My Blog is Two Years Old! in

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I barely even noticed its first anniversary. Yet, it’s still up and running on its second year. That notification above is quite right,too. It is an achievement especially for someone like me who was unable to blog that much in a span of two years.

Good blogging? I am not sure about that. Apart from the stats confirming some long periods of inactivity, I must admit that I have quite ignored my site. Why? The concocted answers are in The Kind of Writer I Am, I would like to think that I penned it to know more about myself and not because I was making alibis. Whichever, it helped me to realize how my writing habits affected my blogging activity.

‘Opinions Matter’ has become a blog about anything. Because there is no limit to what I can write about. A lot of ideas could stem from the daily routine at home and at work, from a chinwag with a neighbour or from a meeting with a friend over a cup of coffee. I was able to incorporate my travel experiences, (Summer in and Around LLandudno), and yes, there are more to come!

The movies and TV programmes we watch and anything we read are also lucrative sources of blogging information. Not to mention those meaningful encounters with strangers (One Day, Two Stories).  It is fascinating when these circumstances inspire topics that become alive in anyone’s blog.  They can motivate, uplift and help raise awareness (Depression and Anxiety).

At one point, melancholy has not spared my blog and it was poignant in a poem,  In My Arms.

The point is, and I say it again, the world we live in has so much to offer to the blogging world.

Two years ago, I knew very little about blogging. I started it to feed my passion for writing. Today, it still does.

Two years ago, I created Opinions Matter because I know I have something to share about life itself. I have never been and still is not driven by stats but every notification of likes, comments and follows I get brings forth a genuine gratefulness from my heart.

Well, you’re welcome WordPress and thank you for letting me fly with you. Though it’s a turbulent ride for me, I intend to fasten my seatbelt and enjoy the journey!

Depression and Anxiety: The Gamer’s Story

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When depression or anxiety affects a work colleague, a friend, a friend’s family member or someone dear to your heart, it becomes surreal. Somehow, one begins to truly understand the kind of battle these individuals have to fight everyday.

May I share some stories of people I personally know who experienced these feelings or condition. Each story is individualized and as such, each person coped differently. I write these to help raise awareness. That’s all.

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Photo by Soumil Kumar on Pexels.com

The Gamer’s Story:

“Did you know that I may have had depression?  A few years ago, I left home due to a family misunderstanding. It was then that I started to be overwhelmed with feelings of being useless and that I was a ‘good-for-nothing’ human being. There were times when I found it difficult to get out of bed and do just about anything. Everyone thought I was just being lazy. I was hesitant to talk about what I was going through. I assumed that it would be dismissed as “just one of those days.”

It became worse when I was often left on my own in the house.

It hit me.  I was all alone. Loneliness got real.

Thoughts on ending my life? They did cross my mind. But I could not bring myself to hurt my loved ones. Not that way. I could not let them suffer picking up the pieces and live with unresolved guilt forever.

I had to force myself instead to try to live a normal life amongst those around me. Life became a routinary blur of work to house and vice versa. During this time, I immersed myself into online gaming.  Looking back, it has, in a way, diverted my mind off miserable thoughts. It still does. Suddenly, I was not alone anymore. I was talking to people. Online. But, I was communicating. More importantly, there was something to look forward to the next day…and the next.

Today, am I better? Maybe. My online gaming turned into a live streaming channel and has built a considerable number of followers. Some gamers became my friends. I was able to travel and meet them in person. To this day, we have kept in touch constantly.

I am back home. I still have those days when I get glued to my bed, but I would like to believe that I am now better equipped to deal with that. I have opened up to my family in the hope that they will have a better understanding when I fall into the dark again.”

The other stories soon to follow. The Onlookers’ Stories

A Photography Journey: Finding My Place

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Definitely, an ongoing exciting journey.

My interest in photography has developed over time. It took awhile before my photo collections found their categorical place on my social media accounts.

I call myself an amateur photographer. I don’t use any sophisticated gadget but my mobile phone camera. Still, I take pride in what I was able to put together; my snapshots, my edits, my own perspectives.

Below is one of my photos on Instagram.

https://instagram.com/p/Bh2NZbVA53T/

I recall a verbal English proficiency exam years ago when I was randomly asked about photography. The question took me by surprise.  My reply was simple. Basic. “Photography starts with the use of a camera as the foremost tool for taking important images. These images are embedded with memories of a lifetime. Photography has made it possible for these precious memories to be printed-off and be filed in a photo album.”

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A travel snapshot shared on Google+

Photography became a passion when I was able to travel more, even halfway around the globe. I could not simply ignore the scenic views and the magnificent panorama that I thought I would never have the chance to see with my own eyes! I needed to document every experience and my camera made that possible.

I was cynical when the DSLR cameras first came out as they were huge and heavy. It was kind of unsettling because, for someone like me who isn’t tech savvy, they looked complex to use. All I wanted was to take photos with less fuss and fiddle.

However, times indeed, change. Social  media sharing became rampant. I, too, was caught in it. Who wasn’t?

The mobile phone companies smartly embraced this change and the smartphone invasion became unstoppable. Of course, I jumped into the bandwagon and thank heavens I did! I ditched my other camera(not totally, I still use it from time to time) for the more convenient, truly handy and user-friendly mobile phone.

The ease of taking photographs with my smartphone has immensely kindled the hobby more. Also, with the advent and continued availability of free, easy-to-apply photo editing applications, photography has never been more fun to explore. I, for one, can say that the innovation of the mobile phone camera has made the art of photography more accessible to a lot of amateur enthusiasts like you and me. So, let’s keep it up and click away!

Here’s what inspires me:

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Do visit my photos on Instagram

My photo collections on Google+

This journey continues:

I Got Blocked!