-C-U-T--H-E-R-E-

My turn to write about Cassie's subject of choice.

So. What is 'emo'? Well, the definition is quite hazy, and there is no one definition for it. It's like nobody really knows where it came from. As far as I understand, 'emo' was derived from the musical genre of 'emotive hardcore'. From there, it became a very generic term and lost it's initial meaning. The wide use has made us new generations confused about it.

I don't claim to know about the origins of the word. I'm just trying to understand it and make it clear what I DO and don't understand about it before I continue. Now you know, I'm gonna continue.

This post will be using the word 'emo' to describe what it has become in this day and age. The tight pants, black hair, eyeliner, 'I hate myself' sorta thing. Most people that claim to be 'emo' also tend to be self destructive. But not all.

Okay, so my opinion about 'emo' people. I'd say that we could do with a whole lot less of them. I don't think that they go about life the right way, and they are wasting their time. If they aren't wasting it, they are thinking of ways to get rid of it altogether. Gah. I can't understand why anyone would want to do that. But that's my opinion.

Progressing, 'emo' people tend to get a lot of crap for the whole 'cutting' thing. Others tend to think that they are just trying to get attention and make people pity them as much as they pity themselves. Yes, some of them ARE like that. But, again, not all. Many people that cut themselves are just trying to find a release from the world.

The next part of this post is more about cutting rather than 'emo' people. I find that those who cut themselves hardly fall under the category of 'emo'. Rather, they fall under the category of 'hurting'. 'Emo' is more for show. It's like, 'I'm emo. Feel sorry for me.' To which I say 'heck no'. Why should I feel sorry for someone who is intentionally giving me reasons to? It's like shoving scars in my face and saying 'look how hardcore I am'. Ha. I don't need to hear it.

Instead of looking at 'emo' people, we should turn and look at those who really are hurting and need help. Not psychological help. (Though it DOES get there after a certain point.) Help out of their situation. Help them get away from what they are trying to hard to shake off.

We have to understand that sometimes, they can't help feeling the way they do. Some people just feel more than others. They feel the hurt more deeply and dwell on it longer than what is expected of them. This emotional pain torments their soul to a point where they cannot think of anything else. It comes from being scared and pushed away a lot of the time. And when they want it to go away so bad, they turn to cutting to make the pain stop, even if it's momentarily.

Why cutting though? Why resort to self destruction? I'll tell you why. It's a little known fact that cutting makes the body release endorphins. When you hurt yourself, whether intentionally or otherwise, your body's natural reaction is to release endorphins to counter the pain. I'm not saying that those who do cut themselves know this and that's why they do it. But it makes them feel better and so they keep going back to it. Plus, since the physical pain doesn't settle in immediately, it DOES give them the release they are looking for.

Most of these people don't even want to cut themselves. They don't want to have to resort to hurting themselves. They want it to stop and just don't know how. If you read some of the things these kids say, you'll realise they are hurting SO bad and are in crazy pain. They have no one to go to or to even talk to. Sure, you may not believe me now, but once you take a look at what they have to say, you'll realise that they are really misunderstood.

You know, those who cut themselves have low self esteem and, on top of being in a lot of emotional pain, live in fear. They come from places where it's impossible to feel of any use. And we, as those who are better off (in terms of surroundings) don't take any action in reaching out to these people who so desperately need it. Instead, we choose to push them away and make them feel more lonely and insecure than they already are. Why? I ask. Are we intentionally being cruel or is it just something that doesn't register? Either way, we should have a bit more awareness about things like this and have a bit more compassion for other people.

We were all made equally. No one deserves less than the next person. Yet we isolate, scorn and make others feel like much less than they are. How would you like it? It's horrible to be lonely. You have no one to turn to. You lose self confidence. You lose the meaning in life. And once you have lost the meaning in life, what's the point of living it right? Those thoughts lead to suicide. Keep that in mind.

