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Nightmare Anatomy

I always hated when in my old Creative Writing class last year, when we were assigned to write short fiction papers. It irritated the hell out of me that I had to fit a detailed story scene in less than 500 words. We would get a week or more to do so, but with other conflicting stories that we had to turn in as well, I was always much more focused on the longer, more detailed papers than the insanely short, short story. Which comes to the point that I HATE short fiction stories. This is also why this confuses myself to why I was able to write one in such a short amount of time (20 minutes!). I would very much appreciate it if anyone that were to read it, give me your two cents, constructive criticism on this short piece of work. 

Nightmare Anatomy

His red shirt resides underneath my bed with all the other random crap I toss under there that I don’t care about, but don’t want to get rid of. It’s silly and ridiculous to have kept anything from him, but I can’t bring myself to throw it away. Even though at night it creeps up my bed like nasty spiders that spin their disgusting web around me as I sleep and dream. It looks like I’m a human dream catcher, but my dreams run rapid with horrible plots that overcome my sweet dreams. I can never outrun the dreadfulness of the nightmares, nor can I outrun him in reality. Running is my worse enemy as I toss and turn in my web cocoon; always tripping and falling when I find that I’m nearing safety. It feels like one of those stupid scenes from a cheesy horror movie where the dumb girl trips and never gets up and just screams and screams. Unfortunately, I can feel how scared those stupid girls must feel and the distress they carry. Before my maker comes, I wake up; my body jerks up and alarmed from a self-induced heart attack. Little does my disconnected body know though, when I go out and see him with her, another one, and another, it feels like that scary, cheesy horror movie scene playing out in reality like it almost always does in my dreams-turned-nightmares. I’m walking to the edge of the busy river walk, I see him, in fear I turn to run, but I trip into the main street. Fear overtakes my body; limp, completely helpless, and waiting to die.

The Times, They Are A-Changing: The Downfall of Punk SubCulture

*Please Note that this is an opinion/satirical piece!*

Remember back in the old days when society was all clean-cut, 50’s family, and do-gooders? As time progressed from the “Olden Days” to 2011, the types of people have changed; the way people act, think, dress, and find their way into (or stray away from) society. In the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s the main categories people were often classified as were:

The Preppy, Clean-Cut Kids- The kids who wore polo’s, nice dresses, also had school work done, and never ever got into trouble.

The Hippies/Yippies/Druggies/Stoners- Yes, they are different, but then again, they all believe/revolve around the same beliefs. Hippies believed in “Make Love, Not War”, peace, and most of all, marijuana. Yippies were kind of the same; however, they only joined the movement because they were just trying to be “cool”. The Druggies and Stoners, well, that’s self-explanatory. 

The Punks/Rebels: These were the kids that you’re parents would not want you to be friends with or be at all; tattoo’s, motorcycles, black leather, rock music, troublemakers, and outcasts would be the classification of what a “Punk/Rebel” would be from those times.

However, in today’s society, all are somewhat accepted, in the way of dressing and some actions. The Preps have their stores to dress how they like; Ralph Lauren, Hollister, Abercrombie…Hippies are now just the druggie/stoner kids or one of the newer styles which is called, “Scene” which includes the belief in peace, quite, being “cool”, expressive, and of course, getting high. In a way, the Yippies and the Druggies/Stoners have kicked out the Hippies and formed into one big trendy image. Last, the Punk/Rebels have been the most changed and deformed styles. Punk has been known as the “Fuck You!” music and attitude, but over the years, mainly in the 80’s-90’s era, there have been many subgroups of Punk:

1.      Emo- It means “Emotional” and the music is just that. This style became very popular in 2005-2009 and the main uniform was black on black on black, cuts on your wrists, a sad, gloomy, “my life sucks I should die” attitude, and the annoyance to all other styles.

1.      Scene- This trend slowly began to branch off from “Emo”, except the uniform includes colors! (OMG). It also REQUIRES: Big, poofy hair (it SHOULD be colored a magical color), gallons of make-up on your face (more for girls), being a picture whore on Myspace (this was during the time when MySpace was still popular, 2007-2009ish), being obsessed with Hello Kitty, Invader Zim, and any other “pop culture” icons that Hot Topic promoted (and still does) till no end. The attitude must be an “I’m better than you/I’m so hot and sexy” mindset, and being bisexual helps out too (all of the girls are doing it just for the attention! Lesbians=Cred AND boys! Boys, just do it because they are seriously bisexual [only about 2% of people worldwide are ACTUALLY, LEGITIMETLY, Bisexual] or because they want girls or attention), also being fun and bubbly is a MAJOR necessity. Oh also, this group is able to wear Hollister, Abercrombie and wear Hot Topic gear and be called Scenesters.

