Explanation?

So, as I am sure anyone who read this knows, I am a very indecisive person when it comes to the little things. One of the main things I am indecisive about (besides food and outings) is my profile picture. I will usually pick one after much debate and then sit on it for months. In order to rectify this I have started having other people pick for me every couple of weeks or so. I don't fight their choices, I just do it. Though now I feel it is changing enough to irritate people. Good. But, I didn't realize that it is kind of putting me out of my comfort zone by making me put up pictures I don't particularly like. Certain people (hint) tell me it's good for me. Hypocrite. Anyway, enjoy this superficial and pointless post.

This Is What Dreams Are Made Of

Back in 7th grade I was assigned my first research paper. We were told we could choose our topics. I don't know why but I chose dreams. I suppose at the time I found them interesting. However, 450 notecards and a minimum of 10 sources later, I realized that people over-analyze their dreams way too much. I think I started thinking of this because I have remembered two dreams in the last month or so. I know this doesn't sound like much, but for me it's a huge number. I hardly ever remember dreaming. But I hear about other people's quite a bit. And now, years and years after I turned in my horrible first attempt at a paper, I have finally reached my conclusion on dreams. I believe that Freud pretty much had it completely wrong; not all elements of a dream are symbolic of something sexual. Maybe in those sexy dreams, but I can guarantee that not everything dreamed has sex behind it. I also do not believe that every object, idea, word, action, etc. has symbolism behind it. Dreams can get weird but if the basic ideas and elements behind it are examined they have perfect ties to what is on our concious mind. Whether they be memories, fears, wants, preoccupations, they are clear to our concious as well as the subconcious. Often it seems that we find ourselves dreaming of things our concious mind doesn't want to admit or acknowledge, but our subconcious just isn't that nice to us. It sometimes makes us face feelings and facts that we don't want to deal with awake, and I think this is where people's theories on symbolism really comes in. It is usually presented to us in weird ways and that makes people want to analyze every little element where it really isn't needed. Well, there is a very brief summary of my useless thoughts. I figured I wouldn't delve into the scientific aspects of it beacuse it was boring as far as I took it. Now I just need to reach my actual thoughts on the Chicago World's Fair and Langston Hughes before I get other major completed paper added to my heap.

Happy I Found Him

I enjoy reading short stories. More specifically, I like reading short horror stories. I typically find them to be mindless reads that entertain and pass the time. I recently (as in yesterday) started reading some stories by Joe Hill. I had read his novel Heart-Shaped Box, which is a fun book. So, when I found his book of short stories for sale at Hastings I decided to give it a go. These short stories are actually making me think. It may be because I have nothing else to do in life, but I'm finding it kind of weird. The horror stories aren't all typical horror stories. There are the ones that deal with the ghosts and serial killers and such, but then there are some that are more obscure that are more sad than horrifying. But they are horrifying in their own right. The writing itself is good, not guild material but good. And the story lines aren't necessarily orginal but are still captivating. I'm not sure what is making me like the guy, but I do. I also discovered him to be Stephen King's son. I can see traits in Hill's writing that are similar to King's, but he managed to set himself apart from his dad's fame and not rise using accomplishments and talents that are not his own. I think I approve.

People and Their Vegetables

I usually don't mind talking to people I don't know. It can be kind of fun and interesting. But there are some things I just don't really care about or need to know from a stranger. One of these things is their feelings on peas. It can be mentioned in passing, but I don't need to hear about it for twenty minutes. I never knew that I did not need this, but it was discovered a few days ago whilst at my friends house. Her grandma's friend or sister or something like that came over. I had never met her before. We were introduced and started the normal menial chit-chat that social etiquette requires. It was all going fine and dandy until we started talking about her garden, more specifically her peas. She loves them. She knows a thousand different ways to prepare them. She fully believes in their nutritious value. She cared and knew enough to make me sit and listen for many minutes of my life that I felt wasted. If I know you, I will sit through such speeches simply because I care about you. If I don't know you, I probably still will out of politeness, but I will most likely walk away with many an unkind thought of you.

I Have An Awesome Cousin

I am watching all the people around me start to enter school to begin a career or to start to seriously think about their lives. And it is kinda cool to see what everyone is thinking they want to do. They are much more sure than me, at least for the moment. Majors will probably switch but that's expected. The one I hope doesn't switch is my cousin's. He is going into something artistic and he should stick with it. I don't understand his art much as it is usually based on media I don't follow, but I still see his talent and love hearing him describe how it is the minute detail that matters most to him. And I will admit I am proud of him for overcoming the odds and sticking with his passion despite discouraging circumstances. :) And I wish I had better pictures to put but this will have to do.

Professionals Know Best?

I was reading an article in a psychology journal the other day that I couldn't quite agree or disagree with. It was talking about how the most defining events in a person's life are the events that you can set a date to; deaths, births, weddings, etc. To help demonstrate it told the reader to think of the first date of a major life event that came to mind besides their birth date (the date that came to my mind was November 12). It then instructed us to think of how that event has weighed on everything in our life, including personality and attitude, since then. It then told us to try to predict how it would factor into our future lives. While I understood how November 12 has influenced everything in my life since and will until I die, I also somewhat disagreed. There are many things in my life that I can't set a date to yet I find them almost as defining or more so. I can't tell you when certain people became my best friends but their influence has been constant and will persist even after they are gone from my life (if they are). The article didn't dismiss these things as not influential, but as less influential just because it isn't necessarily a single pivotal moment. I have a hard time agreeing. And I would put a link to said article but I unfortunately can't find it anywhere on the web so the writers can't defend their position to you. But you have a very brief summary of my musings on it :)

In Want, Not Need

Last night, as I was sitting doing nothing at all productive, I decided that I really want a vacation. Preferably somewhere warm and without snow. But if the place is awesome enough, like Ireland, I am willing to put up with the climate. I went to Ireland once upon a time and I occasionally find myself really missing it. I really wish I had had more time. It appealed to the history lover in me. Not to mention how pretty it was. And the accents on those guys were pretty damn sexy. Now I just need one of these sexy accents to be rich to pay for the vacation.

Heartache Done Right

I am addicted to this song. I don't like Lady Gaga's version much but I like the deep emotion of this one. Much more of an emotionally tormented kind of yearning. And I enjoy it immensely.