So You Want To Know My GCSE Results...

With the GCSEs all over, and that monstrously eventful (*cough* five posts *cough*) Summer drawing to a close, the grades have finally been given. Yes I was predicted all A*'s and no, I obviously didn't get all that; who do you think I am, Hugh Freaking Turnbull?! But what I did get were a number of capital letters to be somewhat proud of. So for all you nosey pokes out there, here is what I got along with some unwanted commentary which I'm inevitably going to give:

First up, the 4 A*s:
Maths - I got that last year.
Media - Thank god; it'd be little embarrassing if I didn't. Thanks to a certain little film I made, the course work score was at a tidy 117/120 -- look out for that film premiering on here soon!
English Language - Again, mostly coursework, this time a full marks on that. Let's just not mention that *shudder* Of Mice and Men exam...
History - Whoop, worked hard for that one: full marks coursework, full marks paper one, 6 marks off full on paper two.

The 5 A's:
Geography - A pleasant semi-surprise, wasn't too confident on the papers.
English Literature - Respectable, though an A* would've been nice, but that was those darn Of Mice and Men/Animal Farm markers from last year, because the most recent paper (Poetry) was maxed out at 60/60 which I was very happy about.
Music - Another one I worked for, and came out trumps. Looks like I was right to be confident about that exam, and my very own musical composition was a high scorer. "Writer's Block" will be online in some form soon!
RE - I think they might want to check that because as I remember it, I wrote the biggest pile of theological nonsense ever thought up. Seriously, how does "the sanctity of life" used at least 17 times constitute this grade? But whatever, I'll happily take it.
Biology - The only science worth a damn, glad for that.

The 4 B's:
Statistics - Meh.
Latin - All things considering, this is pretty good. A very difficult subject, split into 4 papers, so I'm happy. Oh and the paper I happened to get an A on, also happens to be the paper I put a Mad Men reference in. Connect the dots, people!
Chemistry - Thank everything that I'll never have to take this again.
Physics - As above. I've always said I'm a fan of science fiction, not of science fact.

On top of these there was a Merit in ICT (just scraped in the coursework before the deadline, phew) and a lovely U in Additional Maths. I knew that was coming though; an AS-equivalent exam, with 3 months to learn and all this other stuff to revise? I think not-trying was the best option.

And that's it; 5 years of Secondary School amount to 15 letters, thankfully most coming from the first 2 in the alphabet (plus some asterisks). Happy with all. Until next time, grades!

ATR

TV's Best of Prom Episodes

I can neither confirm nor deny my presence in this picture...
Having just come off of my own prom, and having an unexpected blast, I thought I'd take a look at some of TV's famous attempts to capture that most anticipated of teen events. So here's some of my favourite prom episodes from recent memory that stand out in the slow dance of televised pop-culture; full of drama, angst, laughs and of course, glamour:

(In no particular order)

Smallville
"Tempest"/"Spirit"
One was the pivotal, high stakes season 1 finale, the other marking the end of an era and featuring an axe-wielding, psycho-ghost murderer, but both have major parts to play in the Smallville lore. The draw here wasn't the big catastrophes looming (the tempest itself and the aforementioned psycho prom queen possessor) but instead the small, personal dramas of Clark and Chloe. In "Tempest", Clark finally asked Chloe for a slow dance (to the series theme tune, "Save Me" no less) which was romantic and all, but it was of course interrupted by the storm blowing into town and Clark's responsibility to stop it, especially as his real love interest, Lana, was at risk. He never did return to the dance with Chloe and we could all feel her pain at being so close to what she wanted, but then being harshly reminded that it was never going to happen.

Skip ahead to season 4 and it was time for the senior prom, where amongst all the supernatural peril, "Spirit" saw the gang's high school years drawing to a close. Again, Clark gets his slow dance on, but this time with Lana despite his fears of rejection. Chloe looks on, admitting how the events of the last prom (in "Tempest") still hurt, although reminded by the glowing Lois that Chloe's future may be even greater than Clark's himself. Neatly tied into each other, both looking fabulously Prom-like, a great music selection and the dramatic, emotion driven beats made these two super promisodes gleam brightly amongst the sci-fi and action elements surrounding the show's mythos. 



