Crushing it?

Can we just take a minute to talk about Candy Crush? I just downloaded the game last week, and I realize that for some people I’m over a year late to the party, but for me, I’m right on time. If that time were hell. And if by “being right on time” meant “being trapped in the same circle of hell for years”. For you see, my dear friends. I have been caught up in the seemingly simple simplicity of this game. Everything starts out well and you breeze through levels. But then it happens. You fail. You get stuck. You do not pass Go and collect $200. So you repeat the level again and cross your fingers. Maybe you pass and go on to live another day. Unfortunately, I am not one of those lucky few. I get stuck on a level for hours, sometimes days. I set alarms so I know when a life restores. I annoy my friends on Facebook with game requests with the tiny hope that their aggravation could somehow help me to gain more lives. I’ve even gone so far as to buy lives with the small amount of gold I was given at the beginning of this torture. 

I would like to applaud the creators of Candy Crush Saga for making a highly addictive game that I simply cannot stop obsessing over and playing. I’m serious. I’ve tried to stop and it’s just not something I can handle at this moment in my life. It’s almost like crack cocaine, but kid-friendly. After all, who doesn’t love candy?

The Joys of Technology

Recently, I’ve been watching the Netflix original series House of Cards, not only to orient myself with the inter-workings of the politics of Washington, D.C., but also because, let’s face it, it’s incredibly addictive. One thing I’ve learned from HOF, other than how to be ruthlessly cutthroat while speaking in a slightly off gentile Southern accent, is how accessible the news can be. Go-getting journalist Zoe Barnes, played by the incomparable Kate Mara, after being fired from a traditionally respectable job at The Washington Post begins working for a more 21st century news company that allows workers to post stories directly from their phones. Their goal is reporting the news and making content as soon as it happens.

What a great idea. What if every story was magically accessible at the tip of your fingers? Imagine the progress we could make if everything was readily accessible. 

But, what will we actually use it for? Twitter. Or Facebook. Or Instagram. Or pinning hundreds of photos of our dream wedding. Or cats doing somersaults. 

The point I’m trying to make, and yes, there is one, is that with everything so accessible, I can now write more. So that’s what going to happen. Whenever I get a second, I’ll write and reflect. It might make for some crazy and disorganized content, or it might make for some new insights. Who knows?

What even?

I was just thinking….what does this all even mean? Not in some existential way, like “why are we all here?” or “why does the universe exist?” or “why can’t gas be $1?”. But in an honest-to-god way. Like, if everyone just decided that they weren’t going to pay attention to traffic lights, would the world implode? Or if everybody decided that a college degree wasn’t “THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO DO AFTER HIGH SCHOOL”, would we all make our own decisions about what to do at 18? Or even bigger, if people decided that getting the highest paying job and working long hours wasn’t the ultimate goal? What if people were nicer to each other instead of being cutthroat to the point of completely isolating themselves from anyone who could give a damn about them? I’ll bet you’re wondering why this random thought/post has occurred. Especially because it’s been a little bit over a year since I’ve contributed even the tiniest drop. To be honest, I’m just as confused as you are. Maybe it’s because this is the best way to deal. Not only with “the great issues of the world” but with the massive amount of pressure I feel everyday. And also I figure that hashing out my struggles on the Internet is a much better idea then talking to an actual person. Oh, and it keeps me sane. And alive. So I ask again into the void that is the Internet, what even?

Could yolo have a meaning?

So I was just thinking…could yolo actually have a meaning? Now, before you roll your eyes and say “oh no, just another person trying to be cool” and skip past, just wait one second for me to explain. Yolo means “You Only Live Once” right? If you ignore the fact the phrase came from a popular rap song and actually look at the words, you realize Drake actually had a point. No, not the obvious, but the fact that you only have one chance to live your life. You only have one life to take that trip or talk to that person you’ve been in love with since highschool. So, why are you waiting? “Life is too short, and death is too long” to be wasting it on “what if’s?”. It’s time to be proactive and start living every day like its your last. Because, you never know, it could be. And even if it’s not, you know you don’t want to spend the rest of your life wishing you had stopped worrying and just gone for it. So why not? Do that thing you have been debating on doing for so long! And, who knows? You could find something you never knew was there. So, why wait?

Walking

So I was just thinking…how come I, a female, am not allowed to walk around outside of my house alone because its “unsafe”, but my brother can go to East Jesus Land and back? Does being a guy magically make you untouchable? No. Not the last time I checked it didn’t. Before you start screaming at me, I do understand that guys are generally bigger and stronger and could therefore eliminate possible threats easier than girls, but it doesn’t make you invincible. And, adding one guy to a group of girls does not automatically make everyone in the group “invincible” as well. If a group of people decided that they were going to jump you, having one guy would not magically make your odds go from “never-going-to-win” to “ohmygod-I’m-suddenly-Superman”. The fact is, if someone wants to attack you, they will. And the only way to be safe is to be prepared for it. And if that doesn’t work, you can always try your hand at long-term sprints…you never know. You might end up a track star.

Colours

So I was just thinking…what if the colours we see are different from the colours the person next to us sees? This idea was inspired by a video I watched on YouTube during a recent YouTube spiral, aka that moment when watching one video has turned into four hours of watching “suggested videos”. If those didn’t exist I’m pretty sure all of us would spend 99% less time on the site. But anyways, back to perception. What if everyone saw a different shade of the colour but we all gave it the same name because that was the agreed upon title? What if the only reason we think that something is blue is because we as a society have mutually agreed that it is? What if I see the grass as red, you see it as purple, and only 20% of people actually see it as green? But since those people have more power, or louder mouths, the “official” colour of the grass is green. Now apply this to everything in life and you could be considered a certified conspiracist. But, if you think about it in just small doses, you could be diagnosed as only slightly paranoid. And, in the end, isn’t that what we all strive to be?

Back in the States

So I was just thinking…life in America is so fast-paced. People need to learn to sit back, put their feet up, and just relax. I recently returned from Central America where I had one of the best times in my life..until the end. Long story short, we were all having fun and enjoying that Pura Vida life when we got put on lockdown. I’m talking that James Franco movie, 127 Hours, lockdown. It was serious. Well, for them, not the people punished. We, being the geniuses we are, began to make a documentary about our time in captivity in beautiful Central America. We entitled in “112 Hours of Hell”. It’s sure to win awards. Basically we all filmed parts of our daily lives that were constantly supervised, and sent them to one person who will put them together into an Emmy Award-winning documentary. Look for it on this year’s ballot, because I’m 100% sure it will be there. We are just those types of people. Other than that, the trip was great and so was the sun. I am officially “sun-kissed” and absolutely loving it. I also now speak much more Spanish. Thanks to everyone who made the trip amazing and shout-out to the people who helped inspire us to make our film! Be seeing you real soon…

Hellooo

So I was just thinking…what if I started a blog? I’ve never actually done anything like this before so this was a big jump for me. I’m not sure exactly how I came up with this idea, maybe it was because I have these hidden emotions inside of me that are begging to be let out, or maybe I’ve just been watching too much Awkward.. Whatever the reason, the important thing is that I’ve started and now there is no going back. So whether I am writing to people or my sentences are just being shot out for no one to see again, this is just the beginning. The beginning of what you may ask. Well that is still up in the air. Maybe, I’ll do this for a week and decide that its not for me. Maybe it will take a month, or maybe I’ll continue for years. Who knows? This could be the start of something great…or maybe my procrastinating about studying for finals has just reached a new high. Whatever the reason, I am looking forward to writing for a while. So until next time…