What to do when fiction makes you feel something that’s not fictional

Congratulations! You have come across a book that’s reached inside you and pulled out emotions that you thought were only reserved for real life shit. Whether you are sobbing your heart out, or you’re so angry that you’re quite willing to throw that book across the room, or you’re so damn happy and feeling like you’ve just won the lottery.

Having been an avid reader for as long as I can remember, I’ve come across books that have torn my heart in half and others that make me go ‘Huh. Is that it?’ Most recently, I’ve dug myself a very deep hole in the form of The Game of Thrones. I have never had such a love/hate relationship with a book series. In particular, the scene dubbed ‘The Red Wedding’ in A Storm of Swords: Blood and Gold. Fiction has never made me feel a grief so acute! So, some tips in overcoming these feelings.

1. Give yourself a small break. Acknowledge your emotional state and wallow for a little.

2. Curse or praise the author a bit. Get those feelings out!

3. Write some fan fiction where the scene changes to suit your feelings

4. Go watch some shitty TV. It will make you wonder what the fuck you are doing killing your brain cells, therefore will make you more  open to the idea of going back to reading the book that just broke your heart…logic at its best

5. Complain to your friends/family about what you have just read, and discuss mutual feelings.  If you talk to someone who hasn’t read that book, PLEASE warn them of what’s coming! Without giving it away, of course.

6. Take a long, hot shower. That usually fixes everything.

And above all, DO NOT STOP READING. You have committed yourself to this book, see it through! Anyway, if you’ve gotten to the point where a book is making you feel real stuff, you’re in too deep to stop, I would imagine.

You have no problems

Whaaaat's up?

Just started my new job. For those who don't know (I'm pretty sure that's everyone) I work as a health care assistant. Essentially, I administer care for those who need it most; elderly, physically and intellectually disabled people. This can range from helping an old man to the bathroom and doing light housework, to personal cares, feeding, dressing, giving medication, etc. Needless to say it's not your typical job, and many people are surprised to learn that I'm not working in retail or at a fast food joint, which is the norm for someone of my age group.

To be in this kinda profession for a year and a bit, you see all kinds of things. I won't list these things because I'm likely to put you off meals somehow.

And no, I am not describing my problems.

I met a new client today, and I can't give many details at the risk of being unprofessional and unethical. He is in his mid teens, and severely brain damaged. He's only been that way for 4 years, and the cause of his current state is horrific. Use your imagination. He cannot speak, his only range of movement is his head side to side, blinking and opening of the mouth. He cannot swallow. You get the picture.

To be around someone like that, it almost put me in tears. If it had I would not have been able to carry on working with him, you have to put personal emotional crap aside to do your job properly. I am now rather good at turning off that switch, so to speak. But anyway, it gets you thinking, and all that stress related crap that had been floating around in my brain for the last couple of weeks suddenly seemed so insignificant, and it honestly made me feel sick to the stomach.
   Most people float through life not knowing (and sometimes not caring) about our most vulnerable. You meet a person who is [vulnerable] and trust me, nothing will matter anymore.

So before you go thinking 'my life is crap' or 'gah so stressed out because of (enter trivial reason here)' slap yourself and say 'I have no problems'

I'm not sure if I'm even getting the point across, I am just venting essentially. And by the by, I doubt there is a teenage boy more loved by his family in this world. It's incredible, believe me.

TTFN, hope I got the gears working.

On nostalgia and things that strike a chord

Been so bored recently...

Just thinking about things, past things and how they make me feel. Like how songs, a scent, associated with old emotions, and suddenly you're reminded of them and whatever that feeling is, it resonates inside you and you are just dumbfounded.

Almost an out-of-body experience (not that I know what that feels like), and bam you're back to the place, you're seeing faces, hearing voices, smelling scents that seem to come from necks, or the indents in shoulders.

And it doesn't necessarily have to be a deep emotion, sometimes it's only like 'oh yeah that song makes me think of that time I was driving down that particular stretch of road' and it's a shallow feeling, you acknowledge it and move on.

Strange stuff, huh? What I find is, is that it doesn't matter how long it's been, a simple reminder and everything you felt at that point comes flooding back.

Not very nice, sometimes.

TTFN

On models

Hey ya,

Don't worry I'm not gonna go on about insecurities again, lol. Just some thoughts I had after I bought a new bikini (it's awesome, btw... o'neill brand, rrp $110 down to $65!) Click here if you wanna see

Anyways, so I'd planned to jump in the surf across the road to get my much needed dose of salt water. I thought 'well, why not try out the new bikini?' and so I did. Stood up to the surf really well considering it was relatively rough, 1-1.3m waves which is decent for the local beach. Choppy too as you'd expect. I usually have a few problems finding a bikini that won't fall apart once you get into a bit of surf, so I was right pleased.

All this stuff got me thinking: Why do bikini models lounge around in the sand, etc to show scraps of fabric off? As below (don't get distracted now):


(yay for Miranda Kerr and having smallish boobs yet still being hot :p)

Seems like a complete misrepresentation, kinda like how you go to McDonalds and you see all the pretty shiny burgers on the menu but when you get your burger you're like 'wtf is this shit'

I think that they should be put in surf like this:
So we can see what happens. Ok maybe this is a little extreme but you catch my drift, right? (teeny bit of punness in there)

If that was the case, I'd be a freakin awesome bikini model. This concept/idea/opinion, however you see it would work the same for runway models too, in stilettos and stuff. I'd like to see them try working a full day and still look hot.

Thoughts, ideas, opinions? I'm craving some stimulation of the cranium

TTFN