Cleansing

Note: I feel as if I wrote something about this topic once, before. Maybe I'm mixing things up with random FB postage, but considering the recent inspiration, perhaps it's all worth repeating. 

In time, we will come to a point where we can support others' ideas and goals, without them fearing any deception, lies, doubts, and empty criticism that can, or have halted one's growth. Until then, we have to deal with those that hope you never see past the masks they wear. They hope that you'll continue to rely on them for a blessing, or have your hand held, while they walk you through a life where you put aside your progress just to satisfy theirs.

Some people don't make it out of that trap, but for those that do, the ones that wake up and pull themselves from the void, they have a clearer outlook on what they are truly worth. Worth goes beyond money, and whether you call it an awakening of the spirit, or of the self, it is something that your previous anchors will learn that they made you this unhinged, unforgiving person; one whose aggressive growth has become more exclusive to those that legitimately deserve your compassion and attention, but none more than yourself, first.

Be better than them, not just in success, but in character. Even in that success, be humble, and note that without awareness that they were diluting your value, chances are you wouldn't stand as tall, or as far away from their influence as you do, now.   

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You haven't WHAT!?

I once told someone that I never had a specific food that's claimed to be made from the kitchen grill's equivalent to the Holy Grail. They chose to discuss this among their own friends, to which one said that they (meaning I) should be shot.

One thing I've learned on and offline, is that you choose wisely who to tell what you've never done that seems to be the thing to do. You haven't seen this movie, you haven't eaten at this place, or had this locally sacred food. Revealing this seems to a way to bring the asshole out of people.

Personally I'd rather them come out and do that towards things actually essential to one's life. Sure it's one thing if at a certain point you've never wrote a resume or changed the oil on your car, but so help you if you've never seen "The Godfather" or drank a Rum and Coke.

Mid-final research paper ramblings.

Forced to choose between the topics of the history, personal feelings, and pros/cons of HD radio or Satellite radio, and it has to be seven or eight pages long.

Five or six, I can understand, but this is a final paper, not just for the class, but for college. None of us in class would expect the end to be easy, but not all of us are graduating. Hell, some people don't even care for the class, which their reasons are theirs.

But much like someone that made off with $5K in equipment in my filming group last semester, my grade's not effected by their recklessness, and for that, I'm grateful.

But with DJ Shadow in the background keeping me going, and another intimidating final being prepped for tomorrow afternoon, I'll end with saying this ;)

A moving-goer observation (when dealing with franchises, anyway)

Chances are, the less you see movies not based on a franchise product, the better your chances of hearing a review that's based on the movie itself, and not a reviewer's interpretation and expectations being ruined by someone else's adaptation.

To those that can watch movies based on a comic/game/cartoon separate from their love for said medium prior to its theater form, cool deal. The rest of you, do what makes you happy, but there's a fine line between justified complaints and pretentious soapboxing, and knowing the difference can make for an opinion worth respecting.

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"Stranger Danger" in a different sense.

People have this part of their brain that says "make a smart, ironic comment about a complete stranger's appearance, that'll win their hearts!" The fact that they are a stranger means that you don't know if they may be one step away from filming their own remake of Falling Down. So do your best to approach people the way you'd like to be approached, with respect and peace in mind. Because there's never a good day to earn a speed knot.

The People We Know (Or, "Streamline writing at its 'finest'.")

We all have/had that one friend that wants you to watch a video that you've stated you've seen, but since you haven't seen it with them, it's "new to you." So they proceed to put it in your face, because you completely don't have the option to walk away, push it away, watch it begrudgingly, or hit them.

Speaking of hitting, ever have those people that are talking to you, and tap you every few seconds into their story as if you weren't paying attention to them, which after the third tap, you have all the right not to? Maybe the best recourse is to hit them every time they do that, to the point where they stop and question your increasing urge to be justified in an assault charge on your record. 

Then you have the people on the other end. The ones that actually hear you talk, because they likely asked for your advice about something. Particularly something life-changing, threatening, or it's some old crap you thought they were better than getting into. You go on and on about what they need to do to change the dramatics to being non-existent, and what do they do? Blow all that sage advice away and go back to being miserable and whiny, wondering why the world is crop dusting on their picnic. 

Yes, the phrase is true, "shit happens," every day without warning or sometimes reason, but there comes a point where the mess that you can control, should be controlled by your own meaty digits we call fingers, attached to other parts that make up hands, which come fully loaded with "slap-the-shit-outta'-you" technology, in case you need to wake up the hard way. 

There comes a point for all of us where we have that voice inside that's screaming the answers that others outside of us are saying themselves. It may take a while, but hopefully by the time you've come to the conclusion everyone else did months ago, you won't be celebrating the epiphany by yourself. You might even welcome their slaps, which you greatly deserve, but better those friendly bruises that heal into nothingness, than mental scars that just don’t go away.  

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Oh, you're one of *those* people.

You know that feeling you get when you sneeze, and no one says "bless you" because that's what you might have grow up to expect? I'd like to believe its the same feeling when you wish someone a happy birthday, yet they don't wish you one back when it's your time. Of course, the big difference between the two is that you'd have to know the person well enough to wish them such, while the former example can be done to a stranger or two. Still, I feel as if they, and other acts in this realm, are connected in a sad way.

But I’m wondering, have people, even the ones you might have considered friends, become so jaded or disconnected, that they can't even acknowledge that for a moment, their existence mattered to another?

Yeah, in some cases we get too overwhelmed with life duties that we can't get to say everything or anything we want, but to take a few measly seconds to say "thank you" or something of that feature seems like a method of torture to one's ego. Of course even to the ego-ridden, interactions of any kind with the other can often risk leading to awkward conversations. You know the ones, where they end with one saying they should meet up for lunch/coffee/misc., but never really mean it.  

I guess it's true what some say, that silence can be better than "B.S." But if one's incapable of telling the truth about whether they truly want to associate with you or not (especially outside the internet), then perhaps they were full of crap to begin with. 

That doesn't justify that you have to discontinue any method of kindness to others, be they friends or strangers. Consider your methods as a way to weed out who’s worth your attention.

If you happen to say “bless you” in one’s moment of nasal turmoil, but don’t give that respect back, let them know about themselves.

If that friendly food-and/or-drink-based meet-up is one-sided, your time is too important to be wasted on empty plans, and they should know that.

If it’s a (close) friend that you feel doesn’t care if your birthday’s coming or gone, yet you have, speak up. You can even take the high road and wish them one. Think of it like a reminder them that you were once somebody to them before they became “famous.”    

In closing, it seems like these little things make up the roots of people to grow into their own embodiment of suck. By telling them who they are in your eyes, it might just make them suck just a little less, but if it doesn’t, then at best you’ve started to respect yourself a little more.

No go on and bless yourself.

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