IMRAN® In My Humble Opinion

Sunday, March 15, 2026

Midnight Rose (Lyrics) - IMRAN®

Midnight Rose

Lyrics & Music Imran Anwar

Performed by IMRAN® & Quantum Lair

Sun in my eyes

Night on my skin

You open slow

The world is thin

One pearl of dew

Last night's hymn

You keep the dark

Where I begin

Thorns bow down

Petals wait

The water flows

Through the gate

Midnight Rose

Stay for me tonight

Hours no one finds

Keep the pearl, keep the light

Stay wet, stay bright

I am coming

To leave the world behind

Teri khushboo... meri jaan

(Your aroma… my life)

Teri saansein... mera iman

(Your breaths… my faith)

Aa... jaa

(Come on / Come… go)

City clocks lie

Hours unmade

Promises kept

In the shade

Your petal mouth

Remembers the flame

I trace the lines

I whisper your name

Morning takes the body

Night takes the song

This is the shadow

Where we belong

No map for the day

The night is the proof

Midnight Rose

Stay for me tonight

Hours no one finds

Keep the pearl, keep the light

Stay wet, stay bright

I am coming

To leave the world behind

Stay awake with me

Faqat tum

(Only you)

Saansein teri... khushboo teri

(Your breaths…. Your aroma)

Saturday, March 14, 2026

Sunset Scenery Selfie, Shepherd Sitting Seaside - IMRAN®

#IMRAN #Florida #TampaBay #ApolloBeach #Sunset #clouds #nature #seaside #GSD #GermanShepherdDogs #dogs #gratitude #blessed #Maghreb

Friday, March 13, 2026

Dolphins Playing Outside My Tampa Bay Florida Home - IMRAN®

#IMRAN #QuantumLair #Dolphins #Florida #MidnightRose

Imran
http://linkedin.com/in/imran
imran@imran.com
+1-845-772-4000

Enjoy Midnight Rose Now Live On Spotify - IMRAN®

"Midnight Rose" is out. 34 people listening on Spotify right now 3/13 13:13 !! Love to have you hear and ❤️ it, my friends! Words written in NY 2010, music composed in FL 2016, finally released globally 2026!

https://open.spotify.com/album/4p7vQyCPchvNMcjD8ESeQZ?si=nn7rr8-gQpW_pkMBrYc7XQ

#music #newmusic #rock #LoveSong #dance

Thursday, March 12, 2026

UrUXSux: Apple Maps Still Dangerously Confused - IMRAN®

"Go left. No, no, the OTHER left!"

#IMRAN #UrUXSux #Apple #Maps #GetLost #humor #UserExperience

UrUXSux: Apple Maps Still Dangerously Confused - IMRAN®

"Go left. No, no, the OTHER left!"

#IMRAN #UrUXSux #Apple #Maps #GetLost #humor #UserExperience

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Friday The 13th When Clock Strikes Midnight - IMRAN®

When the clock strikes midnight, Friday The 13th, what rose that you will hear? Play along with your guesses.

#IMRAN #mystery #riddle #entertainment #FridayThe13th

Savor Saturday’s Stunning Sliced Sunset Scene - IMRAN®

#IMRAN #Florida #TampaBay #ApolloBeach #Sunset #sky #clouds #nature #seaside #Ramadan #Maghreb #weekend

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

Of Kors? Yes. Off Course? Of Course Not! — IMRAN®

Life is a highway, goes the song. But can it throw us curves and road bumps even when we're trying to navigate the seas or skies in pursuit of our greatest lives? Of course it can. But can we allow even the most unexpected or unwanted obstacles to throw us off course? Of course not.

We simply reset our course and steer around whatever circumstances try to divert us from our date with destiny. Faith, unity (of focus), and discipline — to paraphrase the understated yet great leader and founder of Pakistan, Quaid‑e‑Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah — remain the compass points.