How I Met Your Mother
"Best Prom Ever"

Still in its first season, it was important for HIMYM to find its feet by taking classic trope episodes like the Prom in a different direction, as to drift away from the Friends clone that many would label it as. So instead of going flashback style (Lily's moments notwithstanding), we saw the gang, at their current adult ages, crash a senior prom. There was everything in this one; Lily's character is developed through the realisation of her failed dreams, Barney sneaks into the prom via Turtle outfit and Ted and Marshall fight a kid with Nunchucks. Seriously, what else would you need to prove that How I Met Your Mother was a fresh, original sitcom that stood on its own two hilarious legs? 


Glee
"Prom Queen"/"Prom-asaurus"
Say what you will about those folks down at McKinley High, but they sure can throw a prom. Multiple, it would seem, and manage to keep both different enough from one another to justify its inclusion in the series. Whilst neither of these were ground-breaking in their prom portrayals, both certainly had their highlights, whether it was the surprise performance of Rebecca Black's "Friday" and the turmoil Kurt went through in "Prom Queen" or the bizarre Brittany "Dinosaur" number, the cute Becky/Puck stuff and that ever-hilarious Jar-Jar binks line in "Prom-asaurus". Cheesy, yes, but there was also a lot of the emotional high notes being struck throughout reminding all us Gleeks why Glee still rules the teen-drama scene.

Friends
"The One with the Prom Video"

'Twas a simpler time

Often hailed as one of Friends' greatest episodes, "The One with the Prom Video" is one of those moments in a sitcom's run where you watch it and just think "I friggin' love this show". And how could you possibly say otherwise? Because it was at that point when the critics began to say that this could well be the comedy that defines a generation and will run for years and years (at the time it was only on season 2). We don't even see them at the prom, yet the heart and soul of the prom atmosphere is captured perfectly in the few parts of the prom-prep we do see. I don't think I really need to run down the events of this cultural masterpiece, because if you haven't witnessed frumpy Monica, bitchy Rachel and horrifically Geeky Ross (we're talking 80s geeky), then honestly, what are you doing here?

The Suite Life of Zach and Cody

Less than ideal...

"A Prom Story"
You can't beat some classic Disney Channel, especially when it was a pre-pubescent Zack and Cody. In all honesty, this was probably the closest the show got to resembling some kind of sincerity between Maddie (Ashley Tisdale) and Zach. In hindsight with that particular relationship, even though it was just a kids' show, there were some poignant themes of tragedy and inevitability of heartbreak involved. So when the two dance, you know that for the significantly younger Zach this is his only realistic shot with the crush of his life. Bet you never thought Zach and Cody could be rich in humanised subtext, eh? Plus the Cody-Mime subplot here was a genuine funny highlight of the series.

Community

Yep, that's Community for ya. 

"Pascal's Triangle Revisited"
While not strictly speaking a prom, out of all the dances Greendale holds (some for the most obscurest of reasons), the "Transfer Dance" in this episode was pretty much the show's homage to the classic Prom episode. In true Community (and Greendale) style, it's not prom queen they're running for, but "Tranny Queen", while a love triangle then becomes a line, back to a triangle, and then a quad, and there is some very impromptu and inappropriate rapping going on courtesy of Professor Duncan. Add to that with Dean Pelton's developing Dalmatian fetish and Abed toying with the TV tropes themselves to deliver some genuine heart-warming stuff that rounds off the terrific first season, and you've got a sort-of-prom episode that won't be forgotten in a hurry.


