Who you are is who you’ve been

Who you are is who you’ve been

So Mr. Torres asked me to be a guest writer on this blog.  The only direction I was given was to perhaps use as inspiration the idea that who I am is inextricably linked to where I have come from.  How splendidly cliché.  As I try to write through the idea to find the truth of this notion, I can’t help but realize how you all must have felt every day when I conjured up incredibly titillating (or, in the very least, mildly interesting) journal topics to inspire your writing.  Now that the tables are turned I fear that dreaded fear of all writers: writer’s block.

I would like to begin with the incredible and undeniable impact that the concepts of religion and faith have had on me through all sorts of endeavors, both good and bad, as I have ventured to become the outstanding citizen that some have endearingly referred to as “O Captain, My Captain”.  I would like to, but I can’t.  Long story short, the government says that would be against the law.  Something about separation of church and state…

My next inclination is to delve into the perilous world of my personal life to give a complete view of how I have come to be the hilarious, intelligent, awkward-moment-loving enlightener of young minds you have all grown to know and tolerate. But, again, I can’t.  Because I don’t want to.  So don’t try to friend me on Facebook. It’s awkward.  Not the “I want to bury my face in my pillow” kind of awkward that I have come to appreciate so much.  More like the “Hey Torres, look, there’s a 15 year old who wants to be my friend” kind of awkward.  Not nearly as moving.

I guess that leaves me with family.  From the moment I was sent before my time into this breathing world, scarce half made up, and that so lamely and unfashionable that dogs bark at me as I halt by them- I have had no delight to pass away the time unless to spy my shadow in the sun and… Oops, my bad.  I got myself confused with Richard III there for a second. Sorry Billy. 

The truth is that all your experiences, all the individual moments you have encountered are what make you who you are.  The person that you’ve been up to this point in your life, for better or worse, has led to who you are at this very instant.  And the only thing you can do to define yourself into the future is to take a step in a direction.  Then when you’ve done that, you are different than you used to be.  Let me return to a cliché and tell you to make that step a good step in a good direction. 

I have been lucky enough in my life to have a number of individuals who have helped me find those steps.  I have been wise enough to stay away from those who were only interested in their own. 

So who am I? I’m the guy who just wrote an entire blog post without actually saying anything. 

Thanks for letting me be a part of the conversation.  I’m proud of you guys.

Writer's Challenge: Create a Character

Hopefully, the title is fairly self-explanatory; however, there are still some specifics that need to be clarified.

I am challenging each and every one of you to create an entirely original character to share with the class.

The character can be a protagonist, antagonist, or secondary/supporting character. If you know what role you want him or her to fill, be sure to explain it somewhere in the character description, please. If you don't know where your character would fit in (such as a situation where you just don't know what sort of character he or she would end up being for whatever reason), don't feel pressured into making the decision; just tell us that his or her role is undecided.

First, you should include the character's name. It doesn't need to be the first detail you decide on; in fact, you may want to wait until you have completed the character before picking a name you think fits the character.

Second, please provide a physical description. Is the character tall? Short? Somewhere in between? Is he or she blonde? Brunette? A redhead? What color are his or her eyes? Is the character human, or is he/she an elf/alien/other non-human life form? Remember, your character can be anything and have any physical characteristic you desire!

Third, you shouldn't forget their personality: kind or malevolent, shy or outgoing, cheerfully optimistic or sarcastically cynical, nonviolent or hostile, patient or anxious? Anything goes, but try not to contradict yourself too often!

This next step is optional, of course, since I realize that not every character necessarily requires special powers. However, I would suggest giving every characters you create, even the ones you currently intend to give perfectly normal lives, powers of some sort, even if you don't use them in that specific story you had planned, just in case you recycle a character for a different story. After all, you never know when you'll need a mindreader, shapeshifter, or telekinetic character.

Optionally delve into their past. What happened to your character, or someone close to him or her, that made that character the person he or she is today?

A few things to remember: your character needs to have some sort of flaw, whether a physical disability, something in their mentality that prevents them from functioning the same way as an "average Joe" in everyday society, or something else that makes them a little more "human"; try to avoid making them too perfect or all-powerful (readers and writers alike tend to find themselves disliking those types of characters very quickly, even if they're the ones who created the character).

There is no shame in making an overly normal, average, or otherwise unremarkable character, especially if he or she is meant to give another character a sense of reality in a crazy world filled with various strange powers. However, the "normal" overall image of this type of character doesn't necessarily have to be how he or she is deep down; perhaps he or she has special powers that the character never knew about prior to the beginning of his or her story. Overly normal characters don't have to be as normal as they first seem; just because the "logical and intelligent sidekick" role is practically in their job description doesn't mean you absolutely have to put them in that kind of role. Normal characters can be just about anything, so they aren't necessarily a bad thing.

