An Introduction

I came across a piece I wrote a while ago, it was for a writing class I had taken. Turned out pretty good and I tried to make it a relatively heavy piece. For those that know me, I am quite mild with language. I stepped away and broke a few of my own rules with this one. Hope you can enjoy and appreciate.

The past cannot be changed, but the future can be molded.

An Introduction

                These days, apparently I am despised, yet people still seem to invite me over. People find me to be a good solution to any problem; however, many people learn to hate the side effects I present. I’m not sure why, but all the commendations and criticism I receive, I can simply say, are derived specifically from people themselves. 

                I am the way I am because of you. You have driven me to my endless limits, and you continue to drive me even further. I was once considered a gentleman, maybe even a honourable sport of some sort. There was a time when I would have a structured plan of events, when I had a code of ethics. In my earlier years, I would be called only in certain circumstances. 

                However, things have changed. Now I am the possessor of immense power. I can grant authority and I can take it away. I can give riches and money and whatever else may be desired. I can also steal it all away.

                I can solve petty arguments in the most severe and aggressive fashion, and teach lessons that no one can quite understand until they have dealt with me. All I really need is a spark to ignite the fire. In fact, these days I find that I am much easier to set ablaze. I just need that opportunity to begin the lesson that I teach.

                I can destroy enemies. I can also destroy allies. I can even destroy families. Because of me, the bond between brothers can be shattered like fragile glass. I can even make them kill each other. I can drive them to murder, rape, and steal. I can dim the light of love, and extinguish the flame of hope. I can do more than just ruin the lives of mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and entire families. 

                I can force tears out of dry eyes, and I can make people speak bitterness. I can make people struggle and make them teeter and totter on the brink of their very existence. I can tear the finest to shreds, and put the weakest into their own graves. In fact, I can put anyone into his or her grave in a matter of moments. 

                I can cause chaos and create mushrooms in the sky to turn day to night. I’m always in the heads of those with problems. I can wreak hell in mere moments, and force people into tiny trenches, filled with dirty water and mud. The stench of people themselves and the shit I put them through are ignored because I give them the false promise of glory. 

                I can ensnare children and put fire in their eyes. I can turn them into little devils that see false images caused by candy. I can surprise anyone at any time. I can pillage a small city or shred a beloved teddy bear. I can steal (a grandmother’s) heirloom and take away the dignity of any man or woman. I can make people beg, beg for mercy. In a matter of moments, I can change the lives of millions of people. I can cause ripple effects through every country on the planet. 

                I can destroy our mother, the Earth. The trees and mountains and rivers and plains we all once shared, I can turn into a barren wasteland or hole. I can destroy people, nature, love, and even life itself.

                I used to be a gentleman, but now I’m more than any monster. I’m not the Boogieman or Frankenstein. I’m not God, and I’m more than any disaster. I’m beyond powerful and destructive. I am not a supernatural power, but I am more than an immovable object or unstoppable force. I’m so fucked up that I’m incomprehensible. I don’t think I understand myself. I am after all, your creation.

                Oh, allow me to apologize. I still have not properly introduced myself. It is pleasing to make your acquaintance, though you may not agree. My name is War. 

Thank you!

I wanted to post a quick message to all that actually read this blog. I wanted to specifically take a moment and acknowledge you all and thank you all for lending your ear for a few moments. I am deeply grateful whenever anyone cares to read a few of my outlandish and farfetched thoughts/comments.

Just recently, I also received a lovely message from one of my readers who stated their enjoyment of this blog and my writing. Hopefully those of you that read 'Lost in a Bowl of Minute Rice' also find some type of value, entertainment or findings in the posts. Also, I hope you continue to read this blog and enjoy future works; more importantly, find motivation and your own emotions within the writing. I write mainly for my reader, so I really hope you enjoy.

Don't thank me for the words I write or say, because I thank you for taking heed. People are my inspiration and it's most likely people like you.

Yeah: You.

Fallacies of Authority

We've all read Romeo and Juliet, and it's definitely an interesting play. I was asked earlier this year to look at it and write an essay on it, so I took a different approach, put aside the love story, and tried to do a little digging on what we can take out of it. Hopefully you find it interesting.

