Voyeurism

   

 
As humans we are all voyeurs by nature. I am no exception. We sit and people watch at the mall. Observing these strangers we start to ask questions and imagine what their lives are like. What does that woman in sweat pants, with screaming children do all day? Why is this couple together, when one clearly seems to be better than the other? We then compile our minute data and come to conclusions. This desire to know more about our fellow man is apparent in almost all subjects. All scholars are essentially voyeurs trying to determine the reason and behavior of our species.

Psychology -one of the most fascinating classes I have ever had- represents this exceptionally well. It’s beginning stems from the desire to know more about people and why they are the way they are. We classify types of personalities, disorders, behaviors and attempt to come up with generalizations that are important to the function of people and society. The same can be said about Sociology and Anthropology. People enter these fields because their curiosity can not be satisfied with a simple “because that’s the way it is.”

For most people entire sectors of the world are impossible to watch and understand because of cultural and language barriers. This is why the study of foreign languages is so relevant. In business it is simply smart to not limit your clientele. It also feeds into the need to know people and what’s going on around us. Writing and English studies also have these types of interest. In an English class you may study a character from a book, play, or film in depth to learn more about the story, theme, or author. Analyzing the structure of a sentence may reveal a colloquialism or junction that says more than the words themselves.

The most interesting things are inextricable from the function and culture of man. We enjoy learning and discovering the what, who, where, how and why. So go on my fellow voyeurs (everyone) and watch the world(s) around you.

Dreams as a Refuge (for adventure)

    When the world is wanting I can always count on my dreams to give me refuge.  My dreams do not adhere to any of the laws. Truly anything can happen. Most of the time it does. Have you ever initiated a self destruct on a solar space station after being invaded by phosphorus based aliens and felt the debris as you escaped into a holographically generated ship? No. Well I have. And that dream is boring compared to others.
    That’s the type of dream I love. The extreme, fantastic, action oriented kind. The kind where I can manipulate my world. Fly on my fancy. Create fire in my hands. Move my surrounding. In my dreams I’m basically Merlin. I always wake from this type of dream inspired. Inspired to write, to paint, or just live more fully.

List of Greatest Dream (likely to inspire a novel):

1. Family of the Light/Family of the Dark: There was a familial personification of good and evil. A never ending family feud (with the cosmos at stake). Insert love story and you’ve got a great time.
2. Battle for the Station: Partially described above.
3. Indiana Jones Style: There was some type of governmental take over. Life is in martial law. A trip to an ancient temple with a talking idol sheds light on this sinister cycle starting at the dawn of time every so years the world is on the brink of destruction due to a malicious force. This time it was closer than ever before. We stop it.

    Ultimately sleeping is rarely restful. Life and I do not stop when my head hits the pillow. That would be too easy. Life goes on and my dreams continue to be a source of excitement and despair. It will always be my refuge.

Courage

cour·age/ˈkərij/

Noun:

The ability to do something that frightens one. Strength in the face of pain or grief

Courage is one of the most subjective qualities. It can get convoluted in the vanity of our culture but if we look to the definition the true concept of courage is the most admirable quality a person can possess. The idea of facing that which you fear or that which causes you pain is unbelievably out of character for our species. We are innately cowardly and fearful of well...everything. So if we can overcome this disability of our species it is a remarkable feat. We have grandiose connotations of courage. It's sneaking into a secret enemy base. It's running into a burning building to save a child. That is admirable and courageous but if we limit our attention to just that we miss some of the most honest actions of courage. It is courageous to face someone who hurt you. It is courageous to speak in class if you have a fear of public speaking. It is courageous to ask a girl to prom when you fear rejection. It is courageous to continue on, when someone special to you has passed. It is courageous to vocalize a dissenting opinion when you fear ostracism. Almost every day we display some level of courage. To simply live when we are innately cowardly and fearful is courage.

Fear of Flaws

    When asked to name our fears an endless list can be recited. Women, men, spiders, children, ghosts, the dark, failure, rejection etc. I’d wager that the most understated fear, one that encompasses many, is the one that afflicts and paralyzes all individuals. Ultimately we fear to reveal ourselves, flaws and all. We walk around with these facades of “perfection”, (remember perfection is like beauty; it’s in the eye of the beholder) constantly concealing the perceived blemishes. In essence this fear to live life as ourselves prevents us from attaining any satisfaction. When we play our characters we keep people at a distance. You can’t experience true intimacy (get your mind out of the gutter) if you hide part of your being.

