Episode 11: Purpose.
My friend Dave the Philosophy major is at it again. His discussion about our purpose being to find the "one truth" and have it revealed to you at death has got me thinking. I think slightly otherwise; I feel that everyone has a specific purpose in the material world, and depending on if you fulfill your purpose or not determines what type of the "one truth" you find in the afterlife. I also think we all have a purpose that affects someone’s life in such a way so that when the end of the world comes we will have all discovered the "one truth".
As farfetched as it seemed, I think even Hitler had a purpose. I think mine is to make others happy. I always feel an unknown sense of duty inside of to make sure my friends feel appreciated or be the one the shows up and let people know the party has begun. I don't mind the material world, but I think once I fulfill my purpose and discover the one truth, I will find out the hell that this - the material world - really is. Because the body is a prison for your soul, it always needs things such as food, and desire. The world outside of this one, where our body is just free flowing thoughts and discovers the "one truth", will provide more happiness then I can ever comprehend - so David says.
I like to believe that is true. I should try hard to make the best of the Material world, but should not give in to my prison. If I have the capacity to make everyone around me happy, but not to be good at math or get with a girl, then so be it. I will just use what I have, and that makes me happy. So if you criticize me for not getting desire or my body tries to do so, to hell with it. I will fulfill my purpose and find my one truth and be happier then anything can be here in the material world. If you decide to not fulfill your purpose or criticize me and prevent me from doing mine, then you can go to hell, where your "one truth" will be pain and despair.
~Andy
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Attention is Good
Episode 10: Why Even Daniel has the Right Idea
I've come to realize that pretty much all attention is good. Even bad attention if you do it right. Look at Daniel, he's probably better known in his grade then you were Andrew/Dan/J9. Daniel has the possibility now of becoming great and having an awesome senior year. Because, its a mix of attention and reputation, and it's extremely difficult to have a good reputation among everyone if of people don't know who you are.
It's actually kinda surprising how this works. Lets take a look at both Daniel and myself. I attracted a lot of negitive attention coming into high school; the stalker thing, the LiveJournal thing, all bad. Daniel is a creeper, and has a reputation for asking anyone and anything out; also bad. That put me in the spotlight. Then as I got into 11th grade, people realized the accusations were false and realized that I was actually a funny guy. Daniel on the other hand, while his accusations are true, has chilled out on it quite a bit. Now that I had attention and reputation: I gained loads of friends, discovered new activities such as being in Drama, had to chill with many separate friend groups, and got the "Senior of the Year award"(1 of 3 major awards given out) at the choir banquet in which everyone thought it was well deserved. Now that Daniel is in the spotlight and has been boosting his reputation, I decided to check what Daniel has been up to these days. He now actually hangs out with some cool people, and a chick(that I was sort of friends with through Maggie) from the class of 09' actually has her profile picture of her smiling sitting on his lap! And this chick is pretty hot! You don’t even really see it comeing.
So I'm not trying to brag at all here or discredit anyone for not doing this - as much as it seems. I'm just saying that if you get your name out there you have a greater possibility of having an awesome life. Even though Daniel is having a shitty one, he is demonstrating the possibility to turn that around and it wouldn't surprise me if he had an amazing senior year like I did and didn't want to leave high school. Having good attention works just as well if not better, I'm just saying that the more attention you court, the higher possibility you have of making your life great.
~Andy
"It is easier to cope with a bad conscience than with a bad reputation."
-Friedrich Nietzsche, 1844-1900
I've come to realize that pretty much all attention is good. Even bad attention if you do it right. Look at Daniel, he's probably better known in his grade then you were Andrew/Dan/J9. Daniel has the possibility now of becoming great and having an awesome senior year. Because, its a mix of attention and reputation, and it's extremely difficult to have a good reputation among everyone if of people don't know who you are.