So the next time you see someone who looks in need of a friend, don't hesitate to reach out. Why waste an opportunity to change someone's life for the better? Must you be that selfish? If your answer was 'yes', I assure you that you will lose friends. Not only that, but you will also find that slowly, you become someone without real emotion. Read the stories and you will see what I mean.

Reach out to someone. Save a life.

--

If you have any more to add or discuss, please mention it in the tag box. I'm not here to force my opinion on you. I just want to get others thinking and to open my own mind in the process.

Thanks for reading.

Sports Day '08

Yes people.

It was that time of the year again. Yesterday, four houses marched out onto a field determined to prove themselves. Four houses, competing for one silver trophy. Needless to say the competition was tough. I've never seen it like this before. There wasn't really a clear leader for quite a large portion of the day, but in the end - Blue House emerged victorious.

Yup, for the first time in YEARS Blue House holds the trophy high up in the air.

So, congratulations to all in Blue House. You guys did well.

Yellow was close though. Two points robbed us of that trophy. Though it was a disappointment for many of us, I thought it was just a great reminder of what we can do if we set our minds to it. I'll take this time to remind the general public that last year, Yellow House came in last place by quite a margin. This year, we almost won.

Instead of looking at the placings, I choose to look at the improvement. A lot of heart went into the performance yesterday, and it shows. I can't really express my gratitude to those who gave their all on the field. The tradition is to reward them with ice cream or something...but I don't think that is enough to show them how much I appreciated their efforts.

A shout out to the other two houses too, Green in third and Red in fourth. I say it was a good race run by all. But there has to be a winner right? And this year, it was Blue House.

I won't say that any house did or didn't deserve to win. That wouldn't be fair to anyone. So I shall keep that part out of the equation as I continue.

One medal belongs to me, but I feel as if I won so many more. It's like every victory for one member, was my own victory. And that's how it should be in teams. It's not about who gets to run which race, not about how many medals you get as an individual or whether you win at all. It's about working together and supporting each other.

Tug of War is the best example to illustrate how important teamwork and support is. If one member on a Tug of War team decided that they didn't want to participate, then the team would fail. EVERYBODY has to participate in order for something like that to happen.

Why do you think Tug of War is the last event? Because it's the most physically and mentally draining event. And it's fun to watch.

When you are pulling, your body takes on so much strain. That is evident to anybody watching. But what they can't see, is the mental battle. It is so easy just to let go of that rope and let the other house win. It's easy to let go and let others do the work. But that isn't the point. The point is to hold on for dear life and pull with every single muscle in your body. Never give up.

I know I had that battle. It would have been so easy to just let it go that little bit and give up. To say 'I tried'. But that isn't the point. You have to discipline yourself to the extent where that doesn't even cross your mind. Where you just say, 'I'm gonna do this and win. No two ways about it'.

It's important to keep in that mind frame. Focus on the task at hand and complete it.

That's what I told the Yellow House runners. All they needed to do was focus. Everything around them was irrelevant. Those that took my words to heart did extremely well. Not because they were my words. But because of the thoughts that they were channelling. What they achieved was what they deserved, and I couldn't be happier for them.

:D

We're too hard on them

Right. Okay, time to address this one. I have been thinking about writing this one for a while, but I have never found an appropriate time to do so. I have now. Throughout the duration of the post, I am gonna be making statements that apply to MOST parents. I know that there are some exceptions and I can't speak for all. But bear with me, alright?

So, parents. What about them? Well, nowadays, they seem to be getting the fuzzy side of the lollipop in many situations. Children, especially teenagers, give them a hard time and blame them for many things that go wrong. Is that fair? Um...NO.

Let me explain how I have come to this conclusion.

Yeah, life nowadays for teenagers are hard, especially with peer pressure and media influence. There are so many different ideas of how to live life that it can be difficult to choose which one is the one that is right. In some cases, there isn't even a right choice. But I do believe that many teenagers are going about it the wrong way.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that making the right decisions in life is easy. Heck, I know I've made a few major mistakes. But that's how we all learn and grow right? It's all a part of life's process.

