Setzer

Being in Australia has been interesting. I've had time to chill and gather my thoughts, realign myself, all that woowoo stuff people don't give any credence to. I've kept up like I always do with my inner circle on either facebook, email, or by some means. And it's been sad to be totally honest.

Everyone seems like they're running away. And I'm not perfect, I know that. People that used to have more fire in them than me it seemed who wanted to go out and conquer or experience life. It's not there....now we all grow and change with time. It's inevitable. A 5 year old won't act the same way as when he's 10. I understand that. People seem to be running away though.

The cries of saying I'll never live here when I get older, or I'll succeed in X one day. Why is it that we all felt something at one time but almost nobody follows through? Lately everyone in my life who I guess made a break for it around the same time has gone back to the old mentality. That life they appreciate life more in the old town. That they miss those days. It really breaks my heart. Because those days I miss just as fondly as they do. It's not what they're really missing. They miss familiarity, because when the curtain is pulled down and see new problems, people, and places they don't have an endgame in mind. What used to be the athlete is now a person who drinks to excess anytime he has time to kill because he can't be alone with his own thoughts. Because a person who wanted to write amazing stories and get away from a place that was killing his soul suddenly wants to return to it to find comfort.

When I was in 8th grade one of my only good teachers I ever had. Day 1 he told us the story of Platos Allegory of the Cave. He explained it and asked us to write down what we thought the deeper meaning was. It's people the same as the world we're living in today. I understood the theme of the story at the time but I didn't get it. I guess if that doesn't resonate and you're more sciency (Cause that's a word) it's the same as when they would put dogs on an electric floor plate and shock them. The dog jumps off the electricified part. Do it to a dog who is enclosed and can't escape, he'll kick, thrash, and scream. Until one day he stops fighting and just accepts it. Then when you put the dog back in the room where he can jump off the electric pad, he sits there accepting defeat.

We can never get the days back when we were young, even though people will spend their life trying. From buying things to hide wrinkles to getting toys and things you didn't have when you were young to try and trick yourself into feeling how you did in your youth won't happen. What people should be doing is taking those kernels of truth that they remember. And using it to grow into something greater. The games that made you feel connected to your friends because of common ground, and made you feel adventerous for scouring the virtual landscape. Take the ball and run with it. Maybe you love travel and seeing new things, maybe you want to make games because they had such a strong impact on who you became. Doesn't matter what it is, but since life can only go forward in one direction. Then accept it, flow, and grow with it.

I have 1 friend who I'm pretty close with that keeps up by email. And he's on his path to his own life. We were in a clan together in CoD. We were good enough and got picked to be on the show Friday Night Fights (If you have CoD Elite) Since the group is long since dead we don't try to dig up the glory days though. It's roots to something bigger.