How Incredible is Average?

21/Feb/2013

How Incredible is Average?

     Yet again I was watching a movie - this time The Incredibles, with my parents. Several times throughout the movie, the statement is made that if everyone's super, no one will be (or, if everyone's special, no one is). I am personally having a hard time deciding whether I agree with that or not. Surely, if everyone is blue, or if everyone has a cat, it doesn't apply in those circumstances - everyone is actually still blue. But being "super" or being "special" is a different kind of quality; it's something more than the shallow, physical attribute.
     I compare it to being gifted. What would happen if everyone was "gifted"? (I shouldn't get started on that; I could go on forever on the vague term "gifted" and what it does or does not mean, not to mention what it should or should not mean.) Since gifted is traditionally marked by an IQ score of (typically) 125 or higher, then that would simply be the average. Possibly more importantly, though, the need for the IQ range would cease to exist. No more specialized classes, no more No Child Left Behind programs. It sounds wonderful, I think.
     However, then I think about why we are different in the first place. Our IQ is such a fundamental part of who we are, that for it to be the same in everyone would be to eliminate an incredibly large range for variety. Is it worth it to not have any failures, if it means not having any above-and-beyond's either? When everyone succeeds, it doesn't mean anything. Impressive factor = 0. Right now, I'm at about 25/75, more so on the side of difference. That could just be me being selfish, though, since I fall into that category of what psychologists and specialists have deemed as special enough to be more than average. Would having this theoretically utopian world produce even more great inventions and wonders, or would it stalemate creativity and the desire to do better? What desire to do better could you have, if you already knew everyone else would do just as well? This might just be one of those that I need to step back and let it simmer for a little bit, before I can really draw a conclusion. Or, maybe there just isn't a right answer. Can average be incredible? I really don't know.

A Credo for Today

I believe in the power of self. I wanted to say it isn't like the cliché “you have the power to become all you want to become”, but it is actually. However, I meant it not quite in the sense that a person can achieve whatever goal or career they strive for, but more in an internal sense, with regards to one’s personality. You can become the person that you want to be. I believe you can be happy, you should be happy, with who you are. I believe that this means being happy with life, with your special days and your not-so-special ones too. 

Suicide is Painless

20/Feb/2013

Prompt #136 I found on a site provided by Ms. A for creative writing prompts. "Write a pure dialogue story. Make your story move along by using dialogues *only*. No narration, no description...just dialogues." Challenge accepted. (The dialogue goes back and forth between two characters, one on the left and the other on the right.)



                                                                   Suicide is Painless

Here we are, the last day. After all this time we’re
finally going to get out of this prison, both of us.
What a (sad) coincidence that it should be the same day…

                                                                           A prison? What an odd choice of words. I see it
                                                                           not as a prison but even, rather, a home.

I suppose…yes, it will be sad to leave, but even
though your bed is comfortable to you, I can’t
imagine you haven’t wanted to escape. This place
is no good. Only rotting, dying bodies that will
never make it out of here. Everything is so sad,
too sad for me.


                                                                         Are you implying me to be a rotting and dying 
                                                                         corpse? As I am the one which will never leave.
                                                                         These sheets, one way or another, will be the
                                                                         layers of my deathbed.

How do you stand this? Every single day, the white
washed walls, the cold, blank tiles, the immortal
and bitter machines. (Ugh.)

                                                                         To each its own purpose.

But! We shouldn’t be so down and depressed, for
tomorrow! Tomorrow is our day, honey. By tonight
I’ll be at my new job, and you…Well, you’ll be out
of here, too, honey, don’t worry.

                                                                       No, no! Don’t you see?? I don’t want to leave--

                                                                       please don’t make me go! You’re my only friend;
                                                                       beg someone for me, so that they won’t do this to
                                                                       me…I can’t leave.

There’s nothing anyone can do. I keep telling myself
that. I’ve tried, begged even, to talk the doctors out
of this, believe you me. But the decision is made.
                                                                                  
                                                                       No, no, no…

I am so sorry, honey. I remember the first time I
walked in here; something drew me to this room…
Our first conversation was about my first
granddaughter, born just a few days before, do you
remember? I’ll miss talking to you, I will.