'Where do parents come in?' you ask. The answer? Right here. It is in these stages of our lives as teens when we act out, rebel and purposely hurt our parents. Why? Because we feel like they are being huge control freaks who won't let us do what we want to and when we want to. Let me break it down to why this happens.

Most parents, no matter what you may think, want the best for their children. Name me someone who wants their child to FAIL in life.Why do you think they make you study? Why do you think they force you to eat your vegetables? Why do you think they don't let you out of the house? It's because they want to to be the best that you can and stay safe.

If they didn't care for you, do you think they would make you study? NO. They would let you do whatever you want to and choose to look in the other direction. If they didn't care for you, do you think that they would keep you indoors sometimes? NO. In fact, they would probably encourage you to get out of the house and stay there. What are you other than an extra mouth to feed?

'But they are SUPER CONTROL FREAKS!' You bet. Why? Because parents want to keep you safe forever. I am seriously not kidding. You may argue that this is stunting to your growth as a person, but guess what, they don't see it like that. To them, you are still that little baby that they held in their arms for the first time in that hospital.

Let's put it this way:
You just got a new puppy. You love this puppy with everything in you. Would you let it skip meals because it turned it's nose at first? Would you let it skip baths because it doesn't like the water? Would you let it run loose on the road to let it get more 'street smart'? Chances are, the answer is no. All three of those things would be dangerous for the puppy, and you, as it's loving owner wouldn't let it happen in a million years. Instead, you would pamper it for as long as you can and protect it from anything remotely dangerous. Right?

Parents work the same way. If you have a younger sibling, you might notice that your parents baby them. That's because they want to cherish every moment they have that baby in their arms. You may call them spoilt, pampered and annoying...but that's the reality of the situation.

I guess that not many realise parents have high expectations of their kids. They think that their child can achieve anything they set their mind to. Why do you think that they expect straight A's? Because they feel that you can achieve them. They send you to tuition and pay school fees to make sure you get that education you need to be successful in life.

Another thing that makes teenagers so resentful to the two people that want the best for them is the fact that so many of us think that we know it all. The mentality is 'HAH, I don't need them. I know better. They can't tell me what to do, I rule my own life.' I think this is an appropriate time to ask 'who gave you life to begin with?'. Reality of the situation is, many of us know squat about life and what it has in store for us. You're not gonna get anywhere with that snobby attitude.

Yes, our parents ideas can be old fashioned. But that isn't their fault. They can't help that they were born when they were. The same with you. You can't help when you were born either. But you can show a little bit more compassion and understanding.

'But they don't understand me either'. Have you tried explaining to them what is going on in your life? Have you told them the things that are bothering you, the same way you tell them to your friends? No? Then you have no right to complain about their lack of understanding. They want to know, believe me. Not to prod into your private life, but to have a glimpse of what is going on.

Do you notice that you don't tell your parents anything? Well, they do wonder about what is going on in your life. Five years of your life kept a secret from them is a five year gap in their memory of you. Do you understand where I am going here? They WANT to be a part of your life.

We cause our parents so much pain and disappointment. Do you even bother to look at the hurt in their eyes when you disobey them? Or are you too busy showing them how pissed off you are by that black face and smart-ass remark? How selfish are you to think that they are actually out to make your life a living hell? See, our parents are willing to look past all the hurt we cause and forgive us for it. We, on the other hand, hold grudges and keep holding onto the times when we were inconvenienced 'by them'.

Our parents drive us to parties, host parties, pay for things that we want and give us good food to eat. What more do you want? A personal slave? Some of you may not realise that it is NOT your parents job to look after you. There is nothing forcing them to make sure you get the best education that you can get. Yet we still treat them as if they are doing us a disservice.

We are disrespectful, ungrateful and undeserving of our parents. They go through so much to pay for our needs AND our wants. Most of the time, we don't even say 'thank you'. We just expect that that is their duty. You know what? It's not. And a bit more gratitude would be nice. Especially seeing as they are stressed too. Don't think you are the only one. They have THEIR OWN problems to deal with.