Buffy the Vampire Slayer
"The Prom"
As a show having always been a very close portrayal of teen life (despite the whole demons and vampires thing), Buffy's Prom episode was damn near perfect, encompassing everything you could want from it. The hype and build-up, the preparation, the fun, the raw emotion, the hell hounds of doom -- oh right, that too. Yet even with its trademark slayage of creatures from the nether, each part of this episode somehow sprung from the prom ideal. These dogs were being set upon people in tuxedos and dresses, which seems daft on face value, but is given meaning from the lonely, prom-hater kid who trained them. Xander and Cordelia's friendship is restored through his generosity of buying her dress in her struggling financial times, and even Buffy gets recognition from her peers as being "Class Protector", in a truly eye-watering moment that culminated the past 3 years.

"Soul" Mates

   However, with all the joys and highs, there also came the huge, crushing lows. Angel came to the heart-breaking conclusion that to be with Buffy wasn't fair on her because of all the things he just couldn't give. So there it was, laid bare, the end of the Buffy/Angel romance as it came to a sad but necessary and realistic end. For one final time, the two shared an intimate moment in what would become the slow dance of the century when Angel turned up unannounced to the prom. "Wild Horses" played them out as we witnessed  those touching moments of doomed love at its peak of both tragedy and beauty; possibly the most powerful of all prom scenes going.

                                                                                                                                               

By no means a comprehensive list, of course, so sorry if I missed one of your own favourites. However, one thing that does remain clear throughout all of these is the theme of endings and beginnings, all resting on one night of living in the moment; and if these beloved characters can do it, then you bet that the rest of us (past, present and future) can too.

ATR

Zach Braff's All New People

Zach Braff (or Dr John "JD" Dorian as some of us know him better in comedy-phenomenon Scrubs), has been touring his play, All New People, around the UK this year, starting in Manchester, then up to Glasgow, before finishing with a ten week run on the West End. Unlike the NY production that was put on Broadway last year, Zach is actually performing as the lead, giving theatre-goers the Brafftacular evening of both his sharp writing, and acting talents. And, being the sophisticated, play-watching, arts-appreciator that I am, (as well as a huge Scrubs fan), I was lucky enough to go see it... and more.

  The premise is a simple one: Four strangers (well, sort of) meet by chance at a desolate beach house in Long Island, NY, in the middle of Winter. What comes next is a display of the hardships of being young, the regret of the past, and the human curse of belonging vs loneliness. Braff is the bittered and cold Charlie, a guarded and sarcastic guy who we find in a pretty dark place at the start of the play. But he's not alone for long before Welsh actress and star of Torchwood, Eve Myles shows up as kooky-but-with-a-mysterious-past Emma, in a state of desperation to stay in work as to not get sent back to her native Britain. Soon what began as a peaceful "getaway" for Charlie turns into a madhouse as Byron the fire-chief/drug-dealer and Kim the prosti-- "Escort", round out this unlikely quad of varied, humourous and realistic (if a little quirky) characters.

 At its core, All New People is a Dramedy, mixing potent and contemporary themes with an edgy comedic balance slickly interwoven throughout. At various points we are treated to visual, pre-filmed back stories of the characters, which set in stone the freshness and post-modernity of the play, and allow a number of laughs to be had that stretches outside the limits of a one set piece, as well as connecting plot points and providing an emotional connection that the audience has with the characters, which they themselves may lack between each other.

Not surprisingly, Zach was great as down-in-the-dumps Charlie, teasing us only slightly with his morbid prologue, and pulling off a pained and tortured soul pushed to the edge. It's certainly a way off from the optimistic, goof-ball tones of JD, and I found it very weird to hear him drop numerous f-bombs throughout from his usually cheery voice. And then there's Eve Myles, who also shines outside of the badass Gwen Cooper of Torchwood, and gives a stand-out portrayal of a woman who's "Damaged goods", yet devotes her life trying to hide that fact.

And once the curtain's fallen and the terrific actors take their bow, letting the depth of the play sink in to the viewers mind, Zach just carries on giving. There was a quite a crowd to greet him outside by the stage door, all gratefully gathered to get a glimpse of the talented 37 year old. Like a true pro, he willingly signed programmes and tickets, and posed for photos with those camera-ready.

