Reading is Cool

I am pretty sure, in the coming years, Facebook will add a new Life Event to its Timeline named "Finished a Book." Because that's how much people are reading these days: near zero. Why? Is it because reading isn't cool? Or is it because since you are gonna live only once, you don't want to waste time reading, you want to go jump off a cliff? Or is it because reading isn't adding to your swag?

Well, whatever the reason, and I know there are so many, people aren't reading and it's really upsetting and angering me. Now, what's it to me right? Why should I care if some peasant-minded people just don't want to read, broaden their vocabulary, learn new things, mature, earn common knowledge, and be sophisticated?

Well it affects me, believe me. Here is how:
I spend around 10 hours in school. And I see an average of 130 people per day whom I converse with. Out of these 130 people, only about 10 of them can carry on an intellectual conversation, and out of the 10, only about 3 of them can continue this conversation without getting exhausted, and at the same time enjoy it. 3 out of 130 is approximately 2.31 %. That, if you ask me, is a pretty low percentage. These 3 people and I need to keep our brains active and be challenged all the time. However, if we are only 3 people, and there are no other soul in the huge building to talk to, then of course we nurture each other, and find comfort in each other's company but we can't confront each other because we have only each other.

That, is how this affects me. I need new friends who can make legitimate arguments and oppose my views. I am asking for way too much? Nah, asking for too much would be if I wanted all these people to be good-looking guys. Which I am not, because that would be distracting.

Anyways, the point is to read. Read anything. Fiction, non-fiction, fan-fiction, newspaper, blog, magazine, anything! As long as you are reading, it's fine. Once you start feeling the imponderable joy of reading, you will advance into a group of elite people your age, called the Council of The SuperReaders (#yourbirthyeargoeshere). And then you will start taking pleasure in little things, and lead a pleasant life.

-Lots of dog-eared pages
Belle <3

One Last Wish

"I wish I could go back to elementary school! Nobody judged me back than, I could wear what I wanted and be myself!"

Honestly, this is one of the reasons why I don't like people. You want to go back to elementary school because you weren't judged and you could wear whatever you wanted and play hop-scotch and be jolly all the time? What is wrong with you? Do you not understand the gravity of your wish?  Do I seriously need to enforce it into your naive little brain? It's all for the good of humankind, the gigantic number of organisms who pollute the earth and act extremely stupid most of the time, but I will do it, this time.

Going back to elementary school doesn't necessarily mean that you won't be judged. A place where you are never to be judged does not exist in our universe. It is out of our perception, so forget about that. You will always be judged, you were judged from the beginning and you will be judged at the end.

When you came to life, people judged how you looked as a baby, how handsome/pretty you were going to turn out, who you were going to look like more, etc. As you grew up, the story goes, you had all your innocent ambitions and crazy dreams that were un-achievable or impossible and you got judged there too. If you were realistic, how broad your imagination was, if you were going to be an average student or a genius.

Then came the legal life of elementary school. Your work was judged by your teachers, and your efforts by your parents. Sure you were wearing your hair in silly little pig-tails and having the time of your life which at the time consisted of only 7 years, but you were being judged.

Middle school had you struggling with its three crazy years of transformation and the limbo of mutating into something called an adult which really didn't turn out as you wanted. You now had responsibilities, guy/girl problems, high school expectations and so on.

The thought of repeating high school makes me want to jump off of  a New York skyscraper. The four egregious years you spent not sleeping, writing essays, solving useless math problems that you would never use again, and taking PE class ( which is hell on earth, itself)...OH, forgot to mention the hassle of SATs and college applications.

So, dear person who wants to go back to elementary school, if you ever discover a hidden time machine or invent one, please consult me before using it. I will happily demonstrate what a good choice would look like, which in my case is, to go to the first day of my amazing, and inspiring, and fabulous job that I will love to do, and be passionate about.

Lots of molecular transporters
-Belle

An Average Day

My dad walked into my room holding a digital camcorder. I was sitting at my desk, in the middle of a math problem, wondering why in the world he was disturbing my concentration. He stopped after he stepped inside and recorded the room in its entirety starting from the wall with my 2 huge bookshelves that actually cover 99% of the wall, to the corner behind the door with my unused yoga mat, and tennis rackets that I have yet to touch if I have the time.

While doing this he said "We are now in the natural habitat of the species Nurbanus studentus," and then he focused the camera on me. While I had the most unattractive curious look on my face, he zoomed and then he continued, "this particular species generally carries a glum expression on its face and appears tired 97% of the time, the remaining 3% is when this species looks relaxed, and that is when it sleeps. This species has been classified as a Homo sapien in the past but because of major differences in mental, social, and physical characteristics it has been outcasted. Some scientists even argue if it should be classified as a living organism, because it is usually treated as a robot and programmed to do tasks, also called chores." 

He turned the camera's focus to my windows which were closed to not let any air in, and covered with thick blue curtains that allowed only 3 ounces of sunlight inside that was for the venus fly trap at the windowsill. He then said, "Nurbanus studentus is capable of sitting for more than 10 hours without the need to budge, alone in a dark room with no sunlight and air which brings scientists to say 'it may have evolved from the early species of Teenus vampirus,' this theory is also supported by its resistance to sleep. Nurbanus studentus feed on food like processed sliced potatoes (aka: chips) that are hidden in their habitat so complexly that only they can find them." 

While I was completely amazed at how much research he had done, he concluded his little documentary with the following sentences, "It is still a mystery to us what the future of the Nurbanus studentus will be like, but stay tuned for the next episode where we will go in depth into the organization of its closet, bookshelves, and backpack." He took a last shot of my face which now was twisted into a Johnny Depp-like confused expression, and left the room as if nothing had happened.

Lots of vampire dreams!
-Belle