They Should Do Something Effect

All my life (which hasn’t been very long yet, I’m only sixteen after all) I’ve gotten the sudden urge to slap people when people say “they should do something about that”. Before I go into detail on what I’d like to call the They Should Do Something Effect (TSDSE), I’d like to explain just who “they” are.

The definition of the word “they” - because you know how much I love definitions - is as follows:
those ones —used as third person pronoun serving as the plural of he, she, or it or referring to a group of two or more individuals not all of the same sex (definition 1a on m-w.com)

people 2 —used in a generic sense (definition 2 on m-w.com)

There are other definitions pertaining to the word but they are a bit redundant. The important part is that the word they is a replacement for “people”. And here is the time when I point out that it is people who say that “they” should do something about some problem, people telling people to fix “it”. In essence, we are saying that WE should correct the issue, so why don’t we?

The human race as the individual, as the group, as the society and as the species in general relies in my opinion (because you totally couldn’t tell that this is an opinion piece) too heavily on the head honchos, the people with the power - i.e., government, world leaders, state officials etc. etc. I wonder what those people do when they see a problem that needs to be fixed; do they say that “they” should fix it or do they fix it themselves? Do they rely on those higher up than them to handle their problems, or, as the problem solvers that they’re being paid to be, do they fix their own? And really, now that we’re on to asking questions, what separates us from them in the first place?

I firmly believe that not everyone’s voice is the same and that everyone’s voice isn’t always important, but something we know from the human race is that there is strength in numbers. If we banded together to fix the problems that “they” should fix, then maybe the problems would actually be fixed. I’m not one for going against the government or rulers unless there is a serious problem that they won’t fix on their own, but my suggestion here is that we all take command of our own problems. We try to fix the mess that we created, and then if we can’t fix it, ask for help. But first, ask your neighbor, then if you must, ask those with more power than you. If we operated as a society as I so simply outlined above, then and only then would the people with more power have the ability to focus on those issues that only they can solve.

Let me give you a scenario, because scenarios are fun!

Say you’re a perfectly healthy human being who did relatively well in high school but only went through some college or none at all, and you just lost your job. Then you apply for welfare and foodstamps because, quite frankly, you need to be able to eat and pay your bills. Then, surprise surprise (!) three years have passed, and you’ve been on welfare and foodstamps the entire time. During those three years you expanded your stamp collection, started to draw again, and brought a second cat into your house. Now lets back up just a smidge, you draw? Fantastic! Why haven’t you seen if there are any small illustrator jobs available? Because you didn’t think you could be hired? Nonsense! Why is it nonsense? Because you never even bothered to apply, and herein lies the problem. This is a part of the They Should Do Something Effect. People rely on the government to keep them going until something comes up, but it never does.

I’m not against welfare and foodstamps, but I’m against people being able to run the government dry just because they won’t try to find work.

Have a problem? Want someone to do something about it? Be that someone.

Thoughts?

~Scathach

The Art World

Last summer, I was given the opportunity to be “in the art world” for a bit, and it wasn’t nearly as dreadful and scary as people seem to make it sound. It was wonderful, the best time in my life. Before you tell me that I’m insane, let me explain.

I was in a group of ten teenagers selected to, over a ten day span of time, produce a collection of artwork with a central theme that we, as a group, came up with. And at the end of those days, we had a moment of time to share our work with anyone who was interested. During a gallery night, we used a space and displayed our artwork and people asked us questions and took home prints of our work and it was incredible. That was the time when I was thrown into the art world, head first.

Anyway, back to what I was saying. this whole “art world” thing really is a different world. The world that most everyone lives in requires us to communicate via language; the written and spoken word (sometimes communicated with gestures as well, but you know what I mean). But the problem is, some people can’t communicate all with words. Our thoughts are comprised of words and pictures, those people need to be able to express those pictures as they are, as images with form instead of words connected to make sentences. I believe I have a way with words, you might not agree but that’s okay. I find myself to be a relatively good writer in that I can most times get my words to say what I want them to say. But not always, sometimes I can’t get them out just right. I find this problem mostly when an episode of depression is upon me, because depression is so incredibly indescribable, it’s an emotion all in and of itself, like happiness and rage.

So, when these beautiful things we have called words can’t work right, l look to art. Art through music and art through the visual, tangible form. I’m not always able to accurately display how I feel with art, but it’s there when I’ve run out of options. This thing we call the art world is an entire world of people who accept this form of communication and speak it fluently. When I stepped into this world for the first time, I realized it was where I ought to live. I didn’t know there were other people who spoke the same language, who had troubles communicating via written and spoken language just as I have so many times.

I’m not saying I think myself to be above others, quite the opposite really. But we all deserve to find a place where we fit, where there are like-minded people who speak the same language. Nerdfighteria is one of those worlds that’s for people who don’t have a place anywhere else, and I’d like to say that I live there too. I’ve spent so much time in my life not finding anyone like myself, like everyone around me speaks a language I’ve never been taught before and it’s all so confusing. And now, with all the problems I have, I don’t know if I’ll ever fit anywhere perfectly, but does anyone, really? They say we’re all unique, which means that there’s never a perfect fit. Maybe that’s okay. I guess you just have to find the worlds that have similar languages to your own.

