Nov 28, 2010

Emotion

"We are all fools in love"
-Jane Austen

In my opinion, there are two sides of emotion.
1-The beautiful emotions that help you recognize beauty in the world.
2- The awful emotions that get the best of you.

We're going to start with number 2 so that this post can end on a happy note.
Infatuation, jealousy, pride, pity..
As Jane so accurately points out, these emotions can make us look pretty idiotic.
If I had a nickel for every time I'd done something I'd known was idiotic and had done it simply because I felt like it... I'd have a lot of nickels.
Better yet, if I counted the number of times I'd made somebody angry, confused, or annoyed JUST because I was having a down day, it would probably be an astronomical number.
Emotion and reason tend to be enemies.
I think one of the greatest signs of maturity is a persons ability to ignore their emotions and do whatever is most reasonable.. which is probably why girls that whine aren't taken very seriously.
I'd always thought that I had good control over my emotions.. but lately it seems to be the case less often than I would like.

NUMBER ONE!
Compassion, awe, admiration, peace, attraction, respect, happiness...
These emotions tend to work in our favor.
I've never regretted a day in which I've had a smile on my face for no apparent reason.
The same can't be said about a scowling day.
These are the emotions that I crave to create in the world.

aaaand.. discuss!


Nov 8, 2010

Dream

I don't think there's any way possible that I can prepare you for this awesomeness... so we're just going to dive in.

Me and a buddy were just getting on I-215 when our engine started smoking. We pulled over to the side of the road and opened up our hood to see what was going on. Considering the fact that I have absolutely no knowledge about cars, the mechanics were ridiculously simple in my dream. There was a long cord with a metal hook and the end and I was supposed to stick it inside a metal tube to fix the problem. I stuck it too far and when I pulled it out, it was on fire. I freaked out and then my shoe caught fire. It hurt. (Isn't it crazy that even though it didn't happen, my brain still registered pain?)
We struggled to think of a solution when our car still wouldn't start. A nice lady pulled over to help, but she seemed stressed and anxious.
"The fight starts at 5:55.. you guys have to get out of here!"
We had no idea what she was talking about, and our confusion showed on our faces.. but she didn't expound.
"They're coming!" She screamed and sped away.

We looked at each other and noted the mirrored expressions that matched our emotions. Then we looked at the freeway and noticed no one was on the road but us. A strange sound began and continually grew louder and louder.It was a mixture of strange humming and thumping.. Then we saw the horde of slow moving cars and marching people inching toward us around the curve of the road. We started to get nervous and tried to walk quickly in the opposite direction, but it seemed that even when we started running they were moving faster than we were. As they came closer we noticed the gray pallor of their skin and the dead look in their eyes.
They were zombies.
They seemed not to notice us immediately, so we tried to fit in. As they swarmed around us, we looked straight forward, moved with the flow of undead. Eventually they split-- some took an exit, others continued forward. We were rushed away into the exit. Somehow we escaped the masses and ran into a gas station bathroom.
"What are we supposed to do?!" I cried to my friend.
No response.
That's when I noticed the greenish bite mark on his neck.

I ran as fast as I could, trying to find a safe haven. Looking around as I run, I notice the zombies have begun to fight amongst themselves.
I run into another gas station and lock the door, and as I do so I hear a whimper.
Behind the cashiering station I see a familiar, warm-looking face.
She sees that I'm not yet a monster and runs to me, tears running down her face.
"What do we do?!" She cries.
I reply in a flat voice, "We have to fight."

(Side note-- you know how things change in dreams? Well, by now the "zombies" are a weird combination of vampires, zombies, and just creepy-looking people. They're just as easily killed as humans, no special tools necessary. By now I've also come to the knowledge that the only way to survive is to be the last man standing.)
We decide to get a car. Luckily, there just happens to be a super fast, super awesome  kind (not in existence in real life) right in front of the gas station with keys in the ignition. Unfortunately, there's a group of the "changed" people right in front of the door. We decide to go for it, swinging at as many of the changed as we can along the way. We make it to the car, but we've noticed that both of us have the dusty pallor.
We've changed.

Fortunately, we're still intelligent beings and we decide to work together to the end. More than 2/3 of the changed are dead now. We just have to outlast them.. and two gray heads are better than one. We sit in the car for a few minutes, trying to comprehend what's happening and maybe think of a strategy. That's when I notice the arsenal embedded in the front and back ends of the car.
Suddenly we're shooting at the crazies like there's no tomorrow (which I suppose is the truth for one of us).They're falling around us like leaves in the autumn. We know we're attracting all of them to us with the noise we're causing.. these are curious beings. We're down to about ten of the changed left when the car of awesomeness runs out of juice.. so I turn on the ignition and decide to finish them off with skill and finesse.
We're speeding away quickly, and I check my mirrors to make sure my plan is working. Affirmative, they're all getting in super-awesome cars, chasing us down. I let off the acceleration a little, letting them catch up. I turn to my partner in crime. "Open up the glovebox and pull out the flamethrower!" (Obviously, I didn't need to find out if there was a flamethrower.. a car this awesome would undoubtedly have one.) By now the first of the three cars has caught up. They ram our side, and my friend cautiously rolls down the window. Thinking we have something to say, the other car does the same. When we have a full view of their faces, she blasts them with her weapon, and all three inside are finished.
Knowing the other two cars would have seen this, I have to think of something new to finish them with. That is, until I notice that they're battling it out on their own. It's a cruel battle, much like a game of chicken. Neither of them swerve, and the explosion of both cars shakes the ground. My friend and I are the only ones left.
We turn to each other with looks of dread and terror on our faces.
"How should we do this?" I ask.
Suddenly her face turns hard and my terror rises exponentially.
"Like this"
She points the flamethrower at my face..

And then I wake up.