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Is now at www.piracyinaction.wordpress.com

I got tired of the crappy Blogger interface, and lack of options.

The Cafeteria Girl

A girl walked into the Cafeteria today, and it seemed my entire table noticed her entrance. She was confident, flowing brown hair curling behind her, a long patchwork skirt swooshing as well. The amount of movement she had as she walked was mesmerizing, it made her seem larger than life. She was fit, but not athletic. Tall, but not overly so. Our conversation ground to a halt as she walked by, all eyes following the mystical beast. We had never seen such a girl, such a woman, such a masterpiece of biology.

Conversation resumed as she went into the lines to get her food. With her gone from our view, there existed something outside of her. Our conversation slowly picked up pace, back to the usual nothingness. I was curious as to what made her so special, what made this girl stand out enough to grind the entire table to a halt for several seconds. Was it the eyes? The female bits? The time spent on the hair? I swore to myself to find out what elevated her above the rest of the crowd, to find out what made her special.

She exited the food lines, making for a table of friends. A large smile split her face as she greeted them, showing her crooked front teeth. No matter, teeth are just one part of the whole. She sat down, and turned to friends to catch up on the day’s happenings. A friend spoke; she interrupted. This tall girl seemed to go from majestic and strange to overbearing and faulty. She descended from Demigoddess to mere mortal in the minute or so that she held my attention.

It’s the same with a flower. Walking by one on a path, you notice the color, and the cheer. A flower couldn’t be more pretty! Their bright patches catch your eye, and you are in awe. But stoop down close, and you’ll notice the true color of the flower. That bright yellow is really just patchy between the white streaks, and the bits of dirt and muck that bees have left. The pollen is spread everywhere, a pungent powder that makes getting closer a nose-wrinkling affair. Some find the imperfections beautiful, others find them distracting and abhor the faults.

I could only observe her for a minute more before my conscience started yelling at me for being a creeper. Her friends spoke to her only after she addressed them. It seems they realized the effect her potent, overbearing attitude had on their relationship. He bright skin, noticeable from across the dining hall, was only that way because of the makeup I could now see. The hair seemed too large, too built up when she wasn’t walking. There was no more flow about her; no more grace from motion.

It follows the flower analogy. Sometimes when beauty passes, it’s best to admire it when you see it, lest your own attention ruin your appreciation for the thing of beauty. She entered the dining hall, capturing mine and others attention, only to leave the dining hall as just another face in the crowd.

And so the Muse strikes, late at night.

You raise your voice. You tell me you don't approve of my life choice. You tell me you think it would have been a better idea not to do this. Too late, I made my choice. For once I stood on my own, and I picked what I wanted to do, not what YOU wanted me to do. You think my choice is bad? What's that you're doing now? Speaking? Are you allowed to do that? Do you have the RIGHT to do that? Why yes, yes you do. And why do you have that right? Because Men and Women like me made a choice. We chose to do something bigger than ourselves. We chose to aspire to something greater. We chose to put on a uniform, and we chose to fight for millions of people we have never met, and will never meet.

We put on camouflage, and we march in a line for hours. We do push-ups in the pouring rain. We crawl under barbed wire while slugs of hot lead fly fast overhead. We crouch behind buildings as shreds of metal rip apart the rock that keeps our skin intact. We charge together as a group. What we alone do doesn't make THE difference, nor does it achieve the objective. But what we together do makes a difference, and what we choose to do ensures that YOU have the right to tell me you disagree.

So please, I'm not asking for your permission. This is my choice, not yours. I see the bigger picture. I understand that no system is perfect, and that you disagreeing and dissenting is the most patriotic thing that can be done. I'm not asking for your approval, nor for your understanding. Instead, I ask that you realize that I do what I do for me, and for the faceless out there that I will never meet. For a few years I will bow down and become a tooth on a gear, a piece of a machine. For a few years I will serve, and I will do all these things. For you.

Ok, I lied.

I can't force myself to write things when there isn't anything to write. I guess that's the difference between me and some others. I refuse to hoop jump through a hoop I don't agree with, and no amount of coercion will convince me to.

On other notes, I've been working out a lot more, and getting myself back into shape. Endorphins help fight off winter depression, and keep me feeling fit!

A Post a Day Keeps Lethargy Away

I'm announcing a new goal. One post per day, in the hopes that I can use this as an outlet to keep my creativity running. I find that when all there is to life is class, homework, and sleep, I tend to shut down creativity. So you'll probably find some abstract stuff here. Some of it will make sense, others won't unless you experienced the same thing I did. So tag along, the journey of my consciousness ought to be entertaining.

Here's today's post. A Softer World is an amazing "comic."

(hint: Clicking on it will let you see the whole thing.)

Blame

Being accused of something you didn't do is terrifying. It shouldn't be, I know. But the fact of having a finger aimed in your direction, even falsely, is still enough to make me falter. I'm not sure why, especially because I am confident in my innocence. But even when a blatantly honest response is met with skepticism, there's that morsel in me that still screams alarm. I know I did nothing. I know it can be proved that I did nothing. But the finger is still pointing. It may be aimed at the person behind you. It may be aimed incorrectly. Fact is the finger is pointing, and you're under the gun.

It's times like these that I wish I were in the movies. Then I'd be able to uncover some kind of evil plot to bring down my school, or some corruption that only I could bring down. But instead, it's just me with a finger bearing down on me for something I didn't do. There's no heroism in a situation like this, only waiting for the hand to finally see your side and point elsewhere. Until then, all I can focus on is this digit in front of my face.

When the digit finally leaves, and there is no longer a finger looming in your face, it becomes much easier to examine the situation. You're no longer under the pressure of blame, and so more options become possibilities. You can see where the suspicion came from, and you can see what went through the hand's mind. You understand that roles are simply being followed, and that a lack of education at the beginning of the line can lead to this.

Instead of fear and anger, a feeling of all being OK settles down in you.

Christmas Season

Tis the season to be Thrifty, or however it is that the song goes.

This holiday season should be different from what we've experienced over the last few years. Several factors are changing our little season of chaotic spending and over-decorated holidays. Economic downturns aren't exactly the healthiest of things, especially when it comes to our wallets. In light of the crash we're going through, this season should serve as a reminder that one can have a good holiday season without blowing the savings account on all your relatives, neighbors, friends, and people you may or may not have met at a party some time. Rather than go all out on those expensive gifts, why not spend intellect first? Take some time to really think about them and what they'd use. If you really think on it enough, you'll be able to find something that they'll use, and something they'll really value.

So this holiday season, we should try to spend some brain instead of some cash.