Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Reality Bites

I woke up this morning with a pounding headache and an itchy knee-pit. What happened last night? Well, celebrations were in order for our emancipation from ¨the Loft¨. That´s what happened.

We dined, wined, and pined into the wee hours of the morn. We discussed politics, philosophy, and the perpetual pendulum shift We chatted about what/who we want to be when we grow up, potential business endeavours, ans how strawberry champagne tastes like strawberries. We were reacquainted with our terrace, a missed luxury, and our annoying, blood-thirsty friends.

How do I reiterate our discussions when the topics varied from toe-jam to existential properties of Quantum mechanics?

Let me just summarize our discussion by saying that I came to the conclusion that reality is not that bad. Each person´s reality is a subjective experience. From the very rich to the very poor, life seems to be full of problems. Even for the average bear, hard times can range from not having enough to pay back one´s credit card to missing one´s morning coffee. I can´t help but hope that this could be something positive.

I was watching Serenity the other night (yes, with Spanish subtitles) and the Reavers were one of the bad guys in the plot: Ravenous, tortuous, sub-human beings with a flavour for pilaging and killing. The creation of Reavers was not spontaneous evolution. Instead, this type of sub-human was created by other humans thinking they could change people. These pompous sub-deities pumped a type of chemical into a community´s air-system that was meant to weed out aggression in the population. It worked and the people stopped fighting. Everything. They stopped fighting the urge to eat, the necessity to procreate, the want to live. The other half had the reverse effect and became super aggressive Reavers. But, Joss Whedon had a point. What does complacency do to a population? How could contentment be blissful? Problems, whether it´s fighting one´s conscience or with one´s best friend, has been the driving force of our own creativity.

We are naturally tortured souls because we have souls. Life is not about the four F´s, there´s something more to humans that borders the divine. So, those with truly trivial problems, should embrace them and realize that they are there to help motivate us, in some way or another. I'm not going to get high and mighty by saying that there are those out there with real problems, like feeding their families. Every person's problems stir an emotion inside for legitimate reasons, whether vanity or neuroticism. I guess it´s easier to proclaim that we should all embrace our lows, but, as Tobin said to me, ´the good times never last, but neither do the bad times. The bad times are there to show you how good the good times really are.´

Even those that don´t have a lot of money are able to appreciate decadence in the simplest form, because that is also subjective. The rich splurge on yachts and the poor splurge on meat. I´m not saying that it´s a perfect world, I´m just telling you how I have seen it. As you know me, I am hopeful for a day when everything basic would be provided so that society's individuals can focus on true creativity and innovation. Sometimes, though, I question if we would be motivated to do what we want to do if we didn´t have problems nipping at our heels.

I think we would. We would get bored of being bored.

Cheers to my trivial tribulations.

6 comments:

  1. Hey what the "H" are you talking about, why were you confined to the "loft". The rest of the tirade is good. Oh, I've sent you more baby pics, did you get them?
    You must be settle in, you've confined yourself to facebook and blogging.

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  2. haha! Everyone, this is my mom. Yes, I have been busy, mama. Trying to figure this city out. Will call you soon. Mucho love.

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  3. *sighs* the commentary found in Serenity is so much more than the necessity of problems. The Reavers were created, but doesn't make the baddies. The ones that removed the free will, the idea that people can be made better being ludicrous is the greatest comment found in Serenity. Mal was never meant to be a leader, but he became one for a cause that was lost due to better fighters with more money. Historically humans have never like free will to be tampered with and will fight. And that's what the brown coats represent the revolutionaries. That's why they are called the Independents. Young River said it best when she said in the movie that the fight was because the Alliance meddles, they're in their homes and in their heads and they haven't the right. Yes, humans tend to be the creators of their own problems, but problems aren't the whole to their existence. I do believe that if we as a society looked beyond the problems the solution would be their, but it's not for me to interfere with their free will, all I can do is be patient and perhaps we shall learn. But kudos for watching Serenity!! "Can't stop the signal" as I like to say ;o) Love you lots!

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  4. My favourite quote is "your perception is your reality"
    No life goes unstained...but what are you going to be? Bitter or Better?

    Keep up the bloggin lady!! :)

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  5. @ Sam: Great points! However, the reason I only focused on one issue in the movie was to raise the clout in my argument. You know the movie inside out, I will reserve that bit for you :)

    @ Mel: How true? But, I have met some incredible bitter people and really boring better people. I think that's what makes humans so interesting...

    @ all: Thanks for following my thoughts!

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