Sunday, January 31, 2010

A Test of Time.

Evening everyone,

I haven't really blogged much, and I do indeed have en excuse for it: I've been tremendously busy with my show. It goes up next week, and we're having about three dress rehearsal in the next week or so. Also: I went traveling in the car for a total of... well, a good amount of time. Over eight hours, at least. I've been painting, had midterms, gone to a doll meet, and went to see a show. I've been to concerts, freezer-like bedrooms, and dark living rooms in which they play Paranormal Activity (the room echoed with my laughter, by the way). So, basically, in a nutshell, I've got a major in excuses. However, the true one did not come up: I'm fucking lazy.

To sum it all up in two words: I'm alive.

Let's take a peek on the concept of perception, for a moment. While reading the previous paragraph, most of you probably thought that there was a lot going on. And it's true, there is a lot going on. However, this doesn't avert the fact that I don't let it glide by, and that I still try to live my life in the most hectic of times. I've never been the type to study my ass off, or practice until my fingers fall off from the keyboard in the dining room. It's just not me, and I don't really see how anyone else can do it and remain sane.

Anyway, this perhaps proves from the fact that majority of people are surface viewers. I'm not saying you guys are, but we have to admit that not a lot of people go into detail these days. This can go towards anything, including my previous posts about love and The Golden Globes. A good chunk of people would view love, especially in my age group, as "unlikely". Not a possibility. Not true to heart. This can be true with some couples, but we can only really see that once we look at the big picture. Perhaps he's cheating on her. Maybe she thought he dressed funny. It could even be a mutual breakup, and they thought kissing each other was too awkward. Moving on: none of this is probably evident unless you talk to the person. That's why I don't understand how teachers, and even parents, can make judgements such as, "It's not the end of the world. It wasn't real love anyway."

Even if the love was for a moment, a single second, it was still there. They still had a passion for one another, and maybe it wasn't just because they didn't want to keep their pants on. And even so, even if it wasn't "real love", it still could hurt the person deeply. They still feel it was true, just for that moment, even if the other didn't feel it. Singular love can be painful, and sometimes, it's best not to just make judgements and just go, "You'll get over it." It may not seem that way to them, and they still need that recovery time. That goes for, not only couples, but in friendship as well.

And as for the Golden Globes, obviously people made some crude judgements that were extremely unnecessary. We already know what they are, and there's no need to discuss them now. I have my opinion (you've heard it already, and if you haven't read the last blog post Say What You Will: I am the Kill.), and you have yours. There's no reason to go at it on this post. That's not what it's for.

So: be honest with yourself. Look past the illusion, and watch the big picture. Life goes by too fast for you to miss all of the details, and sometimes, this tour around the museum of life is gonna speed up ahead of you. Linger for a moment, look at the abstract upside down before you scoff and walk away towards the group. Sometimes, you might see something really beautiful.

Oh, and for those who didn't know: The Kindle might as well be good as dead. The iPad's gonna beat it out within the season, and that's because of the price, and conveniency. Think about it: if college textbooks become available on these things, won't it make college just that little bit easier for incoming freshmen next semester? Food for thought.

Goodnight, little rascals.


Love, Maura.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Say What You Will: I Am the Kill.

Evening comrades,

All righty, so, today, I was sitting in art, doing absolutely nothing. I had finished my project, and had gone up to the library for about fifteen minutes to use the copy machine to copy sheet music. It was a bit unadventurous, though the copier was being a bitch and cutting off random parts, and I mainly spent the rest of the period checking my twitter updates on my phone. There were several links, and I clicked on them, which lead me to some very, what should we call them... interesting articles.

For those who are just tuning in: as I'm sure a lot of us are aware, Neil Gaiman was at the Golden Globes for the Coraline nomination (though, they didn't win, UP won and it was announced by Mister Paul McCartney). For those familiar, he and Amanda Palmer recently got engaged, and I was following the twitter updates for most of the night, seeing the photos and such from the event. Several articles happened to be about events later in the evening. (In a nutshell: AFP changed dresses on the red carpet).

However, what bothered me was not the act, but all of the hullabaloo. People were ranting about how disgraceful it was, how they didn't care who she was, etcetera, etcetera... After reading comments for about ten minutes, this posted started to form in my head. Here's a question for you guys reading this: who CARES? Why does it concern the entire world?

And who are people to call these things "uncouth" or "un-classy"? It doesn't make sense. What I see is someone who's confident enough to at least be herself, not caring what other people think, and honestly, I can agree. Why SHOULD people care? Why are we becoming a society in which we care simply about status and appearance, and not for who we are as human beings? God, or evolution even, gave humans the ability to vary for a reason. We have personalities for a reason. The world would be so boring without, well, us being us.

The moral of the story, children: Be yourself. Whether it be you wearing a hemp dress, black lipstick, a gorgeous dress without a slip, or a dress made of bubbles, don't be afraid of who you are on the outside, nonetheless on the inside. Laugh in the middle of nowhere. Tell corny jokes. Dance in the city streets on a rainy day. Eat a bagel with lots of peanut butter. Hell, eat two! Just don't be afraid of who you are now, and who you're bound to become. Surely, it should be something beautiful. Just embrace it, and love it with all of your might. Share who you are with others.

A brilliant man once said, "Be who you are, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." The man's name was Ted Geisel, otherwise known as Doctor Seuss, who's work has lived on well beyond several generations of people. It's food for thought, people. Feed your subconscious. There's nothing to fear in your true self, not even being considered "outrageous". Just enjoy your life, and forget what other people think. And yes, people may fear your newfound originality, but you know what? They're all conformist weenies anyway, and perhaps they deserve a good trip to the local coffee shop for some spice and a little adventure.

After all, ADVENTURE IS OUT THERE!


Love, Maura Lee