Playing With Life

Oh life is just a funny thing isn't it. And it becomes only funnier when we begin to play our lives. You know, get on the computer and start your life again for the day. If you havn't caught on yet I'm talking about the Sims. This is the game where you create your own little Sim which is the human of the game and then proceed to live life. You can look for a job, make billions of friends, and you can go shopping in the largest catalog ever for everything your Sim could ever want. So...what's the point? Is it just to live life again. I'm not sure if Sim players acutally think about the underlying meaning of the Sims. (And believe me their is one.) I myself have fallen under the spell of this lifelike game merely on the point that it was fun, for a while.

I was reading a particular author for my Language & Composition class in school. His name is Chuck Klosterman, and he writes primarily essays about a variety of topics and discussions. He's completely over analytical about EVERYTHING possible and he has a lifestyle that is...well, let's just say I would never reccomend him to anyone. But none the less, I read some of this essays and he did the exact thing I am doing right now. He analyzed the Sims and it's promblems and it began my thinking process on this game acutally.

My problems with playing the Sims are that it is impossible to settle upon my goals and the unknown goals of my Sim. I want to be successful for my Sim, climbing the career ladder, obtaining enough cash to be well off, raise his skills to amazing levels. Of course, all he wants to be is happy: well fed, entertained, clean, etc. Now don't get me wrong I want him to be happy too, but everytime I try to aspire a little in my own goals he drops in his level of happiness. If I want him to read he drops in entertainment, if I want him to paint he drops in energy, if I want him to go running he just plain becomes depressed. Come on Sim why won't you work with me.

Then when I do get promoted so much on my social ladder I am required to make friends. "Make what?!!?!" I say. It never even came to my mind that I was required to socialize with other people, and what if my Sim won't socialize? Do you even know how long it takes to form a strong relationship? I can't do that on this game, that will take way too long. Ugh. But I guess it would be good for my Sim. Not that he cares.

Klosterman ends his essay really interestingly. He ends up realizing that in his idiotic efforts to get his Sim married he realized that he tortured his Sim to the point of no return. That it was filthy, depressed, hungry, dying probably, maybe suicidal, who knows. So he makes a dramatic effect that he will let his Sim do whatever it wants now and then dramatizes his decisions to click the option button and check "Freewill."

You know I think that is the problem with my Sim. He only sees the short term effects on things. He won't and can't put himself through problems and be happy because he knows that in the end it will be better off in the end. How selfish can a Sim be? But then again this could be a great lesson for us. Nobody aspires to be a Sim someday, so that means we shouldn't be like that. We shouldn't procrastinate and we should realize what greater things await us if we just wait and stick it through.

Meet My Friends, Chuck

My class and I were once asked in the middle World History "How many of you, when first meeting someone, look at their shoes?" I was the only brave one to raise my hand. Now my prideful teacher was rather shocked to see that it was a male that raised his hand. He expected that more girls would because his "research" (or gossip) tells him that most women look at shoes when first greeting people. Please don't make any assumptions about me just because of this factor. I have a belief that shoes have a deeper meaning in them; I'm not obsessed about fashion.

Shoes actually are the piece of clothing that can tell you most about a person. If you think about it, shoes have the more variety and creativity than any other article of clothing. That is probably why I like them so much. You taught in school that you shouldn't judge people by their outer appearances, and I support that, but that doesn't mean that what you wear doesn't say something to others.

If you didn't already know, my favorite type of shoe is Converse. Particularly Chuck Taylors are preferable. The reason is that they prove my point about shoes all-around. All different kinds of people wear Chucks all around. It doesn't matter what kind of person you are you can find a type of Chuck that you like.

This is because the graphic designers at Converse make so many types of designs everyone is bound to find a likeable pair. In fact this is Converse's motto. They are obsessed with the idea that everyone's shoes are unique to that single person and contain all the character you do. This is true because when Converse.com comes up with a design they normally don't keep it up for more than one or two months. (Hint: if you find a pair you like buy it quick before it goes out.) And they are constantly coming up with new ones to replace the old ones only keeping the most basic ones. This goes to the fact that everyone has an individually different shoe. It goes farther as their logo is the thumbprint, the thing that makes all of us an individual.

And even when owning similar pairs of converse they still become unique to everyone through their experience and the story they tell. For instance, three out of the four pairs of Chucks I own I know somebody else who owns one. But my shoe is significantly different. My original black and white low tops are pretty popular among many feet, but my shoes have holes in all spots due to the rigorous work at IRBC camp, the white has turned to yellow, I have ripped a mouth on the heel of my right shoe, and all the members of Superchic[k] have signed it also. Nobody has shoes like that but me. Each shoe has a story.

In this I encourage you to do something. Next time you see somebody wearing a pair of Chucks: 1) tell them they have awesome shoes and 2) if you somewhat know them ask them the story behind their shoes. Some people will have millions and some may only have one. But I assure you, you can find at least one story. As the commercials would say: "Unique shoes only for you… priceless."

I'm Sorry

I apologize to anyone who has gone to my blog in the last two or three weeks. I computer has broken down and I have had no access to the internet rigth now, however I have still been writing and as soon as I can get my posts to a computer with internet I will flood it with probably around twenty posts or so. Please be patient if you are waiting, and just remember

The Phantom of the Opera is there...inside your mind.