All it takes is a simple 'thank you' the next time your mum drops you off at school or your dad buys you the latest thing you have been begging for, a card on their birthday. Nothing big. Just small things to show that you appreciate them and what they have done and are going to you for you. It means the world to them.

When was the last time you said 'I love you' to your mum or dad? Chances are, quite a while ago. They want the absolute best for you. Even though they have a funny way of showing it.

Whatever you have to say about the topic can be put into the tag box where it will be discussed. If enough points are raised, I'll probably write about this again - to address them.

Life is like a pen

I'm sure, that by now, you have already figured out that there is no going back. Once it happens, it happens and that's it.

Like when you write an essay, and you make a mistake. You can cross out the offending word and replace it with the correct one. But that scribble across the word won't make it go away. In most cases, even if the word is disregarded, it is still read.

Life is the same way.

We all make mistakes, and the only way to correct them is to make up for them with subsequent actions. We can't get into a time machine and redo everything. People will still see our mistakes. They will still see our flaws. There isn't a way to hide them.

So why dwell on what has happened in the past? It's a matter of putting it behind you and keeping focused on the future. What are you gonna write next? What's in store in the next chapter of your life?

Whenever we make mistakes, it's human nature to keep thinking about what went wrong and how it could have been better. But what's the point in that really? When we make a spelling mistake in an essay, do we cry for days over it? Do we wonder how it could have been avoided? Chances are, the answer is no. We just pause long enough to see what needs to be fixed, cross out the word and replace it with another one. Simple.

Time doesn't stop for disaster. Just because you lose someone in your life, doesn't mean that everyone in the world will stop for your grieving. In fact, it is more likely that people somewhere else in the world will be celebrating a new birth. It's the harsh reality of the world. Crying for days isn't going to help you.

Don't cry over spilt milk, is something that we hear all the time. Why? Because it totally makes sense. Isn't it more practical to grab a cloth and wipe up the mess before it damages your mother's floor any more? That's how we have to deal with messy situations. Do your best to clean it all up before it has a chance to spread and become worse.

You'll never be able to erase the mistakes that you have made in your life. So dwelling upon them will only make you more miserable. You can't take back the words that you said and you definitely cannot undo the things you have done. That's why it's so important to keep pushing yourself forward.

If given the chance to change anything that has happened in my past, I would flat out refuse. My past makes my future. I wouldn't be the person I am today without my past. All the fights and losses have made me stronger than I could have ever imagined. To those who think I am naturally like this, you are VERY wrong.

We can't just throw away chapters in our lives. See, if we did that, how would we explain the missing parts of the puzzle? We can't. All things we have gone through complete the story. No matter how happy or sad. They are essential to understand the whole thing.

Liquid paper you say? Yeah, that covers up for a while, but have you noticed that after a few years, it fades away and reveals what was under it? You simply can't make it go away. It's over and done with. Move on.

Right. So the point of this entry was to remind you that dwelling on mistakes is pointless and we should all keep moving forward. Put the past behind you. You aren't gonna get a new page to write on. Make the most of what you already have.

:)

It's Not Default

What am I talking about?

Friendship.

Why?

Because people are taking it for granted.


By taking things for granted, an individual just proves that he/she does not appreciate what he/she has. I'll take the simple food example. If I rejected a plate of food just because I wasn't in the mood for that specific type of food, I would be taking my meal for granted. It doesn't take all that long for someone else to come along and take my plate away. Keep this analogy in mind as you read on. It may sound cliche, but it's a good example.

Friends are a blessing. No one can go through life without them. They are there to keep you sane and to keep you going even after you think it's all over. Some can even become as close as family.

Why do I think friendship is taken for granted? Well, because I use my eyes and can see how other people act. I see that sometimes, people think that once you have a friend, that's it. It's set in stone, they'll be your friend forever, it's default. Sad truth is. It's not. Friendship is NOT default.

Just because you are close to someone, and can call them a good friend, doesn't mean that they are gonna be that way forever. Especially if you act unpleasant to be with. For example, whining and complaining is not something that anyone has to deal with. Sure, your friend will understand more than any other person, but if you keep whinging, they aren't gonna enjoy being around you anymore.

