Portraying Our Future

I watched Looper last night and I was intrigued by it. Sure the plot was great and the characters were well developed and I am in love with Joseph Gordon-Levitt so I am biased towards everything he is in, but that is not why I am still thinking about the movie a day later (and will probably be thinking about it for more days to come). The thing that got to me about Looper was how the movie portrayed the future.

The movie takes place 30 years in the future and shows scenes of 30 years in the future from that point when, supposedly, time travel has been invented. Unlike most movies that take place in the future, it did not glamorize the future. All of our modern problems were not suddenly solved and there was not any super ridiculous technology, except for the time traveling. And even with the time traveling, the technology was outlawed and only used by criminal organizations, which when you see how the criminals use time travel, you see why it would be outlawed. 

The future is not an oppressive dystopia either, which is the other popular way to portray the future. The future is very similar to our present. To me, that seems very realistic. Perhaps that seems like a pessimistic way to view the future, but it really isn't. I am not saying that people should not be hopeful for the future because I do not think that there is any other way to think of the future. The problem is when people think that just getting to the future will solve all of their problems. That is not the case. It is not the changes of the future that will solve the problems of humanity, it is the changes within us. And I really felt that was shown in Looper. There were technological changes and new things that were discovered, but there was still crime, there were still children growing up without parents, there were problems that came with it being the future. 

The decisions we make as individuals to help those around us and to stop the never ending cycle of the horrible things that happen to our fellow man is what will solve our problems, not super cures and flying cars. 

Just Writing

There always seems to be this notion that when a person is writing, there needs to be some sort of end result, or at the very least a goal that he/she is trying to reach. I often fall into that trap. I would only write if I knew exactly what I needed to accomplish, whether it is an essay for a class or another attempt at a novel during NaNoWriMo.

But like I said, it's a trap.

I essentially created this blog so I could avoid that notion. I could write when there is something that I want to write about but it does not necessarily fit into the parameters of a class essay or will ever be turned into a novel. But even with this blog, I would neglect it because I did not think that  I had anything that was worth writing. The idea that I originally had in mind was going no where so why even bother trying to make something of it? Is there a point to writing if there is no point to the writing?

I think so.

Getting your thoughts out there, even if it only going to be seen by you is important. If anything, by writing when there is no point to the writing, you will get better at it and then when you do sit down and want to write something, there will be a point. This is something I have tried to convince myself for the past few years. I feel like I am getting better at doing it. I am using this blog more often, I try to journal some things here and there, from my trips to very basic book reviews, and I even started a new Word Doc that is random writings and one liners that come to mind.

It's weird that I have to convince myself to write because I have always enjoyed writing. Even when it came to school, writing papers did not really bother me. I think that since I do not always have something write about that the writing itself will not matter. But why should I let it matter? Should I be my own road block for something that I enjoy and am occasionally good at doing because I set weird guidelines for myself?

It's funny because now that I look back on this post, I am trying to find a way to wrap it up and to get to some sort of point. The thing is, I don't think I have one because I'm just writing.

2013: The Year of Being Practical

I like setting goals for myself. I do not always fulfill them, but having those goals makes me feel like there is something I can do and then put a check mark beside it. I do not necessarily cause my goals to dictate my level of happiness, or at least, I try not to let them dictate my happiness. Last year, I reached only about a third of my goals, granted, I did set some ridiculous goals last year, but I still had an awesome year.

So I know that 2013 probably will not be as great as 2012, at least not in the same way. I feel like this year is going to be a much more practical year. It will still be exciting, but just a different type of excitement. With that in mind, here are my goals for the next 12(ish) months.

1. The 50 book challenge
2. Run a half marathon
3. Make 50 YouTube videos
4. Go to Playlist LIVE and LeakyCon
5. Become fluent in Spanish
6. The 100 movie challenge
7. Live in another city

There are a few exact repeats with the 50 book and 100 movie challenges and becoming fluent in Spanish. I completed the 50 book challenge last year but I not so much with those other two goals. I am going to avoid rewatching movies and TV shows so that I can complete the 100 movie challenge this year. As for the Spanish fluency, I already started with a basic conversation book I borrowed from the library and then after that I am going to go back over my textbooks from Spanish in college. Because I have been exposed to so much Spanish throughout the years, I think it is very reasonable that I can become fluent in it if I just apply myself a bit. 

