notasheep

ready now, there is nothing wrong with writing the word ‘Christians’ in full. I would take what you wrote with a large pinch of salt as you have clearly been exposed to some very extreme views

In my opinion, only close family members (and I mean here PARENTS) should know who someone is going out with. Having friends, cousins etc knowing who you are going out with is a recipe for disaster and has ruined many a good shidduch. If the person was truly worried for your cousin, you should tell them to direct their concerns to your cousin’s parents. But you should definitely not get involved.

And I agree with postsemgirl. Sem or yeshiva background makes no difference. I hate it when people use the description ‘top’ boy or girl just because they have the right connections/ went to the right sem/yeshiva. And just one more nugget of information for girls – just cause a girl went to a high-calibre sem and got the best grades doesn’t mean that this will make them a better wife or mother. A good boy does not need to marry a girl who knows nach by heart. (no I am not a cynic, and I am happily married, and no, I didn’t go to a sem that required me to learn lots of text in depth).

One more thing I just remembered – a boy’s hasmada in learning is not equal to middos. You have to check out both. Focus on the middos in a shidduch and people will have far less problems in shidduchim…

SM – the two of us have had years of bouncing our poems off each other (we are highly competitive!), thanks for the comment! And now for two completely different poems that both stem from the same subject – dreams. I have very vivid and sometimes (read: frequently) insane dreams. This first one, however, is reflective. The next one is an indication of just how crazy my dreams sometimes get.

What are dreams?

What is this thing that drives a man?

It cannot be touched, cannot be tainted

It remains unsullied by the prying fingers of others

And though it may seem

That the dream is lost, broken

It will grow again

Like a small shoot in the frost

A flash of colour amongst the cold snow

That will one day reach the skies

A mighty beanstalk that can be climbed

By even the smallest of people

Can cross the widest of oceans

Traverse the largest of deserts;

He will continue to sow the seeds of ambition

And water with them with hope

And no one, no matter how hard they try

Will ever be able to destroy these evergreen dreams

For they alone belong to the dreamer

And, against all odds

He will continue to plant with care

For who knows

Or dares

To dream?

Right, serious part over, wacky part starting…

I had an adventure that was inside my head

When I woke up one morning to find myself dead.

And came upon a small table that was really a chair.

Upon it was ice cream which was served piping hot

And a bowl of string beans which were tied in a knot.

And gave a lame horse a piggy-back ride.

They really were fine, and they fitted him fair.

Next door was a shop that sold cream cakes and sand

Which were widely said to be best in the land.

And after we munched on some light of the day.

I was feeling quite bored, so we went to the fair

Which was almost invisible, and made out of hair.

At the end of the day, when the stars had all gone,

I was the last person left, the only one.

And I realised, to my great surprise and delight

It was actually still the middle of the night.

I looked out my window (not sure how I got back)

And now, to lighten the mood. This poem is based on real-life events (ok, it’s dramatised a little) – JMH, do you remember this one?

My brother has a broken toe

It pains him, oh, so bad

He broke it walking up the stairs

Oh, woe is Joe, my lad

Two weeks later he could be found

Complaining at great length

Which is why my teacher hates me,

Please have some consideration

My brother has a broken toe

And ever since that fateful day

When baffled nurse sent him away

But Broken Toe is here to stay.

<b>Train Rides</b>

Trees, houses, farms

Factories and shops

All rushing by.

But do we rush past the world,

Or the world past us?

Life is a journey

A train.

We get on.

We get off.

People occupy themselves

With amusement for the journey

Games, music, toys, DVDs

Paying very little attention

To the world passing by.

So much to see

So much to take in

So much wonder and beauty

And before we know it

The journey will come to an end

And we will have missed it,

Missed watching the world go by.

Sam2: there are 3 cardinal sins – arayos, avoda zara and shefichas damim. These three is is FORBIDDEN to do even on pain of death. Chillul shabbos is permissible for pikuach nefesh (eg, someone holds a pistol to your head and says that they will definitely shoot if you don’t listen). For something that leads to arayos, it is not ‘extending holiness too far’ to separate the girls and bochurim in such a small community

I live in gateshead and never went to sem here and never grew up here. It makes sense in such a town to have those rules, which by the way only apply to the bochurim/sem girls and also teenagers (who should be in school anyway during those hours). It does not apply to married people, so I have never had a problem running out of ingredients during the wrong hours.

It seems to me that an awful lot of people who have not been to gateshead, or those who lack the age and maturity, are very quick to judge our community.

Also, I disagree with the comment that the families who live here only do so to support the mosdos. We are a growing community, and many of the families that live here now do not have any connection to the yeshivos or sems except for financially. In the years that I have lived here, many other businesses are opening and growing.