"Life is like a box of chocolates..." "Life is like a roller coaster..."
In essence there are always parts of everything that you like and don't like, but in order to realise everything and understand how you can direct your life toward the better and afar from the bad, you must live and go through the cycle that is life. (That isn't a quote from somewhere, it's my choice of words to define the quotes above,) Does this mean bad things happen for a reason, and are a necessity in life?
I guess it depends on one's perspective.
Now I am no believer in religion, superstition, or that there is something bigger than ourselves other than imagination and will. You might think of me as an Atheist - who would reject beliefs and certain conditions, as well as an notion that there is a grad scheme in place. FYI if God really exists and Jesus' sacrifice is penance for our sins for, then I would dearly like to throw both so-called supernatural entities through a wood chipper, and then as they revive, I would trap them in the foulest and inhumane pools of famine, sewage, waste, blood, and representatives of the worst humanity has ever produced or done... for the rest of time! If you could see my face as I type this up; you'd realise I am deadly serious because I honestly believe that there is no excuse for the s*** that happens all over the world. If such thing as God existed as the cliché tends to relay as an all-powerful entity suspended in the clouds of Heaven, then what excuse could it give for the suffering that goes on all across the world, whether it be people struggling at the brink of life and death with cancer, or the evil people are capable of and have committed to others?
So you see, I'm no believer in anything indescribable, if I were a faithful person who chooses to have faith then what I would say to people is "don't look up for God to answer your pleas, answer them yourselves for all of us have the power to change whatever it is we want to change". Still, the concept of "bad" is a generalisation of what a majority believe opposes the good, or the acceptable. If I were to say that I think a tablet is a "bad" investment compared to an android phone; someone else will have a different regard about the tablet.
So what is "bad" (apart from an infamous song)? is there any such thing that is completely and timelessly "bad"? The answer is ultimately 'No', but then its understandable that people will believe there is such thing as an absolute "bad", like a suicide bomber. I'm not turning into a spiritualist or anything; I'm just coming to terms that I myself am not completely "bad" as I have always thought, though there is certainly plenty of "bad" in me even if its purely my own belief. Even the atrocious outcomes aren't completely negative despite popular opinion.
Let's put this theory into practice - The 2015 Royal Rumble Match
Yes I know I'm a bit late to relay my point of view on this topic but its a significant topic and a grand example to argue my theory. Now I don't like the outcome or the overall execution of the match itself. I definitely think the WWE has once again plunged themselves into the wrong direction having Roman Reigns (who just isn't ready) becoming victorious with the manner that happened i.e. doing little in the match to establish himself as deserving. I'm not trying to discredit Roman Reigns, but from what I know and have seen; I don't think there's anything "special" about his character or what he brings (he is kind of generic throughout). Plus the obviousness is really a nut-cracker (and an unpleasant one at that); WWE made it clear that he is the next franchise player months and months prior to the Royal Rumble Match. Perhaps if the WWE wasn't as one dimensional and obsessed with Roman Reigns like Square Enix is obsessed with the character Lightning; then there would be less to despise. If the match itself was constructed less linear (for example have Roman Reigns equal his efforts that he made in the 2014 match, or not have The Rock come in to save the day) then the outcome wouldn't have been as sour as it was.
The fact is however that while there are other talking points and "good" spots like Kane surpassing Shawn Michaels' record for most eliminations, Daniel Bryan illuminating the audience, Bray Wyatt's strong performance, and the return of Bubba Ray Dudley and DDP; the "badness" of what transpired dominates the picture like a chilli placed in chicken soup, and has the biggest significance heading forwards to subsequent weeks and ultimately WrestleMania 31.
But with everything that has happened and the tedious and predictable nature forthcoming; can it really be said that the 2015 Royal Rumble Match was completely "bad" and have damming ramifications for the near future? The answer in my opinion is 'No'. Sure its pretty bleak and damming from a business perspective as people protest and there is the whole "#CancelWWENetwork" nonsense jeopardising WWE's infrastructure (I say it affects the infrastructure because less WWE Network subscribers and negative reactions mean less viewers and ultimately less ticket sales and merchandise sales (which hurt the revenues of the WWE talent)). On the other hand; "controversy creates cash" as Eric Bischoff says, and its undeniable that the WWE have paid attention and the outcome of the 2015 Royal Rumble Match has led to "better" things such as strong programs being established, and the WWE Network being free throughout February (2015), including the Fast Lane PPV. So if you hated the 2015 Royal Rumble Match, you can advert hatred and watch content on the WWE Network that appeals (and for the duration of February for free).
Giving the example above and the topic of this post determining 'Are bad things essential?' Its pretty hard to argue with the fact that "bad" has substance and prompts decisive action to be taken, even though it isn't strictly necessary and those fans who hated the outcome of the 2015 Royal Rumble Match and take 'drastic' actions need to grow up and accept what they're given before they're whining brings a stop to the entertainment and provisions the WWE provides (and if that happens, who is really to blame then; the WWE or the fans who bitch, bitch, bitch?)
