tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854006788832776024.comments2023-03-30T03:15:12.103-07:00Out of the Mind of Javier A. RobayoJavier A. Robayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11498195365829120844noreply@blogger.comBlogger311125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854006788832776024.post-47244311616679842442015-12-30T12:14:27.129-08:002015-12-30T12:14:27.129-08:00Boy, have I missed you and your wisdom :) Sometime...Boy, have I missed you and your wisdom :) Sometimes a change in routine puts it all into perspective for us, doesn't it? Love this!CharityMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04616039684195006794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854006788832776024.post-65420411632003998612014-12-27T09:05:35.546-08:002014-12-27T09:05:35.546-08:00Javier, As with Monica, you have been on mind as o...Javier, As with Monica, you have been on mind as of late. I feel privileged to be called your friend, our friendship being such a small portion of our lives overall. I am so glad to have been part of the team that kept you afloat when you felt you were sinking. Living THROUGH bad times long enough to see there was a reason is one of the greatest gifts life can offer us! I am so happy you got that chance through this particular challenge, and it was a whopper. Through it all, though you may have had highs and lows, I knew in the end you would rise because of your obvious love and adoration of your Sheri Sue. She is one lucky, and clearly genuine gal to be that kind of motivator. I wish you, Sheri and the girls, Lorena and family and of course, Mama and Papa Robayo, the best this new year has to offer. Be well and smile a lot. And never doubt your writing, even this post shows you've still got it! You made me smile and cry at the same time! Much love to the greater Robayo family, Peg Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17557662337179385631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854006788832776024.post-26671351344252300442014-12-25T07:03:47.580-08:002014-12-25T07:03:47.580-08:00Javier, I was thinking of you lately and I am so h...Javier, I was thinking of you lately and I am so happy to read that you and your family are well. Life sometimes can be unmercifully hard, and it takes courage and love to overcome the dark moments. You have both love and courage within you and surrounding you, plenty. Have a fantastic 2015!Monicahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15533169156074771049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854006788832776024.post-86595748932655969152014-12-25T05:31:29.724-08:002014-12-25T05:31:29.724-08:00We are so glad to be in your lives!!! Thank you. F...We are so glad to be in your lives!!! Thank you. Feliz Navidad, cielo!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10241933458647215257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854006788832776024.post-28493307954398789202014-12-24T23:52:56.259-08:002014-12-24T23:52:56.259-08:00Javier, what a perfect way to begin Christmas!! We...Javier, what a perfect way to begin Christmas!! We've experienced similar challenges— as you well know— and I can't tell you how happy I am to hear that the desert is in your rearview mirror! Thank you for sharing your triumph and for the gracious mention, and for your friendship and support. I'm very glad to have met you. Bless you, your family, and all of your endeavors, and may 2015 be a beautiful recollection. :) Elise Stokeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14010363053103216372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854006788832776024.post-67723941724655438482014-09-30T16:11:09.229-07:002014-09-30T16:11:09.229-07:00That is so great J! Congratulations and I hope the...That is so great J! Congratulations and I hope the blessings just keep coming!CF Winnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14007781832326693877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854006788832776024.post-63074529488001164742014-09-16T19:22:05.390-07:002014-09-16T19:22:05.390-07:00Simply put, I am happy for you. It was courageous ...Simply put, I am happy for you. It was courageous to make that decision and follow through with it despite the difficulties. Bless you and your family for working through the transformation. Enjoy the new balance of life in all of its aspects. Congratulations! <br />Your writing always brings a smile to my face. Medic2RNhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12514425726875804330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854006788832776024.post-274468555561856832014-09-16T18:25:24.143-07:002014-09-16T18:25:24.143-07:00I love love love when you share your insight on yo...I love love love when you share your insight on your thoughts and feelings. You have a way of connecting with your readers. You give us all hope....reminders....that there will be ups and downs, and your plan is not always the plan God has in store for your life, but that you will eventually end up exactly where and how it was meant for you to be. Enjoy this redo to the fullest, my friend. Love and Hugs to you and your beautiful family!!cnoellemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05456212053169975378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854006788832776024.post-51523559053212924922014-04-17T12:33:03.797-07:002014-04-17T12:33:03.797-07:00Only time will tell. It's all up to the script...Only time