What I need to remember.

Everything in circles. Finishs so you can start. Start so you can find the middle.

Dive back into the grey and Portles of the Land

Happy post Thanks giving,

Covering time from about Tuesday on, there finally was a large amount of snow in the Wallas to the point that it was definitely a winter. The really cold happened after we left but for the time being it was nice to have a winter with everyone who usually don't get that much snow. Before heading out things got pretty gobbled and sticky feeling so it was a little bit hard to fully enjoy or be bound to the present. Too much in too many places needed to be thought of at the same time and is one of the first times in a while that I've let that happen. The time that transpired after this, however, was some of the most precisely applied aid I've seen yet.
Thank you Mari for everything. The 48ish hours I guested at your house was exactly what I needed. Thank you for the conversation, perspective, and laid-backedness. Thanks for the remember, and thanks for making the invitation in the first place because I probably would not have asked to stay over. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving.

Portland greeted me with one of the best nerd dens I've seen in a while. So much anime, so much games, so much potential, it is lovely. There will be par cour, there has and will be good food, and as most breaks happen are ending too quickly. I finally was able to meet T1 (Trace) and that was wonderful. He gave me a flute he made so now I must learn how to play it well.

I will add to this post with another post later when I have a little more time in the day to properly explain this break and what is up.

Just a Thought

How does one correctly go about being selfish?

Further more, it was good to find this.

Oh Yeah.

The Flip Side

I find that when thinking about things regarding social situations or just in general things around me that have manage to disappoint me or deviated enough from what I wanted to have happened that there is a good exercise to go through.
1. Identify what you wanted to have happen/experience/whatever.
2. Remember what happened
3. Know how it would have had to change in order to reach #1.
4. Seeing how the compare, is #1 appropriate?
5. Is #1 a responsible view on the world, or is it a small selfishness?
6. If #1 had been achieved, how would things be different?
7. How would others know that was what you wanted and did you communicate it well, or what could you have done?
8. Would you be happy if #1 had been achieved?
9. If was considered selfish, why is it selfish and what is the root of this selfishness? Is it simply a sporadic feeling, or is it something else?
10. Is it significant to be thinking about?

It is generally my opinion that, in retrospect, I struggle largely at 6, 7, and the 8 area. Part of the problem is then changing perspectives to others and knowing that they have their own little wants for the moment and then what those might be and exactly where do you or do you not fall in that. I am also still learning what is appropriate to do if I feel that I am just third wheeling a group conversation and have not added anything for the last hour. At this point am I still an active participant, or am I simply next to a few more people?

Also, it has come to my attention that sometimes things that you actually want to have happen, happen anyway without your being aware of them. For instance, old example of sitting at a table by yourself for the purpose of a social experiment to see who will sit with you. What do you do when the people actually sit with you? Do you become happy and overjoyed that they have chosen your presence to surround themselves with, or do you push it back in your mind because you really were hoping to perpetuate a self fulfilling prophecy and try to rationalize something by their absence?

Japanese

Click for bigger

Since I'm Here. Recontinued Remember: pt 3

Since I've just been talking with people for what is now five hours already I must resign myself that I'm not going to be doing homework today. I also haven't been writing. Now that I have had a warm up I feel moved to note down a few things.

Over this weekend I began to be come so calm about the way things were that that lack of commotion or problems in it of itself seemed to be problem. When things seem fine I am inclined to look for the problem that I am over looking. It is usually a misinterpretation, something misunderstood or straight out ignored. I was reminded this night that my sister is not the only one I can converse with at a high level of understanding. Granted, I would be hard pressed to say that any one ever will be able to get onto our level of color, shared experiences, and inside connecting jokes of interest and codexes, but at times I feel as if I forget this. I forget that there are other intelligently aware people surrounding me if I take the chance to reach out a little or do the correct prodding.

I am also working on trusting people to be good people more. While it is not as if I consciously or instinctively distrusted people, it was interesting to see that in cases of confusion and uncertainty, I withdraw and worry rather than trust them to be a capable human being that doesn't mean to harm me. They are doing the best they can with the given situation and how they move about it. They are not searching to do wrong, and it can be avoided with simple communication.