Thankfully, I'd picked up the show's script earlier, and so am now in possession of a signed copy from the writer/actor, as well as this very exciting picture:

Guy love?

The conversation between us went a little like this:

Zach: Hey thanks for coming.
Me: Yeah, it was really, really good.
Zach: Thank you so much.
Me: I'd ask you to Eagle with me, but it seems a little inappropriate here...
Zach: (Laughs) I get that request a lot, as you could imagine.
Me: Ha, yeah. Okay, thanks man.
Zach: No problem, thanks, take care buddy.

And yes, I totally had a fantasy where he said "There's no such thing as inappropriate!" and gracefully lifted me onto his back while we screamed "EAGLE!" to our hearts' content...

So in summary, this was an incredible night. Not only did I see an amazing new play, but got a picture with one of my favourite actors, as well as a signed script, which will all add to my collection of awesome, famous-people-related things. If you can get down to the Duke of York's Theatre in London before the end of April, and if there are any tickets left, then you really should consider going, even if it's just for a glimpse of the man himself.

ATR

The Pledges

What? Google Images was lacking today...

Over the past few weeks or so, I've made some pledges to myself for the sake of integrity within my very own mindset. Whether it's to avoid spoilers, honour a piece of work or just stay sane, these act as little bite size rules for the very dangerous life as a teenage writer/geek/swimwear model.

Avoid Second Trailers
Movies are awesome; there's no argument in that. Therefore with the oncoming arrival of a hotly anticipated release comes the slew of media coverage and trailers that give us a glimpse of how the film's going to look, sound and feel. But sometimes, when you watch all the trailers released before a movie's opening, the film gets a bit "When is that line going to come?" or "I wonder how they'll work that scene from the trailer into the unfolding plot..." .
 
    To counteract this unyielding wave of destructive spoilers, I've decided that second trailers are a no-no. Half the time I know I'm going to watch the movie anyway, so what's the point on getting more sold on it? I know some go entire blackout on stuff like this, which I'm sure works out great, but I seriously don't have the will power to give up trailers altogether, and that very first glimpse is all too desirable to forget. After all, what would happen to our beloved Trailer Tuesdays if I went ultimate cold turkey on those good ol' three minute peeks? No, so it's first trailers only from here on out.



Reject "Follow Backs"
So Twitter; that huge social networking, micro-blogging, up-to-date powerhouse that fills up (usually unproductively) a good part of the day. In some minds - the ones which I like to call the clever minds - it is a media tool to both share your experiences/thoughts/feelings/work and feel a part of someone else's, be it celebrity, friend or web-outlet. But then there are those who see it as a popularity contest: high school on a global scale. And so the "I follow back" is born.
 
   I'm sure you savvy Twitterees know what I mean, you may even do it, which isn't such a bad thing if that's your thing. But I cannot get my head around the phenomenon: why would I want to clog my timeline up with a bunch of people's useless tweets about football or food or whether they just showered, just so I can gain a few more people to view mine within the same degree? If I'm following someone it's because I respect them, admire them, or socially know them and do it in a show of friendliness, not because I merely want their follow. Seriously, a few extra numbers on a pixelated web page is hardly worth the compromise of truly earning followers who want to follow you for you.




Read The Book First

These days, it's getting increasingly harder to find a film that wasn't based on an existing franchise before its production, typically focusing its literal lenses on a previously successful novel. Now in an entirely hypercritical notion against the trailer rule, whereby spoilers are the aim of the game, I'm going to try and understand the issues of "Why'd they miss that chapter from the film" and what-not, by reading the book before hand when possible.

   Obviously this can't happen for every single film with literary roots, but it's the least I can do to get the most out of a film, and perhaps appreciate it and the original author's work a little better. There's actually an existing scheme in place online here, where you can "Take The Pledge" yourself to "Read First" wherever humanly possible. You may even notice that new widget down the sidebar expressing the promise, just as my friends over at He Said She Said have done too.