We fear to have flaws because in our world of pretentious airs, flaws are a luxury we cannot afford. If you are less than perfect you won’t get the job, you won’t have friends, and you’ll die alone. How did this communal sense of inadequacy begin? Everyone is flawed. It’s a symptom of our species. Why do we continue to pretend? When all it does is cause us pain because we never succeed. This crippling fear just causes pain and loneliness for no one will ever know the real us and love us still. I offer this thought when you dwell on the fear and loathing you have for a flaw: perfection is boring; humanity is beautiful.

Days Without You

Author: Mirelka
 
I miss you so much day and night
I can't realise why you're gone
I just think I treat you right
but now I'm again alone

The days without you are so long
these days - without your kiss and smile
and I don't know what I've done wrong
I've been thinking of this for a while

A few questions that I need to know -
why does my heart feel so bad ?
why you could ever hurt me so ?
why can't I get you out of my head ?....

Now I'm standing here alone
with this weight upon my heart
wondering why you're gone
remembering our feelings from the start

In my mind I have all my memories in a range -
each moment spent with you
is unforgettable
but I can't realise what made you change
for me this is just un-get-able

I know I won't pull trough without you by my side
so baby come to me - don't run and hide
The only thing I want is to be with you
please honey - make my wish come true

Don't you know that you make my days count?
And I'm always happy when you're around
it doesn't matter what we do
as long as I'm here with YOU.

I'm not going to claim this is the greatest poem I have ever read. It's far from it actually it reads almost lyrically. I however really appreciate her honesty with her emotions. She doesn't attempt to mitigate what she is feeling or disguise it with ornamental language. This is how she feels period. More than that honesty, I think the subject of the poem is something nearly anyone can relate to. At some point everyone feels the loss.

    Another aspect that I like is that this woman is an unknown for all intents and purposes. We feel a connection with the words. It’s not shrouded or impeded by a big personality.

What are the conceivable uses for a feather? Most immediately, you might say for a bird to fly with. Any history or movie buffs, might also assert there function as a writing utensil. Academic or science oriented minds, might say they can act as illustrations of the power of gravity. It would take a truly creative mind to see a feather and move passed fixed functionality and see a potential canvas.
 

An art phenomenon gaining steam is an example for the possible invention of man. To make beauty from a cast off piece of an animal is remarkable. We as humans are capable or immeasurable creativity; what is old, simple, boring or common place that you can make beautiful? That is my challenge to you. Get out of your head and see passed inherent function and see how it can be more.

Women as Humans

A sliver of light shines through translucent curtains and illuminates a bruised face with deep set eyes radiating despair. She always knew her life would be like this. It was her mother’s life, her aunt’s, her neighbor’s, and her grandmother’s as well. It’s been this way for as long as anyone can remember. Yet she can’t help but yearn for more. For a life unencumbered by dated oppressive traditions and an existence where she has a voice that can be heard and respected outside the safety of her own mind. She does not wish to be treated as a man. Her only wish is to be treated as a human and to have those unalienable rights she was endowed with (as she is human) extended to her.
This fictional woman is only fiction on paper. Her plight is understood by women across the world. All cultures are guilty of the oppression of women, from the United States to Uganda. Not one country is innocent. This sin varies in severity from denial of equal pay to genital mutilation. Many first world countries have progressed to less violent forms of discrimination and are on their way to embracing women as equal members of the human race. However, women in less developed areas are still subject to extreme brutality in the name of tradition. Cultural customs like stoning a woman for being accused of infidelity, imprisonment for their own sexual assault, and female genital mutilation (most frequently practiced on young girls aged 0-15) are hard realities many women face. Practices like these treat women in an animalistic fashion; they stem from the idea that women are sub-human and require brutish force to control.

We live in a world where tolerance is the norm and the expectation is to leave cultures to live as they choose. This is a commendable concept and one that should be adhered to. However, tolerance and acceptance should not be blind to barbaric traditions like these. The battered woman described does not always have to be so. Her wounds will heal and she may begin to speak as she only dared to dream. Just as we involve ourselves in violations of human rights, we must deal with violation of women’s rights. They are not mutually exclusive. To be a woman is to be a member of the human race and no human deserves savagery reserved for these women.