will tell. It's all up to the script itself, believe it or not, that's the challenge. I love everything you brought into it. Lots of directions where to go next. Stay tuned. Javier A. Robayohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11498195365829120844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854006788832776024.post-11723192281639520522014-04-16T13:18:49.158-07:002014-04-16T13:18:49.158-07:00Duality is always more interesting than a rigid vi...Duality is always more interesting than a rigid viewpoint. I would also agree it is a writer's work to help the reader to understand the perceptions of others. When looking at good vs evil though, I guess the difficulty lies in what's accurate vs fantasy - and the line we tread within this. Not such a problem if your written world is a fantasy world, but it can become more tricky to navigate when writing about historical events. For example, America joining the war was clearly an important turning point, with countless acts of heroism, but they made a late entry. It was the allied forces as a whole that stopped the Nazis achieving their aim (my father would have been able to spend hours talking on this - he read virtually every book written on the Second world War..! I grew up feeling as if it was his life's work, even though it was simply a consuming interest). Yet Hollywood continues to rewrite history in its own image, despite ample documented evidence to present the 'real story'. It can be dangerous to play with perception - views can be changed, but is the change for the greater good and is it factual? Does factual matter? You only have to look at the effort spent in developing wartime or political propaganda to question the power of writing in regard to good and evil. Persuading people to follow particular factions is clearly open to corruption in itself. Is propaganda the stuff of fantasy or simply a calling to the people to inspire them to patriotic duty? Is it evil to do this if it means the death of innocents? Or is it good if the final result means a greater number of innocents are saved? Does a Machiavellian viewpoint, where the means justifies the end, actually have a moral compass? Does it matter if it doesn't, as long as you win? Is survival of the fittest all that really counts - and if so, where is that leading the human race? Will we become better people or more evil from this? Each individual's analysis probably depends on who gets hurt. Big questions Javier - so where are you leading us in this? Interesting.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854006788832776024.post-11001045146799590782014-04-15T10:23:57.557-07:002014-04-15T10:23:57.557-07:00I understand perfectly about personal history and ...I understand perfectly about personal history and culture's influences on views of good and evil. I agree with you a hundred percentJavier A. Robayohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11498195365829120844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854006788832776024.post-66480927268905976852014-04-15T10:03:37.612-07:002014-04-15T10:03:37.612-07:00I agree, bad and good are relative terms. I came t...I agree, bad and good are relative terms. I came to accept their relativeness when I moved to the States. Whatever I thought was based on my personal history and culture. But, there's also absolute good and bad when it comes to killing/abusing and every nation and culture is culpable of such absolute evil. It becomes tricky when the individual acts in name of his/her nation and culture. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854006788832776024.post-41310721434945126652014-04-04T13:43:30.498-07:002014-04-04T13:43:30.498-07:00You deserve nothing less. I know what it takes to ...You deserve nothing less. I know what it takes to grab your own life and throw it on the page. I give you all the credit in the world and wish you every success as an author.Javier A. Robayohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11498195365829120844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854006788832776024.post-87138754874697354972014-04-04T13:27:50.526-07:002014-04-04T13:27:50.526-07:00Javier - thank you for this. I am always floored w...Javier - thank you for this. I am always floored when writers of immense talent appreciate my writing. I have read the Gaze and My Two Flags with admiration and respect. I'm glad my first book made this page, and left a positive impression. Stacey Robertshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02309868701374837006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854006788832776024.post-22966814519090864672014-04-02T05:26:20.838-07:002014-04-02T05:26:20.838-07:00Congratulations! What a wonderful achievement!Congratulations! What a wonderful achievement!Norahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00679547771527399923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854006788832776024.post-7549614701270074962014-03-31T09:39:04.106-07:002014-03-31T09:39:04.106-07:00It's so great that you've gotten 19 great ...It's so great that you've gotten 19 great reviews Javier! I've got a non-fiction yoga exercise book, which I must say, does NOT elicit a ton of reviews! LOL!!!! But happy birthday to your book, and KEEP WRITING! :) Lisa Jey Davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11418743455432887436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854006788832776024.post-67895931927747246452014-03-21T06:26:47.485-07:002014-03-21T06:26:47.485-07:00Couldn't