 

Must I say, I do LOVE this 

     Indie/Hispters- These are the kids that almost everybody who is not in this subgroup can agree upon that are the MOST annoying, arrogant, rude, and posers to every breathe! Their attitude of  “I don’t dress how you dress so I’m totally awesome and know awesome unknown music and I’m totally NOT mainstream because of it even though I LOVE Ke$ha and Lady Gaga to no end)” is the most annoying of all the off spun subcultures. These kids try to dress so different and out of the norm that if they didn’t parade around bragging about how different they are, could pull off the Punk image. But no, they are constant fame, popular, conforming prostitutes that are now the NEW “cool kids” of this day and age. This, personally, makes me want to shoot myself if this is what the alternative style has come to. 

  

          Straight Edge- These are the people who stick to the old school foundations of Punk, but choose to abstain from drinking, smoking, drugs, promiscuous sex (That phrase means you don’t sleep with every other guy/girl. In other words kiddies, not being a whore), and for certain people this also means becoming vegan or vegetarian. What is needed to be Straight Edge is a superiority “I’m better than you because I’m not stupid” attitude towards those who do all that you are against, and keep true to you’re Punk roots. *NOTE: Yes, I am Straight Edge, however, I have encountered many of individuals who are like this and also try to force their beliefs onto people. Key is to be upfront with your beliefs and hope others respect you. If they don’t, fuck them! :)*

      Goth- This may or may not have come before Punk. It’s basically the question of “Which came first? The Chicken or the Egg?” Goth is the darkest and more hardcore style that has slowly disintegrated from when it originated in the 1980’s. The style was closely related to Punk, in the same “I don’t care what you think or me” attitude, although, the attire was much darker; heavy piercings, Goth pants (baggy, drenched with chains, yet extremely comfortable), fishnets (shirts, dresses, tights), combat boots (ESSENTIAL!), heavy black make-up, and pale skin. This subgroup was one of the most feared and looked down upon group out of all of the new branches. Merely because it was so different and darker from what society was used to. The few brave ones that sported this style were often shunned, but stuck true and proud. However, the style began to fade by 2008, and now it is a rarity to find a TRUE, HARDCORE Goth nearly anywhere.

      Punk- Just like the Goth group, finding a true Punk is hard to find in today’s society where Hot Topic and Spencer’s have every shirt under the sun that is angry at something or other and has it printed on a shirt for just $20. Although, Punk is not being angry at everything or at society, but it’s just being whoever the fuck you want to be and not giving a second thought to it. The original uniform was a Mohawk, colored hair, piercings, leather, jean jackets, fishnets, studs, spikes, plaid skirts (for girls), and basically anything that would make any authority figure cringe. Being politically minded wasn’t a requirement but was widely known in this group for having strong opinions on government and society. While this group became widely popular in the 90’s, it died after not even a decade, but still thrives in underground music industries, and in some subcultures (even though those cultures are warped and completely terrible). 

With the ever-changing culture and the unfortunate downfall of some great styles, or “labels” as it is now referred to, out of the ashes have arisen some terrible and disgraceful styles. The styles teens and young adults wear now give their group starter, Punk, a terrible name. Emo’s are known as being whiny little bitches that should go and die if that’s all they care about so much because that’s all they talk about. Scene kids are annoying with their style and constant changing music. Showing off by saying “I knew this new band before you did!” is only annoying and makes people wonder who the hell came up with Scenesters. The Straight Edge kids can be cool, if they don’t continually push their beliefs in your face and down your throat, honestly, sometimes; they remind me of the ultra Christian people that try to make you believe in God no matter what you say. The Indie/Hipsters…they just need to die. The Goth culture is a dark one, that is the hardest to pull off to ANY poser, and this reveals the true ones that actually are dark, deep, and believe in something. The one thing that sucks is that there are hardly anymore around. The final group, the originator, is Punk. Punk is the only other culture, next to Goth, that is true and free of posers all together. Punk’s go on their own path and if people don’t like it, they don’t give a shit, they are who they are! They are the TRUE nonconformists and the ultimate respectable style/group that is somewhat left in today’s society that does not whine about how much their lives suck, become a photo whore, stuff down beliefs down others throats, parade around saying their the best because their just SO different, but actually have firm, believable beliefs and opinions about society, politics, fashion, people, and so on. 

The times are changing, but that does not mean that everyone has to conform and become an annoyance in society. If one individual can stay true to themselves while dressing how they would like to, and having a good personality, that person will be respected. They may be shunned by others who are so into one group, but they will have others respect. Those others being the non-posers, real, and true Punks in today’s conformist’s society. 

A Straight Edge's View On Smoking

If there is truly one thing in the world that I do not understand, is that of people doing drugs and smoking. Everybody knows at least one person who either does drugs or smokes cigs. It is sad that they do these idiotic ventures but who are we to stop them?

