Quixomicide, Zax and other thoughts

I have a tendency to let seemingly passing thoughts transform into quite mind-consuming obsessions. I think this is why I end up writing such long blog posts that appear to rambleRAMBLEramble. I apologize for that. I hope that you guys get something from my jumbled thoughts. 

The purpose in writing "thoughtful" posts is not to answer a specific question, or to claim to have a solution for anything; rather, I just like to (somewhat) organize my thoughts and leave a lot up for anyone's interpretation. So, if I get you to think, mission accomplished! Haha :)

"Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple."

- Dr. Seuss

Now, let the rambling begin!

So you know Don Quixote? I had to do a Spanish group project/video that portrayed a "story" of Don Quixote. If you don't know anything about this, here is the gist:

- wants to defend the helpless and destroy the wicked

- sometimes he can't distinguish reality from his delusions/imagination

- he is constantly trying to win over this girl, Dulcinea

- he usually ends up screwing up

In our story, Don Quixote and his side-kick, Sancho Panza, hear a girl scream. This girl is actually just crying, since she was being punished by her mom for ruining her garden. Don Quixote doesn't see this sequence of events; rather, he sees the mom looking more like the character from Pan's Labyrinth abusing her daughter. 

So, he kills the mom. The clip ends with his next obstacle: a cactus.

That pathetic description of Don Quixote at least does a decent job of explaining the video. I'd like you to meet skinny-ish Liz from junior year of high school. This is incredibly embarrassing.

I know-- embarrassing! I hope you at least laughed a little bit.

Anyway, I showed this YouTube video to Dave and Amy yesterday afternoon, and it sort of got me thinking about perception.

Everybody looks at things differently. 

A person's interpretation of something is based entirely upon predispositions, ways of thought/processing and previous experiences.  As unique beings, it is impossible to completely see eye-to-eye. I think that this is what makes relationships so interesting. 

For example you know when you get stuck behind a REALLY slow person driving? It is so irritating! But if I see that it's an elderly person driving, I just smile. It stops bothering me. 

In an instant, my mind goes directly to appreciating the fact that they are capable of driving at an old age, that they have at least some freedoms, that they are actually using those freedoms... and they also just look so cute! That kind of thinking is natural for me; it is not natural for most people.

When some other people see that it's an older person behind the wheel, they get even more frustrated and question why they are even on the road.  

My perceptions of the elderly have been shaped by my grandma who lived with my family and me and my work experience. See, it's unique.

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." 

- Plato

Now, did you ever read Amelia Bedelia when you were a kid? I adored these books.

 It is scary how easy it is for things to get misconstrued. A person's interpretation of something is probably one of the most important things about that "something." Scary, huh? So if you say this and I hear that, we have a problem.

Now, the Amelia Bedelia books are highly exaggerated, but the point is made, humorously.

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You."

- Dr. Seuss

"I’ll stay here, not budging! I can and I will

If it makes you and me and the whole world stand still!”

Well…

Of course the world didn’t stand still. The world grew.

In a couple of years, the new highway came through

And they built it right over those two stubborn Zax

And left them there, standing un-budged in their tracks.

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go..."

- Dr. Seuss

"You'll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You'll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left."

- Dr. Seuss

We are all responsible for ourselves. It's a part of growing up. We are going to face adversity; we are going to be someone else's adversity. This is unfortunately inevitable. We are all so incredibly different. 

I guess what I am trying to say is that I hope that maybe we can all take a step back and try to simply understand each other. 

Finding a balance is difficult. I think we know this. Logic without emotion doesn't work, given that humans would not be humans without emotion. But emotion without logic is simply preposterous. It's the balance of the two that allow for the right decisions to be made.

"I love my cigar, too, but I take it out of my mouth once in a while."

- Groucho Marx

So, basically:

- We are who we are.

- It's okay for others to be who they are.

- Individuality is irreplaceable. Let's try not to get to a place where we must always be right. Being wrong is okay, sometimes.

- Children's books work for adults, too.

Thanks for reading. 

*** I am probably going to write another post tonight or tomorrow updating you all on some recent "happenings." This post (the one you're reading) has been stuck in my mind for so long that if I don't get it out, I'm going to explode. But I also have more to say about my "life," so stay tuned. (haha) 

*** Also, I have a lot of blog reading to do. It's hard for me to keep on top of the blogs I subscribe to during the week, but I promise that I will get back to commenting, later. I've got the flu right now, so it may take me a bit longer to respond than I had originally intended.

Cheers.