival, striving only for excellence periodically and at random.  This large body also seems to dip down into a reticent, self-proclaimed purposelessness at times as well.  It is because of this that the majority seem to encompass the largest cross-section of human abilities.

Next, you find a small group of individuals that do not seem to have the will to accomplish or to understand.  Of course, there are varying reasons for this that are as individualistic as the snowflakes in winter.  Their lack of this type of motivation is often extremely difficult to comprehend by anyone outside of the actual situation they face.  Many of this type of people begin to gain experience and wisdom, as we all do, regardless of the lack of attempts made.  This simple fact proves that the human mind and conscious is built for expansion.

Lastly, you have the zealous, ever-curious group that feels it is their purpose in life to understand everything possible.  If you knew you could not fail, what would you do?  This question drives a certain flight through the clouds, seeking the knowledge and wisdom that appears to be infinite there in the sky.  This type of person usually knows how to be appreciative of past achievements, yet is never fully satisfied.  Their insatiable appetite for these “nutrients from the soil of experience” pushes onward the bounds of human capability.

It is the understanding of the link between wisdom and experience that I seek.  A person’s ability to take experience, which is a factor of time, and extract from it the necessary tools for survival.  Then, after survival is at least partially quenched, to drive on for something more – the balance of such knowledge and wisdom that allows a person to be forever at home wherever he/she is, no matter what he/she is doing, and with whatever crowd or vastness of space he/she finds as company.  This person becomes the artist of their own life, drawing the most breathtaking of pictures for the world to see.  It is that artist’s experience that becomes his/her most valuable canvas.

I’d like everyone to meet the newest Author here at Vast Reality.  Her name is Chalyne, or Chay for short.  She’s already entered a post into the “Writings” section with her username ChayNichole, so check that out when you get a chance and reply with what you think. 

Chay, I’ll introduce you to our Avatar application and some more of the basic “ins and outs” of posting.  For instance, how to post media with your text.  Jerod and I are still working on getting some tutorials written up.  Keep an eye out for those soon.  If you have any questions at all, please ask. 

Welcome!

Understanding.

Knowing.

To possibly comprehend

What it is to be fully aware of all downfalls

Yet be entirely content

In whom you are and what you shall become.

Press forward.

Stay strong.

Worry not of what has been done

And only look on to what is to come.

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