Don't Leave the Light On

Have you ever laid down in your bed, at around 2 am on a night most people your age are out having fun? Lets add some detail to this scenario. You are laying down with the light on, awake, next to a book, and a laptop, sending text messages on your cell phone, to somebody else that should be having fun too.

Is it where you want to be?

It could very well be exactly what you want to be doing. Except... the light is on. That is where your caught. It can't possibly be what you want to be doing.. you would have turned the light off in order to make yourself more comfortable. So what explains these minor punishments towards ourselves? Why throw trash on our bedroom floor when a trashcan is only 5 feet away? Why do we do things things we don't really want to do, every single day?

Honestly, it's mind boggling, and if I attempt to explain it, I'll probably be at least half wrong for every other person that reads this. But there was no reason in bringing it up, if I'm not going to try and break it down into something understandable.

We'll start off with a story. A story about Bert. You know, the guy from Sesame Street that sleeps with Ernie. Lets say Bert is about 12 years old, and is going to Sesame Street middle school. Now Bert is out on the playground just minding his own business swinging on the swings. He sees in the distance, that there is a group of muppets walking behind the school into an area concealed from his view. So Bert decides to investigate. Turns out, its Oscar the Grouch, Grover, and Snuffleuppagus. They decided to smoke some cigarettes. Bert never tried a cigarette before because he learned about how bad they were for him. But Bert has this urge inside of him that makes him really want to smoke the cigarette, and it almost seems as if it is because it is what you aren't supposed to do. So Bert takes the cigarette and smokes it. Bert feels good. Bert feels cool. Bert feels like he is in control. Needless to say, by the time Bert is 18, he is buying cigarettes regularly, and smoking at least a pack every 3-4 days. He knows it isn't any good for him, but he does it anyway.

So how in the hell does Bert smoking have anything to do with laying in bed with the light on. Well, it seems as if it comes down to control. Keeping that light on, is a bad thing. And you dislike it. But at least it is a dislike that you have control over. Messy rooms suck, but maybe they aren't so bad, if you purposely made it messy. You were the one in control.

So now for the classic moral I seem to always have at the end of these things. Maybe this whole control thing should be realized more often. You shouldn't have to create a problem to create control. Control is born through knowing who you are and where you want to be, then taking purposeful steps with you're own legs, in you're own direction.

Will Be Posting Tommorow

Busy day today. There will be a new post tommorow.

Don’t Judge People When They Use the Bathroom

Sometimes the general feeling of consciousness can be chaotic. But as most of us believe, thoughts are just a matter of organized chaos. I’ve always hated the phrase “organized chaos”. To me, it just always sounds like a favorite phrase of someone that thinks they are some philosophical being of some great understanding of the world around them. “Organized chaos” just seems like an escape route for a better explanation. So why did I just say thoughts are just a matter of organized chaos? I said it, so I can attempt at explaining things a different way. Maybe not better, just different. Correct? Who knows.

Onto my description of consciousness.

I don’t have one.

So yeah, I don’t have a description of consciousness.

Which leads me to write about something else…

I’ve recently began reading a book called “Rigged” by Ben Mezrich. I’m to about the 9^th chapter now, about 1/10 through the book I’d say. And I find that when I fall asleep after reading the book, I dream about stock prices, buying and selling, etc. I’ve read several books in my lifetime so far, and none that I’ve read before bed have ever given me dreams so frequently. I have always been extremely fascinated with the stock market. This would seemingly explain why I am having dreams about the very thing, after reading a book that has to do with it. It’s almost as if my mind is being selective as to what it will dream about. Since in the past, it never dreamt of any other books subject I was reading. Well if that’s the case, what else is my mind being selective about? What do I know about me, that I don’t know about me! This isn’t the easiest thing to think about.

But when you really do think about it. It would seem very possible that we are missing out, or missing the point, on a lot of things. What exactly is the importance of this? Let’s say you have a friend that you grew up with for at least 5 years. That friend is your roommate as well. That same friend one day tells you that they are going to leave the country and live in Germany with a person they have met but once. Would you be confused? Or would you understand? Depending on your response, do you understand where the source of your confusion comes from? Or the source of your understanding comes from? We are all brought up a certain way, and we definitely cannot deny that a lot of our views and beliefs on things come from those influences as we grow. But can we not deny that our thoughts are impacted by our own subconscious “selection”. Like I said about the dreams, it’s almost as if our mind sometimes chooses our beliefs for us. Our instincts. So before you tell that friend, that it’s a terrible idea. Check your source of your belief. And let them check the source of theirs.

So rather than telling people not to judge or criticize others, I’m attempting to give a valid reason not to do so.

I’m going to use the bathroom now. (Don’t you judge me!)

Thanksgiving

Taking the holiday off. Will be posting again Monday night.