Geneva showed me a video of people dancing extraordinarily, and recently I watched a Youtube video on par kour combined with gymnastics and mixed martial arts. Then I went and climbed a tree. I feel as if I've touched on this before but the physical movement of it all is what, heh, moves me. I am beginning to feel more confident as if when one does something well, or becomes pretty good at a thing, there is this rhythm to it that can be translated from almost anything. I feel it when I write Japanese Calligraphy, in climbing, in dancing, in soccer, in TaeKwonDo, in piano, in cooking, and how one moves through a math problem. There is a beat, a movement to it all. A flow. Hopefully in time I well develop a better connection with amazing connectivity between environment and self. It feels so safe and so wonderful.

REMEMBER: Roleplaying
On situations and people doing what they can with what they have reminds me to continue topics I discussed with Tracy last year. I felt as if alot of problems in social relations between people be it groups, relationships, etc. occur from problems in role playing. It is something that I am simply used to doing. Partly being brought up in a way that emphasized not troubling anyone else unless you absolutely must, it became a tool that I have since developed. As I imagine actors must thoroughly research and understand the pressures on their character in order to play the role as authentically as possible, so too must others not underestimate just how much they have to imagine in order to simply make a good guess as to another's thoughts, feelings, possible reaction. When I imagine this process, I literally have to stop moving, close my eyes and focus entirely on how things would be from another's point of view.

This means my general view of them, the history I know and how I feel it would affect my decisions and priorities, what that persons goals might be, social relations, tendencies, stature and how that body would feel like, where its balance is, and what seems to be most important is how I would appear and be interpreted by that person. This means visualizing myself conversing or simply being there. How would I react to myself? How would THEY react to me? How do I even behave? At the end, all I have is a guess. After all of that work, depending on how well I know the person, I have to resign myself to simply have an educated guess to guide my future actions. Perhaps it is I who is the ignorant one and flawed in my ability to understand a basic Cooley Looking Glass Self in operation but it seems to me that most do not go this far. They skip and just get to the guessing without trying as hard as they can to mentally develop a realistic scenario.

Fall leaves and bouncy balls

Sitting in the library on a warm sunday afternoon surrounded by colors once more I feel as if I should make another small contribution. I believe that in this next week or so I will be doing a better job at updating things, particularly the drafts I started last year that were inspired after a few late night talks with Tracy. I'm still not sure exactly how much I should be adding to this blog. I recognize that it generally helps to write things down for contemplation later.
Nothing is small.

My original goal was to try and match, if not increase the number of posts from the last year, but I fear that with an increase in work, and a decrease in my /need/ to write it is becoming harder to remember how useful it is to just spit word shapes onto a screen.

At the moment green seaweed, black backdrop, white redorange baubles.
The otherday I spent alot of time listening to courage wolf. I have to say that it's quite empowering. Just the simple concept.
Just got and achieve something. Do whatever it takes, cast of opposition like petty droplets of rain desperately clinging to your coat. Not just achieve but go out and and ruthlessly destroy anything that could stop you. If you are defeated, WALK IT OFF.

I've also discovered somewhat the positive aspects of actually trusting people to make things wok our. Where I may have once just thought about all available information to overkill and then continue until I found a downward spiral of logic, it has saved considerable stress by just removing myself from the immediate metas and just letting people be people whom I will respond appropriately with. And if there is ever anything to be sure of, it is that people are very good at responding. They have to know what is going on of course, levels of perception are different after all. For instance I have no idea what sort of minor facial expressions I have made over the course of writing this post. However, I bet there's someone who may be very tuned into how their face moves. Some people are unable to report or comment on their emotions simply because they aren't tuned into that awareness level or minute detail. Even if they COULD there is no guarantee if they can accurately share their subjective experiences. Things get muddled. Things get stupid.

Don't ever underestimate your influence on others. Don't ever become over confident of your influence on others.

