Alright, I know I’m being stupid and shouldn’t start another thread. But, today being my day off, I’ve been perusing news and animal rescue sites. I’ve been crying like a little girl all day at the horror out there.
How do you cope? It’s damn near tearing me apart. I’ve got an abominable headache from weeping so much.
I mean, really. Do you just block that shit out or what? How do you do that?
What you need is a unicorn chaser.
There’s a lot of horror in the world, Mr Presley. There’s a lot of good stuff too. Try to balance it out.
Thank you, Mr Irish. Nonetheless, I fell like smashing my head against a wall in utter desperation. I despair so much for humankind.
Yes. Yes I do. That’s exactly what I do. (It’s coincidence that) I was just thinking about it this morning, having spent the last week in the Philippines, where Manila in particular is a giant toilet of horror that nobody will ever flush and every day another lump is dropped on the steaming pile of shit that’s climbing way past the seat.
I read a lot of Henry Miller. I drink to excess squared. I divorce myself from humanity and its condition as I encounter it. I turn off the news. I stop reading the paper. I block all my Facebook friends who have a conscience so their status updates don’t show up every day. I find ways to remind myself that this is the way it’s always been and always will be, despite the valiant efforts of the genuinely altruistic people who try to make a difference in the world. For every disease that’s been eradicated, five more have developed. Science is playing catch-up. Religion is selling illusion. I don’t count on either. I save my empathy and compassion for those closest to me, who are most likely to benefit from it.
The one thing I don’t do (sorry IrishStu) is try to balance anything out.
Nice reply. Thank you, Super_Lucky. 
Thing is, I just want to off myself.
Really. I can’t take it. Horrible things people to to each other and to animals. Fuck that nastiness. Not cool that I have to have that horror in my daydreams. Unfair.
I repeatedly throw this really cool minimalist survival knife I have made out of forged steel at an old wooden dresser and listen to this song over and over
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SeDGvfR0HU
yelling, “Fuck You. Grandma!” over and over until I feel my warm place inside.
There are people out there who keep going under even the worst conditions and odds, we are blessed in so many hidden and wonderful ways. Try to listen to the wind not your heart…
“All those who wander are not lost”
When it overwhelms me (and it does) and I find myself tired of weeping over things thousands of miles away that I can do fuck-all about (way more often than I’d like to admit) I just check out of the news.
I realized a few weeks after going home that part of the reason my September/October in Taipei was so happy was that except for the random bits that made it to Forumosa, I pretty much checked out of the news. That and being completely free of child-related responsibilities for the first time in 11 years. :aiyo:
Anyway, do something random and kind for someone else. Make their day. Pay for the person behind you in line’s breakfast, coffee, lunch, whatever. I like to quickly and quietly tell someone that they’re dressed beautifully and then walk away, but maybe guys aren’t really allowed to do that, and maybe it’s not done in Taiwan. I do that maybe two or three times a year and since it’s genuine and non-icky, it’s usually appreciated. Does that save a life? Does it keep anyone from starving? Of course not. Not much I can do about that anyway*. But it’s something.
*I put an asterisk here because especially late in the summer, when people watch me work in my plot in the community garden, I often give them some carrots, a handful of tomatoes, or whatever else I’ve just picked, especially children and people who look hungry. This leads to great frustration for the gardeners there – people pick and steal probably 20% of our produce output – but as much as it pisses me off sometimes, I’m glad we’re in such a high-traffic public place (the garden is a half-acre island in the parking lot of a suburban shopping mall!)
Anyway, when all else fails, just remind yourself that it’s all [color=#8040BF]SEP[/color] – Someone Else’s Problem – and go on about your merry way. While your capability for doing good in the grand scheme of things is fairly minimal, your capability for harm is similarly small unless you really work at it.
Yes.
By focusing on one’s own perimeter, and what reality one can actually influence.
“God, grant us the…
Serenity to accept things we cannot change,
Courage to change the things we can, and the
Wisdom to know the difference.”
Also:
“It don’t mean nothing. Drive on, drive on.”
There was somebody last week posing a YouTube video about a puppy getting it’s head smashed in with a rock. I mean, WTF? Nice. Do I need that shit in my life? Whatever.
“Whatever” is a most annoying Yankeeism.
As for the video, why did you choose to watch it? There is all sorts of monstrosity out there on the internet, as if there isn’t enough in real life.
I choose not to engage in it, as I’ve already seen my share of horror. Some folks are evil, plain & simple, and in my view, to expect more seems exceedingly naive.
One can only protect the innocent in so far as one can reach them.
we are animals
Yes. You speak in truisms. Nonetheless, how to escape the horror? Young GingerMan, you paint a convenient picture of abstinence. Unfortunately, I find it considerably less than convenient/expedient to turn a blind eye. Please educate me about how to express tolerance in the face of horrific nastiness. I’m all, um, ears.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HdhRB_pkv8&feature=related
awwwwwwwwww. Now imagine chasing this guy down a tiny space that leads to his death. Fun times.
Why is that?
As for me, I’ve seen enough horror in my own life through war, crime, madness, et cetera to make me give up the ghost.
Are you a glutton for punishment?
One can’t change the world, yet one can gain enough satisfaction from impinging the encroachment of evil unto one’s own perimeter. If one expands said perimeter too far, then one loses the ability to concentrate force at a crucial, personal angle. Far better to save one’s energy for what one can change, otherwise there will be much gnashing of teeth, and wringing of hands.
Humans are evil scum, far far worse than any animal I have ever known, and once one accepts that fact, one can deliver sustenance to where it matters most. In one’s own hearth.
Why is that?
As for me, I’ve seen enough horror in my own life through war, crime, madness, et cetera to make me give up the ghost.
Are you a glutton for punishment?
One can’t change the world, yet one can gain enough satisfaction from impinging the encroachment of evil unto one’s own perimeter. If one expands said perimeter too far, then one loses the ability to concentrate force at a crucial, personal angle. Far better to save one’s energy for what one can change, otherwise there will be much gnashing of teeth, and wringing of hands.
Humans are evil scum, far far worse than any animal I have ever known, and once one accepts that fact, one can deliver sustenance to where it matters most. In one’s own hearth.[/quote]
As much as I love and respect you, Mr Ginger, I’m going to have to beg to differ. The perpetual horror that permeates my very existence is impossible to ignore.
Treat yourself to some gummy worms.
Then listen to some good music, and remember that YOU aren’t making the world a shitty place; you’re making it a little better. :discodance:
Chrissakes, zender, you are such a fucking HIPPIE!