The Power of Suggestion

I think just about everybody with half a brain realizes that we have the ability to influence people around us. Many would call this "The Power of Suggestion". And for good reason, it is in fact suggesting an idea.

Imagine walking up to a soda machine, putting in your 75 cents or $1.25 depending on where you are, or what time period your visualization of a soda machine brought you to. You grab your soda, change is dispensed... but wait, what is that hanging out of the change slot. There is a shiny gum wrapper just waiting for you to grab it. So you grab it and you quickly notice there is writing on the gum wrapper. The wrapper reads "Congratulations! You have just found 1 of 3 magical gum wrappers. Please take this down to the Athletic Center immediately to claim your prize." (You are at a college.) What do you think you would do? Would you be the person that shakes your head skeptically and throws it out? Would you show your friends and laugh about it, only to put it in your pocket, then later actually take down to the athletic center. I've tried the whole gum wrapper thing, and I find it very entertaining to see what people end up doing.
A friend of mine and I have done homework many a time close to a soda machine with a magical gum wrapper (placed by us obvioulsy) sitting inside waiting for someone to claim a prize. It gets boring between college classes sometimes, and it's actually very interesting and funny to see what people do. Most people seem to pretend the wrapper isn't there. While others will pick it up, and put it in their pocket.
So what is the point... I guess there is really no amazing point to this story, except that people should have fun with the power of suggestion more often, one of these days I'm going to take a magical gum wrapper to the athletic center myself, and I look forward to the receptionist saying "You are like the 25th person asking about some prize with some stupid gum wrapper!" That would make it all worth while.
If I ever ran a college, I would make a contest where there were actual magical gum wrappers, just to reward those people that aren't so skeptical about everything. Keep that in mind if a DeDom University ever pops up.

Native Americans and Awesomeness

The two go hand in hand together. I don't know what triggered it, but I have a few ideas of what might have sparked my sudden interest in Native Americans. They aren't exactly all that interesting right now, but a long time ago, when they were the only people in the Americas, they were fascinating.

Back to how I became interested.

About 4 years ago, probably around 17 years old, I was in West Virginia visiting my grandparents. They live right on top of a mountain basically, and have many neighbors who live atop the mountain as well. The whole experience is nothing like anything I'd have expected it to be. Four wheeling through mountain trails, waving to everybody (if you don't wave in West Virginia, people think you have problems). But there is something about it, even if it is like going back in time 100 years, its peaceful, and has something that a lot of places have lost throughout the years.

Again, back to how I became interested.

While in WV, my grandmom introducted me to a book called Chesapeake by James A. Michener. The book is about the Chesapeake Bay area (a bay in Maryland) and its history. Now that would seem extremely boring, however this book focuses on fictional but historically accurate passages from the different time periods of the area. It starts off with a Native American, and ends with different Voyages. I'm not certain of the ending or latter chapters, because I was simply in awe of the first chapter. I've always known about Native Americans ever so slightly, and their style of life was always just slightly interesting. But the first chapter really put things into perspective for me. Just to picture myself being part of some random tribe that lives off of the river, and surrounding resources of survival. A whole society that thrives off of this, and knows no other distraction from the real purposes of life. I want to be that Indian guy, that scouts the land for days, then reports back to the chief with new knowledge of rival tribes battle formations. Or the guy that gets kicked out of his tribe for sleeping with the Chiefs wife. Forced to find another tribe, spending time alone lying in a canoe facing upwards towards the stars while pondering existence itself without the sound of car horns, trains, and tractor trailers cruising down distant highways. Sure you can do that now if you find some place secluded enough. But is it not true that upon doing that enough, you end up having a lurking feeling in the back of your mind telling you that you are wasting time, or that you are losing the race to success. I know for me, right now that is unavoidable. To be immersed in thought, is to be losing the rat race. I don't want to be a rat. I want to be a Native American. Free from the expectations and judgment of others in doing so.

So when I say I want to be a Native American, I suppose I don't mean it so literally. To me it represents something bigger than just running around smoking my tobacco pipe and hunting wild deer. And having a really cool name like River Snake. Alright, so its about the name too. But the idea is, there are certain chains and ropes that we all have attached to our own being that restrains us from our full potential. In order to be truelly happy, those chains have to be broken. You might lose your balance, and its possible that you could fall over all together without the chains. But at least you'll have the chance to learn how to walk on your own. I've managed to break off a few of mine, and I'm sure one day, I'll be walking with my own legs, in the direction I choose.

Why Being A Native American in 1350 Would Be Awesome

I'm not very normal. I don't really think anybody is normal. There is a certain image of what normal is, and I'm pretty sure most people will say that they don't really match up with that image. I'm not really sure why we build up a certain image as normal. It doesn't really seem like something to aim for. It seems boring, and completely uninteresting. So with that said... I don't know.

I'll talk about Native Americans tomorrow. It's late.

About Me

I'll start off my blog with a little bit of information about me. Just kidding.