When you are in a friendship, it's usually because you can bring something to the table. Initially, it would be something like good conversation or good company. In some cases, it develops to providing support and advice. It can develop further to a strong bond between people. But just because it gets here, doesn't mean that the bond cannot be broken.

Once you think you can just fall back on your friends because they will always be there, you have got it muddled up. Yes, they will be there, but not if you give them reason not to. I can't express the frustration I feel when a 'friend' thinks it's okay to keep yapping about how unfair life is. In cases like this, the 'friend' is probably thinking more of their own needs and has forgotten that you live in this world too.

They may not realise it, but they are pushing that plate of food closer and closer to another person who would willingly shovel it down his/her throat. Sure, a few millimetres seem like nothing, but when you put a couple hundred of them together...well, you've almost pushed the plate off the table. And remember, the other person can easily lean across, and just take the plate from you.

Popular people with many 'friends' are the ones that mostly fall prey to this. But I'm not saying that it doesn't happen in small circles too...(I can attest to that). It's either, 'oh, there are so many of them, it's okay if I just lose one more...it doesn't matter' or 'they will always be there for me to go back to'. WAKE UP CALL. Not happening people...it doesn't work like that.

Not to say that having many friends is a bad thing. It's just more important to have quality friends that quantity friends. And when you do have quality friends, not to take them for granted.

Some have what we call, face value friends. They are there just for the sake of making you look good or just because they are there. The friendship doesn't run deeper than that. What's the point then?

You have to work to keep your friends around. They have to be able to see you contributing SOMETHING to the friendship. Otherwise, they don't have a reason to stick around any longer. Don't give them reasons to get up and walk out the door.

If your friend is forgiving and keeps lingering around the doorway, waiting for an excuse to stay in the room, give it to them. You have a chance, USE IT. If not, then you are a really are a selfish person.

'We are surrounded by angels. But sometimes, they don't have wings and we call them friends.'

The plate of food is right there. You can reach out and grab it, or you can push it away because the next meal will be coming along soon. Lets throw a wrench in the machinery. Say that that next meal never does come. I bet you're wishing you grabbed that plate of food and ran with it, right? But it's too late now, and you have to suffer the consequences.

No two people are the same. Once you lose a friend, you will never find someone else exactly like them. Why would you want to throw something so special away? Especially when it comes to a close friendship. It would forever leave that 'what if' in your mind. What if I hadn't complained so much? What if I had thought about his/her feelings more? What if I hadn't been so selfish?

Do you seriously want to burden yourself with thoughts like that for the rest of your life?

I know I wouldn't. This is something that has been frustrating me for a while. Mostly because I have and have been dealing with it. It's become so evident that I have to get it out of my system.

I think, in this situation, we have to adapt this concept:

Grabbing food (friends) at any given opportunity, savouring every single bite and not letting a single bit go to waste.

Unconditional Love

Okay, I think it's about time this is covered.

Thank you Hema, for bringing up the topic. I'll dissect this as fairly as I can and weigh both sides of the argument as much as possible.

Love is NOT unconditional
This statement is true. But only in regards to certain types of love between people. I said that real love is unconditional and I still stand by my statement. Maybe I should turn it around:

Unconditional love is real.

It's the real deal, people.

Hema, I know you disregarded your 'divorce' example, but I'd like to address it anyway. Love between a parent and child doesn't always have to be unconditional. Why do you think there are orphans in the world? Why do you think children get abused? And then again there is the 'divorce' part of it. If there was real love in that marriage, do you think it would end in a divorce?

Sure, you can argue the point that the divorce could have been best for both parties. But if that's the case, then I don't think that they would have gotten married in the first place. If they really loved each other, they wouldn't have rushed anything, they would have stayed true to each other and they wouldn't have held each other down. And what could go wrong in a marriage like that, right?

