Let's think about this question a little bit, shall we? This is something I genuinely don't understand. I do not know why it is ok and encouraged to present honest positive opinions, but rude and mean and thoughtless to present honest negative opinions.
Let's give a little example, shall we?
Opinion 1:
"I like your music"
Opinion 2:
"I don't like your music"
Is there ANY difference? I mean, I suppose it's one thing if it's completely random and unasked for (although, it is socially acceptable to give random unasked for positive opinions, but WHATEVER). Let's specify it for places that are designed for leaving opinions. For instance, let's take one of the most vicious, idiot-ridden and competitive places on the internet: YouTube comment sections.
This might fuck your mind a little bit, but the comment sections are there so that people can say things about your video. You are SUPPOSED to leave opinions there. And believe it or not, sometimes people have negative opinions. Which means that we are literally giving special privileges to people who enjoyed the video. Look at it this way: people get pissed off when someone leaves a negative comment on a video, right? So therefore they think people shouldn't ever leave negative comments. By that logic, either a) People are not allowed to have negative opinions, EVER, or b) People are not allowed on the comment section unless they happen to like the video.
(the same logic applies to anywhere else where you are supposed to leave opinions, and yet people get angry if you are negative).
Here's an argument that might crop up around this point in the conversation:
"But negative comments hurt people's feelings"
Really? Ok, yes. Yes they hurt people's feelings. But do they hurt people in the long run?
Believe me when i say I've been the subject of much criticism. People have said I'm weird (in a bad way), people have said I'm mean, people have said I'm ignorant, people have said I'm ugly, people have said I dress badly, people have called me annoying MANY times. It hurt. A lot. I once cried in my bathroom for a few hours because of people hurting me that way. But you know what came of that?
The negative opinions given to me benefited me in the long run
A person once told me they didn't like my poetry. I got hurt, stormed off in a huff for a bit, felt bad about my writing skills for a bit. But then, I worked harder on my poetry and improved it. My poetry got better. many people told me they disliked my makeup. I got insulted, felt bad about myself, got pretty hurt for a while (makeup used to be a big thing with me). But then it made me take a closer look at what I was wearing, and realize that it really was bad - and so my makeup skills improved, and I no longer go to school looking like a clown. Many, many, many people have told me that i am annoying. This has made me take more caution with what I say and how I act, and pay more attention to how people see me. It all benefits you in the long run.
So, that argument is invalid. Let's move on to the next one.
"People should be allowed to disagree with you if you have a negative opinion and you have a positive one".
That is absolutely true. I am all for a good debate. Notice the key word Debate. If you want to have a shouting match with some person on YouTube, go ahead, but it's pretty freakin hypocritical to insult the insulter for insulting if you ask me. For further information on the topic of real debating as opposed to Caps Lock Competitions, please see this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWPWrV9sO_w
Anyways, let's move on.
I would now like to discuss a popular saying:
"If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all".
Um, why? Are you telling me that everyone should be nice to each other, all the time, no matter what? Because that's a horrible idea. As I explained above, honest insults are what make you work harder to improve. But more than that, what are you supposed to do if you don't eve have anything nice to say? Just shut up and let the nicey-niceys take over? Does anyone with frequently negative opinions just not have a right to speak? Personally, I am a very loud and outspoken person. I will say what's on my mind, period. And what is on my mind is not always nice. Sometimes it is nice - I do give my share of compliments. But sometimes it is not. I'm not going to just bite my lip and let them go around thinking they're the best writer ever with an essay that looks like a second grader wrote it, or the prettiest girl in the world with hooker makeup plastered over their face, or a badass swagger with their pants hanging off their butt! I am going to tell them, no. That is not good.
Look. It's all opinions. JUST opinions. We all know what opinions are, right? We all know what subjective means, right? If the person to whom you're directing the opinion is stupid enough to take it as fact, then is it really your fault? If it's just one person, it shouldn't be too hurtful for them. If it's many people, then they have a right to know, don't they?
In conclusion, positive and negative opinions are the same thing, except equally opposite. Whether on one side of the spectrum or the other, they are just opinions, and should be treated as such.
Thank you for reading.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Movie Script
Hi. A little background : I'm making a movie with a few of my friends. The script isn't totally finished yet, but the plot's basically been established (we'll see what happens, though). Anyways, if you guys are interested, here is the written script in rough draft form. Once the rough draft is complete I'll compile every opinion I can manage to get and edit it. Then if it ever gets filmed (which depends on exactly how much spare time my friends and I can squeeze from our schedules) then I may post the link or something.
So, PLEASE feel free to leave comments, suggestions, edits, opinions, or anything of the sort.
Aria: *puts hand over Gabriella’s mouth* “No. You’re a part of this too. No running away. Promise?”
Gabriella: “I-“
So, PLEASE feel free to leave comments, suggestions, edits, opinions, or anything of the sort.
Gabriella: *freaking out* "Wha..? What
was that? What was that? Where is this? Where am I? How did I get here? Oh,
goodness, WHAT???"
*Car drives past*
Gabriella: *Screams* "WHAT WAS THAT???
What on earth was that??? It...it...OH MY GOODNESS, WHAT HAPPENED?"
Gabriella: *Seeing Aria*: "Oh my
goodness! You! You there! Can you...oh my..."
Aria: "What?"
Gabriella: "Your...your dress..."
Aria: "I know, I know. It's old, the
skirt is too full, it looks gothic, yadda, yadda yadda. Trust me, I've heard it
all. What about YOUR dress? You look like your dressed for some sort of
mideival costume party!"
Gabriella: "Well, I was at a costume
party...and then something happened and I was here! I've no idea what it
was...one moment I was at a party...and I spied my mother...and I ran towards
her...and then...and then...I stepped on something and everything went
black...and now I am in the most strange place I've ever known!"
Aria: "Um...this is the park. Not exactly
stuff of legend".
Gabriella: "I'm sorry if I'm bothering
you for I know nothing of the proper ettiquite here. But could you please tell
me where I am?"
Aria: "New York ."
Gabrielle: "It can't be New York . I've heard stories of New York ! But never have
I heard of anything even beginning to touch upon this madness!"
Aria: "Girl, I don't know where you're
from, but this park's been here since 1956, and the houses aren't exactly
newbies either."
Gabriella: "1956? What are you referring
to?"
Aria: "The year. Duh."
Gabrielle: "What? No! It's 1664!"
Aria: "No, it's 2012."
Gabrielle: "Impossible. Impossible.
Impossible. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!!!"
Aria: "Hey, hey. It's ok. Look. We can
get you help! I think if you just rest up a little, get off whatever insane
pill you're on, I think we can get rid of these hallucinations".
Gabrielle: "Pill? I've never taken a pill
in my life! I'm telling you, miss, it's the truth!"
Aria: "Listen. Just come with me. We'll
talk to someone. Someone who can figure it out. A therapist, a physician,
someone. We can help you!"
Gabrielle: "No. Please. This is not the
time to talk to a professional. You know what happened; and you know that I
don't need to talk to anyone"
Aria: "Wait, wha...OH! Oh, ok! I get
it!"
Gabrielle: "What?"
Aria: "Method acting! You're doing a
roleplay! That's so cool! Sorry, I would join in but I am the worst actor. But
it's so cool that I get to meet an actor!"
Gabrielle: "What? No! I was talking of
witchcraft! If you tell anyone I'll be accused!"
Aria: *winks* "Right. Of course you will
be. I can play along. Hey, you want to come over to my house? My dad won't
mind, he's got an open door policy. And he's at work. But we can hang a bit; if
you don't mind horrible acting we could practice a few skits!"
