People are Strangers, Strangers are Strange...

Face value, threat level, what do these items have in common and how do they relate to one another? These are questions that are surprisingly with us much of the time whether we are aware of them are not. For example, were one to enter a store and discuss a purchase with a sales-person several thoughts would likely be running through our heads:

What a horrible day at work, I really must do something to "take care" of that annoying new manager, what was it that he said he was allergic to again? Oh crap, is that person checking me out, what a day not to shave, wait, I'm not wearing a skirt, just relax and breathe, posture, don't forget your posture, thank you mom for insisting on all that proper shit when I was younger. Right, ok, so what was I doing here again, oh yeah, buying something, let's see, what is this guy blathering on about, do I really need a product protection plan for a bottle of shampoo, I mean what's the worst that can happen, I might actually use the whole thing up, heaven forbid, besides he's sporting a crew cut smoother than my rear end, what can he really know about hair products, heck maybe he did buy this shampoo and it made his hair fall out forcing him into this pathetic attempt to force the same fate into all the customers who come here, damn it, I'm doing it again, I really need to stop thinking too much, why can't I be more like Jayne?

Now to be truthful, there could be a good deal less or even a good deal more firing through our syntaxes during such a stimulating experience, and for sure there would definately have been some random word blurps such as, "ugly, fat, skinny, hot, cold, sex, sex, fuck, sex, sex, boring, boring, LOST, I, AM, LOST" (and repeat), but two constants would have remained true. On the one hand we would have similarly questioned our first impressions of our surroundings, judging what should and shouldn't be taken for its "face value". Well, that is if judge can be the word for instantly dismissing anything resembling intuition so we could resort to the oh, so much ever more reliable practice of trusting our inner "Targ-ets" and forgetting anything resembling human warmth in our final decision making process. While on the other, not so often used, and unfairingly implied inferior partner-hand, we would be obssesed with making sure that nothing immediately around us challenged our fragile self-conceptions, and if one were to observe any objectionable material we would quickly begin ingoring it, competing with it, maligning it and trying to sleep with it all at the same time.

What a busy scenario, almost as aimless as my writing and certainly longer-lasting, such behavior can numb us completely to anything worth feeling and drive us mad for longing for easier, simpler days when we were blind to our parents' crazed scramble for the money to take care of us and could be made happy by the soothing push of a power button. The blissful somnambulism of it all! What I would give for that power button now.

Hmmmmm

Smiling at a stranger can make their day, maybe even their week, who knows, it can even change their life. I know for me a smile helps, but a heap load of money can go even further. Though it is true that there are some things that you can do without money, and even quite a few that no amount of money can guarantee, in our world today we can not survive very long without its presence in our wallets. Thankfully we go through some experiences that leave us with qualities nothing can strip away from us, not even a severe absence of coinage. However, I would be lying if I said there is nothing I want that involves money. Honestly there are quite a few things that being financially comfortable would really help me with, a new car and my own piece of property being some of the key ones. What I know now is that I have the means to realistically realize these goals and it is quite an exciting revelation. I do realize that there is a ways to go and some things I want to work on about myself, but simply knowing I am so much closer now makes everything all the easier to deal with. So, for right now, I am smiling and I hope you can too.

Urgent News Bulletin

The reports of my death have been extremely exaggerated. I am back, and though I am may not pack as big a punch as the Dark Knight returning, I do now come fully equipped with a B.A. in history and a minor in literature. I know some stuff and beware, I may actually write about it. Good fortune to you in this new year and prepare for amazingly new ways from yours truly to bore and excite you simulataneously while attempting to impart obscure history lessons on the Scottish Renaissance (available on request at any time by the way). If you are lucky I might even avoid talking about something veary close to my heart (two words, which thereby constitute a hint: Mr. Pointy*)! Oh, and one more thing, though the world may every day seem like it is hurtling closer to the end times, remember this: happiness is not a fish you can catch, but it is something you can eat with the whole family, and it tastes good with chips, the British kind of course. Enjoy!

*Disclaimer: In order to avoid any confusion I want to make it perfectly clear that I was in no way referring to a portion of the male anatomy. Indeed, the truth is very far from that Freudian first impression, "Mr. Pointy" was actually the name Buffy the Vampire Slayer gave to her favorite stake, which was used for a single purpose, killing vampires, duh.