Innocence, In a Sense

We are all heroes, aren't we? All of us are saints with nothing but good intentions. Accuse me of wrongdoing? How dare you!

You must hold a shield to defend yourself from the evils of this world. Tell us, please, what the sword in your opposite hand is for. No, you keep the sword a secret. Those beneath you need no explanation as to its utility. You use it to cut them down. Keep them subdued. A voice is a threat. Dissenters mustn't be heard. So, keep the peasants in their places while your people praise the massacre.

Five

"There is a loneliness in this world
So great that you can see it in the slow movement of the hands of a clock
People so tired, mutilated, either by love or no love.
People just are not good to each other.
We are afraid.
Our educational system tells us that we can all be big winners
But it hasn't told us about the gutters or the suicides.
Or the terror of one person aching in one place
Alone, untouched, and unspoken to.

People are not good to each other.

People are not good to each other."

-Charles Bukowski

Straight Lines

Whenever I'm driving I get frustrated with the cars who feel the need to pass me despite the fact that I'm already going (or maybe even slightly exceeding) the speed limit. We get it, your car is fast. What are you always in such a hurry for? What is it that's worth risking a speeding ticket for? Slow down.

People are always in such a hurry to get from point A to B. They become so obsessed with the destination that they forget what's in between. Well what's in between is life and no one seems to slow down and enjoy that anymore. Everyone says they just want to be done with high school. Everyone wants to go to college. Well what are you gonna do when you're sick of college? What about when you're sick of your job? Eventually we get sick of life.

So slow down. Take your eyes off of the destination and look at what's around you. You may find that you've made quite a mess of where you are with your neglect and tunnel vision. You may find that there are some sights worth seeing along the way. You may find that the countryside is beautiful and you've been missing out.

Mercantilism

If you love something, let it go... unless it loves you back. Then, my friend, hold on for dear life. Whatever it is is worth more than anything in this world. It is a lifelong search completed. An elusive dream of the masses. Reciprocation is what we strive for. Love is not an investment. Do not waste it on those who do not appreciate it.

To the receivers, appreciate those who give. Don't reward kindness with animosity, good intentions with put downs, a kind word with a call out. You are not that important, you are not that cool, you are not that pretty. People will take abuse from a pretty face. This phenomenon has perplexed me for quite some time. Is a flower's poison any less deadly than that of a venomous snake? Obsessions with appearance and status: they're all around us. We are blinded by it.

We commend evil. We reward it. We shower it with attention as long as it benefits us in return. Doesn't anyone ever stop to ask why anymore?

Immerse yourself in love as Thom Yorke taught us. Screw these status symbols. Screw wasting time struggling along the long road to the middle. I don't have to earn anyone's approval. I don't have to earn anyone's love. Your condescending way of life no longer phases me. I am who I am, where I am, when I am. And I am okay with that.