agree with you more, Scott. I do feel...Couldn't agree with you more, Scott. I do feel we're on the upswing of the self-published work. Nicer covers, better titles, and hopefully, a much better product all aroundJavier A. Robayohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11498195365829120844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854006788832776024.post-51247782215419671422014-03-20T07:28:02.069-07:002014-03-20T07:28:02.069-07:00Good advice, Javier. I use Createspace for my prin...Good advice, Javier. I use Createspace for my print books, and both Kindle and Smashwords for ebooks. While it's possible for just about anyone to produce a book using the provided tools, some experience in publishing goes a long way to making it easier, and to produce a more professional looking product.Scott Buryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05061034006121401082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854006788832776024.post-86566902630201996432014-03-18T06:58:06.401-07:002014-03-18T06:58:06.401-07:00All good advice and an interesting read. Good luck...All good advice and an interesting read. Good luck with the job hunt. I hope you find one soon.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01253889280800631274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854006788832776024.post-69848761533992294002014-03-05T06:51:14.550-08:002014-03-05T06:51:14.550-08:00I'm a mixed bag of emotions for you: happy tha...I'm a mixed bag of emotions for you: happy that you were not taken for a chump and sad that it was not a legitimate job offer. Keep plugging away. I can't help but believe you are destined for a great future.Medic2RNhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12514425726875804330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854006788832776024.post-83436850130700786292014-01-02T19:05:08.556-08:002014-01-02T19:05:08.556-08:00I LOVE The Count Of Monte Cristo! It had a tremend...I LOVE The Count Of Monte Cristo! It had a tremendous impact on me too as a teen. Bet the movie made you mad, though. ;) And thank goodness for us mother wardens! You might have never discovered your God-given talent if it weren't for your mother! Elise Stokeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14010363053103216372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854006788832776024.post-66405780336212491772013-12-02T17:31:45.563-08:002013-12-02T17:31:45.563-08:00This post made me smile. I have gone through the s...This post made me smile. I have gone through the same feelings and emotions about writing. It's so frustrating how ppl aren't noticing my book because I can't get on national TV and do a commercial or be interviewed by a well known magazine. But I've decided that I write for myself, to enjoy my life in the way I want to live it. I don't write to make money, I write to entertain ppl. Kristi Ayershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17805026065209471761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854006788832776024.post-89717207379860771502013-12-02T08:05:16.352-08:002013-12-02T08:05:16.352-08:00[standing ovation] You hit the spot perfectly. I w...[standing ovation] You hit the spot perfectly. I write because I feel I can tell a story and have so many to tell. I sing because I love to feel good inside and singing does that. I clown, hoping to make another person smile. I cook to watch the amazement in another's eyes as they taste the food. If we all whisper and hold back, why bother to exist. You are a sage in your daughters' eyes. Enjoy those moments, share them, for it is but a fleeting moment in your life and once it has passed, you can't get it back. My youngest son (34 yrs old) and expressed how his oldest daughter (4 yrs old) is growing up so fast. I patted him on the back and told him "And where is my baby? Just yesterday you were so small." Then we shared a moment of fatherly knowledge - that which I gave to him and that which he gives to his daughters. In just a few years (for it will seem that way even if it is another 25 yrs), Kendra will repeat your sagely words to her child. Great post.Author Bob Nailorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09307736243397066884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854006788832776024.post-67764119052594883512013-12-02T06:50:05.397-08:002013-12-02T06:50:05.397-08:00Oh, I do know what you speak about. I really do an...Oh, I do know what you speak about. I really do and I question it all the time. And then I look at my kids who are staring over my shoulder watching me, or scared of doing something and I tell them that sometimes I'm scared too putting my work out there. That sometimes I think they won't like it, but that others will. I teach them that they must always try and not worry about other people. That what a sad life it would be if they never did anything because they were scared of what others thought. As parents, imparting words of wisdom are always hard, but if you speak from your heart, you can't go wrong Javier. Great post. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854006788832776024.post-40030655058925010442013-12-02T06:19:26.816-08:002013-12-02T06:19:26.816-08:00What a beautiful story and encouragement! You are ...What a beautiful story and encouragement! You are so right, our gifts are to be shared. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16437468137859528880noreply@blogger.com