I have recently been putting a lot of thought towards this idea of mine I'm calling social gravity. Similar to relativity, if a planet's gravity warps the fabric of space time, what if individuals also have this sort of social gravity able to warp situations simply by being there. I have never thought of myself as being the origin point for this gravitational pull as, from my perspective, I generally don't offer all that much in social situations. I will either be talkative but not exactly essential to the conversations, more like added side-ins, or I draw myself in and observe silently. This year I have been noticing more and more how people, at least when around me, have started to pick up my mannerisms. Most of the entire Japanese house has taken up randomly beat boxing, or changing their voices when recounting a story dependent on the character speaking. To me these things are characteristic of someone is particularly charismatic which does not fit my own view of myself. I can't express how strange it is to think of myself as having an influence on people the same way I perceive others having an influence on myself.

I climbed a tree the other day and had a good talk with myself for about an hour. There is just something about getting up high above the modernity of my dailyhood and just sitting amongst some sturdy branches. The nostalgic smell of red maple and pigeons skimming my head in the late afternoon. Everything becomes still and simple. Complications like mosquitos only follow you up about thirty feet. Climb for escape, climb for perspective, climb for rhythm, climb for forward movement, climb for peace of mind and understanding.

Learn, be

Adapt

Listen

Make Flow.

10/20/2010

BUUURrrr.
: )

-pics and wandering to be added later

Awaken from Hibernation

It has been far, far too long since I have written anything down here. This follows for anything else that I have meant to keep a semblance of routine updates in. PWS, writing in journals, taking pictures, drawing, etc. It's been so long since I've taken the time to really, personally take a good look at the things around me and gleam anything meaningful from them. For the moment I feel this is because I have been lulled into a legitimate sense of security.
Nothing is wrong here. There are good friends, good work, good professors, good weather and activities, good books, great house/housemates...There is almost nothing missing. Years ago I may have felt a small drive to continue to pull back and consequently review and predict everything for hope of a different interpretation, or even just another perspective. I believe that for the moment, I am just calm. I don't feel like I need to look into everything. If it bothers me enough, or seems important, than yes, surely I'll look into and try to understand a speech pattern or watch how a duck walks, but for the moment. I don't think I really /want/ to find another interpretation.
This is great.
This is where I want to be.
This is where I LIKE being.

Youth

Weekend Topics: Recontinued Remember pt:1

These are some things that I have been noticing, and have tried to narrow down exactly what it is that make people seem so different from me in terms of the way they think. On the base level I feel as if people should be able to come to the same word-form conclusion that I come to, but I feel as if the path to get there is very different, and in the end changes the importance, or how personal the realization is.
"Nothing is small"

Future planning.
People may try to plan for the future, but I do not see them do it in the same way that I do. To me it seems to be more of a conscious attempt at a potential action rather than a scheduled event. I will be participating in it, and i need to think about the realistic situation in which I will be experiencing. I need think about the way it is going to smell, how crowded a thing may or may not be, that point where you look out and see someone you recognize but don't know wether to wave at them or not. Or if you may get flustered momentarily by someone your trying to impress. These all need to be considered. Returning to an idea of preparation. I am not sure if I can name something that I don't have to mentally prepare myself for before doing it. There is always a sonar ping, some "if this happens, I will say this" stretching required before going out and running with it. It is almost because of this that, in accordance with a later description of Role-Playing that it is almost pointless to go to most events that only deviate slightly, or make it so much easier to rationalize not going somewhere. I can imagine the situation, the buzz, the atmosphere, the dimness of the lights, a packed room with too many people and bouncing ping pong balls. Who is there with me, the words they will say and cause me to say words, etc. It becomes thought of. After practically experiencing it in real life I then make a decision if that is indeed the future that I want to participate in. Is that the future I want to have as part of my experience?

This preparation has played a large part in deciding what kind of person I want to be, and who I have become. In order to deal with a predicted event, I should be able to do ______ thing. In order to have that ability, or knowledge, I should practice this new skill, or increase my knowledge about this. The only other route is to explore the future image long enough to discover what exactly I am looking for and how I should realistically expect to achieve it.

Strategic Consciousness and Random Remember

Lately, in the past few days I have found that a brief 3 hour nap in the late afternoon allows for one to stay up and work very deeply into the night. This.. knowing when and not to be conscious, to be aware, poses a few questions.
By this method, it would seem that doing things later is in the better idea. Spending the day getting out all the distractions and reddit updates and then sleeping into work mode. This seems contrary to what was a growing rhythm.
Get it done now.
Action.
No waiting, only the present.
This clicks into a phenomenon that occurs when absorbing becomes self aware that it may, in fact, be hindering either an experience, or is unnecessary. A reboot is in order to clear all the search engines, connectors, remembering, and color empathy before taking things and responding on first impulse. It seems though, that this too has a monitor in order to terminate thoughts that reach second or third generation turn over to ensure spontaneous responses to stimuli and react through improve or intuition. But even these are, in some way, analytical. Finding timing and cues but just quieter, softer..

