Message Board Idiots (MBI)

I really want to have something to say...but I don't. It seems that when I most want to talk or write, I don't have the words.

More and more, it alarms me that for the past several years, I've easily been able to masquerade as an adult online. At various points, I've been 18 (when in doubt...), 23 (when they roll out the K-Y...) and 30 (when the debates start...) and I've never been "caught." In fact, there have been points when I revealed my true age to be 17, 16, 15, and was not believed. (But I have never been accused of trolling for minors, which would excuse this.)

More and more, it alarms me that I seem to be able to spell better than many of my "elders."

More and more, it alarms me that I am more eloquent, more poised and certainly more well-informed than many of the chumps I meet online.

This is not to say that I know everything; often, I head into a discussion with an air of deference, only to discover that no one knows what they're talking about any more than I do, and further, they're not willing to look at what information is presented to them, and consider it. I find that people plunge into political debates blind and deaf to other points of view.

I am still young enough that I can make jokes with my friends about becoming an adult; "We're going to get stupid!" is the line we toss out. But there is a certain amount of fear in that, at least for me. I know a ton of curious, well-informed, analytical kids my age; by the sheer number of stupid adults, am I to believe that our brains will disintegrate or something? Laugh, if you will, but I'm serious.

Maybe it's that adults don't have peer groups the way we do; nobody to discuss world affairs with on a regular, daily basis. Maybe it's because adults have less spare time, so they don't have any time left over to think. Of course, this really doesn't apply to the people I know on lj, becuase I think lj supplies both the peer group and the necessity of thinking.

Yeah, I know this post sounds idiotic, and the readers of this entry will lift a bemused eyebrow. I just don't think I'm saying everything right, that's all.

(no subject)

....In case people have not determined this yet, I am now officially not reading everything. 60 people/communities is just too much to keep up with.

I feared reaching this point.

(no subject)

I'm bored, someone entertain me.

Edit: You all understand that was a joke? I'm obviously entertained.

(no subject)

Buster Wilde Weerwolf

He's here. He's weer. I'm laughing my head off.

Blinded by the light of flashbulbs...

So this was inspired by aerindipity's post about lj etiquette here.

I'll state right off that I strongly dislike being dropped. Actually, that's not true: I HATE being dropped. Again, I compare this to real life: if a friend you'd made in real life suddenly stopped hanging around you, you'd think they were a real chump, yes?

But just because they are your friend doesn't mean that they have to hang around you constantly. I know there are people on my friends list who rarely read anything I have to say, and that's okay with me. As long as I occasionally get your input, I don't mind if you're usually too busy to comment on my life.

It's now gotten to the point (as I mentioned) where it is impossible for me to read everything. And, in truth, maybe I never wanted to read everything. Does that mean I think some people I've added back aren't interesting? No.

See, I believe - I see - that everyone has their "moments." Moments when they say something startling, something that makes you think, or makes you laugh. Moments that make nearly every journal worth reading, really; and although I've found one or two journals without those "moments" (that I could see), thank god, they would never add me, anyway. Even if they don't have those moments in journals, maybe they have them in real life? I'll give the benefit of the doubt.

Really, none of us can be interesting all the time. I know I'm sure not. I have some truly pointless, frivolous posts; pointless even to me, sometimes. But I'm sure (much as my inner critic would like to disagree) that I have my moments, too. That's what we read people for, and everyone has them. That's my view. I read everybody who adds me back (when I can) and I, like everyone else, read YOU for your moments.

The trap we fall into is when we try to manufacture those moments. And when they won't come, we feel guilty or dull. At least, I do.

They can't be manufactured. I feel pity for those folks I call "lj celebrities" who everyone calls "brilliant!" Do you want someone spreading the word about you? Do you want a 700+ friends-of list? Do you really? Do like the idea of that much pressure, to be witty all the time? Look at god_dot_com. Look at how many people complain lately that he's not funny enough, as if he were put on this earth to entertain the masses. He wasn't. Neither was I. Neither were you.

Do you want to be famous? No? Then go post a quiz, or something.