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Breaking The Shackles

Tales Of My Adventure Moving Away To Experience Life Abroad.

 

What to say...

You know it's beginning to get to that time of when I need to start thinking about next year. When I say that, I mean: Do I want to be here another year?

Part of me says "Yes!" It's interesting living in another society, in another country, in another culture. It's building a resume, it's building character, memories, and experiences.

The other part of me says "No!" I hate my job, I don't get any satisfaction from it, it's polluted here, it seems as though most people just want to drink and get wasted, and I'm wasting time.

You know, part of me feels that for many many years I've had to maintain a certain image because I was the person to do what needed to be done that other people weren't going to do. Maybe this has held me back in life, maybe it's helped me in life - I don't really know. Something I do know is that happiness seems to be just a dream, a hope, a pursuit. I recently watched a movie called the "Pursuit of Happiness" and it hit a little close to home. Will Smith's character goes through somethings and winds up talking about happiness and how Thomas Jefferson included the word "pursuit" in the Deceleration of Independence and questioned how he knew to include "the PURSUIT of happiness." Indicating that it's possible that someone could never be happy and only pursue it. Of course this is a movie, and I'm sure you can guess what happens, but it's something I've felt for a long time. Am I going to be one of those people that only chase after happiness and never find it.

I have ideas of what would make me happy, but in the end, a lot of those aspirations are unrealistic...like a kid day-dreaming. You know you go through times when you say "Oh! I'm so happy!" but really it's just an empty sentence, or short lived. I can say that I was honestly happy when I was w/ my ex - but that quickly turned into a horrible nightmare and headache. It seems as though my existence is to be "THAT GUY!" the one that hast to suffer in the turmoils of life. A friend once told me that some people are born with their problems, and others make their problems. She later went on to talk about how I feel in the 1st category. What else can I say? I know that not working would be something that would make me happy, but for how long? Would I eventually get bored and become unhappy again - possibly. Happiness is such a finicky beast isn't it.

That's getting quite deep, so onto a rant...

What's the deal with people that use the anonominity of the internet to manipulate, deceive, or fulfill some sort of sick and perverse fantasy with other people. For example, a guy who pretends to be a girl (most of the time lesbian and/or bi) and has erotic conversations or cyber-sex with another girl. I mean, what does this accomplish. Usually the guy winds up building some sort of attachment to this girl and then the only way to continue is to continue the manipulation. I've seen people go so far as to create fake email address, and use that fake email address to log into a messenger service, and get other girl's pictures off the net and claim that it's them. I never hear of girls posing as guys unless they want to be left alone. Sure it's something to play a female in a role-playing game, hence the name "role-playing", but doing this sort of thing is just disgraceful, disrespectful, sick, and unethical. I could go on, but I think you get my drift. Ugh, this makes me angry.

I've been feeling depressed, that's nothing new though as I feel like the majority of my time is spent in a depressed state of mind. I've noticed that it's becoming harder and harder for me to control. Keeping that barrier up to make it seem as though "I'm Okay!" gets harder and harder. There's nothing new here, I don't even know why I'm talking about it. I'll just get yelled at in a comment probably and told that people are tired of hearing me complain. To which I'd say that this is *MY* space, and place to put up how I'm feeling. They don't have to read it if they don't want to.

I downloaded and completed the 13th season of Survivor just a few hours ago (Cook Island) and I have to say that I'm a fan of that show. In most survivor shows there is a challenge where you get to see a loved one. For once, I could finally relate to how that must feel. Everyone was breaking into tears, and just watching that I felt a strong sense of emotion come over me. I wish I could do something like they do in Survivor. It looks hard, miserable at times, but at the same time it looks like so much fun and a way to escape reality. Too bad I can't really swim. See - a kid day-dreaming again.

So like I was saying, it's beginning to get to that time where I need to start thinking about next year. I have no clue what I want to do in life. I'm so unmotivated to do anything, I hate mornings, I hate people, and I just want to be left alone most of the time. I wish there were something that I could find meaning in. Something I could find satisfaction in. Blah to Corporate America. That reminds me...

Over on the *OTHER* blog, I was accused of being what was it... Oh yes - anti-social and a conformist. Certain allegations were made to support both of those claims, and people responded. Why do I become the topic of others? Do you think I like this? Why?

Let's start off by examining some definitions. The following definitions come to us courtesy of the premier site for word definitions on the internet:

con·form·ist /kənˈfɔrmɪst/ [kuhn-fawr-mist]
–noun
1. a person who conforms, esp. unquestioningly, to the usual practices or standards of a group, society, etc.
2. (often initial capital letter) a person who conforms to the usages of an established church, esp. the Church of England.

–adjective
3. of or characterized by conforming, esp. in action or appearance.


an·ti·so·cial /ˌæntiˈsoʊʃəl, ˌæntaɪ-/ [an-tee-soh-shuhl, an-tahy-]
–adjective
1. unwilling or unable to associate in a normal or friendly way with other people: He's not antisocial, just shy.
2. antagonistic, hostile, or unfriendly toward others; menacing; threatening: an antisocial act.
3. opposed or detrimental to social order or the principles on which society is constituted: antisocial behavior.
4. Psychiatry. of or pertaining to a pattern of behavior in which social norms and the rights of others are persistently violated.
–noun
5. a person exhibiting antisocial traits.