Watch The Proper Airing
It can be inexplicably frustrating to discover that one of your favourite shows is going to take a number of months to reach your own airing shores. So much so that unfortunately many of us turn to unofficial internet streaming (outside of iPlayer, Netflix, etc) to get our fix, neglecting the show of its all important ratings to keep it afloat in the ruthless age of television. Sure, you may think my one viewing won't really matter, but if everyone thinks that then they've just lost out of an extra .5 million rating.

Which is why I'm taking this pledge, to support our shows and keep them on air. Here's the rules for it:

New Show That Takes A Few Months: Wait for it.
Beloved Show That Takes A Few Weeks: Wait for it.
Beloved Show That Takes A Few Months: Wait, unless absolutely necessary to stream, i.e. To talk about with friends.
Beloved Show That Takes Indefinite Periods of Ridiculous Time: Stream

As you can see, I'm not perfect on this, because some shows just take too long to get here *Cough*Community*Cough so I feel literally forced by my need for this. To balance this out, I make sure I pick up the boxset when it releases or just re-watch them when they eventually do air. It worked for Heroes, which is why it managed to still get 4 seasons; yep, that was all me.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Well, there's my pledges for you. Why not think up some of your own and stay more disciplined for it, or carry on living the happy-go-lucky, do-as-I-please lifestyle that you've already got going on, you untameable beast, you.

ATR

5 Ways Tai Chi Can Change Your Life

For about 18 months now, I've been taking Tai Chi classes. Yep, that's right, Tai Chi: that slow moving, serene, "breath-a-lot thing" that you've probably seen on TV and read about in countless types of media. It's often said that the art form of Tai Chi can "enhance your fitness" and become an almost therapeutic relaxation method, even prevent you from falling ill so often and improve your memory. But then there all these other things I've found have improved within my life since starting, which don't always get the exposure they deserve. So I'm here to set things straight, and reveal to you the secret, dazzling underbelly of true Tai Chi, and the seriously amazing effects it can evoke.


1. Patience
The movement of Tai Chi is all about control through fluidity, and being able to sustain a usually slow pace through the "Form". This "Form" consists of a set of moves (in mine, known as The White Crane Form, there are 65), which all have a potential for martial application. Where I train, students are drip fed the moves, allowing only a new move to be learnt once the previous has been fully understood and executed.

  This long process can often be frustrating, practicing over and over the same set of moves before another can be given. But this creates patience. A sturdy amount of it too. When you're going through the Form, one's choice to take it steady means it often will take a while to get through the entire set, and so to stay cool and determined with that, you have to be patient; there's no other choice. When this occurs on a weekly basis, you truly begin to build up that core control of time that can be transferred to almost everything else in your lifestyle.


2. Reflex
Although Tai Chi is considered a soft-style martial art, it doesn't mean that its application for self-defence is any less lethal than that of its sister art, Kung Fu. Just take a look at this video, and then try and tell me that Tai Chi is just for old people and self-proclaimed hippies:



Whilst it would take an incredibly experienced student to pull off the level of martial prowess demonstrated in this video, those with even the base skills of Tai Chi can and will feel the affects it has on stance, reflex and retaliation in the face of physical adversity. Just the other day I found myself at odds with a significantly larger guy at school, as he held a plastic ruler carved crudely at the end to mimic the aesthetic of a knife. (Don't worry, it wasn't anything serious, he was just joking around for the most part.) So as he feints a lunge at me, I find myself grabbing his forth-right arm, and going into a move reminiscent of one known as "Cross to The Stretch". Next thing I know, his head's recoiling from my outstretched palm that somehow found its way to his face, giving him a sharp smack on the nose.

   Although he was surprised I was capable of such resistance, he luckily accepted my apologies and wasn't that bothered over it (he's hard skinned, let's say), so just shrugged it off and walked away. But the point I'm trying to make is that without my Tai Chi knowledge, there was no way that whole encounter would have gone the way it did. The reaction I had was a subconscious reflex, embedded within me simply by the 16 or so moves I know and the year and a half of Tai Chi lessons.