The Present is twisty and linear all at once. Absorbing all of it at once yields awareness and understanding, cogs turning, marvelous happenstance that the world has, at this location, with whatever history has happened, is unraveling this specific way right here right now. The stories that have such different origin's all coming to a head at a specific instant in time never to be quite as unique.
"People are good at talking, but not so much at listening." -Katie D.

Learning how to teach people how to listen is difficult if they are not used to it. I feel as if my moments where I know how to communicate what I say are random and beautiful when they happen. I can sense what I want to tell them, but if they are new to listening, then they won't pick out the important parts right way and often miss the perspective I want to weave. Or their ability to role play is limited by what information I give them and the way in which I present it. In order to teach others how to listen to me, I will have to learn how to become a better speaker. Those whom have a history will know the serious from the not, what I will pay attention to, and maybe have a 30% idea why.

I can't tell if others feel the gravity of things in the same way I perceive them. Especially struggle in inanimate, or organic materials. Their will and purpose they must strive to fulfill, if that couch is happy to be placed where it is, if a salt shaker gets lonely, or the insatiable garbage cans, laughing at how it tricks us into throwing it perfectly good food. Prompted from watching alot of anime where recently many characters across different series all express the same wants. 1) to be helpful to someone else, especially if they are a loved one, and 2) The ability to overcome any terrible tragedy through reception of a kind word from said cared one, or a special sea shell just for them. This insane drive to act in any way necessary to hold a promise.
This is really inspiring, and I can't tell if this is something just not found in our culture, if it has been forgotten, or only exists due to the over exaggeration of feelings and emotions often found in the anime medium.
Nothing is small.
To all the characters, and increasingly describing my perception of conversation, "Nothing is small."
It is not possible to perform an action, a spoken word, a twitch, a facial expression, and not have it mean something. Everything has a meaning.
I wonder how many others talk to those whom they peg as being "realistic" in order to discover, or reaffirm themselves that they are not insane, or at least not that much.

Writer's Block

At perhaps the most inopportune time, I am strangely relaxed with a back burner knowledge that I need to work more. I have seen what happens when i adopt this way of thinking, and I know that it's not going to be that positive if I just keep rolling in it. Probably the best solution would to walk away from this computer for a week. That would quickly get rid of my many tabs that i frequent, and certainly stop me from wandering to reddit or fark, or watching video game gameplay. It would also make me move from this dorm of people who also are looking for distractions and jump me when i'm weak. I also am regretting not only the lack of time I have spent to write things down, but also the lack of meaningful information that has been put up here lately. Most of them are in attempt to jump start something that I seem to have forgotten how to do properly, or at least in a way that could be put down on this screen. Wether this is the result of myself trusting to be able to deal with things more, or simply I am not still turning with insights. Then there is the regret and guilt that the answer is simply that I have had the time and have choose to ignore it, or not put in the time to carry my camera around to capture things. No capture, and no insight from lost things.

Rolling

This picture brings back memories. Mainly of the sandwich. I wish it cost half as much so that I could have bought two. At the moment I feel inclined to remember good food or creations. If only it didn't make me broke.


(bacon/spagetti)


A delicious scrambled eggs with potato bits and grape jam that needed to be used with a side of cherry something that was great.

Reality pt. 2

Which begs the question. Which am I more preoccupied with, the idea of the thing, or actually accomplishing it and advancing to get there?

In how many areas of my life is this really pertinent in?

A Lesson in Mobility

I am sometimes very curious and very interested in my ability to move my body from one location to the next. I just... get up and enter a new world. I can do that if I want to. I can go anywhere as long as I have either practiced running enough to get there, or climbing enough to get to another branch or hold.
Today I hovered my torso over to the Japanese House to make some food and then eat it in the Sun. It helped remind me. I can just do things I don't know how to do without preparing. I can screw up making sushi and it will be ok. As long as I remain concentrated of self, I can move. I can commit to an action and then present it to those around me.