It's actually kinda surprising how this works. Lets take a look at both Daniel and myself. I attracted a lot of negitive attention coming into high school; the stalker thing, the LiveJournal thing, all bad. Daniel is a creeper, and has a reputation for asking anyone and anything out; also bad. That put me in the spotlight. Then as I got into 11th grade, people realized the accusations were false and realized that I was actually a funny guy. Daniel on the other hand, while his accusations are true, has chilled out on it quite a bit. Now that I had attention and reputation: I gained loads of friends, discovered new activities such as being in Drama, had to chill with many separate friend groups, and got the "Senior of the Year award"(1 of 3 major awards given out) at the choir banquet in which everyone thought it was well deserved. Now that Daniel is in the spotlight and has been boosting his reputation, I decided to check what Daniel has been up to these days. He now actually hangs out with some cool people, and a chick(that I was sort of friends with through Maggie) from the class of 09' actually has her profile picture of her smiling sitting on his lap! And this chick is pretty hot! You don’t even really see it comeing.
So I'm not trying to brag at all here or discredit anyone for not doing this - as much as it seems. I'm just saying that if you get your name out there you have a greater possibility of having an awesome life. Even though Daniel is having a shitty one, he is demonstrating the possibility to turn that around and it wouldn't surprise me if he had an amazing senior year like I did and didn't want to leave high school. Having good attention works just as well if not better, I'm just saying that the more attention you court, the higher possibility you have of making your life great.
~Andy
"It is easier to cope with a bad conscience than with a bad reputation."
-Friedrich Nietzsche, 1844-1900
Monday, February 11, 2008
Destiny.
Episode 9: Who Controls Your Future?
A lot of people say "If you have a dream, don't let anyone tell you no." We'll people can tell you no, and thats the people who are paying for college. My parents. I am currently a computer science major, and I can't do it. Programming 250 is already way to hard, and I don't understand my computer design class at all. I don't think anyone I know really would. You have to be dedicated - only 17% of people who start the major here actually finish it - and I'm not one of those people. My dad and I had a huge talk, in which I almost came to tears, about other options. Right now, I want to switch to a sociology major. The minds of other people have always fasinated me. My dad supports my decision to change, because he knows I'll actually do research to make sure which major is actually right for me this time. My mom doesn't support me. She doesn't think I can get a job or anything. This dissapoints me because I thought she always had my back. But now since I cant get a job as high paying as I would a computer science major, she changed her mind. But what pisses me off the most is that shes never been to college, and the best job she had was working in a shoe store. Yet, she stands here for critisizeing me for not working hard enough. Maybe I haven't, but she still doesn't know how hard it is. I don't mean to make fun of my mom cause I love her very much, but shes never had to have a job since marrying my dad.
Take my brother for example: He's been made fun off and critisized for everything in his life. His girlfriend, his college choice, his job choice, and his life choice. But he has never backed down, or done what people have told him. He wants to do what makes him happy, and now after all the smoke has cleared, it looks like he will actually be successful. I typed "Sociology Jobs" in google. The first thing that came up was a Rutgers site actually(lol) and it showed all types of jobs I could have with the right minor. Marriage/School Counselor, Welfare/Human Services, Market Research, Sales Rep, Department Investigator/Recruitment Specialist, etc. So I think I will be fine. The pay wont be as much, but I think I would love my job. I've just got to follow through with this and show them I will make something of myself. I am going to do what my Brother did, because when you do what makes you happy, then things generally turnout ok.
~Andy
"It is even more damaging for a minister to say foolish things than to do them."
-Cardinal de Retz, 1613-1679
A lot of people say "If you have a dream, don't let anyone tell you no." We'll people can tell you no, and thats the people who are paying for college. My parents. I am currently a computer science major, and I can't do it. Programming 250 is already way to hard, and I don't understand my computer design class at all. I don't think anyone I know really would. You have to be dedicated - only 17% of people who start the major here actually finish it - and I'm not one of those people. My dad and I had a huge talk, in which I almost came to tears, about other options. Right now, I want to switch to a sociology major. The minds of other people have always fasinated me. My dad supports my decision to change, because he knows I'll actually do research to make sure which major is actually right for me this time. My mom doesn't support me. She doesn't think I can get a job or anything. This dissapoints me because I thought she always had my back. But now since I cant get a job as high paying as I would a computer science major, she changed her mind. But what pisses me off the most is that shes never been to college, and the best job she had was working in a shoe store. Yet, she stands here for critisizeing me for not working hard enough. Maybe I haven't, but she still doesn't know how hard it is. I don't mean to make fun of my mom cause I love her very much, but shes never had to have a job since marrying my dad.