Throughout culture, cigarette smoking has almost always been present no matter what time period. Now at days, we see it everywhere; street corners, under bridges, houses, etc. One thing that I absolutely can not for the life of me process is why people poison themselves? What can smoking really do for you that is good? Sure, you're metabolism is fastened, but look at the long term effects; possible lung and throat cancer, deep, unattractive smoker's voice, early wrinkles, trouble breathing (which can result in asthma), dependency, possible lead in to other more dangerous drugs, and death.

Do people who smoke truly know these life-long effects? Are they aware that when they pop in a cancer stick in their eager mouths and flick the zippo to ignite the flame, that they are singing a lease to arsenic to scurry through their bodies?

One issue that I would like to clear up before I go any further is that yes, I am Straight Edge. For those who don't know what Straight Edge is, it is an individual who refrains from drinking, smoking, doing drugs, and have promiscuous sex. I am not a person who will try to cram this down anybody's throat. I am open to people I meet; if they smoke, I don't like it but I ask they respect my boundaries and beliefs. Although, sometimes that can be just too much to ask of people who are "addicted" to nicotine.

When you first light up that first cig, what goes through your mind? Thoughts of regret, nervousness, excitement, pressure? What is the real reason kids decide to light up? The first reason is to fit in with a social group. This happens more around younger, gullible, kids, and is the more likely way of a kid becoming hooked onto this dangerous habit. Although, it has been proven that anybody under the age of 20 will have a much EASIER time quitting their smoking "addiction" than a 21 year old would. At young ages, our bodies are still developing and is strong enough to overcome and fight off whatever is thrown at us. Say if someone was trying to lose weight; a young, teen can quickly shed 10lbs. in a months time, or even less, than a 30 year old who can take a month to two to shed those first 10lbs! Really, all this is is self-control. When a person says that they want to quit, then QUIT. If you're only saying it to get attention then that's just damn sad and pathetic. Smoking is hard to quit, I don't know personally, but I do know that the body is physically dependent on it like a person addicted to drugs. Honestly, Marijuana, as much against it being used recreationally as I am, is a much safer drugs than cigarettes. And yes, marijuana is safer than cigarettes, believe that fact. It is a natural grown plant and does not have any added rat poisons or any other toxins at all (unless someone has laced it with another type of drug).

If you know someone that wants to quit their "addiction" and they are under the age of 20, then help them the best that you can. Keep them away from their enablers and make sure there is no way of them getting their "drug". These are things the smoker will lack because of how they feel when they take a drag. However, if this person has said numerous times that they do want to quit but never do and give up shortly after declaring, then it is not worth your time and energy. If smoking is what they want, allow them to do it. Be civil, be understanding. If it gets to a certain point where it's an math equation of:

Smoking _ friendship (>, <)

And it is becoming to the point of irritating and hurtful to you're friendship, it may be best if you, yourself end it. The smoker will not want this to happen, but they can't always have the best of both worlds. They aren't Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus, so it's one or the other. If it's obvious that smoking is more important than the friendship you two hold, then move on and find better people who will respect your beliefs, be a TRUE friend, not a friend that is only there when it's convenient for you, and who will also choose friendship over drugs. 

Busniess Suits and Combat Boots

There are so many labels in today's modern world that nearly everyone has some sort of label; emo, jocks, preps, whores, sluts (they have difference, remember that), scene, hipsters, druggies, punks, etc. However, when it comes to getting a job, most places will give you a look over to see how you dress, and however you are dressed, is how they will interpret your personality. Say if I'm in a band shirt that I cut up and did some DIY TLC on, with a skirt, and combat boots. If I were to walk into, say, Target dressed as such, more often than not you won't be very well talked to. You could be sweet, kind, and friendly towards them and not say a bad word or show the slightest of attitude, but it doesn't matter to them. If you don't look like a jock or prep, or at least, a tuned down version of you're "style" then, you most likely will not be hired if you choose to apply later. Sure, you'll still get the application, they can't deny you that (depending on what state you live in...), although, later on when you turn in the app. they often won't really look at it because they have in their mindset already that you're one of those *insert label here* kids that *insert stereotypical actions of your label here* and that you're *insert more negative, stereotypical actions here*.

Seems like a whole bunch of bullocks, right?
To a lot of teens and young adults, it is. In today's world everyone knows that there isn't that many jobs to be offered in the first place, especially for teens. Young adults may have a upper hand to some, depending if they are in college and in a college based area. However, in a college town with college students as it's main population, it is hard to get a job. But college kids are not as discriminated as teens are. College kids are old enough, and may have enough experience to know how to preform certain tasks that teens, may not know how to. It's unfair, but in reality life is unfair in general. A point that I don't understand in today's society is that, yes, we may be more excepting or people's beliefs, sexuality, and race, but because of the way that they may DRESS can affect someone's chances of getting a job is somewhat hypocritical.

