The Best of "Goddamnit" or "Fucking Hell"?

Today, we will be revisiting the various posts that I have made on this blog.  I have included a short outline of the posts, ranked in descending order of best to less-than-best-but-still-awesome:

1. My Father
2. Who's Right
3. I got bored in some class.
4. Attempt
5. It is unbecoming for young men to utter maxims
6. You're such a Narcissist

If you have any other things you can recall from my time as a blogger that you loved either as much as or more than what I have listed here, don't hesitate to comment.  So, onward to the explanations.

1. My Father - This is just one well-written piece, here.   It exclaims logically, quietly, and effectively my feelings for my father and my station in my family.  If I am ever asked to tell how my father has affected my life, I will cite this post.  Also, I feel that I should include a new scene that is shaping my consideration of my father. Here:

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2. Who's Right - The first existential rant.  I garnered a fair bit of attention with this after commenting on Nerstes's blog.  In fact, I think that this post (and my stuff about Pink Floyd) gained me the friendship of Nerstes, Micky, maybe even Billy.  And I am grateful for that.  This references nihilism and Naruto.  What could be a better combination?
3. I got bored in some class. - Oh poetry.  What more can I say than that I love these poems of mine and would like to reform these pieces to give certain parts of them more power.  But I am afraid I might ruin them. I'm also less-than-motivated to rewrite these.
4. Attempt - Again, poetry.  This references the self and the mind--how some things are just too thought-provoking. And how the mind is a wealth of power.
5. It is unbecoming for young men to utter maxims - Motivation, questions, Coldplay, role-playing about being young.  What more do you want? I know that I have had a great many rants and incongruous streams of consciousness on here.  They gave me an outlet to face the world.  A productive outlet, at that.  Because I did not mess up my life with existential, nihilistic, paroxysms (Vocab word ftw).  This rant seemed somewhat to make sense.  And I greatly enjoyed writing the dialogue.  It made me feel so justified.
6. You're such a Narcissist - This one is last, because it is not so awesome.  A picture of Narcissus, a tale about what my life is and what is "necessary".  With all the feedback, I realised that I was living on idealism and decided that the post was somewhat stupid.  But I felt like I needed to exposit some things--and a minimalist/survivalist approach seemed appropriate.  I included this last one to show that I am far from infallible and have learned from you all.  

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I hope that you all have enjoyed this trip down memory lane (or exploration into deep depths that was made easier by a tour guide).  Feedback is appreciated.  And again, you may consider other posts of mine to be better.  I just reread through the blog before writing this post, and I felt like doing a little review that would elucidate some of my blog to new readers and those that have not read the blog in its entirety. 

I just realised that I have made 118 posts prior to this one and we are just past the one-year mark.  Thank you for your interest and loyalty.  I love you all.

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

 

desiderata - max ehrmann - 1927

Mitchell Heisman

Article about it

IT

So, I think that I should read this.  But, I do not like reading big huge books that I can only access as .pdfs.  What i've read so far is kind of... AWEsome.  But i don't want to read 1905 pages...

Uncertain of uncertainty, skeptical of skepticism, it seems
that the most important question is whether there is an
important question. The only serious question is whether
there is anything to take seriously. What has previously been
considered of value or importance appears as only an
expression of myth, bias…error.

 And then of course.

We open the successive doors in Bluebeard’s castle because
“they are there,” because each leads to the next by a logic of
intensification which is that of the mind’s own awareness of
being. To leave one door closed would be not only
cowardice but a betrayal—radical, self-mutilating—of the
inquisitive, probing, forward-tensed stance of our species.
We are hunters after reality, wherever it may lead. The risk,
the disasters incurred are flagrant. But so is, or has been
until very recently, the axiomatic assumption and a priori of
our civilization, which holds that man and truth are
companions, that their roads lie forward and are
dialectically cognate….We cannot turn back. We cannot
choose the dreams of unknowing. We shall, I expect, open
the last door in the castle even if it leads, perhaps because it
leads, onto realities which are beyond the reach of human
comprehension and control. We shall do so with that
desolate clairvoyance, so marvelously rendered in Bartók’s
music, because opening doors is the tragic merit of our
identity.

This stuff is pretty interesting.  See, this is how i want to spend my hours.  Reading, proliferating knowledge or examination, speculating.  Not just constantly following the rules of a society.  It is a selfish desire, but do you think we could perhaps stop the equivocating--at least for certain people?  I don't want any change.  I truly don't.  But i have to question.  And analyze.  And sift.  So that I can be power.  So that I can distinguish.  So that I can.

I want new.  I don't want, "Oh, you have to check yourself based on this event/phenomenon/rule."  I want creativity.  I want imagination.  I want the right-brain, uncentrifuged by the left-brain; then I want the left-brain.  Stop taking from the ism and start feeding your own ism.  But make sure it isn't an ism.  Make sure that you don't tie it down.  Make sure that it can live on its own--with the back-up of the national internationality of self.  Let it draw from every idea, ever.  Let it so remain.  Then let it be destroyed.  Let water into it, and have it degrade.  Let the sun melt it, turn it white, and nourish.  Let the flies have it.  Then make a new one.  Then decide that you want the old one back.  Clean it up a bit.  Then decide on the other, of whichever other you have.  Then merge the two.  And repeat.  Invent.

It is unbecoming for young men to utter maxims

It's going to get better.  It will, it will.  Don't worry about the loneliness; don't worry about the pain.  Forget the boredom for it will be alright.  Hush, hush.  Don't make me come over there.  If you... if you want, we could be friends.  But i have to tell you that i don't know why.  Do you know why?  my only answer is because.  But that is not an answer at all.  Why? because.  What?  whatnot.  Who? no one and yet everyone.  There is a plurality and duality in all things.  And yet, it is all simply one.

So come over, just be patient, and don't worry.  At night, they would go walking til the breaking of the day.  The morning is for sleeping.  Through the dark streets they'd go searching to see God in their own way.  Save the night time for your weeping, your weeping.  Singing la la la la la la ehh. And the night over London lay.

And it was all yellow.

Is that quite necessary?  Yes, quite.  Ma'am, if you have a problem with my presence, there is no reason you need stay.  Well I never! What impudence!  Young man, do you realize that I am your superior--that i am better than you?  No ma'am, I did not realize any such falsity.  Hmmph, where do you young people get off being this rude?  Wherever did you learn this?  We learned it from you ma'am.  And from books and television.  if you don't like the way the world is going, why don't you try to change it?  There is nothing you can do, but at least you might feel like you've accomplished something at night, rather than knowing that you are a failure.  But if you ask me, you will always be a failure, just like i am a failure.  There is no such thing as success.  Have you not learned that yet?