Take my brother for example: He's been made fun off and critisized for everything in his life. His girlfriend, his college choice, his job choice, and his life choice. But he has never backed down, or done what people have told him. He wants to do what makes him happy, and now after all the smoke has cleared, it looks like he will actually be successful. I typed "Sociology Jobs" in google. The first thing that came up was a Rutgers site actually(lol) and it showed all types of jobs I could have with the right minor. Marriage/School Counselor, Welfare/Human Services, Market Research, Sales Rep, Department Investigator/Recruitment Specialist, etc. So I think I will be fine. The pay wont be as much, but I think I would love my job. I've just got to follow through with this and show them I will make something of myself. I am going to do what my Brother did, because when you do what makes you happy, then things generally turnout ok.
~Andy
"It is even more damaging for a minister to say foolish things than to do them."
-Cardinal de Retz, 1613-1679
Thursday, February 7, 2008
New Years Marathon(Story)
Episode 1(Part 2 of 2):
We walked up to the starbucks door. I walked up thinking "Falcon Punch!" while trying to push it open. It opened and we walked in. Katie turned the lights on.
"Now what?" she asked.
"Why don't you make us some coffee, you used to work here right? Or actually I hate coffee, do you know how to hit up a hot chocolete?"
"Wait... how did you know that?"
"How did I know what? That you worked here? I don't know actually, you just look like the type of chick that would work here."
She went behind the counter, giving me a look that she was clearly not satisfied with my answer. What made me mad is that I truely don't know how I knew she used to work here. I guess I must have saw it on facebook or something. Thats probably what made her mad; I friend requested her twice and she rejected both times.
She made herself some kind of girly latee and my hot chocolete. She put them on the table and sat across from me, staring at the floor. Since no one else was here, she had no where to go, and my hot chololete was too hot to drink yet, I decided to make it as awkward as possible.
"So..... whats the deal. How come you don't like me at all and I don't even really know you? What have you heard?"
"Andy, theres no one here. We are the only people on earth and your intentions are to sit down and talk about our problems? I'm not doing it."
"We'll this is your end of the deal. I'm leaving if you don't answer, because I would never get the chance to ask this is in real life."
"Emily to- told me some things. And thats not true. I think you could have asked me in real life!" she rushed, hastily trying to change the subject. "And besides, I just don't like you, I'm sorry."
"What do you mean? Like Like? I think theres been a misunderstanding. I knew that along time ago. I just can't stand when people don't like me as a person for no reason. I've been trying to figure out why we just can't be friends!"
I reached my hand out and she shook it. Gosh it was cold.
5 days passed and everyday we would just do the same thing, eat, talk, check the TV and radio, and go to Reston Town Center for any sign of people. As everyday passed though, I would learn more and more about her, and fell in love with her again. Of course being a male I wanted to know when we were going to repopulate the earth. But her mind was on something more important. She wanted to find a way out of here. We went to RTC, and as usual, no one. As each day passed strange things happened. We would hear noises, seemingly bump into invisable objects, and Katie swore she saw a car drive itself around my culdesac while she was on the porch. But this time, it was out of control. She started talking about good this experence for her was, and things went crazy. There was no one on the ice skating rink, but we could hear the sounds of people on it and see lines in the ice be created. Cars were driving by with no one in them. Something tried to move my seat then moved another one. All the people were here, we just couldn't see them. Katie jumped out of her seat. I grabbed her and sat her back down.
"Now listen to me, I need you to finish what you were just talking about."
"Why? Is that all you care about? Us? What people think about you? I'm starting to think you created this whole situation."
"No. I didn't. I fucking didn't. I want to see my family again as much as you do. But everytime we've talked about each other and this experence, things have been returning to normal! Can't you see? Everyone is here, we just can't see them."
"Oh..." she said stuned at my anger.