As I've said many times before now I'm sure, "I think I can finally start being confident in my motions and do what I intend to". This idea is still lacking I feel in the ability to bring it to action rather than mentally accepted. This second semester has done quite a bit in terms of ability to swim better and learn the flow.
Things that too often are forgotten I feel:
-"This world, I think we like it"-Makoto Shinkai
-Teaching others to learn to listen. They want to, but sometimes we forget.
-I am a capable human being. I can do anything I want to, and achieve whatever goal I have. Nothing is too high, nothing is unreasonable if one tries hard enough to reach it.
-Patience
-People are orbs of light. Their bodies the way I interact with them, their minds in how I know them.
-No live with out growth, no growth without change, no change without death.

Great Pictures

Amazing

Psychology

One part being forced into a decision by time of meetings and wants, I think I have discovered a more real reason for studying psychology. It is a little interesting that psycho-analyzing things, especially relationships has such a negative stigma. A robot like scientist objectively observing something that can't just be simplified into words and then trying to interpret from such a removed stance. The reason this is interesting is because this is the exact oposite reason for finally deciding to Psych major. After flip flopping for a while I was able to word reasons a little better. I want to be able to understand people. I want to be able to be such an interpreter of their complete person (words, movements, choices) that I can connect with them on an even deeper subjective level. At first I thought it was just to figure out why people were stupid at understanding perspectives. How could people see the same thing and get so many ridiculous stances and beliefs from just a simple recall of a common memory? That seemed dumb, and dangerous. If one wants to even argue what it is to be human, then I would give a strong fight for the capacity to think cognitively. If you can understand someone else's mind, then you have broken through so many barriers. There is nothing else more special to any individual than their own consciousness. The ability to just have a better idea as to how to it... that makes for something that to me seems very not removed from the situation. That seems more to me the ability to actually know the core of another human being. Psychology is not the de-mystification of the mind, transforming people into automatons who control surprisingly little, but in fact another class in understanding. I would love to have the time to take more classes here to further this lofty goal, but for the now I'll have to be content.

I just want to know people better. if they would make it easier then i wouldn't have to study them and i could be taking art classes or philosophy, or science

-Me

Nothing Ever helps

Forward

It is time to get work done, son.

Geometry pt. II

I am coming to the conclusion that Portland is about the closest to a geographical mind reboot as anything. Every time I am here I can just feel layers sliding off, or changing the way they were arranged. Time holds still, but mostly is the same behind the curtain. Things make sense in Portland despite strange weather, and stranger road systems. I'm not quite sure how to put it, but this place is healthy. Like all the moss that covers everything. I think that fits. A Mossy-ness. The sun is setting on this particular puzzle despite it is still left uncompleted. There will be time to revisit it, but for now, I will place it in its own particular box of which I have collected many and should have one that will fit perfectly. There still is much to do, and having to figure out this and other puzzles on the side is not going to help find the rhythm. Soak back into black, lean against orange, let light blue be the guide through the woods.
(Dear future Sam, Draw this for understanding)

Snow in Spring

Walks late at night in a semi warm Portland, good food, co-incidence,

This is another book that I need to reread at a later date and immerse myself in. Despite being in the West, it clearly and vividly reminded me of the Midwest and my home. What I am and what Wisconsin is, and how that carries back to me. My childhood and my identity were momentarily refreshed. Long snowed in days where in a particular drift you make a store for people to admire your different and unique icicles. where you stay out on a dark hill by the barn that is only illuminated by a far off blue of the mysterious Night Light that just comes on whenever it is dark. How that lonely light skips and reflects off of frail clumps falling from the sky. Arms outstretched, clothed in thick bundles standing triumphantly on your creation only to run back up the hill breatheless and tube down again on a track that is finally smooth enough for speed.

I remember.

I remember everything.

Just Maybe

I forget the exact time, but I remembered something I posted earlier this year, and was more aware a thing.
A shift of thinking from "How will a Sam deal with those around him and the world" to "How will those around me and the world deal with a Sam?"