 To be honest, I didn't even know myself that I was capable of such self defence, but that just goes to show how much Tai Chi does for you behind closed doors. And it's not just defence these newly found reflexes could come in handy, as things like catching, landing and stopping could all be improved by the form. So ultimately, Tai Chi could one day save your life, and you wouldn't even know it until it happened...
(Disclaimer: Tai Chi not actual form of life insurance)

3. Focus
When practising Tai Chi and its forms, you're often encouraged to go into the "Thousand Yard Stare", detaching yourself from everything else around you, yet still being fully aware of their movements. It's an odd concept, but an easy one once you get the hang of it. The process of this creates a link between you and your motions, allowing an intense focus to take hold. Your eyes remain coldly on that far point in the distance, yet your mind - now clear of distractions -  moves your limbs in a poetic fashion, layering that muscle memory deep into the brain's excesses. As this happens, there should be silence all around, with nothing but the tip-tap of that essential foot work to accompany the steely resolve of someone thinking and living solely within those Tai Chi movements.

  Besides making you feel undeniably mystical, the Thousand Yard Stare can be applied in other life-situations that require focusing a huge deal on physicality and even mentality. For me, I try this before and after exam papers, when I've got a few minutes either side of the test. When you get into that rock-solid frame of mind, nearly anything seems possible. Matched with the necessary "Breath in through your nose and out through your mouth", this aspect of Tai Chi can bring a shed-load of focus into whatever it is you need doing. Unless it's the Force: believe me when I say that Tai Chi does not give you Jedi powers. Stupid internet rumours...

4. Rhythm, Grace and Balance
People often forget that "Martial Art" is a two word phrase, and that that second word is just as important as the first. When you see someone performing Tai Chi, regardless of the style, you can't deny its strangely hypnotic attractiveness. The slow lull of timed movements like a stream rolling smoothly down its course is what makes Tai Chi so unique; what makes it an art. And this lends the participant an entire skill set of  wonder...

Just your average Tai Chi student.

   With your knees bent slightly to keep a constant, unbreakable stance, your breathing synced perfectly with the shift in move to move, and your motions kept tight and fluid, there comes a certain sense of euphoria within yourself. The combination of rhythm, grace and balance is hard to explain, though it's a very useful thing to have indeed. Nearly tripped over? Don't worry, you can just ease yourself back onto stable footing now that Tai Chi has taught you your centre of gravity. Lunging for that tricky shot in [insert preferred racket sport here]? No problem: a simple lean and glide will make it look graceful. Tapping out of time to a song? Just breath, think about the beat - really listen for its heart - and apply your form-based rhythm to catch up. Heck, I'm even willing to bet that the timing that rubs off from Tai Chi can even improve your comedic timing: just as long as there's no "chi"eap stereo"tai"pe jokes...

5. People Will Think You're Awesome
Whenever I get round to telling people that I do Tai Chi, there's always this underlying smugness about it, because people are usually surprised; followed by impressed. At least that's the way it seems when their eye-brows peak and their eyes widen, mouth opening to say something like "Really? Cool.", and then bow down to your utter epicness. Okay, so maybe the bowing happens metaphorically, but the fact remains (despite no independent studies to say so): Tai Chi sounds awesome.

  An interesting and culturally varied activity like this has the power to turn people's perceptions from boring office worker to sophisticated zen master; naive teenager to mature and cultured young adult; fitness meat-head to calm and focused health enthusiast. Then there's a shroud of mystery around this Asian phenomenon, that acquaintances find fascinating - like an ancient, deadly secret that only Tai Chi students know.

Socially, this can give great benefits. It's a topic that sparks talking points (What? Where? Why? Is That...? I used to do... etc), gives another dimension to character and generally puts you in a light that makes you seem more down to earth, more approachable, more diverse. Slap Tai Chi on a good CV, and employers can see (if they're worth their salt) that you've got a level-headed work ethic, a sturdy determination and a edgy personality that'll be great for the chosen job.