So here is something a little different:

Fallacies of Authority

The notion of authority is, without question, an abstract concept. Authority is the idea of having certain power and right over constituents. Usually, this authority is used to govern and maintain order within a society. However, authority can also cause people with less power in a society to blindly follow. By this definition of authority can be viewed negatively, displaying just how subjective it can be. In Romeo and Juliet, there are a variety of characters with some type of authority and most, if not all of the major characters with power prove to be inept at wielding such authority. It becomes clear through the renowned Shakespearian play that authority itself may just be a romantic fantasy and that without trying to adamantly enforce and impose authority, life may in fact be much easier and simpler due to the avoidance of conflict. All in all, obtaining and truly enforcing a successful authority with regards to all constituents is impossible.  

                It is clear from the very first act and scene of the play that order is near impossible in Verona due to the longstanding dispute between the Capulet and Montague families. We can also see an act of disobedience from the two families, in relation to the Prince of Verona. The Prince is an authoritative figure in the play, and another example of a character that is inept at the ability to use authority. Despite having rule over the land, the Prince cannot control his constituents, namely the Capulet and Montague and due to this, frequent frays occur, leading to even more death. The fray in 1.1 clearly displays the chaos in Verona and lack of control the Prince has. At the end of the riot however, the Prince declares that future conflict will be dealt with strictly, through blood. In 3.1, after Romeo and Juliet have been wed, another brawl occurs in Verona, resulting in Romeo killing Tybalt. In this instance the Prince declares Romeo banished from Verona, not dead. Also, in 5.3 after the death of Juliet, Paris and more, the Prince’s action is seemingly weak. The death and chaos is a notion of failure to uphold any civility and only magnifies his inability to establish any authority in Verona.

                Not only do the households of the Capulet and Montague also hold authority, but both families share a sense of pride and cross the border of arrogance. Arrogance is a preventing factor to establish successful authority. Both families bear an “ancient grudge” as outlined by the prologue, and a grudge which bloodies the “civil hands” of each other. Upon examining the ancient grudge first, it becomes apparent that “ancient” implies that this tension between the two households has been prevalent for quite some time; so long that it is impossible to even assume that the two parties can coexist. Given that they bloody the others’ civil hands, this shows that this grudge is leading both groups astray. Without the presence of the other household, Verona could very well be a peaceful city. This ultimately leads to the impossibility of Romeo and Juliet to ever be together.

                This tension between the two households and the authority of the parents displayed towards both Romeo and Juliet is a manifestation of just how foolish the two families are. It also shows the similarities and discrepancies of authority. There is absolutely no doubt that the marriage of Romeo and Juliet would be unacceptable for both families. However, the fact that Capulet allowed Romeo to escape from the masquerade he held in 1.5 shows just how slippery authority is. Capulet denied Tybalt his wish to slay Romeo at the masquerade. This shows an act of civility but the idea of Romeo marrying or even being interested in Juliet is by no means acceptable. It is this authority and mindset of the parents that ultimately creates the conflict. This instance also exemplifies the arrogance within the authority of each set of parents through their disapproval of the opposite household. This shows exactly why arrogance is a preventing factor towards a successful authoritative role, as Capulet (and for that matter, Montague too) would never approve the marriage of Romeo and Juliet. Arrogance ultimately negates proper usage of authority, specifically shown by Capulet when he allows Romeo to flee the masquerade unharmed. Capulet avoids a fray by letting Romeo go. However, by disapproving the marriage of Romeo and Juliet, he only shows just how impossible authority is, and how quickly it can be rendered useless.

                The deaths of Romeo and Juliet are a consequence of a vast sequence of events and inept ability to use apparent authority. The parental authority of both Capulet and Montague denies Romeo and Juliet the right to love each other, or even see each other for that matter. Ultimately, conflict is created and it is through this persistent arrogance and inability to compromise, which leads to numerous deaths. These deaths are also a factor of the disobedience to authority and the most obvious examples of this are Romeo and Juliet.  Both willingly disobey their authoritative figures [their families], in hopes of being together. Not only is this an act of disobedience, but it is an act of finding a solution by stepping away from authority. Ultimately this displays that in order to find solutions with certain conflicts, that authority must be dispelled and that stepped away from. Although disobedience is natural with respect to any authority, it shows just how problematic and impossible a truly successful and universal authority is.  

                The Nurse is another exemplar of a character that goes against and disobeys authority. She is clearly under the rule of Capulet and Lady Capulet however the Nurse disobeys them by aiding Juliet. If the Nurse was caught, she would have certainly been punished and dispatched by Capulet. However, in order to find a resolution for dear Juliet, she feels the need to undermine and step away from her authorities. By extension this dispels the notion that authority can truly work again. Although it can be argued that the Nurse is under the authority of Juliet, the Nurse also takes Capulet’s feelings into account. Her wavering between the two different authorities once again shows that authority is a mere idea from person to person and that authority amongst all constituents is seemingly impossible and that the variation of authority creates conflicts.

