A rose by any other name

'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,

It's interesting in life how we choose to see things - perspective that is. So many things in life can be described in simple terms, but we have a preference to make it more complicated. Love and Marriage, Work and Careers, Compassion and Obligation, Faith and Religion, Pleasure and Intimacy, Knowledge and Education, heck even things that don't seem like they should be so complex like Eating and Meals.

I think you can tell a lot about a person by listening to them talk - Does someone say, "I'm just making something to eat" or "I'm preparing a meal" - ok maybe you don't know anyone that says the latter but you get what I'm saying don't you? Is there more rigid around a meal than just eating? I really don't think so.

Love and Marriage. Is the commitment any less significant if you are in love with someone, living with someone let's say, than if you were married to them? I really don't think you need that complicated title of husband or wife to understand what is expected of you. How to treat that person who loves you, who gives their all to you, and is willing to compromise all aspects of their lives to have you in theirs. When you take on their family issues without thinking twice, or maybe you are asked to understand things that are completely irrational to you (and the rest of the sane world) but you smile and say, ok, I will support you. Someone using the words married seems to have more significance to people than saying the person I love. SAYING I LOVE YOU TODAY IS NOT A PROMISE TO BE WITH SOMEONE FOREVER. That line applies to marriage in exactly the same way.

Work requires spending energy, building experience, it can be mental and physical. Why do we refer to some peoples effort as "work" while others have careers? "He's working as a waiter" vs. "He's starting a career in the culinary industry". Let me just ask you, which one seems to have more value? Be truthful.

The next one I think is pretty simple for all of us to relate to - When we help someone, emotionally, financially, physically whatever it is, then you are compassionate. Well, that is unless it is family, and then it is defined somehow as duty, it is expected of you. Obligation is just that isn't it? Duty. Let's get something straight, there is nothing that says you need to help another living being. If you do so, you do it because you have understanding of someones pain or suffering and you want to do something about it. Can't we just call it compassion and not have to tie a string of obligation around it?

Not sure how far down the faith and religion analogy I want to go. Faith is the core of who we are but yet, if someone is Catholic, or Protestant, or Quaker for that matter people think that makes you more grounded some how. I have met more people who are truly good and decent, grounded and stable that are not "religious" than some that trot to church every Sunday and perform their dogma but live outside of the "rules" when it suits their purpose. Sex outside of marriage for example in many established religions is not acceptable. Why is it then we still have so many shotgun marriages today? Are we back to Love and Marriage?

Pleasure is a good thing. How do you describe it? Different for everyone I think but we all want to experience it. The sensation of pleasure that emanated through your entire body. Can one have an experience of pleasure without having intimacy in that experience? It depend on your perspective doesn't it? I personally think every pleasurable experience brings me closer to understand that thing, or person. I used to think I had a problem with itimacy but the more I get to know me, I realize I'm just fine with it I just like thinking I'm detached from it. I want to keep it less complicated - my choice!

I know this now, because I have decided to learn from my collective life experiences. It's nothing you can learn in school, a formal education will not prepare you for all the stuff that happens to you on your way to a career, or marriage or becoming a truly religous person for that matter. If you need to make it all that complicated, maybe you just need to change your perspective on the topic.

After all, a rose still smells wonderful even if you call it a flower...