Pride belongs to those who work for it!

Today I read an online article from a woman and the title was "for the first time I'm ashamed of being Icelandic". the article was interesting and I agree with most of her arguements.
However I have to comment on one thing she says, it might be a minor detail but it struck a nerve with me and I feel I should tell my opinion as well.

She talks about what made her proud of being Icelandic, the health system, the pure nature and the safety of the people.
These are all fair points and I agree with them.

Most people might be aware of the situation that is currently in my country. financial crisis, bank crisis and in a way there is a political crisis as well. Somewhere the government ( if I can call it that ) needs to find money in the system to sustain the state. It's hard as we are facing huge deficites and debts. It's up the to people in at the parliment to find ways for us out of this.
And of course the "only" solution is to cut down in our services. It's harsh, I dont agree with everything but the money needs to come somewhere.
However, that's a topic for a whole another discussion. One that I think will not be done here.

What struck me is that she claims being ashamed of being Icelandic because of the actions our government are taking. That the decisions they have taken strips away her pride of our country. Fair enough. I also dont agree with those decisions. I believe there can be solutions found elsewhere.
But what I can not say is that I'm ashamed of being Icelandic. On the contrary. I am proud of my nationality. What I'm ashamed of are the people claiming to be working in our best interest.
These people who strive to save their own role, their own asses, their supporters opinion to gain more money from them later on.
These are the people I feel should be ashamed of calling themselves Icelandic.
Not me.
I have done what I can to support my country. It's not much but I try.
I'm proud to be Icelandic and I'm proud to actually want to change things back home, that I care, that I dont agree with those people who with their actions are driving the nation further down the drain.
These people should not be proud to call themselves Icelandic AND say they are working for the people.

So I mostly agree with this lady, she makes good points, fair arguments but I dont think we are the ones who should be ashamed.. Not at all.
Now is the time to protest and show the "government" what it means to be ICELANDIC!
That's my opinion.

- with love -

All we need is love - but what does that mean?

I'm watching these TV shows called OZ. They are about maximum security prison in the USA and scary to mention as well.. but what I find extremely interesting is the part of the narrator in the show.
He's part of the prison inmates but his major role is to, in my opinion, to challenge and give food for thoughts. How intereting! in a prison tv show!

One of the toughts they were provocing is using the saying "head over heels" when talking about love. This saying, originally, comes from old Britain when people committed a crime of some sort they were hung upside down, with their heels over their head. from there on out it was used when you were in a position of no control, in state of helplessness. so why use that phrase when it comes to being in love?
- their comment was; being in love IS like being helpless, being out of control. Sometimes in a good way and sometimes in a negative way. It was quite interesting to hear this.

And it all came together when I watched a movie called The holiday. One part of that movie, one of the main character is talking about being in love. Some people are in love with each other but many ( unfortunately ) are in love without having that love being reciprocated. It's painful, you feel helpless and out of control of your own emotions.
No one ever talks about these people, these unlucky ones that go through being "head over heels" literally speaking in love.

so I have to wonder, if explanations are taken from painful experiences to showcase what love is, or what it means to be in love - is love then partly negative?
My experience of love is both negative AND positive. And most of the time it's been a painful process of helplessness and doubt.
But there are experiences of joy, satisfaction, strength and peacefulness in there as well.

Love, as a topic for discussion, is extremely interesting. People have different views on what it means and how to show love. All we can agree on is twofolded; that it is hard, to either be in love alone or with someone, even if the end result of this hardness is good or bad. and that we all disagree on what love actually means!

- with love -