But that would mean loving someone who has hurt you multiple times
Yup, that's absolutely right. And human nature demands that forgiving someone for that is extremely hard. Not to say that it's a piece of cake, but it's not impossible either. To be capable of loving someone unconditionally, an individual has to be very secure about who they are and know what they do and do not deserve.

Just because you still love a person, doesn't mean that you have to chase after them and give up everything you have for them to throw it back into your face. It just means, that if they come running back to you, you'll still be willing to accept them. That you won't hold anything against them. That other people can say and think what they want about you without it affecting how you act or think.

Sure, it can and probably will hurt. The disappointment burning more than anything. But it's not impossible. As corny as it sounds, the individual would have to be the bigger person, and accept that no one is perfect. They would have to be able to accept the fact that they probably won't be loved the same way in return. It calls for a whole lot of understanding.

I know what I have said so far may sound insane and completely contrary to what a human being would do, but it still IS possible.

After reading this post, it's easy to say. Yeah, that'll never happen. But you have to remember that there are some who don't posses the human selfishness that everyone is expected to have. There are some, selfless enough to be able to love unconditionally. Sure, they may be scorned and laughed at...but it won't stop them. People might say it's more logical to NOT love unconditionally, but that's the point...isn't it? It ISN'T logical.

Love isn't a feeling. Infatuation is, and lust is, but not love. Those things are part of love on the whole (depending on the individuals involved).

It has a lot to do with hormones and stuff
No it doesn't. I think you have mixed up the definition of love with that of attraction. Attraction has A LOT to do with hormones, but love hasn't got anything to do with it.

YES, I may have ruined any preconceived ideas of what love is. YES, I have probably taken the fun out of being 'in love'. Sure, the world will say other things, but I've learned to keep that stuff out when forming my own opinion.

Hema, you are absolutely right when you say that it is a very round about thing. It's one of the most confusing topics to address. I'll never be able to cover all aspects of it. Even if I sit here for the rest of my life, never pausing to eat, sleep, or have a potty break.

Because I can't provide you with the whole explanation about love and what it is, I have given you the next thing that I can. My opinion about it. I understand that not everyone will share this opinion. Feel free to counter what I say (in a civilised manner) and express your own views on the matter.

:)

Any more queries can be put down in the tag box.

Young Love?

Ameli wanted to hear my views on this. So I'll share.

I'll start with the fact that the word 'Love' is used too casually nowadays. I'm not saying that it doesn't exist, but it's used to frequently to always be meant. Sometimes it's said without being meant. Not because the individual is careless, but because they honestly don't know what significance that word should hold.

So I'll clear things up now, so what I say next makes sense.

Love is not a feeling. It's a choice.

You can only love someone after you decide to. It's not easy and can sometimes lead to the hardest things you have to ever do in your life. Nothing can cause you as much pain as love. And I'm talking about real love. Love means that you have made a commitment, so you can't just back up and pretend it never happened.

Anyone who thinks or says that love is a feeling has got it wrong. Happiness is a feeling. Anger is a feeling. Heck, drowsiness is a feeling. But not love. No, that is a choice.

So keep this in mind as you continue reading.

Infatuation is the culprit. Teens are very vulnerable to this. They feel all tingly and bubbly on the inside when they see that 'someone' and call it 'love'. Is it really? Think about it.

Real love requires time, effort and sacrifice. How often do you see that in young couples? Rarely, right? Why? Because the word 'love' isn't understood. But because they see it all the time on TV and around them, some think that being single is abnormal. It's not really.

What's the point of going out with someone just because everyone else is doing it? Don't conform to the patterns of this world. Choose to do what is best for you. Yes, you can be attracted to people, but just be careful when using the word 'love'.

In fact, most young people that have had numerous boy/girlfriends, haven't even experienced love yet.

I feel as if young love is overrated. It isn't that big of a deal. It isn't important to me, because nowadays, none of it seems to be real. There are odd cases, but very rarely do I come across them. For example, kids as young as twelve claim to be 'in love'. Do you believe them?

No one should feel the NEED to be 'in love'. Because the phrase alone suggests that one can fall out of it. Real love means forever. No matter what. It's unconditional and you can't just back out. To some, this may sound very idealistic and seemingly impossible, but it's the real meaning.