#IMRAN #Jinnah #focus #inspiration #discipline #leadership

Sunday, March 08, 2026

Friday The 13th Mystery - Part 1 - IMRAN®

Friday The 13th, Something Sharp Is Coming!

Can You Guess What?

#IMRAN #mystery #riddle #ComingSoon #creative

Saturday, March 07, 2026

Marking Mass & Momentum, Selfie Interrupted — IMRAN®

I was about 175 lbs at age 25, when I first came to America in 1987. The lessons and laws of physics asserted themselves on my life: as the momentum of an active, exciting life grew, time seemed to accelerate right along with it.

But unlike the differential equations about rockets losing weight as they burn fuel — equations I had taught myself as a pre‑teen in Karachi from those fabulous yellow‑and‑black Teach Yourself books by Hodder & Stoughton — the opposite was happening to me. The faster my life moved, the more mass I accumulated around my waist. 😄

Over the decades I added the almost formulaic ten pounds per decade. Whenever I managed to reverse the trend, the formula was always the same: switch Pepsi to water, and practice portion control. It worked every time. At least three times in the last decade I brought myself back to 179 lbs — the weight I was when I started at Columbia Business School in January 1989. But sooner or later, after a late night of work, I'd find myself popping open a can again.

The daily Pepsi and ice‑cream habits kept the trajectory climbing, and late last year I hit 205. The only way that number would've been good was if my bank balance had been "worth my weight in gold," but that didn't happen. So I returned to my tried‑and‑tested routine: portion control, less eating out, and completely cutting soda and ice‑cream purchases.

The shockingly unaffordable grocery prices — and the ridiculous cost of Pepsi and Coke 12‑packs (almost a dollar a can!) — actually helped. Temptation became too expensive to indulge. I'm also dealing with many other complications in life that I keep to myself, but through it all I remain perpetually optimistic and eternally grateful.

Yesterday, while getting ready, I was taking this selfie to mark my gratitude for getting back down to the weight I was in 1987 at age 25… when I was interrupted. Whether I can maintain it through 2027 and beyond remains to be seen. May God help me stay healthy, happy, and active for whatever destiny awaits me here on earth. Your prayers are appreciated.

#IMRAN #autobiography #history #education #health #gratitude #WeightLoss #HealthyEating #diet #TeachYourself #RocketScience #Calculus #humor #affordability #IMHO

Thursday, March 05, 2026

Surreal Sky Serene Secure Street Structured Scene - IMRAN®

Being a late‑night person, I'm usually going to bed at three or four in the morning. So it's unusual for me to be out walking the dog a few minutes before 6 AM, as I was yesterday, Wednesday, March 4, 2026. That also means I rarely witness sunrise, being so enamored with sunset as I am.

So imagine my surprise when I stepped out the front door and saw this surreal sky above my serene, secure street. I had never seen SpaceX rocket launch after‑effects visible from Apollo Beach before — especially from a launch across the state. Perhaps the upper‑level winds carried the illuminated plume sideways, letting it drift into view over Tampa Bay.

As I took this photo from my front door, I loved how the full moon cast the shadow of the streetlamp across my driveway, creating another surreal structure — an almost symmetric echo of the halo shimmering in the sky.

#IMRAN #rocket #space #Florida #TampaBay #morning #ApolloBeach

Tuesday, March 03, 2026

A Flock Of (Non) Seagulls & The First (Ides) Of March Sunset Tampa Bay Florida – IMRAN®

A Flock Of (Non) Seagulls & The First (Ides) Of March Sunset Tampa Bay Florida – IMRAN®
As life keeps sending one challenge after another since early last year—almost as if testing my resolve, my faith, and my perpetual state of gratitude—I remind myself to keep seeing, feeling, and capturing every moment God still grants me in this magical place I've been blessed to call home for 14 years. Even on the hardest days, scenes like this flock skimming the fiery First‑of‑March sky remind me that beauty, hope, and meaning continue to unfold right in front of us.