Gabrielle: "I...I suppose. I don't have
anywhere else to go."
Aria: "Cool! It's right across the
street, come on!"
End of Scene
Aria: "Well...here it is! It's no
mansion, but it's not half bad either. I suppose you live in some fancy
ginormous place out somewhere."
Gabriella: "Back home I lived on the
streets. I could barely scrape by enough to buy myself a loaf of bread for the
week!"
Aria: *knowingly* "Right. Of course. You
are some dedicated actor. What's your name?"
Gabriella: "Gabriella"
Aria: "Oh...sorry, I haven't heard of
you. Are you going to be in a movie?"
Gabriella: "What? I'm sorry miss, but
half of what you say makes no sense! What in heaven's name is a movie?"
Aria: "It's a...a...oh, goodness. I don't
know how to describe it. Basically, it's a picture that moves."
Gabriella: "And you call me the mad one?
Apologies, but pictures don't move".
Aria: "They do here!"
Gabriella: "This is MADNESS. Madness, you
hear? This whole world is impossible! Girls who go around wearing undergarments
for clothing talking of pictures that move! Huge, giant, flying things shooting
past on smooth streets! Enourmous expanses of greenery right in the middle of
strings of houses! What is this? I ask you, no, I DEMAND that I be told right this
instant where I am and how I got here!"
Aria: "Oooh, nice monologue. Was that
impromptu? Like I said, you're in New
York , New York , year
2012."
Gabriella: "I am NOT. That is IMPOSSIBLE.
I was in England
1964! One does not simply HOP through time and space like it's as simple as
walking across the street!"
Aria: "OMG! You like Lord of the Rings?
See, that's what you need to avoid doing; if you want a successful roleplay
avoid pop culture referances."
Gabriella: *Grabs Aria's arm and pulls her
across the room*. "Now you listen..." *looks around in horror*.
Aria: *screams*
*Screen fades to black*
End of Scene
*Both appear at the local coffee shop*
Aria: "WHAT? WHAT? WHAT THE HELL? WHAT
THE FLIPPIN HELL JUST HAPPENED?"
Gabrielle: "It happened again. The exact
same thing that brought me here. We...we could be anywhere."
Aria: "Oh...shit. Shit. You were SERIOUS?
Omgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomg SHIT".
Gabrielle: "I'm sorry but...heaven knows
if you'll ever get home again".
Aria: "We're only a couple streets down
and..." *Checks phone* "A couple hours into the future. Not far off
at all. But I'd better tell my dad where I am; he'll be home any moment
now." *Starts texting*.
Gabrielle: "What are you doing?"
Aria: "Texting. I have a phone, my dad
has a phone. Each phone has a different number. I type in a message and a
number and the message is sent to the phone with that number."
Gabrielle: *Stands there for a moment*.
"5 minutes ago I would have said you were out of your wits. But
now..."
Aria: "100% agreed. You want a
drink?"
Gabrielle: "I suppose so". *They go
into the coffee shop*.
*In the coffee shop, each with a drink, trying
to ignore awkward stares from people wondering why the hell there's a girl
wearing a big heavy costume dress and another wearing a prom dress in daytime
in the middle of June*.
Aria: "So what's it like back where you
live?"
Gabriella: "I don't want to talk about
it. Can't you just read a book? That's what the wealthy kids do back
home."
Aria: "I guess so."
Grabriella: "What I want to know is what
it's like HERE. I'm so confused by EVERYTHING.
Aria: "First things first. You need to
understand fashion. This time of year girls wear short skirts and sleeveless
tops."
Gabriella: "I can't wear those clothes.
How imodest!"
Aria: "You don't have to wear a
micromini. Nowadays even the serious Christians wear knee-length skirts and
short-sleeved tops".
Gabriella: "But...around men?"
Aria: "Yes. Anywhere. Look, we need to at
least get you out of that thing. Wear a long dress if you like but that thing
is a costume, and it's June."
Gabriella: "It was Halloween before I
came here. I was at a costume party."
Aria: "You've said. You say you saw our
mother?"
Gabriella: *looking crestfallen*. "Yes.
My mother left when i was 9 I've spent the past 3 years searching for her. I'd
finally spotted her, finally thought that my long journey may be coming to a
close...when I stepped through that bit of floor and came here".
Aria: "Oh. Oh, my goodness. I'm so sorry.
My mother...she left too. When I was 9. She's in Europe
now. I call her every single day, but...she never picks up."
Gabriella: "Call?"
Aria: "It's another thing you do with
phones. You type in the number of a phone and your phone calls that phone. If
someone answers it, then you can speak to each other using the phone even if
you're oceans apart".
Gabriella: "Oh...oh, my. I wish I had a
phone...and my mother as well."
Aria: "We'll get you a phone. But you
wouldn't be able to call anyone in 1664, anyways. They work using satallites,
which are big recievers high up in space. People didn't put satallites in the
sky until recently; there are none where you come from."
Gabriella: "Do you think I'll ever get
home?"
Aria: "I don't know. It MUST be possible.
Somehow, some way. But I'd change out of that dress as soon as possible."
Gabriella: "Why?"
Aria: "Didn't you wonder why no one else
fell through the soft spot in the universe at the party? It musthave been
crowded with people. And there's one right in my bedroom; I probably stepped in
that spot thousands of times and nothing happened until I touched that dress.
It must be the key to it all. They're probably either everywhere or following
you; what are the chances that you'd step through TWO cracks in the universe on
the same day unless they're all over? This table appears to be secure, so you
stay right here; I'll go over to my place and bring you back some proper
clothes. We can't risk you ending up in 500 AD Cambodia ". *Gets up and walks
out*.
Aria: *Returns with skirt and t-shirt*.
"Here. The longest skirt I own and a regular old t-shirt.
Gabriella: "I have to wear THOSE?"
Aria: "Yes. Trust me, these are strange
enough as it is. But they're etter than that thing. There's a room in the back
where you can change into them".
Gabriella: *picks up with a distasteful
expression and walks out awkwardly*.
End of Scene
*Gabriella and Aria are sitting on Aria's bed*
Aria: "Ugh. I don't want to go to school
tomorrow. The teachers are cramming us for finals. I guess on the bright side,
I'll see Jeremy".
Gabriella: "Um...what?"
Aria: "They're trying to get us to learn
as much as we can in the next couple of weeks so we can do well on the final
tests."
Gabriella: "Why are they testing
you?"
Aria: "To see how much we've learned over
the year"
Gabriella: "But...if you learned it over
the course of a week rather than a year, doesn't that make the test
useless?"
Aria: "THANK you! It's so lame. If you
didn't learn it over the year, why are you going to learn in a few weeks? And
it just makes it boring to those of us who DID learn it. But, I suppose,
there's nothing else for us to do and the teachers have to at least try. Their
pay is based on our test scores."
Gabriella: "But what if a student didn't
come to class for much of the year?"
Aria: "Here, it's required by law that we
go to school 5 days a week, 6 hours a day. We get 10 days per year off unless
there's an emergency like a broken leg or whatever."
Gabriella: "What? Why? How do you have
time for other things?"
Aria: "Look. From ages 12 through 22,
there is NOTHING but school. Any sort of job or social life, you've got to cram
into the weekend and after-school hours."
Gabriella: "Why, though?"
Aria: "Because you need to be educated to
succeed in life. If you're not educated then you can't perform any sort of
public service. At least, not one that pays enough for a house and food and
clothes and all that".
Gabriella: "Oh...goodness, things are
different here."
Aria: "Yep. I mean, even if Jeremy DID
blink an eye at me, I wouldn't ever have tme for dating. Too much
schoolwork."