"Well I was just going to say that I've really learned from this, I'm glad it happened, and I'm glad we are friends. Thats all..."
Just then everyone appeared.
In a speech Abraham Lincoln delivered at the height of the Civil War, he referred to the southerners as fellow human brings who were in error. An elderly lady chastised him for not calling them irreconcilable enemies who must be destoryed. "Why, madam," Lincoln replied, "do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?"
(1 month later)
I sat thinking to myself. We were gone for almost a week, but everyone acted as though we weren't gone at all. I think our body's were in the real world but our souls somewhere else. I wished it happened anytime I had a problem, it would be nice to talk about problems without your enemy being there everytime. Since Katie was now my friend, I was now friend with her friends, and actually became quite close with the enemy, Emily, who had told Katie all these bad things in the first place. But unfortunatly, the story does not end there. Katie got so jelious that her friends hung out with me she started telling people the bullshit stories she originally heard from Emily and made some up herself. Her friends went with her, so I am back where I started it seems. However, I'm not done there. I enlisted the help of Emily, who hadn't fully gone against me for some reason. I told her not about the 5 days, but about what we talked about and how we became friends. She apologized for saying what she said. Finally, thats what I wanted to hear. We teamed up and used what Emily new to make Katie look foolish. Of course after that, none of us were ever friends again. Katie was mad at us, Emily was mad at me because she regreatted talking shit about her friend. I actually didn't care this time. I lost two friends, but those focus was not on me, and getting more friends would be much easier from now on. But thinking about it, maybe tring to get everyone to be my friend isn't the best idea.
"Lord, protect me from my friends; I can take care of my enemies."
Voltaire, 1694-1778
~Andy(Didn't fix the spelling. Sorry, the spell check button isn't working)
We walked up to the starbucks door. I walked up thinking "Falcon Punch!" while trying to push it open. It opened and we walked in. Katie turned the lights on.
"Now what?" she asked.
"Why don't you make us some coffee, you used to work here right? Or actually I hate coffee, do you know how to hit up a hot chocolete?"
"Wait... how did you know that?"
"How did I know what? That you worked here? I don't know actually, you just look like the type of chick that would work here."
She went behind the counter, giving me a look that she was clearly not satisfied with my answer. What made me mad is that I truely don't know how I knew she used to work here. I guess I must have saw it on facebook or something. Thats probably what made her mad; I friend requested her twice and she rejected both times.
She made herself some kind of girly latee and my hot chocolete. She put them on the table and sat across from me, staring at the floor. Since no one else was here, she had no where to go, and my hot chololete was too hot to drink yet, I decided to make it as awkward as possible.
"So..... whats the deal. How come you don't like me at all and I don't even really know you? What have you heard?"
"Andy, theres no one here. We are the only people on earth and your intentions are to sit down and talk about our problems? I'm not doing it."
"We'll this is your end of the deal. I'm leaving if you don't answer, because I would never get the chance to ask this is in real life."
"Emily to- told me some things. And thats not true. I think you could have asked me in real life!" she rushed, hastily trying to change the subject. "And besides, I just don't like you, I'm sorry."
"What do you mean? Like Like? I think theres been a misunderstanding. I knew that along time ago. I just can't stand when people don't like me as a person for no reason. I've been trying to figure out why we just can't be friends!"
I reached my hand out and she shook it. Gosh it was cold.
5 days passed and everyday we would just do the same thing, eat, talk, check the TV and radio, and go to Reston Town Center for any sign of people. As everyday passed though, I would learn more and more about her, and fell in love with her again. Of course being a male I wanted to know when we were going to repopulate the earth. But her mind was on something more important. She wanted to find a way out of here. We went to RTC, and as usual, no one. As each day passed strange things happened. We would hear noises, seemingly bump into invisable objects, and Katie swore she saw a car drive itself around my culdesac while she was on the porch. But this time, it was out of control. She started talking about good this experence for her was, and things went crazy. There was no one on the ice skating rink, but we could hear the sounds of people on it and see lines in the ice be created. Cars were driving by with no one in them. Something tried to move my seat then moved another one. All the people were here, we just couldn't see them. Katie jumped out of her seat. I grabbed her and sat her back down.
