Month: May 2004

unforgotten love

I had stuff to say for a while, but then it slipped away after watching 2 awesome movies.Quite sadly, so many good things have a tendancy to do that.

But this is a perfect opportunity to complete an unfinished Xanga thought. A visit into the past, or maybe the future… I read this the first time I stepped into a new (to me) Xanga, and ya–when I read it, it was actually kinda scary. The column is below the link–read it, and then after a while, check out the link, which provides a bit of commentary, and a lot of explication, from which there was one paragraph;

It hurt, but the strange thing is, it hurt only for two days. Then, Brochu says, it was as if a switch inside him turned off. He wonders now how much it was just him enjoying the chase, the thrill of the unattainable.

“I think it goes to show that my crush was just building upon itself from me not knowing,” he says.

I haven’t forgotten the idea of “love”. But happily, it isn’t something I can even imagine agonizing over. (Though supposedly, getting married is worth $49,000 a year  of happiness) Will things change in college? The commentary colummn shows that it may… and I’m sure it will.

But for now, Truth, my friends, is Truth–and there is a lot of truh in the message of both columns. I think some people may be surprised at the sheer commonness of this story, so please do read them–for insight value if not personal connection. at least the one I’ve put here for the lazier people out there. So yes, enough of me, more of you!

The Commentary- ish
http://www.hollandsentinel.com/stories/042504/lif_042504073.shtml

And… the aformentioned column:

What she doesn’t know will kill you

 

by Matt Brochu

November 21, 2003

You met her a few months ago, and somehow she managed to seep into your subconscious like that “Suga how you get so fly” song. Just like you have no clue who the hell sings it, you don’t know why she’s there. But she is, whether you like it or not. You know her cell phone, her room phone. You can dial her Aunt Doreen’s house in < ?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” /> West Springfield (where she goes to do her laundry every two weeks) faster than you can peck-out 911. But she doesn’t know.

Her screenname, that generic one with her first name followed by three to five random numbers or UMass, has its own category at the top of your buddy list. Not only do you know what a “Buddy Alert” is, you’ve rigged your computer to play “Fat Guy in a Little Coat” from “Tommy Boy” every time her screen name changes from gray to black. Then her away message comes down, and you have a decision to make. To IM or not to IM? These are the ridiculous games that you play on a daily basis. But she doesn’t know.

She’s it. All right, so maybe not “it” it. Not necessarily Ms. Right, but closer to Ms. Right-up-there-with-Anna-Kournikova-and-Lizzie-McGuire-on-your-list-of-people-you’d-give-anything-to-be-stranded-with-on-a-broken-down-elevator. But it’s about more than that. When is it ever about more than that? Never. Not like frilly white dress, overpriced catering, embarrassing drunk in-laws more, but closer to UMass sweatpants, two D.P. Dough Roni Zonies, a futon and a movie you have no interest in seeing more. But she doesn’t know.

She’s gorgeous, but gorgeous is an understatement. More like you’re startled every time you see her because you notice something new in a “Where’s Waldo” sort of way. More like you can’t stop writing third grade run-on sentences because you can’t remotely begin to describe something … someone … so inherently amazing. But you’re a writer. You can describe anything. That’s what you do: pictures to words, events to words, words to even better words. But nothing seems right. More like you’re afraid that if you stare at her for too long, you’ll prove your parents right: that yes, your face will stick that way. But you wouldn’t mind.

You wouldn’t mind that the questioning, “Hello?” on the other end makes you want to smile and throw up at the same time. You wouldn’t mind worrying about what to get her for her birthday and spending $300 when you only have $17.50 and a Triple-A card to your name. You wouldn’t mind that she left your TV on and the blaring infomercials wake you up at 4 a.m. … because it gives you a chance to watch her sleep. You don’t mind that you’ve slipped up twice when you were hammered and hinted at how you feel, but she was too drunk to remember. So she doesn’t know.

Sure, she’s pretty, but it’s about more than that. You two connect. Anything you throw at her, she can throw right back. You figured out what’s going on in that predictable head of hers in under five minutes, but something tells you her heart would take about five years.

