You Mean “Being Realistic in a Very Unrealistic World…Right? ;)

I want to start out with a hand of applause for Sarah’s boldness in speaking of her escapades. Congratulations!

My initial intention in writing this post was to argue Sarah’s point. I was going to speak of the benefits that come from a realistic world and how pointless it is to live in a world where reality lays dormant. Then I had a wave of inspiration. It washed over me in the form of complete and thorough revelation. What has been revealed to me will now unfold before you in this post.

First of all I would like to make a revolutionary statement. We do not live in a realistic world these days. “What?” you may ask, “But I don’t talk to myself, or look for guys with pink hair. How am I unreal?” What Sarah called “unrealistic” is the true reality we left behind years ago at the invention of the television, and, later, the internet. Even back before the twentieth century we can find this true reality in comparison to the fake one we are now in.

Consider, for instance, the immensity of games out there. You could go to almost any store, pick out a cool video game, plug it into your game station when you got back home, and be immersed in a fake world for hours. Another escape from reality that comes to my mind is the deadly DVD. Pointless and stupid, it will take you on a journey through someone else’s life. For three hours, images formed by a series of three colored dots flashing across the screen almost at the speed of light will pull you away from reality sucking you into a totally fake world

I want to put into consideration what great strides we have made in producing better and more fun ways to enjoy our movies. Throwing away the old bulky television we have replaced it with a high definition version. “It is crystal clear” they say. We turned the rolling film into the VHS; we turned the VHS into the DVD; we turned the DVD into the blue ray and so on. We have essentialy upgraded what we think is so important ignoring the more practical and essential things. I have to drive over roads whose repairs and upgrades have been avoided altogether while I can go home and enjoy the best media has to offer. Do you see the comparison? What is fake and totally unreal has been built up for our comfort, but what is real and practical has been left to die.

Since Sarah’s idea of living is actually realistic and is totally not insane, I will refer to her idea as reality from now on.

So lastly, living this realistic life should be our goal. We need to throw away our pitiful media infested world for a life of imagination. Instead of going into the mall to see Avatar and what great quality it has, we need to look for ways to occupy our minds in this world right now. Go looking for a guy with pink hair. It might be a little bit strange, but at least it is a search for a real person in a real world. Talk to a person who doesn’t exist. At least, that person was produced by your imagination and not some screen. Be active in your thinking.

This is the way that kids back in the colonial days lived. They probably had as much fun with a rock as we do now with all of our games and movies. While there minds were being stretched and cultivated, ours are being compressed and gooified.

In conclusion, we live in a truly unrealistic world which lacks imagination and brainpower. Sarah’s desired kind of living is actually reality, but it was left to die countless years ago. We must re-awaken that kind of life for the sake of reality and sanity ;)

"Hanging Out" at the Mall

The first thing I think when I hear the word “Mall” is of punk skateboarders texting their friends, girls carrying hand bags stuffed to the brim with the latest in fashion, and a guy, hand in hand with his girlfriend, dragged through countless stores for no apparent reason. The Mall has become a hang out for the youth in our society. Friday night comes along, and school is out. The young people leave their homework for another time. Putting on heavy makeup, jelling back their hair, and wearing the coolest cloths, they head off to their weekend hang out; their home away from home: the mall.

I don’t think it is beneficial for the youth to hang out at the mall in their free time. In fact, in most cases, it is a total waste of time. Such ventures provide the younger generation with ample opportunity to be foolish and to gain bad habits for their adult life.

First of all, hanging out in malls can create rebellious teens. Let me give you a hypothetical example. Consider two young boys walking through a mall. They are free to go wherever they want and to look at whatever they desire. What’s to stop them from playing an “M” rated game that they know their moms would never approve of, or buying a few bad music CD’s, or going into some stores that they shouldn’t. They might even become apart of the wrong crowd. Suddenly stealing would become an option. Eventually their minds would be totally corrupted from all the bad influence, resulting in anger and rebellion which could devastate those around them.