Gabriella: "Who's Jeremy?"
Aria: "Oh, only the sweetest, smartest,
most intellegent, hottest, most GENUIS person I've met in my life!"
Gabriella: "And you like him?"
Aria: "Noooooooooooooooooo"
Gabriella: "Why not? He sounds
wonderful!"
Aria: "That was sarcasm. It's when
someone says something they don't mean in an attempt to point out how obvious
the real answer is."
Gabriella: "Oh. I've never found much use
for sarcasm. See, a girl of my age and ranking must be respectful."
Aria: "I know. Well, the adults will
either love you or be creeped out; the kids will either hate you or call you a
dork."
Gabriella: "What? For being
respectful?"
Aria: "Yes. Things are different here. I
mean, there's no harm in being respectful, but don't take it to the
extremes".
Gabriella: "I know. How should I
act?"
Aria: "Just note how everyone else acts
and try to fit in as best you can. I mean, there's nothing wrong with standing
out, but I think it's best if people don't ask too many questions."
Gabriella: "Ok..."
Aria: "Do you want to come to school with
me? The other option is staying here alone all day. But...you'll have to wear
different clothes. You can't go around in a formal skirt and mismatched t-shirt
all the time. We'll go shopping, get you some real clothes. In the meantime
I'll research and find out if anything similar has ever happened to
anyone".
Aria: "Oh...oh my..." *Reads blog
post*.
"For years, people have contemplated the
existence of a passageway from one portion of the universe to another. People
has thought about black holes and space and sink holes in the ground
potentially being transport from one place to another. But nothing has been
proven yet. YET. Has science finally discovered a way to travel through
space and time by simply stepping into a portal?
There have been reports everywhere of a person
suddenly appearing in a place, dazed and confused, with no idea where they are.
These reports have come from all over the world, all throughout history. A
person living in New York, 1950 once wrote of having the strangest experience:
She was at a local coffee shop in Chicago, Illinois, on a date, in the year
2011, when she got up to the go the bathroom. There she had the strange
illusion of stepping through a soft bit of flooring, disappeared from the
coffee shop, and reappeared miles away and 60 years in the past. She described
every bit of her hometown that she could in elaborate and scarily accurate
detail; but yet, on the very day she said she disappeared, experts visited the
coffee shop. The man who she was accompanied by was there, with every physical
and mental aspect described, but said he was alone and had simply had a random
urge to visit the shop. Consequently, the girl in 1960, although she was 22 at
the time she stepped through the soft spot of the universe, had a full family
who knew every detail about her, which she has admitted is true (and yet she
knew nothing of them).
The case of this young woman is among the most
clear proof we have, but her story is not alone. There have been dozens of
other accounts, describing the past or future with eerily accurate accounts and
claiming to have simply vanished from their own time and reappeared elsewear.
All of these accounts have two things in common: the first, a dress. A dress
that appears to be from the Renaissance era, sewn with black and gold and dark
blue. At the time, every person was wearing the dress. The girl above had been
wearing it to surprise her date, knowing they both shared a love of history and
also because it was nearing Halloween and he'd asked to see her dress sometime.
The people visiting the coffee shop described the dress to the woman's date,
and indeed he seemed to have a vague memory, almost like deja vu.
The second thing they have in common is a
girl. One single girl. Tall, long, wavy brown hair, large green eyes.
She's been drawn, painted, and photographed, each image depicting the
exact same girl. Her name is Aria. This girl has been known all across time
and, as far as we know, all of space. A drawing of her was uncovered in the
ruins of an ancient Roman city; her picture has been taken by modern-day
cameras. Even more strangely, images of her have been uncovered containing
evidence of technology far beyond that of the present day. She's always there
with the lost and confused, explaining the dilemma and guiding them through
their new lives. Accounts have been written of her managing to return people to
their time, but more often she is unable to do so. This girl is a legend among
those few who know about her and the one question that remains is: How is it
possible for her to exist in so many different points in time at once?
Scientists have their hopes up that one day, time travel may exist.
This post has been written for one reason and
one reason only: Imformation. Has anyone ever met Aria Smith? Does anyone know
of soft spots in the universe? Has anyone seen the dress pictured below? If so,
don't hesitate to contact us. Please. Call us RIGHT NOW."
*The two stare at each other for a moment in
shock*.
Aria: "Wow...ok. So...it is the dress.
Should we get rid of it?
Gabriella: *stares at the screen looking
scared*
Aria: "Gabriella? Hello? Are you
there?"
Gabriella: "Black magic"
Aria: "What?"
Gabriella: "This is black magic"
Aria: "Um...black magic doesn't
exist."
Gabriella: *Turns to look at Aria* "There
are stories. Legend, I thought. Of a most evil wizard. He used his powers to
design a dress intended to rip people away from what they most love. The soft
spots in the universe are not absolute. It's only when you're close to what you
most love that they tear you away".
Aria: "Then...why did it activate in my
room?"
Gabriella: "Do you love your room?"
Aria: "Not really. Oh, hold on a sec. My
dad texted me." *checks phone*.
Gabriella: "Aria? Are you ok?"
Aria: *holdig back tears*. "My dad. He's
gone."
Gabriella: "What?"
Aria: *Reading text sobbedly*. "Aria. I'm
so sorry, but I've left for my buisness trip. I rushed home as fast as possible
and waited for you as long as I could, but I had to leave; I just barely made
my flight as it was. I'll be home in a few weeks. Love you!"
Gabriella: "Oh..."
Aria: *Sits on bed, looking shocked and
crying*. "That's why we didn't go far. It only needed to take me a few
hours away. I've missed saying goodbye to my dad."
Gabriella: "But...you have a phone! And
he has a phone! Can't you text".
Aria: *Shakes head*. "He's going to a
research facility somewhere remote. There are no satallites there. That was the
last text he'll be able to send or recieve for weeks".
Gabriella: "I'm so sorry. Oh,
goodness." *hugs*.
Aria: "We HAVE to get rid of that
dress".
Gabriella: "We can't! The wizard made it
indestructable. Oh, people have tried, but never succeeded."
Aria: *turns to face her*. "I don't care
if I have to drop this thing in a vat of fucking toxic waste. I AM GOING TO GET
FUCKING RID OF IT".
Gabriella: "Aria, I...I'm sorry."
Aria: *bites lip and turns away*. "We at
least need to find a way to prevent other people from getting hurt by it. We'll
keep it in my closet. Lock it up. Make sure that no one wears it again."
Gabriella: "Yeah...yeah, I suppose we
could."
Aria: *Hangs up in closet* "It's ok.
He'll be back soon. He'll be back in a few weeks".
Gabriella: "Of course. The dress can only
take you away from him, it can't cause any physical damage".
Aria: "Ok. So, this will be ok. It's ok.
I need to do my homework."
Gabriella: "Your...homework?"
Aria: "Yep." *pulls out textbook and
open. Stares at it, then slams closed." *Oh, I just can't do it. I need
something to distract me from this. Um...um...where should we go?"
Gabriella: “I
hardly know! It seems there are more things here than I don’t know than those I
do!
Aria: “So
WHAT? You can learn! You can learn anything! YOU get a fresh new start! A whole
new life! How many other people can say THAT?! Just shut up, will you? You can
do anything – ANYTHING –with your life! No one knows your name! You’ve got no
one to laugh at you or hold you back! Stop feeling sorry for yourself already,
will you??”