(Pic to be added later)

How to Measure Time

I have finally gotten around to getting "The Little Prince" into my possession again. After reading other Dr. Seues books and eating a few grapes I was very glad to sit and remember. I'll have to go back and read "The Rainbow Scale" as I remember my guidance counselor reading it to me in kindergarten. I have also managed to get back into the habit of carrying around a camera around more often. The landscape has yet to be exactly picturable.
I think this semester I feel slippery. A few things grab me as I chance by, but by and large there is just too much oil and they don't stick, or don't find just the right hand hold. Perhaps it is my own hands that are too slick, or that I don't know what holds I can use. The thought is maybe even so maleable, so... not concrete that maybe without definition it simply lacks to be.

There is exactly enough time.

Sitting in an unkept lawn, feeling the long blades of grass, like hair wrapped along my fingers.
Softening my core.
Rays of life scream down from their lonely adventure, warming my skin.
Breathe in infinity and exhale uncertainty.
geometry and colors, rivers and trees.
A single droplet perfectly suspended in slow free fall.
No action without reaction, no movement without cause.
Radiating power. Secure. Warm. Tender. Safe.
Cloud whisping along, who are you really?

手つだて下さい。

I am trying to work a little more at Japanese immersion. I have no idea if I am doing the right thing but I still need to get things together and understand what exactly I am doing and what that means. I watched Naussica the other day, and Up not too long ago. These movies have helped. I remembered the same feeling of mystery and engagement I had when watching Naussica on cartoon network wondering why it seemed so good. Only later to realize that it was a Miyazaki film. I am doing an interesting mixing of perspectives and colors that are running along with my movement, but never completely fading out of view regardless of intent. On a completely different side note, Chemistry is indeed just raising up my want to learn Biology to get away from math. Concepts without math is better. Unless I have to do math in order to do Psychology or art, then I seriously lack interest and have noticed that I nearly shut down in the presence of numbers. Too many bad experiences. I'd much rather learn and memorize how muscle cells communicate to each other so that I know what to eat and placebo me a better twitch response.
I just want things to fit. Things should fit.
Equilibrium has not set in yet and It is almost over. I have had almost zero effect on the world and those around me and it is already one year gone. Too few achievements. Too little working, too little doing. Too little fitting. What people did not mention about college is that everyone else is always busy too.

Interesting..

"All in moderation.
Including moderation itself.

-AJATT Blog

Tie together

Make this
Fit to this

"You have exactly enough time, starting now"
-Matt

Rotation and slow Free Fall

"A Square my Lord. Shall he nestle it into the bosom of the L block, or perhaps .. leave it room to grow"
-College Humor
More music for purpose and perspective

Dissolve, expand, reform

In need of reorganization and priority sets.





Breathe.

For Richard

I'm sorry I didn't get to know you more than just in Core and every now and then at rock climbing.

Sounds like you were a really amazing person. Thanks for sharing some of your life force with me. I'll try to use it for the better.

To anyone and everyone who has helped me so far to get to this amazing college, and everything else in life so far. Even to people that I don't know yet.
Thank you, I love you all.

Everything at Once

(upon picking up a stick and twirling it somewhat)
"I should learn how to juggle, or at least fight with a staff or something."
A puzzled look and likewise response
"Why do you keep on doing this to yourself? You seem obsessed with time. Just slow down and stop trying to do all this stuff."
".but.. juggling would be cool."

I still have not yet understood why this conversation exists. I may be because I've said the same things about:
running, sprinting well, piano, cello, gymnastic-y things, break dancing, knitting, video games, hiking, knot tying, programing, math, psychology, japanese, music theory, literature, drawing, painting, origami, anime, manga, Marvel and D.C., good movies, cinematography, how a computer works, martial arts, calligraphy, graphitti, writing, how to gentleman, etc. ....manage time, do those special card trick cuts, play guitar...

Why do people seem alienated by the idea of learning all these things when I voice them? Are we as a generation already used and resigned to the idea of specialization? I admit that there will probably never be enough time in the world for me to be content with the amount of things that I want to learn given my time management skills and how interesting things will pop up and distract me.

