Welcome

Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does. Everything has been figured out, except how to live. One always dies too soon or too late. And yet, life is there, finished. The line is drawn, and it must all be added up. You are nothing other than your life. There is only one day left, always starting over. It is given to us at dawn and taken away from us at dusk. We do not know what we want and yet we are responsible for what we are, that is the fact. When you live alone you no longer know what it is to tell a story: the plausible disappears at the same time as the friends. You let events flow by too.Suddenly you see people appear who speak and then go away; you plunge into stories of which you can't make head or tail. You'd make a terrible witness. It is true that people who live in society have learned how to see themselves in mirrors as they appear to their friends. Luckily, I only have a few...

Dr Shaw is a lecturer in Further Education at Edge Hill University, Ormskirk. She also offers philosophy courses at the School of Continuing Education, Lifelong learning, at the University of Liverpool. In 2015, she has completed her Doctorate in philosophy with a focus on existentialism, the equilibrium doctrine and narrative. She has worked as a teacher of English and Comparative literature and Philosophy at The American University in Cairo, Egypt where she also obtained her BA (Hons). Dr Shaw has an MA in Philosophy and Literature from the University of East Anglia where she also taught on a number of humanities subjects. Whilst working in North Wales in Further education, she gained a PGCE aimed at teaching in FE and HE sectors. Dr Shaw moved to Liverpool in 2010 where she now resides.

Interests: Existentialism, Narrative, Comparative Literature, Feminist Thought, Public Speaking, Arab Existentialism, Philosophy of Education, Art, Music, Film and Theatre, Greek Mythology, Existential counsellor and psychotherapist.

https://liverpool.academia.edu/ShereenHamedShaw


Thursday 13 September 2012

The truth about love that many people know but won't say

I was speaking to friend of mine recently on her birthday and she was basically complaining that it is her birthday and yet another year without love. I answered her without thinking "count yourself lucky" then I thought to myself, now why would I say that! She said back in her lovely accent "but Noooo I want love, I want someone to love me, to hold me and to kiss me, I want to be loved". AHAA! the mystery resolved.

So she does not want a "person" to love, but what she really really wants is "to be- herself- loved". Well surely a mirror could show you the best image of yourself and if you buy a small recorder and record I love you and stick it on the back of the mirror, it will totally do the trick. Well maybe that is a silly idea, but I think now it would have worked for me.

I asked her:
"Do you want to find socks everywhere? do you want to find empty mugs left in every corner of your house? do you want to find trousers left in the middle of your room and loads of dirty laundry every day or two? do you want someone to be in your face when you are really irritated and would love some "you" time? and on top of all this, as much as you'd love your own baby, do you want to be a full time carer for a child and a dad whom each has various demands every second and minute of the day and night? do you really want love now?

She looked at me with a big smile and said "well maybe it's not too bad being single then!" Seriously woman! not too bad, I'd say it's bloody fantastic being single with no "baggage" that you can only blame yourself for creating or wanting in the first place. No matter how cute, no matter how lovely and no matter how perfect....you cannot beat a day of being single and just doing absolutely nothing! Nothing at all.

I once watched Sheldon cooper saying on the sitcom Big Bang theory, on the episode where his friend was getting married, he said "The need to find another human being to share one's life has always puzzled me. Maybe because I am so interesting all by myself. With that being said, may you find as much happiness with each other as I find on my own." lovely.. I think with that said, I shall end this post.