Gabriella:
*looking shocked and hurt* “Why…why, you little…do you have any clue what my
life was like? I haven’t had a person in the world to care for me since I was a
child. I was lucky to have a single meal in a day. I was spat at by people who
didn’t even know my name, treated like some sort of animal! At least you
matter! You have an education, for heavens sakes! Do you even realize how few
people ever get an education in my home? Do you?” *her anger rises* Do you have
ANY idea what I’ve gone through?? There have been days when I thought I would
simply die in my sleep for hunger or cold or pure hoplessness! There have been
nights where I WISHED I would! That night at the costume party was the first
time I’d felt anything, ANYTHING but despair in longer than I can remember,
only to have it RIPPED away from me! You spent a month, a week, a single NIGHT
living like that and then tell me how lucky I am!!”
Aria: *Sits
looking shocked and a bit guilty*
Gabriella:
Oh my…oh my goodness. I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry! I can’t believe…I can’t
believe I said that. Please, I’m sorry. I was out of place.”
Aria: “Are
you kidding me? I’m the guilty one here. I guess…I just acted rashly. I guess
I-“
Gabriella:
*Eyes glazed over*: “Aria Smith Jones”
Aria: “Wha-
what??”
Gabriella: “Aria. Aria the beautiful, Aria the great.
Or so they call you. Aria the meddler, Aria the pitiful more like.”
Aria: “Gabriella??” Gabriella, snap out of it!” *slaps Gabriella across the face*
Aria: “Gabriella??” Gabriella, snap out of it!” *slaps Gabriella across the face*
Gabriella:
*unflinchingly* “Forget your friend. I
have come to warn you of the consequences of your future”.
Aria: “GABRIELLA.
GABRIELLA, WAKE UP! WAKE UP! STOP THIS! GABRIELLA!” *shakes Gabriella*
Gabriella:
*suddenly snaps out of it* “Wha-“
Ominous
Creepy Voice: “There! Are you happy now?
Listen to me!”
Gabriella: *terrified*
“Who’s there? Who are you? What do you want? Why do you come?”
Ominous
Creepy Voice: “I have no use for the one called Gabriella. Be gone!”
Aria: “NO.
She stays here.”
“Gabriella:
“You know, I’m really fine with leav-“
Aria: *puts hand over Gabriella’s mouth* “No. You’re a part of this too. No running away. Promise?”
Gabriella: “I-“
Aria: “Do
you promise?”
Gabriella: “I- I promise.”
Ominous Creepy Voice: “Fine! But will you, Aria Smith Jones, speak with me?”
Gabriella: “I- I promise.”
Ominous Creepy Voice: “Fine! But will you, Aria Smith Jones, speak with me?”
Aria: *Stepping
forward* “I shall.”
Ominous
Creepy Voice: “I understand that you are aware of your future, Aria. Of what
you shall come to be.”
Aria: “I am.”
Aria: “I am.”
Ominous
Creepy Voice: “You shall die within the fortnight should you continue with
this.”
Aria: “But
if I am to die within the fortnight how could I possibly have a future?”
Ominous
Creepy Voice: “You are a mere 3rd dimensional being. You could not
comprehend. But trust that if you go through with your future, there shall be consequences”.
Aria: “Why?
Why do you care? It is a good deed that I do, I should think!”
Ominous
Creepy Voice: “Bah! A good deed! You humans and your puny morals! Good and bad
have nothing to do with this! It is a grand scheme that you could not possibly
comprehend!”
Aria: “And
why not? Why shouldn’t I understand? Why shouldn’t I at least be given a chance
to understand? Explain to me, now!”
Ominous
Creepy Voice: “The dress that you possess holds qualities you could not
possibly fathom. But I shall make it simple: It was intended for a purpose. If
the purpose is not fulfilled, then travesty occurs.”
Gabriella: “That
dress was made for evil. It was made for nothing but sorrow and pain. Tell me,
why must that purpose be fulfilled?”
Ominous
Creepy Voice: “Why must any pain or sorrow occur? There are reasons, my dear. But
this dress does more than cause pain and suffering. It keeps in check a
balance, a very delicate balance in the 4th and 5th dimensions.
If this balance is disrupted, entire worlds shall come tumbling down.”
Gabriella: “What
on earth do you mean?”
Ominous Creepy Voice: “When you create an object that is meant to stand, you must balance the first and second dimensions so that it does not topple. Likewise, the higher dimensions must keep the lower in balance lest it all fall over. The dress was designed to do exactly that. Would you rather live and thrive in a different world or die along with countless worlds?”
Ominous Creepy Voice: “When you create an object that is meant to stand, you must balance the first and second dimensions so that it does not topple. Likewise, the higher dimensions must keep the lower in balance lest it all fall over. The dress was designed to do exactly that. Would you rather live and thrive in a different world or die along with countless worlds?”
Gabriella: “I
– why, I…how is this possible? How is this possible? Aria…what’s happening?”
Aria: ”I don’t know. I swear this isn’t normal. Even in this world.”
Aria: ”I don’t know. I swear this isn’t normal. Even in this world.”
Ominous
Creepy Voice: “You have one fortnight. Abandon the mission or say goodbye to
all that you hold dear”.
End of Scene
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Delicious Sugar-Free Hot Cocoa
Makes 1 glass
Ingredients:
2 tbs dark cocoa powder
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup half&half
4 packets Splenda, or any other sweetener equivalent
1/2 tsp vanilla
Mix together the heavy whipping cream and half&half in a pot on the stove.
Add in the cocoa powder a little at a time, each time stirring until the liquid is smooth
Stir in the Splenda and vanilla
Keep it in the stove, on low, slowly stirring, until it's warm enough for your liking. Try to prevent it from boiling.
Optional: Use an electric mixture to beat some whipping cream with sweetener to create some whipped cream for the topping.
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 tbs dark cocoa powder
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup half&half
4 packets Splenda, or any other sweetener equivalent
1/2 tsp vanilla
Mix together the heavy whipping cream and half&half in a pot on the stove.
Add in the cocoa powder a little at a time, each time stirring until the liquid is smooth
Stir in the Splenda and vanilla
Keep it in the stove, on low, slowly stirring, until it's warm enough for your liking. Try to prevent it from boiling.
Optional: Use an electric mixture to beat some whipping cream with sweetener to create some whipped cream for the topping.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Soft Spots in the Universe
*THIS IS NOT REAL. THIS POST IS A PROP FOR A FICTIONAL MOVIE I'M CREATING. DO. NOT. TAKE. THIS. SERIOUSLY. THIS IS PURELY FROM MY IMAGINATION. FEEL FREE TO CRITIQUE; I WELCOME ALL USEFUL FEEDBACK. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE THE FULL SCRIPT OF THE MOVIE I MAY MAKE OF POST OF IT ONCE IT'S COMPLETED*.
For years, people have contemplated the existence of a passageway from one portion of the universe to another. People has thought about black holes and space and sink holes in the ground potentially being transport from one place to another. But nothing has been proven yet. YET. Has science finally discovered a way to travel through space and time by simply stepping into a portal?
There have been reports everywhere of a person suddenly appearing in a place, dazed and confused, with no idea where they are. These reports have come from all over the world, all throughout history. A person living in New York, 1950 once wrote of having the strangest experience: She was at a local coffee shop in Chicago, Illinois, on a date, in the year 2011, when she got up to the go the bathroom. There she had the strange illusion of stepping through a soft bit of flooring, disappeared from the coffee shop, and reappeared miles away and 60 years in the past. She described every bit of her hometown that she could in elaborate and scarily accurate detail; but yet, on the very day she said she disappeared, experts visited the coffee shop. The man who she was accompanied by was there, with every physical and mental aspect described, but said he was alone and had simply had a random urge to visit the shop. Consequently, the girl in 1960, although she was 22 at the time she stepped through the soft spot of the universe, had a full family who knew every detail about her, which she has admitted is true (and yet she knew nothing of them).