© 2026 IMRAN®

Fool “US” Once, Fool “US” Twice, Again & Again, Netanyahu - IMRAN®

Fool "US" Once, Fool "US" Twice, Again & Again, Netanyahu - IMRAN®

Talk about history repeating itself (do quickly) and being gullible at the hands of a criminal (or two) trying to stay in power and out of jail. Facebook showed me this post from exactly 11 years ago, 3/3/2015.

—

""If you take out Saddam, Saddam's regime, I guarantee you that it will have enormous positive reverberations on the region." ~ #Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu urging the US to invade #Iraq in 2002. ... America is SO thankful to him & the lying neocons for helping get us in that nightmare. Who would not want more "great advice" from this man.

....By the way, this quote was shared with me by a respected American Jewish rabbi who leads an organization to promote peace and stop the evil policies of Zionists and war criminals like Nethanyahu."

—

Here we go again.

#Iran #Israel #Netanyahu #Iraq #war #USA #history #disaster

Sunday, March 01, 2026

Thought For Food: Salmon Lover’s Delight — IMRAN®

Thought For Food: Salmon Lover's Delight — IMRAN®

I'm always on a see/seafood diet. I see (sea)food, I eat it. The irony? Growing up in the seaside city of Karachi, I actually hated seafood. Sometimes the stench of a fish‑market truck crossing paths with our school bus on Drigh Road on the way to St. Paul's High School would make me nauseous.

Even later, when visiting my parents, whether it was my late beloved father's favorite fish — caught fresh daily from the rivers and canals his Irrigation Department job gave us the luxury of living beside in Punjab — lovingly cooked by my late precious mother, or Dad's favorite fried fish at a restaurant in Lahore, I still had zero interest.

Everything changed unexpectedly on my first trip abroad — in West Germany of all places — where I discovered authentic Japanese food for the first time. I was pleasantly shocked by how much I enjoyed it. I took to sashimi… well, like a fish to water.

Years later, during a visit to Japan itself, that newfound love only grew deeper — and it has never abated. From holding my nose on Drigh Road to diving nose‑first into sashimi — life has a raw and fresh sense of humor with nothing fishy about it.

#IMRAN #food #foodie #Japanese #history #autobiography #sashimi #seafood #wordplay

Saturday, February 28, 2026

Why My Blessed Apollo Beach Home Has The World’s Most Stunning Red White Gold Layered Sunsets — IMRAN®

Why My Blessed Apollo Beach Home Has The World's Most Stunning Red White Gold Layered Sunsets — IMRAN®

Day's end. End of February, 2026. As days, seasons, and phases of life shift, this 24×‑zoomed iPhone 17 Pro Max capture at Ramadan's blessed Maghreb feels like more than a sunset. It mirrors the transitions unfolding around me — beauty layered with change, light giving way to what comes next.

I never exaggerate when I say my blessed Apollo Beach home has the world's most breathtaking sunsets. Nights like this prove it again. The sky becomes a tapestry of red, white, and molten gold — layered like muslin sheets drifting across the heavens.

Those dramatic stripes form because Tampa Bay is a living mosaic of shallow flats, deeper channels, and warm landmasses. Each creates its own bands of temperature and moisture, stacking the atmosphere into delicate layers that filter the sun's last light into infinite shades and shimmering lines. It's nature's own prism, sculpted by heat, humidity, and the ever‑changing breath of the bay.

To witness that magic at Maghreb, during Ramadan, from the home I've cherished for 14 years… it's a blessing beyond words. I submit myself to what God wills next.

#IMRAN #Florida #TampaBay #ApolloBeach #Sunset #Sky #Clouds #Nature #Seaside #Gratitude #Blessed #Lifestyle #Maghreb #Winter

Friday, February 27, 2026

SLD²: Savoring Seafood “Light Lunch,” Dark Drink — IMRAN®

SLD²: Savoring Seafood "Light Lunch," Dark Drink — IMRAN®

It has been a complicated time, and I am juggling a lot of things, so I always appreciate prayers. I have been trying to eat healthier and avoid fast food, sugary drinks—especially sodas—and eating out in general.

