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Bridges (late-night writings by Lenin)

Started by Lenin McCarthy, May 28, 2012, 01:51:37 AM

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Lenin McCarthy

This is a significant part of my thoughts at any given moment:
I should probably talk to that girl.                                                                   I should probably put up more posters                  I should probably make that call.                                                                                                                                                           I should probably do my homework.                      I should probably read more books.                           I should probably get out more.                                     I should probably socialize more.                                                                                   Maybe I'll buy myself a lawn mower.                                                        Maybe              I should work harder at school.                  Maybe I'll take a weekend trip to Kyrgyzstan.                                                   Oh, how I wish I could buy myself a reed organ.                                                                          I should probably get a job.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        I should                                                                                                                                                                                               Probably                                                                                                                                                                                Maybe                                                                                                                                                                                Wish                                                                                                          I should probably get my driver's license soon                                                                                                                                                   I should probably



And this is a bridge:

Now, let's try to connect the two.
The bridge passes over a small river. Obviously, someone has been here before you. Someone built that bridge. Others have been in the same situation as you. And succeeded. Others have fought their anxiety and tried to talk to that cute girl or guy you always notice at school or the record store or whatever. Others have been out of money but managed to save up enough for a reed organ or a vacation to Kyrgyzstan or whatever. They tried to cross the bridge. The bridge is a bit unstable, so they either managed to cross the bridge or fell off it and into the water. The river is not particularly deep. If you manage to drown you are either very unlucky or multihandicapped, basically. The only thing that will happen to you if you fall off the bridge is you'll get wet. The water's cold, and getting wet is uncomfortable, but it's not the end of the world. You can get up easily, and either run away or try to cross the bridge over to the Magical Forest of Adventure and Unknown Things.

Remember, there are larger rivers in the world. The river that you just crossed is just a tributary of a larger river. Some rivers don't have bridges. Those are real challenges. You drown, you die.

But here, at this moment, right now, the challenge isn't really that big. Getting paralyzed by uncertainty over things you can handle easily is not very useful. It's as counterproductive as can be.

That's it. I'm saving my anxiety for the situations where death and life actually are at stake.

Placid Dingo

This is great.

Personally, I make lists. It helps make stuff happen.
Haven't paid rent since 2014 with ONE WEIRD TRICK.

hirley0

#2
Quote from: Placid Dingo on May 28, 2012, 10:24:02 AM
This is great. Personally, I make lists. It helps make stuff happen.

A Link to a map would help my UNderStanding of Tree Age (38}? :fnord:

Anna Mae Bollocks

Very cool and spot-on metaphor.
The bridge pic looks like a place that might have a lot of cottonmouths, though. :eek: Except for the birch. Don't know if birch and cottonmouth territory overlap.
Scantily-Clad Inspector of Gigantic and Unnecessary Cashews, Texas Division

Lenin McCarthy

#4
Quote from: Anna Mae Bollocks on May 28, 2012, 06:59:51 PM
Very cool and spot-on metaphor.
The bridge pic looks like a place that might have a lot of cottonmouths, though. :eek: Except for the birch. Don't know if birch and cottonmouth territory overlap.

There's no cottonmouth in that particular area at least. The only venomous snake living freely in Norway is the common European viper, and that one's not very fond of water. There's a lot of moose, though, and maybe an odd bear or wolf.

EK WAFFLR

I like it a lot!



Also, the European Viper is an excellent swimmer, but they are unable to attack while in water.
Me and a friend spotted a baby viper 250 yards from the shore the other day. Poor thing was very very tired.
"At first I lifted weights.  But then I asked myself, 'why not people?'  Now everyone runs for the fjord when they see me."


Horribly Oscillating Assbasket of Deliciousness
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Anna Mae Bollocks

No way like Norway.  :) One more thing for my long list of what's better in Europe.
We have at least four kinds of venomous snakes where I am, besides a bunch of other venomous creepy crawlers.

People say a cottonmouth can't bite in water either, but I'm not gonna test that.
Scantily-Clad Inspector of Gigantic and Unnecessary Cashews, Texas Division

Lenin McCarthy

That picture is from last weekend, when I took part in a generic fantasy LARP, in which I played various types monsters, vikings, merchants and bards and improvised homoerotic love ballads dedicated to Wotan. The bridge was sort of my gateway between fantasy and reality.

Also, I bought a reed organ for almost nothing at an auction today.  8)


Mesozoic Mister Nigel

I like this. I like this a lot. I like it so much that I kind of wish it was in .gif form so I could spread it around a bit.
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


Anna Mae Bollocks

Scantily-Clad Inspector of Gigantic and Unnecessary Cashews, Texas Division

Cain

Congratulations on finding an actual use for the scrolling text, other than being annoying.  I'm being sincere in saying that, by the way.