Young Blood

Being Youth Day in South Africa, I got to thinking about my own current youth. It can be difficult to gather perspective on being young while...being young, but it's one thing I'm happy not to think about. It seems when we're young we dream about the future and when we're old we long for the past. When do we get to that middle ground where we feel neither young nor old. My guess is around thirty, but I've come to realize pretty much everything is perspective. Hell most of the time I feel too old already, even though deep down I know I'm still young.

Youth is wasted on the young. - George Bernard Shaw

See there's a lot that can happen in short periods of time, this I've come to realize firsthand. So being anxious about where I'll be in a year is pointless because who the hell truly knows. All I know is that as long as I keep active now with my best interests in mind, then it's hard not to have a positive outlook on the future without it ruling my life. Right now, I've not got all the answer. I'm not necessarily comfortable in my own skin. I'm still learning my limits and overcoming my fears. I'm working and growing to be a better rounded person.

An example of well rounded.

I sometimes wonder what I'll think of all this in ten years. I can imagine the thirty-five year old Dave logging into the internet through a jack into his brain. Check out the old blog, reading it all and laughing his ass off. Maybe that Dave will call his family over to join in on the joke. Who knows. All I know is for all that's happened in the space of three months, 120 months is a lot of potential to do great things. I can go faster, I can go slower. I can't time travel and I certainly can't stop time.

So this is a message to the 35 year old Dave; how was the trip man? I hope you bent the rules enough. You enjoying your job? If not, even 35 isn't too late to change that. You better have kept those priceless mates man or I'll come over there and smack you. Also, hows Team Fortress 4? Has Luc Besson finally gone back to his golden era or is he still producing drivel? Have you visited Tokyo yet (although I understand if you haven't with all the fallout)? What is the latest culture trash targets like in your time? Do you have cyber hipsters, revived emos or even neon chavs? Are you published or produced yet?  How long have you been climbing now? PLEASE tell me they still make Rainbow Chocolate Milk! Anyway, take this time out to reflect on the silly blog and your silly head, but remember even in 2021, it's not too late to change anything you want to change.

How interesting would it be to have a conversation with yourself ten years from now; imagine the paradoxes that might occur. Would make for great fiction...

My LSD

I bet you've had a dream so vivid before it stuck with you well after you went about your day. I did recently, but it was a one of those trippy lucid dreams, which is what I refer to by LSD. Not the drug, but my own Lucid State of Dreaming (so witty). Anyway, this post is not supposed to make sense, hell it doesn't make sense to me, but I don't mind sharing my weird brain.

So apparently I was invited to some sort of private Lonely Island concert. Great start. I was attending it with a buddy, but for some reason although I knew he/she was a friend, I couldn't tell who it was. I just knew it was a friend. We must've arrived too early because there was a massive line outside, but inside it was pretty dead. I remember thinking, there's only like 30 seats in here; how is everyone outside going to fit?

Anyway, we move to our seats in the back and guess who is there with like three random people, Ryan Reynolds. Like, huh? Anyway, I work up the courage to ask him about the Deadpool movie he supposed to make (I seem to be obsessed because it's invading my subconscious now). We go through a list of directors that would be perfect for the movie, Guillermo del Toro is one I suggested. I've never actually thought it, but afterwards I remember thinking, "Yeah, he WOULD be perfect." Anyway, Ryan Reynolds suggests David Fincher and politely I agree although I don't. I mean, you don't tell this guy he is wrong about a movie he is the only one keeping alive. On top of all this, I notice he is speaking with some freakish Canadian accent and not his usual straight sort of Californian accent. I know he is Canadian, but this accent was some sort of parody of Canadian accents. On top of that, he looks WAY older than I know he looks, but I only notice that as he suddenly disappears.

The concert hall side has opened up to some sort of Woodstock event of note. It is pumping and it is as colourful as an episode of the Care Bears. People are walking about all crazy on drugs I guess and The Flaming Lips are performing Pompeii Am Götterdämmerung on stage. I was thinking, "Hell yeah I'm at a Flaming Lips concert." Have no idea why I was at two concerts in one night, but there you go.

Anyway, I meet some sort of wandering sage. He is shouting at people walking by, "Who wants this for free!?" He has a capsule in his hand, so I assume it's some drug. For some reason I was feeling like a free spirit, so I ran over and agreed. He was happy to comply, but then I asked, "Is it safe?" and the sage hesitated. "Yeah man, it's the most dangerous drug there is." I was taken back, but almost felt challenged now so I proudly tell him I've have a blunt or two. He laughs in my face and I take the opportunity to snatch the pill; taking it immediately. He looks me blank in the face and says, "Your funeral man."

So now I'm waiting around some tents watching the show, waiting for something to happen. I mean, soon I should be freaking right out, but nothing. Just peace and music, but nothing crazy. Then without warning, I wake up. I remember as I woke up I had to take a minute to realize it was a dream after all. Was pretty damn crazy.

Anyway, I'm not looking for any symbolism, but I have weird dreams like this often. Maybe I should write them all down.

The Wobbling Plate

Balance, it seems, is about trial and error. That is of course if you aim for balance otherwise break your damn plate. Yes folks, today my metaphor (I seem to love metaphors) is a dropped plate. You ever drop a plate and it hasn't smashed? Okay, I'm not talking paper or plastic plates, so let's clear that up. As the plate hits the floor it begins to wobble and spin around and around. The wobble starts crazy and slowly balances out until the plate lies flat on the tiles. That's what happens when you're given a shock to your entire existence.

Funny, I happen to find a video with a demonstration.

So I was thinking, how would you stop the wobbling plate? How would you ensure the plate doesn't wobble out of control? I now realize, why would you want to. The only proper way to come to some sort of balance in your life is to wobble one way, see it doesn't work out, then wobble the other until you stop. If suddenly you just were, exist without experience, you're nothing but a shell of potential. You got no stories to tell, you got no lessons to impart upon others and you certainly are missing out of some exciting times.

Don't be the gramps who ain't got no stories to irritate the little ones with.

Having said that, it's possible to maybe go too far and break your plate. In other words do something you ain't coming back from. These include, killing a man, getting knocked up, incurable disease and wearing len-less specs. So if you find your wobble just slightly too much to handle, I can tell you friends help a lot. Some help you wobble more while others bring you to balance, but it's always better with company.

Well most things are better with company, not this.

By now I hope I've not lost you, because I realize if you don't get the initial metaphor (I wouldn't blame you) then this whole post is a pointless rant about good Chinaware.

Keep in mind, while we all strive for balance, it doesn't mean you can't enjoy the volatile times it takes to get you there. We all have our ups and downs, it's human nature, but take it as it comes and for what it is. Growth.