The case of this young woman is among the most clear proof we have, but her story is not alone. There have been dozens of other accounts, describing the past or future with eerily accurate accounts and claiming to have simply vanished from their own time and reappeared elsewear. All of these accounts have two things in common: the first, a dress. A dress that appears to be from the Renaissance era, sewn with black and gold and dark blue. At the time, every person was wearing the dress. The girl above had been wearing it to surprise her date, knowing they both shared a love of history and also because it was nearing Halloween and he'd asked to see her dress sometime. The people visiting the coffee shop described the dress to the woman's date, and indeed he seemed to have a vague memory, almost like deja vu.
The second thing they have in common is a girl. One single girl. Tall, long, wavy brown hair, large green eyes. She's been drawn, painted, and photographed, each image depicting the exact same girl. Her name is Aria. This girl has been known all across time and, as far as we know, all of space. A drawing of her was uncovered in the ruins of an ancient Roman city; her picture has been taken by modern-day cameras. Even more strangely, images of her have been uncovered containing evidence of technology far beyond that of the present day. She's always there with the lost and confused, explaining the dilemma and guiding them through their new lives. Accounts have been written of her managing to return people to their time, but more often she is unable to do so. This girl is a legend among those few who know about her and the one question that remains is: How is it possible for her to exist in so many different points in time at once? Scientists have their hopes up that one day, time travel may exist.
This post has been written for one reason and one reason only: Imformation. Has anyone ever met Aria Smith? Does anyone know of soft spots in the universe? Has anyone seen the dress pictured below? If so, don't hesitate to contact us. Please. Call us RIGHT NOW.
For years, people have contemplated the existence of a passageway from one portion of the universe to another. People has thought about black holes and space and sink holes in the ground potentially being transport from one place to another. But nothing has been proven yet. YET. Has science finally discovered a way to travel through space and time by simply stepping into a portal?
There have been reports everywhere of a person suddenly appearing in a place, dazed and confused, with no idea where they are. These reports have come from all over the world, all throughout history. A person living in New York, 1950 once wrote of having the strangest experience: She was at a local coffee shop in Chicago, Illinois, on a date, in the year 2011, when she got up to the go the bathroom. There she had the strange illusion of stepping through a soft bit of flooring, disappeared from the coffee shop, and reappeared miles away and 60 years in the past. She described every bit of her hometown that she could in elaborate and scarily accurate detail; but yet, on the very day she said she disappeared, experts visited the coffee shop. The man who she was accompanied by was there, with every physical and mental aspect described, but said he was alone and had simply had a random urge to visit the shop. Consequently, the girl in 1960, although she was 22 at the time she stepped through the soft spot of the universe, had a full family who knew every detail about her, which she has admitted is true (and yet she knew nothing of them).
The case of this young woman is among the most clear proof we have, but her story is not alone. There have been dozens of other accounts, describing the past or future with eerily accurate accounts and claiming to have simply vanished from their own time and reappeared elsewear. All of these accounts have two things in common: the first, a dress. A dress that appears to be from the Renaissance era, sewn with black and gold and dark blue. At the time, every person was wearing the dress. The girl above had been wearing it to surprise her date, knowing they both shared a love of history and also because it was nearing Halloween and he'd asked to see her dress sometime. The people visiting the coffee shop described the dress to the woman's date, and indeed he seemed to have a vague memory, almost like deja vu.
The second thing they have in common is a girl. One single girl. Tall, long, wavy brown hair, large green eyes. She's been drawn, painted, and photographed, each image depicting the exact same girl. Her name is Aria. This girl has been known all across time and, as far as we know, all of space. A drawing of her was uncovered in the ruins of an ancient Roman city; her picture has been taken by modern-day cameras. Even more strangely, images of her have been uncovered containing evidence of technology far beyond that of the present day. She's always there with the lost and confused, explaining the dilemma and guiding them through their new lives. Accounts have been written of her managing to return people to their time, but more often she is unable to do so. This girl is a legend among those few who know about her and the one question that remains is: How is it possible for her to exist in so many different points in time at once? Scientists have their hopes up that one day, time travel may exist.
This post has been written for one reason and one reason only: Imformation. Has anyone ever met Aria Smith? Does anyone know of soft spots in the universe? Has anyone seen the dress pictured below? If so, don't hesitate to contact us. Please. Call us RIGHT NOW.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
My little rant about fucking oppression
Why can't I wear makeup like this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfdyK1dzmuQ&feature=player_detailpage
I think it's a BEAUTIFUL makeup look that would flatter my pale skin and green eyes. Why can't I wear it? What's so bad about a little bit of powder around the eyes that would make society so against a lovely, easy makeup look like that? Why must it be all neutrals all the time? Why the hell do I have to look natural? What the hell is so great about looking natural, anyways? I love color. Color is, in my opinion, all that makes life worth living. A world without color is a world without life; my face without color is simply not my face. So in essence, wouldn't a colorful look like that be natural for me, because that's what I naturally gravitate towards? Neutrals, in my opinion, exist to set off color, not to shove it aside. They exist to perhaps tone it down, but not to completely replace it. And so i ask you, what's to stop me from wearing that makeup? What's so bad about it that I must be continually insulted and tormented by classmates simply for wearing some colorful powders around my eyes? Is society really so incredibly twisted that even makeup, the tiniest of forms of self expression, must be kept within limits? What the hell is wrong with us? What the hell is wrong with people? And yes, makeup is insignificant. But that's exactly why it's significant, because people are making such a huge deal out of it. Why can't I just do what I want with my face? Why must people be so incredibly repressive, so repressive that people refuse to even try to break free from the bonds? Makeup is no more than a signal of the problem. Look at how people are told to act in schools, in the workplace, in the social system, EVERYWHERE and ask yourself, why? WHY? Why are people so conformed to the limits of society to the point where people who try to go outside the limits are considered crazy, or attention-seeking, or rude, or a whole other slew of things? And why do people go along with it? What's the purpose of oppression? What do the oppressors gain? WHY can't everybody just be who they want to be, why can't they just be who they were born as? Why can't a person grow up without being forced to follow rules all the time? Rules that don't even technically exist? It makes me want to just cry sometimes. Sometimes I want to scream **** THE WORLD (oh, hey, look. I was censored. Shocker). Other times I want to just give up and cry. I wish people would just accept me as I am instead of casting me as a weirdo, as an outsider, as insane, as attention-seeking, as a freak. Believe me, I've been called these names and many more. Why can't I just live my life as me, instead of as person that people tell me to be?
