Time and life ramblings

my, my

  Where has the time gone? When you’re a child, it feels time moves as fast as a snail. You can’t wait to grow up and be someone. You’re told you can be whatever you want to be. There are no out of reach dreams, just a steep climb.

  Then you reach your late teens, people around you start saying to think realistically. Then comes your twenties, a time where people say dreams and hopes are for children. If you haven’t found your scene by now, it’s too late. You’re too old to still be searching for something.

  As a child, I believed just about anything was possible. That we all can do great things. Growing older that “magic” of life unravels from time to time. Sometimes hard work doesn’t pay off. Regardless of how much you try at things, you just won’t succeed. At other times maybe you’ll catch a victory.

  There are two quotes that I have been thinking about recently.

  The first comes from an older television show:

• Life isn’t black and white, it’s gray.

  This sums up the way of the world in my opinion. Things are very rarely ever cut and dry. I feel we should always remember this.

  The second quote comes from the excellent song “Ambling Alp” by the band Yeasayer. In it they sing:

• The world can be an unfair place at times, but you’re lows will have a compliment of highs. If anyone should cheat you, take advantage of or beat you raise your head and wear your wounds with pride.

  This is about all you can do. As I get older my feelings about life changes all the time. Is it amazing? Sometimes. Can it make you want to throw in the towel? Most definitely 

  Ultimately it is what it is. For the most part I believe you should try to find something that makes life happier for yourself. Being young and miserable all the time is one thing, but feeling more and more miserable as you age is not in the least romantic.

  Anyway, I know this is kind of a long post, but hey, that’s the way it is.

Got a story idea...

     The first story follows a man moving from a small town in the midwest to a large booming city(preferably in the south) to help run his Uncles record store. The story would follow him from the time of January 1980 to December 2001. It would explore his life as he adapts at first to the culture shock. However, as time continues he becomes more comfortable and is able to make a name for himself, especially after his Uncle dies and leaves him the record store. He struggles at first keeping the store afloat, and with the popularity of these new "compact discs" the business begins to falter. After bringing in another family member they decide to cash in and stock these 'cds'. Some time passes and business booms again. Throughout the 80s the main character would achieve some kind of success. However, once the 90s begin, times will have changed. The decline of the record store and the rise of the Internet nearly destroy the business. We see the store struggle to survive to the new millennium, and at the end of the story the character decides to sell the record shop to an organic foods grocery store. This allows him to take a vacation back to the midwestern town he left 21 years earlier.
     In the midst of this we see the character and his friends and family react to the various societal changes. We could explore the beginning of the video game rise in the 80s, the late 80s vinyl bust, and incorporate the varied music of the 80s and 90s. Also would want to include several historical events including: the Challenger disaster, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Grunge scene, Desert Storm, the rise of the Internet, the Bill Clinton fiasco, Y2K and the story would end shortly after 9/11. There would definitely be comedy thrown in, but ultimately be kind of genreless. You would be seeing a character and the supporting cast grow older and change over the course of two decades.

Anyway, that's one of the story ideas I have so far. If anyone reads this and has anything to add please don't hesitate to do so!

Which One? picture

Rid The Horns - poem/song

This is loosely inspired by the Great Depression and Great Recession.

Lost my job, took my car, took my home.
The banks bailed out yet they still foreclosed.
No remorse from Wall Street.
They can't be told no.
While they party with a bonus I paid for.
I'm out here foraging for food.
Tell me, how is that fair in a sensible world.
Where the quality of my life is determined by a bull.
Should have never been let loose.
Now they're too big to prosecute.
Need to rip the horns out and watch him croak.

Make a new home by the river.
I don't care if the economy gets better.
Big brother can give him all the money he wants.
If I'm not important enough to be saved.
Then I'm done playing these games.
We figured you out, you've got caught.
Tell me, how is that fair in a sensible world.
Where the quality of my life is determined by a bull.
Should have never been let loose.
Now they're too big to prosecute.
Need to rip the horns out and watch him croak.

Could the system be fixed?
Needs a deep cleaning and a whole lot of common sense.
With some work we might get it on a right track.
All this speculation needs to go.
No room in this rodeo.
A new bull in town is ready to fight back.
Tell me, how is that fair in a sensible world.
Where the quality of my life is determined by a bull.
Should have never been let loose.
Now they're too big to prosecute.
Need to rip the horns out and watch him croak.

The Winner - poem

I like watching the trains in the yard.
Loading up and speeding out into the dark.
My only wish is to be on one.
Run past the fences and dodge the security guard.
Run up beside and jump into the boxcar.
I don't care where it's going, if the ride is long.
From this town I've been banished.
They were too scared of understanding.
Who knew differing ideas would lead to trouble.
As quick as lightning.
Took to the street rioting.
But it only seemed to hurt my cause.
Now my eyes are back on these trains.
Bailing is sounding good again.
Maybe the next place will welcome me with open arms.
Succeeding will make them look like fools.
After all, they tried destroying my tools.
Revenge could be swift, but the gloating is better in the long run.
I can be kicked out.
Friends threatened with death if I'm even thought about.
Should know better than to push too much.
You've seen what it can do.
Turns the crowd against you.
And I win by playing the victim.

Unfinished poem, but coming along

The city lights, are blocking out the sky.
Holds no remorse, we came chasing the pie.
Our own faults, for having that spark lit in our eye.
Believing we are bigger than life.
The city doesn't care for us.
Wants our money then helps us die.

The shops are an illusion.
A front for a capitalist collusion.
Marketed towards hipster fads and ideas.
The new way of thinking has been created by those pigs.
Taken the city by storm.
Inviting their guineas to become residents.

There's graffiti on the 1st street bridge.
Downtown's become a center for pro gentrification.
Corner's littered with big box stores selling health foods.
Farmers markets being shunned because they're not hip and cool.
Brick buildings have been replaced with glass.
Homeless being marched out of town by a wealthier class.

Did Not Answer - poem/song

I hear the bell ring.
As I'm climbing the stairs.
Walk through an empty hallway.
Towards the lab to see if anyone's there.
Hope I'm the first to get back.
Can't stand those awkward stares.
Take a big deep breath.
Reach the corner, on my last steps.
The faces inside hold the torments.

Struggle every day.
With my own demons.
Forced to interact.
With people who just encourage it.
Wears a person down.
Like your not worthy of being human.
I pray that they get theirs.
An unpleasant surprise from their maker.
To feel what it's like to suffer.

They say you are your own worst enemy.
Well today that's true.
Always results with a loss somewhere.
Communities frantically looking for clues.
Always a could have, never a should have.
Compassion can't be taught, should always be part of you.
Be a friend when one is needed.
Who doesn't need someone to listen?
Who doesn't need a friend?