                Friar Laurence perhaps best displays the act of stepping away from authority in order to find solutions to chaos and conflict that authority has otherwise caused. The Friar is a holy man devoted to Church and God. However, the Friar clearly steps away from the Church and ultimately his supposed holy persona in more than one instance. The first instance of Friar Laurence stepping away from not only the authority of the Capulet and Montague household, but of the Church as well, is by marrying Romeo and Juliet. By doing so secretly, the Friar has undermined both families and committed a clearly unholy act. Despite having good intentions, the Friar is still stepping away from a greater authority in order to find a solution and this shows that authority is subjective and can vary based on situation. Once again, this dispels the notion that one true authority can ever exist.

                The second instance where Friar Laurence steps away from authority of the families and the church is when he devises the plan for Juliet to take the poison. Once again, this is an unholy act by the Friar in order to deceive both families and allow Romeo and Juliet to elope and live a secret married life. The magnitude of this deviation from the authority is much greater because the Friar has stepped away, not just from the families, but from the Church and even God to an extent, which can be considered rather blasphemous. The Friar is defying the very authority he believes in as a purpose for his life shows that deviating from authority is at times necessary. This then begs the question and pondering of whether authority is even necessary and again perhaps dispels any notion that an authority that works can ever be achieved.

As a result of the fallacies of each character’s authority, a large number of citizens die and suffer without finding any resolution. Instead of providing a sense of order and civility, this authority only provides conflict and chaos. None of the characters in Romeo and Juliet can properly use their authority without causing conflict or contributing to an existing conflict. The ineptitude of controlling such authority implicates that without it, perhaps conflict can be avoided. However the elimination of authority altogether would be unreasonable and chaos would still exist. Human nature itself leads citizens to strive for greatness and this can potentially be at the expense of another. This is the ultimate reasoning behind the introduction of authority. However through the play, it becomes strikingly clear that the mastering of authority and ability to use it in such a way to avoid conflict is just a mere romantic fantasy. Romeo and Juliet displays just how insidious authority can be. The concept of authority is an abstract idea that flirts with the idea of order and civility, despite it being nearly impossible to accomplish when there is a single entity with power over another less powerful citizen. There will always be those that choose to undermine or step away from authority to find resolution in their lives, as shown through the disobedient actions displayed in Romeo and Juliet. 

How to Write

How to Write

It's very often that I see or hear from people who have to write a report or even something on their own time. Even more so, I've seen many people have trouble with their writing, and quite often they consult me with the task of proof reading, editing or just taking a look at their ideas.

Why these writers potentially come to me, I'm not quite sure. They claim I am a good, polished writer; this may in fact be true, but, I go through these same writers blocks and troubles too. Very often I don't know where to begin, if I even have a beginning  or if their is any validity to what I am writing at all. Quite often, within my writing, I call myself out on this too.

I decided that I'd blog about this then (after a very long hiatus from blogging in general), I would write about how to write (that sounds funny to me). Or at least this is my perspective on this, by no means do I think I'm a super duper awesome and talented writer. Heck, the moment I press the 'publish' post for this very blog, I begin questioning and thinking. Then, ironically, I start writing again.

Anyways, writing is a tricky thing, and I totally love it; their is something about creating a puzzle with words that draws me towards it. But, before writing anything, generally, you should know why you are writing or what you are writing about. For instance, I write in attempt to inform and be heard. It's also a neat way to dress up your thoughts. However, I don't want to get into my own writers manifesto, my entire goal here, is for my fellow writers (and whoever else writes, would be a writer in my opinion) to continue to have the confidence that they have the ability to write.

As stated, the first important thing to know of while writing is your topic. What are you writing about? If you can't answer this, you probably have a problem...unless you are just a really, really talented rambler (that's what I think I am). And sometimes figuring out what you want to write about takes a long long time! Takes me weeks sometimes.

After you have found something to write about (which is a big step), it is very difficult to write it down right away, point blank. You always need a little time, I call it marination time. Let that idea sit in your head, think about it, how are you going to frame your thoughts? What type of approach are you going to take towards it? Is it creative or formal writing? If it's formal you probably have a relatively drawn out path for you, if it's creative, kalabunga!!! My main point here though, is if you look at the past few lines, I asked 3-4 questions. Yeah, these questions are going to come up, and in order to write something that you will like, that others will probably think is phenomenal, is being able to answer these questions and have them integrated into your writing. Confusing?