I think it's a BEAUTIFUL makeup look that would flatter my pale skin and green eyes. Why can't I wear it? What's so bad about a little bit of powder around the eyes that would make society so against a lovely, easy makeup look like that? Why must it be all neutrals all the time? Why the hell do I have to look natural? What the hell is so great about looking natural, anyways? I love color. Color is, in my opinion, all that makes life worth living. A world without color is a world without life; my face without color is simply not my face. So in essence, wouldn't a colorful look like that be natural for me, because that's what I naturally gravitate towards? Neutrals, in my opinion, exist to set off color, not to shove it aside. They exist to perhaps tone it down, but not to completely replace it. And so i ask you, what's to stop me from wearing that makeup? What's so bad about it that I must be continually insulted and tormented by classmates simply for wearing some colorful powders around my eyes? Is society really so incredibly twisted that even makeup, the tiniest of forms of self expression, must be kept within limits? What the hell is wrong with us? What the hell is wrong with people? And yes, makeup is insignificant. But that's exactly why it's significant, because people are making such a huge deal out of it. Why can't I just do what I want with my face? Why must people be so incredibly repressive, so repressive that people refuse to even try to break free from the bonds? Makeup is no more than a signal of the problem. Look at how people are told to act in schools, in the workplace, in the social system, EVERYWHERE and ask yourself, why? WHY? Why are people so conformed to the limits of society to the point where people who try to go outside the limits are considered crazy, or attention-seeking, or rude, or a whole other slew of things? And why do people go along with it? What's the purpose of oppression? What do the oppressors gain? WHY can't everybody just be who they want to be, why can't they just be who they were born as? Why can't a person grow up without being forced to follow rules all the time? Rules that don't even technically exist? It makes me want to just cry sometimes. Sometimes I want to scream **** THE WORLD (oh, hey, look. I was censored. Shocker). Other times I want to just give up and cry. I wish people would just accept me as I am instead of casting me as a weirdo, as an outsider, as insane, as attention-seeking, as a freak. Believe me, I've been called these names and many more. Why can't I just live my life as me, instead of as person that people tell me to be?
Friday, June 29, 2012
People, and why I've utterly lost my faith in the possibility of their decency
So. Today I'd like to talk about how I have once again lost all my faith in people's decency. As the title described. Please keep in mind that I am not talking about every person on Earth; when I say "people", I'm referring to the vast majority of people I have associated with. You may be different, you may have friends that are different. But I know few people who are different than this.
So, I used to have a YouTube channel. I would post makeup tutorials on it. And yes, it was crap. I know I was bad at makeup. I've always known it. I've been wearing makeup for less than a year. So it's not as though I'd be offended or anything if someone posted a comment on a video here and there respectfully stating that they're not very good, pointing out what I could do better, ect. And some people did. But most of the time, I got the most disrespectful, downright offensive comments. There were people who were acting as though I had some them horrible physical damage by posting mediocre makeup looks, complete with atrocious grammar and frequent profanity. It was ridiculous. So, obviously, I would act completely unhurt and refute what they said, right?
So, one day, this person who apparently knew someone who went to school with me left one of those comments. They were talking about how they wanted me to quit makeup because they didn't want me being made fun of at school and such. Now, previously to this, I'd had several students come up to me and compliment me on my makeup channel. Naturally, this was surprising to me. But in any case, I refuted what he said using this fact. And it was how he replied to that that hit me harder than anything anyone's said to me in my life.
He told me the truth behind those compliments. He told me how when people said nice things to me, it was a manner of making fun of me. He informed me that the kids were making fun of me behind my back. They were even going so far as to take pictures of me and send them to people I don't even know and call me a freak with people who have never met me. And clearly, those people who've never met me take their word for it, as proven by this commenter.
I cried for about an hour after reading that comment, and spent the rest of the day locked in my room with the lights off. See, I've had MAJOR social issues in the past. When that comment was posted, I'd only just begin to rebuild my entire life after those experiences. When I was 9 years old, I had allergies that left my nose constantly running. Kids all thought I was disgusting and called me the "gross girl". I had no friends, and I still remember how people would outright shudder when I walked past, and refused to touch anything that I'd previously touched. I pretty much spent my entire 4th grade year with books. I had no contact with anyone at all besides my family - ever. This made my mind do strange things, my imagination cook up things that no normal kid would think about. Imaginary friends, imaginary scenes. Not hallucinations or anything mentally unhealthy; just an imagination run amuck. This prompted the other kids to think I was extremely weird, and constantly point this out to me. I became quiet and shy and very restricted with my behavior, very sensitive and held back, in an attempt to not be weird. I did everything I could to stay away from those kids because it was the only way to avoid torment. And this was pretty much how it was for the entire 4th and 5th grades.
Then, partway through 6th grade, everything changed. A girl transferred to my school. I'd known her from my old school in 1st grade. She was incredibly nice, the nicest girl I've ever met. And she saw how no one spoke to me, basically took pity on me, and we became friends. Inherently, I also became friends with all of her friends. 6th grade was, without question, the absolute best year of my life. I got a teacher who liked me, friends who were nice to me (and by that point, I had my allergies under control and a lot of people were forgetting the gross girl thing). I loved 6th grade year so much. It was strange to adjust, though. The people I'd made friends with were, in my eyes, positively insane. They talked loudly, cracked jokes, weren't afraid to say what was on their minds. After 2 full years of closing off myself, this was a new experiance. Slowly, though, I opened up more and more. By the end of 6th grade, I had totally cut open the bonds of my mind and let myself free.
And then I started middle school and was at last completely free from that life. Complete, totally, and 100%. I never had to see those kids again, ever. I never had to return to those classrooms, never again had to face those horrible teachers. I'd looked forward to middle school for years because I saw it as a new chance, a fresh start with life. The girl who I'd made friends with also went to my middle school. I also reunited with a friend from 3rd grade, and made some new friends in my new classes. There were still kids who disliked me at this school, but this didn't hurt me for 2 reasons: 1, I'd learned that other people can just go fuck themselves if they don't like me, and 2, they were far more diluted. My old school of 6 grades had had 400 kids; for 6 hours straight, I was constantly forced to see every kid from my 1 class. There were only about 90 kids in each grade, so separate math and homeroom classes and recess didn't help at all. My new school of 2 grades had 1,400. I rarely had to come in contact with these kids; I rarely saw anyone I wasn't looking for. I also had real, honest-to-goodness friends, who far outweighed the haters. By 7th grade, I had discovered that my natural personality was something I'd forgotten existed. I was loud, sassy, defiant, and independent. My new friends encouraged this; I had no reason to hold back.
Then in 8th grade, I realized I wanted to stand out. By this point I'd received so much encouragement from friends that I thought the people around me had changed. I thought they'd grown up, and were totally different from the people I'd known in 4th and 5th grade. I thought that people would admire how I had the guts to stand out. To not be stifled by society. To just be the person I was born to be. I thought people would understand this was the sort of person I was. And I felt ready for it. Throughout 8th grade, I was just that person. I dressed differently from everyone. I talked out loud in class. I especially developed a love for makeup. I saw it as a way for me to wear my personality on my face, to show off to the world that I don't give a single fuck what people think of me. I received even more haters, but I barely noticed them, I was too busy basking in the glorious feeling of being my damn self FINALLY. I felt on top of the world. I felt that the days when I came home from school and cried myself to sleep because of the bullies were ancient history; I barely remembered them. For the first time in my life, I was ME. I was Chloe Elisabeth Craig. People noticed me, people knew my name. People saw me in the hallway, and I thought it was a good thing. I decided to create a makeup channel. I wasn't very good at makeup, but i wanted to spread the love. I wanted to show people that they could do it too. That they could be themselves and feel as wonderful as me. I thought I was doing a good thing, that maybe some people would be inspired and shed their repressive masks same as me.
And then this comment came and my entire world crashed to pieces around me.
And I realized I was wrong. I was wrong about people changing. I was wrong about them embracing a free spirit, someone who stood out amongst the crowd. When I read that comment, I was whisked back to the dark days in 4th and 5th grade. I momentarily relived those horrible, endless years where all I wanted was to curl up in the dark and never seen a person again. And then, one by one, every single negative comment, every criticizer, every person who had ever given me a nasty glance came back to me, crystal clear, unblurred by the foggy glass of independence. And every one struck me like a white hot knife straight to the heart. It wasn't only the comment that hurt so badly. That was a part of it...particularly the bit about people sending pictures of me labeled "freak". But it was also the realization that came with it, that people will NEVER accept me for who I am.