However, I was in Brandon, Florida today to pick up my eight‑year‑old 2018 then-top-of-the-line i9 32GB 4TB Apple MacBook Pro, which is still a workhorse but needed a battery replacement. It is used daily alongside the M3 Max 16" 64 GB 8 TB one, which will be swapped out whenever the M5 Max 16" models land.

The older laptop is retained because it's the last model that can run MacOS Mojave (for iPhoto and older apps like KARMA). It can boot up from external SSDs — unlike the newer increasingly powerful but crippled Apple laptops. (I wonder who else uses such older MacOS & apps).

Since I was already there in Brandon, I indulged myself by going to one of my favorite "fast-but-not-fast-food" places: Umi Sushi.

This is my idea of a light lunch, especially because the light made everything look so bright and inviting. The dark drink is one of the rare times I allowed myself a Pepsi. Watching my weight and refusing the consumer-gouging prices, I cut Pepsi usage zero instead of the one to two liters of cans I used to consume daily.

Of course, the picture does not show the two cups of ice cream and the sweet mango iced-tea concoction I enjoyed afterward. But hey… it still counts as healthy, right? Lol.

#IMRAN #Florida #food #foodie #seafood #Pepsi

German Shepherd Dog K2 Paws Pause Portrait Pose - IMRAN®

#IMRAN #Florida #TampaBay #ApolloBeach #GSD #GermanShepherdDogs #dogs #winter #beach

Thursday, February 26, 2026

Persistent Ramadan Maghreb Blessings, Random Magical Moments Sunset - IMRAN®

#IMRAN #Florida #TampaBay #ApolloBeach #Sunset #sky #clouds #nature #seaside #gratitude #blessed #lifestyle #Maghreb #Ramadan #birds

Blessed Long Island Home Backyard At the Start of This Blizzard — IMRAN®

Blizzards are rarely pleasant, but they've always carried a special significance for my blessed Long Island home. I still remember discovering this empty lot — and instantly falling in love with the sweeping bay and wetlands views on the other side — literally the day after a December 1993 blizzard. That storm helped reveal the magic of this place, and it's been part of my story ever since.

Over the 31 years I've lived here, countless blizzards have come and gone. This one, in late February 2026, I almost witnessed in person. I was booked to fly to New York on Friday, but another matter — and the clearly brutal storm barreling in — made postponing the trip the wiser choice.

This was the view from the rear deck sliding doors as the blizzard began. The phragmites and wetlands on this side of the house always transform beautifully in snow: stark branches etched against the sky, and the beach invisible under the snow. The Great South Bay becomes a case of no visible horizon as sea and sky blend. Storms like this are best appreciated from security cameras — and from the thoughtful photos my great neighbors send.

#IMRAN #NewYork #LongIsland #EastPatchogue #snowstorm #blizzard #GreatSouthBay #HomeSweetHome

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Robin’ Hood in a Florida Winter With a Blizzard in New York — IMRAN®

Robin' Hood in a Florida Winter With a Blizzard in New York — IMRAN®

It's amazing how quickly the human body acclimates to its surroundings, and how any hardiness earned from living elsewhere quietly fades away. For someone who considers Manhattan his forever American hometown — and who has been blessed to have a home in New York for nearly four decades — I would always dress appropriately for winter there, but rarely more than a simple winter jacket, even in the most brutal blizzard.

Fourteen years of living in my Apollo Beach, Florida home, with only occasional visits back to New York, have either thinned my blood or simply let that hardiness slip away. Sure, there were days when Tampa Bay dipped into a –8°C windchill, which justified my putting on a full‑fleece, never‑before‑used ski jacket — the one I posted a photo of on the beach with 35‑mph winds gusting to 50, making even that barely comfortable.