I don't see my frustration with time as particularly referring to time, but the perceived potential of what I could achieve. If I just practice these things a little bit, I can do all of these activities averagely to slightly above average. I want to be able to walk in a room and play a piano, draw a good picture, write in elvish, tie a good knot. In order to do well I need to prepare, and in order to prepare I need to practice. In order to practice I need to start. Something that I am still getting used to. I need to begin the beginning so that I can start the end.

Good Times You Can Set Your Watch To

This will lullaby me to sleep for the next week.

Empty Nest

Oddly enough my entire section now are living in singles. Either with people gone, or with activities, B sec is effectively empty. This is a little nice because I actually feel like I have a little more control on my activities and can focus a little better without being prompted to do things other than my goals. I need to capitalize on these precious days of concentration so that later I will have time to more. So far I've started up an Anime reviewing blog that is a little bit of fun. So far I've got a few good things that I've been able to express but it is still a long way away from writing what I mean to say. I like to feel like I have some sort of authority in the subject and that the things I say might actually be right and agreeable. However, there is still a long way away from that. Pictures will have to start being taken again if I am to truly take advantage of the absence of people. I need to reconnect to my camera and tell stories again. Mushshi has definitely helped be remember the small things. That along with Place Promised in Our Early Days.

***
I am now in possession of The Anime Art of Hayao Miyazaki which is proving to be very useful in what I should know in order to make Pocket-Watch a better blog for actually knowing things. Having a single is pretty nice. I still haven't gotten everything organized, but I like to sprawl. Just sitting down at a desk for a small subject usually means I have to see everything I'm going to be using. Being able to do this a little more is nice. Being able to sit in my room and let my thoughts swirl around in a confined and safe space is very useful. If I was truly doing this I would start trying to cover the walls in japanese and more art that I should be getting around to. For now I will try to relax and recollect.

Elfen Lied

Lately I've been poking along, getting things through in an old and familiar manner. I've done better job at organizing my things around me to remind myself of life and good things. Lately pandora has been very helpful, playing songs that have been matched perfectly to what I need. Over the last weekend I got caught up in looking for some more anime to watch having been reunited with Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood. The Elric brothers have done a lot for me in the past, and look like they will continue to. However, I searched and found Elfen Lied thanks to Ryan Will. Much like Ergo Proxy that was also lent, this story was very original. It has it's own color that I associate with it after finishing the closed manga. Despite how graphic the anime and manga are, I think that it is necessary. At the moment I am still unwrapping things and unsure how to say words so I will have to come back here later and tell them again. Connectiveness with these characters was possible, and despite any initial annoyances, the series is very well done. Very dark with shades of comedy, and a discussion of belonging, and what it means to be human. I wish they had waited for the manga to finish so that they could have done the whole thing.

I need to learn how to draw.

Below is a small exert of several episodes in a music video that properly portrays the feel of the anime.

Coming Around

Amber, 45 degree upper left crimson clouds perspective

Thanks Tracy
music
Social Psychology has been very reassuring that I am pursuing something that is of great interest. Reading is not a chore, and I may soon just go ahead and finish the book. This is the psychology I am interested in and most familiar with. This is a class that I feel I must do well at and cannot fail. Productivity has stalled over the last week, but it is making a return. Refresh, reboot, step forward. I watched a few episodes of Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood again this weekend. After taking breaks in between watching large amounts of the show I am always hit with a very heavy, very real realization. Ed and Al never, NEVER stop trying. They never stop moving forward. They have a goal, and they not only strive for this with everything they have, but they do not lose their own identities through their fight. They have seen people killed, murdered, tortured, sacrificed. They have only each other, and have barely any friends who they can speak to about their past, or uncovered secrets. A particular scene that sticks with me is in the original series in which they come to Tuckers house to prepare for their State Alchemy Exam. Al is admiring the books and exclaims at how many there are and how cool it'll be to read them all. As he waits for Ed's response, he looks down and sees his older brother already half way through a book reading furiously.
"He's already started." Al jokes.

No hesitation. Always motion. Always learning, and the courage to confront the many obstacles that threaten to kill them.

At the least I am realizing these things and can try to keep up with them.