Here, let me say it again, so it's not in that mammoth paragraph: make an outline.
Yup, an outline. It's such a beautiful thing that allows you to get your thoughts and process onto paper. It allows you to mix and match, find where things should be, and create a logical progression. It allows you as the writer to sit and visualize in some way, whatever it is you want to write. Trust me, outlines help, they are key! Note, it doesn't have to be some awesome, pretty and elaborate outline. Could simply be a piece of paper with like...10 lines on it. Easy stuff.

After creating an outline for whatever you want to write, you get into the tricky part: actually writing it. This is a time where I sometimes get cold feet and ask myself if I really want to write this and I usually convince myself to go on anyways. Then when it comes to putting the ink on the page, I usually go through a lull, and a little session of 'what the hell do I do now?'

This is probably common, because if you ask me, beginnings are the most difficult. An outline is a tool to hopefully make them a little easier, but obviously you want the start of your writing to be somewhat appealing. This is a time where I would once again say, take your time, no rush. Sometimes you just need to mull more things over and let your ideas marinate a little more. That's perfectly fine! I usually never start writing until I have at least a few lines in my head that I think are brilliant or awesome, or something good enough to write down and share.

Hopefully after you've gotten this far, you have more of a flow and can go through your writing with some fluidity. I find that after breaking through the first little bit, the rest just comes naturally. I personally also like to write in one sitting, so I go from start to end without getting up. This works for me, but I'm sure some people like to take breaks or something, so if that's you...go for it.

Now comes the fun part, at least I think it's the fun part. It's where you get creative and drill out whatever you want to say. I like to have fun with words, say what I think, dress them up using metaphors, similes, synonyms, with nature and any other parallel you wish to use. The beauty here is that anything goes! You decide what puzzle or adventure to take the reader on. You get to decide what the reader should be thinking or feeling as they learn a little bit about your words. Just write, it's as simple as that! I'd highly urge proper syntax, grammar etc though. I'd also discourage using words just to sound smart, because usually, they don't work. Words should have purpose and meaning, my philosophy is that we should respect the words we use, because they deliver our message.

Endings are a little tricky, for me, personally, I'm a hater on the summary ending, but as anyone would, I love leaving things off with a bang. You want to drive home your message, or at least get your reader to think about your message. This can be done in a variety of ways, perhaps by restating your thesis (believe it or not, all writing has some form of thesis) or by asking a question? Again, the choice is yours.

Now I make it sound somewhat straightforward above, and it hopefully made sense to you. But the most important tips I can give to any writer aren't any of what I mentioned above. Those are just rules. Writing is more than rules. Writing is difficult when you don't know what to do, it becomes simple, when you have an idea. Having all the freedom in the world to write something, can in fact be intimidating. I think it is, and it's because their is so much to write about! But as writers, we can never be able to cover the entire intricacies of the world with one little piece, maybe 1000000000000 volumes, but never with a little bit of leisurely writing. So don't fret! On top of this, even if you feel like you have written something which is weak by your own standards, that is okay. Everyone writes something meh from time to time. To be able to let that out of your system, helps you become a better writer. You have to go through some less than stellar ideas, to get the great ones. Trust me, I've written a lot of garbage.

Another thing is, don't be intimidated to write what you want to write about. As a writer, I can only respect when someone else is willing to put out something they cared enough to share. I know that sometimes it's a little intimidating to put your thoughts on a silver platter for others to read and perhaps disagree with and criticize. In some sense, the disagreements and criticism is good, because you have gotten your reader thinking and engaged, you've evoked a response, you have succeeded. (Especially because I could probably guarantee you, someone would probably agree with your message)

Overall, writing is only as difficult as you want, and it can be as easy as counting to 3. This is literally true, if you know how to count to 3, then you can easily do it. If you know what you're writing about or what you're doing, then you can do it. This is why I'm never a fan when people say 'I wish I could write like you.' Well the fact of the matter is, you can, and you can probably do better. If I were to tell you why I write well, I'd tell you something cliched. I'd tell you, I write what I think, what I see and what I say. I write what I feel and I use my heart. Then I just get creative.

Everyone has the capacity to think, to have an opinion, to voice it and to be creative. Everyone can write down what they feel or dress their words up in whatever matter they want. Trust me, your own opinions and outlandish ideas have their own beauty; it's all about saying what you want to say, and being able to say it. Only thing that gets is respect. So I challenge you, voice your opinion, say what you want to say. Write what you want to write, don't be intimidated!

I know you can do it.