You remember everything she’s ever said to you, and when that freaks her out you blame it on your photographic memory (which is a lie, you have a 2.7 GPA). You can’t remember your teaching assistant’s name, and you can’t remember that your Puffton rent check was due four days ago, yet you remember the middle name of the kid who tripped her in fifth grade and gave her that cute little scar on her shoulder. Maybe it’s because you actually listen when she talks. When do you actually listen? Never. But she doesn’t know.

But she has a boyfriend. The kid is a tool, and you are not. He has no redeeming qualities, and you have about 38, even when you’re hung over. You could kick his butt, and you’ve never been in a fight in your life. He treats her like crap, and you would treat her like the princess she believed herself to be on Halloween in 1988.

But she loves him. He wouldn’t know what he had even if she slapped him across the face and dumped him, but somehow she still loves him. And somehow she still doesn’t know.

Then, out of nowhere, she slaps him across the face and dumps him. She comes to you. You’ve been there before, so you seem like the smartest guy on earth. She cries, but your corny half-joke, half-compliment somehow gets a smile out of her that almost makes you feel ashamed that you’re the only one around who gets to witness it. It looks like you might make her realize that all guys don’t deserve to have rocks thrown at them.

But nothing changes. She doesn’t know. You get that library elevator feeling in your stomach that she’ll never know. You get that feeling that you’ll be forced to write a cheesy Collegian column about her that makes “Sleepless in Seattle ” look like “Girls Gone Wild.”

You go to sleep. You wake up. She doesn’t know. You’re not in love. You’re not obsessed. You blame it on the fact that you just need to get some, but still, it’s about more than that. It would just be nice if once in your life, things worked out the way you wanted them to.

So ___________, it’s about time you know*.

Now cut this out, fill in her name, and give it to her, coward. Just let me know how it works out.

Matt Brochu is a Collegian columnist.

So ya–as ya can see, I didnt bother putting in any names. Should I? Nah~

I had a unique time at Chicago yesterday, but I’ll tell later–Nite nite!

Evils of Prejudice

Jabali came online tonight; we had a very good talk—from things ranging from friendship to politics to religion. But when we talked about the caste system it really REALLY got me goin’…

I used to at least somewhat respect the caste system, with he social order that it’s supposed to provide. But then again, I didn’t know what J told me of his accounts within it, and it is far worse than any of the racism in the United States. Another thing I learned—Christians and Muslims are their own caste. Not by choice. Neither religion sanctions such a system, yet the accepted societal majority deems it necessary to establish its supremacy over them.

nuvvekavali1: no christian are lower than hindus

nuvvekavali1: everyone is lower than hindus

And… that’s just SO wrong. Christianity preaches to be humble as an example for others to follow with compassion, but when the society deems that behavior as necessary for a lower caste, what effect does it have other than to corroborate the prejudiced superiority of the upper classes? When I see a people taken advantage of, especially for something they voluntarily choose to do, I get incredibly angry. Like right now…

I’m not blaming the Hindu castes at all—I AM blaming the nature of us humans to desire accepted superiority. Like I said, Scripture counteracts this natural human instinct and teaches us to be humble and to serve, yet there are places in this world where a social order exists to perpetuate the injustice. This is wrong beyond all my measures… yet how can we possibly change it? This is so bad—I almost become ignorant to all the suffering and prejudice out in the world, but of course, that won’t bring change. We all have to work…somehow, through prayer, hope, and a genuine desire to rid this world of such discrimination. There are problems within us all, even within Christianity. In sociology yesterday, we discussed some of my teacher’s kid’s friends who were mocking her for not going to church. Not in a scolding manner, but a self-superior, “I’m better than you” tone. And HOW is that different from the far more visible evil of caste discrimination? Sadly, its the same human motivation—most people grow out of it yes, but we need to help. Human nature for self-superiority is good at times, but at least… have some respect.