But even with temperatures a full 30 degrees warmer than New York, I often find myself choosing a winter jacket for walks with K2 on windy winter days. It helps to have something warm underneath… like being robed in a hood — a modern‑day Robin'Hoodie.

#IMRAN #Florida #TampaBay #winter #clothing #humor #wordplay #style

Tuesday, February 24, 2026

Blessed Long Island Home Front Door At the Start of This Blizzard — IMRAN®

This was the view from the front door as the blizzard began. The woods on this side of the house always transform beautifully in snow: evergreens wearing white crowns, stark branches etched against the sky, and the occasional fallen trunk adding its own drama. Storms like this are best appreciated from security cameras — and from the thoughtful photos my great neighbors send.

#IMRAN #NewYork #LongIsland #EastPatchogue #snowstorm #blizzard #autobiography #HomeSweetHome

Monday, February 23, 2026

Their Favorite Safe Nesting Place Under My Patio Ceiling - IMRAN®

#IMRAN #Florida nature #birds #sanctuary

Sunday, February 22, 2026

Why This Simple 2019 Long Island Selfie Is So Poignant & Symbolic Today — IMRAN®

Do you ever see an old photo and realize how surprisingly it reflects the current moment or your present stage in life?

Life's journey twists in ways we never expect, yet I remain deeply grateful for each experience and every blessing along the way.

I just came across two iPhone XS selfies from a quick late‑spring visit to my Long Island home — May 3rd, 2019. It was one of those classic early‑May New York days, hovering in the low 50s, the kind that still calls for a light jacket once the sun dips and the chill rolls back in.

What struck me most in this image wasn't the weather or the moment — but the symbolism in my life today. The photo shows me standing beside my open door, about to head out. I had no idea how meaningful that image would feel seven years later, especially in the quiet challenges I've faced since last year.

As some doors close and I prepare to say goodbye to my Florida home of 14 blessed years, I hold onto the certainty that God always opens new doors… often to places and gifts greater than we imagined.

Looking back now, the two photos capture more than a memory. They reflect today's transitions, resilience, and gratitude — and the promise of new chapters and greater tomorrows still unfolding.

#IMRAN #NewYork #LongIsland #philosophy #gratitude #inspiration

Night Sky Above Blessed Florida Home At Start Of Ramadan 2026 - IMRAN®

Night Sky Above Blessed Florida Home At Start Of Ramadan 2026 - IMRAN®
No special settings to time it just right, I just took an auto-exposure photo of the night sky on February 20, 2026. Ramadan had just started, so this 10 PM shot shows quite a bit of starry sky. I recognize Orion. What other stars and collections do you recognize?

© 2025 IMRAN®

Saturday, February 21, 2026

The Blame, Dear Friends, Lies Not in Our Stars… But in Shakespeare — IMRAN®

A lovely friend on Facebook shared a beautiful meme, and like any good spark, it set my mind ablaze. So here I stand, eternal digital quill in mere mortal hand, compelled to creatively confess.

I grew up steeped in Shakespeare before I even knew what "steeped" meant—studying his plays at age 9 or 10 during Cambridge University O' Levels prep at St. Paul's School in Karachi, Pakistan. What began as a steep learning curve soon revealed my natural bent; a turn of phrase was, quite literally, my cup of (steeped) tea.

(Oops… I did it again.)

By the last two years of high school, we were diving so deep into Romeo & Juliet that even the Bard himself might have surfaced, gasped, and declared, "Alright lads, that's quite enough."

And we were guided by no ordinary teacher. Sir Edward L'Steve—an Irish Shakespearean stage actor from the London theatres—had somehow washed ashore in Pakistan and remained there until the final curtain of his life. He taught us not merely the lines, but the breath between them; not just the words, but the worlds they opened.