                                                                       …I will miss you more than you could ever know,
                                                                       though I suppose for not as long…

You have such a gentle face. Even the scars across
your head, they make you beautiful. You know, I’ve
always imagined your voice to be kind and soft, the
sort that you know would be beautiful to listen to
sing. I hope now that you can be at peace, darling,
instead of just looking peaceful.



                                                                        I am not at peace! My voice would not be so calm
                                                                        if only I could use it. Eyes, open! Mouth, work! 
                                                                        Please, this is our last chance…I want to live.

I don’t know your name, and I won’t now, but

                                                                        I want to live.

it’s time for me to go. I guess this means I have
to say goodbye.

Word: Escape

8/Feb/2013

     What does escape look like?

I admit I was rather disappointed when I typed escape into Google images. It came up with way too many pictures of the Ford Escape SUV. I had pictured something like a bird just spreading its wings to take off in flight; endless rows of green trees before you with leaves of brown, red, and orange laying down a faint path through the wood; a door open just enough to see the blurry colors that lay beyond or a few rays of light breaking in (in an Alice in Wonderland fashion); or even an old favorite novel with a cracked, ridged spine sitting invitingly in a cozy reading space.

     What does escape smell like?

For some, the smell of salt and a cool, fresh wind blowing off the water. For others, popcorn, setting up to relax and watch a good adventure movie. Since my escape is usually less of a physical adventure and more of a mental one, my escape smells like a book; not when you first open the cover and it is a little musty and possibly needs a dusting, but after I've curled up with a blanket and coffee, and can smell the smells of the scene. If it's Frankenstein, then it varies between burnt flesh and pine woods. In The Poisonwood Bible, there's the heat rising from the scorched earth. If I pause reading, and I'm sitting outside on my porch railing, leaning against the corner post, then I can raise my head and close my eyes and bring the real-world scents into my imagination.

     What does escape feel like?

Like every weight, every pain, every stress, and every worry has been lifted off and escaped itself. Like flight is possible. Like safety; not in a little hiding place that could still be found out and destroyed, but the ability to walk tall wherever your feet carry you and absorb every moment. Like breathing deeply, slowly, the freshest air. Like focusing inward and noticing the slightest heartbeat at the places where your skin is thin, the blush of warmth from your core out to every hair and fingertip and toe, and knowing you are alive.

Know Your Audience

     The game 20 Questions can easily turn into a boring, what's your favorite color or what's your favorite food, series of facts that really mean nothing about a person. It can be difficult to draw an individual out, although sometimes the other person will unwittingly reveal something deeper, hidden inside a simple fact or statement. For example, E. Kirsten George responded to Ms. A's question of "What color is your personality" with blue/green with a red core, but also stated in her explanation that her mother is Irish and German. On the surface, this doesn't mean much to someone trying to get to know her, but the fact that she chose to bring that up in the few sentences she had to describe herself reveals that she gives significant weight to her ancestry or history, likely believing one's past greatly influences their present and future. What this means for me, having E. Kirsten in my audience, is that I could probably reach her best using details and facts that have been proven over time.
    I enjoyed reading the responses to Christina Benavides' question "What do you wish to achieve in 5 years", because that disclosed the others' priorities. Whether they said they would want to have a successful career, or happy children, or to travel, knowing the audience's priorities is possibly one of the most important factors to reaching their minds and hearts. If I am talking about how global warming will considerably affect our children's futures for the worse, but the person I am speaking to has no children nor wants any, it will be easily dismissed by them. Of course, there were responses like Clarissa Kyle's, which was rather vague and lacking enthusiasm, saying she hopes to "have a higher education on the way to [her] career path". I would have to say I don't know if she knows exactly what she wants, or if she has picked a career/path in life, it doesn't seem like she is very excited or passionate about it. Responding with passion does not always work in this situation, but it is possible to find something to give this kind of people that they can be enthusiastic about. Then, once the heart and emotions are involved, the mind and logic usually will follow.
    My curiosity was peaked when I read Trevor Renshaw's question "what do you hope to leave behind when you leave this life", because it made me draw the conclusion that he must have some definitive beliefs for what happens after death to have stated his question so. I don't know if it was a great question, since the answers were almost completely uniform-something to do with leaving behind knowledge or love or some reason to have been remembered. Although, on that note, I can use the fact that everyone seems to be on the same page here. Give them some reason, some way, to become a better person, to be loved, to be remembered, and I bet I will reach them.
    I was disappointed by the responses to my question, "what is your favorite book". I realized I should have specified "novel", but oh well. I suppose in a way it did still reveal the interests of my audience, but I still wish they could have picked some deeper novels. I can't gain much from knowing they like The Hunger Games, or Twilight, or The Chronicles of Narnia. They like fantasy and dystopian societies, I guess. I'm not sure how to use that, though.