By the same token, don't be afraid to make an overly odd character, especially if that character ends up dragging another character into a crazy world of magic and mystery. However, an odd character could be the main character, with his or her overly normal companion preventing him or her from going completely insane from the powers they struggle to control. On the flip side of the proverbial coin, a "normal" character can be a character dragged out of the "normal" world he or she once knew by an overly odd character.

I hope I was able to give all of you some form of inspiration somewhere within my rambling. I really hope you all have fun creating your characters!

Good luck~!

Be The One.

I always ask myself: Do you really want to know what this person is going through?
They say that when you talk about something, you unload half the weight off your shoulders. But, does anyone ever think about where that weight goes?
Most people drop it like it's absolutely nothing. They hold it for a bit, then let it go and pretend they never had to see it. They move on. The person who lost the weight slowly gains it back as it trickles back to them, and end up worse than they were before.
Why?
Because they confided in someone, reached out for help with any of their issues - and they were shot down. Over a more graceful period of time, yes, but shot down all the same. And then the weight of losing that thought-of support piles on too. Can you imagine? Confiding in someone you thought understood, could help you, could be that one person to lean on when you're damaged, and then finding out: they're just like everyone else. It's a realization, almost. They're just like everyone else.
Because people simply don't care about real-life issues. The person sitting just across the room from you could have a psychotic disorder he was born with, and must take drugs that impair his everyday life. That girl that people hate for her bad attitude could be abused when she goes home. The boy with the big goofy grin and bright eyes could go home and try to kill himself almost weekly.
All of these things.....Because people can't see them, no one cares. No one cares. We all hear about that one person that tried to hang themselves and was sent to a rehabilitation center, but when he comes back to school a year later, what happens? He's shunned. No one wants to associate with someone who "is like that."
Or, it swings the other way. Everyone swarms him. Everyone wants to know: "Where were you?" "You did WHAT?!" "Tell me all about it!"
And then what happens? Rumors. One person knows, and all of a sudden, everyone knows. The story twists and swirls and writhes until it's a monster. The boy is shunned for this monster, and he's back to no one wanting to associate with someone who "is like that."
When you see someone with scars across their wrists, what do you do? I'll bet everything you look away, and pretend like you didn't see it. When you see someone crying in the bathroom, what do you do? Maybe you ask them what's wrong, but most will ignore it. When you see someone sitting in the staircase by themselves, what do you do? Maybe wave, maybe make eye contact, but you move on and don't think a second thought about it.
But you know what?
At one point, that person in the staircase was me. That person who acted goofy and smiled and laughed all the time....Most of the time, I just wanted it to end.
And when I saw someone pass me by, when I saw their glances or complete ignorance, I wished for nothing more than to be seen. For someone to look at me and see the pain I was in nearly constantly. I wanted someone to care whether I was there or not. I wanted someone to carry my weight, if only just a grain's worth. Not because I wanted attention, not because I wanted to be dramatic - but because I felt so alone, I drove myself into a deep hole of depression, and I couldn't get out without help.
And you know what? No one helped. No one saw. No one did a damned thing about it.
Near the end of that darkness, I went to the councelor's office almost daily in tears.
It's better now, though. I was sent away at the end of freshman year, and I got better. I'm better, though still not fully healed, but able to survive through my troubles while still functioning normally. I'm happier, healthier, and I actually feel something other than an intense depression.
Though, I have to wonder....
How many other people were like me? How many of those people struggle through every single day like I did? How many people are trapped within themselves, and take that extra step that I didn't take - to end it?
I never, never want to feel like I did before, and I never want someone else to feel that way.
I want to be that person who looks at the goof-off and sees his pain.
I want to be that person who sees the dark-clad girl curled up at the top of the staircase, and actually speaks to her.
I want to be that person who people can trust with their troubles, and don't have to worry about me dropping the weight.
I want to be that person who changes people's lives, and inspire people to do the same, just by being there and listening.
I want to be the one in a million, the one who cares whether you're there or not.
I want to be the person who feels the pains of the depressed, and helps them through it.
I want to be the person who cares.

But, my real question is: Will you take that extra step to pull someone away from the edge? Will you be the person who sees the people who need help? Will you open your eyes to the problems of someone? Will you carry their burden and help rid them of it?
Because, from all of this, you will be saving a person from themselves, and giving them the same life that we all want.

My answer to these questions is always yes.
Be the one person who cares.

Where Does Inspiration Come From?

Everyone finds inspiration, their muse(s), in different places in their life. Where do you find inspiration? What inspires you?

Also, ponder this quote when considering the source of art/inspiration:

"I know of no other advice than this: go within and scale the depths" ~Rainer Maria Rilke