My mind doesn't work like that of your everyday person. I can't even describe how my mind works. I have a very analytic mind. I also have ADHD. And I just tend to see things that others don't and not see things that others do, and when we both see the same thing I look at it differently. I do VERY well at learning, but absolutely horribly at school. In 8th grade, I got straight A's on every test I took, except math which I flunked (I absolutely cannot stand math, and I hated my math teacher even more than the subject), but straight F's in every class. The point is, I'm different. I described my natural personality above: it's crazy. I have a mind that even I don't quite understand. I thought for a while that people could accept it. I thought that they'd see that I don't have the same mind as them and understand that I was simply born different. But they won't. I know they won't. Every single fucking day of my life, I will have to deal with these people who don't fucking understand my mind. Because let's face it: no one actually understands my mind. Even my best friends don't. I love them and all, but they have normal brains. One of them is a major nerd like me, but she gets straight A's because she thinks the way people can relate to. The other is less nerdy, but still very smart, and also gets straight A's because again, she has a normal mind.
I think there have only been 2 people who I can tell have understood me. Both were teachers. My 6th grade teacher and my 8th grade language arts and history teacher. Not to say that others couldn't, but since they were my teachers and all, they read what I write and hear what I say and such, and so have the resources to understand me. I think my 8th grade teacher understood me the best because that was the year when I really opened up, and let me true mind flow into everything. Being my language arts teacher, and no less one of a similar mindset, I think she was one of the few who really, truly understood me.
Besides that, no one has. Not even those who've tried, like my parents, or my friends. And I don't think people ever will. Society just wants me to shut up, stop resisting, and collapse. They want me to do my work the way they want it done and not take creative interpretations. They want me to just be totally uniform.
One day, very recently, I found something online that I think is absolutely horrible. It was on a website that posts memes and funny videos and things. They had up this one quote that I absolutely LOVE:
"My mother always told me that the key to life is happiness. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down 'happy'. They told me I didn't understand the assignment. I told them they didn't understand life"
Someone had commented on the quote and said:
"If I were a teacher and a kid said that to me, I would slap them across the room".
WHAT??? Is that honestly how people feel these days? Whoever said that was an amazing person. They had a mind that was clearly out of sync with the world, but in a brilliant, creative way. That person who commented is suggested that we rid our schools of all creativity. Of all independence. He is suggesting that because the kid interpreted the assignment in a unique way, he ought to be punished. That makes me sick. It makes me sick to think that this is what society is. PUNISHING a kid for answering the question in the way that he saw it, just because it happens to differ from the way the teacher saw it.
There are so many other examples of this happening. My older sister has informed me that in high school, when you do book critiques and such, the teachers expect you to agree with them always or else they mark you down for being "wrong". That's right. Wrong. Because you saw the book differently than the teacher, you are wrong. And that is what makes me dread high school more than anything. The thought of having to do that; to conform myself to the limited views of a normal person, in order to get a good grade...it sounds horrible. It sounds absolutely horrible. I feel sick to my stomach to think that this is what's expected of us. I hate it. I just hate it. I think we need to change. I think we need to open up and accept EVERYONE. Because everyone is a human being. People are trying to get society to better accept overweight people, to better accept people who are gay or people who are differently religious. And all that is very important. But we never give a second thought to those who think differently than the rest. To people who just have different mindsets; who are brilliant and creative, but out of sync with the world. And we need to do so. We need to open up and accept everyone for who they are. I absolutely love the song Born This Way, by Lady GaGa. Because it's true. What she says in that song is true. And I could not thank Lady GaGa enough, for getting that message out on radios and sound systems. Who knows? That could make a huge difference in society. And I think we could all do with taking a page out of her book, and embracing ourselves and everything, just the way we were born.
Thank you for reading. I really, truly, appreciate it. You have no idea how hard it was to write that. More than once I had to stop and compose myself. More than once I broke down sobbing at reliving the memories that I've tried so hard to bury in the darkness of the past. And it was even harder to force myself to press the "publish" button. Never in my entire life have I talked about myself like this. I could only do it in writing; it would be impossible out loud (it was hard enough to write, I'd never be able to say it to anyone). But it's time I let it out and wrote it down. It's time that I do my part to send the message to the world. I know it's long, but this isn't the sort of thing I can express shortly. If you've come this far...thank you. So much. I really hope that some people will understand what I'm trying to say here. I hope that someday, I can believe in people again. I hope that someday people will be more accepting, more understanding. I hope that someday, I won't have to suffocate myself just to avoid my life being living hell, and I hope that others who are similarly stifled will someday be able to breathe again. Please. Let me believe.
So, I used to have a YouTube channel. I would post makeup tutorials on it. And yes, it was crap. I know I was bad at makeup. I've always known it. I've been wearing makeup for less than a year. So it's not as though I'd be offended or anything if someone posted a comment on a video here and there respectfully stating that they're not very good, pointing out what I could do better, ect. And some people did. But most of the time, I got the most disrespectful, downright offensive comments. There were people who were acting as though I had some them horrible physical damage by posting mediocre makeup looks, complete with atrocious grammar and frequent profanity. It was ridiculous. So, obviously, I would act completely unhurt and refute what they said, right?
So, one day, this person who apparently knew someone who went to school with me left one of those comments. They were talking about how they wanted me to quit makeup because they didn't want me being made fun of at school and such. Now, previously to this, I'd had several students come up to me and compliment me on my makeup channel. Naturally, this was surprising to me. But in any case, I refuted what he said using this fact. And it was how he replied to that that hit me harder than anything anyone's said to me in my life.
He told me the truth behind those compliments. He told me how when people said nice things to me, it was a manner of making fun of me. He informed me that the kids were making fun of me behind my back. They were even going so far as to take pictures of me and send them to people I don't even know and call me a freak with people who have never met me. And clearly, those people who've never met me take their word for it, as proven by this commenter.
I cried for about an hour after reading that comment, and spent the rest of the day locked in my room with the lights off. See, I've had MAJOR social issues in the past. When that comment was posted, I'd only just begin to rebuild my entire life after those experiences. When I was 9 years old, I had allergies that left my nose constantly running. Kids all thought I was disgusting and called me the "gross girl". I had no friends, and I still remember how people would outright shudder when I walked past, and refused to touch anything that I'd previously touched. I pretty much spent my entire 4th grade year with books. I had no contact with anyone at all besides my family - ever. This made my mind do strange things, my imagination cook up things that no normal kid would think about. Imaginary friends, imaginary scenes. Not hallucinations or anything mentally unhealthy; just an imagination run amuck. This prompted the other kids to think I was extremely weird, and constantly point this out to me. I became quiet and shy and very restricted with my behavior, very sensitive and held back, in an attempt to not be weird. I did everything I could to stay away from those kids because it was the only way to avoid torment. And this was pretty much how it was for the entire 4th and 5th grades.
Then, partway through 6th grade, everything changed. A girl transferred to my school. I'd known her from my old school in 1st grade. She was incredibly nice, the nicest girl I've ever met. And she saw how no one spoke to me, basically took pity on me, and we became friends. Inherently, I also became friends with all of her friends. 6th grade was, without question, the absolute best year of my life. I got a teacher who liked me, friends who were nice to me (and by that point, I had my allergies under control and a lot of people were forgetting the gross girl thing). I loved 6th grade year so much. It was strange to adjust, though. The people I'd made friends with were, in my eyes, positively insane. They talked loudly, cracked jokes, weren't afraid to say what was on their minds. After 2 full years of closing off myself, this was a new experiance. Slowly, though, I opened up more and more. By the end of 6th grade, I had totally cut open the bonds of my mind and let myself free.