I’m supposedly Priam now (according to Jason), I will say one memorable line from Troy: “HAVE YOU NO HONOR?!” Then again… Hector…

I dunno, that’s my rant for 2:23 AM.

http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes1.htm

Just something I stole off Walter’s Xanga–tests like this are far more accurate than people give credit for. And though I am usually disinclined to say that I am of any sort of archetype (aka LABEL<–EVIL!!), this analysis I think accurately summerizes some of my traits. And I got the same one in a psych inventory in class so, there is some reliability to the results. Anyway, I am a “Champion”! I’ve changed so much though–5 years ago, I was not of this personalilty type.

One thing though:

SOOOOOOO TRUE…

“ENFPs hate bureaucracy, both in principle and in practice; they will always make a point of launching one of their crusades against some aspect of it. ”

system be damned… (lol–though I don’t think we could survive w/o its order) bureaucracy on the otherhand can go off to burn.

THe following is another profile from the blah blah company–really interesting was what it had to say in the last paragraphs, about feeling both so integrally a part of, and at the same time, sepereated from all the life around me. But ya, that’s it–>

Your Type is
ENFP

Can things truly be new, when there is so much old?

I envy those going to a college with only a few, or maybe just one friend (I don’t think I’d be happy starting with no friends). Ironic that I’m also happy that some of my best buds are gonna be at college with me. Comfort from fallout–but yes, it is fallout. I feel as if I’m being deprived of the “college lifechanging experience”–parting ways moment, when you truly realize how much people meant to you.

This thought first occured to me thinking of the Kennedy Junior High reunion tomorrow. Somehow, I dont thinik that us Jefferson kids remember how important our memories were (granted, I was only at JJHS for 4 months), but point being… the continuity from Jr High to Sr High let perceived values erode… we are all together as we are anyway…

But where was I? I touched this microcosm a looong time ago in my second entry.

“But no matter how much my present bothers me, the future worries me far more. Once there, no one will know the person you’ve come from–that path from past to present that you took–all the changes, all the growing–it won’t be known to anyone. Not that the past was irrelevant, they just won’t know it…”

I place so much value on not just what people are, but how they got there. I cherish the growth I’ve gone through, I value the whole process of living for the sake of living. With friends, such universal understanding is going to be hard. It’s hard enough as it is with 3,000 people I see everyday. What about 30,000 that I may see once a week? Scary.

Then why (even I ask myself) if I value the record of blessings and scars over the years, do I want to face a new world alone? Here’s the selfish me: I want to find my own self again. So often, I find myself at ease among strangers than peers.

I had a dream once, where I was in a gigantic dome, filled with thousands of people all around me; but their voices were slurred, and their images faded, and I felt more alone than I would have been if I truly were alone. But the beauty wasn’t in the blurred lines, but in what I understood of myself. I couldn’t see my own body, but I knew the crystal clarity. I, the integral of my own changes plus the constant of my experiences, was there in the comforting foreign world, knowing who I was to almost mathematical certainty. I didn’t truly understand it, but I felt as if I did. The strongest message came from a chalk message on the ground by mnflower.

Those that are going to places foreign by the paucity of people you know, this is an opportunity presented to you that I wanted so much–a chance to emerge into a new world, armed with the experiences that we’ve all contributed to. In that new world, you are yourselves once again–no longer a collection of experiences (that are also in themselves collections), but a single body, containing them all. For me… well, it doesn’t help much that 70% of people are from this same state, and that nearly 400 ppl are from Naperville.

I suppose I should consider myself blessed to have such starting comfort. I never had the luxury in the past.

But how much I would give for a chance to claim it all…

[Inserting edit 11:02 PM]

omg, I just re-realized that we’re gonna be freshies again! That changes everything…  preparing for a massive power grab before the upperclassmen establish dominance…

[Inserting edit 11:12 PM (it was actually a minute earlier, but ya know… I couldn’t take it )]

Newly uncovered horrors from Senior Celebratin: SpiceBoys  
I look decidedly hot with blue hair, blue skirt, and a blue gown singing music from the mid-90s!