Maturation - Blog Posts

The recent increase in discouragement in the community is evidence of maturation

This is not unique to this community; it's very old and has been repeated over and over again in history. For example, we see similar symptoms in the anticipation of new science and technology. Initially, when a new technology is announced, people are very excited and a bubble is created. But gradually, as more experiences and facts about the technology are shared, people's excitement and expectations begin to diminish. It's like the illusion of the technology is broken. And as this happens, investment in the technology increases, and the technology continues to make steady progress.

A lot of people in this community have been following this topic for at least a couple of years, and they've done a lot of research, and they've been practicing and testing on a consistent basis, and they've experienced that a lot of things are not what they claim to be, and as a result of that accumulation of experience, they're now at the stage where they're exploring whether they're missing something.

I'm one of those people who retains some of that initial excitement and enthusiasm. I've been researching and experimenting with this topic for a couple years now, and I've gotten some results, and I'm continuing to trial and error.

I would tell others to stop having excessive fantasies and expectations and just enjoy the moment. Because if we just keep going on this path, eventually we will be successful, just like every other successful shifter. It's like a long-distance marathon. We're going to keep going, and we need to pace ourselves so that we don't get too exhausted along the way.

The Lion King

The Lion King is a big deal for me. The Lion King was both the first movie I saw in theatre and the first play I saw on Broadway and Lion King II: Simba’s pride was my first “new movie”. Similar to how the first Harry Potter book is my home of film, the Lion King story and series is my home of film. 

While the story is home for me and has a lot of great moments, there isn’t a particular connection to the story except for enjoyment. The opening scenes are what I remember most, the music and the visuals that the film received accurate praise on. 

The story is also good, you see Simba grow up and the characters of Rafiki, Timon and Pumbaa are original and home themselves. Rafiki, a somewhat sarcastic but also caring character, how people will choose not to listen and that it’s okay to not be seriously serious all the time. Timon and Pumbaa show that true friendship encompasses risking your life and how it’s okay to be different from your friends and also a little silly. 

The Lion King is also a movie/story that I’ve been able to look at differently as I’ve aged. While the opening sequence of music, artistical beauty and family resonate the same with me about 25 years later, I was able to have a deeper appreciation for the Broadway show when I saw it as an adult than when I was younger and my relationship and understanding with the characters has changed because while I remember the story, enough time has gone by where I don’t remember all the details and I am in some ways meeting the characters for the first time. 

Similar to The Lion King, The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride was also a film that I related to differently as I watched it. While at first Simba was just an annoying dad who didn’t understand, an older me appreciated the true fear he had for his daughter (while also wondering how he would have reacted about his son in the same situations). The biggest change for me occurs with Naku and the relationship with his mother, who learned too late how she should love all her children and how one can become broken when being considered less than by all sides and how much a sibling being there can help, as his sister Vitani was--even though she also teased him. 

Finally, The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, I remember watching it. I’m sitting on this plastic crappy desk in the tv room, I had just gotten the movie from a video store (woah), its playing a few feet away from me on this BIG tv that weighed more than I did and I got annoyed because we were leaving to go see a friend but I HAD to keep watching because I didn’t know how it ended!!! In that moment, I realized that I didn’t know how it ended. Prior to that movie every movie I had seen, I remembered seeing before and mostly remembered what happened (something I wish wasn’t the case as rewatching tv shows isn’t the same--but not important here). This was huge for me, so thank you Lion King, Lion Kin on Broadway and Lion King II: Simba’s Pride for being a great series reference points in my life so far

National Book Month

National Book Month has been a lot, but going down memory lane has been so comforting--like hot cocoa, fuzzy socks, a warm blanket...and a good book.

As we get older, we change. We grow, our perspective changes and with more knowledge comes deeper understanding. The Giver by Lois Lowry is still a great book and was a book I still chose to pass onto my nephew when he reached the age of the protagonist, Jonas (12). The first of many young adult dystopian novels, The Giver is unique as it deals more with the politics and touches upon the issues and reasoning for strict and government regulation without all-out war or battle by Jonas or his friends. Around Jonas’ age, I read and loved this book but during a recent reread found the depth of the book I felt originally was lacking. Still touching upon how the adults had lost their way and the understanding of the choices they were making, I had grown and wanted more from the book. This hurts. I felt as thou I had lost a beauty with the book, because for me some of the story is gone. It still makes me sad, thou understanding why I felt this way after first reading it makes me feel better and I can know to look for more books and stories, both in fiction and in real life that inspire me; while still being able to read a good story from my childhood. 

In the spirit of Halloween and the change of tides with the Giver, today I’d also like to honour the books I love--whose names I’ve forgotten. I book I still swear is called the Pearl, telling the story of the French resistance during the Nazi rise thru the eyes of a rich girl of privilege, a particular story about Elizabeth Blount’s life and events in England and told thru the eyes of a maid/servant. Hopefully I’ll find you once more

The Giver is a good book--please read