"Now listen to me, I need you to finish what you were just talking about."
"Why? Is that all you care about? Us? What people think about you? I'm starting to think you created this whole situation."
"No. I didn't. I fucking didn't. I want to see my family again as much as you do. But everytime we've talked about each other and this experence, things have been returning to normal! Can't you see? Everyone is here, we just can't see them."
"Oh..." she said stuned at my anger.
"Well I was just going to say that I've really learned from this, I'm glad it happened, and I'm glad we are friends. Thats all..."
Just then everyone appeared.
In a speech Abraham Lincoln delivered at the height of the Civil War, he referred to the southerners as fellow human brings who were in error. An elderly lady chastised him for not calling them irreconcilable enemies who must be destoryed. "Why, madam," Lincoln replied, "do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?"
(1 month later)
I sat thinking to myself. We were gone for almost a week, but everyone acted as though we weren't gone at all. I think our body's were in the real world but our souls somewhere else. I wished it happened anytime I had a problem, it would be nice to talk about problems without your enemy being there everytime. Since Katie was now my friend, I was now friend with her friends, and actually became quite close with the enemy, Emily, who had told Katie all these bad things in the first place. But unfortunatly, the story does not end there. Katie got so jelious that her friends hung out with me she started telling people the bullshit stories she originally heard from Emily and made some up herself. Her friends went with her, so I am back where I started it seems. However, I'm not done there. I enlisted the help of Emily, who hadn't fully gone against me for some reason. I told her not about the 5 days, but about what we talked about and how we became friends. She apologized for saying what she said. Finally, thats what I wanted to hear. We teamed up and used what Emily new to make Katie look foolish. Of course after that, none of us were ever friends again. Katie was mad at us, Emily was mad at me because she regreatted talking shit about her friend. I actually didn't care this time. I lost two friends, but those focus was not on me, and getting more friends would be much easier from now on. But thinking about it, maybe tring to get everyone to be my friend isn't the best idea.
"Lord, protect me from my friends; I can take care of my enemies."
Voltaire, 1694-1778
~Andy(Didn't fix the spelling. Sorry, the spell check button isn't working)
Monday, February 4, 2008
Once I see it, I must have it!
Episode 8: Getting what you want...
"Once I see something I want, I must have it."
I'm sure you've heard that in your life more then once. Sadly, I realized as I was daydreaming last night that I have never said that before. And probably because I haven't done it either. I've only tried really hard in my life to get something I really want once. Every other time I have made an excuse or thought of a reason I shouldn't do something. So I purposely screw up or stop to satisfy those conditions. Don't do that to yourself!
I decided that since I have never really done this before, I am going to test it first. I believe it works on both objects and people. So, there is something or someone I really want. And instead of giving up due to reasons, I will try! And not let anything change my mind! For this to be a success, 4 conditions must be met. 3 of them can be met at college and 1 of them must be met in Herndon. In future posts I will hope to let you know on the status of those conditions because I truely believe that if you put your mind to something you can do it. I know a lot of people say that and sometimes doubt it, but I would choose to believe it. Because not doing it doesn't work.
~Andy
"Once I see something I want, I must have it."
I'm sure you've heard that in your life more then once. Sadly, I realized as I was daydreaming last night that I have never said that before. And probably because I haven't done it either. I've only tried really hard in my life to get something I really want once. Every other time I have made an excuse or thought of a reason I shouldn't do something. So I purposely screw up or stop to satisfy those conditions. Don't do that to yourself!
I decided that since I have never really done this before, I am going to test it first. I believe it works on both objects and people. So, there is something or someone I really want. And instead of giving up due to reasons, I will try! And not let anything change my mind! For this to be a success, 4 conditions must be met. 3 of them can be met at college and 1 of them must be met in Herndon. In future posts I will hope to let you know on the status of those conditions because I truely believe that if you put your mind to something you can do it. I know a lot of people say that and sometimes doubt it, but I would choose to believe it. Because not doing it doesn't work.
~Andy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)