Haven't people heard of the saying: "Don't judge a book by it's cover?" I do that. But it's for REAL books, not the metaphorical meaning of it. When meeting someone, one should not just notice their attire or how their hair is styled or not. First impression are, somewhat everything. But if your dressed as you're preferred style and present yourself very warmly and kind and derived of attitude, it won't matter much to an adult or possible employer. If an adult of any standard does not know much other than the stereotypes of how teens dress nowadays, they will only think that you are a stereotypical person with stereotypical traits, that overall, make you a stereotypical bad person. Whenever a jock, prep, or a non-labeled teen applies for a job, there is a 89% chance that they will be more welcomed and accepted than those who dress emo, punk, goth, etc. 

Something that really "Grinds my gears" is when a higher respected label is hired even though they have no experience and don't know what they are doing half the time. When that person gets fired for their lack or skill, the employer may look back to you, but will remember your stereotype style and move onto the next one who looks like the last person, but is actually more experienced, or at the same level of experience than you. How can people determine another person and their personality only on their outer image? The only way, it seems, a punk, emo, goth, etc. person could get a job is at Hot Topic (becoming overrated), Spencers (if you're 18+), or if your town has one, a small punk, emo, alternative, clothing shop that won't give a 1,2 damn if you have piercings on your lips and bright blue and purple hair.

If people see you as a label stereotype, future employers and unknown adults especially, then it will be harder to get the job you need/want. In the world today so many teens are a type of label, but in the work force, it is only frowned upon because of the negatives the stereotype comes fourth with. You can dress emo and not cut or do drugs or anything of that sort, but before you even shake hands with you're future employer, they will already have the mindset/opinion that you're a whiny person, who is always depressed and shy that cuts themselves. That's never the right way to go about thinking, ever. A sad fact is, though, no one can change how these people perceive teens with alternative/different styles. Sure they are more accepted today then five years ago. But because of the stereotypes that had been instilled those five years stay with the older generation, therefore, making a teens coming-of-age mission of getting a job, much more difficult than it should be. 

Happy Nightmares

Cute little Skully :)

Don't you love his purple emo hair?

XD

The Short Guide to Losing Bad Friends, and Learning How To Stay Calm and be Mature When Dealing With Their Petty BS

Congratulations! You finally dropped/unfriended that one rude/annoying/arrogant/ignorant/selfish/mean/petty/bitchy/etc. person that you once called a "friend" to move on with you're life and to not deal with their (*insert any of the following characteristics above or your own here*) bullshit anymore. Unfortunetley, while you may be feeling better about not having this person as you're friend anymore, that ex-friend may be trying to get back at you or acting like a little bitch/dick. In these times when this occurs, you must think through on how you are going to deal with this annoying little problem until it is resolved or just scurries away like the mouse that they are.

You Must Have Stopped Maturing At The Age Of 4...

It's the day after you parted ways from you're old friend. You feel as if a weight has been lifted off you're shoulders and you can finally do what you want without their cynical judgments or negative ways. But that all slowly starts to melt away right off of you as soon as you begin to talk to mutual friends and you hear of what the ex-friend have been saying about you. 

This is the beginning of another, unnecessary path of Hell that you wanted to avoid. You're mutual friends tell you of the "where is so-and-so? What are they doing? Did you hear? What are they saying about me?" And etc. It can and WILL get annoying and irritating; why do they NEED to know about what your doing? You aren't friends anymore and you don't want them to know ANY of your business.

Step 1: Tell you're mutual friends that you don't want them talking to them about you or anything that you say or tell them. It's private and personal and most important of all, none of their business. 

Step 2: This may sound childish, but if they are ocntinuely asking about you to no end, then try to avoid them and spend a little less time around the mutual friends that you two have in common. 

*Note: You can NOT tell you're mutual friends to pick sides. That will only result in MORE drama and fighting and can cause loss of friends.

Step 3: If the ex-friend is now talking crap about you because of you're shot friendship; whatever you do, do NOT fight back by doing the same thing they are doing to you. It will only make you a just as bad or even worse of a person if you sink to their low level of gossiping and constant complaining.

There's a Fork In The Highway; Take The Higher One or The Lower One...

Now it comes to the ultimate decision on what to do: will you take the high road? Or the low road? Sure, both do have advantages in some way but which one will surely help you come out of all of this on top of the grassy hill of respect and maturity? There isn't much any way of escaping the possible mess and aftermath of any of this, but choose which path you believe is the right one.

It's obviously the high road. If you picked the low road than you'll only have more problems then you had before.