I Believe I Have Found My Soul Mate (if I Believed in Soul Mates)

Ok so I am supposed to free write for ten minutes about one of my brainstormed (is that a correct tense, can I use that?) ideas from the list of things I believe, which makes me think of how many times over the years I have written a “This I Believe” essay, which is a lot, I can’t even count. I wish I wasn’t just constantly using commas; I think I need to throw in some other punctuation since this is going to be horrible to read otherwise. I also wish I had not chose to type this, but rather handwritten it, since I would not be so concerned with my typing accuracy then and just be able to write and have it flow easier. It has always been easier for me to hand write a paper or story or whatever really than to type. Thank you Charlton for just distracting me and saying something (that was sarcasm) about how some guy’s foot (I’m assuming the diagram of pressure points on a foot) is much longer than mine. It does feel really nice that he is rubbing my feet, though. I guess it doesn’t really matter so much that I’m trying to fix my grammar and comma usage but I still want to, it’s just a reflex.  Ooh he’s putting his head down by my feet, I wish he wouldn’t do that I just have a kind of phobia of how I smell so I’m always stressing about whether my feet smell or not and then he just has to go and put his nose right on top of them. Blah. Oops I accidently hit the enter button-should I have left that or was it ok that my instinct was to hit the backspace button?

I need to actually write about the topic at hand instead of just randomly rambling (hey that kind of sounds cool if you were to say it out loud). I wanted to write about Charlton because I assumed it would be easy for me to talk about since I could just go on and on and on and on about him forever and ever. I think he’s wonderful; he is wonderful and I’m just lucky that I happen to be the one that got him. It’s funny how I’m only 19 and in my mind it’s too young but at the same time I just simply can’t wait to marry him and I know he can’t either and I feel bad for telling him I want to wait, I just don’t want other people to think badly of us, since we haven’t been dating for very long. But then he says that we have known each other for years, which is true, and we both took a lot of time thinking about each other as a potential partner before we even really liked each other, and then we even took even more time trying to figure out why we liked each other (haha) and then he finally told me he liked me and I got to tell him that I liked him back. (Ahh! My computer just froze up for about 5 seconds!) Man, I hope that isn’t going to be a problem, besides just throwing a wrench (ha, I typed wench first; that’s a big difference, I should change that) um, wrench, right, in my train of thought. Oops, almost forgot the ‘t’ there on the end of thought.

Soul mate. Right. I could not imagine something more perfect. Someone, I meant. Mean. Whatever. I really had given up on me ever being able to get my life together and be happy, until he told me he liked me and just completely made my day, no, my life, since I didn’t realize what I had been missing until that moment when he came into my life for real. Hey, I managed to not type into as in to like I usually do. 

Word count: 658

This I Believe...

I Believe...

• I have a secure hope for the future from the bible
• I will be a wonderful/great wife
• I am patient
• (If I believed in soul mates) I have found my soul mate
• I am doing what I am meant to do
• Wolves are beautiful creatures
• Spanish is a beautiful language
• It would be healthy and wise for me to spend time living in another country
• I have been influenced in many ways for the good by Kaye Maza
• My parents love me
• It is usually better to spend more money and get something of better quality
• I do not want children anytime soon
• I am strong
• I have a kind heart
• I am a good, or at least capable, writer
• I will be happy in life
• In Jehovah God as Almighty Father (and many other titles)
• My pains in my past have made me better in the long run
• I make too many excuses for other people
• I will be able to make my parents proud of me from here on out
• I am a diligent learner
• Patience is valuable
• Listening is valuable
• Humility is valuable
• A simple, minimized life is less stressful
• It is good to have clear goals set to strive for, long and short term
• Everyone has a spiritual need
• Nothing will happen that I will not be able to at least endure