Plus you'll look like a bad-ass. So if all else fails, there's still that...

                                                                                                                                               

If this piece has you interested in Tai Chi, and you want to find out where to learn, simply google Tai Chi + your local area and see what comes up. You'd be surprised at how popular and common it really is. And if that local area happens to be Horsham (UK) or its outlying areas (West Sussex), why not try White Crane Academy and see me there!

ATR
@DMeisterTweets

RE:Commend: Qwertee.com

This is one I'm holding out for: Mal Solo!

Qwertee.com is a fresh new take on a traditional T-Shirt web-store, combining community choice with shirts designed by the community itself. It's simple. First, people can submit a T-Shirt design (based on Pop-Culture and Geekdom, generally) using the on-site creator, with a 4-colour limit in mind. Next these get approved and put on the site, for the whole world to see. People with a free-account can then vote on shirts, and the ones with the most will get printed. However, it's not always the shirt with the highest votes that get printed, but instead they are chosen by a team who make sure to mix it up in terms of what's on the shirts. One day it could be Dr Who related, the next a Game of Thrones reference, and the next a Star Wars icon.

   But, of course, there's a catch.  The selected shirt will only be available for 48 hours, after which it will be gone... Forever! But at only £8 a tee, you really can't complain with this time limit, and it gives a certain level of exclusivity to the proud owners, such as moi, in my very suave "Infant Mutant Ninja Turtles" tee from Qwertee:

Yep, I've got arms. Just.

 The best part though, is that Qwertee is primarily a UK store, providing a handy alternative for the humourous pop-cult shirts seen on US store, thinkgeek.com. If you're quick enough, that is. There's also tons of chances to win free tees through their newsletter and Facebook, and once in a while they'll do a bundle sale for all the unsold shirts, where for £6 you'll get a random one from the weeks before. So next time you're looking for that killer, yet subtle tee of geekery, look no further than qwertee.com, and if you're creative enough, why not try designing some for yourself.

ATR

Family Feuds: An Editorial Piece

Family arguments; we've all had them. Whether it's over money or relationships, I think it's safe to say that everyone has had some sort of experience with a kindred dispute. But what are they good for? Who do they help? Why do they need to affect all of our lives?

  Of course, if the issue is over something very serious like murder, rape or assault, then such grudges can be understood. But what I'm talking about is those stupid little arguments, the kind that can easily escalate from something as simple as a misplaced comment.

 In these cases, I frankly find these minor squabbles rather pathetic, especially when it ends with a loss of contact between family members. If someone is angry over something that's been said or done, the answer is to see it from their point of view, not erase them from your life. You may not agree with their reasoning, and you certainly won't like it, but you must have some sort of understanding of how human emotion works, and that we all do stupid things at some point in our insignificant lives.

  Typically, the instigators of such spats are usually those who are most proud and stubborn. Those who refuse to back down on something, just for the sake of being "right". Well, newsflash for you uptight ninnies: Get down from your goddamn high-horse and show some compassion for Christ's sake. Because what you don't realise is you're making all those around you suffer, because of your ridiculous obdurateness.

  More than once in my time have I had some sort of restriction put on my activities (especially recently) down to these frustrating feuds. It's not my fault, it's not my doing and it's definitely not my problem. So why do I, and those also uninvolved, need to be punished? Can't people see the bigger picture; that for their stubbornness is ultimately sacrificing other's happiness.

What it really boils down to is plain old selfishness. Putting yourself and your feelings before others, that ends in harsh times for all. It'll be hard, and I respect that, but sometimes we need to compromise in order to protect the ones we love most. If we never forgive and forget, then how can you expect to move along, because the way forward is the only way to happiness.

 In the end, you only live once, and that once is never that long. So you've got to ask yourself, is it all really worth it? These objects of debate may be infuriating in the short term, but it's the long term that matters, so make it count. Let us not waste time bickering among ourselves and enjoy our time on this Earth. After all, life's too short, isn't it?