And then I started middle school and was at last completely free from that life. Complete, totally, and 100%. I never had to see those kids again, ever. I never had to return to those classrooms, never again had to face those horrible teachers. I'd looked forward to middle school for years because I saw it as a new chance, a fresh start with life. The girl who I'd made friends with also went to my middle school. I also reunited with a friend from 3rd grade, and made some new friends in my new classes. There were still kids who disliked me at this school, but this didn't hurt me for 2 reasons: 1, I'd learned that other people can just go fuck themselves if they don't like me, and 2, they were far more diluted. My old school of 6 grades had had 400 kids; for 6 hours straight, I was constantly forced to see every kid from my 1 class. There were only about 90 kids in each grade, so separate math and homeroom classes and recess didn't help at all. My new school of 2 grades had 1,400. I rarely had to come in contact with these kids; I rarely saw anyone I wasn't looking for. I also had real, honest-to-goodness friends, who far outweighed the haters. By 7th grade, I had discovered that my natural personality was something I'd forgotten existed. I was loud, sassy, defiant, and independent. My new friends encouraged this; I had no reason to hold back.
Then in 8th grade, I realized I wanted to stand out. By this point I'd received so much encouragement from friends that I thought the people around me had changed. I thought they'd grown up, and were totally different from the people I'd known in 4th and 5th grade. I thought that people would admire how I had the guts to stand out. To not be stifled by society. To just be the person I was born to be. I thought people would understand this was the sort of person I was. And I felt ready for it. Throughout 8th grade, I was just that person. I dressed differently from everyone. I talked out loud in class. I especially developed a love for makeup. I saw it as a way for me to wear my personality on my face, to show off to the world that I don't give a single fuck what people think of me. I received even more haters, but I barely noticed them, I was too busy basking in the glorious feeling of being my damn self FINALLY. I felt on top of the world. I felt that the days when I came home from school and cried myself to sleep because of the bullies were ancient history; I barely remembered them. For the first time in my life, I was ME. I was Chloe Elisabeth Craig. People noticed me, people knew my name. People saw me in the hallway, and I thought it was a good thing. I decided to create a makeup channel. I wasn't very good at makeup, but i wanted to spread the love. I wanted to show people that they could do it too. That they could be themselves and feel as wonderful as me. I thought I was doing a good thing, that maybe some people would be inspired and shed their repressive masks same as me.
And then this comment came and my entire world crashed to pieces around me.
And I realized I was wrong. I was wrong about people changing. I was wrong about them embracing a free spirit, someone who stood out amongst the crowd. When I read that comment, I was whisked back to the dark days in 4th and 5th grade. I momentarily relived those horrible, endless years where all I wanted was to curl up in the dark and never seen a person again. And then, one by one, every single negative comment, every criticizer, every person who had ever given me a nasty glance came back to me, crystal clear, unblurred by the foggy glass of independence. And every one struck me like a white hot knife straight to the heart. It wasn't only the comment that hurt so badly. That was a part of it...particularly the bit about people sending pictures of me labeled "freak". But it was also the realization that came with it, that people will NEVER accept me for who I am.
My mind doesn't work like that of your everyday person. I can't even describe how my mind works. I have a very analytic mind. I also have ADHD. And I just tend to see things that others don't and not see things that others do, and when we both see the same thing I look at it differently. I do VERY well at learning, but absolutely horribly at school. In 8th grade, I got straight A's on every test I took, except math which I flunked (I absolutely cannot stand math, and I hated my math teacher even more than the subject), but straight F's in every class. The point is, I'm different. I described my natural personality above: it's crazy. I have a mind that even I don't quite understand. I thought for a while that people could accept it. I thought that they'd see that I don't have the same mind as them and understand that I was simply born different. But they won't. I know they won't. Every single fucking day of my life, I will have to deal with these people who don't fucking understand my mind. Because let's face it: no one actually understands my mind. Even my best friends don't. I love them and all, but they have normal brains. One of them is a major nerd like me, but she gets straight A's because she thinks the way people can relate to. The other is less nerdy, but still very smart, and also gets straight A's because again, she has a normal mind.
I think there have only been 2 people who I can tell have understood me. Both were teachers. My 6th grade teacher and my 8th grade language arts and history teacher. Not to say that others couldn't, but since they were my teachers and all, they read what I write and hear what I say and such, and so have the resources to understand me. I think my 8th grade teacher understood me the best because that was the year when I really opened up, and let me true mind flow into everything. Being my language arts teacher, and no less one of a similar mindset, I think she was one of the few who really, truly understood me.
Besides that, no one has. Not even those who've tried, like my parents, or my friends. And I don't think people ever will. Society just wants me to shut up, stop resisting, and collapse. They want me to do my work the way they want it done and not take creative interpretations. They want me to just be totally uniform.
One day, very recently, I found something online that I think is absolutely horrible. It was on a website that posts memes and funny videos and things. They had up this one quote that I absolutely LOVE:
"My mother always told me that the key to life is happiness. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down 'happy'. They told me I didn't understand the assignment. I told them they didn't understand life"
Someone had commented on the quote and said:
"If I were a teacher and a kid said that to me, I would slap them across the room".
WHAT??? Is that honestly how people feel these days? Whoever said that was an amazing person. They had a mind that was clearly out of sync with the world, but in a brilliant, creative way. That person who commented is suggested that we rid our schools of all creativity. Of all independence. He is suggesting that because the kid interpreted the assignment in a unique way, he ought to be punished. That makes me sick. It makes me sick to think that this is what society is. PUNISHING a kid for answering the question in the way that he saw it, just because it happens to differ from the way the teacher saw it.
There are so many other examples of this happening. My older sister has informed me that in high school, when you do book critiques and such, the teachers expect you to agree with them always or else they mark you down for being "wrong". That's right. Wrong. Because you saw the book differently than the teacher, you are wrong. And that is what makes me dread high school more than anything. The thought of having to do that; to conform myself to the limited views of a normal person, in order to get a good grade...it sounds horrible. It sounds absolutely horrible. I feel sick to my stomach to think that this is what's expected of us. I hate it. I just hate it. I think we need to change. I think we need to open up and accept EVERYONE. Because everyone is a human being. People are trying to get society to better accept overweight people, to better accept people who are gay or people who are differently religious. And all that is very important. But we never give a second thought to those who think differently than the rest. To people who just have different mindsets; who are brilliant and creative, but out of sync with the world. And we need to do so. We need to open up and accept everyone for who they are. I absolutely love the song Born This Way, by Lady GaGa. Because it's true. What she says in that song is true. And I could not thank Lady GaGa enough, for getting that message out on radios and sound systems. Who knows? That could make a huge difference in society. And I think we could all do with taking a page out of her book, and embracing ourselves and everything, just the way we were born.
Thank you for reading. I really, truly, appreciate it. You have no idea how hard it was to write that. More than once I had to stop and compose myself. More than once I broke down sobbing at reliving the memories that I've tried so hard to bury in the darkness of the past. And it was even harder to force myself to press the "publish" button. Never in my entire life have I talked about myself like this. I could only do it in writing; it would be impossible out loud (it was hard enough to write, I'd never be able to say it to anyone). But it's time I let it out and wrote it down. It's time that I do my part to send the message to the world. I know it's long, but this isn't the sort of thing I can express shortly. If you've come this far...thank you. So much. I really hope that some people will understand what I'm trying to say here. I hope that someday, I can believe in people again. I hope that someday people will be more accepting, more understanding. I hope that someday, I won't have to suffocate myself just to avoid my life being living hell, and I hope that others who are similarly stifled will someday be able to breathe again. Please. Let me believe.
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