I'm just going to leave it at that. I feel no need to give my thoughts on how I view myself.

I guess the bottom line is simple... "I don't know what to do."

-Tom

By Thomas
On Saturday, February 24, 2007
At 2/24/2007 12:03:00 AM
Comments :
 

for this post

 
Anonymous Anonymous Says:

One thing to take into consideration ... esp if you intend to return home and stay there indefinitely ... don't hurry back - plan a bit of exploration of that area (China, Japan, SE Asia, etc) ... you might be able to get your employer is issue a plane ticket from a different origin point, esp if it is the same price or cheaper. Course you will have all your belongings - may have to ship some stuff back. Or the simpler arrangement would be to circle back to WuHan. In any case, you could do 4,6, 8 weeks around there and see some stuff. And you CAN travel quite cheap - I know.

Something to consider, anyway.

Patrick

 
 
Anonymous Anonymous Says:

The pursuit of Happiness.

I think we are all looking for a such a place in life. I'm pursuing my own too. I see unemployment as retirement. I can't afford it so I don't do it right now. What I do like are my two days off and spending time with Natalie and Anne, and being able to buy things we want. (Well, until I can retire) The working dream it to just have a job that you can ride until 60-65 yrs of age. (Lucky ones 50 years of age. (nudge))

Adios,
Kevin

 
 
Anonymous Anonymous Says:

If you can find contentment in life it is as close to happiness as you can get. You have moments of great happiness and joy and then life in general pulls you back to reality and the everyday stresses. It is the stresses and challenges in life that make us who we are by how we handle them. You do not need lots of money to be happy but enough that you can live comfortably and not stress out about bills, etc.. I've been in both places and I prefer the last. Do some things that you want to do. Life is short so travel and enjoy yourself...who knows you may find your inner happiness right around the corner.

 
 
Anonymous Anonymous Says:

Well, while everything that has been posted is a true comment and certainly a belief held by the poster, the truth is, happiness is only an illusion anyway. If you want "escape" from reality, wake up "happy". It is only a state of mind,not a state of existence. Reality is what you see when you look around you. Some moments it might be beautiful, other moments it might be horrible, but bottom line, so what? It is what it is. The question is, what is it? You and I could look at the exact thing or experience the exact event and I can guarantee our reality about what we saw or experienced would be different. Would one of us be wrong and the other right? I don't think so. Sometimes I can look back at an event years in the past and my view of it is now drastically different than it was at the time. Was I wrong then? Or am I wrong now? Neither. Time and distance will change our view of "reality".

We are taught in school that "history" is an indisputable series of events which we should memorize and are somehow important. But what I am finding out in my "old" age is that history is fluid. Events are re-written to serve some purpose. I have been to the battlefields at Menasis and been to Plimouth Rock and I stood there and imagined how events might have been way back when. I have ridden down the streets of Philadelphia where our founding fathers met in secret planning a revolution. I can't even imagine what went on in their minds about the effects of their actions. Were any of these people "happy"? Did they even think about whether they were happy? Did it matter? Why does it matter to you? If you look around you and you say to yourself, "is there anything to be happy about" and you say "no", is that hurting anyone? Hurting you? Hurting me? Changing the world?

Happiness is overated, in my humble opinion. Contentment is not a state of mind I choose for myself either. I like the struggle. I love Survivor too. Why? Because it is about the anatomy of human emotion and the politics of group behavior. It is our society in a fish bowl. It is a rare chance to hear complete strangers talk about their views of life in a way that we would most likely never get to hear in our "real" lives. It is gross manipulation of people by the producers, it is extreme betrayal from the participants. It is real life in unreal circumstances and we can learn alot about ourselves and others by watching it, if we choose to view it that way. Does it make me "happy" to watch Survivor? Maybe. One thing it doesn't do is make me feel indifferent to life.

You can be depressed if you want. You can be "not happy". You can be unhappy. Just don't be indifferent. That is a waste of your precious time on this earth. You may never know why you are here. But so what? I want to know what is around tomorrow's corner. I feel curious, not happy, about tomorrow. I know I will be surprised and sometimes terrified by what comes at me around the corner. Can I survive? Can I not get crushed? That is the challenge, the struggle. I don't care about happy, I care about the challenge and how I meet it. Is that wrong? Is that right? Do I care what you think about me? Do you care what I think about you?

You wonder what you will do with your life. Well, guess what, so do I!!! You don't have to KNOW what you are going to do with your life. What you have to do is LIVE your life. That's all. When you are 75 you will be able to look back and see what you have done with your life. But that's a long time from now.

You know, you write very well. I would be VERY interested in reading about the lives of the people in China that you have interesected wtih. How is it different from the USA, how is it the same. Is there a truly universal connection between all peoples regardless of what country they are from or what their native language is? Does the language shape the people? You have such a unique opportunity that I personally will never have which is to live in a totally different culture. I am so proud of you for taking the opportunity. I know that I myself would not have done it in a million years. My hat is off to you. Now, that is something that actually makes me feel happy, to know someone who is doing something that I will never do. How lucky can I get?

Well, I know this isn't my blog but it is my birthday and I am OLD so I guess you can cut me a little slack on today!!! I love you and look forward to hearing about your adventures, whenever you return.

Holly

 

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