What world do you belong to? What languages do you speak?

~Scathach

Just Another Day At The Bus Stop

This is more just a musing (and a story) than anything else. Also, this story happened last summer. Enjoy.

Whenever I take the public bus into town, I see the same man. Before today, I had never heard him speak. He smiled and nodded to my mother and I, but never, not once had I heard a word escape his lips.

Today, my mother said hello to the man.  He said hello back and "this was a wonderful day to go to the beach" was her reply.

During the following ten minutes, he never stopped talking. He spoke about ridding the bus, the weather, food, and even told a few stories.

As he spoke, his happiness grew like a balloon being filled with air for the first time. I smiled, and at first all I could was, is this guy ever going to shut up? But then I was ashamed. I realized that he wouldn't be talking so much had he someone to talk to. And then I thought of all the times I needed to talk to someone so bad I thought I would burst.

As he continued to talk, I listened, really listened. I laughed at his jokes and felt good that simply listening brought someone who I knew nothing about so much joy.

On the bus ride, I thought of all the people we see on a regular basis yet don't know at all. The check-out girl at the market, the rubbish collector, the mailman, the person who you see everyday on the bus. We think of them as just people, but really, just like you and me, they are human beings with lives that we may never know about.
Everyone has a story, I wish I knew his...

Dreams and Such

I have recently decided that there should be rules about dreaming, which also made me ponder dreams and the whole point of them.

As many of us are aware of, because of SCIENCE, dreaming is the brain's way to safely put us in different situations without harmful consequences (well okay, there can be harmful consequences but I'll get to that in a minute). Now, when you think of this certain possibilities come to mind, like jumping off a building, going around town naked, swimming endlessly without oxygen (one I've had a lot), etc. etc. But dreaming also enables the brain to put us into situations that could be more emotionally scaring then physically, a line that is exceptionally thin because dreams can be emotionally scaring depending on the subject matter. You might experience a dream with a lover you have not considered, a devestating fight with someone you care about, witnessing the death of a loved one, or maybe it's simply replaying a tramatic experience.

Technically the brain is testing out these ideas, it's sort of going "How would we handle XYZ if it happened?". The problem here, is that the brain can be bad at figuring out that a certain topic might be emotionally scaring just from dreaming about it. And here in lies the problem, and a story (though very brief).

Almost a year ago I dreamt of finding my best friend dead on my driveway, covered in blood. I'll assume that my brain was pondering "What if we lost the person most important to us? How would we cope?". Needless to say, it was very tramatic for me. I believe I woke up screaming.

The image of that dream continues to replay in my mind almost a year later, the thought repeating over and over again.

Sometimes dreams can be a bit of a warning, but only if you're aware of the possibility that what happened in your dream might actually happen. Now, said friend lives in Europe so it isn't likely to happen,  but I suppose the possibility of his death is there *knocks on wood, doesn't want to put it out there*

Just last night I had another one of those line-crossing dreams, and as someone who is tortured by her own brain quite often, I'd like it if sleeping were safe. Now, on to the rules.

It would be nice, in my opinion, if we could make rules for our brain for dreaming. Like, you cannot bring up the following topics. Do not even make this a possibility in my head. Stuff like that. But discussing something with one's subconcious is kind of difficult, a non-accessible part of our brain.

So.....Thoughts? Anything you'd like to say to your brain NOT ALLOWED?

Hitchcock (and Scathach) on Fear in Film

The Love of Horror

"Fear, you see, is an emotion people like to feel when they know they're safe"
---Alfred Hitchcock


I think what this quote says is so true. Fear isn't something welcomed when one's safety is compromised. However, when one is safe, fear is an exhilarating emotion that gives a brilliant adrenalin rush. This is why we see the existence of roller coasters - the thought of death feels imminent, yet you are safely tucked away under belts and steel bars.

And of course, this is why horror films and novels are such a success. Murder, pain, terror, these are subjects strange to talk about, yet are tantalizing to view on the big screen. I don't know why people are like this. Why do we find these subjects so interesting?

Maybe because we have this urge to know what hasn't been told to us. What's under the sheet? Behind the curtain? In the crate? In fact, I think it was Hitchcock who said something like there is nothing more frightening than an unopened door.

This, my dear readers, is where horror films have changed. In Hitchcock's day, horror was exhibited with mystery. We weren't told in The Birds, for example, why they attacked people or what happened to the small town of Bodega Bay. The thought that the birds may still be on their rampage is much more frightening than the truth that was so cleverly left out.

Today, horror is shown by the display of pure terror or gruesome images. In the film Panic Room, we know exactly what's happening within the rest of the house. We know where the robbers are and what they plan to do, and this creates horror by the terrible thought of being trapped in your own home, with no way of calling for help.

Horror films, for me, and I think everyone, are a guilty pleasure. Like a thick, dark slice of chocolate cake, we know it's not good for us, but it's oh so good.

~ScathachWarrior

PS: Let me know your opinions on fear and the ever popular "scary movie".