Mirror

Dreaming permits each and every one of us to be quietly and safely insane every night of our lives. -William  Dement 

Earlier tonight I was catching up on what's been going on with an old online friend (We've been talking since we were both 13, we're 20 now, that's longer than I've known a lot of my friends offline) by reading her livejournal posts from the past year--I haven't kept up with them much the past year because of being super busy, etc, and we have only had the chance to talk a few times briefly recently for the same reason (plus we're on opposite sides of the world, so time differences make that tricky).

Anyway, as I was reading about all of the insane things that have happened in her life this past year, it was really startling in a lot of ways. First, nearly everything she had posted about and gone through, I had as well. Almost everything. Her life this past year and mine have mirrored each other almost perfectly. A fact like that is shocking enough in itself.

What was even more startling for me, however, was the fact that she was so open and honest about it. Yes, it's her livejournal--a record of her life, a diary of sorts. But at the same time, she knows that people read it, and encourages comments. It showed me that I'm either not as honest, or more proud than her. Or something. In a lot of ways, I was trying to avoid admitting everything that has gone on--even to myself. I have a diary--on paper, completely private, have kept it since 2nd grade--and my entries from the past year are pretty scant.

I'm not sure how much of my reasoning behind came from being in denial and thinking that everything would be different and far less depressing if I simply never recorded it, or from a desire to make sure that if someone DID somehow pick up and read my diary they would not be able to know everything and how bad it was.

As I said, it was a pretty shocking realization when I found out how closely our two lives resembled each other this past year.




In completely unrelated news, I would be the happiest linguistics nerd ever if I got this shirt:
http://www.cafepress.com/+phonetics_tshirt,463163260

Glimpses

This has to be one of the most incredible things I have ever seen, without a doubt. I love being able to take a look back at how the past was, but to be able to see colour photographs rather than the normal black and white. It makes everything seem so much more real and alive.

Albert Kahn's photography: Early 1900s in Colour

Kind of Profound

“I think a lot of the problems we’ve been experiencing come from the fact that no one embraces the miracle and amazement of the present. So many people—steampunks, fundamentalists, hippies, neocons, anti-immigration advocates—feel like there was a better time to live in. They think the present is degraded, faded, and drab. That our world has lost some sort of “spark” or “basic value system” that, if you so much as skim history, you’ll find was never there. Even during the time of the Greeks, there were masses of people lamenting the passing of some sort of “golden age.” But I’d never go back and live in any other time than teetering on tomorrow; this is the greatest time to be alive.”

- Patton Oswalt

Echo Park Time Travel Mart

http://laughingsquid.com/echo-park-time-travel-mart/

I intend to check this place out when I get out to California. Should be awesome :)

To be honest, I'm completely ready to head out to that coast immediately. It is going to be such an amazing adventure to be away from here, starting my life somewhere new. I was kind of afraid for a while when I first found out I'd be moving to San Diego, but I really could not be more thrilled now.

I'm sure it will be weird to be without all my old friends and family for a while, as well as to not automatically know where everything in the area is located and how to get there, but it shouldn't be too difficult an adjustment, and I know it will be a way to get to know tons of new people and have different experiences.

A Prologue

Hey everyone...or, anyone, I guess, since I don't know if people will ever actually read this.

I decided to start posting this blog today because I had been thinking about doing it for a while, and it occurred to me that there was no better time. I won't guarantee what the posts on here will or will not include, because honestly it will just depend on the day. I'm not going to try to limit myself to just covering one subject. Limiting the story of your life would be foolish anyway, don't you think?