Secondly, hanging out in malls can be a cause of bad financial habits for the future. Another scenario comes to my mind when I think of young people in a mall. Consider two young girls. Dressed up in pretty skirts, purses hung over their shoulders, the two make a trip to every store imaginable. If they happen to have a debit or credit card, the sky is the limit to their purchases. One pair of genes multiplies into several. One pair of shoes becomes two pairs. Ten dollars spent turns in to one hundred dollars spent. Suddenly they find themselves in a situation of major overspending. Now, overspending might not be the end of the world for these young girls. But what happens when they become adults and have a family of their own? Their husbands might be the only ones earning money, and might not even have a very big income. Suddenly fifty dollars out of the bank account could mean a month of only beans and rice or, worse, a life on the streets. Why should young people create bad habits that will affect them when they are adults?

Lastly, hanging out in malls eliminates the possibility of gaining skills. Imagine a group of youth going in and out of stores, spending endless ours looking at anything from phones to binge bag chairs. Half of the time they’ll stand around texting their friends about some cute guy, or the latest movie. In the end, they really don’t accomplish much for themselves. Yes, their time was spent enjoying friends and fooling around, but they missed out on learning something new. By “Something new” I don’t mean, “What new movie Gerard butler played in” or “the latest gossip about so and so”, but “How to cook” “How to fix a bike or car” “How to hang up blinds” “How to make a garden” “How to repair damages on a house” or less practical things like “how to defend one’s self against an attacker”, “how to weave a basket” “how to put together and fly an electric plane” “how to write a book” “how to run a marathon without having a heart attack” and other countless skills. Allowing the youth to roam around in malls creates a society of lazy, boring people.

Before I end this article I want to give a few positive words to the opposing view point. It isn’t all bad for youth to hang out at malls in their free time. But they must do so in moderation. Water is good and necessary for everyone, but when taken in excess it can kill. Spending some time in a mall is fine but if the younger generation is consumed in a life at the mall, trouble will arise. It may even cause permanent, future damage. So I am not completely against mall shopping as long as it is limited and, if possible, supervised.

Dogs Rule; Cats Drool

“Here kitty, kitty,” I called, clicking my tongue against the roof of my mouth. I was squatting on the kitchen floor beckoning an orange cat with my finger. “Noah, come hear, Please, I promise I won’t hurt you.” My voice was set in the annoying tone you hear parents use as they rebuke their three year old child. But not even that could get a response out of the stump before me. The cat licked his paw ignoring my call like I didn’t even exist. That was it. Enough was enough. “Just come on you dumb cat! I know you can hear me!” I yelled, more then annoyed at the prideful animal. The cat jolted off in a hurry scared by my voice. I stood up and glared at the dinning room table, “I hate cats.”

Before I continue this post I must say that the opinions expressed here come from a fervent dog lover. I am sorry for the feline prejudice, but my experience with cats has completely tainted my view of them. So please don’t take anything personally. Thanks.

Why oh why did God create Cats? They look down on the human race, tear up the furniture, and disobey every command given to them. There independent and prideful nature leave people like me scratching my head and wondering why they exist. Was it God’s joke to humanity? He thought that He would make a small, cute creature with claws and a horribly assertive disposition. I personally don’t think it is funny. Consider how impractical cats are in general. What do they do for us: Nothing. In fact, we do every thing just to make the ungrateful animals comfortable. All we get in response is scratch marks all over the face.

On the other hand, dogs are wonderful creatures. Their practicality, obedience, and intelligence put them high up on my list of respect. Just the idea of having a large powerful beast between me and any intruder is reason enough to get a dog. On top of that, they are a wonderful friend to live around listening to their owner’s problems with a kind pant and waging tail, and obeying him with loyal obedience. What is not to like about a dog? They are practical and yet great fun.

We once had a dog named Ritz. Before dying, he was a loyal watch dog. His kindness towards family and yet fierce behavior towards strangers was a testimony to his character. He always showed a desire for companionship by nuzzling my hand. At some points he would even lay his head against my lap and fall asleep. Anytime someone drove past or came up to the door he would always bark as if to say, “If you’re going to hurt my family you have to come through me.” When it came to running around out side, Ritz was a playful animal and would never give up a good chance at stealing a stick from my hand. He was a true dog: smart, fun to be around, and protective.

So in conclusion to this short article, I hate cats and love dogs. Now, it is your turn to decide what you think. Would you rather be with the fierce, yet obedient canine, or stuck up, self righteous feline? I can’t wait to hear your thoughts.

As a side note: the above article applies to only certain types of dogs. Poodles are surly not one of them. Thanks for reading!