Since then, I've never stopped indulging in wordplay, double and triple entendres, and puns so dreadful they could make Hamlet drop the skull and walk offstage.

If my verbal and written antics sometimes seem like mischief, madness, or mere linguistic mayhem…

Well, as the Bard might say: "The fault, dear reader, is not in ourselves, but in our Shakespeare."

#IMRAN #education #Shakespeare #English #writing #literature #puns #wordplay #language

Friday, February 20, 2026

K2 & I At Blessed Florida Home Magnificent End November 2025 Sunset - IMRAN®

K2 Looks Like He’s Doing A Photobomb — With A Cigar In His Mouth! — IMRAN®

K2 Looks Like He's Doing A Photobomb — With A Cigar In His Mouth! — IMRAN®

I was trying to get K2 into a simple selfie on this summer‑warm Florida day… but instead it looks like he barged into the frame for a full photobomb. And thanks to a perfectly placed shadow behind him, it even looks like he's got a cigar clenched in his mouth!

#IMRAN #Florida #TampaBay #ApolloBeach #GSD #GermanShepherdDogs #dogs #humor #weather

Thursday, February 19, 2026

When “Random” Isn’t So Random — Facebook AI Gets Eerily Specific - IMRAN®

When "Random" Isn't So Random — Facebook AI Gets Eerily Specific - IMRAN®

For a change of pace in my Thank You post to Top Fans, I tapped the new AI option next to Facebook's usual vivid geometric backgrounds. I expected something generic.

Instead, from the simple prompt "Celebrating sunsets German Shepherd beach life," the system generated an image with markings uncannily close to my German Shepherd Dog K2.

Now, sure — there are tens of thousands of GSDs with similar patterns. But there are also thousands of variations it could've chosen. The accuracy made me pause and wonder whether Meta's AI wandered a little too close to my albums or posts.

Probably coincidence. Probably. Still… hmmm. I'd love to hear of others' similar experiences.

#GSD #GermanShepherdDogs #dogs #AI #privacy

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Gold Sunset Cold Tranquility At New York Home Beach - IMRAN®

Blessed to have first seen this spot after a snowstorm end-1993, I was sold. I am blessed that it's been my blessed New York home's backyard for 30 years.

The gold sunset in the direction of my "forever American hometown" Manhattan, the cold water of the Great South Bay rippling onto the private beach, all fold into a scene that never gets old, truth be told.

I captured this moment on 7 December 2024. I was out walking there with my dog K2. A perfect moment to say a Maghreb prayer of gratitude.

#IMRAN #NewYork #LongIsland #EastPatchogue #HeronPointe #GreatSouthBay #Sunset #sky #clouds #seaside #autobiography #HomeSweetHome #nature #tranquility #wordplay

K9=6! Happy Birthday, K2, German Shepherd Perpetual Puppy!- IMRAN®

#IMRAN #Florida #TampaBay #ApolloBeach #GSD #GermanShepherdDogs #dogs #birthday

Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Cruise Ship Crossing Tampa Bay • Seen From Apollo Beach • IMRAN®

Standing on my boardwalk this nippy Tuesday morning, with K2 beside me still mesmerized by the dolphins gliding past, I was able to capture a cruise ship sailing across Tampa Bay on its way back to the Port of Tampa. From this distance it looked like it might be one of the Margaritaville ships drifting through what has been my personal paradise the last 14 years.

The sun was behind us, low and bright, turning the white channel marker into what looked like a glowing emerald‑blue neon sign shining on the water. One of those little moments Tampa Bay and nature gift you when you're not even expecting it.

I grabbed a quick shot — and a video I'll share later — of this peaceful winter scene from Apollo Beach, where even an ordinary weekday can feel like a postcard.

#IMRAN #TampaBay #ApolloBeach #Florida #CruiseShip #Winter #Travel #Boating #GulfCoast #Gratitude

Maturing GSD K2 Calmly Enjoying Dolphins On Sixth Birthday — IMRAN®

Like Kennedy before him, my German Shepherd Dog K2 has a special fascination with dolphins. Kennedy would go absolutely gaga with joy whenever they appeared.