Quick note: I don't like the fact that the stages on WWE PPVs of late are essentially that of Raw with different lighting and graphics. The presentation of a unique stage at a PPV, like Halloween Havoc with the large inflated pumpkin, and the moving scythes of the early Backlash PPVs means the product is special and fitting to the theme of the PPV. I dread the thought that the stage for WrestleMania 31 will suffer from this lazy style too!
Now its time for something a little more personal which holds value to the topic of this post. Growing up; I was an obese child, which had some damming ramifications to how I developed and how I perceive things. Added to this I had some form of learning disability compared to others at school; which I did not know the reason for until a few years back when my Mum announced I have Asperger's. Confidence was an absolute rarity and for the most part I felt absolutely isolated from others. The way I was configured meant that I could not understand what other people did effectively, plus my interpretation of things I learned was approached differently to others and led to problems. For the most part I tried to ignore whatever I considered obstacles and learnt to get by with the littlest of basics learnt such as how to talk to people and ask for assistance. To say I was bullied during my youth and development is an understated, not just by others but by myself because I absolutely despised myself. By the time I was nineteen (19) (thereabouts); I weighed over twenty-one (21) stone, which had further ramifications for my health and my already alienated perception of myself and the surroundings.
Diarrhoea was common to me, and it wasn't until the early stage of my adult life when I decided to do something to change course in my life. Through strict and self-loathing I gave up all temptations for sweets and chocolate, which led to the end of having snacks like crisps and sugary drinks. Along with this I pushed myself to give up on public transport and walk more (unless it was essential to use a bus like in heavy wet weather). The extent of my progression meant that by the end of my tenure as a volunteer worker at Weymouth College in 2010, I was interacting with adults more casually, taking initiatives such as developing my passion for fictional writing, and at one time weighing eleven (11) stone!
Quite the success story when you consider what I was a year and a half before eh? The truth is however I was still not happy with myself and in my pursuit to push myself, I had undertaken a drastic change that stemmed from years of wanting to be someone other than me. My own obsession with the character Yuna from Final Fantasy X and X-2 meant I would emulate her as best I could such as saying "Oh poopie!" talking and apologising to Yuna for unsatisfactory efforts in my concept for Final Fantasy X-3, acquiring merchandise such as posters (which I still have), game soundtracks (which I still have), media associated with Yuna that doesn't work on PAL devices, and going as far as to copy Yuna's default attire from Final Fantasy X-2! As a result I participated in courses in Weymouth College from 2007 to 2009 with black boots with white laces, long hair cropped similar to Yuna's, a self made pouch that fitted onto a belt, and a red rope with fake brunette hair at the bottom that hanged loose from the point of suspension which was super-glued hair on the back of my head!!
I am not joking here! This f***ed up s*** really happened!!!!!!!!!!
The method behind this bats*** insanity was if I could become the male equivalent of Yuna, then it meant I no longer had to be me. What enticed me to try to emulate Yuna in the first place was her transformation from who she was in Final Fantasy X to the more upbeat person seen in Final Fantasy X-2. I wanted to discard my discord and follow Yuna's example to become a happier and more self-confident person.
Thankfully because of the significance of working in the Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, I grew out of this ridiculous mind-set and focused more so on the objective at hand, as well as interacting with people who were of my age. Additionally with genetics inherited from my Dad,; it meant that maintaining long hair would be vein because it would fall out and recede before I could regrow my hair. While I have (absurd) respect for the character Yuna; my days of fantasy and trying in vein to emulate her are over and I have come to the realisation that I had the ability to steer clear from what I regarded as "bad" in my life and in the world, and continue to do so through the inspiration and still strict self-loathing.
Nowadays as a result of my progression to steer clear from the "bad", I know a lot more then I did before and can act promptly to situations where I encounter something I dislike and regard as "bad". When I strongly despise myself; instead of submitting to comfort food, I can go out on a walk or attend the gym near the Asda store in Weymouth. Through the "bad" experiences over the years with trying to establish friendly relationships with people (and failing), I am gradually learning from my mistakes and putting more empathises on self-restraint so that I can prevent making the same mistakes as before.
Long story short; the numerous "bad" I have encountered were fundamental to my progression through life. I have to conclude therefore that bad things are essential, and its important to consider the "bad" in things and then work from the platform to make things better in the future. As damming as "bad" things (attributes) can be such as the replacement voice actors for Big Boss in Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain, and for Claire Redfield in Resident Evil Revelations 2; the "bad" is just a conditional statement we all use in life that defines expectations that aren't met.
So what if something is considered "bad"; as long as there is something to like, like a box of chocolates then we shouldn't be overly upset and grateful for the things that make us pursue the "good" in things we like and want.
Well, that's it for this post, I have no clue (as usual) for the post for next month might be about, but then that's part of the fun and challenge for me. Any thoughts? Feel free to post them.
Until next time, see ya!
No comments:
Post a Comment