The other notice-ment is that of the dangers of mulling. I am good at it. I have much practice. I can understand things very well. However, that which is being understood must have been an actual event, which actual facts, and actual intents. Substitute intents only work so far, and usually for the wrong conclusion. "If we stop worrying, and fighting about time, I think we'll find that it's really on our side."-Scrubs episode. I want this to be true. I want to be able to stop thinking about right moments, situations, and how to time words. I need to work on teaching others how to listen and understanding that they already know how to.

Squeal!

Color of a Rhythm

MicroSD

Chewy Bar

I've recently returned back to Whitman after being home for the first time in about six months. The break was much needed, but was not complete until I returned. With fresh memories, I now can better compare today to last week. I am so happy that I live here. I was unable to get to my room without first being hugged by everyone in the first two sections, my own, and then a mass section hug. There was too much care going on. These are the people whom I am going to live with for the next few years, and I am confident that I am in capable hands. Here I feel a more intense concentration of self, or at the least I am aware of it more. I am safe here, and I can live here.
I need to stay focused and keep going. I need to keep writing here if only to help fuel my momentum. As usual. Work needs to be done. Today is a great time to start.

Keep playing piano.

Keep moving.

Like the Alchemist who tried to make gold out of lead, I must first try.

Late is the Preemptive

At this late (early) hour while eating M&M's and milk, I am beginning to understand more. Not so much something new but a feeling that had color before but is only now becoming something more accessible. The person that I am and that which I would like to become are ideas that seem to be coming into view more and more. For there to be a future, there must be a present action to get there. These decisions must be made carefully, and if they must spontaneously. While there is danger at perpetuating a "prepare" mode, I do not yet think that this is something of worry. It is a now familiar rhythm that comes and goes. I have been at the least, more aware of it in the last year of Great Calm. We do what we do at the moment because in that moment we believe it to be the right thing, the action in order to gain the best future, or the preferred future event. Even if that means simply to continue a routine, or create something new and dangerously exciting is trivial. There is a flow there is a purpose there is a meaning to this rhythm. I do not think that I will be disappointed if I follow it. After watching many episodes of Full Metal Alchemist again. There is a drive, and reminder to have purpose. Ideals are not to be taken lightly, and neither is a commitment to resolve.

There are too many things I have yet to read, yet to see, yet to learn, yet to practice. The knowledge of this is there but still... it has not been thrust into with devotion. I feel that it is possible to do this and still only add to the self without forgetting the oil. I need to fully try and commit to something. I have certainly tried very hard at various skills and various practices, but not fully. Not with everything. Only a glancing attempt, less than full. I need to understand the world so that I can work and live within it. I need to stretch my bounds so that I can confidently be confident. If I don't, what security do I actually have in myself?

There is an ideal.

It understands, and it is silhouetted in my mind. Failure to obtain or reach this state of being may have recurring effects that will last longer than what may be projected. I must advance, must move. I need to first be able to trust in myself and ensure that I can carry out simple tasks. Once past, then the work will begin.
"Human kind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's first law of equivalent exchange."
-Full Metal Alchemist
It is high time I begin exchanging and work to learn.

Golden Gates and Frost Kingdom

The following year has been an interesting one to describe. More stable than most for sure, but still not devoid of its' own little quirks. Whitman was a huge part of this as well as finally getting out of high school. Despite I've now pretty much finished freshmen year, and do not like just how fast these days go by, I have done only a few of the things I originally set out to do. My writings are also a little more scattered. This may or may not a be a helpful sign. From the beginning of last year however, I would declare that while I may not be as colorful in my descriptions of self as I may at one time been, I most certainly can understand to a higher precision what I am feeling and why. Rooftop level thoughts are not quite so and are just as communicable as the rest of the house. This fall I had a lot of practice reviewing and applying for others which has helped reinforce my belief that I will be alright. I think I have been slowly actually putting trust in my self to not actively destroy things. I feel this is a little odd, but also a little empowering. There have been important realizations, or at least statements this year that will definitely be of use. The last year was one of Great attempted understanding. I will not be so bold yet as to say that I have achieved that, but this year is more certainly one of Great Calming. There has been an overall lack of stress all around, and I think I am better for it. I love my Whitman families and could not be happier at a college. I will continue to look toward growth, and will have to now begin to take actions to achieve goals. The next year hopefully will be one of the elusive action.

"Life is a forward motion"-Past Sam