K2's journey has been different. At first he was just curious, then excited, then barking his big‑puppy bark at every splash. Today, as he turns 6, I saw a new side of him. Still the nonstop oversized puppy in so many ways, yet suddenly calm and composed.

I noticed him sitting quietly, staring out at the water with an intensity that made me pause. Only then did I realize he was watching a pair of dolphins I hadn't even heard arrive. By the time I reached the still‑under‑repair boardwalk edge, they had already glided past us. But K2 stayed there, watching—taking it in with a maturity that surprised me, and moved me.

#IMRAN #Florida #TampaBay #ApolloBeach #GSD #GermanShepherdDogs #dogs #dolphins #nature #HappyBirthday

Monday, February 16, 2026

GSD K2 Relaxing Poolside At Magical Monday Wonderful Winter Stunning Sunset - IMRAN®

#IMRAN #Florida #TampaBay #ApolloBeach #Sunset #sky #clouds #nature #seaside #GSD #GermanShepherdDogs #dogs

Saturday, February 14, 2026

Dallas Museum of Modern Art – Eventful May 2012 Visit — IMRAN®

In May 2012, I was in Apollo Beach, Florida, making arrangements to buy what would become my fantasy home for the next fourteen years. In the middle of that life chapter, Microsoft invited me to Dallas to interview for an incredible role.

I flew from Florida to Texas, went through a series of tough but amazing interviews, and was offered the position before I even left the parking lot in Las Colinas. That moment began what would become a dozen‑year journey — with the final offer arriving on my birthday, May 23, 2012.

Just a few days earlier, on May 19, I was still in Dallas, and my childhood friend Mohsin took time to show me around the city. This photo is one of the memories from that day, marking the start of a new chapter I could never have predicted.

#IMRAN #Dallas #Texas #autobiography #architecture #museum #art #memories #travel

Imran
http://linkedin.com/in/imran
imran@imran.com
+1-845-772-4000

Friday, February 13, 2026

Hope Inspiring Resplendent Roses & Blossoms At Blessed Home Long Island, New York, Day Before My Birthday 2012 - IMRAN®

A dozen years ago before I penned these words in 2024, the rose bushes at my blessed home on Long Island, New York, were in full, glorious bloom. It was the early summer of 2012, the day before my 50th birthday.

The tornadoes and droughts of total economic meltdown, brought on by the policies of Republican President George W. Bush which enriched the super-wealthy with one trillion dollars of tax cuts, had wreaked havoc on my life as on millions of ordinary individuals, families, and entire towns. The next few years were spent on surviving, recovering, and rebuilding. Even then it was a rocky road.

By the time 2012 rolled in, after a labyrinthine journey of heart-sinking troughs, fleeting peaks, and unexpected drops into new valleys, life began to hint at a promising change ahead. I had to remind myself that life's most exquisite blooms often come accompanied by the piercing thorns of reality.

The key is to persistently tend to one's garden of dreams, rooting it in unshakeable faith, nurturing it with the water of hope, showering it with the rain of love, fortifying it with the grains of gratitude, and ceaselessly illuminating it with the lights of confidence, and perseverance. No matter the adversities you face, remember, they are but temporary.

You possess the strength to surmount them. Never let go of your dreams. Never relinquish your authentic self. Within you lies an indomitable spirit. You are capable of blooming despite the thorns. Are you ready to live the life you dream of?

#flowers #IMRAN #LongIsland #NewYork #summer #memories #inspiration #flowers @Nikon

(No) Message In A Bottle — IMRAN®

Just someone carelessly tossing a glass bottle into the bay, with no regard for nature or anyone else.

#IMRAN #Florida #TampaBay #ApolloBeach #beach #wordplay #SongReference