As you can see, this post has covered my thoughts on love in general, and what it really means. But that is because it's the reason why I feel the way I do about young love and how it rarely does exist.

This post will also probably be used as reference for a future blog post about friendships.

I know I keep covering that topic, but it's because I have a lot to say about it.

Am, or anyone else really, if you still want more of what I have to say on this, just leave a comment in the tag box and I'll respond to it. I'm sure I've missed something...

It's Gone

Yeap. That's right.

I deleted my other blog. Why? A few reasons actually:
- I just realised that the address had 'alcoholic' spelled wrong in it and it bugged me to no end.
- It was basically dead cuz I wasn't updating and no one was visiting
- I want to spend more time on this blog (despite the fact that I don't put much effort into aesthetics...I just write what's on my mind)
- I figured I could always just start it up again whenever I feel like since the address isn't really going to be taken by anyone...

Yeah. That's what this post was for. To tell you that it's gone. But since I'm here, I guess I'll just keep talking a bit. All about the convenience you know? It's just easier.

I have a sore throat now. I know that is completely random...but it's kind of bugging me, so I thought I would share. People in the family have been sick lately, and I flat out REFUSE to get sick. So I'm not going to. I'm gonna have a good break and keep healthy.

I'll blog about what I wanna blog about later. So until then, have a good CNY people...And if you don't celebrate, have a good break. And if you don't have a break...well...sorry. :)

Eyes or ears?

Just say you had to lose either your sight or hearing RIGHT NOW. Which would you choose?

We were discussing this at the foyer today, and the replies that I heard kind of shocked me slightly. There were five or six of us there, and everyone but me said that they would rather lose their hearing.

I was stunned. Seriously, I can't understand that. Sure, there will be things that you won't be able to do once your sight is gone. But living in silence? *shudders* I don't think I can do that.

If your choice is losing hearing over sight, don't think I'm trying to convert you or anything. I'm really not. I just thought this would be a really good topic to cover. And it would be interesting to see which one you'd pick. Put it in the tagbox. I wanna know.

So, back on the topic. Why do I choose keeping my hearing over sight? I have three words for you:


That's right, I can't go without it, and therefore, the choice is easy for me to make. Some of you who aren't as attached as I am would probably be more inclined to choosing sight. I do understand that that might be the case, but I was shocked at the response nonetheless.

The way I look at it, sight is something that isn't such a bad thing to lose. Why? Because it would mean I can't form first impressions of people. I can't discriminate against someone just because of the way that they look. I can't make decisions based on how convincing people's expressions are.

I see that as somewhat of a gift.

Let's face it. We're all vulnerable to be swayed by things that we can see. Aesthetics have become something that the world has put high on its list of priorities. It's just simpler I guess, without being able to see.

Sure, it poses as danger and can be difficult to deal with at times. But what isn't right? Everything has it's disadvantages. And it's when you dwell on them, that they become something you fear.

Neither losing sight or hearing is pleasant. Especially if you already know what they are like. Being born without one or the other would be easier than losing it after you have had it, but that is part of the question. You know what they are like, so it becomes a bit more difficult to imagine.

Music is something that I absolutely cannot live without. It's just a part of me that has been planted and nurtured my whole life.

I guess I have my parents to thank for that. They have always encouraged music around the house. It helps that they are musically inclined too. Growing up in an environment with music playing a huge role has made it something I can go to whenever I want. My safeguard. I love it.

You can still see without sight. People can describe, and by hearing the description, you can paint a mental picture of it. And you can make it look like what you want it to. You can still read without sight. It's called Braille, people. You can still navigate. It's harder, but still possible. Aided by your other heightened senses, it is something that you will get used to.

It can't be fun losing a sense. And I'm not saying that you should go and get rid of one now, I'm just wondering what you people have to say about it.

So leave a tag. Or, even better, if you have a blog, blog about it. *hint hint* Cassie. Haha.

I'm out. :)