I decided to cut a few goals down from last year with the marathon and convention going. Last year, I wanted to run a marathon even though my running level had plummeted the three previous years. I thought it would motivate me to run more. It worked for a little while and then I started looking at it as if it were an impossibility (even though it was not) so I decided it would be better this year of I aimed for a half marathon instead. It is more reasonable and it is a much more logical first step before I reach a goal of running a full marathon. The same thing with my con going. Last year, I was able to go to LeakyCon for the first time so this year I figured I should just one up it instead of trying to triple or quadruple the feat. 

I went the opposite direction with video making. Last year, I want to make 35 YouTube videos. I only made 20 videos, mostly due to being lazy, unmotivated, and making excuses for myself concerning my equipment (or lack thereof). This year, I do not have the equipment excuse. I bought a new camera and I have a new phone with a front facing camera so I can make videos anywhere and at anytime. However, I have hit a bit of a snag with my computer and not being able to edit, but I am hoping to get a new laptop soon because my current one is turning 6 in August. In other words, it is ancient.

Lastly, and most importantly, is my last goal for this year which is to live in a another city. This is something I have always wanted to do and I kind of did it when I was at UT but the fact that it was still in the same state and only and hour and a half away from home did not make it feel that way. I would like it to be a large city, mostly because I have fallen in love with being able to walk places and/or using the public transportation. I have recently expanded my job search to New York, DC/Baltimore, Chicago, and even Orlando and Miami. I am, of course, not ruling out landing a job in another country, but I am leaving that for a few months from now if I still have not found something that I like. 

And that is about it. Like I said, it is exciting in its own sense and it is most definitely challenging and I do like a good challenge. 

One of my Better Years

I know people always say this at the end of a year, but 2012 really was one of the best years in my life. However, I, unlike other people, do not throw this term "best years of my life" around lightly. In fact, the only other years I described as the best years of my life are 1999 and 2007. Both of which had events that happened to me then that caused 2012 to be one of the best years of my life. 

So, why was 2012 such a great year for me that it stands out from so many other years of my life? 

Because it was the year that I started doing things that I always wanted to do. I traveled through Europe, I went skydiving, I finally went to a Harry Potter conference. I also got to do things that most people don't get to say that they did in their lifetimes—I graduated from a university and helped to break a world record. I met so many people and grew closer to friends I already had. 

And sure, there were some down times, especially during the last month or month and a half of the year but I should not let that define my year like I was starting to do in my mind about a week ago. I did things that fulfilled the imagination of 9 year old kid and reached the goals of an overly excited high schooler. So of course, it was one of the best years of my life. 

While all the things that I did contributed to why it was one of the best years of my life (ok let's be real, it is the main reason), there is the fact that by doing all of these things, it opened up the opportunity to do them again in the future and gave me the feeling that I can do whatever I want to do as long as I put my mind to the task. I know now that I can travel on my own and that it will be alright. Not just that, but I want to keep traveling even more and more. That is something that I would not have realized if I did not do it this year. And honestly, that is what caused 1999 and 2007 to the best years of my life as well. I visited Egypt with my family and discovered Harry Potter in 1999. The visit to Egypt sparked my interest in wanting to travel the world and the discovery of Harry Potter shaped my personality. Looking at those events on their own, they seem insignificant but they allowed for greater things to happen later. The same goes for 2007. I started college at the University of Tennessee and started really getting into YouTube. Two things that shaped the friendships that I have and inspired me to not just stick with the status quo even though that might be the easy thing to do.

So now I sit and think back on 2012 and I know that it is not likely that 2013 or any year soon will top it...and that is absolutely fine. Because, I know that what I did this past year will inspire me to do things this year and in the years to come that I may not have done. And while these things that I am going to do in the future may not be as exciting, they will be more exciting than what would have been if not for this year's experiences.