I have often entertained the thought that in another life I might have been a huge activist who organized sit-ins, protested, toted petitions, and organized union drives. My upbringing seemed to have gone against any chance of me being any such person in this day and age yet I still seem to have a rally girl spirit. If something is not right and it's close enough to me I will stew and brood until I just have to say something or do something to point it out. There it is, the war protesting pacifist side (never of the radical persuasion, mind you) of me peeking out.
Just one example of passive-aggressive protest follows. (Here is where the casual uninterested blog stumbler begins to think this whole spiel is about how I withhold sex from my bed partner to get my way. Sorry folks, a typical cunniving woman I am not. I would gauge this example way lower on the spectrum than withholding carnal pleasures.) There are a number of televisions in the restaurant where I work. As I am server, I not only am in charge of turning them on in the morning, but I also field complaints and requests about what chanels they are tuned to. Also; occasionally, a customer will engage me in conversation about what may be happening on the screen.
There are rules about the televisions. They have predisposed channels each one is to be tuned to, and must always stay muted. These are based on preferences set up by the owner and the manager jointly. One of these televisions must always be tuned to Fox News. Mind you, it is the one that is most viewable to patrons of the establishment. This is the television that is most often the subject of attention and comment from the customers. How do I say this nicely? Engaging in conversations about the opinions expressed by the personalities on the Fox News Chanel can easily be the difference between me getting a tip or a disapproving glare and religious track in place of the former.
I like to make sure this television is tuned to either HGTV or the Travel Chanel just so I don't have to think about it anymore. On a lucky day, no one with remote privleges notices. I'm just saying. The owner of the restaurant seems to be intent on forcing his views on customers as they ingest reasonably priced Italian food. NO, I must retract the last point because I happen to know it has never once entered his mind that the folks in his own back yard would not have the same views and opinions that he has. In fact, the main reason why I am so annoyed by the news channel is because of one such incident where a member of his management mentioned something I felt was borderline racist when we had barely just met. What kind of person starts even an employer-employee relationship with something like that unless they assume there is zero chance of disagreement.
Yes, this is the part where I curse the conservative land in which I live. I am finding it harder to bite my tongue any longer. The fact that the popular opinion is the only one that is unquestionable causes me to slip in little nuggets of anti-conservatism to the young minds that wander in my midst. Why should it be all Jesus and conformance all the time? I am in some cases a more compassionate, loving, and law abiding person than those who stand steadfastly on the cross. I would say that means that we do not need a fear of god almighty to do the right thing. All acts good and evil are a result of human nature and not the direct influence of good or evil forces. What is the difference? Intent and rationalization. Intent is what you thought the result of the action was going to yield. Rationalization is the motivation you reason out after the results of said action are in so as to prove intent in favor of the questioning party or whatever party you fancy might question your motivation or intent.
Just so we can cut trough the crap guys, I will just let it be known that the only reason anyone does anything is sex. I learned that by watching MASH and so far, it holds true. I have no plans to become or adopt Tyler Durden and begin splicing images of penises into popular news channels, but I can fantasize about a world where such things are possible and settle for my minor little quirky ways of introducing chaos.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Get Rosewater
Currently reading Vonnegut's "God Bless You, Mr Rosewater" and starting to realize that even in my own simplistic effort to love everybody, there is room for more unconditional-ness in my affection. Elliot, the main character truly loves everybody. He is literally filthy rich and the world was handed to him on a silver platter yet he rejected it. Money is nothing to him and not just because he has been there and done it. He doesn't pity his proteges of Rosewater, he just gives them a break because he wholeheartedly believes everyone deserves one.
Here is a character that has all the makings of a rebellious youth. The only thing missing? Intent. He drives his father mad with his (in the father's opinion) nere do well ways without even thinking about it. He upsets the natural order of things in a way that is almost poetic. He is the chairman of a foundation that was supposed to be a mock set up for tax reasons and he helps people. He doesn't make them fill out paperwork or jump through hoops, he just listens, then helps them. Sometimes it's with money, sometimes he just gives them a pat on the head a glass of water and sends them back to bed.
Wouldn't we all love to be bold and openly oust economy and society? Think about it. How does economy run? Some people have a lot (more than any one person should need or consume in one lifetime in some cases), they run things. Some people have a little, we call them middle class (if you're lucky enough to be lower middle class, you get to be the one who pays for everything) these are your intelligent folk who have blue collar/white collar jobs. Then you have those who have just barely more than nothing. They are the lowest, the undesirables in the opinion of the establishment. What if someone in a high position treated them all the same? Chaos! Anarchy! In internet speak WTF! (The kind of shit that pisses off the elite of the world, they call it terrorism sometimes.)
Elliot Rosewater is regarded as mentally ill, and IS mentally ill but I don't think it's a bad thing. I would love to have the naivete it would take to love unconditionally like a child. To be able to care openly for even the most undesirable person or animal. The poor ragga-muffin halfbreed, half-wit bumbling morons of the world that we are predisposed to pity and look down upon rather than cherish as another life. I would love to be motivated to give them the break that no one has ever given them and to do it without mentally chalking a line on the cosmic karma wall for having done so (hell to even evade chalking one of for having thought of doing so). Alas, I am only human, and humanity is full of blood, semen, scabs, and filth none of which can we ignore or deny, so I succumb to my instinct and curl my lip without a second thought.
In short I guess all I'm saying is, we are all born and we all die. The shit that happens in between is really up to you. Forget class, race, religion, fashion and all that other shit. Just decided who you are, and be you. Oh, and try to remember that it takes all kinds to make this ginormous rock go round.
Here is a character that has all the makings of a rebellious youth. The only thing missing? Intent. He drives his father mad with his (in the father's opinion) nere do well ways without even thinking about it. He upsets the natural order of things in a way that is almost poetic. He is the chairman of a foundation that was supposed to be a mock set up for tax reasons and he helps people. He doesn't make them fill out paperwork or jump through hoops, he just listens, then helps them. Sometimes it's with money, sometimes he just gives them a pat on the head a glass of water and sends them back to bed.
Wouldn't we all love to be bold and openly oust economy and society? Think about it. How does economy run? Some people have a lot (more than any one person should need or consume in one lifetime in some cases), they run things. Some people have a little, we call them middle class (if you're lucky enough to be lower middle class, you get to be the one who pays for everything) these are your intelligent folk who have blue collar/white collar jobs. Then you have those who have just barely more than nothing. They are the lowest, the undesirables in the opinion of the establishment. What if someone in a high position treated them all the same? Chaos! Anarchy! In internet speak WTF! (The kind of shit that pisses off the elite of the world, they call it terrorism sometimes.)
Elliot Rosewater is regarded as mentally ill, and IS mentally ill but I don't think it's a bad thing. I would love to have the naivete it would take to love unconditionally like a child. To be able to care openly for even the most undesirable person or animal. The poor ragga-muffin halfbreed, half-wit bumbling morons of the world that we are predisposed to pity and look down upon rather than cherish as another life. I would love to be motivated to give them the break that no one has ever given them and to do it without mentally chalking a line on the cosmic karma wall for having done so (hell to even evade chalking one of for having thought of doing so). Alas, I am only human, and humanity is full of blood, semen, scabs, and filth none of which can we ignore or deny, so I succumb to my instinct and curl my lip without a second thought.
In short I guess all I'm saying is, we are all born and we all die. The shit that happens in between is really up to you. Forget class, race, religion, fashion and all that other shit. Just decided who you are, and be you. Oh, and try to remember that it takes all kinds to make this ginormous rock go round.
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